Revelation 16

“The Seven Bowls

of Wrath”

Chapter 16

Revelation

By: Michael Fronczak

Bible Study Resource Center

564 Schaeffer Drive

Coldwater, Michigan 49036

mikefronczak@gmail.com

Copyright © 2005, 2007

Revelation 16 Bowls on the Kingdom of the Beast

In order to keep the chronological sequence and order of the Tribulation events in mind, here is a review several points about the seven seals, trumpets, and the seven bowls, which together make up the Tribulation judgments:

(1) Since there are no judgments described with the opening of the seventh seal as with the previous six, and since the seven trumpets judgment follow immediately (8:1‑6), it seems evident that the seventh seal consists of the seven trumpets.

(2) The seventh and final trumpet judgment (11:15‑19) does not describe one specific judgment as with the other six trumpets, but signifies that whole part of the Tribulation program of God’s wrath that will, at the end, bring in the kingdom through the return of Christ. However, it will also cause great anger and rebellion on the part of the unbelieving world. Only the results of the seventh trumpet are described in Revelation 11:15‑19. The judgments themselves, which make up the seventh trumpet and which accomplish the victory described in 11:15-19 are the seven bowl judgments called the seven plagues, the last ones (15:1‑16:21). The seven bowls are the seventh trumpet and spell out what the seventh trumpet consists of by way of its judgments.

(3) Chapters 12‑14 were parenthetic with chapter 15 being introductory to chapter 16 which now takes us to the specific judgments of the seventh trumpet.

(4) There is a great deal of similarity in the judgments of the trumpets and bowls. In both, the first series deals with the earth (cf. 8:7 with 16:2), the second series deals with the sea (cf. 8:8‑9 with 16:3), the third series deals with the rivers and fountains of water (cf. 8:10‑11 with 16:4), the fourth series deals with the sun (cf. 8:12 with 16:8), the fifth series deals with darkness (cf. 8:12 with 16:10), the sixth series deals with the Euphrates (cf. 9:13‑14 with 16:12), and the seventh series deals with lightnings, thunders, and earthquakes (cf. 11:19b with 16:17‑21).

(5) However, a careful study of these two sections will reveal some striking differences: (a) The first four trumpets deal with only one-third of the earth while the bowl judgments are universal in scope. (b) The bowls are also much greater in intensity as well as in degree of coverage and effect. (c) They fall quickly as a liquid poured out of a bowl and in rapid succession—like trip hammer blows. It is best, therefore, to see the bowls as different from the trumpets judgments. It seems too that the vial judgments occur in quick succession, aimed especially at the Beast and his satanic kingdom. These afflictions prepare the way for Armageddon and the return of Christ to earth to claim His kingdom.

(6) These last seven judgments cause the further hardening of the hearts of men. Remember they are called plagues and have much the same result on the world as the plagues of Egypt had on Pharaoh. These plagues will show: (a) The total rebellion and independence of the creature to his Creator. Because of the callousness and hardening built up in the hearts of men, these judgments will result in anger and blasphemy from the heart and mouths of men rather than fear and reverence and trust. They are hardening plagues which God uses to His own glory (cf. vss. 9, 11, 21). (b) But these plagues (bowl judgments) will crush man’s rebellion and remove the rebellious from the earth. The completion of this will be accomplished by the return of Christ with His armies (Ezek. 20:38; Joel 3:2‑17; Matt. 13:40‑43; Rev. 19:11‑21).

The devastating judgments resume as seven final plagues are launched (15:1), while victorious saints in heaven praise God for His deeds (vv. 2-5). Seven angels emerge from the heavenly temple bearing bowls “filled with the wrath of God” (vv. 6-8), to be directed against those who bear the mark of the beast (16:1-2). Painful sores break out on humans and earth’s seas and waters are turned to blood (vv. 3-4), as an angel proclaims the justice of these judgments (vv. 5-7).

The judgments then continue. The sun swells and intense heat scorches the earth (vv. 8-9). All becomes dark, and men twist in agony but continue to curse God (vv. 10-11). Then the waters of the Euphrates dry up, and a vast army is recruited by demonic beings for a last great battle against God at Armageddon (vv. 12-16). When the final bowl is emptied earth itself is shattered: great fissures open, cities crumble and mountains fall as huge hailstones pummel the broken land. Yet the remainder of humankind continues to curse God (vv. 17-21).

This world in which we are living is under the judgment of God. It is hard for even believers to accept that fact. After almost a century of insipid preaching from America’s pulpits, the average man believes that God is all sweetness and light and would not discipline or punish anyone. Well, this Book of Revelation tells a different story!

Chuck Smith: In the fifteenth chapter of the book of Revelation, we had sort of the introduction to chapter sixteen, as we saw the seven angels in heaven who are given the seven final plagues which complete the judgment of God upon the earth. And these seven angels came out of the temple and they were clothed in pure white linen. And one of the cherubim gave to the angels these vials of wrath to pour out upon the earth. And the temple of God was filled with the smoke from the glory of God and it was closed now to man. No man was able to enter in during the time that these seven plagues are being poured out upon the earth.

Revelation 16:1

And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

And so that awesome command is now given from the temple of God, and these angels are dispatched with the seven final plagues, with which God will smite the earth prior to the sending of His Son to take dominion and control and to rule over the earth.

The vials contain the rest of the wrath of God, which began in the 6th seal (Rev. 6:12-17) continuing in the 7 trumpets of the first 3 1/2 years of Daniel's 70th week. These vial judgments happen during the last 3 1/2 years of the week and are completed at the time of the second coming. Such plagues are predicted upon Israel's enemies in the last days (Deut. 30:1-10; Isaiah 51:23).

[great voice] seems to be the voice of God or Christ, since no one else is allowed to enter the sanctuary until the bowl judgments are over. The Greek word order also seems to emphasize the power and authority of the voice.

Our English translations somewhat obscure an important emphasis of this chapter because of the various ways they have translated the Greek word megas G3173. Megas means “large, great, huge, or loud,” depending on what it modifies. The NASB, for instance, translates megas with “loud,” “fierce,” “great,” and “huge,” all good translations, but the English reader might not notice the repetition whereas the Greek reader will more readily notice the repetition of this adjective. This emphasizes the intensity or unprecedented nature of what will begin to take place on earth at this point in the Tribulation. Megas is used eleven times in this chapter in connection with its events: a great voice (vss. 1 and 17), a great heat (vs. 9), the great river Euphrates (vs. 12), the great day of God Almighty (vs. 14), “a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake…” (vs. 18), the great city, Babylon (vs. 19), and great hailstones (vs. 21).

This really shows the scale and intensity.

And so that awesome command is now given from the temple of God, and these angels are dispatched with the seven final plagues, with which God will smite the earth prior to the sending of His Son to take dominion and control and to rule over the earth.

Van Impe: The voice of Almighty God issues forth from the smoke-filled Temple, directing the angels to carry out their duties. Remember, God himself is sending forth these judgments. His holiness has been offended. Mankind has worshipped a man-the Antichrist, the devil in human skin-even bowing to his image, the abomination of desolation (Matthew 24:15). The true and eternal God is justly angry. He cannot allow this iniquity to go unjudged.

In Isaiah 42:8 Jehovah says, I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Again, in Exodus 20:4-6: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Because mankind, en masse, has grossly violated this commandment during the Tribulation period, the promised judgment must begin.

First Bowl

Revelation 16:2

And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

[noisome] kakos, (G2556) kak-os'; apparently a primary word; worthless (intrinsically such; May also be translated “Loathsome” both mean “evil, injurious” and refers to what brings about a crippling effect.

[grievous] poneros (G4190) properly refers to effects), i.e. (subject) depraved, or (object) injurious :- bad, evil, harm, ill, noisome, wicked. This stresses the effect, degree, and intensity.

[sore] helkos (G1668), ulcer on Beast-worshippers (6th plague, Ex 9:8-11);

Sores = typically outward sign of inward corruption (cf. Mt 23:27, 28).

