Revelation Chapter 16
(Rev 16:1) The seven bowls of the wrath of God
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!"
The seven angels to whom were given the seven plagues symbolized in the seven vials (vials or bowls) are now commanded to pour out their divine judgment upon the earth. The voice is undoubtedly the voice of God which is described as coming out of the Temple and as being a “great” voice (Gr., megale„s), a word which occurs frequently in this chapter. The word great is mentioned again in connection with the great voice (v. 17), great heat (v. 9), the great river Euphrates (v. 12), that great day of God Almighty (v. 14), a great earthquake, “so mighty an earthquake, and so great” (v. 18), the great city (v. 19), great Babylon (v. 19), a great hail (v. 21), and the “exceeding great” plague (v. 21). As J. B. Smith expresses it, “This is the great chapter of the Bible.”
The seven vials thus introduced and itemized in this chapter have often been compared to the seven seals and to the seven trumpets, especially the latter. One form of interpretation has been to view the vials as merely an enlargement on the trumpet judgments corresponding numerically to them. There is undoubtedly much similarity between the trumpet judgments and the judgments inflicted by the pouring out of the vials of the wrath of God. In both the trumpets and the vials, the first in the series deals with the earth, the second with the sea, the third with rivers and fountains of water, the fourth with the sun, the fifth with darkness, the sixth with the Euphrates River, and the seventh with lightnings, thunders, and a great earthquake. The principle is often overlooked, however, that similarities do not prove identity. A careful study of the seven vials as compared to the seven trumpets will reveal numerous differences. The first four trumpet judgments deal only with one-third of the earth, while the vial judgments seem to be universal in their application and greater in intensity. The position is therefore taken in this exposition that the vial judgments are subsequent to the trumpet judgments and proceed out of and constitute the seventh trumpet. The judgments described in the trumpet pronouncements and the vial pronouncements fall in rapid succession like trip-hammer blows, and they all will be consummated within a short period of time toward the close of the great tribulation. The vial judgments, the climax of God’s divine dealings with a blasphemous earth, lead up to the second coming of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Alford in commenting on the phrase “the seven last plagues” writes, “There can then be no doubt here, not only that the series reaches on to the time of the end, but that the whole of it is to be placed close to the same time.” (John Walvoord)
(Rev 16:2) The first angel poured out his bowl
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.
This judgment will not be on just the third part of men this time (compare Revelation 9:15), but upon all the men destined for hell (Revelation 14:9-11). They had preferred the mark of the beast to suffering for Christ; now they will suffer anyhow. The selective application of this grievous sore may have some connection with the nature of the “mark” (perhaps activated through chemical or electronic means) which they will have received on their skins; whatever substance the angel pours out on the earth will perhaps react with the mark and infect it with incurable pain. (Henry Morris)
(Rev 16:3) The second angel poured out his bowl
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.
The sea... became blood: Revelation 8:8-9 described a partial contamination of the sea. Here the contamination is made complete (every living creature in the sea died).
Blood as of a dead man: The sea doesn’t necessarily become blood, but as of a corpse’s blood. It will match the appearance and sickening character of the blood in a dead body.
(David Guzik)
(Rev 16:4) The third angel poured out his bowl
The third poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
So, not only will the ocean be turned as blood, but now also the rivers and fountains of water, also. The similar thing happened in Egypt, as you recall, and the water became undrinkable. So, when this happens on a worldwide scale, imagine what this is going to do to man when suddenly all your fresh water supplies are polluted. They are about half polluted now. In this particular plague, the water supplies being polluted is going to be devastating for man. (Chuck Smith)
(Rev 16:5-7) True and righteous are your judgements
I heard the angel of the waters saying, "You are righteous, who are and who were, you Holy One, because you have judged these things. For they poured out the blood of the saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this." I heard the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments."
You are righteous... For they poured out the blood of the saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink: It is completely fitting that those who delighted in shedding the blood of the saints should now be forced to drink blood. They refused the Living Water, and now will be given death to drink.
You are righteous: Even in the midst of judgment, it is right that the angel says this. Not only is God’s justice fair, it is also pure and appropriate. There is no “vigilante justice” with God.
