Introduction

The Resumption of the Seventh Bowl

Chapter 19 continues and concludes the final period of events, which is called the bowl period. After the bowl introduction in chapters 12-15, the bowl events began in chapter 16, where we saw all seven bowl events described. However as explained there, chapter 16 was not the conclusion of the bowls. Rather, the description of the bowl period continued into chapters 17 and 18 where the bowl interlude was presented.

Here in chapter 19, the bowls continue with a resumption of the seventh bowl event. That is, chapter 19 picks up where we left off at the end of chapter 16. The sixth bowl event in Rev 16:12-16 described nations gathering at Armageddon to make war against God, and then the seventh bowl event began in Rev 16:17-21 with an enormous earthquake and hail storm. However, it curiously never mentioned the outcome of the war. That glaring deficiency is resolved here in chapter 19.

This chapter describes the conclusion of God’s wrath on earth, and it must be considered part of the seventh bowl because Rev 15:1 stated that God’s wrath would be finished in the bowls.

God’s Wrath Encompassed by the Bowls

As mentioned earlier, the bowls represent the fullness of God’s wrath (Rev 15:1,7, Rev 16:1), from start to finish. To support this claim, one should simply search Revelation for references to God’s wrath. That search will produce the following list:

God’s Wrath in Revelation: (See Revelation Overview for timing explanations)
Rev 6:16-17	The sixth seal, which is a summary of the bowls.
Rev 11:18	The seventh trumpet, which is a summary of the bowls.
Rev 14:19	The portion of the bowl introduction that previews the bowl events.
Rev 15:1	The appearance of the seven angels who pour out the bowl judgments.
Rev 15:7	The seven angels are given the bowls of God’s wrath.
Rev 16:1	The beginning of the bowl judgments.
Rev 16:19	The seventh bowl, explaining that these judgments are God’s wrath.
Rev 19:15	The conclusion of the bowls, where Christ visibly returns to execute His wrath.

Please note that there are several references to God’s wrath in Revelation, and all of them are associated exclusively with the bowl judgments. This is a strong reason to believe that the wrath of God is fully encompassed within the bowls. The bowl period corresponds to the same period that the Old Testament prophets called the Day of the Lord, and they made it clear that this is the time of God’s wrath (e.g. Isa 13:6,9, Ezek 30:3, Joel 2:11, Amos 5:18,19,20, Obad 1:15, Zeph 1:14,18, Mal 4:5).

I’d also like to point out that many Christians are accustomed to referring to the seals and the trumpets as judgments (e.g. the “seal judgments” and the “trumpet judgments”). This practice is so prevalent that one may actually be surprised to learn that Revelation never uses the word “judgment” in association with the seals or trumpets. Revelation does refer to God’s judgment several times, but only in association with the bowls (Rev 14:7, Rev 16:7, Rev 17:1, Rev 18:10,20, Rev 19:2). Again, this is a strong affirmation that God’s judgments against the earth do not begin until the bowl events begin.

The final and most terrifying aspects of God’s wrath will be seen as the bowls conclude later in this chapter, but first, it sets the stage and provides some important information that helps us understand the timing of events in Revelation.

Commentary

Anticipation of Christ’s Visible Return

¹After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; ²BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.” ³And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.” ⁴And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” ⁵And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” ⁶Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

v1 After these things – This marks a transition from the bowl interlude (that encompassed chapters 17 and 18) to a new scene in heaven. As we’ll see, heaven is rejoicing.

v1 I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God – This is the same scene in heaven that was described in Rev 7:9. In both cases, the great multitude is seen in heaven after the great tribulation. Here, it’s clear that the saints are in heaven just prior to Christ’s return, because his return is described later in this chapter.

v2 HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS – Specifically, the bowl judgments representing God’s wrath are true and righteous. The saints in heaven made this same point just before the bowls began (Rev 15:3), and now they are reiterating that point as the bowl judgments are nearly finished. Only Christ’s visible return to earth remains. This verse alludes to Psalm 19:9

v2 HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER – This reiterates the point from Rev 18:20, that these judgments constitute God’s vengeance on behalf of the martyrs, as promised to them in the fifth seal (Rev 6:10,11).

