Revelation Chapter 16

 

Brief introduction:

 

The theme of this chapter is the seven angels pouring out of their bowls of the wrath of God upon the earth.

 

There is an interlude (breather) between the 6th and 7th bowl.

 

The bowls of wrath contain the direct judgement of God upon the earth and are poured out during the reign of the Beast. 

 

Also... take note of the similarity between the judgements of this chapter and God's judgements upon Egypt back in Moses' time.

 

☆ Revelation 16:1...

"And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth."

 

John hears a "great voice" coming out from the temple.

This is none other than the voice of Christ. ☆ Revelation 1:10...

 

Christ is in complete charge here. 

He was the only One found worthy to open the seven-sealed book, and His opening of the seals ushered in this entire series of sevens. 

 

He is the One marching to victory.

All the power, glory, honour and majesty belong to Him.

This is His judgement upon a Christ-rejecting world and the Father has committed all judgement unto Him.

 

He tells the seven angels that it is time... time to pour out the bowls of the wrath of God upon the earth.

 

☆ Revelation 16:2...

1 "And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the Beast, and upon them which worshipped his image."

 

The first angel came and poured out his bowl of God's wrath upon the earth.

 

All those people who had the mark of the Beast upon them and all those who worshipped his image there fell upon them injurious, harmful ulcerous sores. It is very likely to be something man has never seen before.

These putrifying sores are worse than leprosy or cancer.

 

This first bowl of wrath compares to the sixth plague in Egypt and is the same type of sore or "boil". ☆ Exodus 9:8-12...

 

☆ Revelation 16:3...

2 "And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea."

 

The second angel pours out his bowl of God's wrath upon the sea.

 

This plague is more severe than that of the second trumpet, where only one-third of the sea became blood. 

Here it is the total sea. I would imagine that this includes the oceans... blood being the token of death.

 

The sea is a reservoir of life.

Instead of the seas being a beautiful healthy aqua colour, teeming with life... they turned red as the blood of a dead man with every living thing... coral, seaweed, fish, crabs, crayfish, whales, krill, plankton etc all dying.

This in itself would produce upon the earth an unbearable deathly stench. 

The seas becoming a graveyard of death.

 

Commerce will become paralysed. 

 

The first plague in Egypt was the turning of the waters of the Nile River into blood. ☆ Exodus 7:20-25...

 

☆ Revelation 16:4-7...

3 "And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

And I heard the angel of the waters say, You are righteous, O Lord, which is, and was, and shall be, because You have judged so.

For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgements."

 

The third angel pours his bowl upon the rivers and fountains of waters.

This plague is similar to that of the third trumpet... but... more severe. Back then only a third of the fresh water was affected. Here the total water supply of the earth will be cut off.

This will be catastrophic for human life.

 

"The angel of the waters" is like the cabinet minister of God's water department here on earth. This interestingly reveals another ministry of angels as it affects creation!

We have seen four angels who control the winds.

 

This angel, who knows the whole story, now declares that God is right and Holy in this act of judgement.

 

Whatever God does is righteous and Holy. He is Sovereign.

God does not need to explain what He does, how He does it... or why He does it.

 

"They shed the blood of saints and prophets, and blood did You give them to drink..." 

 

This is poetic justice with a vengeance. 

These who are being judged had made martyrs of God's people, and now God is forcing them to drink blood for the righteous blood they spilled.

Like I said, poetic justice! 

 

"The altar saying..." evidently refers back to the saints under the altar who had been praying for justice to be done. 

☆  Revelation 6:9-11...

 

It is here... their prayer is answered.

 

☆ Revelation 16:8-9...

4 "And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 

And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which had power over these plagues: and they repented not to give Him glory." 

 

Angel number four pours his bowl of God's wrath upon the sun. Power was given to this angel to scorch men with fire.

The word "scorch" In the Greek is 'kaumatizo' which means to torture with intense heat.

And the earth dwellers were scorched with great heat... it will be a case of such extreme sunburn that nothing will alleviate the intense pain of burning skin.

 

In hard hearted defiance these people dared to blaspheme God Who had power over these plagues. 

And... instead of turning to God for mercy, they refused to repent of their ways. How sad and dumb is that.

 

☆ Revelation 16:10-11...

5 "And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the Beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain...

And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds."

 

The fifth angel poured out his vile vial upon the seat of the Beast.

The word "seat" in the Greek is 'thronos' which means throne. So this bowl of God's wrath is cast upon the Beast's throne... where he operates from... and upon his kingdom.

Remember it is Satan the prince of darkness who energises the Beast. He is the one who empowers and sets up the Beast in this world.

 

This Beast is a "king" with a kingdom. 

We are told in this verse that his kingdom was full of darkness. Some say this darkness is like a black light. 

