Revelation 16WEB
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Revelation16

World English Bible · Public Domain

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.

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, came down out of the sky on people. People blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for this plague was exceedingly severe.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Revelation 16.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The first vial is poured out on the earth, the second on the sea, the third on the rivers and fountains. (1–7). The fourth on the sun, the fifth on the seat of the beast. (8–11). The sixth on the great river Euphrates. (12–16). And the seventh on the air, when shall follow the destruction of all antichristian enemies. (17–21).

vv1-7

We are to pray that the will of God may be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Here is a succession of terrible judgments of Providence; and there seems to be an allusion to several of the plagues of Egypt. The sins were alike, and so were the punishments. The vials refer to the seven trumpets, which represented the rise of antichrist; and the fall of the enemies of the church shall bear some resemblance to their rise. All things throughout their earth, their air, their sea, their rivers, their cities, all are condemned to ruin, all accursed for the wickedness of that people. No wonder that angels, who witness or execute the Divine vengeance on the obstinate haters of God, of Christ, and of holiness, praise his justice and truth; and adore his awful judgments, when he brings upon cruel persecutors the tortures they made his saints and prophets suffer.

vv8-11

The heart of man is so desperately wicked, that the most severe miseries never will bring any to repent, without the special grace of God. Hell itself is filled with blasphemies; and those are ignorant of the history of human nature, of the Bible, and of their own hearts, who do not know that the more men suffer, and the more plainly they see the hand of God in their sufferings, the more furiously they often rage against him. Let sinners now seek repentance from Christ, and the grace of the Holy Spirit, or they will have the anguish and horror of an unhumbled, impenitent, and desperate heart; thus adding to their guilt and misery through all eternity. Darkness is opposed to wisdom and knowledge, and forebodes the confusion and folly of the idolaters and followers of the beast. It is opposed to pleasure and joy, and signifies anguish and vexation of spirit.

vv12-16

This probably shows the destruction of the Turkish power, and of idolatry, and that a way will be made for the return of the Jews. Or, take it for Rome, as mystical Babylon, the name of Babylon being put for Rome, which was meant, but was not then to be directly named. When Rome is destroyed, her river and merchandise must suffer with her. And perhaps a way will be opened for the eastern nations to come into the church of Christ. The great dragon will collect all his forces, to make one desperate struggle before all be lost. God warns of this great trial, to engage his people to prepare for it. These will be times of great temptation; therefore Christ, by his apostle, calls on his professed servants to expect his sudden coming, and to watch that they might not be put to shame, as apostates or hypocrites. However Christians differ, as to their views of the times and seasons of events yet to be brought to pass, on this one point all are agreed, Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, will suddenly come again to judge the world. To those living near to Christ, it is an object of joyful hope and expectation, and delay is not desired by them.

Cross References

Revelation 16
v2Exodus 9:8-11typology

The first vial (noisome, grievous sores) typologically echoes the sixth Egyptian plague of boils and blains.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

Sores fall specifically on those with the mark of the beast, established in Chapter 13.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v3Exodus 7:17-21typology

The sea turning to the blood of a dead man mirrors the Nile turning to blood.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v5Revelation 19:2thematic

Praises God for His true and righteous judgments in avenging the blood of His servants.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v10Exodus 10:21-23typology

The fifth vial brings darkness on the seat of the beast, echoing the Egyptian plague of darkness.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

v1Revelation 8:5thematic

Angels casting fire/pouring vials from the heavenly altar, initiating judgments on the earth.

Supported by JFB

v5Revelation 1:4allusion

The divine title 'which art, and wast' is modified here because He has now come.

Supported by JFB

v6Isaiah 49:26allusion

The graphic judgment of giving blood to drink is a clear echo of Isaiah's language.

Supported by JFB

v9Revelation 9:20thematic

A direct parallel where men suffer severe plagues yet refuse to repent or give God glory.

Supported by JFB

The seat/throne of the beast was given to him by the dragon, now targeted by God.

Supported by JFB

v141 Kings 22:19-23typology

Unclean spirits like frogs acting as lying spirits to gather kings matches Micaiah's vision.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v15Revelation 3:3allusion

Verbal echo of Christ coming 'as a thief' and the command to watch and keep garments.

Supported by Matthew Henry

Omits 'shalt be' because God is now actively executing His final, consummating judgments.

Supported by JFB

v7Revelation 6:9thematic

The altar speaks, representing the prayers and blood of the martyrs under the altar.

Supported by JFB

v12Revelation 17:15thematic

Drying the waters of the Euphrates parallels the drying up of the beast's supportive populations.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v13Exodus 8:2-7allusion

The unclean spirits appear as frogs, directly evoking the second plague of Egypt.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v14Revelation 19:19thematic

The kings gathered by demonic spirits actually meet their end in the battle of Chapter 19.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v16Judges 5:19allusion

Armageddon refers to the Waters of Megiddo, historical site of battle and divine victory.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v19Jeremiah 25:15typology

The cup of the wine of the fierceness of God's wrath echoes Jeremiah's cup of fury.

Supported by Matthew Henry

The seven angels with the seven vials emerge directly from the opened heavenly temple.

Supported by Matthew Henry