Revelation chapter 16

The End of Time is very near. Angels pour out the wrath of God. They send it in seven waves, in rapid succession, causing worldwide catastrophes.

 


 

THE SEVEN BOWLS OF GOD’S WRATH

NOTE: These seven manifestations of God’s wrath are colossal. They affect everyone on the planet.

 

VERSE 1. 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!”

I heard a loud voice. The Greek word is μεγάλης (“megalēs”), which means “loud.”

Think: megaphone. Everybody on earth hears it.

out of the temple. This is probably the voice of God the Father.

the seven angels. The Bible alludes to seven archangels. Of those, three are named. Who are they? Read more »

 

AWFUL SORES (BOWL #1)

 

VERSE 2. 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.

poured out his bowl into the earth. This affects all the land on the entire planet.

a harmful and evil sore. Some people say this is AIDS. However, AIDS does not fit. AIDS produces far more troubling effects than “merely” ugly and painful sores.

 

ALL MARINE LIFE DIES (BOWL #2)

 

VERSE 3. 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.

Every living thing in the sea died. This must have been absolutely miserable. All those dead bodies would float to the surface, decay, and wash ashore.

Imagine billions or trillions of life-forms dying and their decaying bodies washing ashore.

Also, the oceans are the “lungs” of the planet. When the oceans die, the planet itself will not last much longer.

 

RIVERS AND SPRINGS DIE (BOWL #3)

 

VERSE 4. The third poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.

they became blood. All that is left for people to drink is blood. This reminds us of the plagues upon Egypt during the time of Moses.

 

VERSE 5. I heard the angel of the waters saying, “You are righteous, who are and who were, O Holy One, because you have judged these things.

You are righteous. These awful plagues are part of divine justice. The angels say that for God to inflict them is true and upright.

 

VERSE 6. For they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this.”

they poured out the blood of the saints and prophets. They had executed many of God’s servants. This could be interpreted as:

  • An evil government
  • The Catholic church. It has tortured and executed many holy people and modern-day prophets

They deserve this. Their evil deeds finally come back to haunt them.

 

VERSE 7. I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments.”

true and righteous are your judgments. This voice from the altar affirms that God’s actions are true and right.

 

PEOPLE BURN WITH FIRE (BOWL #4)

 

VERSE 8. The fourth poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given to him to scorch men with fire.

it was given to him to scorch men with fire. This is far worse than a sunburn.

 

VERSE 9. 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.

They didn’t repent and give him glory. They are pathologically committed to evil.

 

DARKNESS AND PAIN (BOWL #5)

 

VERSE 10. 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,

his kingdom was darkened. The earth is plunged into darkness. Perhaps the light of the sun and stars is occluded. Or perhaps there is a massive power outage.

They gnawed their tongues because of the pain. There is an outbreak of pain. It is massive. Everyone is inflamed with this pain.

 

VERSE 11. and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. They didn’t repent of their works.

they blasphemed the God of heaven. They persist in blasphemies against God.

They didn’t repent of their works. Even after all this, they are still committed to evil.

 

DROUGHT (BOWL #6)

 

VERSE 12. The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings that come from the sunrise.

Its water was dried up. The Euphrates River is dried up. Perhaps there is massive drought.

kings that come from the sunrise. That is, the east. This probably alludes to what happens in the verses that follow.

 

VERSE 13. 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;

out of the mouth. From the three evildoers proceed three new ones:

the dragon … the beast … the false prophet. These are an unholy trinity.

 

VERSE 14. 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.

they are spirits of demons. Make no doubt, these are the bad guys.

performing signs. Many people assume that miracles can only be performed by people who are in union with God. However, that is not the case.

In Egypt, for example, the magicians were able to do miracles almost as great as what God did through Moses. Jesus Christ told us to not be influenced by miracles.

Matthew 24:24. For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.

go out to the kings of the whole inhabited earth. The evildoers will go out to every leader on earth.

to gather them together for the war. The evildoers will rally all the rulers of the world against God.

that great day of God. What is this great day?

 

VERSE 15. “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.”

I come like a thief. This thief is the good thief. Previously, Jesus Christ had spoken of a different thief:

The Enemy is a Thief. He steals and kills and destroys. Read more »

The Lord Jesus came that we may have life, and have it abundantly. Read more »

Blessed is he who watches. The Bible calls us believers to a state of vigilance. We are to be ready for the return of Jesus Christ at any moment.

 

VERSE 16. He gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew, “Megiddo”.

He gathered them together. The three evildoers succeeded in uniting all the world’s leaders against God. And brought them together to one location.

the place which is called in Hebrew, Megiddo. The Greek word is Ἁρμαγεδών (Har-Magedon).

In English, people call it “Armageddon.” Armageddon is not a cataclysmic event, but a place. Armageddon is a location.

This Battle of Armageddon reminds us of the epic battle waged by Joshua son of Nun in Joshua 11:6-15.

 

EARTHQUAKE (BOWL #7)

 

VERSE 17. 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!”

 

VERSE 18. There were lightnings, sounds, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as has not happened since there were men on the earth, so great an earthquake, and so mighty.

 

VERSE 19. 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.

The great city. This probably refers to Jerusalem.

the cities of the nations fell. There is civic unrest on a global scale. Entire governments are falling, or being overthrown, everywhere.

Babylon the great. What nation is this?

the fierceness of his wrath. God’s wrath is being poured out in full.

 

VERSE 20. Every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

There is cataclysmic devastation on a planet-wide basis.

 

VERSE 21. Great hailstones, about the weight of a talent, came down out of the sky on people. People blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for this plague is exceedingly severe.

Great hailstones, about the weight of a talent. One hundred-pound hailstones have not been seen before. Some people say they are meteorites. However, meteorites are not likely to be made of ice.

People blasphemed God. They are still committed to evil!

 


next chapter »

« previous chapter


REVELATION

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.