Revelation 16:16

And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

·        The English word “Armageddon” appears only once in the Bible (Rev. 16:16). It is the place where God will gather all the nations to go to war against Him. It is the military staging area.

·        The English word “Armageddon” comes from the Hebrew “Harmagedon” or “Har Magedon”, which means the hill of Megiddo. The Hebrew “har” means “hill-country”. Thus, “Har Magedon” is the hill-country of Megiddo.  Megiddo is a town in the valley of Jezreel (or Esdraelon) in northern Israel about sixty miles north of Jerusalem. The valley is about fifteen miles wide and twenty miles long.

 Joel 3:2  I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will enter into judgment with them there…..

Zechariah 12:11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hada Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

Revelation 16:15

“Behold, I am coming as a thief.  Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

·        When God’s cause comes to be tried, and His battles to be fought, all His people shall be ready and be faithful and valiant in His service (MH)

·        Garments are pictures of spiritual and practical righteousness. We are given the righteousness of Jesus as a garment (Galatians 3:27), but we are also called to “put on” the nature of Jesus in terms of practical holiness (Ephesians 4:20-24). Above all, we must not be “naked” - that is, without a covering, or trying to provide our own covering like Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:7), which is like filthy rags in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6).  (DG)

Joel 2:9  They run to and fro in the city, they run on the wall; they climb into the houses, they enter at the windows like a thief.

Psalm 130:6  My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning – yes, more than those who watch for the morning.

Revelation 16:14

For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out of the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

·        Satan will rally the nations armies and resources in his deep arrogance of defeating Jesus at Armageddon in attempting to establish his throne in Jerusalem forever

·        The kings of the earth will gather to make war against Jesus to satisfy their “lust” for more money, power, land, etc.

1 Kings 22:21-23 …..Therefore look!  The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against  us.

Zephaniah 3:8  Therefore wait for Me, says the LORD, until the day I rise up for plunger; My determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger; all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.

Revelation 16:13

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

·        In the 6th bowl, “unclean spirits like frogs” come out of the mouth of Satan, the Antichrist and the false prophet. They will seduce kings with their words, being confirmed by supernatural miracles.

·        Demon spirits will deceive the governmental leaders of the earth with miracles (Mt. 24:24; Rev. 13:13-14; 2 Thes. 2:9-10). The nations will be accustomed to supernatural activity with many false christs, teachers and prophets (Mt. 24:5, 11).

 Deuteronomy 13:5  But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God…..

Psalm 78:45  He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.

Revelation 16:12

Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.

·        The sixth bowl involves God giving over the nations to the full power of their wicked choices on a global scale. God gives people over to increasingly greater evil if they continue to persist in sin to the point where they do not want to and therefore can no longer respond to the Spirit (Mt. 7:8; Rom. 1:24-28; 2 Thes. 2:11).

·        God wants no neutral nation, as He gathers them all to Jerusalem, forcing them to declare what is in their hearts toward Jesus’ leadership. Joel calls this the “valley of decision” (Joel 3:14).

 Isaiah 41:2  Who raised up one from the eat?  Who in righteousness called him to His feet?  Who gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings?  Who gave them as the dust to his sword, as driven stubble to his bow?

Jeremiah 50:38  A drought is against her waters, and they will be dried up.  For it is the land of carved images, and they are insane with their idols.

Revelation 16:11

They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

·        The impact will affect the energy, light, temperature, mental, emotional and physical health, agriculture, navigation, environment, etc. This is a physical, spiritual and moral darkness.

·        As God’s judgments increase, their hatred and blasphemy increase, coming out fully into the open. Many times we are troubled by Jesus’ wrath while trying to reconcile the Jesus of Christmas and the Jesus of Armageddon. Therefore, He creates the optimum context for the heart of men to be fully revealed. They don’t say, “We’re sorry forgive us”, they say, “We hate you!” In the day of testing the truth of the heart is revealed. God won’t violate human freewill or make eternal beings disappear.

 

Psalm 74:10  O God, how long will the adversary reproach?  Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?

Jeremiah 18:8  If that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will repent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.

Revelation 16:10

Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness, and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain.

·        The fifth bowl targets the geographic seat of the Antichrist kingdom causing great pain. God will turn all the lights out in the Antichrist’s empire.

·        The impact will affect the energy, light, temperature, mental, emotional and physical health, agriculture, navigation, environment, etc. This is a physical, spiritual and moral darkness.

 Exodus 10:22  So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.

Revelation 16:9

And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

·        This judgment will cause men to “blaspheme the name of God” and accuse His character instead of taking responsibility for their sin and repenting.

·        This bowl will be a prophetic message to the earth that science will not be able to explain away. Its scorching fire and great heat will be a prophetic token of the fire that many will experience in the Lake of Fire.

 Psalm 74:10  O God, how long will the adversary reproach?  Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?

