C
Cameron
Guest
A lot of people misunderstand the 6th Bowl of Revelation. Some have suggested that this is the Rapture and others that this is when the Euphrates river dries up for a bunch of angry Chinese men to storm the Middle East. Let’s look at the text:
The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.
Rev 16:13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.
Rev 16:14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
Rev 16:15 ("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!")
Rev 16:16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
First thing to note is the word “great†in front of “river Euphratesâ€Â. That should be your first clue that the river is potentially being considered symbolic.
Second thing to ask yourself is just where the river is. Answer: Iraq, more specifically, Babylon. In antiquity the ancient river ran through downtown Babylon right under the outside fortifications. It was one of the things that made Babylonians so prideful for they knew that in the event of a siege they would have an endless water supply.
Third thing to recognize is that “great†is also used of Babylon in Revelation, most notably Rev. 16:19
Rev 16:19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.
Fourth thing to notice is Jesus saying that He is returning like a thief in the night. To whom? The thief in the night comes to break into your house to rob, steal and destroy. That is the point of the idiom. Jesus is coming specifically to overthrow the world system of unbelief (“cities of the nationsâ€Â). Of course, by silence, we can’t rule out what post-tribbers believe on just this – so don’t get me wrong. I’m pointing out that the Thief in the Night TITN idiom is inappropriate to describe the Rapture, in fact, it describes the wrath. Paul made this oh so clear in 1Thess. 5:4
1Th 5:4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
Fifth thing to ask is why Euphrates and Babylon. Why bring them up at all? Well in history ancient Babylon was overthrown by a thief in the night named Cyrus. Cyrus also means son of the east, by the way. The Persian empire lay siege to Babylon but they could not penetrate its robust defenses. So Cyrus devised a plan to dry up the river Euphrates and then sneak in to the city on the river bead like a thief in the night while the city was involved in a drunken party you can read out in Daniel 5.
Sixth, Cyrus was named by God for this deed 200 years earlier by the prophet Isaiah in 44:28 – 45:1ff where God calls Cyrus his anointed and shepherd. So, very obviously, Cyrus is a type of Christ and a pattern of the TITN overthrow of a wicked and prideful system.
Seventh, “great†Babylon in Rev. 16:19 is equated the cities of the nations. So the pattern of ancient Babylon’s fall at the hands of an ancient thief in the night is being repeated here at the 6th and 7th bowls. Jesus will come and destroy them all and set up His Kingdom.
The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.
Rev 16:13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.
Rev 16:14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
Rev 16:15 ("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!")
Rev 16:16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
First thing to note is the word “great†in front of “river Euphratesâ€Â. That should be your first clue that the river is potentially being considered symbolic.
Second thing to ask yourself is just where the river is. Answer: Iraq, more specifically, Babylon. In antiquity the ancient river ran through downtown Babylon right under the outside fortifications. It was one of the things that made Babylonians so prideful for they knew that in the event of a siege they would have an endless water supply.
Third thing to recognize is that “great†is also used of Babylon in Revelation, most notably Rev. 16:19
Rev 16:19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.
Fourth thing to notice is Jesus saying that He is returning like a thief in the night. To whom? The thief in the night comes to break into your house to rob, steal and destroy. That is the point of the idiom. Jesus is coming specifically to overthrow the world system of unbelief (“cities of the nationsâ€Â). Of course, by silence, we can’t rule out what post-tribbers believe on just this – so don’t get me wrong. I’m pointing out that the Thief in the Night TITN idiom is inappropriate to describe the Rapture, in fact, it describes the wrath. Paul made this oh so clear in 1Thess. 5:4
1Th 5:4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
Fifth thing to ask is why Euphrates and Babylon. Why bring them up at all? Well in history ancient Babylon was overthrown by a thief in the night named Cyrus. Cyrus also means son of the east, by the way. The Persian empire lay siege to Babylon but they could not penetrate its robust defenses. So Cyrus devised a plan to dry up the river Euphrates and then sneak in to the city on the river bead like a thief in the night while the city was involved in a drunken party you can read out in Daniel 5.
Sixth, Cyrus was named by God for this deed 200 years earlier by the prophet Isaiah in 44:28 – 45:1ff where God calls Cyrus his anointed and shepherd. So, very obviously, Cyrus is a type of Christ and a pattern of the TITN overthrow of a wicked and prideful system.
Seventh, “great†Babylon in Rev. 16:19 is equated the cities of the nations. So the pattern of ancient Babylon’s fall at the hands of an ancient thief in the night is being repeated here at the 6th and 7th bowls. Jesus will come and destroy them all and set up His Kingdom.
....first ya gotta prove it without mistakes to be taken authentically.
