Revelation 15:1-8 “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. … (5) After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. (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. (7) Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angel’s seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. (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.”
In this section we want to discuss the first bowl of God’s wrath being poured out on the earth and the corresponding judgement that will be initiated because of that bowl’s outpouring. In the above quoted passage of scripture we see that when God finally pours out the last of His wrath on the earth that He will close off all access to Himself, for this passage declares that no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels are completed. The reason God will do this is so that no intercession can be made to Him during that time. We can therefore understand why God will remove the one hundred and forty four thousand from the earth before these final judgements take place.
Revelation 16:1-2 “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." (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.”
Many in the church have been taught that when the anti-Christ is manifested at the end of the age that he will rule the entire world for three and a half years. That is not correct however, for the scripture teaches us that there will actually be four kingdoms on the earth when the Lord Jesus returns; one of which will be the kingdom of the anti-Christ (Daniel 7). The anti-Christ will arise as the prophesied saviour of the Muslim faith, and therefore they are the ones who will worship the anti-Christ when he is revealed in the earth. And so all Muslims will gladly follow the anti-Christ and proudly carry his mark (the mark of the beast) on either their right hands or their foreheads. The rest of mankind will not carry the mark of the beast however. As an aside, many have speculated that the mark of the beast will be some form of implanted microchip that allows the wearer to conduct financial transactions i.e. pay for groceries, etc. That is also not correct however, because the mark of the beast will be visible to everyone thus identifying the person as being a follower of the anti-Christ. A microchip implanted under the skin does not meet that requirement. Some form of tattoo however does meet that requirement, and so it is very possible that the mark of the beast will fall into that category. And so we see from the above quoted passage of scripture that when the first bowl of judgement is poured out, that God will specifically single out the kingdom of the anti-Christ for punishment. This passage teaches us that the punishment that will be inflicted upon them will be a foul and loathsome sore that will come upon those who had received the mark of the beast. It is very obvious that God will turn the mark of the beast that they carry, into the foul and loathsome sore mentioned in this passage. Scripture teaches us that this sore will be extremely painful, causing those afflicted to gnaw their tongues from the pain (Revelation 16: 10-11). As an aside, the followers of the anti-Christ will suffer from this affliction for the full duration of the remainder of God’s wrath being poured out i.e. eighteen months.
Michael E.B. Maher
Comments