The Seven Bowl Judgments – Part 1

Summary

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Grace in Focus Podcast

Episode: The Seven Bowl Judgments – Part 1
Date: December 23, 2025
Hosts: Bob Wilkin and Philippe Sterling
Theme: An in-depth, accessible exploration of the Seven Bowl Judgments described in Revelation chapters 15 and 16, focusing on the order, imagery, biblical connections, and theological implications.

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Episode Overview

In this concise yet rich episode, Bob Wilkin and Philippe Sterling guide listeners into the prophetic vision of the Seven Bowl Judgments from Revelation 15 and 16. Drawing vivid parallels to the plagues of Egypt and employing memorable wordplay, they discuss the progression of God’s final temporal judgments on earth, their order, nature, and the fate of believers versus unbelievers during the tribulation. The conversation is lively, practical, and designed to be immediately useful for personal study or teaching.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Background and Structure of the Bowl Judgments

• Progression in Revelation:
  • The Seven Seals → The Seven Trumpets → The Seven Bowls
  • The bowl judgments are the climax, appearing after the sounding of the seventh trumpet (01:00-01:30).
• Biblical Reference:
  • The judgments are described in Revelation 15–16, with seven angels pouring out God’s wrath (01:19-01:45).
• Timing:
  • The bowls occur in the latter part, likely the last half, of the seven-year tribulation (02:14-02:52).
• Speaker Insight:

  “The pouring out of the seventh bowl will be the culmination of all of God’s temporal judgments upon the earth dwellers.”
  – Philippe Sterling, 01:45

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2. Parallels to Egypt’s Plagues

• Natural Judgments:
  • Many bowls mimic the plagues of Egypt: sores, water-to-blood, darkness, etc. (03:10-03:24).
• Selective Judgment:
  • Like in Egypt, God’s plagues target specific groups, notably those who follow the Beast (04:29-05:22).

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3. Memorable Mnemonics: ‘Bowls’ as Football Games

• The hosts attach playful names to each bowl, drawing on football “bowl” games for easy recollection (03:24, 05:45, 08:28):

  A. The Durabowl

  • Reference: Dermatology—skin disorders
  • Judgment: Foul and loathsome sores on those with the Beast’s mark (03:24-04:29)
  • Scripture: Revelation 16:2
  • Memorable Quote:

    “We call it the dermatology bowl. It’s the bowl that relates to the sores, like the sores that Job had that were horrible.”
    – Bob Wilkin, 03:24

  B. The Alabama Bowl / Crimson Tide Bowl (Sea Bowl)

  • Reference: “Crimson Tide” (University of Alabama) = red sea
  • Judgment: All sea becomes blood; every sea creature dies (05:45-07:02)
  • Scripture: Revelation 16:3
  • Notable Connection:

    “So this crimson tide takes over all of the oceans of the world.”
    – Philippe Sterling, 07:02

  C. The Alabama River Bowl (Freshwater Bowl)

  • Judgment: Rivers and springs turn to blood; parallels Nile plague (07:39-08:28)
  • Scripture: Revelation 16:4
  • Memorable analogy:

    “This third one does parallel what happened with the Nile in the ten plagues.”
    – Philippe Sterling, 08:03

  D. The Sun Bowl

  • Judgment: The sun scorches humanity with great heat (08:28-09:58)
  • Scripture: Revelation 16:8-9
  • Memorable Moment:

    “This scorching sun is not going to be a laughing matter. This is going to be a very serious judgment on all of the unbelieving world.”
    – Bob Wilkin, 09:58
    “The people of the earth were subjected to that [and] blaspheme God.”
    – Philippe Sterling, 10:07

  E. The Dark Bowl

  • Judgment: The Beast’s kingdom is plunged into oppressive, painful darkness (10:51-12:07)
  • Scripture: Revelation 16:10-11
  • Memorable Quote:

    “The darkness was so much people were gnawing their tongues ... it was painful.”
    – Philippe Sterling, 11:12

  • Observation:

    “Instead of blaspheming God, they should be crying out and saying, please spare us. We were wrong.”
    – Bob Wilkin, 12:07

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4. Who Experiences These Judgments?

