Principles of Interpretation: There are patterns to Revelation which should be considered when trying to understand it. One pattern is that each new section is introduced by a scene from the temple. There is significance to these introductions. Do not ignore them. They are a key to understanding the section. Another pattern is that the book is written in symbolic language. The King James Version translates verse 1 as “he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:” To signify is to show in signs, i.e., symbols. Those symbols are based in the rest of the Bible, both Old and New Testament. As such, look to the rest of the Bible to interpret Revelation rather than using Revelation to interpret the rest of the Bible. This also means that you need to let the Bible interpret itself rather than attempting to have it fit into today’s headlines. In short, do not treat Revelation as separate from the rest of the Bible. Instead, expect that the events described in Revelation have been presented in other parts of the Bible. A third pattern in Revelation is the idea of judgement. There are courtroom scenes and wrath and complaints about God not bringing justice. In fact, humans are not the only ones under judgment. God Himself is on trial, and the repeated verdict is that God is just, holy, and worthy. From the beginning claim that this is the Revelation of Jesus to the promise in the last chapter that we shall see God’s face, Revelation is an examination of who our Creator is and whether He is worthy of our loyalty.

Disclaimer: There are four basic methodologies used to interpret the book of Revelation in modern society: futurism, historicism, idealism, and preterism. Many modern churches have embraced the idea of the secret rapture, which is a form of futurism. On the other hand, some churches say that Revelation deals solely with events that were happening in the apostolic era. This is called preterism. Other churches teach that Revelation does not describe any specific time period. Instead, the symbols are philosophical and/or spiritual ideas. The series of studies that I am posting is based on historicism, which says that the Bible teaches that Revelation begins with the time of John and describes the interactions of the church with a hostile world throughout history culminating in the final future eradication of sin from the universe. This view denies a secret rapture. I do not want you to be in confusion about the basic premises of this series of lessons. If you disagree with the historicist viewpoint, please study for yourself to be certain that the interpretations that you have been told by others and simply accepted make sense with the whole Bible. As you study, first ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit; then study the verses, and let the Bible interpret itself. Even if you disagree with my comments, you may find the verses and background information that I provide useful. Finally, I want to emphasize that I myself am still studying Revelation and my understanding is deepening each time I open the book and read. Revelation is a distillation of the whole Bible; as such, the limited space of this blog and my limited understanding means that these lessons are not nearly as in-depth as they could (and maybe should) be.

References: See the end of this post for sources and references.

SECTION 1:  The Build Up to the Last Battle

This section begins the seven last plagues.  When the bowls of the wrath of God are poured out in the following verses, plagues follow.  This time period corresponds to the time of trouble spoken of in Daniel.

• Daniel 12:1  (1)  “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.

Revelation 16:1

(1)  Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”

The wrath of God must be understood within the context of who God is, so we need to remind ourselves of the basic principles of God’s wrath.

• Galatians 6:7-8  (7)  Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.  (8)  For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
• Romans 1:18, 24-25  (18)  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.  24)  Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, (25)  because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
• Romans 2:4-11  (4)  Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?  (5)  But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.  (6)  He will render to each one according to his works:  (7)  to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; (8)  but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.  (9)  There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, (10)  but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.  (11)  For God shows no partiality.
• Summary of the Wrath of God:  We create our own destruction.  God gives us up to the results of what we have chosen.  God deals out punishment/wrath according to our choices.  He is not arbitrarily giving punishment.  He is letting people experience the results of the path that they have chosen.

