Read Revelation 16 at Bible Gateway.
Before we get to what the first bowl is, let us note the previously established pattern: the first four trumpets struck the Roman empire of the Caesars in its land or territory, seas, rivers, and sun, which brought about the fall of one third of that Roman empire — the Western Roman empire, by four massive waves of barbarian invasions (in 476 ad). The fifth trumpet, of Islam, brought about the fall of a second third of that Roman empire, which had covered the territory of Spain, northern Africa, and parts of the Middle East (in 762 ad). The sixth trumpet of the Turks brought about the fall of the third third of that Roman empire, which by this time was known as the Byzantine Roman empire (in the fall of its capital, Constantinople, in 1453).
The modern Roman empire that we have been dealing with since Rev 13 is also in three parts: the beast of the sea, the land, and the image of the beast. The beast of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, is the kingdoms of this world, which are all patterned after Rome, and ultimately Babel, in their philosophy and operation. We can say that our own kingdom is ruled by a constitutional republic and by law, but is it really? The reality is, that even in our country, there is a wealthy elite exempt from law who lords power over the people. They use different means to enact their oppressive decrees, other than direct proclamation (they manipulate the media, for example) but the end result is the same. So the kingdoms of this world are represented by Rome, the terrible fourth beast of Daniel’s vision.
The second third is the beast from the land, the Roman papacy, and the third third is the image of the beast whose deadly wound was healed, which is the Holy Roman Empire.
Now the first four bowls of wrath strike the earth — land or territory — the seas, the rivers, and the sun, just as the first four trumpets did. I am going to predict that these first four are going to bring about the end of one third of the modern incarnation of the Roman empire, and that the remaining three complete the destruction of the terrible beast of Rome.
The trumpet judgments and the interval period between the sixth and seventh trumpets, took us in history right up to the French Revolution, which we saw was a great earthquake introducing atheism and rejection of all religion in the earth, for the first time in the history of the world. Government by kings and absolute rulers was abolished, for the first time in the history of the world. (The American Revolution did so in 1776, the French Revolution in 1793.) So we can see that there was indeed a great earthquake at the end of the 18th century. So, let’s pick up our history at the end of the 18th century, and see if we can see by hindsight, what the first bowls of wrath might be.
And as we do, let us keep in mind that the purpose of the wrath is to strike blows that weaken unto death, the beasts and the image of the beast. The bowls, which are contained in the seventh trumpet, bring about the end of the kingdoms of this world and the establishment of the kingdom of our LORD (Rev 11:15). The prophecy is telling us that the bowls will end the Holy Roman Empire, the Roman papacy, and the Roman way of governing the kingdoms of this world.
Continued in revelation 16, the first bowl of wrath
Christine’s book The Revelation of Jesus Christ Revealed, based on these studies, is now available at www.RevelationRevealed.online. You may also be interested in reading Book Extras and joining in on Discussion.
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