 

It will be a frightening thing. 

As the sun's wattage is increased, it grows darker instead of lighter. The heat will be greater, but the light will be less. 

 

Note the similarity to the darkness of Egypt during the ninth plague.  ☆ Exodus 10:21-22...

 

The Old Testament prophets had a great deal to say about this coming darkness. 

 

Quoting just two of them...

 

☆ Isaiah  60:2...

"For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you."

 

☆ Joel 2:1-2...

"Blow you the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD comes, for it is nigh at hand; 

A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there has not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations."

 

"They chewed their tongues from their pain." 

Just think of the intensity of the suffering that is caused by these bowl judgements! This darkness will be like being in hell itself... where we know there will be much weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. 

And... the gnawing of tongues. 

Now that would be grossly painful!!

 

But even so... these plagues do not turn men from their wickedness.

We have the righteous judgement of God... and man continues to harden his heart, blaspheme God and refuses to repent.

 

☆ Revelation 16:12...

6 "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared."

 

The sixth angel pours out his bowl of wrath upon the great  Euphrates River. 

The result? The waters of this river dries up.

And the significance of this? That the kings of the east might have a clear pathway to the west. Interesting! 

 

The Euphrates is called the great river, just like the Mediterranean Sea is called the great sea.

The Euphrates is mentioned some 24 times in the Bible.

In this verse it is connected with the sixth plague.

 

It was prominent in the first state of man back in the beginning... and... it is featured in his last state in the Great Tribulation. 

It was the cradle of man's civilization and obviously will be the grave of man's civilization.

The Euphrates is the border between East and West. 

The Euphrates was the eastern border of the land God promised to Abraham...

 

☆ Genesis 15:18...

"In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates."

 

It also became the eastern border of the Roman Empire. 

 

The Euphrates will be miraculously dried up so that the kings of the east might come to the battle of Armageddon. 

After the Euphrates River is gone, the great hordes in the East that have never moved west will come in a great crusade to Palestine. 

The bulk of the population of the East have only had a small taste of the Gospel (communist stronghold)... they will choose Antichrist. 

 

Think about it... this prophetical scenario is frightening. 

 

Blood as deep as the horses' bridles?

 

                                        ********

 

Next we have an interlude between the 6th and 7th vial.

Time to fill in some details.

 

☆ Revelation 16:13-14...

"And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet."

For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty."

 

What John sees next must have made him look twice. 

 

He sees three unclean spirits... like frogs... come out of the mouths of the Dragon, the Beast and the false prophet. 

What we have here is the unholy trinity working together to carry out their nefarious plans.

 

These unclean spirits are diabolical demonic spirits that work miracles... miracles that go forth to the kings of the earth and of the whole world...

This diabolical threesome will use the media to brainwash the nations into marching against the tiny nation of Israel.

Anti-Semitic feelings will be running high worldwide.

 

These miracles are clever arguments used to convince these kings and to gather them to the battle of Armageddon (that great day of the Lord God Almighty.) These nations will march together against Israel in an attempt to destroy God's purposes on earth.

 

Bible commentators believe it will be triggered by the coming down of Russia from the north about the middle of the Tribulation. 

It will go on for some three and a half years... and conclude with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ where He saves Israel and sets up His Millennial kingdom on the earth. 

 

God is not finished with Israel as many conservative Christians think. They say the Church replaced Israel. No way! 

Have a careful read of ☆ Romans chapters 9, 10 and 11.

 

We need to remember that the Bible is a literal book. It is the purpose of Satan to destroy God's covenants with Israel, and that is the reason Satan moves in and brings the whole world against this little nation. This will happen during the Great Tribulation.

 

☆ Revelation 16:15...

"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."

 

"... I come as a thief... "

Refers to the fact that the Antichrist has been so successful with his propaganda that very few in the world of that time will actually be expecting Christ to return... if they will be expecting Him at all.

 

"Blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments..."

Points to those on Earth (Tribulation saints) who worship and serve the Lamb, and that they must be constantly vigilant lest their loyalty to Him be diverted through Satanic deception.

 

It could be paraphrased, "Don't lose your shirt. Be sure that you are clothed with the righteousness of Christ."

Not being clothed with the righteousness of Christ would be like walking around naked. 

 

Interesting statement really.

 

☆ Revelation 16:16...

"And He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon."

 

Interestingly, this is the only occurrence of the word "Armageddon" in the Scriptures, although there are many other references to it. 

It means "Mount of Megiddo."

It is a compound word made up of the Hebrew words 'Har,' meaning "mountain," and Megiddo, which is a mount in the plain of Esdraelon.

