Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Revelation
Chapter 16: It Is Done: The Vials of the Wrath of God
Revelation 16 pours out the seven vials, the last plagues in which the wrath of God is filled up. At the command from the temple, the angels empty their bowls: grievous sores on those who bear the beast's mark, the sea and rivers turned to blood, the sun scorching men with fire, darkness on the throne of the beast, and the drying of the Euphrates. Twice heaven confirms God's justice: 'Thou art righteous, O Lord... true and righteous are thy judgments.' Yet men 'blasphemed the name of God... and repented not.' Unclean spirits like frogs go out from the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet to gather the kings to 'the battle of that great day of God Almighty,' at a place called Armageddon. And in the midst comes the Lord's own voice, 'Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth.' Then the seventh vial is poured, and 'a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne,' declares, 'It is done.'
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Revelation chapter 16. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here the seven vials of God's wrath are poured out in full, His judgments are declared righteous and true, the kings of the earth are gathered to Armageddon, and the voice from the throne announces, "It is done." Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Sores, Blood, Fire
The earth, sea, rivers, and sun struck in full judgment.
Righteous Judgments
"True and righteous are thy judgments," yet men repent not.
Darkness and Armageddon
The beast's throne darkened; the kings gathered for battle.
It Is Done
The throne declares the end; Babylon comes to judgment.
True and Righteous Are Thy Judgments (Revelation 16:1-9)
The first four vials fall on the earth, sea, rivers, and sun, and heaven confirms that God's judgments are righteous and true, even as men blaspheme His name and refuse to repent.
Thou Art Righteous, O Lord
"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. And 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. And 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. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And 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. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And 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."
Word Study
"righteous," Greek dikaios (δίκαιος). The word means just, right, righteous, conforming perfectly to what is right. As the vials of wrath are poured out, heaven pauses twice to declare that these judgments are dikaios: "Thou art righteous, O Lord... because thou hast judged thus" (16:5), and "true and righteous are thy judgments" (16:7). This is vital, for the plagues are severe, and a watching soul might be tempted to think God harsh. Heaven answers: God is righteous, and His judgments are exactly right. The angel of the waters gives the reason: "they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy." The punishment fits the crime with perfect justice; those who poured out the blood of God's people are given blood to drink. God's justice is not arbitrary; it is measured, fitting, and deserved. And notice how God is addressed: "O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be", the eternal One, the same title as "which art, and wast, and art to come" (1:8; 4:8), for the righteous Judge is the eternal Lord God Almighty, the God manifest in flesh. The martyrs' long cry, "How long... dost thou not judge and avenge our blood?" (6:10), is now answered, and answered justly. So dikaios assures us that when God finally judges, He does no wrong; His wrath is the perfectly righteous response of a holy God to unrepented evil, and heaven itself declares, "true and righteous are thy judgments."
Explanation
The seven bowls pour out the full, undiluted wrath of God upon a world that has worshipped the beast -- sores, sea and rivers turned to blood, scorching heat. Unlike the trumpets that struck a third, these are total. Heaven declares God righteous in it: "Thou art righteous, O Lord... because thou hast judged thus," for they "have shed the blood of saints and prophets." Yet the response of men is not repentance but blasphemy -- they "blasphemed the name of God" and "repented not to give him glory." The plagues expose the terrible truth that judgment alone cannot melt a heart set against God; only grace received can.