Revelation 16:2

(2)  So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

• The first angel pours out sores.  There are seven angels, so there will be seven bowls poured out.  This is only the first of many more bowls of wrath.
• Harmful/painful sores—Are these sores literal or symbolic?  This is an important question considering that Revelation is primarily symbolic.  Most of the commentaries lean towards a literal interpretation saying that people will experience physical suffering.  However, Ranko Stefanovic points out in Plain Revelation “It is important to remember that the seven last plagues are a prophecy yet to be fulfilled.  The true nature will be fully understood when it is fulfilled.  Whether literal or figurative, the seven last plagues will expose the impotence of the satanic trinity to help suffering humanity and will vindicate God and His government.”
• To understand the results of pouring out the first bowl of wrath, we must look at the context in the rest of the Bible.  We’ll start with the plagues of Egypt.
  • Exodus 9:8-12  (8)  And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh.  (9)  It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.”  (10)  So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast.  (11)  And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians.  (12)  But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
• What is the other Old Testament reference to painful boils?  Job. So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.  (Job 2:7)
  • Who struck Job with sores?  Satan.  God allowed it to happen, but Satan instigated it.  In the same way, the first plague happens when God removes His protections, and the choices that humans have made in the service of Satan will lead them to suffer.
  • Whether there will be literal boils, or this plague symbolizes the suffering that humans will endure, the same cause is behind it.  Sin brings disease and physical suffering.  Right now, God is limiting the results of sin, but when God steps back and lets sin run its course without restraint, it is obvious that physical diseases will begin to run rampant. 
• This plague is limited to people with the mark of beast.  Remember that the mark of the beast is the seal of belonging to Satan, either by truly believing in the devil’s lies or by choosing to knowingly reject God for self-serving reasons even though the person sees through the lies.  The mark is either people’s actions or their devotion to Satan’s false picture of God.  Those with the seal of God will not experience the plague of boils.  We will be protected from the consequences of other people’s sinful actions.
• Worship the image of the beast.  Remember that the Earth Beast caused people to make an image of the Sea Beast and worship that image, i.e. the United States (and then the world) will form a system that combines church and state in such a way that it will mimic the papacy of the Middle Ages.  People are devoted to a system that says that Jesus wants us to force worship and use the traditions of men as our standard of right and wrong.
• God is telling the people, “You trusted in the flesh.  Here is the result of trusting in the flesh.”

Revelation 16:3

(3)  The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.

• The second angel transforms the sea into death.  The general population has experienced the result of trusting in the flesh.  Now, God is warning that they will experience the result of abusing the oceans.
• Bowl into the sea—Will this be literal blood in the literal sea?  The commentaries seem to agree that this is not symbolic water, which refers to people.  These are the literal seas of the world.
• Sea became blood of a corpse—The oceans become lifeless, without oxygen, poisoned
• Every living thing died in the sea—Again, this is the logical outcome of our present-day activities if God removes His protection.
  • We have polluted our waters so much that there are several garbage patches within the oceans where trash swirls around from top to bottom and microplastics keep sunlight from penetrating to oxygen-producing organisms. 

• “According to a  2019 report from the United Nations, up to 1 million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction, many within decades.”
• “Marine species have experienced fewer extinctions than their land-based counterparts, but fifteen ocean animals have gone extinct in the last 100 years, and 72 more are on the verge of extinction.”
• Whether literal or symbolic, this plague leads to death.

Revelation 16:4

(4)  The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood.

• The third angel poisons the rivers and springs.  The plague of the second angel now expands to the fresh water sources.
• Poured into the rivers and springs of water—the second plague is the ocean water, but the third affects the world’s drinking water.  Society has already experienced this problem in a limited way, such as when Flint, Michigan’s water supply was contaminated.  Pollution is everywhere in our fresh water sources already.  I used to enjoy sitting by the little Cottonwood River in Emporia and watching the water flow by.  What I did not enjoy was all the plastic bottles and trash that floated down that small insignificant river.  The mighty rivers that flow through large cities have significantly more pollution floating around in them than my poor polluted river.  What can we expect, but poisoned drinking water when our freshwater sources are so contaminated?
• The third bowl correlates with the plague on the Nile in Exodus 7:17-25  (17)  Thus says the LORD, “By this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood.  (18)  The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.”’”  (19)  And the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”  (20)  Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood.  (21)  And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.  (22)  But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.  (23)  Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart.  (24)  And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.  (25)  Seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.
• These plagues cannot be universal.  If they were, all humanity would be dead in a matter of days.  Thus, there must be pockets of safe fresh water around the world.  However, the plagues will still be devastating both health wise and economically.
• The water became blood.  This points to the inability of the fresh water to sustain humanity, but there is another effect—Economics.
  • The consequences of both fresh and saltwater becoming lifeless would wreck the economies of the world.  Safe drinking water, which we take for granted in the present time, would become a scarce resource.  Prices would rise as desperate people competed to gain this resource required for their survival.
  • Even precipitation might be unsafe, which would further limit the food supply.
  • If literal, the second and third plagues are the result of the world reaping what it sows.  Pollution has reached the tipping point and the waters are tainted.  This will also affect the ability to raise food crops, so famine will result. 
  • The second and third plagues might contribute to the economic collapse described in Revelation 18.