• God’s Selective Wrath:
  • The first bowls specifically target those with the Beast’s mark; others may be spared (05:12-05:45).
  • Later judgments seem universal, but some protection for believers is implied (10:33-10:51).
• Spiritual Response:
  • Despite disastrous conditions, humanity largely hardens its heart and “blaspheme[s] the God of Heaven” instead of repenting (10:07, 11:43, 12:07).
  • Contrasts drawn to Nineveh’s repentance under Jonah (12:17).

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On God’s Judgment Fulfilled:

  “The pouring out of the seventh bowl will be the culmination of all of God’s temporal judgments upon the earth dwellers.”
  (Philippe Sterling, 01:45)

• On the First Bowl:

  “It’s the dermatology bowl. It’s the bowl that relates to the sores, like the sores that Job had that were horrible.”
  (Bob Wilkin, 03:24)

• On Selective Judgments:

  “Here, these … plagues … is not going to fall upon believers.”
  (Bob Wilkin, 05:13)

• On the Sun Bowl:

  “This scorching sun is not going to be a laughing matter. This is going to be a very serious judgment.”
  (Bob Wilkin, 09:58)

• On Hardened Hearts:

  “The people of the earth … blaspheme God … they’re shaking their fist in rage against God.”
  (Philippe Sterling, 10:07)
  “Instead of blaspheming God, they should be crying out and saying, please spare us. We were wrong.”
  (Bob Wilkin, 12:07)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Background and Introduction to Bowl Judgments: 00:59–01:45
• Timing Within the Tribulation: 02:14–02:52
• Mnemonic Overview of the Bowls: 03:24–08:28
  • Durabowl & Alabama/Sea Bowl: 03:24–07:02
  • Alabama River Bowl: 07:39–08:28
• Sun Bowl / Scorching Judgment: 08:28–09:58
• Sun Bowl Details and Spiritual Response: 09:58–10:33
• The Dark Bowl: 10:51–12:07
• Summary and Next Episode Tease: 12:21–12:56

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Tone and Style

The hosts employ an informal, conversational style peppered with humor, sports references, and practical teaching aids. The tone is engaging, accessible, and characterized by clear commitment to Scripture and theological clarity. Good-natured encouragement is offered to listeners to study, repent, and appreciate God’s character.

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Conclusion and Looking Ahead

This episode covers the first five bowls and sets the stage for the remaining two in the next part. The hosts stress not just the calamity of these end-times judgments but also their relevance for Christian living today—encouraging listeners to maintain spiritual clarity and a focus on God’s grace, even in the face of sobering prophecy.

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For further study and free resources, visit: faithalone.org

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Transcript

[A]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. The seven Bowl Judgments of the Great Tribulation in Revelation. We will begin to talk about those today and we are delighted that you are joining us right here on Grace in Focus. This is a ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society located in North Texas. Our website is faithalone.org we'd love you to log on and learn more about us, especially our tuition free online seminary and and our subscription free magazine. It is also called Grace and Focus and it is free except if you live outside of the contiguous 48 United States. You do have to pay the postage. If you like the things we talk about on this program, you will enjoy it a lot. So get signed up for it [e-mail] now with today's discussion, here are Bob Wilkin and Philippe Sterling.

[B]

Well Philippe, we've come to the bowl judgments from the seven seal judgments, the seven trumpet judgments, to the seven bowl judgments. So now we're on the bowl judgments and I wonder if you could introduce these bowl judgments. They're found in what, Revelation 15 and 16.

[C]

Now Revelations 15 and 16 are devoted to the seven bowl judgments and some of the aftermath of that. But we're told that the seventh trumpet sounds after the death, resurrection and ascension of the two witnesses. Witnesses and the seventh trumpet sounds. And we're told that the temple of God is opened up in the heaven right in the Holy of holies. And as a result, when we come to chapter 15, we're told that the seven angels come out of that holding seven bowls, which are the seven bowls of the wrath of God, and that we have those seven bulls there. Wrath of God will be finished. The pouring out of the seventh bowl will be the culmination of all of God's temporal judgments upon the earth dwellers.

