In our last bulletin we outlined briefly the first three vials (bowls) described in Revelation 16. We continue now with the fourth bowl of wine.

The Fourth Bowl: 2003-2004

Rev. 16:8, 9 says,

⁸ And the fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun; and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. ⁹ And men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues; and they did not repent, so as to give Him glory.

The sun represents civil and religious leadership in this passage. I stated in Part 23 that (according to my own personal revelation) the All Consuming Breath Angel was the one pouring out the fourth bowl of wine. It is directed at civil and religious leadership, but it is plain from verse 9 above that they will not repent at the time the bowl is poured out. Even so, God’s hand of judgment begins to bring them into accountability.

Since this is an election year, this could prove to be interesting.

But first, let us look at the sign itself. As I have stated earlier, we have been led to bear earthly witness to the angelic act in heaven as He pours out the bowls. This is simply our act of faith that comes as a result of hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17). We hear; therefore, we act. But let me make it clear once again that we cause nothing. We simply repeat by word, and illustrate by deeds, that which we hear and see our Father do, so that people on earth will know a little of what God is doing in the heavens.

We were led to go to Chandler, Arizona just south of Phoenix to host a conference at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles from October 14-17, 2003. On the final afternoon (Oct. 17) the group of about 80-90 people gathered in a shopping mall parking lot to pour out the fourth bowls of wine and water upon the ground. Before we could do so, a few guards from the mall swooped down upon us in a threatening manner, telling us that we were on private property and could not gather here.

I did not argue with them or challenge their authority but asked if I could have just 15 seconds. They agreed. That’s all the time it took to complete our work. The head guard then showed up (a woman), and some of the people explained to her our purpose. She then apologized for the over-zealous guards, who had been told (or assumed) that we were going to cause a fight or a riot. We told her that we were just gathering for the Feast of Tabernacles.

I found it significant that in pouring out the bowls upon the “sun” (leadership), we would be challenged by the guards (authority figures). But when it came right down to it, they allowed us to carry out our witness in the earth, and we then left peaceably.

The Huge Solar Flares Begin

Almost immediately after the angel poured out the bowl upon the sun, scientists began to see huge solar flares (“sunspots”). The first was seen Oct. 22, and its effects hit the earth on the 24^th. On the 28^th, the third largest solar flare ever recorded was seen, and it struck the earth the following day. Its solar wind speed was 5.6 million miles per hour, more than twice as fast as any solar storm recorded in the past 40 years.

The Washington Post ran an article about this on Oct. 30, saying,

“A second huge magnetic solar storm hit the Earth on Thursday, just a day after an earlier one hurtled into the planet in what one astronomer called an unprecedented one-two punch.

“It’s like the Earth is looking right down the barrel of a giant gun pointed at us by the sun . . . and it’s taken two big shots at us, said John Kohl . . .

“Kohl, the lead investigator for an instrument aboard NASA’s sun-watching SOHO spacecraft, said the probability of two huge flares aimed directly at Earth coming so close together, as they have this week, was ‘unprecedented . . . so low that it is a statistical anomaly.

“The Northern Lights were seen as far south as El Paso, Texas on the Mexico border.”

On Nov. 2 and 3 there were three more “extreme” solar flares. Senior science writer, Robert Roy Britt, said,

“astronomers have never witnessed such a string of activity like this.”

He also quotes Paul Brekke, deputy project manager of the SOHO spacecraft, as saying,

“I think the last week will go into the history books as one of the most dramatic periods of solar activity we have seen in modern times.”

Then on Nov. 4, a huge solar flare was measured and recorded as a Category X-20. This was by far the largest ever recorded, and the scientists were relieved that it did not flare directly toward the earth. Later, as they were able to analyze it, this was upgraded to an X-40, twice as large as originally thought.

All of this was so unusual that National Geographic’s Spring issue featured these solar flares on its front cover and had a large full-color, fold-out chart to go with it. There is no question that the scientists were quite impressed with God’s solar show.

Of course, the literal sun show was only a sign in the heavens to bear witness to the fourth bowl poured out upon the sun. It bore witness to the fact that this was indeed the timing of the fourth bowl of Revelation 16:8, 9.

As for its actual meaning, which is far more important, it signified a call for leaders—including President Bush—to repent on behalf of the nation for its violation of the divine law.

The Call to Repent (Change)

America is a double-minded nation. It has been this way since the beginning, because it had two foundation stones laid by two different groups with different visions.

The Spanish explorers came first in search of wealth. Their secondary purpose was to conquer and claim the land and people by force for the Roman Catholic Church. These Spanish colonies ultimately had to give way to the English colonies, who, in turn, had established the two visions (purposes) for America. The first was at Jamestown, Virginia, which was established primarily by those with a commercial (economic) vision. The second was at Plymouth, Massachusetts, established by those with a vision of religious freedom.

