The Seven Vials – Seven Plagues Revelation 14:1 – 16:21
Revelation (Chapter 14)
1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.
14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Revelation (Chapter 15)
1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
Revelation (Chapter 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.
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 worshiped his image.
3 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.
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 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.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
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.
10 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,
11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
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.
13 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.
14 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.
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.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
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.
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.
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.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
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.
As Christ was revealing himself John saw several visions of events that will occur either at or just prior to His return and recorded them in chapter 14. The world has by this time seen seven years of tribulation like none heretofore imagined or revealed, and the end is drawing near. Like many of the prior visions we have considered, most of these are introduced with the sound of a voice or by the entrance of an angel. The events we will now consider begin to unfold with the Lamb on Mount Zion and end with the Son of Man treading the wine press of God, having victory over the kingdom of the beast. All the visions of chapter 14 are preliminary to the revelation of the seven last plagues. In chapter 15 John will also view the preparations of the angels who would deliver the seven last plagues.
After the preparatory visions of chapters 14 and 15, John saw visions of the terrible seven final plagues recorded in chapter 16. All the events of these three chapters may be applied to a time near the end of the seven-year Tribulation. Following a chronological order, after the seven last plagues are delivered in chapter 16, all things are ready for the return of Christ in chapter 19. As we’ll see in a subsequent article, chapters 17 and 18 break the chronology somewhat and present a more detailed view of the kingdom of Babylon before the vision of the returning Christ.
The Kingdom of the Lamb (Revelation 14:1 – 7)
(Chapter 14)
1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
The Lamb on Mount Zion
The Lamb is here portrayed as having returned and standing “on the Mount Sion,” or Zion. The name Zion originally referred to the old city of David on the southeast hill of Jerusalem, a fortress hilltop David captured from the Jebusites, as found in 2 Samuel 5:4-10; 1 Kings 8:1 and 2 Chronicles 5:2. Through the passing years of history the area identified by the name Mount Zion has been expanded to include all of Jerusalem. The term Zion has also been used in a poetic manner to refer to God’s people dwelling properly and submissively under His rule. In this text the important connotation is that Mount Zion is the place of the throne of David. John, therefore, saw a vision of the Lamb, or Christ, in His rightful position as ruler over Israel, returned to sit on the throne of David.
The 144,000
A group of persons, 144,000, stood with the Lamb on Mount Zion. The number 144,000 has the multiples of 12,000 times 12, and we can recall that 12 is the number of God’s government. Some scholars suggest this number is representative of the fullness of the kingdom of the Lamb.
These 144,000 are commended for their good works. Good works should be done in a New Testament church, and those who do so will be rewarded. The description of Revelation 14:4, 5 seems to describe those who have served faithfully within a New Testament church. This group had not been “defiled with women,” meaning that they had not been defiled with false religion in spiritual adultery, a sin that can be committed by people individually or a church body corporately. These may then be compared to the virgins with oil in their lamps as described in Matthew 25:1 or in verse 8 to follow. This group follows the Lamb “withersoever he goeth,” meaning that they are not only faithful followers but faithful doers in serving Him. They were redeemed from the earth and are the “firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb,” which is to say their redemption is a result of the resurrection of the Son of God, the Lamb. “No guile” was found in their mouths. Guile refers to false teachings. Jesus once spoke (in John 4) of the “true worshipers” in speaking of his called out assembly of the New Testament church, and said of it that it worshiped the Lord “in spirit and in truth.” As an institution the New Testament church is then the pillar and ground of truth of which Paul writes in 1 Timothy 3:15. This group of 144,000 is also described as “without fault.” Recognizing that all men are sinners and that all flesh is condemned, it is impossible for man to be without fault within himself. However, this description can be applied to a church of the Lord, and thus to the membership collectively. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2). Spiritual purity is of the utmost importance.
A New Song
While in some ways similar to the scene of the throne of God in chapter 4, the scene in these first seven verses is different in that it is specifically portraying the earthly throne of the Lamb as Christ sits on the throne of David on Mount Zion. The voice of “many waters” and of “great thunder” could be descriptive of the voice of God; however, it seems to apply to the collective voice of the 144,000. The voice in verse 2 seems to be the same voice heard singing in verse 3. The term waters seems to especially support this interpretation.
