The Book of Revelation
Chapter Sixteen
Preface
This chapter contains the chronological sequence of God’s remaining judgments upon earth during the Tribulation Period. “Chronological” because they occur during the last half of this period, otherwise known as the Great Tribulation, which is referred to by Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:21. How is this concluded? This determination is made from verse 2 where it is found that the image of the beast is mentioned as existing, and best judgment places the establishment of this image at the mid-point of the Tribulation as seen in chapter 13. “Sequential” because each bowl-judgment takes place in turn. What is not known is how long each of the judgments last, but it appears that they may last the entire three and a half years of the “Great Tribulation,” up until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in power and glory.
Some of these judgments are not new to the earth. An examination of Exodus 7-10 reminds us that God exacted some of them on Egypt in the release of the Israelites from their bondage. Yet these judgments during the Great Tribulation will be on a much larger and dreadful scale.
It should also be noted that even as God exempted His chosen people from the judgments when delivering them from Egypt, He will also exempt His children (believers in Christ) from His first bowl-judgment in the Great Tribulation. This writer furthermore believes that since “believers are not appointed unto wrath,” God will virtually shield them from many of the direct results of His other bowl-judgments during this time. Admittedly, this is a supposition on the part of this writer-but it is a supposition that is supported by the concepts of “grace” and “mercy.” Yet God, in accordance with His plan, will allow a great multitude of believers to be martyred by Satan and his kingdom, so that they may be rewarded a special “martyr’s crown.”
Finally, these judgments are literal. They are not symbolic or allegorical. To attempt to make them such is not honest, exegetical or exalting to God’s Word.
Revelation 16:1, 2
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." The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.
The identity of the person who produces the loud voice from the temple is unknown. More than likely it is the voice of God the Father or God the Son. On the other hand, the command may have been delegated to a high-order angel, since the command was not “Go, pour out the seven bowls of My wrath on the earth.”
The first bowl-judgment causes “ugly and painful” sores to break out on people who have the mark of the beast and worship his image. Septuagint translators of the Old Testament used the same Greek word for boils associated with the Egyptian plagues as is used in this context for “sores.” Therefore, this is a judgment of very painful and nasty boils. The good news for the believer is that these boils only happen to those who have taken the mark of the beast and who worship his image. Unlike the boils during the Egyptian plagues, they only occur on people-not animals.
Revelation 16:3-7
The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: "you are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve." And I heard the altar respond: "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments."
The second and third bowl-judgments correspond to a similar judgment during the salvation of the Israelites from Egypt and also to the second trumpet-judgment, but on a much larger scale. The second judgment turns all the earth’s oceans to blood “like that of a dead man.” This causes every living thing in these oceans to die. No elaboration need be made as to the horrendous odor that then proceeds from all the deceased sea creatures, or the resulting disease that most likely spreads throughout the world. The third judgment does the same, but this time to all the rivers and springs of water on the earth. At this time during the Great Tribulation, apparently there will only be “blood” to quench man’s thirst.
Then the angel who is “in charge of the waters” speaks up. It may be concluded from this that God places angelic beings in charge of many of nature’s treasures. The angel declares that God is just to give blood “for drink” to all of those who deserve it. Why do they deserve it? They warrant such action because they have shed the blood of God’s saints. Does this mean that any believers left during the second half of the Tribulation Period (Great Tribulation) will only have blood to drink? Probably not. There is no reason that God cannot supply those believers who remain during this time, and who, up to this point, have evaded the hand of Satan, a daily ration of pure, clean water-just as He supplied water and manna to the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness. And from the altar the affirmation comes that God is true and just in his judgments.
Revelation 16:8, 9
The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. 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.
Next comes God’s fourth bowl-judgment, which is the intensification of the sun’s rays on mankind. The radiation from the sun becomes so forceful that it scorches (burns) the skin of earth’s occupants. This scorching heat is directed at those who are lost, because it clearly says that they refuse to repent (turn from their sin and works and turn in faith to Jesus Christ) and glorify God. One can only imagine that during this time of such severe radiation that God creates an air-conditioned environment around those who have willingly accepted by faith alone the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
Revelation 16:10, 11
The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
The fifth bowl-judgment is poured out directly on the “throne of the beast” and on “his kingdom,” which at this time is the remainder of the world. It plunges the entire world into utter darkness. The darkness is so thick and deep that men and women will not even be able to see anything held up to within centimeters of their eyes. It will be as if they are totally blind. Because of the effects of the blood in all the rivers, streams and oceans, electricity may be non-existent during this time of darkness. The darkness will have the effect of causing great pain and agony among earth inhabitants during this time; that is, with the exception of any believers who remain. It is supposition that God will grant light unto believers that unbelievers will not be able to detect, but it is supposition based on an analysis of the wording surrounding all previous bowl-judgments. Even in these verses it states that those who are in agony over the darkness continue to refuse to repent. This description of the recipients of this darkness cannot apply to believers.
Revelation 16:12
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.