I heard the altar saying: This voice is either an angel speaking from the altar, or the altar personified, representing the corporate testimony of the martyrs (Revelation 6:9) and the prayers of the saints (Revelation 8:3-5).
This speaking altar may be God’s altar – the cross, where His greatest sacrifice was made, and which here testifies of His righteous judgment, both in the past and soon to come. This is the altar where God in His love offered a way of escape from these judgments.
(David Guzik)
(Rev 16:8-9) The fourth angel poured out his bowl
The fourth poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given to him to scorch men with fire. 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.
For a brief time, the sun's heat is suddenly increased. Scientists are familiar with this phenomenon. Every now and then great flares of fire burst from the surface of the sun, causing havoc with the magnetism of the earth, affecting radio waves, etc. We have long known about this. Here apparently is an enormously increased flare from the sun which creates intense heat upon the earth. People are anguished and suffer as a result. And, as the account suggests, they see that it is coming from God. No man controls the sun. No scientist can get anywhere near it or do anything to it. The sun, that flaming star that lights our solar system and warms our bodies, is far too intense for man to tinker with. God does this, and men know it. Yet it leaves men unrepentant. The terrible folly of unbelief, of refusing God's grace, is that you gradually lose the capacity to repent. At last you reach a state of hardness of heart which no longer can respond or does respond to what God is doing. It is too late to pray! (Ray Stedman)
(Rev 16:10-11) The fifth angel poured out his bowl
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, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. They didn't repent of their works.
This is not worldwide darkness; only “the beast,” his throne, and his kingdom are affected. This reminds us of the fifth trumpet (Rev. 9:2) and the ninth plague (Ex. 10:21–23). Where is the throne of “the beast”? His image is in the temple in Jerusalem, so that may be the center of his operation. Or perhaps he is ruling from Rome, in cooperation with the apostate church headquartered there. When God sent the ninth plague to Egypt, the entire land was dark, except for Goshen where the Israelites lived. The judgment of the fifth vial is just the opposite: there is light for the world, but darkness reigns at the headquarters of “the beast”! Certainly this will be a great blow to his “image” throughout the earth. (Wiersbe)
(Rev 16:12-16) The sixth angel poured out his bowl
The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. (12)
The Romans considered the Euphrates River to be a secure barrier against invasion from the empires of the east. In that day it was 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) long and anywhere from 300-1200 yards (275-1,100 meters) wide. (David Guzik)
Its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings that come from the sunrise. (12)
If the Euphrates were dried up and made a road, massive armies from the east (nations such as China, India, and Japan) could move westward with ease.
Some speculate on the reason these armies of the east come westward. Some think it is to wipe out Israel, or to rebel against a European-based world leader (the Antichrist). Ultimately, they come to do battle against God and His Messiah (Psalm 2). (David Guzik)
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; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs; which go out to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of that great day of God, the Almighty. (13-14)
The spirits are like frogs in form. The ancient Jewish people regarded frogs as unclean and repulsive, but the Egyptians revered a frog-goddess. (David Guzik)
“We can only explain the similitude from the uncleanness, and the pertinacious noise, of the frog.” (Alford)
“Christ expelled unclean spirits, but His enemies send them forth.” (Swete)
The frogs are “a devastating caricature of the failure of evil. That which men fear most because it appears to be mighty and eternally entrenched becomes at long last only a ridiculous spawning of sickly creatures of the night.” (Love)
These demons are like the lying spirit who led Ahab into battle (1 Kings 22:19-23). (David Guzik)
Again, signs and wonders are used by demons as tools of deception.
The false prophet here is the second beast of Revelation 13.
(David Guzik)
This battle is not nation against nation, but the nations against God (Psalm 2:2). This is one of three important battles mentioned in prophecy.
1.The battle of Gog, Magog and her allies come against Israel (Ezekiel 38 and 39).
2.The battle of Armageddon, when the Antichrist leads the world system against a returning Jesus (Revelation 17:12-16, 17:14, 19:19).
3.The final battle, when Satan and his allies, after the millennium, make war against God (Revelation 20:7-10).
