REVELATION 16: THE CUP OF INIQUITY FILLED AND THE WRATH OF GOD
Revelation 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.
“Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth”
I have commanded my holy one; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath—those that rejoice in my triumph. Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together! The Lord Almighty is mustering an army for war. (Isaiah 13:3–4 NIV)
Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name. (Psalm 79:6)
Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee [the land of Israel], and accomplish mine anger upon thee: and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations. (Ezekiel 7:8)
Why the seven last plagues?
In Old Testament times various calamities, such as wars, famines, pestilences, and natural disasters, were allowed by God as remedial agencies to bring men to repentance who had chosen the way of sin and selfishness. Such events were the result of the nation of Israel and mankind generally turning away from God, thus separating themselves from His protecting mercy.The same is true today.
When the plagues are poured out, men will realize they have been fighting against God. But instead of repenting, they will curse Him more bitterly. The plagues reveal to the saints and to the inhabitants of heaven the full fruit of rebellion, and that it is beyond cure.
Wrath Upon the Wicked
Revelation 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 worshipped his image.
Horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark. (Revelation 16:2 TLB)
Foul and painful ulcers (sores) came on the people who were marked. (Revelation 16:2 AMP)
“There fell a noisome and grievous sore”
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 [festering sores] upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast. (Exodus 9:8–10)
There will be no cure for this grievous sore. No doubt the world’s health authorities will mobilize their resources and apply scientific knowledge at breakneck speed to meet this global emergency. However, as Pharaoh and his magicians were powerless to stop the plagues of their day, so with the seven last plagues there will be no human recourse to eliminate them.
In Pharaoh’s day, a temporary repentance and the mercy of God allowed the plagues to be stayed, but at this time the plagues are poured out “without mixture” (Revelation 14:10), meaning without mercy. By the time the plagues are poured out, mankind has reached the stage where they “repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk” (Revelation 9:20).
Promise to the Righteous
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. (Psalm 91:5–6)
Wrath Upon the Wicked
Revelation 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.
The second [angel] emptied his bowl into the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a corpse [thick, corrupt, ill-smelling, and disgusting], and every living thing that was in the sea perished. (Revelation 16:3 AMP)
Why death upon the waters? The wicked have refused to drink of the living water, which is Christ. Instead, they “have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13).
Maritime ocean trade is the lifeblood of the world economy. The great system of Babylon has locked the children of God out of the world economic system, declaring “that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:17). The ocean, so vital to the world’s weather system and commerce, is a stagnant pool of death, a fit punishment for a wicked and perverse generation, for they loved “evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness” (Psalm 52:3).
Promise to the Righteous
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. (Psalm 91:1, 4, 7–11)
Wrath Upon the Wicked
Revelation 16:4
And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
“Rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood”
Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river’s brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand. And thou shalt say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear. Thus saith the Lord, in this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.
And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. (Exodus 7:15–21)
The world, in rejecting the everlasting gospel, has rejected Christ—the living water. The blood of Christ that would have washed away their sins was neglected, rejected, or substituted by a false gospel. Now both water and blood, so necessary for life, have become instruments of death. This plague is a fit symbol of the love and mercy of Christ rejected.
Promise to the Righteous
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. (Isaiah 41:17–18)
The Healing Water and Blood of Christ
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:37–38)
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:25–26)
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22)
[Christ Jesus] Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. (Romans 3:25)
Much more then, being now justified by his [Christ’s] blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:9)
We can see from the above verses how Jesus desires to apply to our hearts and characters the washing of water, representing a spiritual renewal. Further, by His blood He desires to take away our guilt and the condemnation of sin. The worshippers of the beast have rejected or neglected this renewal and cleansing in exchange for pleasing fables that fastened them in deception and error.
