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The Revelation · New Testament

Revelation 16

Revelation 16: the seven vials poured out

General context

A voice from the temple sends the seven angels to pour out the vials. The first brings sores on those who had the mark of the beast. The second turns the sea to blood as of a dead man so that every living soul in it dies. The third turns rivers and fountains to blood, and the angel of the waters says the judgment is righteous, with an answer from the altar. The fourth is poured on the sun, and men scorched with great heat blaspheme and do not repent. The fifth is poured on the seat of the beast, whose kingdom is filled with darkness, and men gnaw their tongues and again do not repent. The sixth dries up the river Euphrates to prepare a way for the kings of the east, and three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet to gather kings to battle; a line of direct address interrupts, and the kings are gathered to a named place. The seventh is poured into the air, a voice from the throne says it is done, and an earthquake, the division of the great city, the flight of islands and a great hail follow, with more blasphemy.

Cited passages: Revelation 16:1, Revelation 16:2, Revelation 16:3, Revelation 16:4, Revelation 16:5, Revelation 16:6, Revelation 16:7, Revelation 16:8, Revelation 16:9, Revelation 16:10, Revelation 16:11, Revelation 16:12, Revelation 16:13, Revelation 16:14, Revelation 16:15, Revelation 16:16, Revelation 16:17, Revelation 16:18, Revelation 16:19, Revelation 16:20, Revelation 16:21

Revelation 16 (KJV)

1And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

2And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

3And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

4And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

5And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.

6For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

7And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

8And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

9And 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.

10And 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,

11And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

12And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

13And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

14For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

16And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

17And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

18And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

19And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

20And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

21And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

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Historical context

The chapter explains one of its images itself: the three unclean spirits like frogs are glossed as "the spirits of devils, working miracles". It gives one place name and says nothing about where it is: "a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon". The Euphrates is named a second time in the book, after 9:14. A third figure appears beside the dragon and the beast, "the false prophet", who is not described or identified here. Babylon is named again after 14:8, as "great Babylon", with no location or ruler supplied. The narrator reports the human response twice in the same pair of terms, blasphemy and refusal to repent, and a third time as blasphemy alone. The deaths and injuries are given plainly, including "every living soul died in the sea" and hailstones "about the weight of a talent". No date is given for anything in the chapter.

Cited passages: Revelation 16:3, Revelation 16:9, Revelation 16:11, Revelation 16:12, Revelation 16:13, Revelation 16:14, Revelation 16:16, Revelation 16:19, Revelation 16:21, Revelation 9:14

Literary context

The seven pourings run in a tight formula, angel, vial, target, result, and the targets step outward through earth, sea, rivers, sun, the seat of the beast, a river and finally the air. Two things break the pattern. The angel of the waters speaks after the third vial and is answered from the altar, and after the sixth a first-person line cuts across the narrative, "Behold, I come as a thief". The scale differs from the trumpets in a way the wording makes visible: the second trumpet killed "the third part of the creatures which were in the sea", while here "every living soul died in the sea". Where the seven messages of chapters 2 and 3 called repeatedly for repentance, this chapter reports its refusal twice over and then closes with blasphemy a third time. The series ends with a single sentence, "It is done", followed by the largest destruction described so far.

Cited passages: Revelation 16:2, Revelation 16:3, Revelation 16:5, Revelation 16:7, Revelation 16:9, Revelation 16:11, Revelation 16:15, Revelation 16:17, Revelation 16:18, Revelation 8:9

Key moments

  1. The first vial (Revelation 16:2). Sores fall on those who had the mark of the beast and worshipped its image.
  2. The angel of the waters speaks (Revelation 16:5). The angel calls the judgment righteous, and a voice from the altar agrees.
  3. Scorched and blaspheming (Revelation 16:9). Men burned by the sun curse God and do not give him glory.
  4. Darkness on the beast's seat (Revelation 16:10). The fifth vial fills the beast's kingdom with darkness and men gnaw their tongues.
  5. Three unclean spirits (Revelation 16:13). Frog-like spirits come out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet.
  6. Armageddon named (Revelation 16:16). The kings are gathered to a place the text names in Hebrew.
  7. It is done (Revelation 16:17). The seventh vial is poured into the air and a voice from the throne declares it finished.

For reflection

Twice the chapter stops to say that the judgments are true and righteous, and twice it reports that the people cursed instead of turning. What do you do with a text that puts the verdict and the refusal so close together?