Vials of Wrath in Revelation

 

VIDEO: Vials of Wrath in Revelation

And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God on the Earth. (Revelation 16:1 AKJV)

The Greek word phialē (fee-al’-ay) describes a broad shallow cup. Bowl of wrath would probably be a more appropriate word. How long will this wrath last? We know that... 

• There are 12 years left after the Tribulation.
• God doesn’t count years when His people are not in their land. 
• Jesus said the time would be cut short, lest all mankind be wiped out.

Because of these factors, we don’t really have a firm timing for the wrath of God. There are three distinct possibilities:

1. It could be as little as five years after Tribulation if God’s people are present in the land because that would be the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles.
2. It could also go on through most of that Feast which is seven days (seven years) long, so it may be closer to 12 years. 
3. Should the AntiChrist remove all of God’s people from Israel, then it could be thousands of years.

For now, the best estimation is that it will be at least five years of wrath.

1st Bowl

So the first [angel] went and emptied his bowl on the Earth, and foul and painful ulcers (sores) came on the people who were marked with the stamp of the beast and who did homage to his image. (Revelation 16:2 AMPC)

The first plague that will be released will come solely upon those who received the Mark of the Beast AND worshiped him. The Greek word kakos (kaw-kos’) translated as “foul” or “noisome” in the King James Version can mean, “distressing, whether to mind or to the body,” which is a good description of what it could be like to have painful sores appear on your body. This wording is also used to describe the sores upon Job and the plague that was released against Egypt. 

2nd Bowl

The second [angel] emptied his bowl into the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a corpse [thick, corrupt, ill-smelling, and disgusting], and every living thing that was in the sea perished. (Revelation 16:3 AMPC)

The next bowl will release something that will affect the entire planet. Fishing is a big industry that provides a lot of food for the world. The prior seals and trumpets caused the skies to darken which will hinder food production on land. When the animals in the oceans are killed, food will now be hard to come by. 

Turning water into blood and sores upon the body were two of the plagues that came against Egypt. Will we see more of Egypt’s plagues in the remaining wrath?

3rd Bowl

Then the third [angel] emptied out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into (became) blood. (Revelation 16:4 AMPC) 

Now all the water has been poisoned! Even springs will be contaminated. Not only will food be scarce, but water as well. 

And I heard the angel of the waters say, “You are righteous, O Lord, which are, and were, and shall be, because You have judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.” And I heard another out of the altar say,” Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments. (Revelation 16:5-7 AKJV)

Declarations from angels make it clear as to why water has been turned into blood. This is a judgment from Heaven, blood for blood. The payment is now due for all the lives of God’s holy people who have been taken and the punishment is given for the blood spilled. Water that turned a river into blood, was the very first sign God sent against Egypt.

4th Bowl

Then the fourth [angel] emptied out his bowl upon the sun, and it was permitted to burn (scorch) humanity with [fierce, glowing] heat (fire). People were severely burned (scorched) by the fiery heat, and they reviled and blasphemed the name of God, Who has control of these plagues, and they did not repent of their sins [felt no regret, contrition, and compunction for their waywardness, refusing to amend their ways] to give Him glory. (Revelation 16:8-9 AMPC)

The UV rays from the sun will not only create “heat” but will also burn the skin. Having a sunburn is doubly painful when the temperature is hot outside! Instead of turning to God for help, people will follow the AntiChrist’s example and  speak against God. With less protection from an ozone layer from the effects of the trumpets, fewer plants will be producing oxygen in a heated atmosphere with quick-burning UV rays.  

• The fourth Vial will be poured out around a year after the meteorite strikes the Earth. 
• First, clouds will drop the temperature.
• Next, acid rain poisons the water.
• Finally, a year or so later, the “greenhouse effect” of heat with a thin ozone layer will scorch people.

The Apostle John correctly prophesied the effects of a meteorite striking the Earth almost 2,000 years ago! Because we can say that the second trumpet is about a year before this vial is poured out, we have proof for our Tribulation timeline. Trumpets four through six will occur within one year of the fourth vial. The “silence” with the breaking of the seventh seal is now explained:

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in Heaven for about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. (Revelation 8:1-2 AKJV)

There will be a “lull” in activity after the seals are broken before the trumpets begin. The peace will last at least two -and-a-half years. The small meteorites and the big one that hits the ocean, fall at the latter part of the second half of the Tribulation. In order to give time for people to be killed for not taking the Mark of the Beast as seen in Revelation chapters 14-15, there is a gap between the last trumpet and the first vial. 

• Trumpets sound three years after the Two Witnesses die
• Wrath begins six to 10 months after

5th Bowl

Then the fifth [angel] emptied his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was [plunged] in darkness, and people gnawed their tongues for the torment [of their excruciating distress and severe pain]... (Revelation 16:10 AMPC)

The Greek word skotoō (skot-ah-o) can mean either literal or metaphoric darkness. We don’t really have a time frame of when this will occur. It could be months or years after the last bowl of wrath. 

We know that time stopped on God’s calendar when His people were not in their land. If Satan clears out all of God’s people who go into hiding outside Israel and destroys the temple in Jerusalem, then it could be hundreds of years before these next bowls of wrath come to pass.  

