Revelation 16 concludes God’s wrath on the earth toward men who live in constant rebellion to Him. Revelation 16 reveals what God is going to do before the return of Christ (Rev. 19), and Revelation chapters 17 through 19 reveal who He’s going to do it to. “Unlike the previous series of judgments of the trumpets and seals, each of which had a break between the sixth and seventh judgments, the seven plagues of the bowls are poured out without interruption and apparently quite rapidly.”[1] John uses the Greek adjective μέγας megas a dozen times emphasizing the severity of God’s judgments in this final phase of the Tribulation.

Revelation 16 opens with a command to seven angels to pour out God’s wrath upon the earth (Rev. 16:1). The judgments include severe sores upon mankind (Rev. 16:2), turning the oceans to blood and killing all marine life (Rev. 16:3), turning the world’s drinking water to blood (Rev. 16:4), scorching men with severe heat from the sun (Rev. 16:8-9), severe darkness upon the throne of the Antichrist and his kingdom (Rev. 16:10-11), drying up the Euphrates River so the hostile kings from the east can invade Israel (Rev. 16:12-16), and a great earthquake that affects topographical changes all over the earth as well as hailstones weighing one hundred pounds (Rev. 16:17-21). Some of the judgments are similar to those which were brought on Egypt such as boils (Ex. 9:8-12; Rev. 16:2), turning water to blood (Ex. 7:20-25; Rev. 16:3), and darkness (Ex. 10:15; Rev. 16:10). God is declared righteous in the outpouring of His wrath on wicked men (Rev. 16:5-7; cf. Rom. 12:17-19; 2 Thess. 1:6). Men are so corrupt in their nature, that even though they experience God’s righteous wrath toward them, they refuse to humble themselves and repent, but rather blaspheme His name (Rev. 16:9, 11, 21; cf. Rev. 9:20-21).

 

[1] Charles Ryrie, Revelation: Everyman’s Bible Commentary (Chicago, Ill., Moody Press, 1996), 111.