The Story-Line of Christian Apocalyptic Rhetorolect Lesson 3: Ten Plagues on Egypt After God’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, God sent ten plagues on Egypt to support Moses and Aaron when they confronted the Pharaoh to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to Sinai. The ten plagues are a major resource for presenting God’s destruction of major portions of the earth at the end of time in the New Testament book of the Revelation to John.  Click to read about the ten plagues.

The Ten Plagues as a Resource for Christian Apocalyptic Rhetorolect Christian apocalyptic rhetorolect in the book of Revelation uses the ten plagues in Egypt as a resource for depicting both seven bowls of wrath that angels pour down on earth and plagues that come on the earth when angels in heaven blow seven trumpets. This lesson only explores the use of the ten plagues for the seven bowls of wrath. Lesson 4 will explore their use for the seven trumpets that angels blow in heaven.  Click to read about the ten plagues in Exodus 7-12.

A Hebrew Bible Resource: THE LORD HARDENS PHARAOH’S HEART SO THE LORD CAN SEND PLAGUES AND SHOW EGYPTIANS THAT THE LORD IS GOD Exodus 7:1 Adonai said to Moses … 7:3 I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 7:4 But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring forth my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 7:5 The Egyptians shall know that I am Adonai, when I stretch forth my hand on Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.”  Click for the first plague in Egypt.

First Plague in Egypt: BLOOD Exodus 7:20 Moses and Aaron did so, as Adonai commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 7:21 The fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Egyptians couldn’t drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt  Click for the second plague in Egypt.

Second Plague in Egypt: FROGS Exodus 8:5 Adonai said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch forth your hand with your rod over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’” 8:6 Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.  Click for the third plague in Egypt.

Third Plague in Egypt: GNATS Exodus 8:16 Adonai said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’” 8:17 They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were lice on man, and on animal; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.  Click for the fourth plague in Egypt.

Fourth Plague in Egypt: FLIES Exodus 8:24 Adonai did so; and there came grievous swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses: and in all the land of Egypt the land was corrupted by reason of the swarms of flies.  Click for the fifth plague in Egypt.

Fifth Plague in Egypt: DEATH OF LIVESTOCK Exodus 9:6 Adonai did that thing on the next day; and all the livestock of Egypt died, but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died.  Click for the sixth plague in Egypt.

Sixth Plague in Egypt: BOILS Exodus 9:10 They took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became a boil breaking forth with boils on man and on animal.  Click for the seventh plague in Egypt.

Seventh Plague in Egypt: THUNDER; HAIL; FIRE Exodus 9:12 Adonai hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he didn’t listen to them, as Adonai had spoken to Moses…. 9:23 Moses stretched forth his rod toward the heavens, and Adonai sent thunder, hail, and lightning flashed down to the earth. Adonai rained hail on the land of Egypt. 9:24 So there was very severe hail, and lightning mixed with the hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.  Click for continuation of the seventh plague in Egypt.

Seventh Plague in Egypt cont.: THUNDER; HAIL; FIRE Exodus 9:25 The hail struck throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and animal; and the hail struck every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field. 9:26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.  Click for the eighth plague in Egypt.

Eighth Plague in Egypt: LOCUSTS Exodus 10:1 Adonai said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs in the midst of them, 10:13 Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and Adonai brought an east wind on the land all that day, and all the night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.  Click for continuation of the eighth plague in Egypt.

Eighth Plague in Egypt cont.: LOCUSTS Exodus 10:14 The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt. They were very grievous. Before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. 10:15 For they covered the surface of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened, and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. There remained nothing green, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.  Click for the ninth plague in Egypt.

Ninth Plague in Egypt: DARKNESS Exodus 10:20 But Adonai hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go. 10:21 Adonai said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.”  Click for continuation of the ninth plague in Egypt.

Ninth Plague in Egypt cont.: DARKNESS Exodus 10:22 Moses stretched forth his hand toward the sky, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. Exodus 10:22 Moses stretched forth his hand toward the sky, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 10:23 They didn’t see one another, neither did anyone rise from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings….  Click for the tenth plague in Egypt.