• With all the debris in the atmosphere from the earthquakes, smoke from the bottomless pit, and the meteorite, there is a possibility that the sky is completely blocked out. 
• If the Jews are still in Israel, this may happen very quickly after the fourth bowl.
• This could also mean that the AntiChrist is mentally blinded to what is happening.
• If the Jews are not in the land, this could happen for decades or longer. 

Darkness was another plague of Egypt. What is the world’s response to God’s wrath?

And blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their anguish and their ulcers (sores), and they did not deplore their wicked deeds or repent [for what they had done]. (Revelation 16:11 AMPC)

There is no repentance, no turning from what they have done. As we have explained when investigating the seals and trumpets, there may be a scientific reason behind what is happening which they will embrace. From the prior chapters, we know the AntiChrist will be blaspheming God and those in Heaven. It looks like he will convince the world to do the same.

Four out of the first five plagues are a repeat of something God has done in the past when His people were being enslaved by a corrupt government system in Egypt. 

6th Bowl

Then the sixth [angel] emptied his bowl on the mighty river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to make ready a road for [the coming of] the kings of the east (from the rising sun). (Revelation 16:12 AMPC)

The Euphrates is the longest river in southwest Asia. A tectonic plate runs under this river, so a shifting of the Earth’s crust from the meteorite could cause the river to dry up. China has the largest army in the world and relies heavily upon the water, both in the sea and on land, for rice production. The drying up of this river will clear the way for an army to march, possibly from China, in search of water and food as the river to the east of Israel is drained.

It is interesting to note that God dried up the Red Sea to free His people and destroy the army of Pharaoh in Egypt. He is once again drying up water to bring an army across the dry river.  

And I saw three loathsome spirits like frogs, [leaping] from the mouth of the dragon and from the mouth of the beast and from the mouth of the false prophet. For really they are the spirits of demons that perform signs (wonders, miracles). And they go forth to the rulers and leaders all over the world, to gather them together for war on the great day of God the Almighty. (Revelation 16:13-14 AMPC)

We now have proof that the King of the bottomless pit is inhabiting the AI that the AntiChrist brought to life because a spirit comes from it! Also, Satan is indwelling the AntiChrist as well as the false prophet. At this point, Satan gathers the marshals of his army, sending out his demonic forces to influence the nations of the world.

Behold, I am going to come like a thief! Blessed (happy, to be envied) is he who stays awake (alert) and who guards his clothes, so that he may not be naked and [have the shame of being] seen exposed! (Revelation 16:15 AMPC)

The Lord gives a warning, with words that seem very familiar. Locating where these words are spoken in the Bible will reveal who He is speaking to:

…If therefore you shall not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you shall not know what hour I will come on you. You have a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (Revelation 3:3-4 AKJV)

This was addressed to the “church at Sardis.” It seems this church will be here when the armies begin marching and must keep watch so that “I (Jesus) will come upon you as a thief.” By looking at these teachings, you are preparing yourself to “watch” so that this day will not come upon you this way! You may want to check out the Tribulation Timeline workbook to see if you are in a Sardis church.

And they gathered them together at the place which in Hebrew is called Armageddon. (Revelation 16:16 AMPC)

Where exactly their forces will gather is still a great debate. Armageddon is translated from Greek, and the most common belief is that it means: Har-Magedon or the hill at Magedon, a place of many bloody battles in Israel. Unfortunately, this is the only place in the whole Bible where this word appears. For that reason, this may be metaphoric, merely stating that the enemies are gathering for a great bloody battle against God’s nation.

This is another bowl that we cannot place with any accuracy. It will happen after the fifth bowl and that is really all we know.

7th Bowl

And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of Heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightning; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were on the Earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. (Revelation 16:17-18 AKJV)

Just as with the seals and trumpets, the seventh angel from Heaven brings “voices, and thunders, and lightning and an earthquake.” With each set of events, the earthquake seems to increase, this time being the strongest of all. 

And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. (Revelation 16:19-20 AKJV) 

The Lord is revealing that the time for destruction has come. The city of Babylon cannot be 100% identified but it could be either Rome or New York City. The destruction continues in the next verse:

And there fell on men a great hail out of Heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. (Revelation 16:21 AKJV)

The hail that comes with this vial weighs about 80 pounds. This does not convince them to repent from their evil ways and they rail at God even more. In the next few chapters, we get a full description of Babylon which we will discuss next. 

One of the calamities God released on Egypt was great hail which destroyed livestock. This final bowl contains hail like the Earth has never seen before. 

The only instrument of wrath God did not use as He freed His people from Egypt is the scorching heat which may be a foreshadow of what happens at the end of the 1,000-year reign. All of the other events were brought against Egypt, an evil government that was ruling the Earth and enslaving God’s people. We can now clearly see that the exodus from Egypt is a foreshadow of the closing of this age when God’s people will be freed from Satan, who will be the ruler of this Earth for a short time.

Right now, we have no way of knowing how long it will be before this comes to pass, so we can only place them on the timeline after the other bowls.

