What Old Testament plagues parallel the "painful sore" in Revelation 16:2? The first bowl and its painful sore “So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, painful sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.” (Revelation 16:2) Key Old Testament parallels • Sixth plague on Egypt—boils “Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Take handfuls of soot from a furnace, and have Moses toss it heavenward in the sight of Pharaoh. It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on people and animals throughout the land.’ … The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils had afflicted the magicians as well as all the Egyptians.” (Exodus 9:8-11) • Covenant curses—festering sores “The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, festering sores, and the itch, from which you cannot be cured.” (Deuteronomy 28:27) “The LORD will afflict you with painful and incurable boils on your knees and legs, from the sole of your foot to the top of your head.” (Deuteronomy 28:35) Shared features • Direct act of God’s judgment • Visible, bodily affliction that no medicine can heal • Falls on the ungodly while God’s faithful are protected • Signals both warning and retribution, inviting repentance yet demonstrating divine justice Why the parallels matter • They reinforce the literal continuity of God’s judgments from Exodus to Revelation. • They remind readers that the same holy God who struck Egypt and disciplined Israel will also vindicate His name in the end-times. • They underscore that allegiance—whether to Pharaoh, false gods, or the beast—determines whether one receives mercy or a “loathsome, painful sore.” |
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