“In the former chapter was set down the preparation to the work of God: here is delivered the execution of it.” (Geneva Study Bible) “A careful reading of this passage reveals that Armageddon has to do with a final global battle between these three frog-like spirits, the kings of the world, and God Almighty! The third of those ‘three unclean spirits like frogs’ is described as coming ‘out of the mouth of the false prophet’ and going to ‘the whole world’ prior to Armageddon (v 13, 14, 16). What could this highly symbolic language about a frog-like Spirit speaking globally through a false prophet represent? Could it represent a worldwide system of false prophecy that is now deceiving millions in the thinking that Armageddon is... a Middle East conflict? ... The third frog of false prophecy is now teaching a literal middle east Armageddon involved in the literal river Euphrates, China, Russia, the Jewish nation, and a rebuilt third temple in Jerusalem. Dear friend, this is all false prophecy. It is part of ‘the wine' of Babylon, which deceives all nations (Rev.14:8; 18:23). The apostle Paul plainly predicted that the time would come when the majority would ‘turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables’ (2 Timothy 4:3, 4).” (Steve Wohlberg)
“These ministers of the Divine justice were ready to execute vengeance upon transgressors, having full power; but could do nothing in this way till they received especial commission.” (Adam Clarke) “It is a sentiment of the rabbins that ‘whatever plagues God inflicted on the Egyptians in former times, he will inflict on the enemies of His people in all later times.’” (Adam Clarke) The trumpet judgements “affected only one third of the various areas (see 8:7-12), but here the [bowl] judgments are total and final.” (Bridgeway Bible Commentary) And as the physical plagues touched Egypt while Israel was safe in Goshen, these spiritual plagues will touch the earth, sea and other waters, after the spiritual Israelites are safe in Heaven.
1 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.”
They did not move without an order. Then came the “the voice of the Holy One of Israel.” (Justin Edwards) “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God upon the earth.”(1b) “Upon Antichrist and his adherents.” (John Trapp) “By earth here, we are to understand the whole Roman papal state, both political, and ecclesiastical; called mystery Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth. {Rev. 17:5}”. (Knollys) It was a loud voice, as before. “The frequent use of the Greek adjective ‘megales’ in this chapter indicates the unusual severity and intensity of the bowl judgments. The NASB translators rendered this word ‘loud’ here and in Revelation 16:17; ‘fierce’ in Revelation 16:9; ‘great’ in Revelation 16:12, 14, 18 (twice), and 19 (twice); and ‘huge’ and ‘severe’ in Revelation 16:21. The word also occurs nine times in chapter 18 , which is an elaboration on the seventh bowl judgment introduced in Revelation 16:17-21.” (Thomas Constable)
2 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.
So the first [angel] poured out his bowl on the earth, recalling “the boils of the sixth plague that struck Egypt (Exod. 9:10–11; Deut. 28:27). Just as the boils afflicted only Egyptians and not the Israelites, so the malignant sores of the first of the last plagues afflicts only those having ‘the mark of the beast and who worship his image.’ The same are identified as the recipients of the rest of the bowl plagues.” (Ranko Stefanovic) “The idea of the plague is taken from that of Egypt in Exodus 9:8-12, but it cannot be literally understood, for literal interpretation is wholly inapplicable to the sixth bowl (vs. 12), and all the bowls must be interpreted on the same principles.” (Schaff)
The boils of this plague affect the earth, which “doth metonymically signify the inhabiters of the Popish earth, the earthly state of the Roman papal kingdom; that is, those inhabiters of the earth against whom the third woe is pronounced, {Revelation 8:13} especially those that rejoiced at the killing of Christ's two prophetical witnesses. {Revelation 11:10}" (Hanserd Knollys)
These boils represent are “torture or butchery of conscience seared with a hot iron, which accuses the ungodly within, and both by truth of the Word (the light of which God has now so long shown forth) and by bitterness stirs up and forces out the sword of God's wrath." (Geneva Study Bible)
“Those who have received the mark of the beast now receive another mark, the mark of judgment in the form of a grievous sore. Compare Deuteronomy 28:35 where it is to be one of a number of judgments on faithless Israel…. Such sores were the mark of someone in a desperate state, like Lazarus at the gate of the rich man (Luke 16:21). This particular sore is directly related to the mark of the beast. It thus typifies the resulting sickness in heart and spirit that destroys men…” (Pett)
3 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.