Ever since that time, the “American Dream” has been economic opportunity to some and to others it has been to establish the Kingdom of God. This is reflected today in the two-party political system, where the Democrats focus upon “It’s the economy, Stupid!” while the Republicans say, “It’s the moral issues, Stupid!”

During the 1990’s, President Clinton represented the Jamestown vision. Today, President Bush represents the Plymouth vision. Each vision has evolved, of course, and to some extent both are somewhat hypocritical, but even so, this is the state of affairs today.

In 1998 God brought President Clinton to the place where he had no choice but to apologize to the nation on national television for his immorality. His apology was important because he was representing half the nation whose vision was economic prosperity and who cared little or nothing about biblical morality.

I believe that since President Bush was elected, God has been working to bring him to the place where he apologizes on behalf of his constituents—those concerned with morality issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and so on. This religious half of the nation must likewise repent for its religious hypocrisy.

The hypocrisy is manifested in many ways, but the primary root of it is in its support for Jewish terrorism in the 1940’s, but its opposition to Palestinian or Arab terrorism that developed in its wake. We have two standards of measure, which violates the law of equal weights and measures. The religious right in America insists upon giving Zionist Jews the right to steal land from Palestinians, along with a host of other immoral acts. They do so on the grounds that the Jews are “chosen.”

But even if Jews were “chosen,” God has made it clear that “chosen people” do not have the right to mistreat others. Chosen does not mean privileged; it means elected to an authoritative position of greater responsibility and accountability. Others are not to be treated as second-class people, nor are they to be oppressed. Lev. 19:33-36 says,

³³ When a stranger [gare, “foreigner”] resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. ³⁴ The stranger [gare] who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were aliens [gare] in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. ³⁵ You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight, or capacity. ³⁶ You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin; I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt.

The law about treating other people with love and equality stands back to back with the law of equal weights and measures. And for those who think that this law means showing love only to Israelites coming from foreign countries, the Scripture gives as its reasoning, “for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.”

In other words, you should know what it is like to be treated unjustly by non-Israelites. Just as it was wrong for the Egyptians to treat Israelites unjustly, so also is it wrong for Israelites to treat others unjustly and with partiality.

The Israeli government has never treated Palestinians in accordance with this law. Instead, they have deliberately provoked them to wrath in order to justify their oppression. Palestinians are blamed for fighting back. The Christian Zionists have supported and encouraged the Jewish Zionists in their sin. This is the great hypocrisy of our age.

President Bush has inherited this long-term problem. I believe that God is bringing America into His divine trap in order to force the President to apologize for this great injustice and sin that has been perpetrated by the excuse that “Bible prophecy is being fulfilled before your eyes.”

One of the great laws of the Bible, reflecting the mind of its Author, Jesus Christ, is the law against being partial in judgment. Jesus said in Matt. 7:2,

² For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

This was Jesus’ commentary on the law of equal weights and measures. Exodus 23:3 and 9 say,

³ nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute . . . . ⁹ And you shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Jesus’ brother after the flesh says the same in James 2:9,

⁹ But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

And so this great hypocrisy in the name of Jesus Christ is now being judged in the Divine Court. If President Bush is elected for a second term, it is quite possible that he will be forced by historical events to apologize on behalf of the hypocritical religious right for its sin, even as President Clinton was forced to do the same for his sin.

This is how the fourth bowl of judgment-wine is being fulfilled today. It indicates that God has put His finger of accountability upon the civil and religious leadership, particularly in America because of its leading role in the shameful support of Jewish terrorists while self-righteously fighting Arab and Palestinian terrorism.

Charley Reese was an editor, assistant to the publisher, and columnist for the Orlando Sentinel from 1971-2001. In an article, “Charley Reese: US complicity in Israel’s Misdeeds,” dated April 16, 2004, he says,

“Unfortunately, our politicians, by cravenly obeying the wishes of Israel and its powerful U.S. lobby, have made us part of the conflict. We’ve already paid in blood and treasure. Anybody who doesn’t understand that the attack on 9/11 was directly related to the Palestinian and Israeli conflict hasn’t been paying attention.

“The Arab world sees us—correctly—as an accessory before and after the fact to all the crimes Israel commits against the Palestinians and other Arabs in the area. We cannot load Israel down with modern weapons, with gifts and more than $90 billion of American tax dollars, with absolute protection from all attempts to hold them accountable under international law, and then pretend we are innocent. We are guilty by proxy of murder, land theft, destruction of property and all the other human misery that Israel has caused in the region . . .

“So if you or your loved ones gets bloodied by terrorists, then blame your Christian Zionists, your Israel First crowd and your corrupt politicians who have their tongues in the ears and their hands in the pockets of the Israeli lobby.”

