Seven Bowls of Wrath: the ecological relevance of Revelation

Biblical Theology Bulletin, Summer, 2008 by Richard Woods

   The health status of "millions of people" will be affected by
   climate change in the years ahead.... These range from major water
   shortages and migration from coastal regions as sea levels rise to
   hunger and the potential disappearance of up to 30% of plant and
   animal species.

According to Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the UN's intergovernmental panel on climate change, "The poorest of the poor in the world, and this includes poor people in prosperous societies, are going to be worst hit and are the most vulnerable" (Watson). A recent report of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change concurs: "Whereas chronic, noninfectious diseases account for the vast majority of deaths in the developed world, climate-sensitive infectious diseases are among the leading causes of death in the developing world ..." (Balbus & Wilson: 6).

Deathly Seas and Rivers

The second and third bowls cause the seas, rivers, and fountains to turn to blood, destroying human lives and most likely other forms of life dependent on water. The contemporary equivalent, one that threatens both the livelihood and protein supply of a majority of people on the planet, is the destruction of the seas, lakes, and rivers as habitat by pollution and overfishing. The collapse of the cod industry in the North Atlantic is only one example. The destruction of coral reefs around the world is another. Less noticeable but perhaps far more worrisome is the danger posed to plankton by ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere, as ultraviolet radiation sterilizes the upper reaches of the southern seas. All marine life ultimately depends on plankton, which occupies the great base of the food chain.

Scorched by the Sun

Although the severe heat of the desert sun was well known to the ancient Hebrews, Jews, and early Christians (Ps 121:6, Is 49:10, Jonah 4:8, Matt 13:6, Jas 1:11, etc.), a lethal scorching by the sun is a feature virtually unique to the fourth bowl of wrath in Revelation. According to Aune, the only classical myth to deal with the subject of solar searing is the story of Phaethon (Aune: II, 889). He cites Ovid and Lucian, but the myth is also found in Euripides, Nonnos, Plato, and other ancient sources. (For a discussion of the origins and probable celestial referents of the myth, see de Santillana & von Dechend: 250-62.)

Of our contemporary plagues, sun-related illness and environmental deterioration are lethally conjoined. A recent research study reported in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres shows that since 1880 the mean temperature in Western Europe has risen 1.6 degrees Celsius, more than had previously been thought. Heat waves have doubled in length during the same period with a proportionate increase in heat-stroke, sunburn, and heat-related illnesses. As a result of increased ultraviolet radiation reaching the surface of the planet because of the thinning of the ozone layer, skin cancer and eye diseases are increasing in many parts of the world. But other factors are involved as well. A recent study by the World Health Organization has noted the increase in skin disease related to both natural and artificial sunlight: