Revelation 16 – Part 1

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

We have already seen in our study of the book of Revelation, two series of seven judgments called the seal judgments which took place during the first half of the Tribulation (6:1-17; 8:1-5) and the trumpet judgments which began at the middle of the Tribulation (8:7-9:21; 11:15-19). We have learned that God’s future judgment will not take place all at once in one catastrophic event to destroy life as we know it. Instead, it will take place through many judgments throughout the future seven-year Tribulation on earth, with each judgment permitting humankind to repent before the next judgment. We have also seen that God’s judgments will increase in severity, providing greater incentive to get right with God and showing that the end of evil is coming soon. 1

Although many people on earth will believe in Jesus for His gift of salvation during this time because of the proclamation of the truth by God’s witnesses (Revelation 7:1-17; 11:1-12), the majority of people will continue in their unbelief and rebellion against God. We are now ready for the third and final series of seven judgments called the bowl judgments which will lead up to the battle of Armageddon (16:1-21).

We saw in Revelation 15 a procession of “seven angels” coming out of the heavenly “temple” from God’s presence, with each angel having received a “plague” or judgment from God (15:6). Foreshadowed by the “song of Moses” (15:3) which was sung by Moses after God swallowed up Israel’s Egyptian enemies by the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-18), some of these bowl judgments will be like the plagues God brought upon Egypt through Moses (Exodus 7-12).

John writes, “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.’” (Revelation 16:1). The wordtranslatedas “loud” (megalēs) is frequently translatedas “great” in other parts of this chapter.Humankind will be scorched with “great” heat (16:9), traumatized with a “great” earthquake (16:18), and are clobbered with “great” hail from heaven (16:20). This repeated emphasis underscores the tremendous intensity of the wrath of God which will be poured out in “full strength into the cup of His indignation” (cf. 14:10). 2 These bowl judgments will be greater and more severe than anything that has happened in the preceding events. 3

Swindoll observes “that the first four judgments relate to the natural world: the earth, the sea, the rivers, and the sun (16:1-9). The next two bowls affect the political world: the beast’s throne and the armies of the world (16:10-16). Finally, the seventh bowl judgment wraps everything up, bringing all judgments to an end (16:17-21).” 4

Recently someone asked me why the wicked seem to prosper more and the righteous seem to suffer more in our world today. Asaph made a similar observation when he wrote, 12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who are always at ease; they increase in riches. 13 Surely, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence. 14 For all day long I have been plagued and chastened every morning.” (Psalm 73:12-14).  Even though Asaph sought to live righteously for the Lord, he got a raw deal in life while the wicked seemed to prosper.

Does that sound familiar to you? Perhaps you work hard in school to get a B+ while a fellow student cheats and gets an A and earns a scholarship that would have been yours! Your ungodly co-workers get promoted using flattery and gossip, but you follow the rules and lose your job! You faithfully make your payment on your auto insurance, but a careless driver without insurance hits your car and lets you pay for the damages!  5 You watch the news media provide positive coverage of a politician who rarely keeps his word and makes policies that murder the innocent and reward the wicked. But a God-fearing politician who seeks to defend the innocent and reward those who are law abiding, is given little support from the media. Were any of these cases fair? Not at all! Have you cried out to God like Asaph did concerning the injustices of this present godless world!?!

Just as God will repay the wicked during the last part of the Tribulation period through the bowl judgments, He will also hold every person accountable for his or her life. Remembering this fact will help us endure the injustices of this fallen world and look to the Lord to turn the tables one day so justice will be served. Instead of taking vengeance into our own hands, we can release our anger, frustration, and resentment to the Lord and let Him deal with injustice in His time and way (Romans 12:17-19).

Prayer: Lord God, we praise You for reminding us that Your judgment is inescapable. Although the wicked seem to prosper today while Your people seem to suffer for living righteously, the day is coming when You will turn the tables and serve justice to all. This present world system which rewards evil and punishes godliness, will come to a tragic end when the Lord Jesus returns to defeat His enemies. Knowing this enables us to endure the injustices of this fallen world as we look to You to make things right in Your time and way. Help us O Lord, not to take vengeance into our own hands, but to release our hurts, frustrations, and resentments to You so nothing separates us from living in close fellowship with You and Your people. In the name of Him Who is faithful and true, the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

ENDNOTES:

1. Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on Revelation (Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary Book 15, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2014 Kindle Edition), pg. 294.

2. Bob Vacendak; Robert Wilkin; J. Bond; Gary Derickson; Brad Doskocil; Zane Hodges; Dwight Hunt; Shawn Leach, The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition (Grace Evangelical Society, Kindle Edition, 2019), pg. 1557.

3. John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary Epistles and Prophecy, Editors John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (David C. Cook, 2018 Kindle Edition), location 5953.

4. Swindoll, pp. 294-295.

5. Adapted from Ibid., pg. 304.