Revelation 16

King James Version

Full text for Revelation Chapter 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.

2And 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.

3And 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.

4And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

5And 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.

6For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

7And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous [are] thy judgments.

8¶ And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

9And 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.

10And 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,

11And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

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.

13And 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.

14For 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.

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.›

16And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

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.

18And 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.

19And 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.

20And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

21And 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Revelation 16 details the pouring out of the seven vials of God's wrath upon the earth. These plagues include grievous sores, seas and freshwaters turning to blood, scorching heat from the sun, and darkness upon the beast's kingdom. The sixth vial prepares the way for kings of the East and gathers nations to Armageddon, while the seventh brings a massive earthquake, the fall of cities, and immense hail, culminating in the declaration, "It is done."

Medium Summary

The chapter begins with a command for seven angels to pour out the vials of God's wrath upon the earth. The first vial inflicts grievous sores upon those with the mark of the beast. The second and third vials turn the sea, rivers, and fountains into blood, leading to the death of all sea life, with an angel affirming God's righteous judgment for the blood of saints. The fourth vial causes the sun to scorch men with fire, yet they blaspheme God and refuse to repent. The fifth plunges the beast's kingdom into darkness, causing pain and further blasphemy without repentance. The sixth dries up the Euphrates to prepare for the kings of the East, as unclean spirits gather the world's kings to Armageddon. Finally, the seventh vial unleashes a cataclysmic earthquake, the collapse of cities, and a devastating hail, signifying the completion of God's wrath.

Long Summary

Revelation 16 details the execution of God's final judgments through the pouring out of seven golden vials of wrath. A great voice from the temple commands the angels to proceed. The first angel pours his vial upon the earth, resulting in noisome and grievous sores afflicting those who bore the mark of the beast and worshipped his image. The second angel's vial transforms the sea into blood, leading to the death of every living creature within it. The third angel then turns the rivers and fountains of waters into blood, prompting an angel of the waters and a voice from the altar to declare God's righteousness in these judgments, as they are a just recompense for the shedding of the blood of saints and prophets. The fourth vial is poured upon the sun, granting it power to scorch men with intense heat, yet instead of repenting, men blaspheme God. The fifth angel pours his vial upon the seat of the beast, plunging his kingdom into profound darkness, causing its inhabitants to gnaw their tongues in pain and continue their blasphemy without repentance. The sixth angel pours his vial upon the great river Euphrates, drying up its waters to prepare a way for the kings from the East. Simultaneously, three unclean spirits, resembling frogs, emerge from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, performing miracles to gather the kings of the earth to the battle of the great day of God Almighty, in a place called Armageddon. A warning is interjected, stating, "Behold, I come as a thief." The seventh and final angel pours his vial into the air, followed by a great voice from the throne declaring, "It is done." This triggers an unprecedented earthquake, accompanied by voices, thunders, and lightnings, causing the great city to divide and the cities of the nations to fall. Great Babylon is remembered for judgment, islands flee, mountains vanish, and a tremendous hail, each stone weighing a talent, falls upon men, who respond with further blasphemy against God.

Core Concepts

  • Seven Vials of WrathThe chapter describes the sequential pouring out of seven golden vials, each representing a distinct and severe judgment from God upon the unrepentant earth.
  • Unrepentant BlasphemyDespite experiencing increasingly severe plagues, men consistently blaspheme the name of God and refuse to repent of their deeds, demonstrating their hardened hearts.
  • Righteous JudgmentVoices from an angel and the altar affirm God's justice in these plagues, particularly the turning of waters to blood, as a righteous recompense for the shedding of the blood of saints and prophets.
  • Preparation for ArmageddonThe sixth vial facilitates the drying of the river Euphrates and the gathering of the world's kings by unclean spirits to a place called Armageddon, in preparation for a climactic battle.
  • Cosmic UpheavalThe seventh vial culminates in a cataclysmic earthquake of unprecedented scale, causing cities to fall, islands to flee, and mountains to vanish, alongside a devastating hail storm.
  • Mark of the Beast ConsequencesThose who bear the mark of the beast and worship his image are specifically targeted by the first plague, suffering grievous and noisome sores.
  • Babylon's JudgmentThe "great city" and "great Babylon" are explicitly mentioned as receiving the full cup of the wine of the fierceness of God's wrath, indicating their ultimate and severe downfall.