Revelation 16:1-7

The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath

1Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth." 2The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.

3The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.

4The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

"You are just in these judgments,

you who are and who were, the Holy One,

because you have so judged;

6for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets,

and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve."

7And I heard the altar respond:

"Yes, Lord God Almighty,

true and just are your judgments."



Similarities Between the bowls, the trumpet, and the Exodus plagues:

1a. Bowls

1b. Trumpets

1c. Plagues of Egypt


1a. On the land, becom-ing sores (16:2)

1b. On the land, 1/3 earth, trees, grass burned (8:7)

1c. Boils (6th plague: Ex. 9:8-12)


2a. On the sea, becom-ing blood (16:3)

2b. On the sea (8:8-9)

2c. Water to blood (1st plague: Ex. 7:17-21)


3a. On rivers & springs, becoming blood (16:4-7)

3b. On the rivers and springs (8:10-11)

3c. Water to blood (1st plague: Ex. 7:17-21)


4a. On the sun, causing it to scorch (16:8-9)

4b. 1/3 sun, moon, stars darkened (8:12)

4c. Darkness (9th plague: Ex. 10:21-23


5a. On the throne of the Beast, causing dark-ness (16:10-11)

5b. Demonic locusts (9:1-12)

5c. Locusts (8th plague: Ex. 10:4-20)


6a. On the Euphrates; invasion of frog-de-mons, Armageddon (16:12-16)

6b. Army from Euphra-tes kills 1/3 mankind (9:13-21)

6c. Invasion of frogs (2nd plague: Ex. 8:2-4)


7a. On the air, causing storm, earthquake, and hail (16:17-21)

7b. Voices, storm, earth-quake, hail (11:15-19)

7c. Hail (7th plague: Ex. 9:18-26)


Dig Deeper

Earlier this year, I accompanied my youngest son and his four-year-old kindergarten class on a field trip. The place where we went was full of fun activities and adventures for the kids. There was one area that was inside but it was a sandpit that was probably 25 square feet. The kids were able to go on a treasure hunt by digging in the sand and finding the toy jewels and coins that had been buried there. Of course the kids thought that they were really adventurers, working hard and finding treasure through their own efforts. What they didn’t know was that each jewel and coin had been carefully buried there for them to find. Once they finished, the workers would quickly bury more treasure for the next group to find.


Passages like this one are so full of deep imagery, symbolism, and have so many echoes of and ties to other passages that they are like a treasure field of Scripture. It is easy to go about mining passages like this, going deeper and deeper, finding treasures and jewels each time we return. What we must always remember, though, is that it is the work of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit who leads us to discover these treasures and put them together with other Scriptural jewels that we have learned before. When we read passages like this and find new incredible things that we haven’t seen or previously understood, we must always remember that it is God who put them there and led us to them. God is the one who deserves all of the praise and glory.


16:1 - The loud voice from the Temple commands to pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth. The term ‘pour’ is the same word used in the Hebrew as the priests poured out the blood of the sacrifice around the base of the altar (Lev. 4:7, 12, 18, 25, 30, 34; 8:15; 9:9). In the New Testament this word is used in contexts that parallel the major themes of Revelation: the spilling of wine (Matt. 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37), the shedding of Christ’s blood (Matt. 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20), the shedding of martyr’s blood (Matt. 23:35; Luke 11:50; Acts 22:20; Rom. 3:15), and the outpouring of the Spirit (Acts 2:17-18, 33; 10:45; Rom. 5:5; Tit. 3:6; cf. Joel 2:28-29; Zech. 12:10). All these different associations are likely in the background of the imagery of the bowls used here.


16:2 - As a result of the first bowl poured on the land (Israel), people broke out with painful sores. This is reminiscent of the sixth Egyptian plague of boils, as well as the fulfillment of the promised sores of the curse for breaking the Covenant (Deut. 28:27-35). It is also a fitting retribution as a mark for those who who have accepted the mark of the Beast.


16:3 - The second bowl is poured on the sea. It is similar to the first Egyptian plague and the second trumpet. This time, however, the blood doesn’t flow as streams but as the coagulated, putrefying blood of a dead man. Although this is primarily symbolic, there was a corresponding moment in the history of the destruction of Jerusalem as rebels fled to the Sea of Galilee from the massacre of Tarichaeae. The Romans killed so many rebels in the Sea, that Josephus said, "One could see the whole lake stained with blood and crammed with corpses."


16:4-7 - The plague of the third bowl is poured out on the rivers and springs of water and resembles the first Egyptian plague. Water, often a symbol of life, is corrupted here in a reversal of sorts of the paradise of the Garden of Eden. The angel responds to this plague by praising God as just in these judgments. There is no need to be embarrassed by this. Although the concept of the judgment of God is not popular in our culture, it is a common Biblical theme, and we can be assured that God’ judgments are always right. Part of the justification for this judgment is the fact that they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets. One of the characteristic charges against Israel was the murder of the prophets (2 Chron. 36:15-16; Luke 13:33-34); Acts 7:52). In fact, Jesus said this was the specific reason that judgment would come on "this generation" (Matt. 23:31-36). Joining in the praise comes the voice of the altar itself, where the blood of the saints and prophets had been poured out: Yes Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.




Devotional Thought

Do you always view God’s actions as right and just? The assurance of the Bible is that they always are. How can Christians balance the line between sharing about God’s love to those who are lost, while also presenting the truth that He will judge and prosecute those who reject Him? How does that challenge or confirm the way you usually share your faith with people?