The winner of this battle is apparent. It is the great day of God, not the great day of man, not the great day of the Antichrist, not the great day of the dragon. (David Guzik)
"Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn't walk naked, and they see his shame." (15)
In the midst of the description of the coming battle, there is a warning to be prepared in light of Jesus’ assured victory.
Garments are pictures of spiritual and practical righteousness. We are given the righteousness of Jesus as a garment (Galatians 3:27), but we are also called to “put on” the nature of Jesus in terms of practical holiness (Ephesians 4:20-24). Above all, we must not be “naked” – that is, without a covering, or trying to provide our own covering like Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:7), which is like filthy rags in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6).
(David Guzik)
He gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew Megiddo (Megiddo or Armageddon). (16)
This great battle happens at a place called Armageddon (Har-Megiddo).
Since there is no specific mount (Har) Megiddo (Megiddo is actually a valley), many see this as a symbolic mountain or hill of slaughter. But Seiss makes a good point: “Whether we take it as the mount or the valley, it makes no difference, for the mount and the valley are counted as one, each belonging to the other.”
Megiddo is in a region frequently associated with decisive battles: Deborah over Sisera (Judges 5:19); Gideon over the Midianites (Judges 7); Pharaoh over Josiah (2 Kings 23:29; 2 Chronicles 35:22). It is also a place of end-times mourning (Zechariah 12:11).
The vast Valley of Megiddo has seen tremendous battles through the centuries. Over 200 battles have been fought in the region, from 1468 b.c. (with Pharaoh Tuthmosis III) to 1917 (with Lord Allenby of the British).
It is best to see the place as literal, as the region of Megiddo and the valley of Esdraelon. Revelation 16:14, 17:14 and 19:19 described an organized battle that must center somewhere, even if it extends much further.
(David Guzik)
(Rev 16:17-21) The seventh angel poured out his bowl
The seventh poured out his bowl into the air. A loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 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. 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. Every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. Great hailstones, about the weight of a talent (66 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.
The devil is “the prince of the power of the air,” so perhaps this seventh vial has a special effect on his dominion (Eph. 2:2). But the immediate result is a devastating earthquake that affects the cities of the nations. Satan’s entire system is now about to be judged by God: his religious system (the harlot, Rev. 17), his political and economic system (Babylon, Rev. 18), and his military system (the armies, Rev. 19).
The “great city” (Rev. 16:19) is probably Jerusalem (see Rev. 11:8). The prophet Zechariah prophesied an earthquake that would change the topography of Jerusalem (Zech. 14:4). But the key idea here is that Babylon would fall (see Jer. 50—51). “The beast’s” great economic system, which subjugated the people of the world, would be completely destroyed by God.
Added to the earthquake will be a hailstorm with hailstones of tremendous weight. (A talent of silver weighs about 125 pounds!) This judgment is reminiscent of the seventh plague in Egypt (Ex. 9:22–26). Just as Pharaoh and the Egyptian leaders did not repent, so the earth-dwellers will not repent; in fact, they will blaspheme God! No wonder the hail comes, for blasphemers are supposed to be stoned to death (Lev. 24:16).
Reviewing these three chapters, we see the encouragement they give to suffering Christians. The sealed 144,000 will arrive on Mount Zion and praise God (Rev. 14:1–5). The martyrs will also be in glory, praising God (Rev. 15:1–4). John’s message is clear: it is possible to be victorious over “the beast” and be an overcomer!
Movements of armies, confederations of nations, and worldwide opposition to God cannot hinder the Lord from fulfilling His Word and achieving His purposes. Men think they are free to do as they please, but in reality, they are accomplishing the plans and purposes of God!
Every generation of Christians has been able to identify with the events in Revelation 14—16. There has always been a “beast” to oppress God’s people and a false prophet to try to lead them astray. We have always been on the verge of an “Armageddon” as the nations wage war.
But in the last days, these events will accelerate and the Bible’s prophecies will be ultimately fulfilled. I believe the church will not be on the scene at that time, but both Jewish and Gentile believers will be living who will have to endure Antichrist’s rule.
The admonition in Revelation 16:15 applies to us all: “Behold, I [Jesus] come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” Jesus Christ may return at any time, and it behooves us to keep our lives clean, to watch, and to be faithful.
(Wiersbe)