In the first three messages of this series on the prophecy of the four "sevens" in the Bible, we have seen the first three "sevens." We have fellowshipped concerning the seven years of the last week of the seventy weeks, the seven seals, and the seven trumpets. In this message we come to the prophecy of the fourth "seven"—of the seven bowls. We have seen that the seven trumpets are the contents of the seventh seal. In this message we want to see the seven bowls, which are the main part of the negative contents of the seventh trumpet.
Seven is the number of completion in God's operation, such as seven days for God's creation, seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls for God's move on the earth. The seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls are divided into four and three. Among the seven seals, the first four seals form a group. As we have seen, these first four seals are four horses with their riders, running in a four-horse race. The four riders of the four horses signify the gospel, war, famine, and death. They begin from Christ's ascension and continue through the entire age of the church to Christ's coming back. The fifth seal is the cry of the martyred saints, the sixth seal is the shaking of the earth and heaven, and the seventh seal is the entire contents of the seven trumpets.
The first four trumpets also form one group like the first four seals. The first trumpet is the judgment on the earth, the second trumpet is the judgment on the sea, the third trumpet is the judgment on the rivers, and the fourth trumpet is the judgment on the sun, moon, and stars. The last three trumpets are the three woes, the woes of the great tribulation. The fifth trumpet is the first woe as judgment on men (Satan and Antichrist collaborating to torment men). The sixth trumpet is the second woe as further judgment on men (two hundred million cavalry troops killing the third part of men). The seventh trumpet is the conclusion of the eternal economy of the processed Triune God. Before the seven trumpets, there was already a judgment on the earth and on the hosts of heaven at the sixth seal. The extent of the damage of that judgment was not so definite as the damage of the first four trumpets.
At the seventh trumpet, there will be further judgments on the earth, the sea, the rivers, and the sun through the seven bowls (Rev. 16:1-21). Those will be the most severe judgments of God on the earth and heaven. Just as the seven seals and the seven trumpets, the seven bowls are also divided into four and three. The first four bowls are the most severe supernatural calamities. Therefore, the supernatural calamities in this universe will be repeated three times. The first time is in the sixth seal, the second time is with the first four trumpets, and the third time is with the first four bowls.
The seventh trumpet has both positive and negative contents. The positive contents are the finishing of the mystery of God, as God announced the good news to His own slaves the prophets (Rev. 10:7), the coming of the eternal kingdom of God and of Christ, in which He shall reign forever and ever (Rev. 11:15-17), the giving of the reward to the prophets, to the saints, and to the God-fearing people at the judgment seat of Christ (Rev. 11:18), the marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9), the kingdom of a thousand years (Rev. 20:4-6), and the new heaven and the new earth with the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:1—22:5). Now we want to see the negative contents of the seventh trumpet.