Page 75 - Heavenly Signs by Mel Gable

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CHAPTER 8: BOWLS OF WRATH

There seems to be a tremendous amount of controversy regarding the timing of the Bowls of Wrath to other

End Times events. It is because of its late occurrence in the sequence of chapters in Revelation. Therefore, it
seems to confuse the order of events. The mystery of the timing is revealed in the scripture passage for the Sixth
Bowl being poured out onto the earth. It states that the waters of the Euphrates River will be dried up to prepare
the way for the kings of the East. We know the kings of the East must go into battle.

The Sixth Bowl
Revelation 16:12 “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water
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was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.”
We will see that this is in preparation for the battle before Christ’s reign on this earth. This is often called the
Battle of Armageddon in many translations of the Bible. We will also see that this requires a large army of over a
hundred million soldiers to march to war. Therefore, the timing of this event must occur prior to this battle on
the earth. We will also see that the Bowls of Wrath occur prior to Christ’s return or His Second Coming. This is
often called the “final battle.” However, this will be followed by the battle of Gog and Magog and the complete
destruction of weapons. This will occur after the Millennial Reign and is described in Ezekiel 38 and 39. In
Ezekiel 38:14, it makes the statement “My people, Israel are living securely, will you not know it”? Truly, the only time
Israel is living securely in their land is during the Millennial Reign. Many scholars believe this battle will occur
prior to the Tribulation. Revelation 20:8 states this battle will occur after Satan has been released from the abyss.
The River Euphrates is also where four angels are bound to be released to do harm on the earth. These four
angels must be released to kill one-third of mankind prior to the great battle. The Great River Euphrates has
been flowing since the time of creation. It is one of four rivers that are mentioned in the Book of Genesis.

Genesis 2:14 “The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the
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Euphrates.”

In Genesis, this was the time of the Garden of Eden. Throughout periods of history, including even to the
Roman period, the Euphrates River formed the boundary between east and west. Some of the ancient battles of
history took place on the Euphrates, one of which was the battle between Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and
Pharaoh Neco of Egypt in Jeremiah 46:2. However, today it is interesting to find The New York Times has a
website entitled “The Shrinking Euphrates.” The following is a quote from N.Y. Times article published in July 13,
2009 entitled “Iraq Suffers as the Euphrates River Dwindles.” http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/07/13/world/20090713

“JUBAISH, Iraq — Throughout the marshes, the reed gatherers, standing on land they once floated over, cry out to visitors in a
passing boat. “Maaku mai!” they shout, holding up their rusty sickles. There is no water! ”Strangled by the water policies of its
neighbors, Turkey and Syria, a two-year drought and years of misuse by Iraq and its farmers, the Euphrates River is significantly
smaller than it was just a few years ago, and some officials worry that it could soon be half of what it is now. The shrinking of the
Euphrates, a river so crucial to the birth of civilization that the Book of Revelation prophesied its drying up as a sign of the end
times, has decimated farms along its banks, left fishermen impoverished and depleted riverside towns, forcing farmers to flee to the
cities looking for work. The poor suffer more acutely, but all strata of society are feeling the effects: sheiks, diplomats and even
members of Parliament who retreat to their farms after weeks in Baghdad.

Along the river, rice and wheat fields have turned to baked dirt. Canals have dwindled to shallow streams, and fishing boats sit on
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dry land. Pumps meant to feed water treatment plants dangle pointlessly over brown puddles.

119 New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Re 16:12). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

120 New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Ge 2:14). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.