The Seven Bowls of Wrath contain many echoes that link back to the Plagues of Egypt during the time of the Exodus. God designed this intentional link to remind us that just as He vanquished a World Power centuries earlier, He will do it again.
Many Old Testament allusions help the reader to see that Chapter 16 is the outworking of God's longstanding plan to deal with a rebellious world.
Isaiah 66.6 reminds us that God's wrath flows from His Temple, linking us to Revelation 16.1.
Isaiah 49.26 shows us that God's enemies will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine, linking us to Revelation 16.6.
Psalm 78.44 points to the truth that God will eventually turn His enemies rivers to blood, as in Revelation 16.4-7.
Questions arise, are these events to be taken literally or figuratively....? And the answer is "Yes!" Revelation is rich in symbolism, to this all commentators agree. Revelation 16 describes the final battle, -the final stand of humanity opposed to God. God will judge this people and we know it will be terrible; far greater than words can describe.
If only we would turn to God rather than curse him....
2 comments:
There are so many parallels to Rev 16:15 "Blessed is He who stays awake and keeps His clothes with Him so that He may not go naked and be shamefully exposed". In Genesis God provides covering for Adam and Eves nakedness. In Exodus 12 God tells His people to eat the Passover lamb "with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in hand". Be Ready! In the New Testament... Rom 13:14 "Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ" and Galations 3:27 "All you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ". There seem to be many in the end who aren't covered. It's a difficult reality to digest and has given me a new sense of urgency to pray for those who don't understand or refuse the covering.
Great work Sue...! This was indeed a common metaphor and one that Jesus used 60 years earlier! In Matthew 24.43 we see that Jesus employed this same dramatic image... I can just imagine John hearing Jesus say this a second time! Likewise the Apostle Paul used the thief analogy in I Thessalonians 5 verse 2.
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