The second judgment plagues is in the sea, “so the second trumpet Revelation 8:8.” (Barnes) “It can hardly be doubted that we have in this bowl a reference to one of the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7:19). But literal interpretation cannot be thought of." (Schaff's Commentary) By in the sea— “we may understand the see of Rome, the see of Canterbury, the see of York, and all other ecclesiastical, metropolitan, and diocesan sees; especially, the Popes See,… in which see of the church of Rome, those kings of the earth, who give their power, strength, and kingdom to the beast, and all Babylon merchants, and ship masters, and as many as trade by sea, and traffic for estates, for slaves, and for souls of men. {Revelation 18:9-19} 'And it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea'-- so that the effects of this vial is death, unto them that worship the beast or his image, or receive his Mark ,name, or the number of his name, {Revelation 18:8} not only temporal but eternal death. {Revelation 14:9-11}” (Hansard Knollys)
4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
The third plague is in the rivers and fountains, as the first Egyptian plague, Exodus 7:20, by which “we may understand the emperors, kings, princes and nobles of the Roman papal kingdom, which give their power and strength to the see of Rome; as the rivers and fountains of waters run into the sea. {Ecclesiastes 1:7} The great monarchs and kings of the earth are called the heads of their rivers, {Ezekiel 29:3-4; 32:2-6} that is, of their mystical waters." (Hanserd Knollys)
5 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. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.” 7 And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
And I heard the angel of the waters- "the same that poured forth his vial upon the waters- Revelation 16:4" (Trapp) - of "emperors, kings, princes and nobles of the Roman papal kingdom" (Knollys) 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.' We shall one day see the reason of all, and say as Jehu did, 2 Kings 9:36." (Trapp) Those who persecute saints will answer for it with death. They persecuted and killed the saints. Here they justly drank of the cup of God's wrath.
This other voice from “the altar” (7) “is most likely the altar of burnt offering mentioned in the scene of the opening of the fifth seal from which the prayers of the saints have been ascending to God: ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will you not judge and avenge our blood upon those who dwell on the earth?’ (Rev.6:10). They were told to wait for a little while until an appointed time when their prayer would be answered. Here, the voice from the altar affirms that the prayers of God‘s people are finally answered in the plagues." Ranko Stefanovic) God has executed the fullness of His disfavor against the oppressors of His people. Justice has been completely served.
These words of the martyrs confess “the Lord’s justice and righteousness in such destruction. Because of their persecutions of, and cruelty towards, God’s faithful ministers and people, which rendered the spilling of their blood but a condign punishment suited to their sin.” (Matthew Poole)
8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
God held these ministers responsible to a greater degree, but he still holds the common people accountable for their own neglect of duty, The next object of the bowl plagues are the laity of false system. “This bowl is in deliberate contrast to what happens to the people of God of whom it was promised ‘the sun will not light on them or any heat’ (Rev. 7:17). The people of God will enjoy God’s protection. But in contrast the enemies of God will not find any shelter from the sun. Rather they will endure the judgments of God. The scorching of the sun may thus be symbolic of judgment as a whole. But many men through the ages have literally died through scorching heat, so that there is a literal fulfilment… Man’s reaction to this judgment reveals the state of their hearts. Instead of giving them cause to stop and think they curse and blaspheme God and blame Him for their suffering, a suffering which... they have certainly brought on themselves. The Scripture constantly suggests that fire and heat will be a sore instrument of judgment and in the end will cause the final destruction of all things (see Isaiah 24:6; 42:25; Micah 1:4; Malachi 4:1; 2 Peter 3:10).” (Pett)
10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
The fifth angel poured out God’s wrath on the throne of the beast. “We are to understand as the place where the beast hath his chief residence, and where his highest court is kept, and where his holiness's chair is set, in which the Pope sitteth as the infallible judge; that is, the city of Rome; for there his throne is placed, and his great power, and authority is principally exercised. The effects of this vial or plague are these. Firstly, 'his kingdom was full of darkness': that is, the beast's kingdom and dominion, both political and ecclesiastical was greatly eclipsed and clouded. The ruin of Rome will exceedingly darken the grandeur, glory and pomp of the beast. Secondly, 'they gnawed their tongues for pain': that is, they that worshipped the beast, or his image, or received his mark; namely, his kings, his cardinals, etc, were tormented and pained with grief, and sorrow, and sores, when they saw that great city burned and utterly destroyed by the righteous judgments of God. {Revelation 18:7-19} ‘They blasphemed the God of heaven…, and did not repent of their deeds.’ that is of their idolatries, murders, massacres, persecutions, and worshipping the beast, etc." (Knollys)
12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits 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 spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
The sixth plague was poured out on the great river Euphrates. “In order to correctly understand this prophecy, we must first study some ancient Bible history about Israel and Babylon. In 605 BC, ‘Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon’ came ‘unto Jerusalem, and besieged it‘ (Daniel 1:1). Jerusalem was conquered and Israel was taken captive for 70 years (Daniel 9:2). After those 70 years, an amazing set of circumstances occurred. The Euphrates was dried up, Babylon was conquered from the east, and Israel was delivered. As we shall soon see, this history forms the background for a true understanding of Revelation 16:12.