Tenth Plague in Egypt: DEATH OF FIRSTBORN HUMANS AND LIVESTOCK Exodus 10:27 But Adonai hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let them go…. 12:29 It happened at midnight, that Adonai struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of livestock.  Click for the use of the ten plagues in Christian apocalyptic rhetorolect.

Christian Apocalyptic Rhetorolect: One Use of the Ten Plagues in Revelation Revelation 16 uses the ten plagues against Egypt in Exodus 7-12 as a resource for presenting the seven bowls of wrath that seven angels pour out on the earth.  Click to read this Christian apocalyptic rhetorolect.

God will Pour Seven Bowls of Wrath on the Earth Revelation 16:1 I heard a loud voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God on the earth!”  Click for the first bowl of wrath.

First Bowl of Wrath: PAINFUL SORES Revelation 16:2 The first went, and poured out his bowl into the earth, and it became a harmful and evil sore on the people who had the mark of the beast, and who worshiped his image.  Click for the second bowl of wrath.

Second Bowl of Wrath: BLOOD Revelation 16:3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man. Every living thing in the sea died.  Click for the third bowl of wrath and a continuation of a blood theme.

Third Bowl of Wrath: BLOOD Revelation 16:4 The third poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood 16:5 heard the angel of the waters saying, “You are righteous, who are and who were, you Holy One, because you have judged these things.  Click for continuation of the third bowl of wrath.

Third Bowl of Wrath cont.: BLOOD 16:6 For they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this.” 16:7 I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments.”  Click for the fourth bowl of wrath.

Fourth Bowl of Wrath: SUN SCORCHES WITH FIRE Revelation 16:8 The fourth poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given to him to scorch men with fire. 16:9 People were scorched with great heat, and people blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues. They didn’t repent and give him glory.  Click for the fifth bowl of wrath.

Fifth Bowl of Wrath: DARKNESS; PAINS; SORES Revelation 16:10 The fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was darkened. They gnawed their tongues because of the pain, 16:11 and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. They didn’t repent of their works.  Click for the sixth bowl of wrath.

Sixth Bowl of Wrath: FROGS (DEMONIC SPIRITS) Revelation 16:12 The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up, that the way might be made ready for the kings that come from the sunrise. 16:13 I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, something like frogs; 16:14 for they are spirits of demons, performing signs; which go forth to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of that great day of God, the Almighty.  Click for the seventh bowl of wrath.

Seventh Bowl of Wrath: LIGHTNING; THUNDER; EARTHQUAKE; HAIL Revelation 16:17 The seventh poured out his bowl into the air. A loud voice came forth out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 16:18 There were lightnings, sounds, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men on the earth, so great an earthquake, so mighty.  Click for continuation of the seventh bowl of wrath.

Seventh Bowl of Wrath cont.: LIGHTNING; THUNDER; EARTHQUAKE; HAIL 16:19: The great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 16:20 Every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 16:21 Great hailstones, about the weight of a hundred pounds, came down out of the sky on people. People blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for this plague is exceedingly severe.  Click to read a summary.

Excellent! You have learned in Lesson 3 that Christian apocalyptic rhetorolect in Revelation 16 uses the ten plagues God sent on Egypt as a resource for presenting seven bowls of wrath that God tells angels to pour down on the earth.  Click for a table that compares the plagues with the bowls of wrath.

Ten PlaguesSeven Bowls of Wrath 1. Blood1. Boils (cf. 6) 2. Frogs2. Blood (cf. 1) 3. Gnats3. Blood (cf. 1) 4. Flies4. Sun heat (cf. 7) 5. Livestock killed5. Darkness/sores (cf. 9, 6) 6. Boils6. Frogs (cf. 2) 7. Thunder, hail, fire7. Lightning, thunder, earthquake, hail (cf. 7) 8. Locusts 9. Darkness 10. Firstborn humans and livestock killed

Good Work! You are now ready to continue to Lesson 4, where you will see how Christian apocalyptic rhetorolect in Revelation 8-9 uses the ten plagues as a resource for seven plagues that occur on earth when angels in heaven blow trumpets.  This was a long lesson! Every good wish as you continue.