v3 a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER – This refers to her judgment in Rev 18:9,18, and makes it clear that her punishment is eternal. There is rejoicing because God reigns victorious over His enemies, and such wickedness shall never again be witnessed upon the earth. This verse alludes to the Day of the Lord prophecy in Isa 34:10.

v4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” – The 24 elders join the multitude of saints (see Who Are the 24 Elders?) in praise. This is describing the same scene that was described in Rev 7:11.

v5-6 ⁵ And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” ⁶Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns – It’s not clear who is speaking here in John’s vision, but possibly it’s the four living creatures around the throne (Rev 4:6). They too join in rejoicing, because God reigns. In other words, the Great Promise of the Bible concerning the kingdom of God on earth and His victory over all evil is taking place. This is the climactic event of all human history.

The greatness of God’s victory obliterates all the suffering and martyrdom endured by the saints throughout the ages and during the great tribulation. For the now-glorified believers in heaven, the joy of this event is unimaginable, and for the sake of this vision, it is emphasized with the four-fold Hallelujahs seen above.

⁷“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” ⁸It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. ⁹Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”

v7-8 the marriage of the Lamb … His bride … has made herself ready … the righteous acts of the saints … – This imagery refers back to Jesus’ time on earth 2000 years ago when he spoke figuratively about a bridegroom (especially the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-12). The bridegroom went away for a lengthy time, with a promise to return later for his bride. This imagery clearly relates to Christ’s promise to return for his church.

The marriage imagery says that even though Christ returns in his role as king, his relationship with the redeemed saints is much more intimate than a king would have with his subjects. This relationship is based on love, as depicted by this bridegroom returning for his bride. Note that the clean linen (representing righteousness) was given to her. Righteousness before God is a gracious gift, and not something earned.

This entire scene, including the appearance of the bride, is taking place in heaven. She is the great multitude in heaven mentioned in verse 1. She includes the martyrs given white robes in Rev 6:11. She includes the multitude wearing white robes coming out of the tribulation in Rev 7:9,13,14. She is the new Jerusalem that will come down from heaven in Rev 21:9,10,11. This bride, who represents all believers of all time, is in heaven at this moment prior to Christ’s visible return to earth in wrath. This indicates that the rapture and the resurrection of the dead have already taken place (see The Rapture). Now united in heaven, she is ready for her marriage, having been made clean by Christ through faith, and having demonstrated their faith through acts of righteousness.

v9 Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb – This alludes to the parable of the wedding feast in Matt 22:1-14, where many guests are invited, but some ignored the invitation or were not properly attired. The bride represents those who joyfully accepted the invitation and receive the eternal blessings it provides.

¹⁰Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

v9 I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that…” – As an emotional response to the glorious and joyous things he has seen, John is overcome by a need to worship! However, his worship is misdirected at the messenger rather than to the one who actually made these things possible. The messenger quickly corrects John.

Christ Returns to Earth as King

With heaven in celebration, we shall now see the climactic event of Revelation, which is Christ’s visible return to earth in His role as king. At this point, chapter 19 picks up where chapter 16 left off. Recall that chapter 16 described seven horrific bowl events, and the last three of those were:

• The fifth bowl, which plunged the world into darkness.
• The sixth bowl, where Antichrist’s armies gathered in Israel hoping to destroy God’s people.
• The seventh bowl, which was a great worldwide earthquake.

Old Testament prophecy indicates that the great worldwide earthquake described in the seventh bowl (Rev 16:18) coincides with the return of Christ. In other words, as the moment approaches, the earth is shaking violently in darkness with Antichrist’s armies gathered in Israel. As bad as that may be, things become infinitely worse for the unbelieving world as the blazing holy light of Christ appears, as described below (and in Matt 24:29-30).

¹¹And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. ¹²His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. ¹³He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. ¹⁵From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. ¹⁶And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

v11 And I saw heaven opened – This transitions from the heavenly scene in the previous passage to an apparently earthly perspective. Heaven will be revealed in a manner that the earth has never seen before. This is an invasion whereby the kingdom of God (in heaven) is coming to overthrow the kingdom of Antichrist (and of Satan) on the earth. This may be accomplished simply by the appearance of God (Ex 33:20).

