Apocalipse 16
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Apocalipse 16:1
16:1 "Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels" Revelation 15:8 shows that this must be the voice of God Himself. This last group of angels had ultimate authority to destroy God's earth. In the OT the death angel and the angel of destruction are God's servants, not Satan's. ▣ "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God" This is an OT symbol for the judgment of God on unbelieving nations (cf. Ps. 79:6; Jer 10:25; Ezek. 22:31; Zeph. 3:8). This term is used often in this context for God's wrath on unbelievers (see note at Rev. 7:14, cf. Rev. 16:1,2,3, 4,8,10,12,17) because of their blasphemy (cf. Rev. 16:9) their persecution of believers (cf. Rev. 16:6) their stubborn refusal to repent (cf. Rev. 9:20-21; 16:9-12) For "wrath of God" see full note at Rev. 7:14.
Apocalipse 16:2
16:2 This first bowl is very much like one of the Egyptian plagues (cf. Exod. 9:10-11). Some see this as related to Deut. 28:35, which is in the cursing and blessing section of Moses' covenant renewal. It is to be noted that, like the Egyptian plagues, these plagues affected unbelievers.
Apocalipse 16:3
16:3-4 The second and third bowls parallel the second and third trumpets (cf. Rev. 8:8-11) and also reflect the Exodus plagues of Exod. 7:17-21; Ps. 78:44.
Apocalipse 16:4-7
16:5 "the angel of the waters" This may reflect the intertestamental Jewish apocalyptic terminology of I Enoch 66:2. In Revelation there has been an angel in charge of the wind (Rev. 7:1) and an angel in charge of fire (Rev. 14:8), so it is not unusual to see an angel in charge of the water. Again, angelic mediation and activity are common in intertestamental apocalyptic literature. We must interpret Revelation in light of its own genre, its own day, and not our modern western theological systems of eschatology. ▣ "Righteous are You" This is an allusion to Moses' song in Deut. 32 (especially Rev. 16:5) or possibly Ps. 119:137. ▣ "who are and who were" Notice that there is no future element as in Rev. 1:4,8; 4:8, because there is no future time (see full note at Rev. 11:17). This is the end! This is purposeful; note the threefold designation of Rev. 1:4. Time is no more! The end (i.e., Parousia) is revealed several times in Revelation, not just Revelation 19. Each of the seals, trumpets, and bowls ends with the Second Coming and culmination of history. This is why I think the recapitulation theory for the interpretation of Revelation is best! 16:6 "saints" See Special Topic: Saints ▣ "prophets" For OT Prophecy see: Special Topic: Prophecy (OT) Special Topic: Prophecy (NT) 16:7 "And I heard the altar saying" The horns of the altar had already spoken in Rev. 9:13. This seems to refer to souls that are under the altar (cf. Rev. 6:9; 14:18) the prayers of God's children (cf. Rev. 8:3-5) It may also be simply a personification for graphic emphasis. ▣ "Lord God, the Almighty" See notes at Rev. 1:8 and 15:3b ▣ "true and righteous are Your judgments" This may be an allusion to Ps. 19:9; 119:137. This is a helpful reminder in the midst of such terrible persecution toward Christians (cf. Rev. 15:4 and 19:2). God will set all things straight one day!
Apocalipse 16:8-9
16:8 This fourth bowl is similar to the sixth seal of Rev. 6:12 and very similar to the fourth trumpet of Rev. 8:12. ▣ "it was given to it to scorch men with fire" The sun is personified as it is in Ps. 19:1-6. God controls the heavenly bodies (cf. Gen. 1:14-19). They are not gods. They do function as messengers (natural revelation) and signs for the seasons (for worship). Special Topic: Fire 16:9 "they did not repent so as to give Him glory" The purpose of God's wrath is redemptive in the seals and trumpets (cf. Rev. 9:20-21; 14:6-7; 16:9,11), even though stubborn, rebellious mankind refuses to repent. In the bowls the hope of repentance has passed; only judgment remains! Special Topic: Repentance (NT)
Apocalipse 16:10-11
16:10 "the fifth angel poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast" The throne of Satan was given to the beast in Rev. 11:7. His power is described in Rev. 13:2ff. This seems to refer to the capital city of his end-time, one world government. ▣ "his kingdom" Satan mimics God. As God has a kingdom, so Satan has a kingdom. Throughout these remaining chapters the ministry of God in Christ is parodied by the evil trinity. Satan's kingdom, through the beast, is international (cf. Rev. 13:14-17). ▣ "became darkened" This is another allusion to the Egyptian plagues (cf. Exod. 10:21-23). God controls the light (cf. Rev. 8:12; 9:2; Gen. 1:5,14-18). 16:11 "they blasphemed the God of heaven" These unbelievers recognized the source and reason for their pain, but would not repent and turn to Christ! The plagues on Egypt were sent to expose the false gods of Egypt and cause the Egyptians to trust the God of Israel. The "curses" of Deuteronomy 27-28 were sent to restore unbelieving Jews to faith and obedience. Judgment has a redemptive goal (except for the last one)! The title "the God of heaven" was used earlier in Rev. 11:13 and reflects a Babylonian and Persian title for Deity used often by Daniel (cf. Dan. 2:18, see my commentary on Daniel at www.freebiblecommentary.org.
