Study Focus: Revelation 16 describes the seven last plagues (Rev. 15:1) of earth’s history. Included in these plagues is the only mention of the exact title “Armageddon” in the Bible.
Introduction: This section begins with the end-time people of God standing by the sea of glass singing the song of Moses and the Lamb, an allusion to the Exodus (Rev. 15:1–4). Then the seven plagues are introduced with a vision of the heavenly temple emptied because of the glory of God, meaning the heavenly ministry of Christ has ended, the reversal of its original inauguration (Rev. 15:5–8; compare Exod. 40:34, 35). This scene is close-of-probation imagery. Seven angels were then told to pour out bowls of wrath upon the earth one by one (Revelation 16).
Lesson Themes: The lesson and the focus passage introduce the following themes:
I. God’s People Named by Many Names
Evidence of the text is that such names as remnant, 144,000, and saints all refer to the same end-time group.
II. Why Plagues When No Repentance Will Result?
III. The Symbolic Meaning of the Euphrates River in Revelation 16:12
IV. Two Gospels in Revelation
The three angels (Rev. 14:6–12) and the three frogs (Rev. 16:13, 14) are contrasting symbols of the gospel.
V. Cyrus the Persian and the Second Half of Revelation
A pagan king foreshadows the Messiah.
VI. The Meaning of Armageddon
Life Application: The “Life Application” section explores how the description of the battle of Armageddon in Revelation promotes spiritual preparation for the end time.
Part II: Commentary
See “Introduction” of part I for a summary of Revelation 15 and 16.
Main Themes of Lesson 11 Elaborated:
I. God’s People Named by Many Names
We saw in the previous lesson of this teachers edition that God’s faithful, end-time ones are called remnant in Revelation 12:17 and 144,000 in Revelation 14:1. The allusion to Joel 2:32 in Revelation 14:1 makes it clear that John sees the two groups as the same. There is further evidence in Revelation that the multiple names for God’s people all refer to the same end-time group rather than multiple end-time groups.
The 144,000 and the great multitude appear to be opposites. As we saw in the teachers edition for lesson 6 (see theme IV) there are two views on this subject. God’s end-time people are called the 144,000 in Revelation 14:1 and “saints” in Revelation 14:12, but the “saints” of all ages, especially those during the period of 1,260 days/years, are described in Revelation 17:6. So God’s end-time people are called by many names in Revelation: 144,000, remnant, and saints (Rev. 14:12). They stand by the sea of glass (Rev. 15:2); they are the ones who keep their garments (Rev. 16:15); and they are the ones who are called the chosen and faithful followers of the Lamb (Rev. 17:14).
II. Why Plagues When No Repentance Will Result?
The deceptions and plagues of the final crisis expose the truth about Satan and those who follow him (2 Thess. 2:10–12). It is not God’s fault that the wicked are unredeemed. Neither the grace of God (Rom. 2:4) nor the plagues of the end time (Rev. 16:9, 11, 21) bring about any repentance. The unredeemed are hardened in the course they have chosen. Thus, even the destruction of the wicked glorifies the character of God in the end (Rev. 15:3, 4). They have made themselves unsafe to save, and, thus, God sadly lets them go (Hos. 11:7, 8). Even after the millennium and a clear perspective on God’s character, nothing in their character has changed (Rev. 20:7–10). The plagues expose their settled unfitness for eternity and vindicate God’s judgment in each case.
III. The Symbolic Meaning of the Euphrates River in Revelation 16:12
What is the meaning of the Euphrates River in Revelation 16:12? We need not remain in doubt when the text itself defines a symbol. Revelation 17:1 introduces an explanation of one of the bowl plagues, one that has something to do with water. It must be referring to the sixth plague, because the woman who sits on the water is called Babylon (Rev. 17:5), and the “many waters” of Babylon describe the Euphrates River (Jer. 51:13). The meaning of the river is defined in Revelation 17:15. The waters of verse 1 represent “peoples and multitudes and nations and languages” (ESV), in other words, the civil and secular powers of the entire world. These powers give their allegiance to Babylon for a short time (Rev. 17:3, 12, 13), creating a worldwide, end-time confederacy in opposition to God and His end-time people.
