THE SEVEN VIALS OF GOD S WRATH REVELATION 16:1-21

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 1 THE SEVEN VIALS OF GOD S WRATH REVELATION 16:1-21

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 2 Text: THE SEVEN VIALS OF GOD S WRATH Revelation 16:1-21, 1. Then I heard a loud voice from the temple declaring to the seven angels: Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God s wrath. 2. So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Then ugly and painful sores appeared on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. 3. Next, the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea and it turned into blood, like that of a corpse, and every living creature that was in the sea died. 4. Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. 5. Now I heard the angel of the waters saying: You are just the one who is and who was, the Holy One because you have passed these judgments, 6. because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets, so you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved! 7. Then I heard the altar reply, Yes, Lord God, the All- Powerful, your judgments are true and just! 8. Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was permitted to scorch people with fire. 9. Thus people were scorched by the terrible heat, yet they blasphemed the name of God, who has ruling

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 3 authority over these plagues, and they would not repent and give him glory. 10. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast so that darkness covered his kingdom, and people began to bite their tongues because of their pain. 11. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings and because of their sores, but nevertheless they still refused to repent of their deeds. 12. Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and dried up its water to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13. Then I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14. For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful. 15. (Look! I will come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition be seen.) 16. Now the spirits gathered the kings and their armies to the place that is called Armageddon in Hebrew. 17. Finally the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying: It is done! 18. Then there were flashes of lightning, roaring, and crashes of thunder, and there was a tremendous earthquake an earthquake unequaled since humanity has been on the earth, so tremendous was that earthquake.

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 4 19. The great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations collapsed. So Babylon the great was remembered before God, and was given the cup filled with the wine made of God s furious wrath. 20. Every island fled away and no mountains could be found. 21. And gigantic hailstones, weighing about a hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people, but they blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, since it was so horrendous. (NET) Introduction: Revelation 16 gives a picture of the seven vials of God s wrath being poured out. God s judgment, without mercy, issued forth against the Roman Empire and at the end of time similar judgment will be faced by all the ungodly. This judgment had been announced when the sixth seal was opened. (Revelation 6:12-17, Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and dried up its water to prepare the way for the kings from the east. Then I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All- Powerful. (Look! I will come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition be seen.) Now the spirits gathered the kings and their armies to the place that is called Armageddon in

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 5 Hebrew. Finally the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying: It is done! (NET)) The seven trumpets called the people to repentance. (Revelation 8:6-11:19, Now the seven angels holding the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. The first angel blew his trumpet, and there was hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was thrown at the earth so that a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain of burning fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were completely destroyed. Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a huge star burning like a torch fell from the sky; it landed on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. (Now the name of the star is Wormwood.) So a third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from these waters because they were poisoned. Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. And there was no light for a third of the day and for a third of the night likewise. Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying directly overhead, proclaiming with a loud voice, Woe! Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth because of the remaining sounds of the trumpets of the three angels who are about to blow them! Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. He opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it like smoke

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 6 from a giant furnace. The sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft. Then out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth. They were told not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their forehead. The locusts were not given permission to kill them, but only to torture them for five months, and their torture was like that of a scorpion when it stings a person. In those days people will seek death, but will not be able to find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them. Now the locusts looked like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were something like crowns similar to gold, and their faces looked like men s faces. They had hair like women s hair, and their teeth were like lions teeth. They had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. They have tails and stingers like scorpions, and their ability to injure people for five months is in their tails. They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. The first woe has passed, but two woes are still coming after these things! Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a single voice coming from the horns on the golden altar that is before God, saying to the sixth angel, the one holding the trumpet, Set free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates! Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour, day, month, and year were set free to kill a third of humanity. The number of soldiers on horseback was two hundred million; I heard their number. Now this is what the horses and their

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 7 riders looked like in my vision: The riders had breastplates that were fiery red, dark blue, and sulfurous yellow in color. The heads of the horses looked like lions heads, and fire, smoke, and sulfur came out of their mouths. A third of humanity was killed by these three plagues, that is, by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths. For the power of the horses resides in their mouths and in their tails, because their tails are like snakes, having heads that inflict injuries. The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood idols that cannot see or hear or walk about. Furthermore, they did not repent of their murders, of their magic spells, of their sexual immorality, or of their stealing. Then I saw another powerful angel descending from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun and his legs were like pillars of fire. He held in his hand a little scroll that was open, and he put his right foot on the sea and his left on the land. Then he shouted in a loud voice like a lion roaring, and when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded their voices. When the seven thunders spoke, I was preparing to write, but just then I heard a voice from heaven say, Seal up what the seven thunders spoke and do not write it down. Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, and the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to blow his trumpet, the

