And the FIRST ANGEL went and poured out his BOWL into the earth;
Now we are seeing what the third angelic message (Revelation 14:9-11) was talking about. There has been much discussion what the difference is between BOWL and VIAL as other translations give. It doesn't make any difference.....each of the seven angels has a container which will be poured into the earth.
"Pouring out" is commonly used in the Old Testament for distribution of God's wrath or anger (Psalm 79:1-7 and Lamentation 4:11-12).
and it became a loathsome and malignant SORE upon the men
The term "men" is anthropos in Greek which is all inclusive (men, women, and children).
During the plagues visited upon Egypt, the SORES came after Moses threw soot from a kiln into the air (Exodus 9:8-12). But this was limited to one country, Egypt. This BOWL affects the entire earth (dry land implied when taken with respect to the next bowl). Notice the Egyptian sores were so debilitating that even the magicians couldn't perform. So, too, with this bowl, the economy will suffer from lack of workers.
Moses indicates that BOILS are part of the 'curses of disobedience' (Deuteronomy 28:15,27-29,34-37).
A much less supported view is that the SORES are symbolic. That is, the SORES indicate a moral defect in society which causes mass crime with resultant intense mental anguish. Perhaps it will be a combination of the physical SORES and the mental anguish of a disfigured appearance. Just observe how many TV commercials are targeted at a person's appearance (from exercise machines to skin care products).
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Recall that the marking is initially taken in Revelation 13:16-17. After the mark is taken, the result is predicted in Revelation 14:9-11.
One result of this plague is that those NOT having sores must not have taken the mark. This will only hasten the roundup and execution of these tribulation saints.
First bowl economic impact: All production will suffer from mass absenteeism. Medical facilities will be overrun with an acute shortage of doctors and nurses to care for the masses. The sales of cosmetics and other beauty aids will fall. The TV newscasters, reporters, and such will make it obvious that ALL with the MARK will be affected. Crime will be rampant as law enforcement is minimal; police will be struggling with their own SORES.