Used here; Rev. 16:11; Luke 16:21. What kind of ulcers is not fully described, but they are characterized as "grievous" (Greek: poneros (G4190), evil, wicked). This is the word used in the Greek Septuagint to translate the Hebrew word for boils inflicted on the Egyptians in Exodus 9:9-11.

This passage reminds us of the sixth plague of Egypt (Ex. 9:9), when boils broke out on the Egyptians. The word “noisome” (v. 2) comes from an Old English word (similar to “annoy”) that means “troublesome, vexing.” God promised to send Israel this plague if they rebelled against Him (Deut. 28:27, 35); and no doubt the unbelieving Jews will suffer along with the unbelieving Gentiles. Note that these sores still trouble the world when the fifth vial is poured out (v. 11). The affliction did not soften their hearts; men

still blasphemed God and refused to bow before Him.

(Deut 28:27) The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. (unfulfilled prophecy)

(Duet 28:35) The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head. (unfulfilled prophecy)

Job’s “boils” (Job 2:7) were probably leprous or cancerous, ulcerated sores as well. They not only itched and hurt, but also smelled terrible; they darkened his skin and so disfigured him that his friends hardly recognized him (Job 2:8, 12; 7:5; 17:1; 30:30).

Some interpreters wish to treat these plagues as speaking of moral corruption, but the results and pain show the sores are literal and very real.

This judgments delineates two essential points:

1. The time – when Antichrist is worshiped. Further confirmation that the three judgments are sequential, not concurrent, as some Bible teachers suggest.

2. The recipients – the beast worshipers. The selection from among the peoples on the earth is clearly seen in this passage. This indicates that God in His marvelous grace will not bring judgment on believers during this latter half of the Tribulation.

From Revelation 13:8 it is quite apparent that only a small fraction of the world will resist the beast, refuse to take his image, and believe in Jesus Christ. But those who do are now the only ones who escape this judgment and the judgments which follow. The warning of 14:9‑11 against worshipping the beast and which anticipates his ultimate doom and that of his system is here confirmed in this preliminary judgment. Note that the beast is unable to help or heal the sore. This is the word used in the Greek Septuagint to translate the Hebrew word for boils inflicted on the Egyptians in Exodus 9:9-11.

We remember when God poured out His plagues upon the Egyptians that God made a difference at that time, and that the judgments fell upon the Egyptians, but God protected the Israelites from those judgments. Though there was darkness over all the land of Egypt, there was light in the camp of Israel. And God made provisions to protect His people. He had them put the blood upon the lentils and the doorposts of their house so that they would not be grieved with the loss of the firstborn, as were the Egyptians when the Lord past through Egypt that night and killed the firstborn of the whole land. God was making the difference between those that were His and those that are not His.

Chuck Smith: It would seem that God now makes a distinction that this noisome, which literally is a running sore, an ulcer type of a sore that doesn't heal, much like one gets from radiation burns, that God makes a distinction between who that are faithful to Him and those who have worshipped the beast and taken his mark. For the fact that it comes upon those, which have the mark and those that worship his image, does seem that God is now making a difference.

We remember when God poured out His plagues upon the Egyptians that God made a difference at that time, and that the judgments fell upon the Egyptians, but God protected the Israelites from those judgments. Though there was darkness over all the land of Egypt, there was light in the camp of Israel. And God made provisions to protect His people. He had them put the blood upon the lentils and the doorposts of their house so that they would not be grieved with the loss of the firstborn, as were the Egyptians when the Lord past through Egypt that night and killed the firstborn of the whole land. God was making the difference between those that were His and those that are not His.

And such is the case as this first angel pours out his vial and men break out with these horrible sores.

Van Impe: What a scene, as the first bowl is poured out and men become covered with ulcerated sores! They had the mark of the beast (666), and now they have the mark of God-ulcers. These festering infections probably obscure the beast’s number.

Can this verse be taken literally? The plague is similar to one of past history: And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains [ulcerated sores] upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians (Exodus 9:8-1 1). What a terrible price men pay for not believing God!

Second Bowl

Revelation 16:3

And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

Notice that the first angel touches the earth and the second now touches the sea.

[living soul] Living soul is the same phraseology translated “living creature” in Genesis 1:21, 24. It is individuality and physical life. “Soul” in this verse is therefore used in that Old Testament sense, not in a theological sense.

[Blood] haima, (G129) hah'ee-mah; of uncertain derivative; blood, literal (of men or animals), figurative (the juice of grapes) or special (the atoning blood of Christ); by implication bloodshed, also kindred :- blood. Literal blood? (Ps 105:29; Lev 17:11), cf. first plague (Ex 7:20-25). Compare to the “Red Tide,” occasionally observed from excessive growth of microorganisms. All sea life in the region dies.

Also, cf. Exxon Valdez spill, Persian Gulf spills unleashed by Iraqis in 1991, Red Tides et al, help us to visualize this type of plague.

The Greek text here is very graphic. Literally it reads, “And it (sea) became blood as of a dead man,” i.e., like a dead man wallowing in his own blood. Every living thing (sea creature) in the sea will die. Some would try to limit this to the Mediterranean Sea. However, these judgments are global and the same word thalassa would be used whether it was one sea or all the water masses.

The second angel turns the sea to blood, and the third vial turns the fountains and rivers to blood in the next verse. Again, we are reminded of the first plague of Egypt (Ex. 7:18; Ps. 105:29), as well as the second trumpet (8:8ff). However, during the trumpet judgment, only a third of the sea became blood; here we see the entire water system of the world polluted! The angel of the waters (see 7:1–2 and 14:18) praises God for this judgment and explains that it is a fair one. The people of the earth have shed blood, so they must drink blood. We see this law operating throughout the Bible. Pharaoh drowned Hebrew boys, so his army was drowned in the Red Sea. In the Book of Esther, Haman built a gallows to hang Mordecai, and Haman and his sons were hanged on it instead!

Chuck Smith: Just how God is to accomplish this is a matter of speculation. And as we study some of the natural phenomena of the past, we realize that there are many ways by which these things could happen.

Immanuel Velikovsky's book, "Worlds In Collision", a book whereby his premise that he seeks to prove is that the planet Venus was introduced into our solar system within the last ten thousand years, within the period of recorded history. And according to his premise, the plagues that came upon Egypt were a result of a near miss with the planet Venus, as it was coming in an erratic orbit into the solar system. And it passed close by the earth, and that the earth was moved from its orbit that it had at that time.

You see, they used to predicate time on a three hundred and sixty-day year, and then suddenly we started moving from three hundred and sixty-five and a quarter, for we realized that that is how much time it takes for us to make our orbit around the sun. But it is his premise that this three hundred and sixty-day year was a correct year. Of course, if you figured on a three hundred and sixty-day year within five years, all of your seasons would be totally fouled up. In every twenty years or so, you would be completely off in your seasons. So, the three hundred and sixty-day year must have been an accurate calculation. But the three hundred and sixty-five and a quarter, he does believe that the earth used to rotate in the opposite direction of the present rotation.

There are a lot of interesting things that he presents in that book which challenges your thinking, but he does feel that the near miss caused a tremendous amount of debris to be brought into our atmosphere. And that as it disintegrated into our atmosphere, as the meteorites do, they turned into a red dust that fell over all the earth. And as it fell into the waters, it turned them to a bloody red, as the waters of Egypt were turned to a bloody red and made undrinkable.

Interesting premise. It is also interesting that one of the concerns that the scientists have today is that of a large asteroid, perhaps getting caught in its orbit within the earth's gravitational pull and being drawn to the earth, and the tremendous devastation that would come if we were to have a collision with an asteroid that was, say, five miles or more in diameter. And presently they are watching an asteroid whose orbit is bringing it, as far as the astronomical calculations go, it is going to bring it into a fairly close orbit. It is about a seventy-five mile wide asteroid, which would do tremendous devastation to the earth, should we collide with such an asteroid.

There are several thousand asteroids in the solar system, most of them around the planet Jupiter. There is that asteroid belt there. And they have calculated the orbits of many of these asteroids. Some two thousand of them have an orbit that at some time is apt to interact with the earth. So, the chances of asteroids hitting the earth are three in a million every year.