IV. Two Gospels in Revelation
The three angels of Revelation 14:6–12 together proclaim the final gospel message to the world. What many readers of Revelation have missed is the counterfeit gospel also proclaimed to the world in Revelation 16:13, 14. The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet (the satanic triad of Revelation 13) each produce an unclean spirit like a frog out of their mouths (Rev. 16:13). According to verse 14 these frogs are the “spirits of demons” (NKJV) who go out to the kings of the whole inhabited world to gather them for the battle of Armageddon (see also Rev. 16:16). Demons are evil angels; thus, you have three holy angels working through God’s remnant church presenting the true gospel in chapter 14 and three evil angels presenting a counterfeit gospel in chapters 13 and 16. Both “gospels” go out to the entire world (Rev. 14:6, 16:14). This counterfeit gospel also is described in 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12 and Matthew 24:24–27. Those who do not rely on the words of Scripture will be deceived in the final crisis.
V. Cyrus the Persian and the Second Half of Revelation
In Revelation 16:12, the drying up of the Euphrates, Babylon’s political and military support system (Jer. 50:37, 38; Jer. 51:35, 36), prepares the way for the kings from the east. This brief description recalls how the armies of Cyrus came from the north and east of Babylon. His engineers excavated a depression in the nearby landscape and diverted the flow of the Euphrates River into that depression, allowing Cyrus’s soldiers to march under the river gates into the city. Timing the diversion to take advantage of a feast day inside the city, Cyrus’s soldiers discovered that drunken guards had left open the gates along the riverbank. The soldiers poured into the city, conquering it and killing its ruler, Belshazzar (as described in Daniel 5). In the months and years that followed, Cyrus initiated a process in which the scattered remnant of Israel were encouraged to go back home and rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem.
Notice the total sequence once more: In Old Testament times, Cyrus, king of Persia, dried up the literal Euphrates River in order to conquer Babylon and to let Israel go free. This narrative clearly sets the foundation for the last portion of the book of Revelation. In the book of Revelation, the waters of the end-time River Euphrates are dried up to make way for an end-time Cyrus (the “kings from the east”) who conquers end-time Babylon to deliver end-time Israel! The fundamental narrative substructure of the battle of Armageddon is grounded in the Old Testament story of Cyrus and Babylon’s fall.
VI. The Meaning of Armageddon
The word “Armageddon” is really Har-Magedon in the Greek. Revelation 16:16 explains that the word is based on the Hebrew. In Hebrew har means mountain. So the most natural meaning of Armageddon is “Mountain of Megiddo.” The problem is that there is no mountain in the whole world named Megiddo. There are waters of Megiddo (Judg. 5:19), a valley of Megiddo (2 Chron. 35:22), and a city of Megiddo (1 Kings 9:15). Others suggest “mountain of slaughter” (based on Zech. 12:11) or “mount of assembly” (echoing Isa. 14:13, ESV).
The Anchor Bible Dictionary concludes that the best explanation of Har-Magedon is to associate it with the mountain that looms over the waters, valley, and city of Megiddo—Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel is the place where Elijah called fire down from heaven to earth to demonstrate who the true God is (Rev. 13:13, 14). In the last days of earth’s history, there will be a showdown between the true God (Revelation 4, 5) and the counterfeit trio (Rev. 16:13, 14); between the three angels (Rev. 14:6–12) and the three frogs. In that final contest, the fire will fall on the wrong altar (Rev. 13:13, 14), but the true God will be vindicated in the end (Rev. 15:3, 4).
Part III: Life Application
In the midst of the battle of Armageddon account (Rev. 16:13–16) is a blessing on the one who keeps watch and hangs on to his clothes (Rev. 16:15). In lesson 3, theme V, we saw that this reference is a clear allusion to Revelation 3:18, the warning of Christ to Laodicea. There is, therefore, a clear connection between the Laodicean church and God’s final call to the world in the context of Armageddon. The church that will pass through the final crisis of earth’s history is seriously flawed—but very much the object of Jesus’ solicitude and will overcome at last (Rev. 3:21). This paradox should be a source of both warning and encouragement to God’s people today.
