Verse By Verse Through Revelation
Chapter Sixteen
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.”
- This continues from where we left off in chapter fifteen (Revelation 15:5-8).
- The loud voice is not specified, but we know it could be an angel (Revelation 5:2, Revelation 7:2, Revelation 10:1-3, and Revelation 14:15) or not (Revelation 1:9-18).
- When thinking about the wrath of God being poured out in the context of John’s Revelation, think back to what we read when the sixth seal was opened (Revelation 6:12-17).
- The angels will pour out the wrath of God upon the earth (cf. Revelation 15:7).
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.”
- Remember who was to drink of “the wine of the wrath of God” (Revelation 14:9-11).
- Noisome meaning: “) of a bad nature; 1a) not such as it ought to be; 2) of a mode of thinking, feeling, acting; 2a) base, wrong, wicked; 3) troublesome, injurious, pernicious, destructive, baneful” (Thayer; Strong’s # 2556). Cf. Acts 28:5 [“harm”], Romans 12:17 [“evil”], or Romans 13:10 [“ill”].
- Grievous sores (cf. Exodus 9:8-11 and Isaiah 3:16-26).
- Think about how God had already shown John, with the blowing of the fifth trumpet, that His plagues would be so bad that men would seek to die and not be able to (Revelation 9:6).
Revelation 16:3-4 “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. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.”
- The second and third angels pour out their vials which affect the sea, rivers, and fountains of waters. The second trumpet had the third part of the sea become blood (Revelation 8:8-9). The third trumpet blown had wormwood affect the rivers and fountains (Revelation 8:10-11).
- The two witnesses/prophets could turn water to blood (Revelation 11:3-6).
- These plagues are like to what Egypt experienced (Exodus 7:17-21).
- While this similarly repeats what God had planned to do already, remember that those plagues already foretold were not going to bring about change (Revelation 9:20-21). As we read further, change is still not coming (Revelation 16:9-11).
Revelation 16:5-7 “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. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.”
- “The angel of the waters” and another from the altar praised the Lord for being righteous for His judgment (Revelation 19:1-2 and Revelation 19:11-16).
- The Lord is righteous in Judgment (Psalms 9:7-8, Psalms 19:9, Psalms 50:6, Psalms 96:13, Romans 2:5, and II Timothy 4:8).
- He is worthy to be praise for His righteous judgment (Psalms 119:160-164).
- This applies in the final judgment too (II Thessalonians 1:3-10).
- God’s judgment is simple to understand. You get what you deserve (Job 4:8, Hosea 10:12-13, Matthew 16:27, Hebrews 2:1-4, and Revelation 2:23).
- With the sea, rivers, and fountains being affected (Revelation 16:3-4) and man having blood to drink (Revelation 16:5-7); the heat gets turned up.
- Previously the sun became black [sixth seal]; was darkened [fourth trumpet] (Revelation 6:12 and Revelation 8:12).
- The angel having the power to scorch men is fitting in how angels are described (Psalms 104:4).
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.”
- As men were burned with great heat, they blasphemed the name of God (cf. Revelation 16:21).
- So, how does God take the blaspheming of His name? Consider the penalty under the Law of Moses (Leviticus 24:16). Consider Hymenaeus and Alexander (I Timothy 1:19-20).
- As we saw after six trumpets were blown and God’s wrath came forth, repentance does not occur (Revelation 9:20-21; cf. Jeremiah 5:1-3).
- There are times wherein people become hardened as they do not face immediate consequences (Ecclesiastes 8:11 and Zephaniah 1:12). This is NOT one of those times. They are reaping what they have sown and the punishment is not turning them from their iniquities. Sometimes punishment; consequences, hardens people (cf. Exodus 9:34-35 and Daniel 5:18-31).
Revelation 16:10-11 “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, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.”
- The term translated “seat” [θρόνος] is most commonly translated “throne(s)” (Matthew 5:34, Matthew 19:28, Matthew 23:22, Matthew 25:31, Luke 1:32, Luke 22:30, Acts 2:30, etc.).
- The seat [throne] of the beast was given to Him by Satan (Revelation 13:2).
- Darkness covered the kingdom of the beast. Think back to Egypt (Exodus 10:21-22) or the time when Jesus was put to death (Mark 15:33).
- With grievous sores (Revelation 16:2), dead sea creatures (Revelation 16:3), water turned to blood (Revelation 16:4), the sun scorching men with fire and heat (Revelation 16:8-9), and now in darkness; they gnawed their tongues for the pain the felt.
- This is a form of Hell on earth (cf. Matthew 13:41-42 and Matthew 18:11-12).
- As we saw in this context already (Revelation 16:9), they still did not repent.
- Instead of repentance, they blasphemed God (Proverbs 19:3). Why, when this is simply a just recompense of their own doings (Lamentations 3:39)?
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.”