Jeremiah 19:8  I will make this city desolate and a hissing; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its plagues.

Revelation 16:8

Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.

·        The fourth bowl is a supernatural act of God releasing power over the sun, making it more intense.

·        The pain of this judgment comes through scorching fire that releases great heat from the sun to burn men with fire. This is God’s activity, not merely natural or satanic.

 

Psalm 11:6  Unto the wicked He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.

Psalm 21:9  You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger; the LORD shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

Revelation 16:7

And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”

·        There is no contradiction between the God of mercy and wrath, as He pours out these severe judgments to remove everything that hinders love (Zeph. 3:8; Heb. 12:25-29).

·        Only by understanding the big picture of His eternal plan can we understand the necessity of His temporal judgments in waking men up to eternal salvation.

Deuteronomy 32:4  He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.

Psalm 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

Revelation 16:5-6

And I heard the angel of the waters saying:

“You are righteous, O Lord,

The One who is and who was and who is to be,
Because You have judged these things.
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
And You have given them blood to drink,
For it is their just due.”

 

·        The two oracles in this passage (v. 5-6, v. 7) agree with God that His judgment was “just, true and righteous”.

·        The angel declares “You are righteous”, as God’s judgments are not only fair payment to the wicked and necessary to stop them, but they are helpful in waking up sinners to salvation (Isa. 26:9). God’s judgments are never too lenient or severe. They are never too late or too early. They are altogether right in every way.

 

Psalm 145:17  The LORD is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works.

Ezekiel 39:17  ……..that you may eat flesh and drink blood.”

Revelation 16:4

Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.

 

·        This complete contamination is in contrast to the partial (one-third) pollution of fresh waters shown in Revelation 8:10-11.  (DG)

·        When these judgments come, the time must be very short until the return of Jesus. With ecological disaster such as this, the human race cannot survive long.  (DG)

Ezekiel 16:38  And I will judge you as women who break wedlock or shed blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousy.

Isaiah 49:26  I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine, all flesh shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior; and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

Revelation 16:3

Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.

·        The sea will become thickened like the congealed blood of a dead man. It will kill all the marine life in the sea causing unimaginable stench and destroying the sea trade along with its food supply.  Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.

·        The fish and shipping industry will be destroyed causing a disruption of maritime commerce and previous prosperity. It is possible that the “sea” here may refer to the Mediterranean Sea which was the focal point in Daniel 7:2-8.

 

Exodus 7:17  thus says the LORD:  By this you shall know that I am the LORD.  Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and they shall be turned to blood.

Psalm 78:44  Turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink.

Revelation 16:2

So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

·        Only the Antichrist “worshipers” and “reprobate” who took the “mark of the Beast” receive these tormenting sores.

·        These sores will be foul or revolting with an offensive odor, even as foul meat is rotten or putrid. They will also be loathsome in being so painful that men will loath life itself. The very pain will pull some people away from the lure of sinful pleasure and demonic worship.

 Exodus 9:9  And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 28:35  The LORD will strike you in the knees and on the legs with severe boils which cannot be healed, and from the sole of your foot to the top of your head.

Revelation 16:1

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.”

·        The seven bowls of wrath are the third and final numbered judgment series (7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls).

·        The 7 bowls are the fullness of God’s wrath (Rev. 14:10; 15:1) sent to destroy all the evil infrastructures of the Antichrist’s empire, as a “rod of iron” shatters clay pottery to pieces. No infrastructure of society (transportation, water, education, financial, etc.) is exempt from the “rod of justice”, as Jesus takes His promised inheritance of the nations (Ps. 2:7-9).

 

Psalm 79:6  Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You, and on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name.

Ezekiel 22:31 Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the LORD GOD.

Revelation 15:8

The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

·        They were all wrapt up in clouds of smoke, which filled the temple, from the glorious and powerful presence of God (MH)

·        God Himself was now preaching to the church and to all the world, by terrible things in righteousness; but when this work was done, the temple would be opened. (MH)

Exodus 40:34  Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Isaiah 6:1-4 ….And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

Revelation 15:7

Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever.

·        Their artillery:  seven vials of wrath of God (MH)

·        They were armed with the wrath of God against His enemies (MH)

Jeremiah 25:15  For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me:  “Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.”

Psalm 2:5  Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure

Revelation 15:6

And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands.

·        This was the habit of the high priests when they went in to enquire of God, and came out with an answer from him.  (MH)

·        They do everything in a pure and holy manner (MH)

Exodus 28:6  and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked.

Leviticus 26:21  Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins

Revelation 15:5

After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.

·        In the judgments of God was now about to execute he was fulfilling the prophecies and promises of His word and covenant, which were there always before Him. (MH)

·        This refers to the heavenly reality of the tabernacle, not the earthly copy.  (DG)

Exodus 38:21  This is the inventory of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, which was counted according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.

