The Seven Bowls
Chronologically this chapter is close to the time of
the second coming of Christ, and the judgments described fall in rapid succession.
Alford says, "There can then be no doubt here, not only that the series reaches
on to the time of the end, but that the whole of it is to be placed close to the
same time" (The Greek Testament, 4:696). Daniel indicated that these closing
days of the Tribulation will be a time of world war (Dan. 11:36-45). World events
are now pictured by John as rapidly coming to their climax.
(Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 966 )
The First Bowl (Rev. 16:1-2)
Ugly and Painful Sores for those who have taken the Mark of the Beast
When the first angel ... poured out his bowl of wrath, it produced ugly and painful
sores on those who had the beast's mark and worshiped his image.
(Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 966 )
The Second Bowl (Rev. 16:3)
A Third of the Sea Turned to Blood
It is probable that the ocean here did not chemically correspond to human blood,
but that it looked like blood and had the same effect in killing everything. Just
as in the second trumpet, the blood here is analogous to the first plague in
Egypt (Ex. 7:20-25). As most of the earth's surface is covered by the seas, this
is a worldwide, tremendous judgment. (Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 967 )
The Third Bowl (Rev. 16:4-7)
A Third of the Rivers and Streams Turned to Blood
Just as the third trumpet made 'a third of the waters' bitter (Rev. 8:11), so the
third ... bowl extends the judgment of the second bowl on the sea to rivers and springs
and they became blood (Rev. 16:4). John heard the angel in charge of the waters
proclaim that God the Holy One is just in His judgments (v. 5). For God's
work in turning the waters to blood is in response to the shedding of the blood
of ... saints and prophets (v. 6). This is echoed by a word from the altar declaring
the judgment just (v. 7; cf. 15:3).
(Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 967 )
The Fourth Bowl (Rev.16:8-9)
Intense Heat of the Sun
This judgment focused the intense heat of the sun. In response, people
cursed ... God and refused to repent [i.e., change their minds] (cf. v. 11).
By contrast, the fourth trumpet (8:12) darkened a third of the heavens but
did not include additional intense heat. It is clear from this and other
prophecies that dramatic changes in climate will occur in the Great Tribulation.
(Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 967 )
The Fifth Bowl (Rev. 16:10-11)
Darkness AND more Painful Sores
This judgment was directed toward the beast's throne, imposed darkness on the earth,
and inflicted painful sores (cf. v. 2) on people. Again they cursed ...
God and refused to repent. This is the last reference in Revelation to a failure to
repent (cf. 2:21; 9:21; 16:9; cf., however, 16:21). The fifth bowl is similar to
the fifth trumpet (9:1-11) in that both will bring darkness, but the fifth
trumpet has to do with demon possession rather than physical pain.
(Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 967 )
The Sixth Bowl (Rev. 16:12-16)
Euphrates River Dried
[T]he great river Euphrates ... is the water boundary between the Holy Land
and Asia to the east. While the implication is that the water is dried up by
an act of God, the fact is that dams have been built across the Euphrates River
in this century to divert water for irrigation so that there are times even today
when there is little or no water in the Euphrates...The drying up of this river
is also predicted in Isaiah 11:15. (Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 968 )
The Seventh Bowl (Rev. 16:17-21)
A GREAT Earthquake! 100 LBS Hailstones!
John saw lightning flashes and heard thunder, which was followed by a severe
earthquake (16:18). John was then informed that this will be the greatest
earthquake of all time (other earthquakes are mentioned in 8:5 and 11:19), and
the resulting description indicates that it will affect the whole earth with the
possible exception of the land of Israel. The great city which split into three
parts refers to the destruction of Babylon. The most important event, however,
is that the cities of the nations collapsed. The huge earthquake will reduce to
rubble all the cities of the nations (Gentiles). The stage is thus being set
for the second coming of Christ. Obviously in the collapse of the world's cities
there will be tremendous loss of life and destruction of what is left of the world
empire.
(Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 969 )
In addition to the terrible earthquake and probably because of it, John recorded,
Every island fled away and mountains could not be found.
These verses (vv. 18-20) if taken literally, indicate topographical changes in
the earth which eventually will also include great changes in the Holy Land
in preparation for Christ's Millennial Kingdom. (Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 969 )
In addition to the earthquake, huge hailstones of about 100 pounds fell on people.
Such huge masses of ice supernaturally formed would destroy anything left standing from
the earthquake and would no doubt kill or seriously injure those
they do hit. In spite of the severity of the judgment and this cataclysmic character
the hardness of human hearts is revealed in the final sentence:
And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.
(Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 969 )
This earthquake that will shake Jerusalem is further described in Zechariah 14:4b-5:
And the mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst thereof toward the east and
toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall
remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee by the
valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azel; yea, ye
shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of
Judah; and Jehovah my God shall come, and all the holy ones with thee. Not only
will Jerusalem be split into three divisions, but the Mount of Olives will be split
into two parts creating a valley running east and west. This newly formed valley
will provide a way of escape for the Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem from the earthquake
that will destroy the city. In this way the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be rescued
following the deliverance of the other Jews in Bozrah. Another cataclysmic event that will
take place at this time is the fifth blackout described in Matthew 24:29: But immediately
after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not
give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall
be shaken.
The Footsteps of the Messiah, pg. 252-254)
The earthquake and the blackout of this time are also described in Joel 3:14-17:
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of Jehoavha is near in
the vally of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw
their shining. And Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem;
and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but Jehovah will be a refuge unto his people, and
a stronghold to the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God,
dwelling in Zion my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall
no strangers pass through her any more.
The Footsteps of the Messiah, pg. 254)
The question is sometimes raised why eternal punishment is eternal. The answer is
that people in the hardness of their hearts will not change; they deserve eternal
punishment because they are eternally unrepentant. With the final destruction coming from the seventh bowl of the
wrath of God, the stage will then be set for the dramatic and climactic second coming of Christ,
revealed in chapter 19. Before this event, however, a future detailed description is given of
Babylon in chapters 17-18. (Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 969 )
