By James M. Rochford

Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

John continues another interlude before the judgment of the bowls. This is similar to his pattern of describing Heaven in Revelation 4-5 before revealing the seals in Revelation 6.

(15:1) “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.”

After this judgment, God’s wrath will be complete and “finished.”

(15:2) “And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.”

Instead of a tumultuous sea, we have a “sea of glass.” Of course, John uses the language of simile (“like a sea of glass”). In Revelation, the “sea” refers to fallen humanity in rebellion to God. A “sea of glass” reflects imagery of total peace with one another and with God.

In the Exodus, the people of God went through the Red Sea. Walls of water appeared on both sides as they passed to safety. Here, the people stand on top of the “sea of glass.”

(15:3-4) “And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! ⁴ Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; for all the nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Why do the believers repeat the “Song of Moses” in this chapter? Originally, Moses’ song depicted God’s love for his people after the judgment of the evil Egyptians after crossing the Red Sea (Ex. 15:1-18; Deut. 32). This song was “sung on Sabbath evenings in the synagogue service” and its “imagery was stamped on the consciousness of every pious Jew.”^[1] Similarly, this song repeats God’s love for his people and his judgment for their persecutors. They do not mention anything about their suffering or their works. The whole focus is on God’s love.

“Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God.” This is the same language used to describe God’s judgment (v.1).

“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?” This is precisely the question that has been driving the conflict in this book: The world is refusing turn to God—even though he is the only one worthy of worship.

God begins to pour out his wrath

(15:5) “After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened.”

This is it. The final judgment in the Tribulation. God’s tabernacle in Heaven opens to pour out judgment on Earth. Originally, the Tabernacle contained the legal evidence against the people. Now, God opens this Tabernacle to execute judgment. Regarding this period of history, Jesus said, “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” (Mt. 24:22).

(15:6-7) “And the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. ⁷ Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.”

One of the four creatures gives the bowl of judgment (i.e. God’s wrath) to the angels. Every person who receives Christ comes out from under God’s wrath.

(15:8) “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.”

Hitchcock points to how sports teams or boxers come out of the locker room with smoke to show their power and to intimidate their opponents. Just imagine what this smoke from Heaven will look like! No one could come into God’s presence until he expended all of his wrath.

In this chapter, we find many allusions to the Exodus. This shows that the Exodus was a type (or prototype) of what we will find at the end of history: God will vanquish a New Tyrant (Satan), hold a New Passover (through Jesus), and rescue a New People (believers in Christ).

Questions for Reflection

Read verses 3-4. What is the significance in the fact that believers will sing the same song that Moses wrote after being saved from Egypt at the Red Sea?

Revelation 16 (The Bowls of Wrath)

Revelation 16 describes the culmination and finality of God’s judgment on the human race during the Tribulation. Hitchcock refers to this as the darkest chapter in the history of humankind, and it’s hard to disagree. Indeed, John uses the term mega eleven times in this chapter to capture the enormity and severity of this climatic event.

The bowls of God’s wrath are strangely reminiscent of the plagues that occurred during the Exodus. This synchronizes with this chapter happening immediately after the “Song of Moses” (Rev. 15). This occurs right at the end of the Tribulation and right before the Second Coming of Jesus. Morris^[2] notes that the first four bowls relate to the natural order (vv.1-9), while the final three bowls relate to the political and military order (vv.10-21). Thus, this is a time of both intense ecological destruction, as well as political anarchy.

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

“I heard a loud voice from the temple.” This must be the voice of God himself. Earlier, we read, “No one was able to enter the temple” (Rev. 15:8). Of course, God would be an exception. This means that it is God himself who is ordering the judgment on Planet Earth.

It’s finally time for the seven angels to bring God’s ultimate judgment on the earth, and these judgments humiliate the Antichrist. After all, the Antichrist claimed to have “peace and safety” (1 Thess. 5:3?), but God shatters his “image management” by demonstrating who is the true Sovereign over creation.

