UNROLL
A single shallow golden bowl standing alone on a plain stone ledge at evening, against a dusky, hazy sky.

The Book of

Revelation 16

The last seven bowls are poured out, and heaven calls God’s judgments true and just. In the middle of it all, Jesus speaks: stay awake.

21 verses≈ 4 minBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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Where we are

  1. 1–3Seven churchesChrist among His lampstands
  2. 4–11Seals & trumpetsThe Lamb opens the scroll
  3. 12–16The great conflictThe dragon, the beasts, the bowlsChapter 16
  4. 17–20The King comesBabylon falls; the Lamb wins
  5. 21–22All things newA new heaven and a new earth

The First Six Bowls of Wrath

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out on the earth the seven bowls of God’s wrath.”

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

Echoes of Exodus

FesteringboilsExodus 9:8–12Water tobloodExodus 7:17–21Darkness onthe landExodus 10:21–23The bowls ofwrathRevelation 16FrogsExodus 8:1–7HailExodus 9:22–26Hearts kepthardExodus 9:34–35

Whiteboard

The bowls are drawn from the plagues God sent on Egypt when Pharaoh would not let His people go: boils, water turned to blood, darkness, frogs and hail. In Egypt the plagues showed that the Lord alone is God, and they came before He set His people free. Sadly, the hard hearts are the same too: “Yet they did not repent.”

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned to blood like that of the dead, and every living thing in the sea died.

And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they turned to blood.

The angel

And I heard the angel of the waters say:

“Righteous are You, O Holy One,

who is and was,

because You have brought these judgments.

For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets,

and You have given them blood to drink,

as they deserve.”

The altar

And I heard the altar reply:

“Yes, Lord God Almighty,

true and just are Your judgments.”

Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments.

Revelation 16:7

Reflect

True and just

The angel and the altar do not argue with God’s judgments. They worship: “true and just are Your judgments.” When you see wrongs that seem to go unpunished, what helps you leave them in God’s hands? Is there a wrong done to you that you need to hand over to Him today, so that you are free to forgive?

Yet they did not repent and give Him glory.

Revelation 16:9

And I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.

Question

Quick question

Look at how the people respond as the bowls are poured out on the sun and on the throne of the beast.

What did the people do under the heat and the darkness?

“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”

Revelation 16:15

And they assembled the kings in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

The Seventh Bowl of Wrath

Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!”

Jagged lightning over a wide, bare plain at night, hailstones glittering in the flash and lying scattered white across the stony ground.

And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth—so mighty was the great quake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.

Then every island fled, and no mountain could be found. And great hailstones weighing almost a hundred pounds each rained down on them from above. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because it was so horrendous.

0:37

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Pray

Keep me awake

Pray Jesus’ own words over your life: “Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed.” Ask Him to keep you watchful and faithful, clothed in His righteousness and not your own. Thank Him that He bore God’s judgment on the cross for all who trust Him, so that you need not fear the day He comes. And pray for someone you love who has not yet turned to Him, that they would turn while there is time.

You’ve experienced

Revelation 16

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A verse to carry with you

Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.

Revelation 16:15

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