Revelation 16, The Full Wrath of God is Delivered

In this chapter, John watches seven chosen angels pour out the seven last bowls of judgment filled with the full wrath of God onto the earth during the last half of Tribulation.

v.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.' "

This marks the beginning of what will be the most horrific period in the history of man. Regarding this time, Jesus said, “For then will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt.24:21). Other prophets call it the “day of the Lord”; when God’s wrath and fierce anger come as destruction, with darkness and gloominess, causing devastation, desolation, and distress upon men.

"Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it" (Isa.13:9).

"Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand: it shall come as destruction from the Almighty…a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness…" (Joel 1:15; 2:2).

“That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers. I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like refuse” (Zeph.1:15-17).

As we read the judgments, pay close attention to the striking resemblance many bear to those God imposed on Egypt in the deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh (Ex.8-11). Moreover, not unlike those judgments in Egypt, which broke an oppressive kingdom and delivered Israel from slavery, by these judgments the kingdom of Satan will be destroyed; Satan himself will be immobilized; and the nation of Israel will once again be delivered from bondage forever. “For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance,” Isaiah says, “the year of recompense for the cause of Zion” (Isa.34:8).

Also, keep in mind that the period covered by these plagues is three and a half years. So I would assume at least some of the judgments evolve in intensity during that time and therefore don’t reach their absolute and deadliest worst until the end, just before the Coming of Christ.

v.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."

This "first judgment" is appropriately poured upon the earth, which is the kingdom of Satan.

As a result, those who had taken the mark of the beast and worshiped his image, break out in a “foul and loathsome” sore. But this is no mere skin blemish; the thought conveyed is a “diseased and malignant” sore that is both highly repulsive and agonizingly painful to those who are afflicted by it. The cause is unknown, though one commentator speculates that the sore could be the result of a lithium leak from the computer chip implanted under ones skin, and another, that it might be form of cancer resulting from the fourth judgment upon the sun (vs. 8-9).

v.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."

This "second judgment" is poured out upon the sea.

As a result, the oceans become blood, in turn killing every fish, mammal, and organism in every ocean in the world. This will not only contribute to famine, but considering the valuable food chain that the oceans supply, will undoubtedly have a devastating impact on the world's economy as well.

v.4 "Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood."

This "third judgment" is poured out upon the rivers and springs.

This causes all the fresh water both above and below ground to become blood; thereby eliminating the presence of all drinking water, and further reducing the availability of food generally provided by fresh water lakes and streams.

v.5-7 "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.' "

This is heaven’s reassurance that God’s judgments are purposeful and just.

Note how incessantly ready the angel is for them to finally occur and how genuinely righteous the angel acknowledges them to be, and who better, but an angel, could give testimony to such things. For angels know the whole story of man’s rebellion, and have remained astute witnesses to the bloodshed of God’s saints from the very beginning.

It’s unclear whether this “angel of the waters” is a specific angel whose duties might include charge over the waters, or the third angel whose bowl turned the waters to blood. As for the answering cry made from the altar, it would seem that that came from the souls of the Tribulation martyrs John saw earlier at the altar crying out for God to avenge them (Rev.6:9-11).

v.8-9 "Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 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."

This "fourth judgment" is poured upon the sun.

This results in men being so severely scorched by fire and great heat that the prophet Malachi refers to it figuratively as an oven that will burn up the wicked like stubble (Mal.4:1).

The cause of this solar event is speculative. Some have suggested a super nova (a process at the end of a star’s life in which it becomes intensely brighter just before it burns out). Others see it as a dramatic depletion in the ozone layer resulting in extremely high levels of ultra violet rays.
Whatever its cause, the hearts of the people in these last days would have become so incurably wicked that even in their suffering, rather than repent, they only grow in their contempt for God. (see also—2Tim.3:13).

v.10-11 "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. And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and sores, and did not repent of their deeds."

This "fifth judgment" is poured out upon the throne of the beast himself, causing his kingdom to become absolute and utter darkness.

Any number of catastrophes, including a nuclear blast, forest fires, oil fires, or volcanic eruptions could explain the sudden darkness, and most certainly fits what the prophet Joel describes as pillars of smoke being the cause (Joel 2:30-31). But we don't know.

Nonetheless, for all the turmoil, chaotic despair, and gnawing pain these plagues are causing, the people are so dark spiritually and morally that they continue to blaspheme God and do not repent.

"For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people" (Isa.60:2)

v.12-15 "Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the kings from the east might be prepared. 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. 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. 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."

This "sixth judgment" is poured out upon the Euphrates River.

