Continuing Times Which Utterly Destroy
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”
2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshipped its image.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the seas, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.
4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and then became blood.
5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just in these judgements, O Holy One, you who are and who were;
6
for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you
have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”
7 And I heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgements.”
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.
9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony
11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.
13 Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. “… evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon. This symbolised the deception of the evil of Satan – People accept and agree with the evil.
14 They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.
15 “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!”
18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.
19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.
20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.
21 From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on the people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.
God’s Wrath Poured Out
The first four bowls are compared with the first four trumpets:
| Revelation 8:7-12 Trumpets | Revelation 6:2-9 – Bowls |
| Hail, fired, mixed with blood. ⅓ earth burns ⅓ trees all grass | Land, ugly/painful sores on those who worshipped beast of the earth |
| Huge mountain ablaze thrown into the sea. ⅓ sea turned blood ⅓ living creatures die ⅓ ships destroyed | Sea – blood every living sea creature dead |
| Great star blazing as torch Rivers/springs ⅓ water – bitter Many people die ⅓ sun struck ⅓ moon, stars ⅓ day no light ⅓ night | Rivers/Springs became blood Holy One – Jesus – to judge for shed blood of saints/prophets Sun-power to scorch people with fire. People curse God. Did not repent or glorify God |
With the addition of the fifth bowl – darkness – men in pain cursed God and did not repent. With the sixth bowl the Euphrates River dried up. Possibly John speaks of Parthians here. In His mercy awaiting men to repent, God (Revelation 8:7-12) only allowed one-third destruction – two-thirds remaining.
It is remembered that Satan hates his own. 16:14-16 is the “great day of God” and this battle “Armageddon” refers to the truth in Judges 5:19 (Hebrew = Har = Mount, Mt Megiddo, Har = Ar, Ar megeddon). The kings serving Satan were gathered at Armageddon. Further in these verses we are reminded that Satan has power for miracles which deceive.
An important encouragement in v15 – John records, “Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake…”. Jesus said these words in Revelation 3:3. Also Matthew 24:36, 42; 25:1-13; Luke 12:39-40.
John encourages the saints in every age – in times of great trial and persecution and suffering that they are eternally safe and will be with Jesus (John 3:16; Philippians 1:23; Rom 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18).
16:17-21 The seventh bowl is poured into the air. The truth of Jesus’ victory is seen again in v17. “It is done!” – compared to Jesus’ words, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). No need for the saints to be fearful from Armageddon – Jesus is Victorious!
An enormous earthquake – not known before and “God remembered Babylon..” (v19). Huge hailstones fell but men still cursed God (v21).
Chapter 16 has been a glimpse of the frightening wrath of God after the rapture and before the beginning of the millennium.
In Revelation Chapters 15 and 16 the saints are encouraged by the truth that in this evil world there is no future reality. The new heaven and earth are the only true eternal reality. Rome-Babylon was an evil not eternal city.
In every age tyrants who serve Satan have dreamed of empires – Hitler’s Third Reich, which was supposed to last for a thousand years!
The rule of God (Mark 1:15) is rejected by power hungry rulers who want God’s Crown.