Ancient Babylon sat on the river Euphrates (Jeremiah 31:63, 64). A wall surrounding the city. The river Euphrates ran through Babylon, entering and exiting through two spiked gates whose bars reach down to the riverbed. When these double doors were shut, and all other entrances were closed, Babylon was impregnable. Ancient Babylon was ‘most proud,’ ‘a golden cup… that made all the earth drunken… of her wine.’ (Jeremiah 50:32; 51:7). Yet she was to fall suddenly and be destroyed (Jeremiah 31:8). Then God would call Israel, saying ‘My people, go ye out of the mist of her’ (Jeremiah 31:45). As we shall soon see these exact words are repeated in the book of Revelation to spiritual Israel about the importance of coming out of mystery Babylon (Revelation 17:4, 5; 18:2-8).
In 538 BC, on the night of ancient Babylon‘s fall, working in subjects were drunk with wine (Daniel chapter 5). So were the guards, and they forgot to fully close the double doors. Over 100 years earlier God had predicted concerning Babylon and the Euphrates, ‘I will dry up thy rivers’ (Isaiah 44:27). The Lord also spoke about ‘Cyrus,’ who conquered Babylon, saying ‘I will… open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates will not be shut.’ (Isaiah 95:1). Moreover God called Cyrus ‘My shepherd’ and ‘His anointed’ (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1). Thus Cyrus was a type of Jesus Christ and he came ‘from the east’ (Isaiah 46:11)!
Inside the British Museum in London lies the famous Cyrus cylinder. It describes how Cyrus, a general of Darius, conquered Babylon. Cyrus and his army dug trenches upstream along side of the river Euphrates. By diverting the water, the river gradually went down as it ran through the city of Babylon. No one noticed. At night, at the height of Belshazzar’s drunken feast, the water became low enough for Cyrus and his men to quietly slip under the double doors, which had been left open. Quickly they overran the doomed city, killed the king(Daniel 5:30), and conquered Babylon. Then Cyrus issued a decree to let Israel go (Ezra chapter 1).
... Revelation uses the events, geographically, and terminology of the Old Testament and then applies them universally to Jesus Christ, the Israel of God, and mystery Babylon at the end of time. The failure to discern this principal has resulted in a massive misunderstanding of Revelation, a false Middle-East focus, and deception!” (Exploding the Israel Deception by Steve Wohlberg)
The wrath of God will be poured out on the river Euphrates. “The imagery is drawn entirely from the fall of ancient Babylon, the religious and political enemies of Israel in the Old Testament. Hans LaRondelle remarks: ‘The perspective of the future fall of Babylon is based on the fall of ancient Babylon as it’s ordained type. The theological essentials remain the same while the ethnic and geographic restrictions are removed by giving them cosmic-universal proportions.’... John the revelator makes clear that the Euphrates here must be understood figuratively. He later explained in 17:15 that the Euphrates River on which end-time Babylon dwells (17:1; cf. Jer. 51:13) symbolizes the national powers of the world — ‘peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues’ who would be in the service of end-time Babylon (Rev. 17:18). The Euphrates River thus represents the people of the world and ‘their civil authorities who support the religious authority of Babylon in the last days.’" (Ranko Stefanovic) The drying up of the Euphrates signifies, accordingly, the destruction of the secular powers of the world that are in service to end-time Babylon.