Revelation 16:5–7
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. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
God demonstrates His righteousness in the gospel (see Romans 1:16–17) in allowing Christ to take upon Himself the guilt and sin of mankind, thus providing a way of escape. God has done this “to declare … His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). But the world has spurned the everlasting gospel and has accepted a counterfeit in its place. Because of this rejection the world is left to reap what it has sown. Scripture testifies: “Thy hardness and impenitent heart [treasured] up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Romans 2:5).
This generation reaps the guilt of their ancestors in full measure. For they have ignored or rejected the message of invitation and warning “from heaven, having great power” as “the earth was lightened with His glory” (Revelation 18:1). They reap of their own guilt and the cumulative guilt of all ages also testifies against them, for they have continued in the same rebellion. For an example of this principle, read the texts that follow.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. (Matthew 23:29–35)
Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, it shall be required of this generation. Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. (Luke 11:49–52)
Wrath upon the Wicked
Revelation 16:8
And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
Some [seeds] fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. (Matthew 13:5–6)
The people of this world who receive of the plagues, though many of them were religious, did not receive the seed of truth. They had no root, no real relationship with God. The plague of the scorching sun falls upon the planet, but the saints who are rooted and grounded in Christ are sustained.
And they [every sinner] shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a women that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. (Isaiah 13:8)
With so many believing that all life started with an explosion, and with mankind worshipping that which is created more than the Creator, God now uses the sun—so long an object of worship—as an object of punishment. With global climate change, and the subsequent problems these events cause, man is getting a little taste now of the greater and more extensive judgments of the plagues.
It can be readily seen, that many of the plagues come through the natural environment. It may very well be, that such plagues are the direct result of God merely removing His sustaining and protecting hand that holds in check the laws that govern the natural forces of the world and solar system we dwell in. If we will not repent of our wicked ways today, when judgments are still mixed with mercy, it will be too late for any change when the plagues are poured out full force without mercy.
Promise to the Righteous
These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. (Revelation 7:14, 16)
They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. (Isaiah 49:10)
Revelation 16:9
And 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.
People were severely burned (scorched) by the fiery heat, and they reviled and blasphemed the name of God, Who has control of these plagues, and they did not repent of their sins [felt no regret, contrition, and compunction for their waywardness, refusing to amend their ways] to give Him glory. (Revelation 16:9 AMP)
Even in our so called enlightened age, false religion, doctrines, and philosophies often stem from ancient sun worship, which at its root is a substitute for the worship of the true God. This substitution of the true for the false continues on a global scale with the implementation of the mark of the beast. So the sun smites the earth with intense heat, and that which mankind has so long worshipped as a benefactor is turned into a plague.
The oceans, the fresh water system, and the sun are all vital parts of the day-to-day life of this planet and its people. God, in mercy and goodness, created these things for our benefit. However, man, in despising God and His abundant gifts to the children of men, now find the very things that sustain the planet have turned into instruments of punishment. When that which was created to minister life is turned into that which ministers death, mankind will not find any means of escape.
The saddest thing of all is that mankind, by this time, has gone so far in rebellion,—in spite of his profession of religion—that he cannot and will not repent. Rather, they “cursed the name of God … they did not change their mind and attitude to give Him glory” (Revelation 16:9 TLB). The God whom the saints love to give honor and glory to is the same God whom the wicked disregard. The lost blame God for the results of their own sins, this makes clear to the entire universe, they will not repent, thus vindicating God as righteous in all that He does.
Promise to the Righteous
The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand, the sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. (Psalm 121:5–6)
Who among us can dwell with that devouring fire? Who among us can dwell with those everlasting burnings? He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises gain from fraud and from oppression, who shakes his hand free from the taking of bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes to avoid looking upon evil. [Such a man] will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; water for him will be sure. Your eyes will see the King in his beauty, and the highlands of heaven far away. (Isaiah 33:14–16 AMP, verse 17 TLB)
Wrath Upon the Wicked
Revelation 16:10
And 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.
Seat—a stately seat (throne); by implication power.1 Chair of state; post of authority; residence or dwelling2
Kingdom—royal power, kingship, dominion, rule.3 The power of supreme administration4
The seat of the beast is his place of dwelling or authority, which would be the Vatican and his kingdom, encompassing his subjects throughout the world.