This causes the river to dry up and in turn prepares “the way” for the kings from the east, or more literally “the kings of the rising sun.” Moreover, in concert with the elimination of the Euphrates, comes the release of three unclean spirits, who, through the performing of signs, awaken the kings of the earth to gather them for battle at Armageddon (see also—Rev.14:17-20).

It should be noted that the final divine promise Jesus makes regarding His Coming "Behold, I am coming as a thief" seems out of place in this passage, having nothing to do with the context before or after it. Moreover, its common use in Scripture regards the need for the Christian to be ready and watchful for the imminent return of Christ. At this point, however, the rapture is already past, so it's not directed to the Church. It's possible that it's a call for repentance to the unbelievers watching this event (check—Zep.2:1-3), or maybe God is engaging the believers alive in this world to prepare for it as He is doing today.

v.16 "And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon."

The word "Armageddon" is a compound of the two Hebrew words, “Har-megiddo”, which means “Mountain of Megiddo.” It lies to the west of Jordan about sixty-eight miles north of Jerusalem near the town of Nazareth in the vast plains of Esdraelon; a Greek modification of the name Jezreel, or “God sorrows,” an area roughly fourteen miles wide and twenty miles long.

Traditionally, the plains of Esdraelon have been a chosen place or encampment and popular battlefield throughout Israel’s history. Including wars against such mortal enemies as the Canaanites, Midianites, Philistines, and Egyptians; and under the command of such notables as Deborah (Judges 4:4-10; 5:19), Gideon (Judges 7:1-25), Saul (1Sam.31:1-3), and Josiah (2Chron.35:22).

Given its capability to be a bivouac area for sizable troops, along with Israel’s historical connection with it, Armageddon seems to explain why God has chosen it as the epicenter to defeat His enemies and those of His people once and for all.

v.17-21 "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!' 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. 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. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, every hailstone about the weight of a talent. And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great."

This "seventh judgment" is poured into the air, perhaps because the devil is “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph.2:2). It is the final outpouring of God’s great wrath, and brings to an end the tribulation judgments.

The words “It is done!” are clearly those of God because they are spoken from within the temple where God has remained alone during the judgments (see notes—Rev.15:8). It signifies that the mystery of God has finally been answered, the bowls of wrath have fully been poured, and His judgment work on earth is done.

As a result, there will be a great earthquake of such magnitude that the earth is said to be “violently broken…split open…shaken exceedingly” (Isa.24:19). By it, Jerusalem ("the great city") will divide into three parts, the remains of Babylon will be completely disposed of, cities will be toppled, and virtually every island and mountain range around the globe will be leveled.

Moreover, there will be “hailstones” or a “hail of stones” (the literal Greek meaning) weighing seventy-five pounds that will plummet from heaven “as fruit falling from a fig tree” (Isa.34:2-4) and virtually stone the wicked; as one commentator points out, an appropriate ending to the judgments considering that God has made blasphemy punishable by stoning (Lev.24:11-16).

There is one battle yet remaining. My opinion is that the horrific outcome of this outpouring causes man to make war against Christ Himself at His Second Coming (check—Rev.19:19), ultimately bringing to an end life on this planet as we know it.

Revelation 13, The Antichrist and the False Prophet

In this chapter, as the signs in heaven continue, John sees the Antichrist and the False Prophet arise from the earth in the form of two hideous beasts that together strive in unison to accomplish the will of Satan.

v.1 "Then he stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name."

This image is a continuation from the last chapter, therefore, it's Satan whom John sees standing on the sand of the sea, and as we'll discover, the Antichrist who is the beast emerging from the sea. Moreover, both idioms "sand" and "sea" are symbolic to mean multitudes of people on this earth (Gen.32:12; Rev.17:15). So the image can be stated this way:

"As the fallen angelic spirit Satan stands upon the people in dominion over them, the Antichrist will be a man he raises up from amongst the people"

Okay, let's look at the Antichrist. Clearly, this beastly characterization of the global leader appears much more deviant to John here at the second half of the Tribulation then what was shown to him earlier at the beginning of the Tribulation (Rev.6:2). In other words, Antichrist, the man John was shown riding upon a white horse has now become a beast emerging from the sea.

I’m going to suggest that this current less human characterization of the Antichrist might be due to the fact that he has become possessed by the devil and thereby becomes the personification of the beast.

Allow me to summarize (details follow in our notes below).

At the start of Tribulation, Antichrist, the man, will possess extraordinary political and militarily skills and personal charisma that will soar his popularity with the ungodly. Moreover, because he is more sinister than most, full of blasphemies and lies and flattering words, it gains him leadership over the New World Order, and with cunning and force, he will subdue kingdoms.