Harpers played their instruments in the heavenly scene. In the throne scene, the twenty-four elders have harps as we saw in Revelation 5:8. Perhaps John heard the same elders playing their harps in celebration of the Lamb’s victorious return to Zion.
The 144,000, standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, sang a new song which only they could learn. Though portrayed as “on” Mount Zion, they sang the song before the heavenly throne as we learned in chapter 5. One explanation is that their song was heard and appreciated by all around the heavenly throne.
The Angel with the Gospel
An angel or messenger flies “in the midst of heaven,” or the sky. He is described as “another” because many angels have been mentioned in the Revelation. This angel has “the everlasting gospel” of 1 Corinthians 15:3-5. The term everlasting emphasizes both the eternal nature of the gospel of Jesus as Christ and the unchangeable truth of it.
The gospel is for all men in the earth. The angel cried loudly of the coming judgment, and admonished the inhabitants of the earth to fear and to worship God. In this gospel is the gracious call to repentance to all those who live in the earth (see 2 Peter 3:9).
This angel sent from God is coming to preach the gospel to the world, to plead with the devil-worshiping masses to turn toward the only One, the true God in whom salvation can be secured, the One who created all things. If these people die in their sin they are, therefore, without excuse. God has provided a means for their salvation and they can understand it through the gospel being preached to them by the angel, the church having already been translated out of the world.
The Kingdom of the Beast (Revelation 14:8 – 20)
(Chapter 14)
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.
14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
The Fall of the Kingdom
A second angel announced the fall of Babylon, the political and religious kingdom of the two beasts. We will see more detailed information about this combined kingdom in a study of chapters 17 and 18 in the next article. Babylon has made all nations to “drink the wine” of its falsehood and treachery and its description is very different from the description of the 144,000 of verse 1, where they are described as being pure from such falsehoods. The angel, however, condemned Babylon for its tempting of the nations to drink of its “fornication,” its spiritual idolatry. The religious Babylon has drawn the political nations into its bed of spiritual wickedness, and its influence on the economies of these nations is similar to the influences of the various stock exchanges and world banking systems with which we are currently familiar.
The Judgment of the Beast-worshipers
As one angel warned the inhabitants of the earth to turn in fear and worship God another angel cries loudly warning those who turn to worship the beast. He sternly warns those who received the mark of the beast that they would “drink of the wine of the wrath of God.” These are the unregenerate on earth who have willingly rejected God and worshiped the beast. The unregenerate beast-worshipers will reap the judgment of God “poured out without mixture” beginning with the seven last plagues and continuing forever in the eternal lake of fire described in Revelation 20:15. Both the holy angels and the Lamb will observe their judgments.
The Rewards for the Faithful
Many Bible students struggle with interpreting some of the Scripture passages that imply there are saved people living during the latter half of the seven-year Tribulation and, it seems, a multitude of theories have surfaced in attempts to find some other explanation. Perhaps the easiest interpretation is a simple acceptance of the fact that God’s saving grace has always been available to men and it will be available during the latter years Tribulation. While it is true that the Holy Spirit will not be working in the world in the way He did in the time of, say, Noah or as the Comforter of the New Testament church, the convicting power of the Holy Spirit was in the world in the day of Adam and Eve before the giving of the Law and before the New Testament church, so there is no apparent reason that men cannot be saved during the latter half of the seven years. To accept that people living in this period will be saved is to then answer many questions and solve many interpretive problems.
Those persons that die in the Lord (having trusted Christ) during the Tribulation will endure the persecution of the Tribulation under the man of sin and the false prophet and become martyrs for their faith. Their works will follow them, and they will receive rewards.
The Reaping of Christ
John saw a vision of One sitting upon a white cloud, like unto the Son of man. Christ used this title to in reference to Himself in Matthew 9:6. Stephen, at the moment of death, saw the Son of man standing on the right hand of God in Acts 7:56. Jesus sits poised on the cloud prepared to return to the earth at the end of the seven-year Tribulation (compare to Acts 1:9-11). He is ready to come to the Battle of Armageddon, wearing a crown signifying His royalty as the King of kings and especially as heir to the throne of David. The One on the cloud has a sickle in his hand, an instrument used for cutting and harvesting. His possession of the sickle reveals His readiness to reap the harvest of humanity. This harvest then refers not to the rapture or the resurrection but rather to a harvest of judgment upon the inhabitants of earth.