15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
Jesus appeals to people in His day of visitation as well as now “to orient their lives in the present toward the coming eschatological reality.”(Boring, Revelation) "Behold, I am coming as a thief. There is no need to write this in parentheses as in our version. This warning of the Second Advent of Christ has the utility of emphasizing the spiritual nature of the conflict and the individual responsibility of Christians not to be taken unaware. This forbids our looking for any great deployment of world armies in this 'war.' Absolutely nothing in this whole passage justifies the notion of massive world armies deployed in some gargantuan military conflict... ‘Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments.’ This verse is the order of the day for the soldiers of Christ. It is not preparation for a literal battle of some kind, but a matter of prayer and watchfulness, and of 'keeping' one's garments of purity, morality, and fidelity to Christ...." (Burton Coffman)
16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.
“And they”— “the three unclean spirits” (Justin Edwards)— gathered them together in the place called in Hebrew, “Armageddon.” —“the expression of an idea; the idea that swift and overwhelming destruction shall overtake all who gather themselves together against the Lord.” (Robert Milligan) Armageddon— ”‘Mount Megiddo,’ the valley of which was remarkable for two great slaughters: one of the Israelites, 2 Kings 23:29, the other of the Canaanites, Judges 4:16; Judges 5:19... What is the battle of Armageddon? How ridiculous have been the conjectures of men relative to this point! Within the last twenty years this battle has been fought at various places, according to our purblind seers and self-inspired prophets! At one time it was Austerlitz, at another Moscow, at another Leipsic, and now Waterloo! And thus they have gone on, and will go on, confounding and being confounded." (Adam Clarke) Rather: “The old battle-ground becomes the symbol of the decisive struggle. It is raised in meaning: it is a type, not a locality. The war of principles, the war of morals, the war of fashion culminates in an Armageddon. The progress of the spiritual struggle in individual men must lead in the same way to a mountain of decision, where the long-wavering heart must take sides, and the set of the character be determined. ‘There is no waving of banners and no prancing of horses’ hoofs; the warfare is spiritual, so that there is in sight neither camp nor foe.’ It is that conflict which emerges out of various opinions and diverse principles: ‘the religious tendencies of the times’ are powers marshalling themselves for the battle of Armageddon. We must not look for great and startling signs: the kingdom and the conflict of the kingdom is within and around us (Luke 17:20-21).” (C. J. Ellicott)
17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”
“The seventh angel poured out his vial into the air - to signify that this plague was to be widely diffused, and perhaps to intimate that pestilences and various deaths would be the effect of this vial. But possibly air in this place may have some emblematical meaning. ‘It is done’ - It is said, Revelation 10:7, that in the days of the seventh trumpet the mystery of God should be finished; so here we find it completed,,," (Adam Clarke) God's enemies have been annihilated with the system.
18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.
“It is a crucial importance for God’s end–time people to understand the true character of the final battle in order to prepare themselves for it. Christ’s warning to His end–time people in Revelation 16:15 shows clearly that the nature of the final battle in which they will be involved is not a political and military battle, but rather a theological and spiritual one. It is not a battle for economic interest. Hans LaRondelle states: ‘war predictions of a purely secular nature, detached from Christ and the divine plan of salvation, are no part of the Old Testament covenant prophecies or the New Testament Armageddon war. Yahweh war never was a secular, political struggle between nations.’ Armageddon is ‘the battle for the mind of every human being on earth.’ [Paulien] Paul describes the nature of Christian warfare: ‘for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ’ (2 Cor. 10:3-5). Revelation portrays the final battle as part of the cosmic conflict between Christ and His arch-antagonist ‘the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world’ (Rev. 12:9). The instigator of the battle of Armageddon is the same one who originated war in heaven, lost it there, and, in constant frustration, became enraged ‘at the woman, and went away to wage war with the remaining ones of her offspring, the ones keeping the Commandments of God and having the testimony of Jesus’ (Rev. 12:17).... Armageddon represents his firm determination and last attempt to destroy God’s people and prevent the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth. Paul made clear that Satan’s activities in the final days will include persuasion which uses ‘all power and signs and false wonders, and with all deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.’ (2 Thes. 2:9–10).” (Ranko Stefanovic)
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." (2 Peter 3:10-13) They die blaspheming Yahweh their Savior.