Numbers 1:53  but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children fo Israel; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony.

Revelation 15:3-4

 

They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:

“Great and marvelous are Your works,

Lord God Almighty!

Just and true are Your ways,

O King of the saints!
Who shall not feat You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested.”

·        They extol the greatness of God’s works (MH)

·        They call upon all nations to render unto God the fear due to such a discovery of His truth and justice (MH)

Psalm 92:5  O LORD, how great are Your works!  Your thoughts are very deep.

Isaiah 66:23  and it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the LORD.

Revelation 15:2

And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.

·        “The sea is designed to reflect the glory of God. In chapter 4 its description ‘like unto crystal’ speaks of the holiness of God. Here the sea mingled with fire speaks of divine judgment proceeding from God’s holiness.” (Walvoord)

·        These are those who are victorious over the beast through their faithfulness unto death. They are the tribulation martyrs, described in Revelation 7:9-17.  (DG)

Exodus 24:9, 10  Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel.  And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.

Psalm 137:2  We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it.

Revelation 15:1

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous:  seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.

·        The work they had to do, which was to finish the destruction of antichrist (MH)

·        These seven last plagues are God’s judgment on a disobedient and contrary world.   (DG)

Leviticus 26:21 Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins.

Isaiah 38:7  And this is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing which He has spoken.

Revelation 14:20

And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.

·        “pictures grapes fully grown in the prime almost bursting with juice . . . The spurting of the grape juice from under the bare feet of those treading the grapes in the winepress is compared to the spurting of blood and speaks of the awful human carnage.” (Walvoord)

·        In ancient times, a battle area extending one thousand six hundred furlongs (approximately 200 miles) was incomprehensible - but not in modern warfare. “The area covered, 1,600 furlongs, is approximately 200 miles, and specifies that the area within a 200-mile radius from Jerusalem will be gathered at the time of the second coming of Christ.” (Walvoord)

Isaiah 63:3  “I have trodden the winepress along.  And from the peoples no one was with Me, for I have trodden them in My anger, and trampled them in My fury; their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes.

Revelation 14:19

So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

·        --the wine of the wrath of God, the consequence of her fornication. As she made the nations drunk with the wine of her fornication, so she herself shall be made drunk with the wine of God's wrath. (JFB)

Isaiah 63:2 Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?

Lamentations 1:15  The Lord has trampled underfoot all my mighty men in my midst; He has called an assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord trampled as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah.

Revelation 14:18

And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.”

·        “What strength have grapes against the weight and power of a man when he comes to set his feet upon them? And the riper they are, the more helpless . . . The heel of Omnipotence is upon them, and they can only break and sink beneath it.” (Seiss)

 Joel 3:13  Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.  Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow – for their wickedness is great.”

Isaiah 13:15  Everyone who is found will be thrust through, and everyone who is captured will fall by the sword.

Revelation 14:17

Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

·        These allusions seem to indicate that the angel is acting in response to the prayers of the saints for divine judgment on wickedness.” (Walvoord)

Jeremiah 51:33  For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:  “The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor when it is time to thresh her; yet a little while and the time of her harvest will come.”

Joel 3:13  Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.  Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow – for their wickedness is great.”

Revelation 14:16

So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

·        This means that God will judge the earth only when it is over-ripe for judgment. He doesn’t rush into judgment. (DG)

·        “It must be remembered that evil has its harvest as well as good. There is a harvest of misery and woe, - a harvest for the gathering, binding, and burning of the tares, - as well as for the gathering of the wheat into the garner of heaven.” (Seiss)

 Numbers 9:16 So it was always:  the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.

Jeremiah 50:16  Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him who handles the sickle at harvest time.  For fear of the oppressing sword everyone shall turn to his own people, and everyone shall flee to his own land.

Revelation 14:15

And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

·        The harvest-time; when the corn is ripe, when the measure of the sin of men is filled up (MH)

·        Then He will spare them no longer (MH)

Jeremiah 51:33  For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:  “The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor when it is time to thresh her; yet a little while and the time of her harvest will come.”

Joel 3:13  Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.  Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow – for their wickedness is great.”

Revelation 14:14

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.

·        The chariot in which He sat – a white cloud, a cloud that had a bright side turned to the church, how dark soever it might be to the wicked (MH)

·        Crown – He has authority to do whatsoever He would do.  (MH)

Ezekiel 1:26  And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it.

Daniel 7:13  I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven!  He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.

Revelation 14:13

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write:  ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

·        This prophecy came down from heaven, and not from men, and therefore it is of certain truth (MH)

·        It was to be preserved and published – by writing; it was to be matter of record, that the people of God might have recourse to it for their comfort upon all occasions  (MH)

Ecclesiastes 4:1, 2 …..Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead, more than the living who are still alive.

Psalm 55:6  So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!  I would fly away and be at rest.