TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY IN BIBLE PROPHECY
Lesson 46: The prophesied events that will set the stage for AWWII.
I The sixth bowl will be poured out on the Euphrates river.
12 And the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great
river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, that the
way might be prepared for the kings from the east
(Rev. 16:12, NASB).
A Where will the source of the plague represented by the
contents of the sixth bowl originate?
1 According to the initial command: "go and pour out
on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God"
(Rev. 16:1, RSV), the contents of the symbolic bowls
of wrath will be filled in the heavens before they
are poured onto the Earth.
2 Clearly, the first five plagues will originate in the
heavens from the cumulative long-term consequence of
hundreds of millions of tons of radioactive smoke,
dust, and pyrotoxins settling out of the planet's
post-AWWI atmosphere.
3 The source of the sixth plague will also come from
AWWI's unprecedented pollution of the heavens.
4 This means the waters of "the Euphrates" will dry up
in the face of the unrelenting post-AWWI drought,
which, according to the prophecies preceding the
seven last plagues narrative, will be a direct
consequence of the meteorological disturbances
generated by AWWI's globe-girdling pall of smoke.
B Why is it likely that Turkey and Syria may well
accelerate the Euphrates drying process by shutting the
intake tunnel gates of their respective super dams
astride the river?
1 A desperate Turkish and Syrian attempt to horde water
would spawn another fierce dispute over what water
supplies are left in the Euphrates basin.
2 The ensuing regional conflict would then rupture the
peace Red China established in the area after the
Sixth Trumpet World War, which, in turn, would
"prepare the way," or prompt, Red China and her
eastern allies--lit., "the kings from (the) rising of
(the) sun"--to "prepare" for another great war in the
Middle East.
C What is the significance of the absence of Christians
during the days of the seven last plagues?
1 The international government will base its promise of
establishing lasting world peace on its success at
eliminating the uncompromising Christian opposition.
2 Yet, the world government will fail completely to
enforce the peace, once the Christians are gone.
3 Obviously it will not be possible to blame Christians
for the final war of the nuclear age.
II The nations will prepare "for the war of the great day of
God, the Almighty" (AWWII).
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;
14 for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which
go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them
together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty
(Rev. 16:13-14, NASB).
A In the midst of the utter environmental collapse of the
Earth, the world's three principal ruling groups will
mount a massive propaganda campaign to incite the
nations to prepare for AWWII.
B The principal power brokers listed in the order of their
importance are the Red Chinese Dragon, the "world
government beast," and the false prophet.
C (The false prophet will head up the "Religious Beast"
organization. He will be the master magician who will
use great signs and wonders to convince people to
worship the man-made image.)
D The reference to the messages coming out of their mouths
being "unclean spirits like frogs," shows that all three
organizations will use modern television advertising
methods to incite the nations to prepare for war.
1 John compared their use of repetition to the repetitive
endless croaking of frogs in the night.
2 Their propaganda campaign will be successful and all
nations will begin gathering troops "for the war of the
great day of God, the Almighty"--(so named because God
will return on that day and put the affairs of this
world in order).
E Why is the world leader, who received a death wound, not
mentioned here?
1 The absence of a reference to him indicates that the
world leader will not be an important ruler during
the final days of the age.
2 This, in turn, lends support to the position that he
will not survive his death wound.
15 ("Lo, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is he who is
awake, keeping his garments that he may not go naked and be
seen exposed!")
16 And they assembled them at the place which is called in
Hebrew Armageddon (Rev. 16:15-16, RSV)?
A The three principal powers will gather the nations'
armies "at the place that is called in Hebrew
Armageddon," or "mountain of Meggido."
B How did the name Megiddo became emblematic of any
decisive battlefield?
1 Meggido was distinguished for being the place of the
decisive conflict between Deborah and Sisera, the
Captain of the King of Canaan's host, in which Israel
destroyed Jabin King of Caanan (Judges 4).
2 Had Israel lost this battle, her ability to continue
as a nation would have been in grave doubt.
C The final defeat of Satan's forces, embodied in the
armies of the nations, by Christ upon His return to set
up His earthly kingdom, will be determined here.