A Message from the Lord

I finished writing this chapter, and the Lord brought me into a vision with Him. He gave me a message for everyone who would read this. Here is what Jesus showed me:

While dancing with Jesus I tested the vision to ensure I was actually seeing Him by asking, “Do you confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh?”

He replied, “Yes I do. Now come and see, I have something to show thee.”

“I love it when that’s what you say,” I exclaimed as I ran beside the Lord who had grabbed me by the hand. “For I know You will reveal a new way!” 

As we sprinted toward a blurry green wall of vegetation, I began veering away from Him to the right. Noticing the distance growing between us, I ran back to where He was, arriving just in time to break through the wall of plants with Him. We ducked under vines and swerved around trees. 

Planting my feet, I pulled on His hand so He’d stop. I explained my hesitation, “I am glad to be here, going with You, but my vision is blurry and I don’t know what to do.”

Jesus kissed both my eyes, then rubbed them with His fingers. After being doused with water, I opened my eyes and could see with crystal clarity. The jungle was green and plush with flowers and fruits. On the right was an oasis that shimmered and sparkled in the sunlight. 

“Come with Me to the place created for thee.” The Lord commanded, turning toward a mountainous wall not far from where we stood.

We had to use our hands and feet to find purchase in the soft loamy surface of the nearly vertical cliff. When we reached the top, a wonderful vista spread out before us because we were above the highest trees for miles all around. “Is this the mountain of my destiny? Is this what You wanted me to see?” 

From this vantage point, it was easy to understand the journey that Jesus had taken me on today; it depicted my walk with Him. 

• When I first started out, I went in the wrong direction and realized that I was not running beside Him anymore. (Wandering right)
• At that point, I made up my mind to make sure I was right beside Him from now on, checking often to make sure I hadn’t wandered off again. (Walking through the jungle)
• After walking, mostly blind for a while, the Lord opened my eyes to the spirit realm where I deepened my relationship with the Holy Spirit. (Oasis)
• I have now overcome obstacles, trials, tests, and climbed the mountain to my destiny.

The Lord moved me to sit inside of Him. Now I could clearly see many paths to our destiny. Scenes played out as He explained three of them, saying most paths are a combination of these:

Path 1 - The Jungle

We can see much provision and growth and head towards it. The biggest danger is getting separated from the Lord and distracted by everything around us. Jesus will help us avoid anything that would hinder and entangle us if we are determined to focus on Him and follow where He goes.

Path 2 - The Desert

This is a dry place without much of the Holy Spirit who is Water. Vegetation is sparse and we hurriedly consume anything we can find. When we finally find the Oasis, we must shake off the scorpions (those who have poisonous tails which are tales or lies told to us) and spiders (those who weave webs of lies) as we enter. 

Path 3 - The Arctic

In the arctic landscape everything is frozen, even the Oasis. The Holy Spirit doesn’t move and the people are cold, lifeless, and frozen as if asleep. I asked the Lord what they needed to get to their destiny. He said the only way forward was to be very close to the Sun (or Son of God) so that the ice would melt. It transformed into a beautiful mountain scene as the sun moved close to it.

I was a bit confused… Why had He explained about moving toward our destiny? Did this apply to this week's message? I asked, “My Love, this is fascinating, and good to know, but how does it apply to the wrath, the Rapture and who will not go? Where do they need to be, along the path to their destiny? At the oasis or at the mountain top, to miss all that will be so hot?”

Tears gathered in my eyes as I was overcome with a sadness that wasn’t mine, but His. “There are many who love Me and I love them, but they will be left behind at the end.” 

In words that musically rhymed, He continued to explain what I will capture now in words that are plain: 

Outside the Oasis

Thick thorny vines sprung up in the wildernesses outside of the oasis. This created a maze of paths that were painful to walk through. It choked off access to the oasis and made it almost impossible to find. 

• It will be hard to find provision and spiritual connection to Jesus for those who are not yet connected with Jesus in that way.

After seeing the vines sprout out of the ground, Jesus then reminded me that we had to climb, hands and feet working together, in order to get to the top where my destiny is. 

Hands Only

Many Christians work for Jesus. They are busy picking fruit and planting seeds, but they don’t move their feet in time with the Lord. They walk where they want to, not where He has for them to go. 

• This group will miss the Rapture, even though they love Him and are even working for Him.

Feet Only

Some Christians don’t work, but are trying to walk with God. They will often slip and fall. They may have access to the Oasis (Spirit) but they are not focused on what He wants them to do. 

• This group will also miss the Rapture and be there for the wrath. If they have wandered too far off the path, they will not have access to the Spirit and the provision and guidance He can bring because they are off in the weeds where the thorny vines are. 

The Lord made it very clear. Only those in their bridal gown will go. Five of the ten virgins were locked out in the darkness, where the wrath occurs. It is our good deeds which are done according to His will for us that earn us the wedding gown (Revelation 19:8). The fact that so many will not make it into the wedding grieves our Beloved. 

The Lord said, “Tell them about the visions with me and Heavenly Jerusalem, Father has prepared a place for them!”

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