Revelation 16

The Bowls of God’s Wrath

1 John hears a voice telling the 7 angels to pour out their bowls of wrath onto the earth.

2 First Bowl: Foul and painful sore for those who bear the mark of the beast and worship its image. Similar to the sixth plague on the Egyptians. “Into the earth” means “on the world of unregenerate men.” Revelation consistently distinguishes between earth-dwellers and heaven-bound people of God.

3 Second Bowl: Like the blood of a corpse; every living thing in the sea dies. After the second trumpet (chapter 8), only a third of the sea dies, as a warning of the wrath to come.

4-7 Third Bowl: Springs of water become blood, and John hears the angel of the water praise God for his just judgment. The altar responds in agreement. Similar to the first Egyptian plague and the third trumpet (8:10-11). Retribution for those who persecute Christians.

8-9 Fourth Bowl: Poured out on the sun, which scorches people with fire, yet they continue to curse God, still refuse to repent. Similar to the fourth trumpet (8:12). These first four bowls are similar to the first four trumpets in that they use symbols of the natural world: earth, sea, waters, and sun.

10-11 Fifth Bowl: Poured on the beast’s throne; its kingdom plunges into darkness, yet the people blame God and still do not repent. From Vision: “The ‘throne of the beast’ symbolizes whatever form of ‘man-power’ is aligned against God at a given time in history.”

12-16 Sixth Bowl: Poured out on the Euphrates, which dries up, enabling kings from the east to invade. Three foul frog-like creatures come from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophets, who go out to assemble an army against God – Harmagedon in Hebrew. (Blessed is one who stays awake.) God clears the way for a final conflict. Forces of evil are allowed to spread their propaganda, their lies. It is a symbolic battle of good versus evil. A literal interpretation would put three frogs in charge. From Hendriksen: Armageddon “is the symbol of every battle in which, when the need is greatest and believers are oppressed, the Lord suddenly reveals his power in the interest of his distressed people and defeats the enemy. (Verse 15 is the third of seven beatitudes in Revelation. The others are in 1:3; 14:13; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7; and 22:14.)

17-21 Seventh Bowl: Poured into the air, followed by a voice declaring that it is done, followed by lightning, thunder. and earthquakes that tear the earth apart. Cities fall, islands flee, mountains sink, and 100-pound hailstones fall on the people, who curse God. A vivid portrayal of the terrors of the judgment of God.