- We read one other time of the great river Euphrates in the New Testament. The sixth angel that had a trumpet loosed four angels that were bound in the great river Euphrates (Revelation 9:14).
- There are other mentions of Euphrates in the Bible. The first being in relation to the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:14). The second in relation to a promise to Abraham (Genesis 15:18). Then various other mentions thereafter (Deuteronomy 1:7, Deuteronomy 11:24, Joshua 1:4, etc.).
- God has long ago shown His might in being able to dry up seas and rivers so that man could cross (Exodus 14:21-22, Joshua 3:11-17, and Isaiah 11:11-15).
- God has also shown that He can choose when and what invading army will carry out His will at the time He chooses (Isaiah 44:21-45:6).
Revelation 16:13-14 “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. 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.”
- Unclean spirits (Zechariah 13:1-6, Matthew 10:1, Matthew 12:43-45, Mark 1:21-28, Mark 5:1-17, Mark 7:24-30, Acts 5:12-16, etc.).
- “LIKE” frogs; the unclean spirits came out of the mouths of the dragon, beast, and false prophet [second beast]. Think of the imagery as in an over abundance of unclean spirits coming forth similar to the literal of the abundance of frogs God had come forth in Egypt (Psalms 105:30).
- The unclean spirits, or spirits of devils, worked miracles. This in efforts to work with the goal of the false prophet (Revelation 19:20).
- They worked through people (Acts 16:16).
- This is why saints were to “try the spirits” (I John 4:1-6) which was a spiritual gift in itself (I Corinthians 12:3-11).
- Their purpose was too build their own army against the Lord, but they shall fail (Revelation 17:14).
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.”
- The Lord coming as a thief is the point here. This applies in two ways. First, in context of John’s Revelation, this coming is one of Judgment in the more immediate timeframe (Revelation 1:1-3, Revelation 3:3, Revelation 3:11, Revelation 22:6-7, Revelation 22:12, and Revelation 22:20).
- The second way this applies is in general is to the final judgment (Matthew 24:35-44, I Thessalonians 4:13-5:4, and II Peter 3:10-14).
- So, in both cases, the faithful are wise to watch and be ready (Matthew 25:1-13, I Thessalonians 5:6, and Revelation 3:2).
- What happens if one is not ready? That one is exposed and put to shame (Isaiah 47:1-3).
Revelation 16:16 “And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”
- In Hebrew this is Megiddo or Megiddon (Strong’s # 4023). The tribe of Manasseh was given the land wherein Megiddo was located (Joshua 17:11).
- Megiddo is mentioned in Deborah and Barak’s song of praise (Judges 5) as a place of battle (Judges 5:19). God had delivered the enemies of Israel into their hands there as He promised (Judges 4:7).
- King Josiah was slain at Megiddo (II Kings 23:28-30 and II Chronicles 35:22-25).
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 chapter began with the first vial being poured out (Revelation 16:1-2). Now, we are about to see the seventh and final vial poured out.
- This vial is poured into the air. The air as in: “1) the air, particularly the lower and denser air as distinguished from the higher and rarer air; 2) the atmospheric region” (Thayer; Strong’s # 109). Satan is referred to as the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:1-3). If, and again I say if, there is anything related to that it is not not clear from this text. It could just be the “air” as the word means such (i.e. Acts 22:23 and I Thessalonians 4:17).
- The voice from the throne does not necessarily mean the Lord is talking (Revelation 5:11 and Revelation 19:5-6).
- The “it” is relative to the immediate context. The pouring out of wrath was accomplished. There is another “it is done” coming later when the bride comes down from above (Revelation 21:1-6).
- This is relevant also in that “it is done” also means things are changing around the figurative temple in Heaven (Revelation 15:6-8).
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.”
- John has seen and heard this before (Revelation 4:5 and Revelation 11:19).
- We also read earlier in this letter of vision that John saw an earthquake with like things he is seeing here (Revelation 8:5). The difference here is that this earthquake was more than had ever been seen before. Before a tenth of the great city fell with an earthquake and seven thousand died (Revelation 11:13). This one is obviously greater. Think of the escalation in judgment here.
- Times like these are remembered (Amos 1:1 and Zechariah 14:5).
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. Revelation 14:8-10
- Babylon came in remembrance before God is like saying this reminded God of Babylon (Isaiah 13:19, Isaiah 14:4, and Jeremiah 25:9-14).
Revelation 16:20 “And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.”
- This is a statement to show the terror concerning the coming wrath of God. See: Nahum 1:1-6
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.”
- We have seen similar in this prophetic vision [as far as hail out of Heaven] (Revelation 8:7 and Revelation 11:19).
- Think back to what the Lord did when the five kings came up against Gibeon (Joshua 10:5-11).
- As we saw earlier in this chapter, they do not repent. No, they blasphemy God instead (Revelation 16:9-11).
Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22