RECAP:  The first plague was sores.  The second plague was that the seas became the blood of a corpse, and the third plague was that the fresh water became blood.  Now an angel comments about the third plague.

Revelation 16:5-7

(5)  And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments.  (6)  For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!”  (7)  And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!”

• After three judgments, the angel in charge of the waters speaks and affirms God’s justice.  The angel’s words demonstrate that these three plagues are not arbitrary punishments.  In some way, the punishment will fit the crime.  The plagues are somehow appropriate.
• Holy One/Who is and who was—It is interesting that the angel does not add “who is to come” here.  The other place where this limited expression is used is in the seventh trumpet.
  • Revelation 11:15-19  (15)  Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”  (16)  And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,  (17)  saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.  (18)  The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”  (19)  Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
• Shed blood of saints and prophets
  • Revelation 17:6  (6)  And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly.
  • Blood may be used as the symbol in the second and third plagues because it represents the death of God’s people, and the persecutors are now experiencing death.
  • Basically, the angel is saying that you sow what you reap—People will drink blood because they have shed blood. It is sad that the people who are experiencing these plagues have sunk so low that they deserve the consequences that they are experiencing.
• The altar agrees—This is a reference to the souls under the altar in Revelation 6.
• Revelation 6:9-11  (9)  When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.  (10)  They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”  (11)  Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
• Finally, the number of martyrs is complete.  There will be no more innocent deaths of God’s people, and judgment is coming upon those who would murder God’s people.  This is not to say that there will be no more killing.  People who serve Satan prey on each other, as well as God’s people.  I doubt that they will stop hurting each other when they can no longer hurt God’s people.

Revelation 16:8-9

(8)  The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire.  (9)  They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

• The fourth angel brings a plague that scorches people.  The ten Egyptian plagues were: Water turned to blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock die, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and firstborn death.  There are seven plagues in Revelation, and the sun plague is not one of the Egyptian ones.  This is one reason to know that while we need to reference the original plagues to gain understanding, they are not identical.  I found two explanations of this plague.  Both could be correct at the same time.
• Literal:  Poured onto the sun
  • “In the plague that follows, power is given to the sun ‘to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat.’ Verses 8, 9. The prophets thus describe the condition of the earth at this fearful time: ‘The land mourneth; … because the harvest of the field is perished…. All the trees of the field are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.’ ‘The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate…. How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture…. The rivers of water are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.’ ‘The songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.’ Joel 1:10-12, 17-20; Amos 8:3” (The Great Controversy by E. G. White, Chapter 39).
• Symbolic:  It scorched people with fire and fierce heat
  • “The world has followed the antichrist and given honor to Sunday as Sabbath whose origin is in sun worship. Despite the warning of the third angel’s message to fear God and give glory to Him by worshiping according to the day He instituted at the creation of the world, multitudes give honor to the man of sin through Sunday observance. Now God gives them up to the god they have chosen to worship. Though they find the sun to be an unrelenting task master, rather than a deity deserving worship, they stubbornly refuse to repent” (Unlocking Revelation, #17)
• The people cursed the name of God/They did not repent/did not give God glory—This is a sign that probation has closed.  “Nothing will make them change their actions.  They have hardened their hearts to such an extent that they cannot turn around” (Plain Revelation, #17).

Revelation 16:10-11

(10)  The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish (11)  and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.