[B]

So let me see if I understand this. Although it's seven years divided by three and a half and three and a half, obviously if you've got seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls, they're not going to break. Exactly. Evenly. And what's actually happening, if I'm following this, is the seals and the trumpets all are in the first half and the bowl judgments are all in the second half.

[C]

Yes. They may occur throughout the second half or throughout the latter period of the second half. We're not given the strict chronology, we.

[B]

Don'T know exactly if the bowl judgments start when the two witnesses ascend to heaven or not, but we do know it's sometime after that.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Okay. So with these seven bowl judgments, each one affects Something different. Kind of like the ten plagues of Egypt, right?

[C]

Yes. They involve natural judgments using the hail, thunder and lightning, the sun, and afflicting sores, much like also occurred with the 10 plagues.

[B]

Okay, now we've come up with some memorable ways of remembering these seven bowl judgments. And hopefully, if you're teaching a Sunday school class on this, you too can use these bowls. Now, the first bowl we call the dermabowl, and we call it the durama bowl, because it's the skin bowl, it's the dermatology bowl. It's the bowl that relates to the sores, like the sores that Job had that were horrible. And these will be very bad skin infections, right?

[C]

Oh, yeah. They would be horrid, you know, to say the words with pus pouring out of them and all of that. But we know that Satan afflicted Job. Right. And we do know that one of the plagues upon Pharaoh and upon the Egyptians was also the matter of these types of sores as well. So this is the very first bowl, judgment. It's put out and become sores upon all the earth dwellers, the ones that took on the mark of the beast.

[B]

And that's what, 16? Two, I think.

[C]

Yes. That would be verse two, chapter 16. Would you like to read that?

[B]

Sure.

[C]

Again, the seven angels who are commanded to go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth. So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the man who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

[B]

So like with the 10 plagues, where when these 10 plagues fell, they did not fall upon the Jewish people, they fell upon the Egyptians.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Here, these 10 plagues, I mean, these seven. Well, he sees, first of the seven is not going to fall upon believers.

[C]

Or spared the believers.

[B]

It's going to fall upon those who've taken the mark of the beast.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Now, there will be some unbelievers who haven't taken the mark of the beast, and they won't get this either.

[C]

That will be, I think, an inference that we can make there, because it specifies. It's those who worship the image that was set up there in the tribulation temple and upon those who had the mark of the beast.

[B]

Okay, so the first bowl, judgment, is the dura bowl. Now, the second bowl, Judgment, we call it the Alabama bowl, or we could call it the Alabama Sea bowl, because Alabama is called the crimson tide. So the crimson tide would be a red Sea and in fact I grew up in Southern California and we occasionally would get this red tide that would come in. It would come in because of some.

[C]

Of the, I guess, or some of the organisms, microorganisms that turned the water red.

[B]

But in this case the water is going to be turned red because of blood. Is that right?

[C]

Yes. This would be verse three, the second bowl. Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea. And that I think will be probably all the oceans of the world. And it became blood as of a dead man. And every living creature in the sea died. Now there was a trumpet judgment that also affected the seas of the world that involved blood. But there were told that only one third organisms of the sea died. But he was told that every living creature in the sea died. So this crimson tide takes over all of the oceans of the world.

[A]

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[B]

And then the third one we might call the Alabama Bowl Part 2, or might call it the Alabama river bowl, because on this one we're now dealing with fresh water, right?

[C]

Yes, all the rivers and fountains, all the springs, all the inland water basically, and by the way, turns to blood.

[B]

This third one does parallel what happened with the nile in the 10 plagues.

[C]

That was the first of the plagues upon Egypt with touching with the rod and the Nile turned to blood, right. And all the fish died and all of that. So here this occurs on all of the inland waterways as part of God's judgment on the on the earth dwellers. And there we're told the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water and they became blood.