Apocalipse 16:12-16
16:12 "the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates" This river was mentioned in Rev. 9:13-19 when the demonic army crossed its borders to torture mankind. The headwaters of the Euphrates were the northern boundary of the Promised Land and the outer limits of the Roman Empire. The possible historic basis for this metaphorical demonic army was the Parthian calvary. These fierce anti-Roman invaders were a terror to the Roman legions. ▣ "its water was dried up" Quite often in the OT the drying up of the water was seen as an act of God as seen in the Red Sea (cf. Exod. 14:21) the Jordan River (Jos. 3:17) several allusions in prophetic literature (cf. Isa. 11:15-16; 44:27; Jer. 51:36; Zech. 10:11) This physical act symbolizes that God is allowing the end-time conflict to culminate. It is theologically parallel to 2 Thess. 2:6-7, "what/who restrains." Special Topic: Waters ▣ "that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east" There has been much discussion as to how "the kings of the east" in Rev. 16:12 are related to "the kings of the whole world" in Rev. 16:14: they are the same they are antagonists (Nero Redivivus myth and the Parthian army) the kings of the east refer to the army of God If so, it is an allusion to God's calling His people from Babylon (cf. Isa. 41:2,25; 45:1-3; 46:11). It is possible from the context that the kings of the east are God's tools to attack the armies of the beast (i.e., a historical allusion to Parthians attacking Rome). However, Rev. 16:14 and chapters 19 and 20 imply that there is only one human army and it is united against God (cf. Psalm 2; Jer. 25:15-26). 16:13 "the dragon, the beast, the false prophet" This is the first time that the second beast (cf. Rev. 13:11) is called "the false prophet," but from now on he will be referred to by this name every time (cf. Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 21:10). These three refer to a Satanic trinity which will be defeated in two stages: the two beasts in the valley of Megiddo (cf. Rev. 16:12-16) and Satan at the end of Christ's earthly reign (cf. Rev. 20:7-10). ▣ "three unclean spirits like frogs" The term "unclean" is used in the NT gospels to refer to demons. Why they are characterized as frogs has been greatly disputed: this is another reference to the Egyptian plagues (cf. Exod. 8:6) in Zoroastrianism frogs are the symbol of ultimate evil they refer to unclean animals (cf. Lev. 11:10,31) Special Topic: The Demonic (unclean spirits) 16:14 "they are spirits of demons, performing signs" It is very interesting to note that these signs and wonders will lead all unbelievers astray, but not even the least of the children of God (cf. Rev. 13:13; Matt. 24:24; Mark 13:22; 2 Thess. 2:9-11). This last literary unit (the bowls) is a comparison between what will happen to the children of God and what will happen to the inhabitants of the earth. Christ speaks words of truth, righteousness, and mercy to bring peace to the earth, but the demonic frog spirits speak lies and gathers the nations for war. ▣ "which go out to the kings of the whole world" This may be an allusion to Ps. 2:2, which forms the imagery of these last chapters of Revelation. ▣ "gather them together for the war of the great day of God" The description of an end-time battle appears in Rev. 6:2-8; 11:7-10; 12:17; 16:14; 17:14; 19:19 and 20:8. It is possible these all represent one battle from different perspectives (i.e., parallelism). 16:15 This parenthetical phrase contains the words of Christ which are interjected to encourage and warn the people of God. This is the third of the seven blessings to believers (cf. Rev. 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7,14). ▣ "I am coming like a thief" These words of Jesus (cf. Matt. 24:43-44; Luke 12:39-40) were used earlier in Rev. 3:3 and alluded to in 1 Thess. 5:2 and 2 Pet. 3:10. It seems to refer to the any-moment, sudden coming of Christ in judgment at the Parousia (Second Coming). Special Topic: The Second Coming ▣ "Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes" This is the third of seven blessings given to faithful believers (cf. Rev. 