Angel #1 brings sores (Ex. 9:10-11?)

(16:2) “So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.”

Earlier, those who refused the mark of the beast were unable to engage in commerce (Rev. 13:17). Surely, this led to unemployment and starvation. Now, the tables have turned. These sores only affect those who took the mark.

Angel #2 brings bloody waters on the seas (Ex. 7:17-21?)

(16:3) “The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.”

“It became blood like that of a dead man.” This might mean that the marine life dies in the ocean, and the water mixed with blood. Earlier, God’s judgment brought death for only one third of marine life: “A third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died” (Rev. 8:9). This judgment, however, results in “every living thing” dying in the sea. With the death of all marine life, this must occur at the end of the Tribulation—for life on Earth won’t last very long after this event.

Angel #3 brings blood into the rivers and springs (freshwater)

(16:4) “Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood.”

All fresh water is putrefied. Again, this marks the end of the Tribulation because humans wouldn’t last long without potable water. This fits with Jesus’ statement, “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” (Mt. 24:22).

(16:5-7) “And I heard the angel of the waters saying, ‘Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; ⁶ for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.’ ⁷ And I heard the altar saying, ‘Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.’”

The reason for turning the water into blood is because these people poured out the blood of believers (“they poured out the blood of saints and prophets”). Therefore, they “deserve” judgment.

“I heard the altar saying.” Why is the altar speaking? This is the only occurrence where the altar is said to speak. We reject the view that the altar is being personified in a symbolic way (contra Thomas^[3]). Rather, this is the collective voice of the martyrs living within the altar who are agreeing with God’s judgment (Rev. 6:9-10). Earlier, we read that the martyrs huddled under the altar, asking God when he would bring judgment: “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; ¹⁰ and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Rev. 6:9-10) Here, that prayer is finally answered.

Angel #4 brings a magnified sun that scorches the earth

(16:8-9) “The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. ⁹ Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.”

“Poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire.” The angel doesn’t strike the Planet Earth, but the Sun. Is this some sort of solar flare? We’re unsure, but the result is that humans were “scorched with fierce heat.” They didn’t die, however, because they still refuse to turn to God (v.9). They could’ve repented (Rev. 11:13), but they refused.

Angel #5 brought darkness

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

Satan gave this “throne” to the Beast, but now God is destroying it. With surgical precision, God directed the darkness “on the throne of the beast.” This humiliated his authority and power, placing him under judgment. But, instead of repenting, the people blasphemed God all the more, and they refused to repent. Morris writes, “Even grievous pain did not awaken them to the realities of the situation.”^[4] Elsewhere, he writes, “Like Pharaoh, they have hardened their hearts, and repentance is out of the question. They have gradually taken on the character of the false god they serve.”^[5]

Angel #6 dries up the Euphrates River

(16:12) “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.”

John mentioned how the four angels were bound to the Euphrates River, and they were released to destroy a third of humanity (Rev. 9:13-15). Now, we see a clearer picture: John sees military warfare combining with the release of this judgment. We don’t know the precise identity of the “kings from the east,” but according to the context, they need to be nations east of the Euphrates River. In order to possess an army of 200 million people, it must be an incredibly large nation (China? Russia?).

“The Euphrates… Its water was dried up.” In 2009, Time magazine reported, “Throughout the marshes, the reed gatherers, standing on land they once floated over, cry out to visitors in a passing boat. ‘Maaku mai!’ they shout, holding up their rusty sickles. ‘There is no water!’ The Euphrates is drying up. Strangled by the water policies of Iraq’s neighbors, Turkey and Syria; a two-year drought; and years of misuse by Iraq and its farmers, the river is significantly smaller than it was just a few years ago. Some officials worry that it could soon be half of what it is now. The shrinking of the Euphrates, a river so crucial to the birth of civilization that the Book of Revelation prophesied its drying up as a sign of the end times, has decimated farms along its banks, has left fishermen impoverished and has depleted riverside towns as farmers flee to the cities looking for work… Along the river, rice and wheat fields have turned to baked dirt. Canals have dwindled to shallow streams, and fishing boats sit on dry land. Pumps meant to feed water treatment plants dangle pointlessly over brown puddles.”^[6] This would be somewhat suspicious if this wasn’t coming from a secular magazine like Time, especially since the author correlates this phenomenon with biblical prophecy.

