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Revelation Chapter 16

New Testament Apocalyptic 21 Verses

What is Revelation 16 about?

The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ — letters to seven churches, the Lamb's victory over the dragon, and the glorious new creation. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
1And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go ye, and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth.
2And the first went, and poured out his bowl into the earth; and it became a noisome and grievous sore upon the men that had the mark of the beast, and that worshipped his image.
3And the second poured out his bowl into the sea; and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living soul died, [even] the things that were in the sea.
4And the third poured out his bowl into the rivers and the fountains of the waters; and it became blood.
5And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Righteous art thou, who art and who wast, thou Holy One, because thou didst thus judge:
6for they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, and blood hast thou given them to drink: they are worthy.
7And I heard the altar saying, Yea, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8And the fourth poured out his bowl upon the sun; and it was given unto it to scorch men with fire.
9And men were scorched men with great heat: and they blasphemed the name of God who hath the power over these plagues; and they repented not to give him glory.
10And the fifth poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom was darkened; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
11and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they repented not of their works.
12And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river, the [river] Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way might by made ready for the kings that [come] from the sunrising.
13And I saw [coming] out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs:
14for they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.
15(Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walked naked, and they see his shame.)
16And they gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew Har-magedon.
17And the seventh poured out his bowl upon the air; and there came forth a great voice out of the temple, from the throne, saying, It is done:
18and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men upon the earth, so great an earthquake, so mighty.
19And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of 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 great hail, [every stone] about the weight of a talent, cometh down out of heaven upon men: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof is exceeding great.
← Revelation 15Revelation 17 →

What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
“And I heard a great voice out of the temple, etc.] The church, which in the preceding chapter is said to be opened; this was either the voice of God, whose temple the church is, and where he dwells, and who, has power over these plagues, (<661609>Revelation 16:9) and who, when he is about to bring judgments on the earth, is said to roar out of Zion, (<661616>Revelation 16:16) or of Christ, who is always in the midst of his church and people, and whose voice is as the voice of many waters; (see <661615> Revelation 16:15) or it may be of one of the four living creatures, the ministers of the word, in and by whom…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“THE SEVEN VIALS AND THE CONSEQUENT PLAGUES. (Rev. 16:1-21) a great voice--namely, God's. These seven vials (the detailed expansion of the vintage, Rev 14:18-20) being called "the last," must belong to the period just when the term of the beast's power has expired (whence reference is made in them all to the worshippers of the beast as the objects of the judgments), close to the end or coming of the Son of man. The first four are distinguished from the last three, just as in the case of the seven seals and the seven trumpets. The first four are more general, affecting the earth, the sea, springs, and the sun, not…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“And I heard a great voice out of the temple - A loud voice out of the temple as seen in heaven (notes on Revelation 11:19), and that came, therefore, from the very presence of God. Saying to the seven angels - That had the seven vials of wrath. See the notes on Revelation 15:1, Revelation 15:7. Go your ways - Your respective ways, to the fulfillment of the task assigned to each. And pour out the vials of the wrath of God - Empty those vials; cause to come upon the earth the plagues indicated by their contents. The order in which this was to be done is not intimated. It seems to be supposed that that would be…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 1
“Pour out the seven phials - The epistles to the seven churches are divided into three and four: the seven seals, and so the trumpets and phials, into four and three. The trumpets gradually, and in a long tract of time, overthrow the kingdom of the world: the phials destroy chiefly the beast and his followers, with a swift and impetuous force. The four first affect the earth, the sea, the rivers, the sun; the rest fall elsewhere, and are much more terrible. Revelation 16:2”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“16:1-21 These seven bowls filled with God’s wrath represent the final judgments on the world; with the seventh bowl, “It is finished!” is shouted from God’s throne (16:17; cp. John 19:30). 16:1 The mighty voice probably belongs to God (also in 6:6; 9:13; 16:17; 18:4; 19:5; see Isa 66:6).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
“I heard: Rev 14:15, Rev 14:18, Rev 15:5-8 the seven: Rev 15:1, Rev 15:6 and pour: Rev 16:2-12, Rev 16:17, Rev 14:9-11, Rev 15:7; Sa1 15:3, Sa1 15:18; Eze 9:5-8, Eze 10:2; Mat 13:41, Mat 13:42 Revelation 16:2”
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