Revelation 16

Revelation 16:1

The world is not well, folks. It’s suffering from the cancer of carnality, the plague of perversion, the sickness of sin. Therefore, in the period of the Tribulation, the Father will deal with the sin that permeates and pollutes our world. Now, you can either undergo the brutal and bloody radical surgery of the Tribulationor you can undergo open-heart surgery in this day of grace by opening your heart to Jesus Christ. You see, sin must be judged one way or another. I highly recommend bypassing the Tribulation and letting the Lord do surgery on your heart today!

Revelation 16:2

The first strong medicine poured out upon the earth results in “grievous sores” upon those who take the mark of the Beast. Initially, taking the mark of the Beast would seem to be so logical, so technologically sophisticated, so wise. I mean, why deal with credit cars that can be stolen, checks that can be forged, or cash that can be lost when you can enter into a brand-new economic order where you can buy and sell with simply a number? “Don’t take the mark of the Beast!” the angels will cry as they fly across the sky. “Don’t take his number,” the 144,000 Jewish evangelists will preach on the streets. But most will not heed the message. And their refusal to do so will bring about its own pain. That’s always the way it is with sin. “The reason you have so many problems and pains and difficulties is because of your own sin. It’s not Me punishing you,” says God. “It’s the result of your own backsliding” (see Jer_2:19).

Revelation 16:3

An abnormal multiplication of plankton causes not only a depletion of the oxygen supply in the surrounding water, but ushers in a phenomenon known as “red tide"wherein the phosphorous in the plankton causes the water to turn red as blood. It could be that this is a “red tide” taken to the extreme. I don’t know. But whatever it is, it will be absolutely horrible.

Revelation 16:4

As hard as it is to imagine, every creek, lake, and river will turn to blood. Every faucet, every hose, every drinking fountain will run blood instead of water. If you think that’s a bit extreme, read on.

Revelation 16:5

Through the centuries, people have questioned how He who is supposed to be love can be so judgmental, so brutal, so bloody. Yet here in verse Rev_16:5, we hear the angel say that the very turning of the water to blood is an act of righteousness. Why? Think with me… As Jesus hung on the Cross, praying forgiveness upon those who nailed Him there, water and blood flowed from His side (Joh_19:34). Medically indicative of a broken heart, the water and blood meant nothing to the crowd at Golgotha who cursed Him, spat upon Him, and turned their backs on Him. Thus, here in Revelation, the water is turned to blood physically because mankind rejected the blood that flowed with water redemptively.

Revelation 16:7

The phrase “another out of” does not appear in the original Greek text. Thus, newer translations correctly render this verse: “And I heard the altar say, even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.” Now, whether this voice be figurative or literal, I cannot say. But this much is sure: The voice that cries, “True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord,” originates at the altar. In our own times of trial and tribulation, there can be a tendency within us to question the fairness of the Father. But the altar, the place of sacrifice, the Cross speaks just the opposite. If you don’t see this, you’ll go through life one day blessing the Lord in the amphitheater and the next day cursing Him because of your troubles at work. God demonstrated His love for you in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Rom_5:8). Therefore, it is through the lens of God’s love as demonstrated on the altar of Calvary that I must look at every trial I face and every hard time I endure. “What shall we say then? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (see Rom_8:32) Because God loved me enough to hang on the Cross in my place, to pay for my sin, to die for me, I know everything He does in my lifewhether or not I understand it at the timeis right. Complaining about my job, boss, paycheck, kids, singleness, or employees only means I am not listening to the cry of the altar, that I have forgotten Calvary. Allow the Cross to “altar” your view, precious people, as you look at everything in the light of Calvary.

Revelation 16:8

This could be referring to a supernovathe stage directly preceding the death of a star, wherein the star becomes intensely hot. Be that as it may, because men turned their backs on the Son, they will experience the burning of the sun.

Revelation 16:9

The judgments poured out upon the earth in rapid succession result in blistered bodies, stinking seas, blood-red rivers, and a scorching sun. Yet man chooses through it all to blaspheme rather than repent. This is vital to understand because it answers the charges of those who say, “If God is a God of love, wouldn’t one thousand, ten thousand, or even one million years be sufficient punishment for mans’ sin and rebellion? Be reasonable. What kind of God would allow someone to burn in hell forever?” In Mat_25:41, Jesus speaks of everlasting fire and in Mar_9:43-45 of hell as being a place where the fire is not quenched. Hell is eternal. Why? Because men are eternally unrepentant. As we see in our text, no matter how hot the sun becomes or how red the rivers run, man refuses to repent. “Oh, but I repented,” you say. Yesbut it was only by God’s grace because there is none righteous (Rom_3:10). That is why you and I must be forever grateful that the Lord, by His grace, initiated His work of salvation in us.

Revelation 16:10

The seat of Antichrist’s government is Babylonthe city constructed on the same site as the tower of Babel. “We don’t need God. We’ll build a tower, study the stars, and let our horoscopes run our lives,” declared Nimrod and his fellow inhabitants of Babel. At the tower of Babel, men’s tongues were affected in that they no longer spoke the same language. In the city of Babylon, men’s tongues will again be affected when they are gnawed as a result of pain.

