Daily Scripture Reading Revelation 16:12 - 17:7

The sexual ethics most prominent today is that humans should be free to do whatever they feel like doing. The taboos against sex outside of marriage and against sex with the same gender are mostly gone. Thus, both of those are very common in the modern world. Most people think it is repressive to focus on sexual ethics.

In today’s passage we will read about future events in which sexual immorality will be judged. This tells us that while humans may think sexual sin is of minor importance, God has a different view.

John saw seven angels who were given seven bowls full of the wrath of God. The first five bowls were sores on people who have the mark of the beast, turning the seas into blood, turning the rivers and springs into blood, a scorching heat, and darkness.

Rev. 16:12 ¶ And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.

Throughout history, bodies of water have been barriers that have hindered movement of people, goods, and armies. Trade and military campaigns have depended on the ability to build bridges or ships in order to overcome those barriers. If there are too few bridges compared to the number of people and goods that want to cross, then a bridge can be a chokepoint.

The Euphrates River flows from the mountains of Asia Minor in the north to the Persian Gulf in the south. It was and is a barrier when moving from East to West or vice versa. In preparation for the final battle, God will remove the barrier for His attacking armies by drying up the river.

Rev. 16:13 Then 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;

Rev. 16:14 for they are spirits of demons, doing 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.

Notice the words “doing signs”. The unclean spirits will be able to perform miracles which will convince kings from all over the world to follow the dragon/beast/false prophet.

The phrase “gather them together for the war of the great day” tells us armies from all over the world will come for the final battle.

Rev. 16:15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”)Rev. 16:16 And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.

“Har is the Hebrew word for mountain. Magedon is a variation of Megiddo, which is a city in Israel.

Megiddo is located north of Jerusalem.

On this map, the colors indicate elevation. The area between Megiddo and Nazareth is solid green because it is a huge, flat plain. The valley of Armageddon is about 25 miles long and 10 miles wide.

Rev. 16:17 ¶ Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the sanctuary from the throne, saying, “It is done.”

Rev. 16:18 And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.

Look at the phrase “such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth”. This will be the most severe earthquake in the history of the world.

Rev. 16:19 And the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the wrath of His rage.

The words “great city” refers to Jerusalem. It will split into three parts.

Don’t miss the significance of the phrase “the cities of the nations fell”. This earthquake will have worldwide ramifications.

Rev. 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

Islands and mountains will disappear.

Rev. 16:21 And huge hailstones, about one talent each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.

A talent was around 50 pounds / 30 kg. Those are huge hailstones.

Ponder the phrase “men blasphemed God”. In the act of blaspheming, they will acknowledge that God exists, but they will continue to resist Him.

Rev. 17:1 ¶ Then one of the seven angels who have the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,

Notice the words “judgment” and “harlot”. The word “harlot” indicates sexual immorality.

Rev. 17:2 with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.”

Take note of the words “sexual immorality”. People will be judged for sexual immorality.

The sexual ethics most prominent today is that humans should be free to do whatever they feel like doing. The taboos against sex outside of marriage and against sex with the same gender are mostly gone. Most people think it is repressive to focus on sexual ethics.

However, we see in this passage that people will be judged for sexual immorality. Humans may think sexual sin is no big deal, but God thinks sexual sin is a very big deal.

Rev. 17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; then I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.

Rev. 17:4 And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her sexual immorality,

Rev. 17:5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

In verses 4 and 5 we again see the words “sexual immorality” and “harlot”.

Rev. 17:6 Then I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.

Rev. 17:7 And the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

The sexual ethics most prominent today is that humans should be free to do whatever they feel like doing. The taboos against sex outside of marriage and against sex with the same gender are mostly gone. However, today’s passage reminds us that sexual purity is very important to God. He will judge sexual immorality.

What is your church’s view on sexual ethics?

Do the people of your church comprehend the severity of sexual immorality?

How has your church responded to those who insist the church focuses too much on sex?

Does your pastor still preach about sexual purity, or did he compromise with the culture and decide to ignore the topic?

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”