Alternate interpretations

Mounce^[7] alludes to an ancient context to refer to the Parthian rulers led by Nero (Sibylline Oracles, 4:115-39). This overlaps with a Preterist reading of the text.

The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet gather the nations for war

(16:13-14) “And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs, ¹⁴ for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.”

“Coming out of the mouth… unclean spirits like frogs… spirits of demons.” The reference to unclean spirits coming out of the “mouth” could be “indicative of a propaganda campaign through which the unholy trinity will lead most to an unconditional commitment to evil in the last days.”^[8] The “satanic trinity”^[9] of evil (i.e. the dragon, beast, and false prophet) use this propaganda machine to gather together all of the nations on earth for a final world war (“the kings of the whole world”).

Why are these spirits compared to “frogs”? This harkens back to the plague of the frogs in the Exodus (Ex. 8:3). Mounce^[10] thinks this could refer to their “uncleanness” or perhaps their irritating and “endless croaking.” Morris^[11] thinks that this shows the pathetic nature of these demons. That is, frogs are slimy, ugly, and annoying, but they are certainly not at the top of the animal kingdom. Regardless, we know that they are identified as “demons.”

“Gather them together for the war.” This is similar to how demons “enticed” Ahab to go to war (1 Kin. 22:19-22).

(16:15) “(‘Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.’)”

Interjected into this anarchy are the words of Jesus: “I am coming like a thief.” Jesus used this language of “coming like a thief” to refer to his Second Coming (Mt. 24:42-44; Lk. 12:39-40; Rev. 3:3), as did Paul (1 Thess. 5:2) and Peter (2 Pet. 3:10). Just when the rulers of the world expect it the least, the Creator of the world will return to bring judgment and peace.

“Keeps his clothes.” Thomas^[12] suggests that this refers to avoiding the “consequent shame of having one’s disgraceful sin exposed to the eyes of all.” It is a “figurative way of speaking of spiritual destitution.” Isaiah writes, “Your nakedness will be uncovered, your shame also will be exposed” (Isa. 47:3; cf. Ezek. 16:37; 23:24-29; Hos. 2:10; Nah. 3:5).

(16:16) “And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.”

This is where we get the idea of the “battle(s) of Armageddon.” Armageddon is not a generic concept of destruction. It is a literal place of battle. The valley of Megiddo is 20 miles long and 14 miles wide. If we render this as “Harmagedon,” this could refer to the “hill country near Megiddo or perhaps a reference to Megiddo and Mt. Carmel in the same breath.”^[13] We’re not entirely sure of the specific location: “The cryptic nature of the reference has thus far defeated all attempts at a final answer.”^[14] However, the general region of Megiddo is known—even if the particular place is debated.

Thomas also holds that a larger region is in view: “The plain of Megiddo is admittedly not large enough to contain armies from all over the world, so this must be the assembly area for a much larger deployment that covers a two hundred mile distance from north to south and the width of Palestine from east to west (cf. 14:20). Some decisive battles against this massive force will probably occur around Jerusalem (Zech. 14:1-3).”^[15]

Hitchcock thinks that these armies gather together to destroy Israel. Another possibility is that these armies come from the Beast, and they are fighting the “kings of the east” (v.12). This battle will spread blood over 200 miles (Rev. 14:20).

Angel #7 brings judgment upon the air or perhaps into the air.

(16:17) “Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, ‘It is done.’”