Recall that the sixth seal in chapter 6 was a summary of the bowl judgments. Now, we can see how well the scene described in the verses above correspond to the sixth seal described in chapter 6.:

• heaven opened —  ¹⁴The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (Rev 6:14)
• strike down the nations — ¹⁵Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains (Rev 6:15)
• He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God —¹⁶and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; ¹⁷for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”. (Rev 6:16-17)

v11 and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war – A rider on a white horse, coming to conquer. This imagery parallels that of the first seal event (Rev 6:2). However, there is a sharp contrast between the two.

• The rider here in chapter 19 is clearly Christ the King. Therefore, the rider in the first seal is someone else, specifically the impostor Antichrist.
• Christ comes wearing a diadem crown and the title “king of kings“, showing absolute authority. The type of crown worn by Antichrist in the first seal (a wreath-style victory crown) does not convey authority, but only a moment of victory. He will receive Satanic authority at the midpoint (Rev 13:2,4), but it’s only temporary authority, lasting just 42 months (Rev 13:5). During that time, he will conquer (Rev 13:7), but afterward he shall face utter defeat and destruction (Rev 19:20).
• Christ comes with great power (the sword of his mouth and the rod of iron), whereas Antichrist only had a bow. The battle between Christ and Antichrist shall be lopsided because Christ is Lord and Antichrist is just a man (Rev 13:18).

v12-13 ¹²His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. ¹³He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God – These descriptions clearly identify this rider as Christ returning in glory and as king and with all authority.

The mention of the name that no one knows except himself seems to refer back to the new name of Christ mentioned in Rev 3:12, probably indicating a new understanding of Christ never before revealed.

The robe dipped in blood is best understood to be an allusion to the winepress metaphor seen earlier in chapter 14:19, which refers to God carrying out His wrath upon the earth by crushing the grapes of wrath with his feet. This is also the understanding from Isaiah’s account of God’s wrath in Isa 63:2-3: “²Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? ³I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment.”

That the rider’s name is called the Word of God identifies him as Christ (see John 1:1,14) and specifically emphasizes his eternal authority.

v14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses – When Christ returns, he shall be accompanied by the army of saints (the “bride” seen earlier in chapter 19). This was mentioned earlier in Rev 17:14. Although they are called “armies”, I don’t believe the saints are coming to help execute God’s wrath (Isa 63:3, Rom 12:19). Rather, they are following in order to reign with Christ in his kingdom (Dan 7:27, 2 Tim 2:12, Rev 5:10). This climactic event of the bowls is naturally the climactic event associated with the Day of the Lord, as spoken by the prophet: “The LORD utters His voice before His army; Surely His camp is very great, For strong is he who carries out His word. The day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it?” (Joel 2:11).

v15-16 ¹⁵From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. ¹⁶And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS – The same mouth that spoke creation into existence shall speak destruction against the unbelieving nations, and thus His wrath is carried out. All other authorities must bow to His authority. Ruling with a rod of iron means that the age of tolerating sin has ended, and the wicked kingdoms of the world shall be shattered (Psalm 2:9).

The Battle of Armageddon

¹⁷Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, ¹⁸so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”

v17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun – This is a mild transition, not away from this scene, but to make a new declaration about this scene. Having finished describing the appearance of Christ in wrath, we transition into what the outcome of His wrath shall be. That the angel is standing in the sun is likely a device showing that the holy light of this angel outshines even the sun.

v17 he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God – The “great supper” given to the birds shall be the unburied dead, indicating a quick, massive, and disgraceful slaughter.

v18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great – The slaughter will begin with the kings, commanders, and armies at Armageddon, and from there go on to unredeemed people throughout the earth. This was also described in the sixth seal (Rev 6:15). The following verses shall elaborate on this.