There have been in the past asteroids that have collided with the earth. The crater that is out there near Windslow, Arizona that is three miles in diameter, they feel that that was probably an asteroid. And they also feel that an asteroid of that size impacting the earth is enough to tilt the earth or push the earth. In other words, if it hit at the right angle, it would flip the earth.

And there is a lot of speculation now that the physicists who believe that an asteroid, such as the one that hit in the desert in Arizona there, would have been capable of pushing the earth. So that suddenly, say we were living here in this pleasant Southern California climate, but if the asteroid would hit the earth at the right angle, it could suddenly push us under the Arctic mass of air in just a minute's time. We would be under this arctic air and everything in a moment would be flash frozen. Instead of sitting in this balmy weather of fifty degrees or so, which it will go down to tonight, we would suddenly be in fifty-degree below zero weather and everything would just be frozen.

And they believe that's perhaps what has happened in the past and that explains the Mammoths that are frozen in Siberia, who evidently at the time that this catastrophe took place were munching on tropical vegetation. For they in cutting their stomachs open, they found tropical vegetation in their digestive tracks, but suddenly they were frozen in place. And they feel that perhaps an asteroid hit and pushed the earth so that it twisted and an area that was once tropical was suddenly pushed under the mass of Arctic air and frozen in place. So, the change was not a gradual change, but sudden and catastrophic.

And so by what means, God is going to bring to pass these judgments is left to speculation, what kind of phenomena, whether it be an asteroid or what, is something that we do not know. Of course, our scientists are so concerned about this that our government and Russia are spending millions of dollars in the research of this program. They are putting up a new telescope on Kit Mountain near Tucson, and its purpose will be just to track the asteroids and to alert the world of the dangers. And there is talk of if it becomes an eminent danger of a particular asteroid coming into our gravitational field, that we would send perhaps a space shuttle on out to the asteroid and try to divert its orbit.

Or they have talked about blowing the thing up with an Atom bomb, but on further study of that they realized that we would be colliding with a lot of debris and that didn't seem to be too pleasant a thought. So, it is a major scientific project right now, the protecting of the earth from the possibility of impacting with asteroids that exist out here in our solar system, thousands of them. There are over two thousand that are already charted to, at some point, interact with us here on the planet earth. Who knows?

Next year we ought to have an interesting experience as Halley's Comet returns and unfortunately this time around we probably won't be able to see it, as far as seeing the tail as it makes its orbit. They predict now that the orbit will be made outside the sun, or before it gets to the sun, and as it moves away will probably not be visible to the earth. The tail of the comet is caused by the gravitational pull of the sun as it begins to move away. A lot of the debris. It has this million-mile tail of junk, just junk flying through the sky. We will be coming into orbit with that junk that is in the tail of Halley's, Comet and we'll have some interesting meteorite showers. After next year, though, we may not see the actual comet tail, and all. We will probably have some spectacular displays of what are commonly called falling stars, but are debris from space that come into our atmosphere.

There are some eighteen thousand meteorites that come into our atmosphere every minute and are burned as they come into our atmosphere. Small particles of space junk God has designed to dissolve, for the most part, as they heat up through friction as they come speeding into the denser atmosphere around the earth. And they, of course, disintegrate or burn out most of the time before they hit the earth. Some of them hit the earth and you have probably seen some of the meteorites that have fallen and hit the earth.

But God is going to bring these judgments. By what natural phenomena, we do not know. It could be that God will bring to pass something that man has not yet seen up to this point, but you can be sure it is going to happen. And whatever causes the seas to turn red like blood? We have even seen here, during those years where we have what is known as the red tide, the plankton as it multiplies it gives the water a reddish hue. This is the result of the plankton taking the oxygen out of the water and it is quite deadly to the fish, as the oxygen within the water is depleted by the red tide. It makes for spectacular viewing.

Whenever there is a red tide, I love to go to the beach at night and watch the surf, because it looks like neon tubes. When the surf breaks the plankton, which has a lot of phosphorous in it, and as the waves roll, the phosphorous lights up and it looks like neon tubes lighting up in the ocean. It is spectacular to watch, but horrible to swim in. The surfing is bad in a red tide. The water tastes horrible if you happen to swallow it and your eyes really burn if you get water in them with that red tide, but oh, how beautiful at night.

So, it could be a massive red tide depleting the water of the oxygen and causing those souls within the sea to die.

Van Impe: Again history records a time when the waters turned to blood: Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river. And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone. And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt (Exodus 7:17-21). If God did it once, He can certainly do it again. He is the omnipotent, all-powerful God. His promises never fail.

Pausing momentarily to review our studies, we recall that the second seal (chapter 6:3,4) brought great bloodshed upon earth and the second trumpet blast (chapter 8:8) caused a third part of the sea to become blood. In the verse presently under study, every sea creature perishes when the water is turned to blood. The result is an unbearable stench throughout the entire world as these organisms decease and decay. Think of it! That which always symbolized life-the life of the flesh is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11 )-and symbolized salvation-the blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7)-now becomes a symbol of condemnation and death. Wait! There is more. The third vial extends the destruction to all bodies of water internationally.

Third Bowl

Revelation 16:4

And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

This judgment, as with the third trumpet, involves the fresh water supply. Again, there is no limit; it is global with great devastating effects. Though the results are not mentioned, they can be imagined. There will be no pure water except perhaps what will already be stored; none in the rivers and lakes.

Beast-worshippers cannot find anything to drink but blood! (vs. Ex 7:20, 21). God’s righteousness and justice are demonstrated in that the inhabitants of the earth, who now have only “blood to drink,” are guilty of drawing the blood of the righteous: they were all part of a world system that has shed the blood of “saints and prophets.” The only thing they can find to drink is blood. Interesting similarity to 2 Thes. 2:10, People were offered the truth and rejected it, and were given a lie, the truth taken away.

So, not only will the ocean be turned as blood, but now also the rivers and fountains of water, also. The similar thing happened in Egypt, as you recall, and the water became undrinkable. So, when this happens on a worldwide scale, imagine what this is going to do to man when suddenly all your fresh water supplies are polluted. They are about half polluted now. In this particular plague, the water supplies being polluted is going to be devastating for man. And as the waters are turned to blood and made undrinkable,

Revelation 16:5

And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.

[Thou art righteous] Continual reaffirmation of Gods righteousness.

Greek leaves out “and shall be.” “The existing One, the One who was, the Holy One.” There is no point in speaking of the One who shall come to these people!

[the angel of the waters]—The rabbins attribute angels, not only to the four elements so called, but to almost every thing besides. We have already seen the angles who have power over winds (7:1); the angel of the bottomless pit, Revelation 9:11, and the angel of the fire, Revelation 14:18. The angel of the earth is spoken of in Yalcut Rubeni, fol. 13, 2, and is called Admael. They have also an angel that presides over the grass; another that presides over the cattle which feed upon the grass.

They say that God employed the angel of the sea to swallow up the waters at the creation, that the dry land might appear. He disobeyed, and God slew him; the name of the angel of the sea is Rahab. See Baba bathra, fol. 74, 2. It is plain from several places that the writer of the Apocalypse keeps these notions distinctly in view.

“The angel of the waters” is literally, “the angel, the one of the waters.” This apparently refers to an angel who has jurisdiction over the waters of the earth as one of the varied ministries of angels. As the one in charge of this area he makes an important statement vindicating the holiness of God and setting forth the reason in this judgment (vss. 5-6).

The angel of the waters (see 7:1-2 and 14:18) praises God for this judgment and explains that it is a fair one. The people of the earth have shed blood, so they must drink blood.

These apostate and rebellious people have slain and shed the blood of believers, thus, just as the saints receive rest and reward for their faith, so these will receive punishment fitting the nature of their crimes. They have only blood to drink. They have been blood thirsty—now they get their fill. This gives us another indication that during the Tribulation the shedding of the blood of believers will be without parallel in history.

This is the only place the angel of the waters in mentioned.

