Good morning! What a beautiful sunny day yesterday. I completed some church work here at the house and then was called to my neighbor to help him with a few things. It was good to be out! Today is Bible study at the church and then a day of errands and running around. Lots of little things to do but I imagine it will take all day!!
Spoiler alert- today's readings are quite harsh!
John hears a voice coming from the tabernacle. It must be God's voice since all people were restricted in 15:8. The voice commands the angels to pour out the contents of their bowls upon the earth. Some commentaries (and I would agree that even we) think these are very harsh and so "earth" could be symbolic of: the Roman empire, the common people, the Roamn Catholic clergy, only some parts of the earth, or it could mean the whole thing! God initiates the horrific things that are to happen. Some of these are reminiscent of the plagues upon Egypt (boils, water turned to blood, and darkness of the sun).
The first bowl brings painful sores (boils) to the people marked by the beast ("666"); they were marked first by the beast; they are now marked by God. The sea is next; there was partial contamination (8:8), but now everything dies. The fresh waters are next; they too were partially contaminated (8:10). Such ecological disaster! Humanity cannot survive too much longer- Jesus had better come quickly! The angel songs a song, and approves Gods' punishment- they caused the blood of the martyr's to be spilled- so it is appropriate that they are forced to drink blood!
The sun becomes so hot that people are burned as if by fire; they had the chance to repent- but continued cursing God! Darkness comes to the entire earth (Jesus in Matthew 25:30 describes hell as the outer darkness) as a preview of hell.
The Euphrates River dries up; for Rome, this was an important river of protection for their city. It was 1800 miles long and between 300 and 1200 yards wide. If the Euphrates dried up- it would have become like a road leading directly to Rome. Invading armies from China, India, Japan could march directly into Rome.
The dragon is watching all this and frogs come from its mouth. Jews considered frogs unclean; Egyptians had a goddess that was a frog! The idea is that these evil spirits (frogs) are coming from the dragon to contaminate the remainder of the world and call together nations to battle God. In the midst of this battle preparation though, we hear "I am coming like a thief in the night"- a warning to be prepared for Jesus' victory. They gather at Armageddon; the "real" battle of Armageddon was fought in Chapter 17.
The final bowl is emptied and God shouts, "It is finished" (words that Jesus said on the cross!). The fall of Babylon, the "great city" (described in chapters 17 and 18) occurs. Hail (up to 100 pounds) falls to destroy the cities of the world. People still do not repent! Will they (we) ever learn?
Again- a short chapter but filled with complete destruction. There are still two more chapters if destruction before goodness.
It would be helpful to know the timeline. Donna I agree we are about forgiveness. Are people being punished because they are worshipping faults God's or because of evil behavior? I think if you are good and kind I am okay with you having different beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI would like to get together when we are finished but Christmas week will not work for me. If I am the only one that it doesn't work for don't change it j just for me.
The time frame in Revelation is all over the place. There are several "flashbacks" but they are not identified that way. There are some things that happen simultaneously and some that happen one after the other.
DeletePeople are being "punished" for both- false gods/idols and evil behavior.
Thanks Cindy
I most definitely do not want to be on the wrong side of God's wrath - ever. If this is the punishment for those that are living and not repenting or accepting, what is it like for those that have already died and are in "hell"? I find a couple of things mentioned here interesting. 1) The City of Megiddo (or where Armageddon is to take place) has seen more battles than any other location in the world! Is this were Good and Evil always meet, always battle? and 2) John says the sun grows large and burns everything. For years, people thought that when the sun burned out it slowly got smaller and died, which is what I am thinking the thought was then. Now, of course, scientists know that although the sun will die, it will expand and burn everything up to mercury and, of course, too hot to live on earth. Why I am mentioning this is because if John was just thinking of things, dreaming, whatever, I am not sure he would have made the sun grow large before burning out but just burn out and leave total darkness. It was the common thought then. But he saw that at the end it grows large first. I hope I am making my thought clear. I am not sure about the meaning of drying up The Euphrates River since there will be no enemies to threaten Rome - but will take away their water source? I read somewhere once that the Garden of Eden was located somewhere around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers connect - and although that's in Mesopotamia (Iraq) could that have something to do with mentioning Euphrates River?
ReplyDeleteHow much more can here be?
I agree- I hope I am on God's good side!
DeleteI was doing some reading and did see the same thing about Megiddo- interesting!
The sun thought is interesting too.
There were enemies to Rome- and they could have used the dry riverbed to invade. Plus, Rome without water is not good too! Remember- part of this story is symbology and the symbol of Rome as an evil empire that "needed" to be destroyed.
We are almost done with the bad!
Thanks
Jack, how did your dr. visit go today?
ReplyDeleteI see the doctor first thing in the morning. If I mislead you, you have my apologies. I am not thinking straight right now.
DeleteI got word this morning that my nephew, Tyler, died of a drug overdose yesterday morning. He has had issues with drugs for many years, and while this is tragic, it is not unexpected as we were afraid something like this would happen. Please pray for my brother, Bob, his wife, Debby, and for their whole family which has become quite large with grandchildren. Tyler was not married. We are planning to go to North Carolina for the funeral.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, destruction rains down on the earth. From the sidebars in our Bible, God’s wrath is due to people rejecting Jesus or not repenting of their sins. I am hoping and praying that I will not fall into either of these groups when my time comes.
Pastor, do you mean the Tiber River in Rome. The Euphrates River is in what is now Iraq. I saw in the notes that some think that the Garden of Eden lies between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now Iraq, near Baghdad. I don’t know if the Tiber is 1800 miles long, but the Euphrates probably is.
That is all for tonight. I cannot think straight, and I am afraid that my brain is taking the night off!
Oh no Jack- sorry about Tyler. I remember you and Rhea talking about him several times.
ReplyDeleteGod's wrath is poured out on the non-believers and the evil ones. I hope I am not in that group either!
Hmm...maybe I did get confused some! Sorry!
Thanks- have a good rest and find peace.