As we enter another highly charged political year, I have been thinking how much the book of Revelation has to offer in terms of casting a discerning eye on how the forces of empires (symbolized by Rome/Babylon) challenge the faith and ethics of the Kingdom of God. In this post, we look at what's really happening in the seven bowl judgments, and how John's vision for a 1st century audience still applies to us today,
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After I had taken all this in, I looked again; and the inner part of the tabernacle of witness[1] opened in heaven. Out of the temple came seven messengers, clothed in pure linen, bright and shining, their chests clad in a golden sash, carrying seven plagues. Then one of the four living creatures[2] stepped over to give to the seven messengers seven golden bowls[3] brimming with the wrath of God who lives throughout the ages. The temple was full of the smoke billowing from the magnificent glory of God and from His power,[4] and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven messengers accomplished their God-ordained end. Then I heard a great voice coming from the temple ordering the seven heavenly messengers. A voice said,” Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath[5] of God upon the earth.”[6]I am going to take the approach that John's vision explains God’s coming judgment on the Roman Empire (that will be clear in the next few chapters) by taking into the account of the fall of Babylon in light of the defeat of Pharaoh at the Red Sea, and use all of these as framework for a universalized prediction of the judgments that will fall on all Babylons (World Systems) until the final global Babylon is gone.[7]
- Chapter 15-16 pick up details from chapters 4, 8, 12 and 14. This is recapitulation.
- The 7 bowls of judgment (16:1-21) overlap the 7 trumpets and seals. Lots of similar imagery and events.
- They all have a similar goal: to bring the earth's inhabitants, like Pharaoh, to repentance.[8]
- The judgment escalates from impacting 1/4, to 1/3, to all the world.[9][10] My theory: it reminds us that God is patient, but at some point “our iniquities are full.” (Genesis 15:16)
- The bowls are linked to the Judgment of the global system in 18; 16:19; 14:8 - 10; 15:7, 16:1.
- This is modeled after the plagues in Egypt, the last 7 of which did not touch God’s people.