Chuck Smith: Now, later on we are going to have an angel standing in the sun. Here is an angel that God has put over the charge of the fresh waters.

Interesting, these angels. They are going to be interesting persons to meet. I am sort of anxious to meet the angel that God is given charge to watch over me. The Bible says that "He will give His angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways, to bear thee up at any time, lest you dash your foot against a stone"(Psalm 91:11-12). So, it is going to be interesting to meet the angel that has been watching out over me. I want to know what happened to him on a few occasions. He was sleeping on the job or something. But that is all right. I forgive him. I want him to know before I get there that I don't hold anything against him. But it will be fun to meet him.

Now, here is an angel that God has put in charge of the waters. And the angel of the waters declares,

It is just sort of right on God. What a perfect judgment! One thing about God is that His judgments are right. And here is the declaration of the righteousness of God's judgment and all the way through this whole period of judgment we find the voices that are declaring the righteousness of God's judgment.

It is interesting that though through heaven there comes the continual testimony of the righteousness of God's judgment. This is the thing that many people are concerned about and worried about is will God be fair. Would it be fair for God to condemn forever a man who never had the opportunity of knowing Jesus Christ? Would it be fair for God to condemn forever a baby who died without ever having knowing or heard or making a decision et cetera, et cetera? Whatever God does will be absolutely fair. God will not be unfair. He will not be unjust. You don't have to worry about that.

Here, as God turns the fresh water into blood, the angel says "righteous God". That is right on.

Revelation 16:6

For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

The old saying, “what goes around, comes around.” “jus talionis” = the description of the punishment matches verbally the description of the sin. (11:18; 18:6; 22:18-19)

[Blood to drink] The angel’s pronouncement shows the balance of divine judgment. The followers of the Antichrist have shed the blood of God’s saints, and now they are given nothing but water turned to blood to drink. The principle is stated in 2 Thes. 1:6: “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled.”

Pay back isn’t revenge, it’s justice.

This verse and 17:6, 16 echo Isaiah 49:26, where God says to Israel, “I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh, and they will be drunk on their own blood.” The nations that fight against God’s people will shed each other’s blood in internecine warfare. Compare Ezekiel 38:21–22, Haggai 2:21–22 and Zechariah 14:12–13 (which also suggests the first and fifth bowl judgments).

Revelation 16:7

And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

The altar speaks: the cross? (5th Seal Rev 6:9-11). This altar was the shelter of the martyrs...is it yours?

Note that in v. 7, the souls under the altar are now satisfied; God had answered their prayers and vindicated them (6:9). (Gen 18:25)

Note: first three bowls, men dwelling on the earth. Last four, men linked with Babylon.

[another out of the altar] confirms the message of the angel of the waters. The speaker is not identified here. Some take it that the altar is personified and speaks. But the Greek ek, “out of” seems to distinguish the speaker from the altar.

Abraham, when the Lord announced to him that He was going to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham said, "Shall not the Lord of the earth be just?" Shouldn't God be fair? "What if there are fifty righteous people in that city. Would you destroy the righteous with the wicked? Shouldn't God be fair?" The Lord said, "If there are fifty righteous, we will spare the city." "What if there are forty righteous?" "Forty righteous, we will spare the city." "What if there are thirty?" "For thirty, I will spare the city." "What if there are twenty? What if there are ten?" The Lord said, "If there are ten righteous persons, we will spare it for the ten"(Genesis 18:22-32). The angels got to the city of Sodom and found one righteous man. So what did they do? They lead him out and they said, "Hurry get out of here. We can't destroy this thing until you are out."

Chuck Smith: So, the affirmation during the period of judgment of the righteousness of God's judgments.

Abraham, when the Lord announced to him that He was going to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham said, "Shall not the Lord of the earth be just?" Shouldn't God be fair? "What if there are fifty righteous people in that city. Would you destroy the righteous with the wicked? Shouldn't God be fair?" The Lord said, "If there are fifty righteous, we will spare the city." "What if there are forty righteous?" "Forty righteous, we will spare the city." "What if there are thirty?" "For thirty, I will spare the city." "What if there are twenty? What if there are ten?" The Lord said, "If there are ten righteous persons, we will spare it for the ten"(Genesis 18:22-32). The angels got to the city of Sodom and found one righteous man. So what did they do? They lead him out and they said, "Hurry get out of here. We can't destroy this thing until you are out."

God is righteous. God is fair. The judgments of God are righteous and true. You can count on that.

Van Impe: By this time, one may have been tempted to believe that God is not just. To the contrary, God is always equitable, fair, and righteous in His dealings with men. Genesis 18:25 declares, Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? No man has all the facts in his possession. Thus, he must wait until he meets God face to face. Then and only then will he be able to make unbiased decisions.

Notice that angelic beings have different responsibilities upon earth. In our text, we see the angel of (or over) the waters justifying God’s actions by saying, Thou art righteous, O Lord [the eternal one] ...because [of thy judgments]. In effect, the angel is saying, "The wicked beast worshipers who shed the blood of so many of Your saints and prophets may not satisfy their insatiable desire for blood by drinking it to their heart’s content. They deserve what has happened to them. You have answered the prayers of Your saints under the altar" (chapter 6). As this message of vindication to the Almighty is concluded, a voice from the altar replies, "Even so" or "Amen." Justice prevails. God’s judgments are true and righteous.

Fourth Bowl

Revelation 16:8

And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

The judgments from the fourth and fifth angels involve the heavens. The fourth angel causes the sun to scorch men. This is a sharp contrast with the trumpet judgment in 8:12, where a part of the sun was darkened. In this case, God allows the sun to burn men, to give them, as it were, a foretaste of hell. This is the day Malachi promised would “burn as an oven” (Mal. 4:1-2). Did sinners repent? No! Such is the hardness of the human heart!

[to scorch men with fire] Literally the Greek has “to scorch the men with fire.” The use of the article specifies a particular group of people, those mentioned in connection with the first bowl, unbelievers, worshipers of the beast. Evidently, believers will somehow be protected from this.

Sun worship: The earliest form of Paganism, originating on the plain of Shinar. This goes back to Nimrod (Hebrew, marad, “to rebel”; future tense, “we will rebel.”) Gen 10:8-10. “Before” is a mistranslation, should be “in defiance of” the Lord. He was the first world dictator.

Josephus (Ant. Jud. I.c.4.2): “Nimrod persuaded mankind not to ascribe their happiness to God, but to think that his own excellency was the source of it. And he soon changed things into a tyranny, thinking that there was no other way to wean men from the fear of

God, than by making them rely upon his own power.”

Tarum of Jonathan: “From the foundation of the world none was ever found like Nimrod, powerful in hunting, and in rebellions against the Lord.”

Jerusalem Targum: “He was powerful in hunting and in wickedness before the Lord for he was a hunter of the sons of men, and he said to them, ‘Depart from the judgment of the Lord, and adhere to the judgment of Nimrod!’ There is it said, ‘As Nimrod is the strong one, strong in hunting, and in wickedness before the Lord.’”

The Chaldee paraphrase of 1 Chr 1:10, “Cush begat Nimrod, who began to prevail in wickedness, for he shed innocent blood, and rebelled against Jehovah.”

[Quotes from Barnhouse, Revelation.]

The sun was first worshipped by Nimrod and his followers on the plains of Shinar and Bab-El was the site of the first temple to the sun. Gen 11:3(?): Mazzeroth corrupted to the zodiac. Mazzeroth may lay out the whole plan of God, that use to be used to teach the plan of God by the Hebrews.

All paganism is derived from this beginning. This also accounts for the parallelism in the pagan myths in all parts of the world. Example the Zodiac from corruption of Mazzeroth.

“Host of heaven”: Deut 4:19; 17:2,3; 2 Kgs 17:9-11,16,17. (Not to worship)

(Deut 4:19) And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

Fire in the bible often speaks of judgment (Isaiah 24:6; Malachi 4:1; 2 Pet 3:7; Luke 21:25; Matt 3:10-12) are some examples.