During the middle of the tribulation, however, he will be assassinated. And for some amount of time, at least to the world, he will appear to be dead then shortly afterward will appear to resurrect back to life; thus setting the stage for Satan to deceive the world on a scale as never before.

I believe, given Satan is cast out of heaven knowing little time remains (Rev.12:9), that he seizes the assassination of Antichrist as an opportunity to cut a deal with him, to possess and empower him, and in turn to “miraculously” raise him as the incarnation of himself on earth (more to follow in the notes below).

The heads, and horns, and crowns of the beast are identical to the dragon (Rev.12:3) because of the similar character and purposes and activities of the beast and the dragon. The unknown “blasphemous names” on his heads denotes exaltation of man as a god, thereby blaspheming the true God.

v.2 "Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority."

The form and shape of the beast are interpreted for us by Daniel as four kings and kingdoms.

“And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other…The first was like a lion…And suddenly another beast, a second like a bear…After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard…After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns” (Dan.7:3-7)

“Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth” (Da.7:17)

Four great world empires evolved from Daniel to John: Babylon (the ruling empire when Daniel saw his vision), Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome (the ruling empire at the time of John).

Each empire was subsequently conquered by the empire that followed it except for Rome. The Roman Empire (“different from all the beasts that were before it”) merely dissolved and was never conquered by a subsequent kingdom. Thus making Rome the world’s last great empire; thereby conforming to Daniel’s prophecy that just four great kingdoms would rise up out of the earth starting in his day through to the end of the age; and the reason why it is generally agreed that the “ten horns” of the fourth beast in Daniel's prophecy signify ten nations that rise to power in the latter days from territories that were once part of the ancient Roman Empire.

“And the dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority." No other insight about Antichrist better explains his position of world eminence, powers of deception, and hatred for God during the second half of the Tribulation better then this one. As stated earlier, I believe that Antichrist cuts a deal with Satan following his assassination at the middle of the Tribulation. He agrees to become the personification of the devil, fully possessed, and with the power, throne, and authority of the devil.

One interesting note before we proceed. Compare the order of the beastly kingdoms given by John to that given by Daniel. Whereas Daniel begins with the lion and concludes with the beast, John lists them in reverse order, beginning with the beast and concluding with the lion. As one commentator observed, this is because Daniel was at the head of the line gazing into the future, whereas John was in the future gazing back into the past.

v.3-8 "I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?' And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blasphemy His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. And it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Some commentators interpret the head of the beast that's mortally wounded and resurrected to be a nation, and not an individual. But I disagree, and later will make the argument that the seventh head is in fact that of the Antichrist (notes—Rev.17:9-11). I also accept the notion that the phrase “mortally wounded” implies assassination and is reminiscent to the following prophecy given by Zechariah.

"A sword shall be against his arm and against his right eye; His arm shall completely whither, and his right eye shall be totally blinded" (Zech.11:17)

But that raises another question. Does the “mortal wound” kill the Antichrist? And do the subsequent events suggest that he actually resurrects from the dead? I don’t think so. God alone possesses the power to raise the dead, and there’s no Scriptural evidence He has, or ever will give that power to Satan.

From the world’s reaction, however, it does appear that the ungodly believe Antichrist dies and resurrects; and therefore will exalt and worship him as a god from that point forward throughout the entire three and a half years of the second half of the Tribulation (which is “forty-two months”). The result of which will cast the entire world headlong into the darkest, most violent, and ungodly age that humanity has ever known.

"He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time" (Dan.7:25)
“'Behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord God, 'that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it' " (Amos 8:11-12)

v.9-10 "If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints."

These will be days of horrendous persecution for the believer. And though God makes no promise of immunity from either death or from any other terror, He does encourage the believer to remain patient inside the assurance that their suffering will not be in vain. God’s purposes are at work. Those who lead into captivity will go into captivity, and those who kill will be killed. In the end, following their judgment, they will become captives of the eternal fires of damnation, sentenced to an eternal death.

v.11-14 "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived."

We know that the identity of this second beast is the false prophet because it's stated so later (Rev.19:20). He too will arise out of the earth as the same-type dangerous-beast as the Antichrist, but with a dramatically different appearance.

Upon his head are not the horns of nations but “two horns like a lamb.” This is taken to mean that he will appear Christ-like, or gentle, serene, and deeply spiritual. He will exercise all the authority of Antichrist but for a profoundly different purpose: Antichrist is intended to rule the world as a god; the false prophet is intended to inspire the world to worship him as a god.

His influence will come from an ability to perform great signs. “So that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.” Moreover, his sphere of influence will help Antichrist. Keep in mind that the Antichrist is a politician from Europe whose oratory and military skills might have minimal positive affect on his popularity to a religious people in a third world country, and in fact could alienate it.