Another angel came out of the Temple in Heaven and cried to the One on the cloud in Revelation 14:15 to “thrust in” His sickle because the time had come for Him to reap. This is the time about which Jesus said in Mark 13:32, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” The angel declared that the time of which only the Father had known had now come and been made known to the Son so that he might thrust in His sickle and reap. Compare this passage to Revelation 22:20 which says “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” John’s vision continues as the One on the cloud indeed does thrust in His sickle, a reference to the Battle of Armageddon. Revelation 14:16 states, “The earth was reaped,” showing that the work of Christ in this matter and at this time will be finished according to the perfect will and plan of God. No part of the plan of God will ever be left undone.
The Winepress
While the first call to reap in verse 15 is a general call to reaping, the second call to reap is more specific. Both of these calls, however, apply to the same event: the return of Christ and His judgment of those on the earth at the Battle of Armageddon.
The angel of verse 17 came out of the Temple with a sharp sickle as a direct representative and messenger of the One on the cloud; therefore he also has a sickle. Some suggest that he bears the sickle of the One on the cloud much like a messenger might have a symbol of his representation of his master.
The angel of verse 18 came from the altar before the throne and he had power over fire. The fire on the altar was typical of judgment to purify. This angel cried to the angel with the sickle to thrust in his sickle and reap, and when the angel thrust in he gathered the grapes of harvest (humanity) and cast them into the wine press, the place where they would be trodden by the One on the cloud, Jesus Christ, at His return. We’ll learn more about this when we consider Revelation 16:16 and 19:15.
The depth of blood is to a horses’ bridle, or about four feet, and the length of the area covered is sixteen hundred furlongs (a modern furlong is six hundred sixty feet), or approximately 200 miles in distance. When we convert the linear figures into square miles, an area seven miles wide and twenty-nine miles long would constitute such an area as portrayed by sixteen hundred furlongs. This measurement (seven miles times twenty-nine miles) is nearly the size of the valley near the cities of Megiddo and Jezreel, the probable location of the Battle of Armageddon. While this volume is significant it is possible for the valley to be four feet deep in blood and flesh, and a geographical study of this valley will reveal it to be shaped similar to an ancient wine press.
Introduction of the Seven Angels (Revelation 15:1-8)
Revelation (Chapter 15)
1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
Like predawn of the day or the quiet before a storm, chapter 15 reveals that God has prepared the judgment of the ungodly and is ready to release it upon the earth. This judgment will come as seven angels pour out upon the earth their seven vials filled with seven plagues and the world draws ever-nearer the return of Jesus Christ.
Another Sign
Like his vision in chapter 4, John then saw another vision in Heaven, seven angels that had the “seven last plagues.” These are the same angels that are given the seven vials. The vials and plagues then represent the final judgment on the inhabitants of the earth. The fullness of the wrath of God is contained within these vials and their release will finish God’s plan of judgment for the inhabitants of earth for the seven-year Tribulation.
Victors on the Sea of Glass
The “sea of glass mingled with fire” is before the throne in Heaven, as we can recall from Revelation 4:6. Mingled with the fire of judgment, it represents the fact that Jesus has judged those who stand upon the sea. They held harps with which they raised praise to God for the victory, and for being allowed to share in the victory over the man of sin. They refused the man of sin and any endorsement of his system (recall Revelation 13:15 and 14:12, 13), and they will return as part of the army with Jesus to win a great victory over the man of sin at Armageddon in Revelation 19:14.
Those on the sea sing Moses’ song of victory after being delivered from the Egyptians at the Red Sea, and the song of the Lamb who was slain but lives again and forever in victory (see Exodus 15 and Revelation 1:18). Both of these songs represent deliverance and triumph.
The Open Temple
In the Holy of Holies of the Mosaic Tabernacle the blood of the sacrificial lamb was sprinkled upon the mercy seat in the presence of God, being testimony of the sacrificial lamb; the sacrificial work of Jesus is now permanently recorded in the heavenly Temple as a testimony. The Temple is then opened, representing an unveiling of judgment on the wicked.
Seven angels come forth from the Temple, revealed as having seven plagues, meaning they have authority to handle and deliver seven last judgments in the form of the plagues. The seven golden vials given them by one of the four beasts from around the throne contained the plagues and the wrath of God (refer to Revelation 21:9). Their garments are of pure and white linen, while their girdles are golden, attire appropriate for messengers coming forth from the very presence of God.