Matthew 24:22 “except those days should be shortened, there should be no flesh saved”. The Tribulation will be seven years laid out in God’s plan. God may shorten the daylight hours and lengthens the night seasons to keep millions alive. (Matt 24:29; Rev 6:12) Matt 24:22 goes on “for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened”. This act of mercy is for His people the saved Tribulation saints.

Revelation 16:9

And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

[great heat] This event prophesied in scripture very often. Our Lord predicted signs in the sun during the Great Tribulation: “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring” (Luke 21:25). Also the prophet Isaiah speaks of this: Back in the prophecy of Malachi we are told: “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch” (Mal. 4:1).

Deut 32:22,24; 2 Pet 3; cf.

(Deut 32:22) For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

(Isa 24:5-6) 5The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 6Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

(2 Pet 3:10-12) 10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Anthropic principle “...repented not...”: As if the entire universe was designed for man! Now we have this adjustment where the sun will burn the earth. Very delicate balance – who balanced it?

“It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil spirit of man.” Albert Einstein

[Cursing God] It is typical of sinners to blame others for the consequences of their own choices. Here again we see the extreme grip that sin has on humankind. There is no hint of repentance; no hint of willingness to acknowledge that what is happening to them is just.

“And men were scorched with fierce heat and they blasphemed the name of God.” This again demonstrates two things: (a) men clearly recognize the source of the plagues, but (b) they will have become so hardened in their souls they refuse to repent. They will have reached the point of no return. This was clear when they took the mark of the beast.

God knows what man's folly will bring to past, as far as natural calamities. It is interesting that God predicted in Isaiah 19, the building of the Aswan Dam. Not only did He predict the building of the Aswan Dam, but He also said all of the ecological damage that would result from the building of that dam, the destruction of the fishing industry, the loss of farm land and crops and so forth, and the ecological problems that would result from the building of the Aswan Dam; He said that the counselors were fools because they did not take into the account the ecological damage.

Actually, there has been talk of blowing up the dam to cure the ecological damage that they have created by the building of the dam. They have, of course, lost the fishing industry completely. That used to be a great fishing industry around the mouth of the Mediterranean, because all of the debris brought by the Nile River fed the fish. With the dam now, all of these nutrients and all are not brought along the Nile River anymore into the Mediterranean.

Chuck Smith: A lot of times we have the concept that if God would only send his judgment that people would turn from their wickedness. That is generally not the case. When God sends His judgment, the righteous, who have turned from their righteousness, turn back to God. And we do read in the Old Testament where the judgments of God caused the righteous to turn to the Lord. But the judgments of God so often just harden the heart of the impenitent. And such is the case during the great judgment period. Rather than turning these people to the Lord, they blaspheme God. These preachers who think their sermons on hell, fire, judgment, brimstone and all are going to turn people to the Lord are really not that versed in the scripture.

For the scripture says, "Know ye not that it is the goodness of God that bringeth a man to repentance"(Romans 2:4). That is the thing that really gets me. I know what I deserve. You don't have to tell me. But to tell me that God loves me and is willing to forgive me, willing to pardon me, willing to make me His child and to share His eternal kingdom with me, that is the thing that gets me. He causes me to turn my heart and life to God and to change. The goodness of God leads a man to repentance.

So, as God's judgments fall, and as the sun is now scorching men. Now again how this is accomplished is a matter of speculation. We know that the sun shall be darkened before the day of the Lord comes. The moon turns as blood and the sun into darkness. It could be before the sun goes into darkness; it could be that the sun goes into a super nova condition. This is a phenomena that we have observed in the universe, as stars that go into this super nova condition where they heat up for a few days and increase in their intensity and light as they are sort of burning out and then they just seem to die out.

The death of the stars is a super nova condition. It is sort of like a light bulb when the glass is broken suddenly. It will go very bright because the oxygen is now hitting those filaments. But because of the extreme brightness and the oxygen hitting the filaments, the filaments gets so hot that they burn in two and the thing goes out. With the stars it is a different principal. We don't know what causes a super nova yet. They become extremely brilliant and then apparently have burned out or something, but it is a super nova condition. It could be the sun will come into a super nova condition. Imagine what that would do to the people on the earth, if the sun became as a super nova. We do know that there is going to be a dimming effect. And the sun will shine for a third part and so forth during that part of the tribulation. So, this could be a super nova.

It could be that what is happening during these seven last plagues, this could be that there is a major nuclear holocaust upon the earth. That Russia and the United States and everybody else lets go all of their nuclear weapons. And we know one of the effects of the nuclear weapons being detonated in our atmosphere is the destruction of the ozone blanket which has already been depleted by all of the fluorocarbon gases that were used to pressurize the different shaving creams, and so forth, that we used to have in pressurized cans. And these fluorocarbon gases went up into the stratosphere combined with the ozone gases, which is a very unstable gas at best, and as they combine with the ozone, broke it down, and so the prohibition against the fluorocarbons in pressurized cans.

We know also that the atom bombs have the same effect on this ozone blanket, which is a protective blanket, which does shield us from much of the ultraviolet rays of the sun. And that seems to be the purpose for God putting the ozone blanket there to protect the earth from the sun's ultraviolet rays, for the exposure to these ultraviolet rays causes running sores. It causes noisome pestilences, really, if you are exposed to ultraviolet rays. It creates burns, skin cancer. So, maybe what we have here is a nuclear holocaust and these are the effects that would happen as a result of a nuclear holocaust.

God knows what man's folly will bring to past, as far as natural calamities. It is interesting that God predicted in Isaiah nineteen, the building of the Aswan Dam. Not only did He predict the building of the Aswan Dam, but He also said all of the ecological damage that would result from the building of that dam, the destruction of the fishing industry, the loss of farm land and crops and so forth, and the ecological problems that would result from the building of the Aswan Dam; He said that the counselors were fools because they did not take into the account the ecological damage.

Actually, there has been talk of blowing up the dam to cure the ecological damage that they have created by the building of the dam. They have, of course, lost the fishing industry completely. That used to be a great fishing industry around the mouth of the Mediterranean, because all of the debris brought by the Nile River fed the fish. With the dam now, all of these nutrients and all are not brought along the Nile River anymore into the Mediterranean.

As a result of the dam, they do not have any longer the silt build up, so you are getting the salt water intrusion into all of that rich delta farm land that used to exist there at the mouth of the Nile where it came into the Mediterranean. Because you see, tons of sand would be brought by the Nile River every year into the Mediterranean and it formed this beautiful delta of farmland and all, but that is not happening anymore; in fact, you are starting to get salt-water intrusion. And they have lost more agriculture acreage than they have gained by their ability now to irrigate with the water, but they have lost more acreage than they have gained. And they have lost the richest kind of acreage.

And so God knows the damage that will take place. And it could be that the Lord here is describing the damage that will result from a massive nuclear holocaust.

Van Impe: The inhabitants of planet earth now experience the greatest heat wave in history. Many of us remember what happened in the south during the summer of 1980. Crops were parched and great numbers of people died as temperatures consistently soared over 100 degrees. Now we see what happens when the sun is out of control. Isaiah predicted this period of time in chapter 24, verses 4-6: The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

The earth becomes so drastically hot during this judgment that God has to alleviate the suffering by shortening the daylight hours. Jesus said in Matthew 24:22, And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. What did He mean? Many scholars have proposed the idea of the Tribulation period being abbreviated, but this is an impossibility because God's predestined program for the Tribulation totals seven years-or eighty-four months, or exactly 2,520 days. Since the scheduled timetable is already prophesied, not one day can be cut from the program. Verse 2 of chapter 11 mentions 1,260 days as one half of this period and no one can change God's plan. Therefore, we must find another explanation.