After this angel brings judgment, the wrath of God is complete (“It is done”).

(16:18) “And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.”

This language about lightning and an earthquake is seen throughout the OT and the NT to refer to the coming of Christ. This will be the most cataclysmic earthquake that the world has ever known (“such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth”). Regarding the original audience in Asia Minor, Mounce comments, “This would have a vivid impact upon people living in a century that had experienced a great number of severe quakes.”^[16]

“There was a great earthquake.” This is plausible due to the fact that the Dead Sea Fault Line cuts directly through Israel from north to south. It is ten miles from Jerusalem, but an earthquake could certainly tear the city apart (v.19).

(16:19) “The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.”

The city is split into three parts, and God force feeds Babylon her cup of wrath. This correlates with Zechariah’s prophecy about this period of history: “In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. ⁵ You will flee by the valley of My mountains… Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him! ⁶ In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. ⁷ For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD… ⁸ And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea” (Zech. 14:4-8).

(16:20) “And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.”

Are the islands and mountains blown away? Submerged? According to Zechariah 14:8, water will pour out onto the land, which implies submersion. Moreover, Zechariah writes, “All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site” (Zech. 14:10). Some commentators understand this to refer to political turmoil, but the language implies “literal topographical changes.”^[17] We should expect nothing less. After all, this is the end of the world!

(16:21) “And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.”

Right to the bitter end, these people will refuse to turn to God, choosing to blaspheme God rather than turn to him (“men blasphemed God”).

(Rev. 16:21) How could hailstones be this big? It may be true that it is physically or naturally impossible for hail to be this big. That is, natural forces are unable to make hail this big, but what about supernatural forces? Is it any more difficult for an omnipotent being to create a two-pound ice cube, rather than a 100-pound one? Furthermore, God has done this before (Ex. 9:22ff; Josh. 10:11). Another view is that this describes warfare, but it is being described through the vehicle of perspectival language.

(Rev. 16:21) Could the 100-pound hailstones actually be fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70? We reject this Preterist reading of the text. Josephus states that the Romans hurled 100-pound white stones at Jerusalem in the Jewish War (Jewish Wars 5.6.3). However, because the Jews dodged these large white stones, the Romans began to paint these black: “Romans contrived how to prevent that by blacking the stone.” Furthermore, the context refers to a massive earthquake that split Jerusalem into thirds (Rev. 16:19) and destroyed the topography across the world (Rev. 16:20). Even if verse 21 fits with a Preterist reading, how does the rest of the context fit with it?

Questions for Reflection

Read chapter 16. What similarities do you see between these final judgments and the 10 plagues that God gave to Pharaoh and the Egyptians? (Ex. 7-10) In your thinking, are these similarities meaningful?

Read chapter 16. From the text, what reasons do you see for God having the right to judge the Earth in such a severe way?

• “They poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it” (v.6).
• “They blasphemed the name of God… they did not repent so as to give Him glory” (v.9).
• “They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains… they did not repent of their deeds” (v.11).
• “Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail” (v.21).

God’s judgment is strikingly scary throughout this chapter. But perhaps even scarier is the fact that humans refuse to repent and only persist in blaspheming God. Why do you think that humans refuse to repent during such a terrible time?

^[1] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 285.

^[2] Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 188.

^[3] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1995), 254.

^[4] Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 189.

^[5] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 296.

[6] Emphasis mine. Campbell Robertson, “Iraq Suffers as the Euphrates River Dwindles.” Time. July 13, 2009.

^[7] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 298.

^[8] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1995), 264.

^[9] Eugene H. Peterson, Reversed Thunder (San Francisco: Harper, 1988), p.127. Cited in Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 256.

^[10] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 299.

^[11] Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 190.

^[12] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1995), 267-268.

^[13] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 301.

^[14] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 302.

^[15] Emphasis mine. Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1995), 270–271.

^[16] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 303.

^[17] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1995), 277.