Sunday – February 21, 2016 – Read the Word on Worship
Sunday – February 21, 2016 Rev 16:1-20 “The Super Bowls” from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.
Word On Worship – Sunday – February 21, 2016 Download / Print
Revelation 16:12
“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.”
One of the significant developments of the twentieth century was the political and military awakening of Asia. The great nations east of the Euphrates River, slumbering for centuries, are now beginning to stir and have become a major factor in the international economic and political scene. The geographic immensity and the millions of humanity involved make it inevitable that any future development embracing the entire world must take the Asian continent into consideration.
China with its population now exceeding one billion is flexing its muscles not only against the United States of America, but even against its associate in communism Russia. India, now independent of Great Britain, is likewise beginning to feel its strength on the international stage. Japan is a great industrial giant where the comfort and manufacturing techniques of western civilization are now an integral part of Japanese life. And Korea is technologically savvy and an innovator of the future. Most of this has taken place in the last twenty-five years and developments continue to be rapid. Even if there were no Scripture bearing on Asia in end-time events, it would be only natural to expect them to be part of the world-wide scene.
Many interpretations have arisen concerning the meaning of the phrase “the kings of the east.” From the standpoint of Scripture, the Euphrates River is one of the important rivers of the world. The first reference is found in Genesis 2:10-14 where it is included as one of the four rivers having its source in the Garden of Eden. The Euphrates River is mentioned a total of nineteen times in the Old Testament and twice in the New Testament. In Genesis 15:18 it is cited as the eastern boundary of the land promised to Israel. It is an army, therefore, which crosses the Euphrates River from the east to the west with the purpose of the invasion the Promised Land.
The ultimate explanation is relatively a simple one. By an act of God the Euphrates River is dried up. This makes easy the descent of the tremendous army of two hundred million men upon the land of Israel to participate in the final world conflict. If such an army is to be raised up, it would be natural to conclude that it would come from Asia, the great population center of the world. Although they seem to come in opposition to the new Roman ruler and his power, it is clear that this invasion springs from unbelief and these armies like the others are gathered “to the battle of that great day of God Almighty,” forgetting their individual conflicts to oppose the coming of Jesus Christ in power and glory from heaven.