D The actual battleground, where Satan's mountain of
opposition will be defeated, will range over a couple of
hundred square mile area.
E What is the meaning of the insertion "lo, I am coming as
a thief"?
1 It is a warning to everyone. Christ's return will be
sudden, "like a thief."
2 Furthermore, Christ will be coming to break into
Satan's world government for the purpose of utterly
destroying it.
F What is the meaning of the interjected statement
"Blessed is he who is awake, keeping his garments?"
1 It is addressed to the people living at the time of
the end--specifically, the Sebat generation--to
remind them to be awake and watching for Christ's
imminent return.
2 In practical terms it would be foolish to cast aside
the Bible's forewarning and simply not bother to
prepare for the coming atomic destruction of the
Earth.
3 Spiritually speaking, it would be even more foolish
to proceed unprepared to the day of Christ's arrival.
4 Those who will choose to remain indifferent to the
Bible's forewarning concerning the unfolding signs
leading up to Christ's return, are compared here to a
person who, regardless of danger, or of the approach
of an enemy, will lay aside his garments and lie down
to sleep.
5 Those who select this course will be found
spiritually "exposed"--"naked" as it were--when
Christ arrives unexpectedly, "like a thief."
G The Apostle Paul also wrote of Christ's sudden
appearance.
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no
need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so
cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden
destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with
child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day
should overtake you as a thief (I Thess. 5:1-4).
A Christians have known for generations that Christ will
return in the latter days like "a thief in the night" to
set up His earthly kingdom.
B Many have also understood that Christ will actually
return twice at the end of the age.
1 His first return will be at the sound of the seventh
trumpet for the purpose of removing all Christians
from the Earth.
2 His second return will occur after the seven last
plagues have been fulfilled for the purpose of
establishing His promised earthly kingdom of peace.
C Christ's second return will not overtake Christians as a
thief in the night since at the time of the seven last
plagues, they will already be with Christ in heaven.
D In direct contrast, those who do not know Christ will be
unaware of the inescapable destruction that will come
upon them.
1 Paul compares the inescapable nature of that
destruction to the "travail upon a woman with child."
2 His point is well said since no woman in the middle
of delivering a child has ever succeeded in deciding
not to have the child after all.
III The seventh bowl will be poured into the air.
(The Apostle Peter's companion account of Christ's return
"as a thief in the night" spells out the nature of the
plague represented by the contents of the seventh bowl, in
unmistakable detail.)
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a
great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat,
the earth also and the works that are therein shall be
burned up (2 Pet. 3:10).
A In the Greek "the elements shall melt with fervent heat"
reads: "and (the) elements burning will be dissolved."
B This is precisely what happens to the elements during
the detonation of a nuclear weapon.
C In the first moment of the explosion, when the nuclear
fusion reaction is initiated, boiling and surging atomic
particles reach superstellar temperatures that instantly
gasify, or "dissolve," the very elements, or atoms, of
the bomb into their more elementary, highly unstable,
sub-atomic components.
D Clearly, another unspeakable air-borne atomic war will
engulf the planet on the day Christ returns to reign
over the earth.
E Once the armies of the nations are assembled in the
Middle East "at the place that is called in Hebrew
Armageddon," the plague represented by the contents of
the seventh bowl will be "poured out into the air."
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and
a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne,
saying, "It is done!" (Rev. 16:17, RSV).
A The contents of the seventh bowl poured into the air
represents an air-borne nuclear war (AWWII) that will
break out shortly after the armies of the nations gather
in the Middle East.
B The actual Battle of Armageddon will be the final battle
of the greater nuclear war unleashed on cities and
military bases around the globe.
C The voice of God came out of the temple, from the
throne, pronouncing "it is done" declares that the
destruction of the "beast" is certain and will be
accomplished at the time of the pouring out of the
seventh bowl into the air.
18 And there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals of
thunder, and a great earthquake such as had never been
since men were on the earth, so great was that earthquake
(Rev. 16:18, RSV).
19 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 unto her the cup of the
wine of the fierceness of his wrath (Rev. 16:19).