The sixth bowl-judgment dries up the Euphrates River in order to prepare the way for the “kings from the East.” The Euphrates River is approximately eighteen hundred miles long and is a most prominent river in the Bible. It is first mentioned in Genesis and is designated over twenty-five times in the Scriptures. Since the dawn of history it has served as a natural barrier between the East and the West. It is the eastern border of the land that God gave to Abraham (Genesis 15:18), and, much later, it served as the eastern border of the Roman Empire. To those west of it, the nations east of it have remained in continual “darkness,” all the while their numbers have been rapidly increasing. This natural barrier will be eliminated (dried up) in preparation for the final battle that will take place at the Second Coming of Christ.
A literal rendering of the “kings from the East” is “kings from the sun-rising,” a reference to the kings (governments) of the Orient. This is a massive Oriental confederacy that eventually will cross the Euphrates and align itself with other forces of the Antichrist against Jesus Christ.
For many years China and other eastern states have been proliferating in number and increasing in military power. Their numbers are now between one and two billion people. It is now believed that China alone can field an army of two hundred million troops. With China’s Communist-inspired obsession to take over all of Asia, along with the means now to do so, may well be a clear indication that the “last days” are upon us.
Revelation 16:13, 14
Then I saw three evil 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. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous 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.
Between the sixth and seventh bowl-judgments, there is a brief interlude-a break for the filling in of details. Here again appears Satan’s copycat “Trinity of Hell”-the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. From out of their mouths come three “evil spirits” that appear to John as “frogs.” The term “frog” is a reference to “unclean.” These are three unclean and very evil demon spirits who are empowered with miraculous powers. They will go out to all the earth, to every government, and will perform their supernatural demonstrations in order to convince these governments that they will be victorious if they will only align themselves with the Antichrist and march against God and His people. Why are they necessary? They are necessary to uplift the spirits of all those who have become disheartened by the judgments of God. They will need to know that they will win any battle that the Antichrist leads. As they see all the miraculous signs and deeds performed by the three unclean demon spirits, their hearts will harden against God even more as they swear their allegiance to the Antichrist and prepare for battle.
This “battle,” which is probably better understood as a “war,” is likely to be a series of battles. But they will culminate in one final, all-encompassing conflict between the forces of evil and Jesus Christ.
Revelation 16:15
"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."
In this verse God reminds all readers that he will come “like a thief,” i.e., suddenly and without expectation. The wicked of the earth during the Great Tribulation will be totally surprised by the Second Coming of Christ. After being brainwashed by the three evil demon-spirits and “in their mind” assured of a final victory over God and His people, they will be caught totally unaware by Christ as He descends in His power and glory. But those who have been saved, i.e., those that are awake and clothed in the white robes of the righteousness of Christ, will be blessed. Believers will not be found “naked and shamefully exposed.”
Revelation 16:16
Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
Although the KJV Bible states “he gathered,” the NIV version has it as “they gathered.” In either case it is Satan that gathers the kings (and their armies) together at Armageddon. “They” may refer to the “Trinity from Hell” or the three demon-spirits that went forth out of the mouths of this trinity. In either case, both methods of expression refer to Satan.
The only occurrence of the word “Armageddon” in Scripture is found in this verse; although, it is referred to in many scriptural passages throughout the Bible. 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. This designates one of the most fertile valleys in the world today. The Complete Word Study Dictionary-New Testament, General Editor being Spiros Zodhiates, says this about it.
“…a place famous in the history of the OT for destruction and slaughter (Judg. 5:19; 2 Kgs. 9:27; 2 Chr. 35:22) and pertaining to the tribe of Manasseh. Here Israel was victorious over the kings of Canaan, which might be taken as typical of the triumph of God and His kingdom over hostile world powers. The defeat and death of Saul and Jonathan at the eastern extremity of the plain of Megiddo (1 Sam. 31:1ff.); the disastrous struggle of Josiah on the same field against Pharaoh Necho (2 Kgs. 23:29; 2 Chr. 35:22), and Zechariah’s reference to the “mourning of Hedadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon” (Zech. 12:11), suggest a great day of overthrow and destruction. Ezekiel prophesies the destruction of Gog and Magog in this area (Ezek. 38:8, 21; 39:2, 4, 17). It is there that the overthrow of Satan and his hosts takes place according to Rev. 20:8.”
Revelation 16:17-21
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!" Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. 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. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.
Upon the outpouring of the last (seventh) bowl-judgment “into the air,” a loud voice comes thundering from the temple saying, “It is done!” What is done? The last judgment to take place on the earth during the Tribulation Period is “what is done.” Then a mighty upheaval on earth takes place. There come flashes of lightning, rumblings, loud and clanging thunder and a “severe earthquake.” And this earthquake is, to use a trite phrase, the “mother of all earthquakes.” It affects the entire earth. The City of Babylon suffers the fury of God’s wrath as it is split into three sections. All other cities on earth completely collapse. All earth’s islands also collapse into their surrounding waters and hailstones weighing over 100 pounds fall upon earth’s occupants.
And after all of this, i.e., the seal-judgments, the trumpet-judgments and the bowl-judgments, man still refuses to repent and turn to Christ. Instead, he continues to curse God.
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