• The fifth angel brings darkness on the throne of the beast—Commentaries disagree as to whether this fifth plague is literal or symbolic.  Plain Revelation says that the first five plagues are literal but the last two are plainly symbolic and spiritual.  Andrews Study Bible says that the first four are literal because there are no symbols that can be associated with them.  However, it says that the last three are not literal, so it disagrees with Plain Revelation.
• Poured on the throne of beast—Plagues one to four effect the general population.  Plague five is specifically attacking the beast’s throne.  “The authority of the sea beast is now undermined, and the beast suffers great humiliation before the people.  As the world’s people gnaw their tongues in pain, they become more enraged.  They begin to realize the impotence of the unholy trinity to protect them from the effects of the plagues.  They feel deceived.  However, as in the case of the pharaoh in Egypt, the terror and pain of the plagues increasingly harden their hearts.  They have set their minds against God.  They further refuse to repent (Rev. 16:11).  They are ready to turn their anger against God’s people.  In this way, the world’s people become fertile soil for the final deception, which Satan will use to draw the entire world into the great battle between God and Satan.  This final deception is portrayed in the sixth plague scene (16:12-16).” (Plain Revelation)
• Kingdom became darkness
  • Exodus 10:21-23  (21)  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.”  (22)  So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.  (23)  They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.
  • Andrews Study Bible says that this plague is “not literal, as somehow it is a challenge to the beast’s authority.  The plagues are undermining the beast’s control of the earth.” (cf Rev. 13:12).  On the other hand, the sources that say that this is literal claim that there will be darkness covering the whole world for an extended time.
  • Whether literal or symbolic, this plague is fitting.  The general population of the world has had a chance to receive God’s light, but they rejected it in favor of Satan’s false illumination.  They have chosen darkness over the light that Jesus plainly revealed in His word.  John 3:17-21  (17)  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  (18)  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  (19)  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  (20)  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  (21) But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” 
• People gnawed tongues in anguish
  • “Again this plague is but the result of their own choice. God sent His Son into the world to bring life and light. Yet “men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:17-19). They hate the light and will not go to the light that their deeds should be reproved (see John 3:20). So while they “blaspheme the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores,” again they do not repent of their deeds (see Revelation 16:11).”  (Unlocking Revelation, #17)
  • Something about this darkness brings anguish and pain.  The SDA commentary suggests that intense cold may accompany the darkness.  On the other hand, the anguish may deal with fear of the darkness.  After the burning of the sun, the darkness might be even more fearful—going from one extreme to another.
• The people cursed God because of the pain and sores—The effects of the sores are concurrent with this event.  This shows that the plagues build on each other.  Disease, death of the oceans, poisonous drinking water, fields being ravaged from heat are still present when this new plague arises, but it only hardens people’s hearts rather than helping them to accept that they should change their hearts.
• Even if the darkness is literal, it is a reflection of the darkness in the people’s hearts.
  • Isaiah 8:19-22  (19)  And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?  (20)  To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.  (21)  They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward.  (22)  And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness.
• The people did not repent

Section 2:  Satan’s Forces Gather

Revelation 16:12-16 describes the gathering of religious and political powers that leads to the battle of Armageddon.  The actual battle is the focus of Revelation 16:17-19:21

Revelation 16:12

(12)  The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.