“His kingdom was full of darkness”
And the Lord said unto Moses, stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. (Exodus 10:21–23)
And when I shall put thee [Pharaoh] out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord God. I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries, which thou hast not known. (Ezekiel 32:7–9)
Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing. Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? (Amos 5:16, 18, 20)
The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land. (Zephaniah 1:14–18)
These verses depict days of darkness. During the plagues of Egypt, it was a literal darkness that was dense and unnatural. Elsewhere, the times of darkness represented times of affliction and despair as judgments came upon Israel and the nations around them for their rebellion. What these verses depict in limited judgment speak to us as well of what it may be like when this judgment becomes worldwide under the fifth plague.
The physical manifestation of darkness upon the planet is equal to the extent that the people have chosen the darkness of sin and rebellion rather than the light of God’s love and mercy.
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. (Proverbs 4:18–19)
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)
Your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. Therefore are justice and right far from us, and righteousness and salvation do not overtake us. We expectantly wait for light, but [only] see darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity and gloom. (Isaiah 59:3, verse 9 AMP)
Revelation 16:11
And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
The fifth plague is a representation of spiritual darkness upon the seat or headquarters of the beast, for in rejecting truth they have shown that they loved darkness more than light. (See John 3:19–20.) This darkness, though spiritual, is literal as well. Apparently, the sun is again afflicted and the extreme heat is now turned to great darkness and cold, causing great pain in addition to the boils.
“Repented not of their deeds”
Then began he [Jesus] to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not. (Matthew 11:20)
And I gave her [Jezebel] space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. (Revelation 2:21)
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. (Matthew 21:32)
As man has spurned the free salvation offered to all by God, his heart and mind has become totally unsusceptible to the love of God. Now not even judgments can bring forth sorrow for sin. The pouring out the plagues makes clear and distinct the two classes, the saints and the worshippers of the beast, and shows that the heart of the rebellious is so settled against God and His truth there is no remedy. So while the plagues are a horrible punishment, they are as well a clear demonstration of the results of sin and rebellion and the irredeemable heart of the worshippers of the beast.
Wrath Upon the Wicked
Revelation 16:12
And 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.
“The water thereof was dried up”
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. (Revelation 17:15)
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. (Revelation 17:16)
Therefore shall her [Babylon’s] plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: … The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought.
And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. (Revelation 18:8-19)
Revelation 16:12 represents the drying up of support for the kingdom of Babylon. In the Old Testament, Cyrus, the king from the east, diverted and dried up a flood canal that drew water from the Euphrates river, which ran through the city. This enabled him to enter in under the walls and destroy Babylon.5
The support for spiritual Babylon ends as well when the waters are dried up, as the world awakens to the deception and withdraws its support from spiritual Babylon. But it will be too late to change their fate. What the Old Testament reveals about the fall of ancient Babylon, so Revelation reveals about the fall of spiritual Babylon. As God used the heathen nations of Media-Persia to bring about Babylon’s downfall, so the wicked turn against spiritual Babylon.
Cyrus the anointed one (see Isaiah 45:1) was a type of Christ in that he was anointed and chosen by God to destroy literal Babylon, which was the beginning of the deliverance of God’s people. Soon the true king of the east, Jesus who comes in the glory of the Father, will be seen coming in the clouds of heaven as He puts down the rebellion of mankind, represented by mystery Babylon, and rescues the saints.
Revelation 16:13
And 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.
“The dragon”
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9)
And he [an angel] laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:2)
The dragon represents Satan and, at times, the forces he uses to accomplish his aims—both religious and political. In the context of Revelation 16:13, it represents the non-Christian religions of the world.
“The beast”
Thus he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. (Daniel 7:23)
And I saw one of his [the beast’s] heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? (Revelation 13:3–4)
The beast is the Roman beast, continuing through the last days as Roman Catholicism. See the study in Revelation 13, where considerable time was spent showing that the beast is papal Rome.