Is there a solution? Definitely! God shortens the daylight hours and lengthens the night seasons to keep millions alive. He accomplishes this by darkening the sun, as predicted by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ: Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened (Matthew 24:29). This statement harmonizes with Revelation 6:12: And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair. God's method of shortening the daylight hours hinders the sun's death purge of earth's inhabitants by reducing the amount of ultraviolet rays bombarding the planet. This act of mercy is for His people, the saved Tribulation saints, for He adds in Matthew 24:22, But for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Once again we need to remember that the Church, the elect bride of Christ composed of all those who were born again prior to the Rapture (chapter 4, verse 1), is at home in glory during this time. The earthly group of Tribulation saints presently being discussed constitutes the election of Romans 11:28. They are also referred to as Jacobites, or Israelites, in Romans 11:26. These are Jews. They are not members of the bride of Christ, but rather members of the wife of Jehovah.

Mankind's reaction to the scorching with fire takes the form of further rebellion. Instead of repenting and appealing to God who has power to stay the plague (verse 9), the people aim a barrage of four-letter blasphemies at the Almighty. The human heart is exceedingly wicked and callous (see Jeremiah 17:9). Even in the face of such agonizing judgment, repentance, restitution, and reconciliation are the farthest things from men's minds. Truly, they are hardened sinners.

Fifth Bowl

Revelation 16:10

And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

The throne of the beast (must be a man!).

Rev 13: “Who is able to make war with the beast?” Here is the answer: God is able to make war with him!

Cf. with 9th plague—Darkness (Gen 1:2). Darkness which could be felt (Ex 10:21-23).

Isa 60:2; Joel 2:1-2, 31; Nah 1:8; Mk 13:24,25. [a Nova? A Black Hole?] More than a spiritual darkness. More complicated than just the absence of light. He separated the light from the darkness. Hint in the grammar may also have occurred between first two verses of Geneses. A transitive verb requires an object - Gap in Gen. Darkness is more than the absence of light.

The first effect is seen in “his kingdom became darkened.” The verb “became” in the Greek text suggests suddenly. It looks at the sudden envelopment of the throne of the beast in total darkness. Of course, we are reminded of the “thick darkness” in Egypt which was so thick it could be felt (Exodus 10:21). “Darkened” is an intensive perfect which stresses the existing results of the blackout over the earth. Since the beast rules practically the entire world, and since these are the last plagues of the Tribulation which complete the wrath of God to establish God’s rule on earth, this darkness is undoubtedly world‑wide.

As you read this, do not lose sight of the fact that this is a brief forecast of the outer darkness, pain, and torment that men will face in the lake of fire (Matt. 5:30; 22:13; 8:12). It is a literal taste of hell. But it is also designed to symbolize the nature of the beast and his kingdom, his power, and Satan who gives him his power. It is a kingdom of great darkness (Col. 1:13a; 2 Cor. 4:4; 11:13‑15).

The second effect: “And they gnawed their tongues because of the pain.” We have in this an accumulated effect of the preceding bowls, the sores, the seas smitten, the fresh water turned into blood, the scorching of the sun, and now total darkness. Men are shut up in their quarters with their sores and pain and there is no alleviation, no hope—only constant torment. Literally the Greek says “they kept on gnawing their tongues out of agony.” Here is a graphic picture of the most intense and excruciating agony and pain, and a pain that cannot be alleviated.

The third and final effect: “And they blasphemed the God of heaven…and they did not repent of their deeds” (vs. 11). In these words we are clearly told that the world will be conscious that the “God of heaven” is the source of these judgments. There will, at this time, be no more atheists or agnostics. All men will know, like the demons, that God exists, but they remain stubborn in their rebellion. Oh, the hardness and stubbornness of the human heart! These verses clearly refute the idea of a final universal salvation of all men who will finally repent when faced with God’s judgment.

Stedman: unexplained examples of darkness—May 19, 1780, New England, “The Dark Day.” March 19, 1886, Central Wisconsin (10 minutes). Memphis, Tennessee, Dec. 1904; Louisville, Kentucky, March 1911; et al.

Spiritual darkness: in a cultural war, truth is the first casualty! Evolution, psychology, legalism, media, government, schools: lies and deceit....

Satan is the prince of darkness, so it is only right that darkness should invade his kingdom. Joel 2:1-2 declares that the day of the Lord would be a time of darkness. See also Christ’s prophecy in Mark 13:24. Imagine the agony of men with sores that will not heal, having to endure their pain in the darkness! This is another foretaste of hell. Still, they will not repent. As William Newell says, “Men who will not be won by grace will never be won at all.”

Similar plague in Egypt (Ex 10:21-23). Darkness as judgment is mentioned a number of times in the Bible (Isaiah 60:2; Joel 2:2; Nahum 1:8; Mark 13:24-25).

Amos 5:18; Nah 1:6,8; Zeph 1:15

Darkness is created by God: Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Revelation 16:11

And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

[God of Heaven] title that Daniel uses 5 times talking about the end times, 2:18, 19, 28, 37, 44.

[repented not] Even though it seems the people were aware that they really ought to repent of their evil ways, they refused to do so. This is the last outright statement in the Book of Revelation that people refused to repent, but it seems clear from here onward that such a fact is taken for granted.

Van Impe: Whereas the fourth judgment produced unusual brightness through the scorching rays of the sun, the fifth bowl unleashes darkness upon the very throne of the Antichrist and throughout his empire. This could certainly be related to the shortening of the days and lengthening of the nights, as already described. Whatever the darkness is, we take it to be literal as was the Egyptian plague described in Exodus 10:21-23: And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

What a thrilling moment for the saints on earth! They see the satanically-controlled or devil-incarnated leader humiliated internationally as the power of God is unleashed upon his seat of government. This scene is equated with the "the day of the Lord." The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light (Amos 5:18). Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like [militarily], neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations (Joel 2:1,2).

Who is the military colossus that produces such darkness and gloominess in the last days? Russia! But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great [frightful] things (Joel 2:20). The only nation in the world north of Israel with a barren area and two oceans surrounding it is Russia. This is the same nation that comes against Israel from the north in Ezekiel 38:15 and is known by the names Magog, Meshech, Tubal, and Rosh. How near it all appears!

In our text, the Day of the Lord has arrived. The wicked gnaw their tongues for pain, but continue blaspheming the God of heaven. Apparently, no amount of punishment for sin can change some people. They repented not. Don't let it happen to you!

Sixth Bowl

Revelation 16:12

And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

The sixth bowl judgment comes in two parts:

1. The drying up of the Euphrates River, which will be a preparation for the “battle on the great day of God almighty”

2. The tremendous demon forces that will bring the rebellious armies of the world to the Valley of Megiddo for the purpose of opposing the Lord.

[kings of the east] The literal rendering the expression is “the kings from the sunrising,” or “rising sun” a reference to the kings from the Oriental nations of the world. (Josh 12:1)

When God delivered Israel from Egypt, He dried up the Red Sea to let the nation out. Here He dries up part of the Euphrates to allow the armies of the kings of the east to meet with the armies of the nations of the world at Armageddon.

Euphrates (21 times in Bible): to dry-up (cf. Red Sea, Jordan). The cradle (and grave) of man’s civilization (Zech 10:11; Isa 11:15,16); eastern boundary of Israel (Gen 15:18)—and the Roman Empire. When people talk about the West Bank – which river are they referring to?

1800 miles long; 300-1200 yards wide; 10-30 feet deep; often deeper, wider...

Rudyard Kipling’s The Ballad of East and West:

Oh, East is East, and West is West,

and never the twain shall meet.

Till Earth and Sky stand presently

at God’s great Judgment Seat. (Rudyard Kipling had done his homework)

1991 Gulf War: armies of 30 countries bottled up Saddam Hussein’s forces against the Euphrates.

“Kings of the Rising Sun”: 10X in NT; 3X in OT (LXX). Refers to the East.

Drying up of the waters is mentioned in the Bible as divine judgment (Isaiah 11:15; 42:15; Zachariah 10:11). However here the drying up of the Euphrates means that it is no longer a barrier for the kings of the East (the Orient) to come with their armies in the direction of Israel and the valley of Megiddo.

An example may be the way the United States forces protected the bridges across the Euphrates and the Tigress during the war to overthrow Hussein.

So, God is going to gather together the nations into the area of Israel from the valley of Maggedo to Edom. And so God dries up now the river Euphrates to prepare the way for the kings of the east, China and all of her vast hordes of people, India, Pakistan, Japan moving in from the east.

