The Book Of Revelation (Revelation 16)

As strange as the judgments appear, these are actual events that happen on the earth just prior to the return of Jesus to set up the Kingdom of God on earth.

It is believed these vial judgments probably begin about 6 months before His coming. I believe the judgments span the last 6 months or so because their descriptions make it certain that each vial affects the world for some length of time.

Perhaps the reason that all these seven judgments occur in chapter 16 is because they all happen rapidly one after the other.

Illus: It is like a july 4th fire works, these seven judgments is the grand finally.

The gathering of all the world armies to Armageddon after the sixth vial would appear to take some time even with the help of Satan’s angels.

Rev. 16: 1 And 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.

The great voice out of the temple is the voice of Jesus serving as high priest in the temple. He tells the seven angels to go in the order they were assigned to go and pour out the wrath of God upon the earth.

Rev. 16:2 And 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 worshiped his image.

The first vial is poured out and terrible sores come upon all who have taken the mark of the Beast and on those who have worshiped his image. The sores are believed to be ulcers or boils.

They are like what Egypt experienced in ancient days when God judged her.

Look at Exodus 9:8-9 And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.

The sores will warn people who have not worshiped Satan and taken the mark of the beast to turn to the God of heaven.

Rev. 16:3 And 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.

In the previous trumpet judgments, there was a similar judgment on a third of the earth. Now we see these things are taking place on the whole earth.

The second angel “poured out his vial upon the sea”, and it turns into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea dies.

“Second … vial … every living soul died in the sea”

This is reminiscent of the second trumpet (8:8-9), and of the first plague against Egypt (Exodus 7:20-25). However, this plague will be far more widespread. The water in the world’s oceans will become thick, dark, and coagulated, like the blood of a corpse. The death and decay of billions of sea creatures will only add to the misery of this judgment.

We have already seen that God will cause a third part of the sea to turn to blood during the 2nd trumpet, but this second bowl includes the entire sea. Imagine when all living creatures in the seas die. Think of the unbearable stench and the potential for disease.

“The “blood of a dead man” is coagulated and rotting. No evaporation for rain would be possible.

This judgment may well interfere with commercial shipping and send whole populations into confusion as people grope for an adequate supply of water, not to mention destroying what is left of the fish industry.

These vials, trumpets, and evil things happening are like the problems that came with the ten plagues on Egypt. In all cases, God brought them on to cause repentance. Just as Pharaoh repented not, these worshippers of the beast repented not. Many large cities have so much pollution today, that the water is bad.

Four of these seven judgments occurred literally in Egypt among the ten plagues and have never been accepted by credible Bible teachers as anything but literal.

Therefore, nothing new will be transpiring when God dries up the Euphrates River in order that the kings of the East may march over on dry ground.

If the plagues of Egypt were literal, and they certainly were, why should we not expect these awful judgments likewise to be literal?

Rev. 16:4-7 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. 5 And 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. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. 7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.