“And the fifth angel poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became darkened…” (Revelation 16:10-11, NASB)

Satan may act like a god on the earth, but he is not the God of the universe. One day, he will come and establish his throne on earth, but God’s throne in heaven will rule even still. According to the book of Revelation, Satan will establish his kingdom on earth during the Tribulation Period with one of his own sitting on his throne. In those days, it will seem like he has all the authority and power to rule the world, and many will forge an alliance with him by taking on his mark on their heads and hands. However, they are being deceived because Jesus is both the ruler of heaven and the ruler of earth, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. It says in today’s passage,

“And the fifth angel poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.”

Notice that God is going to pour out His fifth bowl judgment upon “the throne of the beast!” The “throne” represents authority and power, and the beast (Satan and the antichrist) will wield it on earth for a short time. When God strikes the beast’s throne, it shows that this throne is not supreme. Instead, God’s throne stands above all others as the highest. In other words, Satan may act like he is God, but God will let him know that he is not. So don’t let the enemy lie and deceive you into thinking that he has power over your life and everything around you.

One of my students asked me where this “throne” might be during the Tribulation. What do you think? The Scriptures teaches where this will be based on Jesus’ affirmation of Daniel’s prophecy and Paul’s teaching. Jesus said, “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Mt.24:15-16). Again, Apostle Paul writes, “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it has not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God” (2 Thess.2:3-4). In my opinion, Satan will establish his throne through the antichrist in the very temple of God, which will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. The antichrist will temporarily gain authority and power on earth and stand in the holy place on earth, deceiving many to believe that he is indeed the messiah. Do not believe it. Don’t be afraid of the throne of the beast. Stand fast and resist him. The Bible says, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Ja.4:7).

Today’s reading reveals that Satan will establish his throne on earth one day through the antichrist, but God will pour out his judgment on his throne to let him know he does not rule over all. Even today, the Bible says that Satan is “the god of this age” (2 Cor.4:4), but Jesus Christ is the God of all ages (Jude 1:25). Satan will command his angels to surround us and overcome us, but God will give charge to His angels to fight on behalf of us. Remember the words: “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 Jn.4:4). It reminded me of when Elisha once prayed for his servant who was afraid when he saw the enemy army surrounding their city. Elisha encouraged him that those who were with them were more than those who were with the enemy, and he asked God to open the servant’s eyes. The Bible says that God opened the servant’s eyes and he saw that the mountain was “full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Ki.6:13-17). I pray that God will open up your eyes today so that you can see God’s reality and not be afraid. I pray that your eyes will open and see God’s throne ruling over Satan’s throne. I pray that God will open your eyes to know that He who is in you is greater than all enemies around you. Don’t be afraid of the throne of the beast, knowing that you have access to the throne of grace in heaven (Heb.4:16).

• What do you think is the implication of God pouring out His bowl judgment upon the throne of the beast and his kingdom?
• How does believing that the One (God) who is in us is greater than he (the beast and his kingdom) who is in the world?