• Compare this plague with the sixth trumpet in Revelation 9:14.  In the plague of the sixth trumpet, the River Euphrates has been holding four angels who are released and cause a third of mankind to be killed.  The sixth trumpet’s woes for mankind were limited. Two thirds of humanity survived.  The point is that no one would think that the Euphrates River in the sixth trumpet was literal.  There have never been any angels bound there.  In the same way, the great river Euphrates being dried up in the sixth plague cannot be the literal river.  The literal river is no barrier to any kind of modern warfare. A couple of years ago, people got excited about the Euphrates River drying up, but that was a natural phenomenon and had nothing to do with the sixth plague of Revelation.
• The sixth angel’s plague has no equivalent in Egypt.  Instead, it is a reference to the overthrow of literal Babylon as described in both Daniel and history.  The symbolic meaning of the river drying up is that this is the means by which spiritual Babylon will be overthrown and God’s people delivered.  Daniel 5 tells us that on the night Babylon fell, God pronounced judgment on the king of Babylon by writing on the wall where the king was holding a big celebration in defiance of God.  History tells us that this party took place while Babylon was surrounded by the armies of Cyrus the Great.  Cyrus had his engineers divert the Euphrates River so that it would not enter into Babylon, i.e. he dried up the River Euphrates.  However, that tactic would have been useless if the river gates had been locked as they were supposed to be.  Somehow, a gate had been mysteriously left unlocked, and Cyrus marched his army through the gate and conquered Babylon.
• Revelation often uses water as a symbol for people (Revelation 17:15).  If this is the meaning here, then the drying up of the river refers to Babylon losing the support of the people.  However, if the primary meaning is Euphrates, then it simply means that everything is being prepared for the coming of Jesus.  It may include both meanings.
• Prepares the way for Kings of east—Jesus’ second coming.  The east is the direction that God comes from in scripture.
  • Matthew 24:27  (27)  For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
  • Isaiah 41:25  (25)  I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay.
  • Revelation 7:2  (2)  Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea,
• The sixth plague and the seventh plague will be enlarged upon in the next chapters (17:1-18)

Revelation 16:13-15

(13)  And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.  (14)  For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.  (15)  (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)

• “Between the sixth and seventh plagues there is an interlude consisting of four verses dedicated to describing the battle of Armageddon. There is much speculation and varying opinions as to what this battle is and when, where, and between whom it will be fought.” (Unlocking Revelation, #17)
• The commentaries agree that this passage is not part of the plagues, but instead, it is an explanation of the events that lead to the world being divided into two opposing sides.  Part of the justification for this opinion is that verse 15 says that there is a choice to follow Jesus.  Thus, this precedes the plagues where people have already made their choices to serve the beast and his image or to serve God.
• Frogs—This situation has a counterpart in the Exodus plagues.
  • Exodus 8:1-8  (1)  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.  (2)  But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs.  (3)  The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls.  (4)  The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.”’”  (5)  And the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!’”  6)  So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.  (7)  But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.  (8)  Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the LORD to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.”
  • This is the last plague of Egypt where the magicians could imitate God’s miracles.  Thus, the significance in Revelation is that the false trinity (the dragon, beast, and false prophet) is somehow mimicking God.  However, after this last deception, they will no longer be able to pretend to have the power of God.
• Out of mouths of dragon, beast, and false prophet—i.e. these are lying words and actions
  • “In light of this Old Testament background, the three frog-like demons of the sixth plague are Satan’s last attempt to counterfeit God’s work.  They are portrayed as the counterpart to the three angels in Revelation 14.  The satanic trinity sends them out with a false gospel to persuade the world’s secular and political authorities and powers to side with them against God and His people in preparation for the great day of God Almighty.” (Plain Revelation)
• Demonic spirits
  • 1 John 4:1  (1)  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
  • This is the use of spiritualism to deceive people into disregarding the three angels’ messages as found in the scriptures and to trade the Bible Sabbath for the beast’s Sunday.
• Perform signs—People will choose to believe the lies partly because of the signs but also because they prefer the worldly lies to the ways of the kingdom of heaven.  This is not the first time that the people of God have been lured away from true worship by signs and wonders.
  • The pagans did not worship idols without supernatural signs.  Demons encouraged false worship through their powers to deceive.  1 Corinthians 10:20-22  (20)  No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.  (21)  You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.  (22)  Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
  • The people of God have a past history of twisting His words.  Jesus told us that people who claim to be Christians will also be deceived in the future.  Matthew 24:24 (24)  For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
  • Satan is an expert at getting people to abuse God’s word and make it say the opposite of the original meaning, but we will not be deceived if we study for ourselves and let the Bible interpret itself.  Most of all, we must remember that everything from God looks like Jesus, especially giving Himself for us on the cross.
  • The Bible has stern warnings against using our private interpretation of good and evil rather than the Bible’s clear words.  Isaiah 5:20  (20)  Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
  • Isaiah 28:15, 17-18  (15)  Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter”; . . . (17)  And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.”  (18)  Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be beaten down by it.
• To bring all the kings to an assembly—the purpose of the frog demonic spirits is to gather the political powers to follow Satan.
• Battle on the great day—This will lead to two opposing sides:  one with the seal of God and the other with the mark of the beast
• The day belongs to God the Almighty—this is the last battle that will decide human destiny.  God wins!
• Coming like a thief / stay awake—Numerous times, Jesus taught us to be prepared for His coming from the parable of the ten virgins to the manager who mistreats his servants because the master’s return is delayed.
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:2-7  (2)  For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  (3)  While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.  (4)  But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.  (5)  For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.  (6)  So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.  (7)  For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.
  • 2 Peter 3:9-13  (9)  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  (10)  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.  (11)  Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, (12)  waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!  (13)  But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
• Keep garments on/not naked and exposed—We must always depend on Christ’s righteousness and not our own.  Only through submission to Jesus and obeying His commands are we safe from the devil’s trickery.
  • Revelation 3:18  (18)  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