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 8 mystery of God is completed, just as he has proclaimed to his servants the prophets. Then the voice I had heard from heaven began to speak to me again, Go and take the open scroll in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land. So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, Take the scroll and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth. So I took the little scroll from the angel s hand and ate it, and it did taste as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. Then they told me: You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. Then a measuring rod like a staff was given to me, and I was told, Get up and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and the ones who worship there. But do not measure the outer courtyard of the temple; leave it out, because it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will trample on the holy city for fortytwo months. And I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth. (These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.) If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and completely consumes their enemies. If anyone wants to harm them, they must be killed this way. These two have the power to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the time they are prophesying. They have power to turn the waters to blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague whenever they want. When they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them and conquer them and kill them. Their corpses will lie in the street of the great city that is

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 9 symbolically called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was also crucified. For three and a half days those from every people, tribe, nation, and language will look at their corpses, because they will not permit them to be placed in a tomb. And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate, even sending gifts to each other, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. But after three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and tremendous fear seized those who were watching them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them: Come up here! So the two prophets went up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies stared at them. Just then a major earthquake took place and a tenth of the city collapsed; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe has come and gone; the third is coming quickly. Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying: The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever. Then the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and worshiped God with these words: We give you thanks, Lord God, the All-Powerful, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations were enraged, but your wrath has come, and the time has come for the dead to be judged, and the time has come to give to your servants, the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints and to those who revere your name, both small and great, and

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 10 the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth. Then the temple of God in heaven was opened and the ark of his covenant was visible within his temple. And there were flashes of lightning, roaring, crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm. (NET)) Sadly they were not willing to change. Now the judgment against Rome is final. Evil people of all ages will face similar punishment to that received by the Roman Empire. The first vial was poured out because of the festering ulcers of sin that are everywhere and now man faces the consequences of his deeds. Moral and spiritual corruption was overwhelming in Rome and the corruptions of our day are grievous also. As the other vials were opened we see the sea stinking with blood and death. The consequence of the corruptions of mankind is that the Roman Empire and later all the ungodly of the human race become like the Dead Sea. The cities along the rivers and streams face the consequences of sinful living as those waters are turned to blood. The great cities of the world face very severe troubles today. Judgment against them proceed from a righteous and Almighty God. Violence becomes a way of life when God is left out of the lives of people. These judgments against the unbelievers are so harsh that some wonder if they could have come from a loving God. We must remember that His judgments are true and righteous. These severe judgments come because these people persecuted God s people. Those who rebel against God will go down to total defeat. The great city of Rome now faces the consequences of its sins.

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 11 Commentary: The First Three Vials of God s Wrath Revelation 16:1-7, Then I heard a loud voice from the temple declaring to the seven angels: Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God s wrath. So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Then ugly and painful sores appeared on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. Next, the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea and it turned into blood, like that of a corpse, and every living creature that was in the sea died. Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. Now I heard the angel of the waters saying: You are just the one who is and who was, the Holy One because you have passed these judgments, because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets, so you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved! Then I heard the altar reply, Yes, Lord God, the All-Powerful, your judgments are true and just! (NET) This voice that speaks has to be the voice of God because no one else could enter the Temple because of the smoke. The message to the seven angels was go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. It is to be observed that these vials of God s wrath affect the nonbelievers. The first vial brought terrible ulcers upon those that worshipped the beast and received his mark. The stinking ulcers

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 12 that are all over the earth are hurting those that refuse true worship. These sinful things also hinder all kinds of legitimate endeavors. It is no wonder that God s wrath is poured out on such evils! The second vial likewise pictures the corruption brought on by sin. The beast from the sea (the civil persecuting power of Rome) will face certain destruction. The text says, Every living soul died in the sea. This speaks of the souls of the wicked. The reason for God s true and righteous judgment being poured out unmixed upon these people is stated in the words, For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets. The great cities of the earth are in trouble as never before because God has been left out! The Roman Empire will now face the consequences of persecuting God s people. The Fourth and Fifth Vials of God s Wrath Revelation 16:8-11, Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was permitted to scorch people with fire. Thus people were scorched by the terrible heat, yet they blasphemed the name of God, who has ruling authority over these plagues, and they would not repent and give him glory. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast so that darkness covered his kingdom, and people began to bite their tongues because of their pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings and because of their sores, but nevertheless they still refused to repent of their deeds. (NET)

