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Six Bowls of Wrath

16 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 and indignation of God.”(A)

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and loathsome and malignant sores came on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.(B)

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a corpse [foul and disgusting]; and every living [a]thing in the sea died.

Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water; and they turned into blood.(C) And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous and just are You, Who are and Who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they have poured out the blood of the saints (God’s people) and the prophets, and You [in turn] have given them blood to drink. They deserve Your judgment.”(D) And I heard [another from] the altar saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all], Your judgments are true and fair and righteous.”(E)

Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch humanity with [raging] fire. People were [severely] burned by the great heat; and they reviled the name of God who has power over these plagues, but they did not repent [of their sin] and glorify Him.

10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness; and people gnawed their tongues because of the pain [of their excruciating anguish and severe torment],(F) 11 and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their anguish and their sores (abscesses, boils); and they did not repent of what they had done nor hate their wickedness.

12 Then 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 coming of] the kings from [b]the east.(G)

Armageddon

13 And I saw three loathsome spirits like frogs, leaping from the mouth of the dragon (Satan) and from the mouth of the beast (Antichrist, dictator) and from the mouth of the false prophet;(H) 14 for they are [actually] the spirits of demons, performing [miraculous] signs. And they go out to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. [c]Blessed is he who [d]stays awake and who keeps his clothes [that is, stays spiritually ready for the Lord’s return], so that he will not be naked—spiritually unprepared—and men will not see his shame.”)(I) 16 And they (demons) gathered the kings and armies of the world together at the place which in Hebrew is called [e]Har-Magedon (Armageddon).

Seventh Bowl of Wrath

17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne [of God], saying, “It is done. [It is all over, it is all accomplished, it has come.]” 18 And there were flashes of lightning and loud rumblings and peals of thunder; and there was a massive earthquake—nothing like it has ever occurred since mankind originated on the earth, so severe and far-reaching was that earthquake.(J) 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And God kept in mind Babylon the great, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce and furious wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and no mountains could be found. 21 And giant hailstones, as heavy as a [f]talent, fell from the sky on the people; and people reviled and spoke abusively of God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so very great.(K)

The Doom of Babylon

17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment and doom of the great [g]prostitute who is seated [h]on many waters [influencing nations],(L) she with whom the kings of the earth have [i]committed acts of immorality, and the inhabitants of the earth have become intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”(M) And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was [j]entirely covered with blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.(N) The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls, [and she was] holding in her hand a gold cup full of the abominations and the filth of her [sexual] immorality.(O) And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery: “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES (false religions, heresies) AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints (God’s people), and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus [who were martyred]. When I saw her, I wondered in amazement. But the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns.

“The beast that you saw was [once], but [now] is not, and he is about to come up out of the abyss (the bottomless pit, the dwelling place of demons) and go to destruction (perdition). And the inhabitants of the earth, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, will be astonished when they see the beast, because he was and is not and is yet to come [to earth].(P) Here is the mind which has wisdom [and this is what it knows about the vision]. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits; 10 and they are seven kings: five of whom have fallen, one exists and is reigning; the other [the seventh] has not yet come, and when he does come, he must remain a little while. 11 And the beast that [once] was but is not, is himself also an eighth king and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction (perdition). 12 The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but [together] they receive authority as kings for a single hour [for a common purpose] along with the beast.(Q) 13 These [kings] have one purpose [one mind, one common goal], and they give their power and authority to the beast.

Victory for the Lamb

14 They will wage war against the Lamb (Christ), and the Lamb will triumph and conquer them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him and on His side are the called and chosen (elect) and faithful.”(R)

15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16 And the ten horns which you saw, and the [k]beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her desolate and naked [stripped of her power and influence], and will eat her flesh and completely consume her with fire. 17 For God has put it in their hearts to carry out His purpose by [l]agreeing together to surrender their kingdom to the beast, until the [prophetic] words of God will be fulfilled. 18 The woman whom you saw is the [m]great city, which reigns over and dominates and controls the kings and the political leaders of the earth.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 16:3 Lit soul.
  2. Revelation 16:12 Lit the rising sun. Using this phrase, or just the rising, was the ancient way of referring to the east. A dry Euphrates would enable massive armies to travel quickly from the region of Iraq (Babylonia) to territory north of Israel (Syria) in preparation for the battle at Har-Magedon (v 16).
  3. Revelation 16:15 This is the third of the seven promised blessings. See note 1:3.
  4. Revelation 16:15 These are metaphorical statements referring to a believer who is always expecting the return of Christ, and maintains a lifestyle (the clothing) of which he will not be ashamed when that day comes.
  5. Revelation 16:16 The name means “mountain of Megiddo” and indicates a region west and slightly south of the Sea of Galilee.
  6. Revelation 16:21 A talent weighs about a hundred pounds.
  7. Revelation 17:1 Some have thought that the prostitute symbolizes a corrupt, apostate religious system.
  8. Revelation 17:1 For the meaning of the waters in this prophetic context, see v 15.
  9. Revelation 17:2 This may be a figurative reference to cult worship practices and idolatry.
  10. Revelation 17:3 Lit full of.
  11. Revelation 17:16 The Antichrist, the final world ruler.
  12. Revelation 17:17 Or having a common purpose.
  13. Revelation 17:18 Scholars have differing opinions on the “great city.” Some believe the context (18:2, 10, 21) suggests Babylon, others Rome, and still others believe it refers to many cities.

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