Kings of the Habitable Earth
The “sixth bowl of wrath” presents an army led by the “kings from the east” from beyond the Euphrates River, a picture derived from prophecies of Babylon's overthrow by the “Medes and Persians.” At the end of the age, God will use a “pagan” force once again to destroy “Babylon,” only this time, “Mystery Babylon” of the last days.
In
preparation, the army is gathered to “Har-Mageddon.” In painting this
picture, Revelation employs verbal allusions to the prophet Ezekiel’s vision
of an attack against Israel by “Gog
and Magog.”
In the passage, there is no
description of an actual battle, and in the provided interpretation, the “kings
of the whole habitable earth” are gathered by demonic spirits to the “battle
of the great day of God the Almighty.”
SEVEN LAST PLAGUES
Moreover, the enemy to be
destroyed is not identified until the contents of the “seventh bowl” are emptied - “Babylon,
the Great City” – (Revelation
16:12-16).
Chapter 16
serializes the meting out of wrath on the “Beast” and “Babylon” as
a sequence of seven “last plagues” that are unleashed sequentially as seven
angels empty the contents of their respective bowls.
Throughout the series, God initiates the action and even uses the vassals of the “Dragon” to execute His judgments. In the “sixth bowl,” the “kings of the earth” are assembled for the “battle of God the Almighty” - It is His “battle.”
“Prepared
for the kings of the east.” This clause alludes to the prophecy in Jeremiah
about the destruction of Babylon.
In the
sixth century B.C., the city was captured by the army of the “Medes and
Persians” after it blocked the Euphrates River to allow its troops to enter the
city along the riverbed -(Jeremiah 50:35-38, 51:25-38).
KINGS OF THE EAST
The description
of the “kings of the east” provides fitting imagery for the coming destruction
of “Babylon” in the last days. After the “kings of the habitable earth”
are assembled, the “Great City” partakes of the “wine of God’s wrath”
- (Revelation 16:19-20).
The image
of the “kings from the east” crossing the Euphrates is interpreted by
what John “sees” - (“and I saw”). First, he “hears a great
voice… Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath into the earth,” then he
describes what he saw - demon spirits from the “Dragon,” the “Beast,”
and the “False Prophet” dispatched to gather the “kings of the whole
habitable earth.”
Thus, we
find an interpretive technique seen previously in the book. What John sees
interprets what he first hears. The “kings from the east” and the
“kings of the whole habitable earth” are one and the same.
The “kings of the earth” were
introduced at the beginning of the book. Because of his death and resurrection,
Jesus is the “ruler of the kings of the earth.” This group appears
several times.
The term
is from the second Psalm, a messianic prophecy applied to
Jesus several times by the book - “The
KINGS OF THE EARTH set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against
Yahweh and his anointed” - (Revelation 1:4-6, 12:5, Psalm 2:2).
DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON
As the
seventh angel empties the final “bowl of wrath,” the destruction of “Babylon” is
announced. The actual judgment of the “Great City” is not detailed until
chapters 17 and 18.
In turn, the
actual judgments of the “Beast,” “False Prophet,” and the armies
of the “kings of the earth” are detailed in the vision of the “Rider on a White Horse” in
chapter 19 - (Revelation
19:17-21).
Thus, the
“kings of the earth” are assembled for the “great day of the battle
of God” to destroy “Babylon,” and in preparation for their own
destruction by the “Rider on the White Horse” - (Revelation 16:14, 19:15-21).
In this
way, the book of Revelation uses Old Testament language and imagery to
build its picture of how God will destroy the earthly vassals of the “Dragon”
- The “Beast from the sea,” the “False Prophet,” and the “Great
Harlot, Babylon.” And it often combines language from several passages from
the Hebrew Bible into one image.
The “kings
of the earth” may be allied with the “Beast,” but in the “sixth
bowl of wrath,” they become the instruments of divine justice employed to destroy
“Babylon.” And at the proper time, these same servants of the “Dragon”
will be judged as will the “Beast” and the “False Prophet,” and
finally, the “Dragon.”
Comments
Post a Comment
We encourage free discussions on the commenting system provided by the Google Blogger platform, with the stipulation that conversations remain civil. Comments voicing dissenting views are encouraged.