Revelation 16:13

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

“dragon...beast...false prophet”: Unholy trinity?

The dragon here is undoubtedly the seven-headed dragon of chapter 12, which is Satan himself. The beast is the Antichrist. Now the second beast, the beast “out of the earth” (13:11-17), is identified for the first time as the “false prophet.”

Frogs: 2nd plague, (Ex 8:2-5, 14); cf. locusts as demons Rev 9; Amos 7:1(LXX); Ezek 38 (frogs responded to Pharaoh’s magicians).

Aristophanes tells of a special costume worn on the Greek stage, the bactrachis, or frog-garment: used as sex symbol, representing fecundity - lewd behavior.

This is the 7th parenthetical passage. It is inserted between the 6th and 7th vials and the events will be fulfilled in the order given. It explains how the kings of the earth, who are not under Antichrist, will be persuaded to cooperate with him at Armageddon (Rev. 16:13-16). Unclean spirits will inspire ambassadors and do miracles through them to convince the kings of the earth that the success of their future lies in the whole earth cooperating together to stop Christ from taking over the earth at His second coming. They will inspire the nations to fight against Christ, fulfilling Psalm 2. Just as Ahab was allured to battle and destruction by demons in 2 Chron. 18:18-22, so the nations will be led to Armageddon by demons in the vain hope of defeating Christ (Rev. 16:13-16; Rev. 19:11-21).

J. A. Seiss, in his book, The Apocalypse, Lectures on the Book of Revelation, comments on the frogs in a vivid manner:

They are spirits; they are “unclean spirits;” they are “demon spirits;” they are sent forth into activity by the Dragon Trinity; they are the elect agents to awaken the world to the attempt to abolish God from the earth; and they are frog-like in that they come forth out of the pestiferous quagmires of the universe, do their work amid the world’s evening shadows, and creep, and croak, and fill the ears of the nations with their noisy demonstrations, till they set all the kings and armies of the whole earth in enthusiastic commotion for the final crushing out of the Lamb and all His powers. As in chapter 9, the seven Spirits of God and of Christ went forth into all the earth to make up and gather together into one holy fellowship the great congregation of the sanctified: so these spirits of hell go forth upon the kings and potentates of the world, to make up and gather together the grand army of the Devil’s worshippers.

Chuck Smith: Interesting thing here. Those who have seem to have had an out of body experience, where their spirits have left their bodies, and they were presumed dead, and had this conscious out-of-body state in which they looked back into the room and saw the activities that were going on in the room, but they were out of their body observing it; it is interesting that for the most part, these that have had these out-of-body type experiences are aware that as their spirit left their body, it left their body through their mouth.

It is interesting when you go back through the Old Testament and you read that God breathed into man and he became a living spirit, and those that have these out-of-body experiences will usually testify of their awareness that their spirit left through their mouth; and when their spirit came back, it came back in through their mouths. It is most common among those that have had these experiences to express it as the spirit going forth out of their mouth.

Now, the interesting thing is that these demonic spirits go forth out of the mouths. It is also interesting that when Jesus cast out many of the demons, there were the loud screamings from the mouths of the individuals as the demons departed. I don't think it would do any good to keep your mouth shut. It is just an interesting observation. That out of the mouth of the antichrist and his false prophet and out of Satan, out of their mouths go these spirits like frogs, demonic spirits.

Revelation 16:14

For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Battle against whom? God Almighty. Where? (Israel!)

All the nations of the word will join together to fight God.

No time frame is given for how far apart the angels’ actions are spaced, yet from all appearances it seems that this final series of judgments comes as a rapid-fire blast from heaven. And if things have seemed bad up till now, these bowls of God’s wrath trump everything that has gone before.

Chuck Smith: And so by these demonic forces, the kings of the earth will be gathered together unto the area of Armageddon where they are going to seek to make war against Jesus Christ at His return, seek to thwart God's rule over the earth.

It is interesting how that men in high places of government today are many of them are controlled by demonic spirits. I don't think that you can really explain their actions apart from demonic spirits. The things that Hitler did and those that were in authority with Hitler cannot be explained except by demonic forces taking over their minds. They could not do the inhuman things that they did to man apart from control by demonic forces. And it is very common knowledge that Hitler was directed and guided by men who were masters in what was known and called white magic. The masters of the spiritist type of movements actually guiding and controlling Hitler. That is really the only explanation for the horrible atrocities that these men were able of committing against fellow man.

And as we look at what is happening in the world today we see that actions can only be explained many times by demonic forces. The going in and slaughtering of people is unthinkable to us in our right minds. How could you do it? How could you order such a thing? But the fact that they are controlled by these demonic forces is the answer.

Parenthetical Between Sixth and Seventh Bowls

Revelation 16:15

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

[Garments] old English “habit” = manner of living; French adopted it to mean one’s clothing...

(1 Thess 5:1-5) 1But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

(Matt. 24:33) So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

See also 2 Cor 5:3;

This verse is a promise to the saints on earth at that time. First Thessalonians 5:2 makes it clear that the church will not be caught “in the dark.” Read Rev. 18:4 and you will see that in this warning Christ is asking His people to keep themselves from the world and the defilement of the satanic system. Keep your garments clean (2 Cor. 7:1). This is a good warning to saints today. (1 John 2:28)

So, the Lord declaring His coming, coming soon as a thief. Watch and keep your garments. John says, "Lest we be ashamed at Him at His coming"(1 John 2:28).

Revelation 16:16

And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Zeph 3:8; 2 Chr 35:22; Zech 12:11.

This is the only occurrence of the word in Scripture, although there are many references to it. It means “Mount of Megiddo.” It is a compound word made up of the Hebrew words , meaning “mountain,” and , which is a mount in the plain of Esdraelon.

Ar = mountain

Megiddo: Josh 5:14; 2 Chr 35:22; Zech 12:11. 60 mi N of Jerusalem in Israel. It was here that Jabin + 900 chariots were overwhelmed; Gideon’s 300 defeated Midianites, Amalekites & children of the east;

Samson triumphed over the Philistines; Barak & Deborah defeated Sisera; Saul slain by Philistines; Ahaziah slain by arrows of Jehu (?); Pharaoh Necco slew King Josiah.

...Also, Saracens, Christian crusaders, Egyptians, Persians, Druses, Turks, Arabs, warriors of every nation. Napoleon’s disastrous march from Egypt to Syria, et al.

Keep your eyes on the Mideast – especially Iran, Iraq, and Syria – in the days ahead. The Euphrates was jointly theirs when these nations were called Persia. Thus these nations are a prominent identification point for the end time war.

Seventh Bowl

The seventh bowl, the final judgment of the Tribulation is actually a series of judgments that will be poured out upon the whole earth. As the Tribulation is a time of unprecedented trial or judgment, so the seventh bowl is the most severe and totally devastating judgment of the whole Tribulation, ending with the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth. His personal return is not mentioned in these verses or this chapter, but from the circumstances and the sixth plague, the return of Christ has to be a part of this judgment.

The Greek word megas is repeated seven times in these verses. This emphasizes the unprecedented nature and finality of this series of judgments. It also stresses how this series of judgments perfectly (the emphasis of the number seven) accomplishes and brings to an end God’s program of judgment. Of the eleven times the Greek word megas is used in this chapter, seven are in relation to this last bowl.

So, the Lord declaring His coming, coming soon as a thief. Watch and keep your garments. John says, "Lest we be ashamed at Him at His coming"(1 John 2:28).

Van Impe: The sixth trumpet judgment should be recalled in the light of the sixth tipped bowl. There is a striking similarity. Chapter 9, verses 13-18, depicts the sixth angel voicing his commands. As he does, four angels are loosed from the great river Euphrates-the area of present-day Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Wow! A total of two hundred million troops (9:16) appear in the Middle East from the Orient. This has to be the largest assemblage of military men in the annals of history!