[B]

Okay, so we've got the durable the Alabama Bowl Part 1, or the Alabama Sea Bowl. Then we get the Alabama river bowl, and then we get what we call the Sun Bowl. And there actually is a football game, I think, called the Sun Bowl. But in any regard, the sun bowl, the sun is a beautiful thing as long as we're not getting a lot of solar flares. But these are going to be ginormous solar flares, right?

[C]

Yes. Let me read what it says here. Then the fourth angel pulled out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat. So the scorching sun.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Now, of course, here in Texas, we have some good experience of a scorching sun during the height of the summer. But this would be ten times worse.

[B]

Oh, I remember I was in Perth, Australia, about 20 years ago, and they told me to always wear a hat when I was outside because there was evidently some hole in the ozone layer, and it meant you could burn much easier than if you were in other parts. And the same thing is true. I think if you're on the equator, you can burn much easier than if you're in California, where I grew up, or here in Texas, where I live now. But in any case, this scorching sun is not going to be a laughing matter. This is going to be a very serious judgment on all of the unbelieving world.

[C]

And a note that is made with this judgment is that the people of the earth were subjected to that blaspheme God.

[B]

So they're basically cursing him.

[C]

Yeah, they're cursing, they're shaking their fist in rage against God.

[B]

But they do recognize these things are coming from him.

[C]

They acknowledge that this is the wrath of God.

[B]

Now, this one doesn't say it's only for those who've taken the mark. So do you think this applies to everyone? In other words, all unbelievers would get this. And in fact, believers would experience this judgment as well.

[C]

Again, we're not told here specifically, but I will infer that all of these culminating wrathful judgments, that believers are spared in some ways, partially, at least protected in some ways. And they don't blaspheme, but the unbeliever world does.

[B]

Okay, now, the opposite of the sun bowl is the dark bowl, because there's a bowl that's coming, and you can imagine this bowl that's just pure black and it's this dark bowl. And you remember that's one of the 10 plagues. Yes, the darkness was so much. People were gnawing their tongues. Right? Because it was.

[C]

It was painful. So oppressive that it was painful. But there again, though, in Goshen, they had light.

[B]

Right? And by the way, that shows that God is able to produce light anytime. Remember, the new Jerusalem is going to be lit up by the Lord Jesus Christ. And in the first three days of creation, there was light before the sun.

[C]

Right?

[B]

Because God's able to do that. He can turn on the light anytime he wants. But let's end with this one for today. So in terms of the Dark bowl, what happens? Darkness descends.

[C]

Yeah, the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast and his kingdom became full, full of darkness. And they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. And again, they blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores. And they did not repent of their deeds.

[B]

Yeah, it's just the opposite of what they should be doing. Instead of blaspheming God, they should be crying out and saying, please spare us. We were wrong. We're so sorry.

[C]

Much like the people of Nineveh, the preaching of Jonah, they should be repenting.

[B]

But inst. They're not. In fact, Revelation 6 and Revelation 19 both indicate that they didn't repent as these judgments were occurring. All right, so we've been through five the Durama Bull, the Alabama Sea bowl, the Alabama river bowl, the sun bowl, and the Dark Bowl. We still got two bulls yet to come. So in part two of the bowl judgments, we'll look at the final two bowls. In the meantime, let's all keep Grace in focus.

[A]

Would you be interested in some free ebooks on topics you hear on this program? Well, if you are, you need to come Visit [e-mail] that's faithalone.org we would love to hear from you. Maybe you've got a question, comment or some feedback. If you do, please don't hesitate to send us a message. Here's our email address. It's radioaithalone.org that's radioaithalone.org and when you do very important. Please let us know your radio station call letters and the city of your location. And on our next episode, we continue talking about the seven bowl judgments. Please join us. And in the meantime, let's all keep Grace in focus.

[C]

The proceeding has been a listener supported.

[A]

Ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.