Revelation Chapter 16 — The Seven Bowls of Wrath

Seven angels pour out seven bowls of divine wrath upon the earth, resulting in severe plagues, the drying of the Euphrates, and the gathering for the final battle at Armageddon.

Divine JudgmentJustice and RetributionHuman ObstinacyThe Final Conflict

1I 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!”

2The first went, and poured out his bowl into the earth, and it became a harmful and painful sore on the people who had the mark of the beast, and who worshiped his image.

3The 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.

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

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

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

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

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

9People 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.

10The fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was darkened. They gnawed their tongues because of the pain,

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

12The 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.*or, east

13I 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;

14for 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.

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.”

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

17The 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!”

18There 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.

19The 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.

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

21Great hailstones, about the weight of a talent,†A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds. came down out of the sky on people. People blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for this plague was exceedingly severe.

WEB Translation

Notable Verses

Revelation 16:7

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

This verse serves as a theological confirmation that the severe judgments being described are considered just and true.

Revelation 16:15

“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.”

This sudden parenthetical warning from Christ emphasizes the need for constant spiritual vigilance amidst global upheaval.

Revelation 16:17

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!”

This authoritative declaration signals the completion of the cycle of plagues and the arrival of the final judgment.

Chapter Summary

Revelation 16 details the final series of judgments as seven angels pour out bowls of God's wrath onto the earth. The first four bowls bring painful sores to those with the mark of the beast, turn the sea and freshwater into blood, and cause the sun to scorch humanity with fire. Despite these afflictions, those suffering refuse to repent and instead blaspheme God. The fifth bowl plunges the kingdom of the beast into darkness, while the sixth bowl dries up the Euphrates River to prepare the way for the kings from the east. This event also marks the appearance of three unclean spirits like frogs that gather the kings of the world for battle at Armageddon. Finally, the seventh bowl is poured into the air, triggering a unprecedented earthquake that divides 'the great city' and destroys the cities of the nations. Massive hailstones fall from the sky as the declaration 'It is done!' sounds from the heavenly throne.

Frequently Asked Questions

The seven bowls are a series of divine judgments poured out by seven angels. They include plagues of painful sores, the turning of all water into blood, intense heat from the sun, darkness over the beast's kingdom, the drying of the Euphrates, and a massive global earthquake.

According to verse 12, the drying of the Euphrates River is intended to prepare a way for the 'kings that come from the sunrise.' This event facilitates the gathering of nations for the final conflict described later in the chapter.

Revelation 16:16 identifies Harmagedon (Armageddon) as the location where the kings of the whole inhabited earth are gathered together for the war of the great day of God the Almighty. The text describes the gathering process led by three unclean spirits but does not detail the battle itself until later chapters.

The text repeatedly notes that despite the severity of the plagues, the people did not repent. Instead, they blasphemed the name of God and gnawed their tongues because of the intensity of their pain.

Study Note

The name 'Harmagedon' is derived from the Hebrew 'Har Megiddo,' referring to the Mount of Megiddo, a strategic valley in Israel famous for numerous historical battles.

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