“The false prophet”
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (Matthew 7:15)
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1)
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. (Revelation 19:20. Compare Revelation 13:13–14.)
The false prophet is a representation of apostate Christianity, which claims to speak for God. The false prophet is the same power described as the two-horned beast of Revelation 13, representing the apostate, fallen churches of America.
“Out of the mouth”
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Matthew 12:34)
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. (Matthew 15:18–19)
But he [Jesus] answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)
In contrast to God’s Word taught and lived, out of the mouth or heart and the teachings of these religious powers come words, philosophies, and teachings that substitute, contradict, undermine, and distort the truth of Scripture.
Revelation 16:14
For 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.
The three unclean spirits are at work even now, before the outpouring of the plagues, preparing people to accept spiritual Babylon as their benefactor and god. The teachings that proceed from these three religious systems, at times reinforced by miracles, bind the world in deception. The dragon represents those organizations and religions most fully aligned to Satan.
Through false religion, Satan presents to mankind what appears to be the beautiful side of evil. New Age philosophy, Hinduism, Buddhism, other eastern religions, and all philosophies that exalt the divinity within or reincarnation above God’s intervention in man’s life are part of the religion of the dragon. Further, the religion of the dragon stresses human works as a means of gaining acceptance with God.
The beast is Roman Catholicism. The false prophet is professed Christianity, which has fallen and become a harlot, yet, like the false prophets of old, claims to speak for God. These three powers, in diversity and unison, through ecumenicalism and interfaith, are now propagating their doctrines. They deceive the multitudes of the world, from prince to pauper, from ruler to ruled. All alike will be deceived by the teachings of these three unclean spirits. The spirits behind these seemingly diverse religious practices and beliefs are the unclean spirits of demons binding the world into a fatal delusion.
Revelation 16:15
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
“Behold, I come as a thief”
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:4–6)
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10)
“Blessed is he that watcheth”
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. (1 Peter 4:7)
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13 NKJV)
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (Luke 21:36)
In the midst of deception and darkness, Christ will come with an overwhelming surprise. The flood came upon the antediluvians with suddenness because they hardened their hearts against the abundant evidence that Noah’s warnings were true. Christ admonishes His followers to watch, be sober, alert, and ready, and not give up the garments of dependence, trust, and belief in Christ.
Revelation 16:16
And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
It is commonly taught that the armies of the world will gather in the valley of Megiddo in Palestine. But Armageddon is not a literal place; rather, it refers to the worldwide battle between truth and error. This final confrontation is an outgrowth of Satan’s boast recorded in Isaiah 14:12–14.
His purpose in using the deceptive forces of the beast, the dragon, and the false prophet is that he may sit on the “mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north” (Isaiah 14:13) to receive worship as a god. The end result of this terrible delusion will be to gather the kings of the earth to battle against the Lord, not the country of Israel. (See Revelation 19:12–14, 19.)
Wrath Upon the Wicked
Revelation 16:17
And 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.
“There came a great voice out of the temple of heaven”
Therefore prophesy thou against them [the nations of the world] all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 25:30–31)
The vial poured into the air indicates the universal effect of the seventh plague, while the great voice from the throne of heaven indicates the authority of God and the finality of the decree “It is done.”
“It is done”
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:5–6)
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30)
As John in vision sees the creation of the new earth, a voice from heaven declares, “It is done,” thereby showing the finality in the close of this world’s rebellion and the surety of the promise long looked for of a “new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).
When Jesus cried out on the cross, “It is finished,” His declaration showed the finality or end of His suffering when He was made an offering for the sins of men. In the same way, the declaration “It is done” in Revelation 16:17 declares an end to the seven last plagues and the end of the mystery of iniquity that has so long afflicted this planet and its inhabitants.
Revelation 16:18
And 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.