The false prophet will exalt the Antichrist in the eyes of the world as a god. And with great signs and wonders cause the unbelieving religious-minded and the whole world to believe the lie, and then to erect an image to Antichrist as a form of worship and adoration.

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie…” (2Thess.2:9-11)

v.15-17 "He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

The "image of the beast" and the "mark" are both highly speculative. Theories offered by commentators range from the supernatural to a form of advanced technology. Some interpret the false prophet’s “breath of life” as a lofty call to the demons, and others as an act as ordinary as switching on a computer. So let’s examine both events in the light of what Scripture tells us then consider a possible scenario.

According to Scripture, the image of the beast is definitely some form of idol that characterizes the Antichrist. It's made by man as an object of worship, and when set in the holy place of the temple becomes an abomination that desolates the temple (Dan.9:27). What we know of the mark we read here in Revelation. It includes the name of the Antichrist and the number of his name and in turn carries with it the privilege to buy or sell goods. Its purpose will be to identify dissenters. For when one attempts to exchange goods without the mark, they will be branded an enemy of the state and thereby arrested and executed.

Okay, here’s a possible scenario:

In my opinion, given our world’s newly acquired reliance upon the computer, I see both the image and the mark as parts of a computerized system—the image being a computer, and the mark a computer chip implanted under the skin that feeds data into that computer. It’s the swiftest and surest way to monitor the buying and selling activities of every man, woman, and child simultaneously across the globe. Moreover, for his purposes, Satan can accurately separate out from humanity those who worship Antichrist and those who do not.

v.18 "Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666."

This chapter closes with possibly the most widely known element in all of the Revelation—the number 666. It might also be the most-widely misunderstood. So, before we dig in, let's first consider what the passage says about the number.

1. It is wisdom - insight about the number is given by God
2. It should be understood – people of understanding will calculate the number
3. It is the number of the beast and a man – the Antichrist
4. It is a real number – "His number is 666"
   

Now let's consider what it might mean.

Most commentators believe (as do I) that the name of Antichrist, when translated into either Hebrew or Greek, will contain letters that total the number six hundred sixty-six. For unlike our alphabet, Hebrew and Greek alphabets assign a number to the letters. The letter 'A", for instance, might be assigned the number "1", "B" the number "2", and so on. Therefore, when a name is translated into either Hebrew or Greek, a number can be calculated simply by adding the numerical values assigned to the letters. In the case of Antichrist, it appears that the name of this man translated into Greek or Hebrew will total the number 666.

Okay, but allow me to stress this about the number:

Those who calculate the names of world leaders hoping to locate and identify the Antichrist are mistaken. God imparted this wisdom for those who are here during the reign of the beast so they can recognize, and not be deceived by him. We should know about these things to teach others, but should keep in mind that the Church is told to watch for Jesus Christ, not the Antichrist.

STUDY QUESTIONS, Chapter 13

1. True or False. The fact that John saw Antichrist rising up out of the "sea" signifies that he will rise up from among the "people." (v.1)

2. Which might best explain why Antichrist is signified to John as a composite of four separate beasts? (v.2)

• a. Because Antichrist will not be human
• b. Because the beasts represent four ungodly kingdoms
• c. Because Antichrist will embody all four ungodly kingdoms
• d. Both (b) and (c).
  

3. True or False. The wounding and subsequent healing of one of Antichrist's heads is probably meant to signify that Antichrist will be assassinated during the Tribulation and then falsely "resurrected." (vs. 3-8)

4. Fill in the blanks. Who is it that grants Antichrist "a mouth" to speak blasphemies and "great authority"? ______________. For how long? ___________________________________. (vs. 3-8)

5. True or False. God promises immunity from persecution for all the believers during the tribulation. (vs. 9-10)

6. Complete this statement: "Then I saw another _______________ coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns _______________________ and spoke like a _________________. (vs. 11-14)

7. Which of the following is a TRUE statement about the second beast? (vs. 11-14)

• a. He is a "false prophet"
• b. He is not a political figure, but appears deeply religious
• c. He will tell the world to worship Antichrist
• d. He will be given the same diabolical power as Antichrist
• e. All of the above
• f. None of the above
  

8. Which might NOT apply to the "mark"? (vs. 15-17)

• a. It will be a computer chip implanted under the skin
• b. It will be applied to the right hand or forehead
• c. People will not be able to buy or sell without it
• d. Everyone will be compelled to have a mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name
  

9. Which does NOT explain the meaning of the number 666? (v.18)

• a. It is the number of a man
• b. It has always been a number associated with evil
• c. God revealed in order to impart wisdom about the identity of the Antichrist
• d. Those with understanding are told to calculate the number