The Smoke-filled Temple
The Temple from whence came the angels is filled with smoke (compare to the smoke on Mount Sanai in Exodus 19:18). This element of the vision reveals God as being now in a mode of judgment upon man. No man could enter the Temple until these plagues are complete. God’s course of divine judgment, therefore, is set.
The First Four Vials (Revelation 16:1 – 9)
Revelation (Chapter 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.
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 worshiped his image.
3 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.
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 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.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
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.
Chapter 15 introduced seven angels with seven vials full of seven last plagues and the fullness of the wrath of God; chapter 16 reveals the angels pouring out their vials upon the earth. Recall that the time of these seven plagues is near the end of the Tribulation prior to the return of Christ. Some of the previous judgments in the trumpets and in the sixth seal are very similar to the plagues in the vials.
Let’s consider a comparison of the seven seals and the seven trumpets we’ve studied thus far with the seven vials that are about to be poured out upon the earth-
SEALS:
1 Rev. 6:1, 2 – Earth affected
2 Rev. 6:3, 4 – Earth
3 Rev. 6:5, 6 –Famine/drought
4 Rev. 6:7, 8 – Death
5 Rev. 6:9-11 – People killed
6 Rev. 6:12-17 – God’s wrath
7 Rev. 8:1-5 – Earthquake
TRUMPETS:
1 Rev. 8:7 – Earth affected
2 Rev. 8:8, 9 – Sea
3 Rev. 8:10, 11 – Fresh water
4 Rev. 8:12, 13 – Sun
5 Rev. 9:1-12 – Men tormented
6 Rev. 9:13-21 – Euphrates River
7 Rev. 11:15-19 – Earthquake
VIALS (BOWLS):
1 Rev. 16:2 – Earth affected
2 Rev. 16:3 – Sea
3 Rev. 16:4-7 – Fresh water
4 Rev. 16:8, 9 – Sun
5 Rev. 16:10, 11 – Pain
6 Rev. 16:12 – Euphrates River
7 Rev. 16:17-21 – Earthquake
A great voice from within the Temple orders the angels to pour out their vials of judgment upon the earth. This voice must either be that of God or of one representing Him with authority because this voice authorizes the angel’s actions upon the earth.
The First Vial
The first angel poured out his vial, after which a grievous “sore” fell upon the earth, the place where the man of sin rules. The sore fell specifically on those who had willfully rejected God and followed the man of sin and those who bore the “mark of the beast” also endured a very ugly and painful sore. Compare to Revelation 14:9-11.
The Second Vial
When the second angel poured out his vial the seas became “as the blood” of a dead corpse. Perhaps the seas become jelled, like congealed blood, and are thus no longer able to support life. If oxygen is removed from the sea all living things in it will die. Compare to Revelation 8:8, 9 and to Exodus 7:20.
The Third Vial
Yet a third angel empties his vial upon the fresh water supply, and the rivers and underground aquifers become blood. Here let’s be careful to note a distinction: As a result of this vial plague the fresh water becomes “blood,” rather than “as blood” in the previous plague.
The angel that had the vial affecting the waters praised the eternal Lord for His righteous judgments and declared the earth worthy of judgment, for it is guilty of rejecting Christ and His messengers. It has shed the blood of saints and now man’s drinking water has become blood. Compare to Revelation 8:10, 11.
Another voice speaks from the altar where the blood of the Lamb is shed for the world and proclaims the worthiness of the judgments of God. It is as if this voice praises God for the avenging of “the blood of saints and prophets.
The Fourth Vial
A fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, apparently affecting the sun so as to increase its heat upon the earth and the inhabitants of the earth, thereby to “scorch men with fire.” Although men on earth suffered, they still adamantly refused to repent to God. Compare to Revelation 6:12 and 8:12.
Vials Five and Six (Revelation 16:10 – 16)
10 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,
11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
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.
13 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.
14 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.
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.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
The Fifth Vial
There is a fifth angel who pours his vial “upon the seat of the beast.” This is the beast of Revelation 13:1, or the man of sin. His seat is the place of his throne and power as mentioned in Revelation 13:2. Some identify the seat of the beast as the seat of the woman, but these may not necessarily be referring to the same place. We’ll consider more about this in our study of Revelation 17:9 in the next article.