Section Three:  The Final Battle

Revelation 16:16

(16)  And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

• Armageddon—It is important to examine the meaning and Biblical history of the place.  Then we need to decide if this is a literal place with a literal battle or a symbolic place where a spiritual battle occurs.
  • “The world powers will gather at the place which is called in Hebrew Armageddon, meaning ‘the Mountain of Megiddo.’  In the Old Testament, Megiddo was a fortress-city, located in the Plain of Esdraelon, at the foot of the Carmel Ridge, and between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee.  The city stood on the great highway from Egypt to Damascus, providing a natural passage for the invasion of Palestine.  As such the city was an important strategic site.”  (Plain Revelation)
  • “The Plain of Esdraelon (or the Valley of Jezreel) was known for many famous battles in ancient times.  In the Old Testament, the city of Megiddo witnessed many decisive battles in Israel’s history.  At Megiddo, Barak and Deborah defeated Sisera and his army (Judg. 5:19-21), Gideon won the victory over the Midianites (6:33), Saul was defeated by the Philistines (1 Sam. 31), Ahaziah was shot by Jehu (2 Kings 9:27), and Josiah was killed by the pharaoh (2 Kings 23:29-30).”
  • The word Armageddon in the Hebrew comes from two roots which mean “mount of the congregation,” or “mount of assembly” (see SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 846)  (Unlocking Revelation, #17)
  • Isaiah 14:13-14  (13)  You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north;  (14)  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’
  • 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4  (3)  Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, (4)  who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
  • 2 Corinthians 11:3-4  (Like frogs spreading everywhere-Satan’s false messages come to say that we can be gods, false gospels)  (3)  But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.  (4)  For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.
• The battle was predicted in the Psalms:  Psalms 2:1-12  (1)  Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  (2)  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,  (3)  “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”  (4)  He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.  (5)  Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,  (6)  “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”  (7)  I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.  (8)  Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.  (9)  You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”  (10)  Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.  (11)  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  (12)  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
• How do we fight this war?
  • Philippians 2:5-8  (5)  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,  (6)  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  (7)  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  (8)  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

“The battle of Armageddon is a battle for our minds. Satan wants to come into our hearts and exalt self. God wants to come into our hearts and take selfishness out. The battle of Armageddon is the battle for the ‘mount of the congregation.’ It is a battle for our allegiance and worship.  It is a battle for us!”

Revelation 16:17

(17)  The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”

• A loud voice from temple says “It is done”:  Based on the other two uses of this phrase, this is a cry of triumph.  We need to look at the seventh plague as triumph.
  • John 19:30  (30) When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
  • This verse (Revelation 16:17)
  • Revelation 21:6-7  (6)  And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.  (7)  The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
• The seven last plagues correspond to the time of trouble described in Daniel.  At the end of that time, God’s people are delivered.  Daniel 12:1  (1)  “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.