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 13 The sadness of the terrible attitude of the ungodly was that they, blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. Even the coming of God s judgment did not lead the people to repent. These rebellious ones refused to drink the Water of Life so now they will be forced to drink the blood of God s wrath. The hardness of man s heart in view of God s mercy is beyond belief. How much more unbelievable is this hardness in view of His wrath? Listen again, And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. The same failure to repent was seen with the fifth bowl of wrath. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sore, and repented not of their deeds. (Revelation 16:10-11) Imagine being so deep in sin that not for one moment would you think of repenting. What could you expect except the wrath of God? The Sixth Vial of God s Wrath Revelation 16:12-16, Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and dried up its water to prepare the way for the kings from the east. Then I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 14 beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful. (Look! I will come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition be seen.) Now the spirits gathered the kings and their armies to the place that is called Armageddon in Hebrew. (NET) God dried up the rivers so the armies from the east would have no trouble entering to destroy Rome. As the armies come against Rome, false propaganda came out of the mouths of the Emperors to lead other kings to stand by their side. We do not see the battle, but we hear God s warning loud and clear, Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. Megiddo was where God s people won against terrible odds. (2 Kings 9:27, When King Ahaziah of Judah saw what happened, he took off up the road to Beth Haggan. Jehu chased him and ordered, Shoot him too. They shot him while he was driving his chariot up the ascent of Gur near Ibleam. He fled to Megiddo and died there. (NET)) Megiddo was also where Josiah died in rebellion against God. (2 Kings 23:28-29, The rest of the events of Josiah s reign and all his accomplishments are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. During Josiah s reign Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt marched toward the

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 15 Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to fight him, but Necho killed him at Megiddo when he saw him. (NET)) Do you get the picture? The Seventh Vial of God s Wrath Revelation 16:17-21, Finally the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying: It is done! Then there were flashes of lightning, roaring, and crashes of thunder, and there was a tremendous earthquake an earthquake unequaled since humanity has been on the earth, so tremendous was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations collapsed. So Babylon the great was remembered before God, and was given the cup filled with the wine made of God s furious wrath. Every island fled away and no mountains could be found. And gigantic hailstones, weighing about a hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people, but they blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, since it was so horrendous. (NET) The earth, waters and now the air is affected by God s judgment against Rome. The great city in John s day was Rome. The picture now is that she feels God s wrath unmixed. Evil was everywhere in the Roman Empire and now it is pay day for such wickedness. We now know for certain that evil shall not win! The things that happened to Rome give us a brief glimpse of God s final judgment. The expression Babylon the Great is no doubt the symbol of the whole satanic structure. God can not and He will not allow the wicked to go unpunished. Just

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 16 as God s judgment came on Rome there is coming a final day of Judgment. Are you ready for the Judgment Day? And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 20:11-12) Conclusion: The horrible punishment awaiting the wicked should move us to obey the gospel quickly. Under any condition, we are always better off to serve God because the wrath of God will be poured out on the wicked.

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 17 Questions on Revelation 16:1-21 1. gives a of the of s being. 2., without, issued forth against the and at the similar will be by all the. 3. The the to. they were to. Now the against is. 4. of all will to that by the. 5. and was in and the of our are also. 6. As the were we see the with and.

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 18 7. becomes a of when is of the of. Those who will go down to. 8. told the to go their, and our the of the of upon the. 9. These of affect. 10. The likewise pictures the brought on by. 11. The reason for and being out upon these was that they had the of and. 12. The the of because of their and their, and of their. Even did not cause the people to. 13. They refused to drink the of so now they were to the of.

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 19 14. to was also seen when the and of God s were poured out. 15. up the so the from the would have no to. 16. was where people against. was also where died in against. 17. The things that to give us a of. 18. the is the of the. 19. God and allow the to go. 20. The awaiting the should move us to the. Are you for the?