The Last Days
​Revelation 16:12-16

 Lesson 61- Watch and Hold Fast

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​Lesson 61 | 03/29/26 ​
Revelation 16:12-6 | Watch and Hold Fast

We are continuing chapter 16 looking at the final 2 bowls of wrath being poured out on an unbelieving world. These 7 Bowls of Wrath complete God’s Judgement on the system of the Beast, which as we will see in the coming chapters is also Babylon the Great. These 7 plagues, πληγὰς, are specific strikes/blows against the pride and power of man and the system they worship.

• Bowl #1- Mankind (earth dwellers, bringing down the haughtiness of pride)
• Bowl #2- Sea (merchant and trade)
• Bowl #3- Rivers and springs of water (life force)
• Bowl #4- Sun (greatest source of energy)
• Bowl #5- Darkness over the kingdom of the Beast
• Bowl #6- Euphrates dried up (preparing the way to their destruction)
• Bowl #7- Air- (Satan is the prince of the power of the air)

These 7 strikes will complete the wrath of God and destroy the system of Babylon, Rev 14:8.
Revelation 16:12-16    Bowl #6
God preparing the way for their destruction

• God has prepared the Way to Eternal Life through the person Jesus Christ, John 14:6
  • Here God dries up the great river Euphrates to prepare the way to lead the kings of the earth to their destruction, Rev 6:15; 17:2, 12-18; Psalm 2:1-9.
  • God is leading the kings of the earth to their place of Judgement, Isaiah 24:21-23; Joel 3:1-2, 12-17
    • This is the Campaign of Armageddon, Rev 14:14-20.
• The enemy has no idea they are walking right into God’s plan
  • They are even using sorcery and evil signs to persuade the people to follow them, Rev 16:13-14.

The Euphrates River

• The kings of the east, v.12.
  • Euphrates River is the eastern border of Israel
  • To the east, demonic activity
    • The city of Babylon was built by Nimrod on the banks of the Euphrates River, Gen 10:8-10; 11:1-4
    • All the demons from Babylon of old are still around and persuading men to fight against God, Rev 18:2.

The unholy trinity

• The dragon, the beast, the false prophet leading the world against God
  • Issuing forth demons to persuade men
  • To unite the world against God just like Nimrod and the Tower of Babel

Revelation 16:15    Interlude
Heptadic Structure of 7’s and an interlude in between the 6th and 7th

• Always a pause in the Revelation to take a breath. Always an encouragement to the Church
  • Seals = chapter 7 (the 144,000 sealed)
  • Trumpets = chapters 10-11 (the little scroll and the Two Witnesses)
  • Bowls = one verse to encourage and admonish the Church
• This is a warning from Jesus personally to His Church to watch for Him and stay pure and faithful
  • Don’t be defiled by the world. Keep your eyes on Jesus and His return.
  • This is the continuous walk of the Christian
    • Present participles of continuous action
      • μακάριος ὁ γρηγορῶν, καὶ τηρῶν
      • Blessed is the one watching and the one holding fast
  • This is a sobering warning
    • Jesus is not saying this to the world, but to His Church
    • Same exact warning to the church of Sardis, Rev 3:1-6.
  • The faithful Christian is promised a ἱμάτιον kingly garment.
    • This is the same robe the 24 Elders are wearing, Rev 4:4
    • But the warning from Jesus is to not defile this garment by playing the harlot with the world
      • Every one of the 7 letters to the 7 churches warns and admonishes us to keep our focus on Jesus lest you be found playing the harlot with the world when He appears:
        • Ephesus- You have left your first love, Rev 2:4-7
        • Smyrna- Be faithful even until death, Rev 2:10
        • Pergamos- don’t marry the world, Rev 2:13-16
        • Thyatira- don’t be corrupted by the world, Rev 2:20-29
        • Sardis- watch and hold fast, Rev 3:1-6
        • Philadelphia- hold fast what you have, Rev 3:10-11
        • Laodicea- repent and be clothed in white garments, Rev 3:17-19
      • Jesus constantly warned and admonished us in the Gospels as well, Matthew 24:36-47; 25:10-13; Mark 13:32-37; Luke 12:35-48; 21:25-38- Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

Revelation 16:15- “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

• God’s Glory is coming on the whole world. Jesus is warning and admonishing His Church to be clothed in His Glory
  • All those earth dwellers who are being gathered together to fight against God have exalted their glory above God’s.

They have defiled themselves with the world and God’s Glory will find them naked and ashamed.

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