Revelation 16:18-19

(18)  And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.  (19)  The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.

• Lightning/thunder/ earthquake—greatest ever:  These signs are associated with the throne of God in the Bible.
  • Revelation 4:5  (5)  From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God,
  • Revelation 8:5  (5)  Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
  • Revelation 11:19  (19)  Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
  • Earthquakes are associated with the Day of the Lord in the Old Testament, i.e. judgment
• City of the nations split into three parts—Babylon was the union of the dragon, the sea beast, and the false prophet—a false trinity.  Babylon was a city of rebellion against God.  The seventh plague shatters the power of this union
• Other cities fell—Civil, political, and secular powers that were supporting Babylon also fall.
• Babylon drinks the cup of God’s wrath—This is the end.  Babylon has reached the end. God has shown the universe the corruption of Babylon.  There will be no more temptation in the universe to doubt the integrity of God and the rightness of God’s laws.  Babylon had to be allowed the freedom to demonstrate how foul Satan’s ways of doing things were, but now God can be free to destroy this blot on His kingdom of love.  He can let His wrath at sin destroy the ones who are the destroyers.

Revelation 16:20-21

(20)  And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.  (21)  And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.

• No islands/No mountains
  • Hebrews 12:22-29  (22)  But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, (23)  and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, (24)  and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.  (25)  See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.  (26)  At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”  (27)  This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.  (28)  Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, (29)  for our God is a consuming fire.
• Great hailstones (100 pounds each) from heaven on people—Literal or Symbolic?  Probably literal.
  • Joshua 10:11  (11)  And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.
  • Ezekiel 38:18-23  (18)  But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, my wrath will be roused in my anger.  (19)  For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.  (20)  The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground.  (21)  I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord GOD. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.  (22)  With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur.  (23)  So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
• Cursed God because of the plague—The plagues do not cause repentance among the people of the beast because there is no repentance in them.  The plagues reveal who they are.  The cross was a revelation of the character of God.  No matter how Satan squeezed Jesus, all that came out was love.  The plagues show what Satan and his followers are made of.  No matter how the power of God is shown to them, they refuse to accept Him as their Master.  They go down to their deaths full of hatred, violence, and selfishness.

SUMMARY:  The bowls of God’s wrath are judgments where God withdraws His protection and allows unrepentant humanity to experience the full consequences of their own choices.  These judgments are the last events before Jesus’ second coming.  They fall on those with the mark of the beast, not those with the seal of God.  Satan’s political powerplay falls apart when the logical results of following him begin to overwhelm humanity, but this does not lead people to repent and turn to God.  They have made their choice to rebel, so even if they no longer support the political union of church and state, they still curse God.  These final events will be fearsome but those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes will continue to trust in God as the world falls apart around them.  Their Savior will keep them close until He returns to take them home with Him.

References:

• Andrews Study Bible–In some lessons, I refer to study comments from this Bible.
• God Cares: The Message of Revelation for You and Your Family-A book by C. Mervyn Maxwell that examines how the prophecies of Revelation relate to an individual’s life.
• Plain Revelation–A book by Ranko Stefanovic that summarizes the meaning of various sections of Revelation
• Revelation of Jesus Christ–A book by Ranko Stefonovic that comments on each verse of Revelation.
• Salvation in Signs and Symbols–a series of shows where two pastors and two others study through the books of Revelation and Daniel. These programs can be accessed at 3abnplus.tv . Scroll down to 3ABN Dare to Dream Network and choose Salvation in Signs and Symbols from the list there.
• Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary (Volume 7) (Copywrite 1957)–This is the old green set of commentaries, not the new commentary series that is in the process of being published and should be released after 2022. (Boy, I would love to get my hands on that set when it comes out!)
• Table Talk–A series of shows where four pastors discuss various topics. These programs can be accessed at tabletalk.online . Season 4 focuses on Revelation.
• Unlocking Revelation–A series of pamphlets that can be downloaded for free from lightbearers.org and clicking on Resources