This chapter again has clear allusions to the past – Jesus dying on the cross and the earthquake after His death, and the cry of “It is finished!” But it also points to the future – the suffering of the world that has rejected God.
The picture John is painting from God is clear – we are in the middle of a battle – Satan is leading a great rebellion against God. What is the word from Christ? I AM COMING – Blessed are those who are watching for me. Revelation is written to open eyes and to give hope.
I don’t always live expectantly. I live like God has done a lot for me, a lot in my past, and loves me – but that is not the same as living expectantly – as if He is coming back and is the Lord of all. That is a different way of living, and a way that this book is challenging me to live.
| << Revelation 16 >> New Living Translation |
1Then I heard a mighty voice from the Temple say to the seven angels, “Go your ways and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.”
2So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue.
3Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse. And everything in the sea died.
4Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs, and they became blood. 5And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying,
“You are just, O Holy One, who is and who always was,
because you have sent these judgments.
6Since they shed the blood
of your holy people and your prophets,
you have given them blood to drink.
It is their just reward.”
7And I heard a voice from the altar,a saying,
“Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty,
your judgments are true and just.”
8Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, causing it to scorch everyone with its fire. 9Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over all these plagues. They did not repent of their sins and turn to God and give him glory.
10Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth in anguish, 11and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God.
12Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance. 13And I saw three evilb spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. 14They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.
15“Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”
16And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon.c
17Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple, saying, “It is finished!” 18Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And a great earthquake struck—the worst since people were placed on the earth. 19The great city of Babylon split into three sections, and the cities of many nations fell into heaps of rubble. So God remembered all of Babylon’s sins, and he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his fierce wrath. 20And every island disappeared, and all the mountains were leveled. 21There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing as much as seventy-five poundsd fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the terrible plague of the hailstorm.
Footnotes:
a 16:7 Greek I heard the altar.
b 16:13 Greek unclean.
c 16:16 Or Harmagedon.
d 16:21 Greek 1 talent [34 kilograms].