He speaks the truth. The fact is, we have not gone into Iraq to make the world safer for Americans. We have gone there to make the world safer for the Israelis. We have done their dirty work for them under the direction of Zionists in the Bush administration like Donald Rumsfeld, Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, John Ashcroft, Lewis Libby, V.P. Dick Cheney, and Abram Shulsky, the “disinformation” officer in the Pentagon, whose job it is to pass on lies to the public.

Please do not take this to indicate political support for presidential candidate, John Kerry. My criticism of President Bush’s policies does not make John Kerry a better candidate, unless you want to see a continuation of the policy of infanticide, the legalization of gay marriage, and Christians being arrested for quoting Lev. 20:13 (prohibition of homosexual relations). My point is that God is bringing America to a place of repentance, and according to the divine plan, it must begin with apologies from two presidents representing the American people.

First, President Clinton, at the Congressional Prayer Breakfast on 9/11/98 prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (from Psalm 51:10). And soon a second President will be forced to do the same. Neither President will have done this willingly, and we might question their personal sincerity. But God has a purpose in this, and it is to lay foundations for the glory of His Kingdom as it emerges out of heaven into the earth.

The Unchristian Crusade

At the present time, President Bush is trying to put the best face upon this “war on terrorism,” but the sin is becoming clearer with each month that passes. First we sent the prisoners of war from the Afghan war to Guantanamo Bay, so that they could be abused legally, as if they were not really prisoners of war at all.

Then after we invaded Iraq came the admission that Iraq did not have any “weapons of mass destruction” after all. But somehow we had the “right” to invade them because Saddam Hussein was a bad man.

Then came the news about the prison abuses and outright torture at Abu Graib. That alone should have elicited a national day of prayer and repentance. On May 10, 2004 the USA Today gave a chronology of events leading to the Abu Graib scandal. It read:

“Sept. 9: Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, commander of the prison at Guantanamo Bay, recommends that guards be subordinate to intelligence officials and that guards handle prisoners in such a way that ‘sets the conditions for the successful interrogation and exploitation of (them).’

“October-December: Period when abuses documented at Abu Graib take place.”

The article said that Reserve General Janis Karpinski reported that General Miller told her that these prisoners should be treated like dogs. “He said they are like dogs and if you allow them to believe at any point that they are more than a dog, then you’ve lost control of them.”

Treating people like dogs only makes them hate us more, and it makes it impossible ever to release them. Did we make them so afraid to fight us that they will never again do so? No, we are creating thousands of fanatics who would give their lives to kill a few more Americans. Now it is becoming increasingly apparent that America’s invasion of Iraq has only made the world a more dangerous place—because of our mistreatment of others.

President Bush is merely following his Zionist advisors both in his cabinet and in the clergy. The political advisors are deliberately driving a wedge between America and all Arab countries to force us into supporting the Israeli state. Their policy is designed to fan the flames of Arab hatred and provoke them to more terrorist acts, so that we will feel rapport with the Israelis and sympathize with them. This allows the Israeli government to continue the injustice against the Palestinians, because we share in their sin.

A non-Zionist Rabbi, Michael Ber Weissmandel, wrote an article on May 26, 2000,

“We should avoid the untenable position of the robber who prays for Divine help in carrying out his crime. We should pray that Zionism and its fruits vanish from the Earth, and that we be redeemed by the Messiah with dispatch . . . .

“Many times in the past have segments of our people been defrauded by false messiahs—but none of the false messiahs have been as fallacious and delusory as the lie of Zionism. . . If we wish our exile-sentence commuted, we must appeal through repentance . . . Let it be clearly understood that never in Jewish history (even in the time of Jeroboam or Achav) have such hostile atheists stood at the helm of the Jewish people as today.”

President Bush and all evangelical Christians ought to take this rabbi seriously, for he speaks the truth. Until America repents for its shameless participation in Zionist murder and theft in the name of God, we will continue to come under divine judgment for our sin.

Yet even now, plans are being drawn to invade Iran next. Iran is building a nuclear power plant, and President Bush opposes it on the grounds that they might develop a nuclear weapon. Again, this policy is based upon a double standard, for we knowingly allow the Israeli government to have hundreds of nuclear weapons and say nothing.

American foreign policy is to make the world safer for the robbers in their den (Jer. 7:11; Matt. 21:13). The religious right supports this policy and even demands it, thinking they can hasten (force) the return of Christ by bringing the world to the brink of disaster. They are as mistaken as Judas was. Judas betrayed Jesus in order to force him to manifest Himself to the world. When his plan backfired, he committed suicide.

Now the Church has embarked upon the same strategy. They are betraying Christ in His second coming, even as Judas betrayed Him in His first coming. And what will they do when they discover that their plan has backfired? What will they do when Jerusalem is destroyed so completely that it can never be repaired again (Jer. 19:11)?

Rev. 16:8, 9 is clear that the fifth bowl is a call for repentance, but that there will be no immediate repentance.