The pouring out of this vial upon the seat of the beast seems to emphasize the application of all the plagues upon the beast’s seat. The darkness from the fourth plague and the pains and sores from the previous plagues all seem to be present at the seat of the beast. The inhabitants of the seat of the beast suffered various pains yet staunchly refused to repent of their deeds and continued to blaspheme God, as we can also recall from Revelation 9:5.
The Sixth Vial
A route for the armies of the east to cross the river Euphrates is opened when the sixth vial was poured out upon it and the watercourse “dried up.” These armies are amassed to join the Battle of Armageddon. Think for a moment about Revelation 9:16. Demonic spirits working by the authority of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet go forth deceiving the world with miracles and draw them toward the battleground. Re-read Matthew 24:24 as well regarding the rise of false messiahs.
The vision that applies to the latter part of the seven-year Tribulation is now interrupted by a brief parenthetic passage as Jesus declares to John that His coming will be as the coming of a “thief.” Such a declaration is not unusual to the Scriptures in light of 1 Thessalonians 5:2. The application of Revelation 16:15 alludes to the age in which John was living, or the church age prior to the rapture. He pronounces a blessing on those who “watcheth, and keepeth his garments,” referring to the faithful of the Lord. Comparisons can be made to Revelation 3:4 and 3:18.
John’s vision returns in Revelation 16:16 to the end of the Tribulation and the final battle. Although the three evil spirits of verse 14 rally the world to the battle the “he” here probably refers to God, who is ultimately in control of the events on the earth. He, or God, gathers the nations together to a place called Armageddon. Armageddon is believed by most to refer to the plain lying in length northwest to southeast between the cities of Jezreel and Megiddo, along the river Kishon. Armageddon means the mountain of troops or the mountain of butchery.
The Seventh Vial (Revelation 16:17 – 21)
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.
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.
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.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
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.
It is Done
The seventh angel poured his vial “into the air” over creation. The other vials were possibly done likewise, though they are not specifically described in that way. The pouring of the seventh vial is more detailed to emphasize the consummation of the plan of God’s judgments on the earth during the Tribulation period. As Jesus spoke from the cross, “It is finished,” God, who is finishing His work of judgment out of His Temple and from His throne, declares, “It is done.”
A Great Earthquake
As the finality of the judgments approach, a voice speaks from the throne. “Thunders, and lightnings” and “a great earthquake” occur, far greater than any earthquake since the creation of man (see Revelation 6:12-17; Isaiah 2:19-22; Daniel 12:1 and Haggai 2:6, 7). It may well be accompanied by intense volcanic action and other natural events correspondent to the movement of the plates upon which the surface of the earth rest.
The earthquake affects the great city, Jerusalem, and divides it “into three parts” and causes many cities, seemingly strongholds of the beast-followers, to be destroyed. Among them is the “great Babylon” representing the capital of false religion. Islands sink and mountains fall (compare to Revelation 6:14). Again, we will take this up in more detail with the next article.
Hail Out of Heaven
“Hail out of heaven,” or the earth’s atmosphere, could be either rocks from volcanic action or avalanches from mountains, a combination of both, or ice hail such as we are familiar with supernaturally formed to massive proportions. Although it seems somewhat unlikely, it could also manifest as a meteorite shower. The “weight of a talent” – variously from fifty to one hundred pounds – is without doubt large enough to be fatal to anyone struck by such a hailstone and destructive to any equipment or man-made structure it strikes. Still men refused to repent, and blaspheme God for the plague rather than acknowledging their responsibility for the judgments they are enduring. Reconsider Revelation 6:16 and 9:20, 21.
Summary (Revelation 14:1 – 16:21)
In this passage we see the wicked rejecting God and continuing to align themselves with the man of sin. They bear the mark of the beast and worship him. God, therefore, will send His judgments on the ungodly of the earth. His judgments consist of seven vials full of seven plagues. God will send seven angels to pour the plagues of the vials upon the earth, plagues that will cause tragic conditions throughout the earth and affect the lives of men in such a way as to cause horrific suffering and pain.
Although the wicked endure the suffering of the plagues they do not repent, instead rejecting God and continuing in their rebellion, proving they are worthy of the judgments of the seven last plagues. The passage of Scripture we have considered covers a great deal of ground in a very limited amount of space, perhaps leaving the reader with questions or alternate interpretations. As always, you are welcome to respond or to correspond with questions or comments.
Babylon, mentioned frequently to this point the The Revelation, will be the topic of our study in the next article. Until then be blessed and share the Gospel – the need is urgent.
Tom