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7,14). This almost seems to be a summary of the eschatological warning found in Mark 13:33-37; Luke 12:37. This verse must be out of place if the theory of a secret rapture of the Church before this time of persecution is affirmed. To whom, then, is Jesus speaking? See Matt. 24:37-42 online at www.freebiblecommentary.org. ▣ "so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame" This may be an allusion to Rev. 3:18. In the OT nakedness was a symbol of judgment (cf. Ezek. 23:29; Hos. 2:3; Amos 2:16; Mic. 1:8). However, it refers not to the loss of salvation, but to Christians who will be ashamed of their activities and lack of lifestyle faith at Jesus' Second Coming. Jesus' coming as the Judge and Conqueror, which is exactly how the Jews expected the Messiah to return, is described in Rev. 19:11-16. Special Topic: Shame 16:16 "and they gathered them together" This is repeated in Rev. 20:8. "in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon" NKJV, NJB, REB "in Hebrew, Armageddon" "in Hebrew is called Harmagedon" "in Hebrew is Armageddon" "in the Hebrew tongue is called Armageddon" This word is spelled differently in several Greek manuscripts. There have been several theories to describe this name (which appears nowhere else in Hebrew or Greek literature). it refers to "the mountain of Megiddo," a northern city in the tribal allocation of Manasseh, built on a hill it refers to "the city of Megiddo," but the problem is that this is not the exact spelling of that city it is a translation of a phrase "the mount of assembly" found in Isa. 14:13, which refers to the ultimate mountain of Deity which Satan attacks it refers to the whole Promised Land (cf. "the mountains of Israel" mentioned in Ezek. 38:8,20,21; 39:2,4,17) it refers to "the fruitful mountain" which would symbolize Jerusalem, the end-time site of many of these final battles between good and evil (cf. the prophecy of Joel) the root meaning of "megiddo" might be "to cut or to attack," making this a reference to "the destroying mountain" of Jer. 51:25, a symbol of Rome's destruction. John has chosen a city that was well known and has slightly changed its spelling (see Metzger, Textual Commentary, p. 755). This is similar to his inaccurate listing of the twelve tribes in Rev. 7:5-8 in order to show their symbolic nature. This symbolic interpretation is further seen in the use of the phrase "in Hebrew," which indicates symbolism, as in Rev. 9:11. It is true that the Valley of Jezreel or the Plain of Esdraelon was the site of many OT battles (cf. Jdgs. 5:19-21; 2 Kgs. 9:27; 23:29-30; 2 Chr. 35:22; Zech. 12:11). This northern invasion route of Mesopotamian powers had become a cultural symbol of evil (cf. Isa. 14:31; Jer. 1:13-14; 4:6; 10:22; 46:20-24; 47:2-7; 50:3,9,41; 51:48; Ezek. 38:6,15; 39:2).
Apocalipse 16:17-21
16:17 "Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air" This could be a reference to Satan's kingdom as found in Eph. 2:2. The air above the earth was considered the realm of evil by the first century world. The battle with evil is finished (cf. Rev. 16:17c-21). Special Topic: Symbolic Numbers in Scripture, #4 16:18 This imagery is used several times in Revelation (cf. Rev. 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18). 16:19 "The great city" Some see this as a reference to Jerusalem because of Rev. 11:8. However, I think even Rev. 11:8 is a symbol of Rome (cf. Rev. 11:8; 16:19; 17:18; 18:10,18-19,21). Rome is described as the great whore of Babylon (cf. Rev. 14:8) which was the ancient seat of godless society. In John's day Rome was that center of the emperor cult that persecuted the Church. In the period of the end-time Antichrist it may be another world city. John continues to describe the destruction of the seat of fallen human, anti-God government in Revelation 17-18. ▣ "was split into three parts" This possibly is an allusion to the vision of Ezekiel 5, which describes utter defeat. ▣ "the cities of the nations fell" This shows the ineffective alliance of fallen human governments against our God and His Christ (cf. Psalm 2). See note at Rev. 10:11. ▣ "Babylon the great was remembered before God" The phrase "then God remembered" is often a symbol of God's judgment (cf. Rev. 18:5; 19:15). This particular cup of judgment was discussed earlier in Rev. 14:10. ▣ "the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath" Drunkenness was an OT metaphor for God's judgment (cf. Ps. 60:3; 75:8; Isa. 51:17,22; Jer. 25:15-16, 27-28). "Wrath" is the term orgē. See full note at Rev. 7:14. Special Topic: Wine and Strong Drink Special Topic: Tribulation 16:20 "every island fled away" This is similar to the sixth seal (cf. Rev. 6:14). ▣ "the mountains were not found" These were OT symbolic phrases for cataclysmic end-time events (cf. Ps. 97:5; Mic. 1:4; Nah. 1:5). 16:21 "huge hailstones" Hailstones have always been the sign of God's judgment (cf. Jos. 10:11; Isa. 28:2). This is another possible allusion to the Egyptian plagues (cf. Exod. 9:23-24). In Ezek. 38:22 hail is used on the end-time enemies of God. The weight of the hailstones has varied. ▣ "about one hundred pounds each" This is literally "a talent weight." The weight of "talents" in the Ancient Near East has varied from 45 to 138 pounds. Their exact weight is unknown, but these are obviously exaggerated weights to show the damage and death they will cause. Special Topic: ANE Weights and Volumes