Page 102 - Eschatology - Student Ebook

Study Section 12: Judgments of the Tribulation – continued
The Antichrist rises to Power

12.1 Connect

Recently we have experienced a world-wide pandemic called the Coronavirus or COVID-19.
This virus has taken the life of hundreds of thousands of people. Entire countries have closed
their doors and their economies have stopped. People have been isolated. Stores are empty of
basic commodities. It has been amazing to see how quickly people are ready to give up their
freedoms in order to get back to normal. This past week a pastor was arrested on criminal
charges for worshipping with 12 people in his church!

We’ve studied the plagues that will come to earth. The economic and social structure of the entire
earth will certainly collapse. Everyone will be looking for some way or someone to put things back to
normal. They will do anything and give up all freedoms to see this happen. They will even be willing to
fall down and worship a governmental leader if he can promise solutions to the vast problems. So then
will rise the Antichrist to take total control of every person’s life on the earth. And people will give him
allegiance gladly. They think he will fix their situations. But He will not….

12.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to detail the seven bowls of judgment on the earth.

2. The student should be able to describe Antichrist’s rise to power on the earth.

3. The student should be able to describe Armageddon and the demise of the Antichrist and false
prophets at the end of the tribulation.

12.3 The Seven Bowls

The seven bowl or vial judgments are the final judgments of the tribulation period. They will be
the most severe judgments the world has ever seen. The seven bowls are described
in Revelation 16:1–21, where they are specifically called “the seven bowls of God’s wrath”
(verse 1). Under the Antichrist, the wickedness of man has reached its peak, and it is met with
God’s wrath against sin. The seven bowl judgments are called forth by the seventh trumpet.

The first bowl. The first angels pours out the first bowl on the land, “and ugly, festering sores broke out
on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image” (Revelation 16:2). This plague is
targeted at those who have committed themselves to the Antichrist; tribulation saints will not be
affected by these sores.

101