Revelation
Chapter 16
Overview
Revelation 16 continues John’s symbolic vision of God’s judgment on a world aligned with the beast, a brutal power opposed to God. Seven angels pour out seven bowls, each releasing a disaster. The scenes echo ancient plagues: water becomes blood, darkness covers a kingdom, and rulers gather for war. Between the disasters, voices insist that the judgments answer real violence, while the suffering people stubbornly refuse to change. The chapter moves like a storm toward one final declaration, with a sudden warning from Jesus to stay alert before the last bowl is emptied.
1Then I heard a loud voice from the temple say to the seven angels, “Go and pour the seven bowls of God’s fury onto the earth.”
2The first angel went and poured his bowl onto the land. Painful, harmful sores broke out on the people who had the beast’s mark and worshiped its image.
3The second angel poured his bowl into the sea. The sea became like the blood of a dead person, and every living creature in it died.
4The third angel poured his bowl into the rivers and springs, and they became blood.
5Then I heard the angel responsible for the waters say, “You are just in passing these judgments. You are the one who is and who was, the Holy One.
6They poured out the blood of your holy people and of the prophets who spoke for you, so you have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.”
7Then I heard the altar say, “Yes, Lord God, ruler over all, your judgments are true and just.”
8The fourth angel poured his bowl onto the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire.
9The people were burned by intense heat. They cursed the name of God, who had authority over these disasters, but they did not turn back and honor him.
10The fifth angel poured his bowl onto the beast’s throne. Its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and people bit their tongues because of the pain.
11They cursed the God of heaven because of their pain and sores, but they did not turn away from what they had done.
12The sixth angel poured his bowl onto the great Euphrates River. Its water dried up, preparing a road for the kings coming from the east.
13Then I saw three foul spirits that looked like frogs. One came from the dragon’s mouth, one from the beast’s mouth, and one from the false prophet’s mouth.
14They are demonic spirits that perform miraculous signs. They go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them for battle on the great day of God, the ruler over all.
15Jesus interrupts with this warning: “Look, I am coming unexpectedly, like a thief. How fortunate is the person who stays awake and keeps their clothes on, so they will not walk around naked and have others see their shame.”
16The spirits gathered the kings at the place called Armageddon in Hebrew.
17The seventh angel poured his bowl into the air. A loud voice came from the throne in the temple and declared, “It is done!”
18Lightning flashed, voices sounded, thunder crashed, and a tremendous earthquake struck. No earthquake this powerful had occurred since human beings first lived on the earth.
19The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God called great Babylon to account and made her drink the wine cup of his furious anger.
20Every island vanished, and no mountains could be found.
21Enormous hailstones, each weighing about seventy-five pounds, fell from the sky onto the people. They cursed God because of the disaster caused by the hail, for it was extremely severe.