A The sequence of John's description of the seventh plague
is important since it precisely describes what actually
takes place when a city is subjected to a nuclear attack.
1 At the instant of detonation the bomb releases a
brilliant flash of lightning-like light.
2 Then comes the spontaneous voices of startled people
screaming in pain as they are simultaneously blinded
and burned by the bomb's scorching thermal pulse.
3 Next comes the slower traveling sound generated by
the incredibly thunderous blast noise.
B John's account of man's final nuclear holocaust
parallels Isaiah's vivid prophecy of this same event
(Isa. 24).
- It will be a case of godless treacherous men
double-crossing each other on a grand scale.
C Further, Mystery Babylon will be divided into three
parts as a result of the massive earthquake.
D The reference to "great Babylon came in remembrance
before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the
fierceness of his wrath" parallels Jer. 25:26, which
states that the King of Sheshach, or Babylon, will drink
from the cup of God's "nuclear" wrath, after all the
other kingdoms have drunk, and spewed, and fallen.
E Thus, although the world capital will be permitted to
practice her evil, seemingly unchecked, God will
remember Babylon's evil and give unto her the full
seventh bowl of judgment.
F How do the destructive forces unleashed by a one-megaton
bomb detonated a mile above a city provide insight into the
biblical statement "and the cities of the nations fell?"
1 About five seconds into the explosion, the shock wave
delivers its double punch: overpressures four times
normal atmospheric pressure and winds of many
hundreds of miles per hour.
2 Unlike a conventional explosive which delivers a
swift shock, like a slap, to whatever it hits, the
blast wave of a sizable nuclear weapon endures for
several seconds.
3 This enduring blast wave "can surround and destroy
whole buildings."
4 Within sixty square miles of ground zero any
buildings not already flattened and blown away by the
ferocity of the winds would be subjected to these
crushing overpressure forces.
5 The people inside, along with the furniture and
pulverized debris of the collapsing buildings would
be swept down onto the streets.
6 In this manner the prophesied statement "and the
cities of the nations fell" shall come to pass
during the final nuclear blowout of the age.
20 And every island fled, and mountains were not found
(Rev. 16:20, IGENT).
A In addition to the cities of the nations falling,
military and naval bases located on isolated islands in
the sea and strategic defense command centers in the
midst of remote mountain ranges, will also be included
in the list of targets that will be destroyed by atomic
warheads.
B "And every island fled" does not mean every island on
the planet will be moved over the course of AWWII, but
rather, every targeted island hit by an atomic warhead
will "flee" or disappear in the face of the overpowering
heat and blast forces unleashed by that exploding
nuclear weapon.
C Likewise, "and mountains were not found" means every
targeted mountain subjected to the violent forces of a
nuclear explosion will not be found when the atomic
fire, dust, and smoke clears.
D Back in the sixties the feasibility of mountains not
being found was unknowingly studied when the U.S.
government considered the use of 22 atomic bombs to
vaporize part of a mountain that was in the construction
path of Interstate 60.
E Fortunately the idea was scrapped due to budget cuts
under the Johnson administration.
21 And there fell upon 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 (Rev. 16:21).
A Giant hailstones (100+ pounds apiece) will be a hitherto
unparalleled side effect from all the destruction.
B Even more unbelievable than the size of the hail is the
fact that the survivors will curse God because of the
severity of the hailstorm.
C This completes John's prophecy on the final seven
judgments of the nations.
D Notice how the order of the observable features of the
destruction contained in the seventh bowl--lightnings,
voices, thunders, a great earthquake, and great
hail--parallels the seventh trumpet angel's closing
statement on the final judgment of the nations: "and
there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and
an earthquake, and great hail" (Rev. 11:19).
E This same ordering of destructive effects is important
since it serves to clearly identify the last event of
the seventh trumpet epoch and the seventh plague time
period as one and the same event.
F The final destruction of the nations and their world
government will be the unavoidable outcome of men
ignoring God's laws and instruction.
1 Those who will reject Christ and take the mark of the
beast will reap the full consequences of that choice
during the days of the seven plague judgments.
2 Thus, a life without Christ is a life that reaps the
self-imposed wrath of God.