Revelation 16

Revelation 16

The Wrath of God: The Bowl Judgments

(Rev 14:19) So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. (20) And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs [200 miles].

(Rev 15:1 NKJV) Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.

Now Revelation 16:

The Wrath of God: The Bowl Judgments

A Reminder:

The Wrath of God is not for Christians

(1 Th 5:8-9 NKJV) But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. {9} For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

(Rev 16:1 NKJV) Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth."

“a loud voice from the temple”

Some suggest that this is the voice of God. That would be appropriate because it is His judgment!

(Rev 16:2 NKJV) So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

The original words have the idea of wicked, or evil. “loathsome and malignant” -- NASB

the men who had the mark of the beast

Judgment has begun. Those who took the mark of the beast are now going to have to pay. The day of grace is ending, or has already ended.

“It sounds like the plagues that came on Egypt.”

(Exo 9:10-11 NKJV) Then they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses scattered them toward heaven. And they caused boils that break out in sores on man and beast. {11} And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.

(Rev 16:3 NKJV) Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.

This bowl reminds me of the second trumpet which was a warning!

(Rev 8:8-9 NKJV) Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. {9} And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

(Rev 16:4 NKJV) Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.

Again, we are reminded of the plagues of Egypt:

(Exo 7:17-18 NKJV) 'Thus says the LORD: "By this you shall know that I am the LORD. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and they shall be turned to blood.

(Exo 7:18) "And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river shall stink, and the Egyptians will loathe to drink the water of the river."' "

The Appropriateness of God’s Judgment

(Rev 16:5-7 NKJV) And I heard the angel of the waters saying: "You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. {6} For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due." {7} And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments."

Ironically, water, which normally brings life is now turned into blood which is not drinkable to sustain life.

(Rev 16:8-9 NKJV) Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.

(Rev 16:9) And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

This bowl appears to be something working through the sun, but with unbearable heat: The greatest “heat wave” of all time.

“and they blasphemed the name of God . . . and they did not repent and give Him glory.”

The bowls are judgments, not warnings to bring to repentance! It’s obvious that these are wicked people who are so set in sin that nothing can shake them, or cause them to repent.

(Rev 16:10-11 NKJV) Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. {11} They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

This is the only place in the Bible that this expression is used. It is used to express tremendous suffering. “Gnawed, or chewed.”

This begins to sound like a chorus. These are the hardened sinners. They will not repent.

(Rev 16:12 NKJV) Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.

This is the beginning of the preparation for a great and mighty battle. It will be a battle unlike any other that has ever been. Is it physical, or does it involve spirits? What follows seems to indicate the spiritual realm.

(Rev 16:13 NKJV) And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

The “unholy three” are still together: Satan, the government, and false religion.

(Rev 16:14-16) For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. {15} "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame." {16} And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

It is Preparation for a Great War.

It has been foretold for a long time.

(Joel 3:9) Proclaim this among the nations: "Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up. (Joel 3:10) Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'"

This is just the opposite of another Scripture:

(Isa 2:4 NKJV) He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.

Back to the Prophecy of Joel:

(Joel 3:11) Assemble and come, all you nations, And gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD. {12} "Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. {13} Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow; For their wickedness is great."

(Rev 14:15 NKJV) And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."

Back to the Prophecy of Joel:

(Joel 3:14) Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. {15} The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness.

Compare this with Matthew 24:

(Mat 24:29-31 NKJV) "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. {30} "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

{31} "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Back to the Prophecy of Joel:

(Joel 3:16) The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.

(Joel 3:14) Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

(Joel 3:16) The LORD . . . will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.

How consoling: In the day of the Lord in the valley of decision, He will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.