Revelation 16:11

Even though they can barely speak due to the pain that overwhelms them, men still find it in their hearts to blaspheme God.

Revelation 16:12

Referred to twenty-five times in Scripture, the Euphrates River is highly significant. The Euphrates formed the northernmost boundary of the land promised to Abraham in Genesis 15, the Nile forming the southern boundary. Although the land promised to the Jews comprised a substantial chunk of real estate, only during Solomon’s reign would the Jews actually possess even a measurable percentage of this vast region. Because the Euphrates is eighteen hundred miles long, an average of thirty feet deep, and three to twelve hundred feet wide, people used to scoff at this Scripture. “How could such a massive river dry up?” they chuckled. But in 1994, the site manager of the Ataturk Dam, located at the headwaters of the Euphrates, was quoted in The Atlantic as saying, “It is true that we can stop the flow of water into Syria and Iraq for up to eight months in order to regulate their political behavior.” The phrase translated “kings of the east” is literally “kings of the rising sun” in the original text. The “land of the rising sun” traditionally and historically referring to both Japan and China, the pieces of the puzzle of prophecy begin to fall into placefor the technology of Japan and the sheer manpower of China could easily produce the two-hundred-million-man army prophesied in Rev_9:14-16. Why would China want to go to war? China has a problem: One and one-half billion peoplethat is, one of every four people on earthwill live in China. To address this situation, the Chinese government imposed a fifteen-year prison sentence on couples with more than a single child. As a result, due to the massive abortion of baby girls, sending their boys to war could be seen differently.

Revelation 16:13

As the Tribulation nears its end, three froglike demons croak, “GotoMegiddo, GotoMegiddo,” in the ears of world leaders. It’s a demonically induced suggestion because Satan is actually orchestrating the entire scenario.

Revelation 16:15

Because of the admonition given to us in 1Th_5:1-4, we know what’s ahead. We’re looking for the Rapture. But these left behind, having been in darkness, receive this word of encouragement in verse Rev_16:15: “Take hope. Even though the armies are marching, I’m on My way. My coming is not only imminentit’s immediate.”

Revelation 16:16

Located sixty miles north of Jerusalem, the Jezreel Valley has been filled with warfare. When Gideon and three hundred men overcame the Midianites, it was at the valley below a little hill called Megiddo. When Samson took on the Philistines, one of the key battles was at Megiddo. King Josiah was killed at Megiddo. Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera at Megiddo. The Turks, Muslims, Syrians, Egyptians, and the Europeans have all waged war in this valley. In his disastrous excursion into Egypt, Napoleon passed through the Jezreel Valley. “If ever there is a place on earth where the last war must be fought,” he declared, “it is here.” The armies of the world will indeed gather at Armageddon. And Antichrist, the false prophet, and Satan himself will meet them there. Why? First, to devour Israel. The ultimate anti-Semite is Satan. If He can destroy Israel, Bible prophecy will fail, for how can Jesus return to rule and reign from Israel if Israel ceases to be? Second, to destroy believers. Having wiped out the nation Israel, Satan would then wipe out all who oppose him. Finally, to determine who will rule. Satan knows he will ultimately encounter God at Megiddo. Dan_11:40-47 outlines the actual strategy that will be used in this final battle: While Antichrist is headquartered at Babylon, the king of the southEgypt and the northern African nationswill launch an insurrection against him. At the same time, the king of the northRussiawill come south in order to assist the Egyptians and the northern African nations in their rebellion against Antichrist. But the Russians will fool the king of the south, continue on into Egypt, and carry off the treasures of Egypt. So we see Egypt coming north, Russia coming south, Antichrist coming from the eastand they all converge in Megiddo.

Revelation 16:17

Two mountains come to mind… Both deal with the wrath of God as He pours out His wrath on men at Megiddo and upon His Son at Calvary. Both deal with the rebellion of man as they blaspheme God at Megiddo and His Son at Calvary. Both are bloodbaths as blood flows to the horses’ manes at Megiddo and from the Son’s veins at Calvary. Both are completions, as “It is done,” cries a voice from heaven at Mount Megiddo while “It is finished,” cries a voice from Mount Calvary. Will you endure the final wrath of the Father at Megiddoor will you embrace the finished work of the Son on Calvary? The choice is yours.

Revelation 16:18

The armies gather. The earth shakes. The blood flows in this event in which the topographical changes described in this passage are consistent with the effects of nuclear warfare.

Revelation 16:21

One of the surprising results of the 1950s nuclear testing on the Bikini Islands were the hailstones that formed when the surrounding water shot so high into the atmosphere that it froze before returning to earth. The bombs detonated at Nagasaki and Hiroshima are BB guns in comparison to the power of the bombs presently in the arsenals of numerous nations, so one talentor one-hundred-poundhailstones are certainly possible. What was the Old Testament punishment for blasphemy? Stoning (Lev_24:16). What’s happening here? Stoning by hundred-pound hailstones.