In the book of Revelation, we’ve already seen God’s judgments expressed in the form of…
- Earthquakes.
- Hail and fire mixed with blood.
- Something like a fiery mountain landing in the midst of the sea.
- One-third of the trees and grass wiped out.
- One-third of the earth’s saltwater ruined.
- One-third of the marine life dead and one-third of all seafaring vessels destroyed.
- One-third of all the freshwater supplies poisoned.
- The sun, moon, and stars dimmed, reducing visible light by one-third.
- Demonic locust creatures and murderous angelic beings who wipe out one-third of humanity.
While those judgments were horrific, the events to follow here in Revelation chapter sixteen will exceed them all. As we’ll see here in Revelation sixteen, God’s divine retribution will be swift and severe for those who have forsaken Him…
“Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.’ So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.
Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died. Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
And I heard the angel of the waters saying: ‘You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.’ And I heard another from the altar saying, ‘Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments'” (Revelation 16:1-7).
The previous chapter of Revelation concluded with these words: “No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues” (Revelation 15:8 NLT). Our text from Revelation sixteen now begins by saying, “Then I heard a loud voice speaking from the temple…” (GNT). Taken together, this implies that God will personally initiate these final judgments.
Those judgments began with a command: “Go and empty out on the earth the seven bowls of God’s wrath and indignation” (AMPC). These bowls were broad and shallow, much like a larger version of a modern-day saucer. Each angel received one such bowl along with a target destination. We’ll begin our look at those target acquisitions next.