In one single verse (Rev. 16:15), John brings together a variety of New Testament appeals in light of the end. Both “I am coming like a thief” (NASB) and “Blessed is the one who stays awake” (NASB) echo statements of Jesus that are further echoed by Paul (Matt. 24:42–44, Luke 12:37–39, 1 Thess. 5:1–6). All three of these texts are about readiness for the coming of Jesus. By echoing these concepts in the middle of the battle of Armageddon, the book of Revelation makes it clear that now is the time to heed the warning so as not to be on the wrong side then. It is our spiritual task to keep watch over our hearts, thoughts, and behavior—and to remain faithful no matter the deception or the coercion we may face. There is a need for both faithful endurance and discernment, fortified with the words of Jesus, of Paul, and of Jesus to Laodicea. When we choose to be faithful today in the midst of various temptations, we are being prepared for even greater battles at the end of time.
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Key Text: Revelation 15:4
Study Focus: Revelation 16 describes the seven last plagues (Rev. 15:1) of earth’s history. Included in these plagues is the only mention of the exact title “Armageddon” in the Bible.
Introduction: This section begins with the end-time people of God standing by the sea of glass singing the song of Moses and the Lamb, an allusion to the Exodus (Rev. 15:1–4). Then the seven plagues are introduced with a vision of the heavenly temple emptied because of the glory of God, meaning the heavenly ministry of Christ has ended, the reversal of its original inauguration (Rev. 15:5–8; compare Exod. 40:34, 35). This scene is close-of-probation imagery. Seven angels were then told to pour out bowls of wrath upon the earth one by one (Revelation 16).
Lesson Themes: The lesson and the focus passage introduce the following themes:
I. God’s People Named by Many Names
Evidence of the text is that such names as remnant, 144,000, and saints all refer to the same end-time group.
II. Why Plagues When No Repentance Will Result?
III. The Symbolic Meaning of the Euphrates River in Revelation 16:12
IV. Two Gospels in Revelation
The three angels (Rev. 14:6–12) and the three frogs (Rev. 16:13, 14) are contrasting symbols of the gospel.
V. Cyrus the Persian and the Second Half of Revelation
A pagan king foreshadows the Messiah.
VI. The Meaning of Armageddon
Life Application: The “Life Application” section explores how the description of the battle of Armageddon in Revelation promotes spiritual preparation for the end time.
Part II: Commentary
See “Introduction” of part I for a summary of Revelation 15 and 16.
Main Themes of Lesson 11 Elaborated:
I. God’s People Named by Many Names
We saw in the previous lesson of this teachers edition that God’s faithful, end-time ones are called remnant in Revelation 12:17 and 144,000 in Revelation 14:1. The allusion to Joel 2:32 in Revelation 14:1 makes it clear that John sees the two groups as the same. There is further evidence in Revelation that the multiple names for God’s people all refer to the same end-time group rather than multiple end-time groups.
The 144,000 and the great multitude appear to be opposites. As we saw in the teachers edition for lesson 6 (see theme IV) there are two views on this subject. God’s end-time people are called the 144,000 in Revelation 14:1 and “saints” in Revelation 14:12, but the “saints” of all ages, especially those during the period of 1,260 days/years, are described in Revelation 17:6. So God’s end-time people are called by many names in Revelation: 144,000, remnant, and saints (Rev. 14:12). They stand by the sea of glass (Rev. 15:2); they are the ones who keep their garments (Rev. 16:15); and they are the ones who are called the chosen and faithful followers of the Lamb (Rev. 17:14).
II. Why Plagues When No Repentance Will Result?
The deceptions and plagues of the final crisis expose the truth about Satan and those who follow him (2 Thess. 2:10–12). It is not God’s fault that the wicked are unredeemed. Neither the grace of God (Rom. 2:4) nor the plagues of the end time (Rev. 16:9, 11, 21) bring about any repentance. The unredeemed are hardened in the course they have chosen. Thus, even the destruction of the wicked glorifies the character of God in the end (Rev. 15:3, 4). They have made themselves unsafe to save, and, thus, God sadly lets them go (Hos. 11:7, 8). Even after the millennium and a clear perspective on God’s character, nothing in their character has changed (Rev. 20:7–10). The plagues expose their settled unfitness for eternity and vindicate God’s judgment in each case.
