Revelation · 21 verses
Revelation 16
Every verse links to the people and places named in it, and to the passages readers connect it with.
The chapter
What happens here
Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.
Three frog-like spirits come out of three mouths, kings are shepherded towards Armageddon, and then a hailstone nearly a hundred pounds in weight falls out of the sky. Revelation 16 has a talent for making the final catastrophe remarkably specific.
The bowls beginvv. 1–11
A voice from the temple sends seven angels with seven bowls. The first five lay sores on the worshipers of the beast, turn sea and fresh water to blood, scorch people with the sun, and plunge the beast’s kingdom into darkness. The people curse God throughout, but the chapter carefully adds twice that they do not repent. Even the altar answers the angel of the waters, agreeing that the judgments are true and just.
The frogs and the kingsvv. 12–16
At the sixth bowl, the Euphrates dries up to make a road for the kings of the East. Then come the three frog-shaped spirits, issuing from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet; they perform signs and gather the kings for battle. In the middle of this military arrangement appears a sudden warning about being awake and clothed, lest anyone be found naked and ashamed. The kings assemble at the place called Armageddon in Hebrew, though the chapter offers no further directions.
The seventh bowlvv. 17–21
The seventh angel pours his bowl into the air, and a voice from the throne in the temple says, “It is done!” Lightning, thunder, and an earthquake of unprecedented magnitude follow. The great city splits into three, the cities of the nations collapse, Babylon receives the cup of God’s fury, islands flee, and mountains vanish. Finally, enormous hailstones fall from above. The people curse God because the hail is horrendous—a response that is grimly consistent with the chapter’s earlier refusals to repent.
The text
Read it
Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.
Rev 16:1Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out on the earth the seven bowls of God’s wrath.”
Rev 16:2So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
Rev 16:3And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned to blood like that of the dead, and every living thing in the sea died.
Rev 16:4And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they turned to blood.
Rev 16:5And I heard the angel of the waters say: “Righteous are You, O Holy One, who is and was, because You have brought these judgments.
Rev 16:6For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.”
Rev 16:7And I heard the altar reply: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments.”
Rev 16:8Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch the people with fire.
Rev 16:9And the people were scorched by intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues. Yet they did not repent and give Him glory.
Rev 16:10And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish
Rev 16:11and curse the God of heaven for their pains and sores. Yet they did not repent of their deeds.
Rev 16:12And 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 of the East.
Rev 16:13And I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.
Rev 16:14These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
Rev 16:15“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”
Rev 16:16And they assembled the kings in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
Rev 16:17Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!”
Rev 16:18And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth—so mighty was the great quake.
Rev 16:19The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.
Rev 16:20Then every island fled, and no mountain could be found.
Rev 16:21And great hailstones weighing almost a hundred pounds each rained down on them from above. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because it was so horrendous.
02 — Read alongside
Where this is echoed
Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 302 passages were voted onto 21 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.
- 151 Thessalonians 5:2–3For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
- 15Matthew 24:42–43Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.
- 152 Peter 3:10But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.
- 15Revelation 3:18I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
- 15Revelation 3:3–4Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you.
- 15Luke 12:37–43Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them.
- 15Matthew 25:13Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
- 15Mark 13:33–37Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come.
- 14Revelation 17:14They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen and faithful ones.”
- 152 Corinthians 5:3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.
- 1Zephaniah 3:8Therefore wait for Me,” declares the LORD, “until the day I rise to testify. For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them My indignation—all My burning anger. For all the earth will be consumed by the fire of My jealousy.
- 15Mark 14:38Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
- 1Revelation 15:1Then I saw another great and marvelous sign in heaven: seven angels with the seven final plagues, with which the wrath of God is completed.
- 1Jeremiah 10:25Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, and on the families that do not call on Your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have consumed him and finished him off; they have devastated his homeland.
- 6Isaiah 49:26I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
- 13Revelation 19:20But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Onward