¹⁹And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. ²⁰And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. ²¹And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

v19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army – The slaughter begins with military forces because it is picking up where the bowls of chapter 16 left off. In the sixth bowl event (Rev 16:12-16), a vast army of all nations had gathered for what we call the Battle of Armageddon. The result of this gathering was not disclosed in chapter 16, except that we know that their gathering was followed by an immense worldwide earthquake (the seventh bowl). That earthquake actually coincides with the return of Christ, and Christ begins by destroying those armies.

This passage says that they came to make war against Him who sat on the horse and His army. I believe that these kings and their armies came to Armageddon (in Israel) with the intent to once and for all wipe out God’s people Israel. They are doing this because it’s quite clear that Israel has something to do with all the plagues that are destroying the earth, first from the two Jewish witnesses in Jerusalem (during the trumpet events), and now the terrible bowls that are destroying the earth while Israel remains protected. They are hoping that by destroying the protected Israelites, they might survive.

However, when the kings and armies come to make war against Israel, they are also (perhaps unwittingly) coming to make war against Christ (Rev 17:14). After all, Jesus Christ is the king of Israel by virtue of being the rightful heir to the throne of David (Isa 9:7, Matt 2:2, John 18:33,37, Mark 15:32, Rev 5:5). As their king, he shall fight for them, as God had done on several occasions in the Old Testament.

v20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image – Among the kings and commanders at Armageddon are Antichrist himself and his False Prophet. These two shall receive special treatment, as described in the next verse.

v20 these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone – Rather than be killed in order to feed the birds, they shall be thrown alive into the lake of fire, becoming the first humans to ever go there. Thus ends the careers of the two most powerful men on earth.

v21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh – The battle of Armageddon will be very quick and one-sided. Once Antichrist and the False Prophet are destroyed, all of their remaining followers on earth shall be killed by the Word of Christ’s mouth. This shall be an utter extermination of the remaining unredeemed people, as made clear by the prophets, e.g. Isa 13:9,12, Isa 34:2, Isa 63:6, Jer 25:33, Ezek 30:3, and Zeph 1:3,17,18. As promised in verse 18, their bodies will be used to provide a feast for the birds and animals.

Living on Earth During the Bowls

Here, I’ll summarize what life will be like during the bowls events. This will be experienced only by unrepentant people, because by the time the bowls strike, all redeemed people will have either died (likely killed during the great tribulation) or they will have been taken to heaven just prior to the bowls by the rapture.

1. It will begin with painful and loathsome sores.
2. Next comes the death of the seas. A catastrophe leading to starvation, panic, and other ill-effects.
3. Next, all the sources of freshwater become sources of poison. Countless people will suffer terribly and die of thirst.
4. Those who don’t die from starvation or thirst will face fiery heat, hot enough to scorch people. This must result in agony and countless more deaths.
5. Those who continue to live shall witness the next three events, which are the signs of Christ’s return. I expect that these final events will occur in fairly rapid succession. First, the world will be plunged into darkness. While not fatal, it compounds the suffering with panic and dread.
6. People on earth, longing for deliverance, will turn to their false savior, Antichrist. They will pin their hopes on his effort to defeat the source of these plagues, and they know that the source is connected to Israel. Antichrist and the False Prophet will organize the remaining armies of all nations to mount their desperate assault on Israel, assembling at a place called Armageddon.
7. As the armies at Armageddon prepare their attack, the earth will begin to shake violently. Mountains and Islands will crumble or explode. Even the stars above will appear to be shaking. Without a doubt, this will kill countless more people. However, those not killed by the quake must face the most terrifying fate of all: They will witness the appearance of Christ in full glory, holiness, and wrath. Men at that time will beg to be crushed by the falling rocks, rather than face Christ. The armies and all remaining unredeemed people on earth will be killed at this time. See what Hebrews 10 says: “²⁹How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” ³¹It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

If you consider (1) the progression from bad to worse for those living through the bowl events, and (2) that the bowl events correspond to the Old Testament period called the Day of the LORD,  then you will understand these Old Testament metaphors that are used to describe the bowl events:

• (Amos 5:18-19) ¹⁸Alas, you who are longing for the day of the LORD, For what purpose will the day of the LORD be to you? It will be darkness and not light; ¹⁹As when a man flees from a lion And a bear meets him, Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall And a snake bites him.
• (Isaiah 24:17-19) ¹⁷Terror and pit and snare Confront you, O inhabitant of the earth. ¹⁸Then it will be that he who flees the report of disaster will fall into the pit, And he who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare; For the windows above are opened, and the foundations of the earth shake. ¹⁹The earth is broken asunder, The earth is split through, The earth is shaken violently.