III. The Symbolic Meaning of the Euphrates River in Revelation 16:12
What is the meaning of the Euphrates River in Revelation 16:12? We need not remain in doubt when the text itself defines a symbol. Revelation 17:1 introduces an explanation of one of the bowl plagues, one that has something to do with water. It must be referring to the sixth plague, because the woman who sits on the water is called Babylon (Rev. 17:5), and the “many waters” of Babylon describe the Euphrates River (Jer. 51:13). The meaning of the river is defined in Revelation 17:15. The waters of verse 1 represent “peoples and multitudes and nations and languages” (ESV), in other words, the civil and secular powers of the entire world. These powers give their allegiance to Babylon for a short time (Rev. 17:3, 12, 13), creating a worldwide, end-time confederacy in opposition to God and His end-time people.
IV. Two Gospels in Revelation
The three angels of Revelation 14:6–12 together proclaim the final gospel message to the world. What many readers of Revelation have missed is the counterfeit gospel also proclaimed to the world in Revelation 16:13, 14. The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet (the satanic triad of Revelation 13) each produce an unclean spirit like a frog out of their mouths (Rev. 16:13). According to verse 14 these frogs are the “spirits of demons” (NKJV) who go out to the kings of the whole inhabited world to gather them for the battle of Armageddon (see also Rev. 16:16). Demons are evil angels; thus, you have three holy angels working through God’s remnant church presenting the true gospel in chapter 14 and three evil angels presenting a counterfeit gospel in chapters 13 and 16. Both “gospels” go out to the entire world (Rev. 14:6, 16:14). This counterfeit gospel also is described in 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12 and Matthew 24:24–27. Those who do not rely on the words of Scripture will be deceived in the final crisis.
V. Cyrus the Persian and the Second Half of Revelation
In Revelation 16:12, the drying up of the Euphrates, Babylon’s political and military support system (Jer. 50:37, 38; Jer. 51:35, 36), prepares the way for the kings from the east. This brief description recalls how the armies of Cyrus came from the north and east of Babylon. His engineers excavated a depression in the nearby landscape and diverted the flow of the Euphrates River into that depression, allowing Cyrus’s soldiers to march under the river gates into the city. Timing the diversion to take advantage of a feast day inside the city, Cyrus’s soldiers discovered that drunken guards had left open the gates along the riverbank. The soldiers poured into the city, conquering it and killing its ruler, Belshazzar (as described in Daniel 5). In the months and years that followed, Cyrus initiated a process in which the scattered remnant of Israel were encouraged to go back home and rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem.
Notice the total sequence once more: In Old Testament times, Cyrus, king of Persia, dried up the literal Euphrates River in order to conquer Babylon and to let Israel go free. This narrative clearly sets the foundation for the last portion of the book of Revelation. In the book of Revelation, the waters of the end-time River Euphrates are dried up to make way for an end-time Cyrus (the “kings from the east”) who conquers end-time Babylon to deliver end-time Israel! The fundamental narrative substructure of the battle of Armageddon is grounded in the Old Testament story of Cyrus and Babylon’s fall.
VI. The Meaning of Armageddon
The word “Armageddon” is really Har-Magedon in the Greek. Revelation 16:16 explains that the word is based on the Hebrew. In Hebrew har means mountain. So the most natural meaning of Armageddon is “Mountain of Megiddo.” The problem is that there is no mountain in the whole world named Megiddo. There are waters of Megiddo (Judg. 5:19), a valley of Megiddo (2 Chron. 35:22), and a city of Megiddo (1 Kings 9:15). Others suggest “mountain of slaughter” (based on Zech. 12:11) or “mount of assembly” (echoing Isa. 14:13, ESV).
The Anchor Bible Dictionary concludes that the best explanation of Har-Magedon is to associate it with the mountain that looms over the waters, valley, and city of Megiddo—Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel is the place where Elijah called fire down from heaven to earth to demonstrate who the true God is (Rev. 13:13, 14). In the last days of earth’s history, there will be a showdown between the true God (Revelation 4, 5) and the counterfeit trio (Rev. 16:13, 14); between the three angels (Rev. 14:6–12) and the three frogs. In that final contest, the fire will fall on the wrong altar (Rev. 13:13, 14), but the true God will be vindicated in the end (Rev. 15:3, 4).
Part III: Life Application