G. The Sixth Bowl (16:12-16)
G. THE SIXTH BOWL (16:12-16)
More is said about the result of the pouring of the sixth bowl than that of any of the first five. It prepared the way for the End. It did not usher in the End, but prepared for it.
12. The sixth angel poured his bowl on the great river Euphrates, a river mentioned earlier when the sixth trumpet signalled the release of four angels bound there who were to kill one-third of mankind (9:13-15). The effect of the outpouring of the sixth bowl was the drying up of the Euphrates to make ready a way for the kings from the East. In the Old Testament a mighty action of God is frequently associated with the drying up of waters, as the Red Sea (Ex. 14:21), the Jordan (Jos. 3:16-17), and several times in prophecy (Is. 11:15; Je. 51:36; Zc. 10:11). ‘It is possible that his mind runs also on the story told by Herodotus (i.191) of the capture of Babylon by Cyrus, who marched into the city across the drained bed of the Euphrates; a new Babylon is to be surprised, and the drying up of the river marks the removal of the last obstacle to its fall’ (Swete).
The Euphrates was the boundary of the Roman Empire and for John’s readers the land beyond it was a great unknown land. Who could tell what mighty kings lurked there? The Parthians lived in that area and during the first century there was a persistent fear that they would invade the Empire. This was reinforced by the Nero redivivus myth, which affirmed that Nero would put himself at the head of the Parthian hordes and march into the Empire.
John is suggesting that at the End all these fears and more will be realized. We should bear in mind that Nero and his armies in the myth were not going to ally themselves with Rome, but to attack her. So John is thinking of division among the forces of evil (cf.17:16), not of a united front. But we would be wrong in holding that he is doing no more than voice a contemporary expectation. By appealing to contemporary fears he is making the point that at the end of time the divided forces of evil will engage in a terrible conflict. Curiously, having told us that the way will be cleared for the mighty potentates to march westward, John does not follow this up. He does not say that the kings used the way prepared for them. In fact he does not mention them again.
13. John now sees three evil (Gk. ‘unclean’) spirits coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. This last-mentioned is evidently the beast from the earth (13:11; cf. 19:20 with 13:14). The dirty spirits are like frogs, which may be meant to remind us of the plague of frogs in Egypt (Ex. 8:3). Love sees here ‘a devastating caricature of the failure of evil. That which men fear most because it appears to be mighty and eternally entrenched becomes at long last only a ridiculous spawning of sickly creatures of the night’. Frogs have evil associations. They are slimy and ugly. They produce an incessant and meaningless croaking, but no solid achievement. Such thoughts are aroused by the symbolism. The main idea, however, is that these spirits are like the ‘lying spirit’ who was to entice Ahab into battle (1 Ki. 22:21ff.). But instead of enticing one man, these have the much greater task of enticing the whole world into battle.
14. These spirits are ‘demonic spirits’ (not spirits of demons; as the demons are themselves spirits they can scarcely have spirits). They work miraculous signs (s
meia; see note on 13:13). They do not simply do extraordinary things. Their miracles have meaning. The three have one real task to perform, namely that of gathering all men together for the final battle. They go out to the kings of the whole world; their influence is exerted on rulers rather than on the common people. But it is universal, affecting the whole world (cf. 3:10; 12:9).
meia; see note on 13:13). They do not simply do extraordinary things. Their miracles have meaning. The three have one real task to perform, namely that of gathering all men together for the final battle. They go out to the kings of the whole world; their influence is exerted on rulers rather than on the common people. But it is universal, affecting the whole world (cf. 3:10; 12:9).The day to which all this leads up is not the day of the dirty spirits, nor the day of the rulers of the world, but the great day of God Almighty (cf. 2 Pet. 3:12). This is the most resounding description of the last day. Great distinguishes it from lesser days. And it is the day of God, not of man or even of the antichrist. It is associated with the culmination of the divine purpose. And Almighty reminds us that in the face of the might of the whole earth God’s power is supreme.
15. The story of the bowls is interrupted by an interjection from Jesus himself in language reminiscent of that in 3:3. It is to be seen against the gathering of the forces of evil described in the previous verse. With all evil combining against God, this call from the Lord himself brings us back to the realities of the situation.
He likens his coming to that of a thief, i.e. it is unheralded and totally unexpected (cf. 1 Thes. 5:2). Then he pronounces blessed (see note on 1:3) the man who is ready for that coming. There is nothing surprising in a reference to him who stays awake but there is an unexpected twist with keeps his clothes with him and in the fact that the fate from which he is to be kept is that of walking naked and of his shame being seen. We should probably not press the details of this description too closely. Elsewhere the garments stand for God’s sentence of justification. We would not be God’s people without them. Here, then, the thought is that believers caught unprepared will be put to shame at the critical time in the world’s history. They will be like those outside the people of God.
16. John reverts to the activities of the dirty spirits. They gathered the kings (and, of course, their followers) to a place called Armageddon. No place of this name is known, and the term is surely symbolic. But its meaning is uncertain. John tells us that it is a Hebrew word, and the two most favoured suggestions are that it means ‘mountain of Megiddo’ (har me
iddô) or ’the city of Megiddo’ (îr meiddô). The former seems closer to the Hebrew, but unfortunately no mountain appears to be called ‘the mountain of Megiddo’. Many stirring feats took place in the vicinity, but they seem to be connected rather with the plain of Esdraelon than with any particular mountain or with Megiddo. In fact Megiddo is mentioned but rarely in connection with battles (Jdg. 5:19; 2 Ki. 23:29; 2 Ch. 35:22). There are Old Testament passages that look for the ultimate battle near mountains (Ezk. 39:iff., perhaps Dn. 11:45), but none that we can identify with the present expression.
iddô) or ’the city of Megiddo’ (îr meiddô). The former seems closer to the Hebrew, but unfortunately no mountain appears to be called ‘the mountain of Megiddo’. Many stirring feats took place in the vicinity, but they seem to be connected rather with the plain of Esdraelon than with any particular mountain or with Megiddo. In fact Megiddo is mentioned but rarely in connection with battles (Jdg. 5:19; 2 Ki. 23:29; 2 Ch. 35:22). There are Old Testament passages that look for the ultimate battle near mountains (Ezk. 39:iff., perhaps Dn. 11:45), but none that we can identify with the present expression.It is possible that ‘mountain’ should not be taken literally, but understood of the great mound on which the city stood, in which case the two suggestions come to much the same thing. Since great battles have been fought nearby, the city may stand in John’s mind for decisive conflict (Beasley-Murray, ’a symbol for the last resistance of anti-god forces prior to the kingdom of Christ’). In that case it will stand as a symbol for the final overthrow of all the forces of evil by Almighty God. It is not unlikely that the deliverance under Deborah is regarded as setting the pattern. Then Sisera had 900 chariots of iron (Jdg. 4:13), but in Israel there was scarcely a shield or spear among 40,000 (Jdg. 5:8). Israel’s position was completely hopeless. But when the battle was joined, ’the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army’ (Jdg. 4:15). So will it be at the last day. However strong the forces of evil may appear, and however hopeless the position of those of good, God will win the victory. He will resoundingly overthrow the evil.