“The Seven Final Plagues”
Revelation 16:1-21
“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.’” [Rev 16:1]
These seven final plagues before our Lord’s Return are described in Rev 16. There are similarities to previous judgments, and differences. Two great differences are their scope and speed. In the Seals and Trumpets judgments, there were pauses between the sixth and seventh. In these bowl judgments there are no such pauses. They come in devastating rapid succession.
Another difference is the scope of the bowl judgments; they are worldwide. While the Trumpet judgments were exercised upon a third of the earth’s vegetation [Rev 8:7], a third of the sea [Rev 8:8], a third of the living creatures in the sea [Rev 8:9], and a third of the rivers and springs [Rev 8:10]; the bowl judgments will be on a worldwide scale [ref. 16:3-4]. No doubt the Lord is going to do a thorough cleansing just before His return.
“The seven bowl judgments will gather together all the horrors and terrors from all the previous judgments of God. They will completely inundate the world, bringing it to the brink of utter ruin.” [MacArthur]
Yet in these progressively worsening judgments, one can sense God’s mercy. Judgment, remember, is God’s “unusual act.” [ref. Isa 28:21] He is longsuffering and administers judgment gradually [over time] to allow repentance. But to the unrepentant He will judge, and ultimately that is what we see in these final hours.
After the 4th and 5th plagues, “they blasphemed the name of God…and they did not repent.” And so, finally, these last judgments will be exercised to usher in Christ’s Return.
These seven final plagues will be the answer to the prayers of the Saints, throughout time, for justice.