 

It has been a chosen place for encampment in every contest carried on in Palestine from the days of Nabuchodonozor king of Assyria, unto the disastrous march of Napolean Bonaparte from Egypt into Syria. 

Jews, Gentiles, Saracens, Christian crusaders, and anti-Christian Frenchmen; Egyptians, Persians, Druses, Turks, and Arabs, warriors of every nation that is under heaven, have pitched their tents on the plain of Esdraelon, and have beheld the banners of their nation wet with the dews of Tabor and Hermon.

 

"He gathered them together." 

The "HE" is possibly God Himself.

Although... Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet act as one to force the nations of the world to march against Israel, they nevertheless fulfill the purposes (Word) of God.

 

☆ Revelation 16:17-18...

7 "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, 'It is done.'

And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great."

 

Lastly we have the 7th angel pour out his bowl of God's wrath... this time into the air... the atmosphere. 

 

This is the last series of seven judgements before the coming of Christ, and this is the seventh and last of the last seven. In other words, we are right at the end of the Great Tribulation here. 

 

At this point the only One Who can deliver these people and set up a righteous Kingdom on earth and bring peace to the world is the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Let us keep our eyes on Christ through this.

He is the Judge now.

 

There's a "great voice out of the temple in heaven, from the throne" that cries out... "It is done!"

The pouring out of all 7 bowls of God's wrath upon the earth has been accomplished... 

 

I believe this "great voice" belongs to the Lamb (Jesus Christ) that was slain.

Similar words were spoken on the earth when the same Lamb of God (Jesus Christ) was crucified on the Cross of Calvary to purchase man's salvation.

His words then were... "It is finished!"

 

There are no more judgements ahead but the Great White Throne judgement.

 

Lightnings, voices, and thunders were the solemn announcement in the beginning of the Great Tribulation that judgment was impending. ☆ Revelation 4:5...

Now again, at the conclusion of the Tribulation are voices and thunders and lightnings.

God, Who is the First and the Last... has spoken. 

God says what He means and means what He says. 

 

"... and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth... "

Planet earth is hit with a catastrophic earthquake (great) of a magnitude never before recorded on the Richter scale and causes unprecedented damage worldwide. 

The earth dwellers won't know what has hit them... this is one "shaking" never to be forgotten.

 

In all this... the Church is not involved... because it has been Raptured.

The Church is in heaven.

 

God has two ways of saving people in the Great Tribulation Period...

first... by saving them out of it and taking them out of the world, as He took Enoch before the judgment of the Flood.

second... by saving them in it, as He preserved the life of Noah and his family during the Flood.

 

God will definitely save people during the days of the Great Tribulation, but the Church will not be a part of that, for it will have been taken from the earth before the Tribulation begins.

 

From Revelation chapter 4 onwards there has been absolutely no more mention of the Church.

 

☆ Revelation 16:19...

"And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath."

 

We now come to the close of the Great Tribulation Period.

 

Jerusalem the "great city" is split into three parts by the humongous earthquake. 

 

We are also told that... the cities of the nations fell. Even though the earthquake centred around Jerusalem... the massive shock waves radiated out.

This tells us something of the immense magnitude of the earthquake.

The damage is super extensive.

 

"Babylon" is mentioned specifically again. It was highlighted in chapter 14:8 which says... "And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." 

Chapters 17 and 18 will give us more details concerning Babylon.

 

"... and great Babylon came in remembrance before God..."

 

This corrupt city comes to God's remembrance... specifically for judgement!

God is about to unleash upon her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.

 

☆ Revelation 16:20...

"And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found."

 

The great earthquake of chapter 16:18 (the massive movement of earth's huge tectonic plates) caused the islands (fled away) and mountains to disappear (were not found).

 

☆ Revelation 16:21...

"And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great."

 

The final act of judgement is a massive hailstorm (great hail from heaven) upon mankind.

The size of the hailstones is enormous... "a talent in weight." 

The Greek talent was fifty-six pounds (25.5 kg) and the Jewish talent was one hundred fourteen pounds (52 kg).

 

God the Creator... uses creation over which He has complete control, for His final act of judgement on the earth... and the earth dwellers. 

 

According to the historian Josephus, the Roman catapults threw stones the weight of a talent, into Jerusalem in A.D. 70 when Titus leveled the city.

 

This incredibly extreme hailstorm ends the Great Tribulation Period.

 

Interesting side track: the weather today has in different parts of the world become increasingly extreme... extreme flooding, extreme winds (hurricanes, cyclones, tornadoes), extreme sized hail stones, extreme temperatures (super cold, extremely hot). 

New records have been set weatherwise. 

 

What God will cause to happen in the Great Tribulation is going to make current weather extremes... look rather piffly. 

 

This plague will be so great... so violent... so destructive that the angered people blasphemed God.

 

Selah!