In the text before us (16:12), we witness a miraculous drying up of the Euphrates River in order that the kings of the east might cross over unhindered. The word kings pictures the leaders of troops. They cross the Euphrates in order to participate in the greatest Mid-East confrontation ever-the Battle of Armageddon! Actually, the conflict is a fight against the Lord and His hosts and will be discussed in detail when we arrive at its explanation point-chapter 19, verses 11-16. Upon their arrival in the Holy Land, these oriental kings or rulers join with the leaders of other nations for the war of wars as predicted in Psalm 2:2-4: The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

How near is Armageddon? Bear in mind that both chapters 9 and 16 mention the Euphrates River as a focal point in this war. Keep your eyes on the Mid-East-especially Iran, Iraq, and Syria-in the days ahead. The Euphrates was jointly theirs when these nations were called Persia. Thus, Iran, Iraq, and Syria are a prominent identification point for the end-time war.

Between the sixth and seventh seal and trumpet judgments, we encountered parenthetical utterances. Now we find another parenthesis between the sixth and seventh bowl judgments. This we shall consider from verses 13-16, already quoted.

Verse 13 reveals three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouths of (1) the dragon (Satan), (2) the beast (Antichrist), and (3) the false prophet (head of the world church). What we see, then, is an unholy trinity controlled by the power of evil spirits in an age of occultism, as explained in chapter 9, verses 20 and 21. The symbolism of frogs (for the text says "like frogs") speaks of uncleanness. The plague of frogs in Egypt produced an obnoxious stench that filled the land with indescribable odors and filth (see Exodus 8:14). Thus, the picture is clear. The counterfeit trinity-the devil, the Antichrist, and the false prophet-produce supernatural miracles through the power of the devil and his demonic spirits, thus convincing the kings of the earth that these men are gods. Because of it, the kings willingly follow them to the Middle East for the great day of God Almighty, which is Armageddon. The entire situation reeks in God's nostrils.

Verse 15 is a pause or lull before the storm. God says He will come as a thief. This again proves that the Church is not present, for that day shall not overtake believers as a thief (see 1 Thessalonians 5:4). The words of verse 15, then, constitute a final admonition to the Tribulation saints, telling them to watch for His coming and to continue walking in pathways of holiness. The terms watcheth and garmentsrefer to slothfulness and carelessness, spiritually speaking. Let's prove this. In Christ's day, a one-piece garment was removed at bedtime. It was worn only during waking hours. Here the Lord tells the final group or gleaning of Tribulation saints to watch, for in so doing they will be awake and clothed. The command is to be prepared. Preparation voids their being found naked and ashamed.

The same is true for believers today. When Jesus comes, multitudes will stand at the Judgment Seat naked (without rewards) and ashamed, because they were not watching. Heed the warning of 1 John 2:28: And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

Verse 16 names the location of the great day of God Almighty: Armageddon or "the mount of Megiddo"-the place where numerous battles have occurred throughout history. Armageddon will also be the scene of the final battle when the winepress of the wrath of God is released upon the nations.

Revelation 16:17

And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

The last sphere of Satan’s influence: The Air. “Prince of the power of the Air” (Eph 2:2);

He rules in “high places” (Eph 6:12) = “heavenlies” (Eph 1:20; 3:10).

[It is finished] vs. “It is done.” (Tetelestai = “paid in full.”)

Dept paid in full – Jesus on the cross it is finished - not accurate translation

[Temple] The last reference. Mentioned 6 times with the bowls of wrath.

This is it, the final plague of this Great Tribulation period, the final judgment of God upon the earth. It is over now. Now the time has come for Jesus to return in glory and establish God's kingdom.

Revelation 16:18

And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

[Earthquake] (Isa 29:6; Ps 50:3,4; Zech 14:4; 13:9; Hag 2:6,7).

(Isa13:13) Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

Before the mention of the great earthquake, John sees “flashes of lightning” and hears “sounds and peals of thunder” (vs. 18a). As it has been throughout the Book, this is preparatory and a warning of the extreme judgment that is about to fall.

Then we read “and there was a great earthquake.” Several things are important here: First, this earthquake is likewise unprecedented in history. The rhetorical device of redundancy is employed to emphasize this. “Such as” is the Greek hoios, a special qualitative relative pronoun meaning “of such a nature or kind.” “So great” is the Greek te„likoutos, a special demonstrative or quantitative pronoun meaning “so great, so mighty.” “Mighty” is again the Greek megas mentioned before.

Verses 19‑20 then give the extent and effect of this earthquake with its worldwide devastation. In verse 20 we are shown two results that are not only astounding, but mind boggling. (a) “Every island fled away,” i.e., they disappeared into the ocean. Imagine the tidal waves this will cause. (b) “And the mountains were not found” is literally, “and mountains were not found.” The word “mountains” does not have the article which implies not all the mountains will be removed. Perhaps as a result of the great faults in the earth breaking open and shifting about, the mountains will break up and fall into the cracks of the earth. Zechariah 14:4 tells us that at Christ’s return to earth the Mount of Olives will split or crack open and form a great valley. Perhaps it is at this point, at Christ’s return to earth, that this great earthquake occurs.

This mind stretching phenomena points to three important facts:

(1) The world will be left in shambles. All man’s monuments and his great buildings will literally crumble before his very eyes. A few years back while we were living in East Texas, in the early nineties, I remember construction was nearing completion of a skyscraper in Houston that we were told would be one of the tallest buildings in the world. It had only plate glass for its outer walls from top to bottom. Can you imagine what such an earthquake will do to such structures, assuming they are still standing at this time?

(2) This judgment will drastically change the topography of the earth.

(3) Finally, these events will cause a tremendous loss of life on a worldwide scale that is impossible to calculate.

Revelation 16:19

And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

Cf. Rev 11:8, 13; Zech 14:4; Ezek 47; Zech 13:8,9

There is a great earthquake, and it divides the “great city,” which is Jerusalem. The earthquake divides this city into three parts. Although the center of the earthquake is in Jerusalem, it is not confined to Jerusalem, because we are told “the cities of the nations fell.” This tells us something of the extent and the vast destruction of the earthquake. “Every island fled away” reveal” Every Island fled away” reveals that even the islands are shifted from one place to another by the earthquake

[Babylon] mentioned in Rev 14:8. Ch. 17 & 18 coming. God made the country; man made the cities. The corruption, the graft, the buying and selling of justice, the deification of money, the exaltation of lust, the exploitation of the masses in their lightless and vapid lives....

Something evil about the cities – where evil happens.

Revelation 16:20

And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

Hag 2:6,7; Jer 4:23-27.

This describes a tremendous cataclysmic upheaval upon the earth, probably a polar-axis shift. And a collision with an asteroid could be a possible culprit.

Now, Isaiah the prophet also describes this same earthquake in Isaiah 24 beginning with verse seventeen.

(Isa 24:17-23) 17Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. 18And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. 19The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. 20The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. 21And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. 22And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. 23Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

Three things: fear, snare and the trap. This is not just the movement of the plates in a local area, but the whole foundations of the earth are going to shake.

Revelation 16:21

And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Hail: Job 38:22,23; Jer 4:23-27; Josh 10:11.

Greek talent = 86 lbs. Hebrew talent (silver) = 110 lbs. Troy; 96 avoirdupois; other, 135 lbs. Babylonian talent: heavier... Attic, 57.7 lbs. (Cf. Beth-Horon, Josh 10:11.)

Josephus: Roman catapults threw stones the weight of a talent into Jerusalem in 70 A.D. when Titus leveled the city.

Penalty for blasphemy: stoning! Now God is stoning!

[Hail also accompanies nuclear effects...]

The last thing to be noted in the present passage is the hardness of the unsaved, unregenerate heart.

Note: These judgments are not the “blessed hope”: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

Many are trying to reduce the population of the earth; it seems more appropriate to reduce the population of hell! Judgment cannot produce repentance. It was never intended to. God changes hearts through His grace and mercy. This book was sent to the seven churches. It was given to us in order to change our lives right now.

In 10:6–7, God promised that “the mystery of God” would be finished when the seventh angel poured out his vial; now we see this fulfilled. The events described in