The Duration of the Bowls

The conclusion of chapter 19 represents the conclusion of the bowls.

According to the Overlapping Model on which this website is based (see Revelation Overview), we have the following:

• The first five seals will last for seven Biblical years (the sixth seal represents the bowls).
• The first six trumpets cover the 42 months of great tribulation (the seventh trumpet represents the bowls).

The durations of these time periods are rather well established by scripture. The bowls, on the other hand, follow after the seven-year end-times period, and there is no consensus view regarding how long they will last. However, there are some plausible indications concerning the duration of the bowls:

First, consider the severity of the bowls. Complete damage will be done to the seas, the land, and the freshwater, among other catastrophes. It would seem that the period of the bowls can’t last much longer than a few weeks because some of the life-sustaining aspects of the earth are destroyed.

Secondly, there are some verses in the last chapter of Daniel’s prophecy that may give a clue. This chapter is discussing the period following the midpoint of the seven years period, which is called “time, times, and half a time“:

Dan 12:7 – I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.

A few verses later, we read this:

Dan 12:11-12 – ¹¹“From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. ¹²“How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!

Note that verse 11 mentions 1290 days, and not the 1260 days that we see in Revelation (Rev 11:3, Rev 12:6). That is, Daniel is adding one extra Biblical month (30 days) to the 3 1/2 Biblical years, to arrive at the 1290 days.

The verse is somewhat peculiar because it says only that “from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days“. From this, we know that there will be a 1290-day period that starts at the midpoint, but it doesn’t say what happens during this time or what happens when it’s over. It’s safe to say that there must be something accomplished by this 1290-day period, but what is it?

To answer this question, we must review the context in which these words were written. The context takes us back to the accomplishment mentioned in verse 7, where it says, “all these events will be completed“. What are “these events“? Since he is talking about the final “time, times, and half a time” period, we must assume that “these events” are the events associated with that period. Daniel described the events of that period in chapter 7 as follows:

Dan 7:25-27  – ²⁵‘He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. ²⁶‘But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. ²⁷‘Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’

The events in this account include the 1260 days of persecution against the saints and the destruction of Antichrist’s kingdom. We know that the destruction of Antichrist’s kingdom is finished at the conclusion of the bowl judgments which follow the 1260 days. Therefore, it makes sense that the 1,290 days to complete all these events must include the 1260 days plus the time of the bowl judgments — which would mean that the bowls would last 30 days.

This idea would satisfy the first point above that the bowls cannot last too long simply due to their severity. It also makes sense because the 1260 days in which the saints are persecuted may rightly be called “shattering the power of the holy people“, as it is referred to in Dan 12:7.

A natural question to ask at this point is, What is the meaning of the 1335 days of Dan 12:12? There, we read: How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!

This is a harder question to answer. If it’s correct that the bowls last 30 days, then these 1335 days indicate that there is another 45-day period that follows the bowl judgments.

This is speculation, but here are some possible explanations for this 45-day period:

1. Perhaps the 45 days is a time for whatever it takes to restore the earth to a proper state in preparation for establishing the Millennial kingdom on earth.
2. Recall that the sixth seal is a summary of the bowl judgments, and the seventh seal was a period of silence in heaven for half an hour. Perhaps the seventh seal refers to an actual period of silence that follows the bowls, and lasts for 45 days. This silent period would be followed by the Millennial kingdom.
3. If the Millennial kingdom is set up without delay, then perhaps it will be 45 days into the Millennial kingdom when rewards are given to the righteous who were martyred for their testimony to Christ (Rev 11:18, Rev 20:4), which is why these people are especially blessed.