Lesson 51

Revelation  - Study of Things to Come

Revelation 16  The Bowls of Wrath

 

SCIENCE AND THE BIBLE                       

 

1. God is eternal and creation is temporal.

- all things are from either God or creation; space, matter, creation

 

2. Therefore, space, matter, time, energy, material and immaterial are sustained by God.

- Why? are part of creation. Col 1:17

- 2 Pet 3:5 - earth sustained by the Word of God (perfect tense).

 

3. God controls every part of His creation, at every place, at every time. Therefore all of creation is constantly being controlled by God.  Rom 11:36

 

4. God is not bound by any higher law than Himself.

 

5. Science can only generalize about how God works in some of His    creations, in some places, in some times.

 

6. Therefore, any scientific law talks about what God did at certain places and certain times, not about how He must act at all places and all times.

 

7. Therefore, any scientific law does not bind God and is not a law for God but only a normal expression of man for the usual condition.

- ex: gravity

 

8. If God reveals that He acted in some way, at some point, at some time contrary to how He usually acts, this supersedes any scientific law.

 

9. Therefore, although science can be trusted in most cases, and should be, however when we have outside authoritative revelation from God we are bound to trust the word over normal beliefs.

 

10. Must know the Word of God and subordinate everything to it!

Intro Chapter 17-18

It is an expansion of the events associated with the seventh bowl judgment.

 

 

What is revealed is additional information concerning the destruction of Babylon and the final consummation of the wrath that John saw prophetically poured forth.

 

The issue with these 2 chapters that is crucial to an understanding of    Babylon revolves around this question:

Do these 2 chapters refer to 2 distinct Babylons;

Or are the 2 chapters a unit presenting different aspects of one Babylon.

 

1. Distinctions

 

- There are basically 4 major distinctions we need to deal with, to recognize.

Different settings;  Different destroyers;  Different responses;  Different character

 

#1. Different settings:

- These 2 chapters are 2 visions presented by 2 angels to John. 17:1, 18:1

 

- "After these things" in 18:1 is used by many to indicate that these 2 chapters are talking about 2 different Babylons; presenting 2 different pictures.

 

- Question is, does the use of "and after these things,"  Meta. tau/ta  demand a gap between 17 and 18 as some have concluded?

 

- One problem: the mere presence of Meta. tau/ta  does not necessarily demand that things must occur latter chronologically.

- It can simply be indicating the time sequence in which the visions were revealed to John.

 

** Documentation:

Temporal use: 4:1a; 7:1; 7:9; 15:5; 18:1; 19:1

Eschatological use:  1:19; 4:1b; 9:12; 20:3

 

** Thus I believe that we must conclude that in 18:1 the presence of Meta. tau/ta  does not  indicate a chronological distinction between the 2 chapters.

It only shows that the events revealed to John by the 2nd angel were shown after he had viewed the vision of the woman on the beast,   ie. ch-17.


 

#2. Different destroyers;

- The Babylon of ch-17 is said to be destroyed by kings while the Babylon of ch-18 is destroyed by fire.

 

 

- If these distinctions are valid, than any attempt to view the chapters as a unit is doomed to failure.

 

- These 2 chapters are more similar than many expositors believe. Some comparisons show I believe that they don't have different destroyers.

 

                       Comparison of Destroyers

 


                                 Chapter 17                             Chapter 18

 


Object of          "Babylon the great...                  "the great city, Babylon"

destruction        the great city" (17:5,18)            (18:10)

                                               

Instrument of     "the ten horns which you           (not given)

destruction         saw, and the beast" (17:16)

                                              

Means of            "will burn her up with                "she will be burned up

destruction         fire" (17:16)                              with fire" (18:8)

                                              

Source of           "God has put it in their              "The Lord God who judges

destruction          hearts to execute His                her is strong" (18:8)

                          purpose" (17:17)              

 

 


When these 2 chapters are viewed synthetically the alleged distinction between destroyers melts away.

In its place stands a unified whole with each chapter presenting a different aspect of one great destruction.

 

#3  Different Responses

- The focus here is the response to the destruction ascribed to men.

  This difference is reflected by the kings of each chapter.

 

- 1st the response of ch-17 is in 17:16.  hate;

- In ch-18 the response is observed in 18:9  great mourning.

 

Question?? Are these two passages talking about the same group of kings? 

- In 17:12-14 the kings in view are the "ten horns" the kings who will make up the rulers, the leaders of the nations that come together to make up the RRE.

 

- In 18:9-10 it is the "kings of the earth"  these are the leaders of the other nations around the world, and must be distinguished from the 10 kings who joined with the Beast.  

 

 

- This view, I believe, is consistent with the particulars of the text but still seeks to harmonize the two chapters.