When great events in heaven or earth are about to transpire regarding God’s work, John the revelator has his attention drawn to voices, thunders, and lightnings in heaven. God has used earthquakes to indicate His presence or to signal events. (See Revelation 6:12, for further references under great earthquake.)
Revelation 16:19
And 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. (See also Revelation 18:5, 8, 18.)
The great city of “Babylon” split into three sections, and cities around the world fell in heaps of rubble; and so all of “Babylon’s” sins were remembered in God’s thoughts, and she was punished to the last drop of anger in the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. (Revelation 16:19 TLB)
This city of mystical Babylon splitting into three parts represents the falling apart of the religious coalition of the beast, dragon, and false prophet with the kings of the earth. Their unity, global power, and authority now crumble under the judgments of the plagues, represented figuratively as an earthquake. Under the seventh plague, there will be a literal earthquake affecting the entire plane. This earthquake will destroy many of the major cities of the world where wickedness
abounds, adding to the universal upheaval brought about by the previous plagues.
“To give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath”
Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out. (Isaiah 51:17)
And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. Then took I the cup at the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the Lord had sent me: to wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day. (Jeremiah 25:16–18)
The cup of wrath is a symbol of an experience of woe and judgment that the people passed through for sin and rebellion. Jesus took the cup of wrath for us so that we, in accepting Him, could have salvation. Babylon as a system and mankind collectively have loved a lie, thereby rejecting the Lord, and now must drink a cup of woe and bitterness unmixed with mercy, for mercy has been spurned.
Revelation 16:20
And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (Revelation 6:14)
A powerful worldwide earthquake will devastate the island nations. Many will fall into the ocean while others will be swept away in giant tidal waves. Even great mountain chains shall fall. The terror of the world’s inhabitants in this final plague cannot be imagined. In the midst of this catastrophic upheaval, God’s children are kept safe and secure, in fulfillment of God’s promise to His faithful ones.
Promise to the righteous:
For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. (Isaiah 54:10)
Revelation 16:21
And 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.
“Fell upon men a great hail out of heaven”
Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. (Isaiah 28:17–18)
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. (Revelation 11:19)
Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. (Exodus 9:18–19, 25)
“Every stone about the weight of a talent”
And great (excessively oppressive) hailstones, as heavy as a talent [between fifty and sixty pounds], of immense size, fell from the sky on the people; and men blasphemed God for the plague of the hail, so very great was [the torture] of that plague. (Revelation 16:21 AMP)
Promise to the Righteous
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:1–10)
When the hail of the seventh plague falls, all the refuge of lies that man has made in his rejection of God will be fully and finally swept away, as life, property, and everything dear to the wicked heart of man is destroyed. However, as the people of God dwelt in security amidst the plagues of God that fell upon ancient Egypt, so now will the people of God dwell securely. The time for us to make our lives secure is now, and security comes only by uniting ourselves with Christ in a covenant relationship of love. And to this end, “the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).
Endnotes
1. James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1987).
2. Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language. (San Francisco, California: Foundation for American Christian Education, 1967).
3. James Strong, op. cit.
4. Noah Webster, op. cit.
5. “The Euphrates in the middle of the summer, from the melting of the snows on the mountains of Armenia, like the Nile, overflows the country. In order to diminish the inundation, and to carry off the waters, two canals were made by Nebuchadnezzar a hundred miles above the city; the first on the eastern side called Naharmalca, or the Royal River, by which the Euphrates was let into the Tigris; the other on the western side, called Pallacopas, or Naharaga, (nahar agam, The river of the pool,) by which the redundant waters were carried into a vast lake, forty miles square, contrived, not only to lessen the inundation, but for a reservoir, with sluices, to water the barren country on the Arabian side. Cyrus, by turning the whole river into the lake by the Pallacopas, laid the channel, where it ran through the city, almost dry; so that his army entered it, both above and below, by the bed of the river, the water not reaching above the middle of the thigh.” Adam Clark’s Commentary on the Bible, Isaiah 44:27.
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