Chapter 16
21 verses — switch translations with the toolbar below.
Scripture
KJV1And 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.
2And 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.
3And 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.
4And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5And 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.
6For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
7And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9And 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.
10And 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,
11And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
12And 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.
13And 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.
14For 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.
15Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17And 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.
18And 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.
19And 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.
20And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21And 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.
“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”
Overview
The seven angels pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath upon the earth in rapid succession. These final plagues bring grievous sores, the sea and rivers turning to blood, scorching heat, darkness over the beast's kingdom, the drying up of the Euphrates to prepare the way for the kings of the east, and finally a catastrophic earthquake and great hail. Despite the intensity of these judgments, people blaspheme God and refuse to repent.
Key Themes
The Fullness of Divine Judgment
The bowl judgments are the most intense in Revelation, striking the entire earth rather than portions, demonstrating that God's patience has a limit and His justice will be fully executed.
The Battle of Armageddon
Demonic spirits gather the kings of the earth to the place called Armageddon for the great battle, revealing that the forces of evil will make one final, futile stand against God.
Persistent Rebellion
The repeated refrain that people 'blasphemed God' and 'repented not' despite devastating judgments reveals the depth of human rebellion and the impossibility of self-salvation.
Study Questions
How do the bowl judgments parallel the plagues of Egypt, and what does this connection suggest about God's purposes?
Why does Jesus insert the warning 'Behold, I come as a thief' in the midst of these judgments, and what response does He desire?
What does the gathering at Armageddon represent — is it a literal location, a symbol of ultimate conflict, or both?
How is it possible that people experiencing such undeniable displays of God's power continue to blaspheme rather than repent?
What does the declaration 'It is done' at the seventh bowl communicate about the finality of God's judgment?
Connection to Christ
Christ's voice breaks into the narrative with 'Behold, I come as a thief: blessed is he that watcheth,' reminding believers that His return is the ultimate purpose behind these events. The judgment poured out through these bowls is the righteous response of a holy God to sin — the same sin that Christ bore on the cross for all who would believe. His return brings both judgment and salvation.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Revelation 16. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?