Gospel Focus
The command comes "out of the temple": "pour out the vials of the wrath of God." The first four vials echo the plagues of Egypt, now poured in full rather than in part. The first brings "a noisome and grievous sore" specifically "upon the men which had the mark of the beast", those who took the beast's brand now bear the beast's judgment. The second and third turn "the sea" and "the rivers and fountains of waters" to blood, so that the sources of life become death. The fourth empowers "the sun... to scorch men with fire." At the turning of the waters to blood, heaven breaks into worship of God's justice: "Thou art righteous, O Lord... true and righteous are thy judgments," for those who "shed the blood of saints and prophets" are justly "given... blood to drink." God's judgments are not cruelty but righteousness; the blood of the martyrs is vindicated. But the response of the earth is the tragedy repeated from chapter 9: "men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God... and they repented not to give him glory." Here again is the hardened heart. Under the full weight of God's wrath, the impenitent do not turn to Him; they curse Him. This confirms the sobering truth: judgment alone does not soften a rebellious will. The same fire that would melt a humble heart only hardens a proud one. For the Apostolic reader the lesson is clear and urgent. God's justice is perfect, and it will be vindicated; every martyr's blood is remembered, and every wrong will be righted. But no one should presume that suffering will one day frighten them into repentance. The heart that will not bow to grace will not bow to wrath. Now, while mercy still calls, is the time to give God glory and turn to Him, before the day when men blaspheme under judgment and repent no more.
Behold, I Come as a Thief (Revelation 16:10-21)
The fifth and sixth vials darken the beast's throne and gather the kings to Armageddon by demonic deception; the Lord calls for watchfulness; and the seventh vial brings the great voice from the throne: "It is done."
It Is Done
"And 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, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. 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. And 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. For 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. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 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. And 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. And 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. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And 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."
Word Study
"Armageddon," Greek Harmagedon (Ἁρμαγεδών). The name is Hebrew in origin, most commonly understood as Har-Megiddo, "the mountain (or hill) of Megiddo." Megiddo guarded the great plain of Jezreel in northern Israel, a strategic crossroads where many of history's decisive battles were fought, from Deborah and Barak's victory (Judges 5:19) to the death of King Josiah (2 Kings 23:29-30). It became a byword for the place of great battle. "He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." Here it names the final gathering of the world's powers against God, the climactic conflict of "that great day of God Almighty." Notice how the gathering happens: "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," demonic spirits "working miracles" that deceive "the kings of the earth" into assembling for war. The nations imagine they march by their own strategy; in truth they are lured by lying spirits to the place of their judgment. And whatever the geography, the outcome is never in doubt: this is not a battle God might lose, but the day His enemies are gathered to be destroyed. Note too the sudden voice in the midst of it: "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth." So Harmagedon names the doomed rebellion of a deceived world against the Almighty, and warns every believer to stay awake, clothed and ready, for the Lord comes suddenly.
Explanation
The final bowls bring darkness on the beast's kingdom, the gathering of the world's kings to "the battle of that great day" at Armageddon, and a cataclysmic earthquake as a voice from the throne cries, "It is done." Babylon is remembered before God to drink "the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath," and still men "blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail." The judgments reach their appointed end; God's patience with a rebellious world is exhausted. "It is done" echoes the cross's "It is finished" -- there redemption was completed, here judgment. The stage is set for Babylon's fall and the King's return.
Gospel Focus
The fifth vial falls "upon the seat of the beast," and "his kingdom was full of darkness", the very throne of the beast is plunged into gloom, and his subjects "gnawed their tongues for pain" yet still "blasphemed the God of heaven... and repented not." The sixth dries "the great river Euphrates" to prepare the way "of the kings of the east," and then the deepest unmasking of the chapter: "three unclean spirits like frogs" issue "out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet." The counterfeit trinity of evil sends out lying spirits, "the spirits of devils, working miracles," to "gather" the kings of the whole world "to the battle of that great day of God Almighty" at Armageddon. The world's final assault on God is driven by demonic deception, and it marches straight to its own destruction. Right into the middle of this ominous scene breaks the voice of Christ: "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments." This is grace and warning together. While the world is gathered for war, the Lord reminds His people to stay awake, to keep their garments of righteousness, to be ready, for He comes suddenly and unexpectedly. Then the seventh vial is poured "into the air," and "a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne," declares, "It is done." The wrath of God is finished; the end has come. A cataclysmic earthquake, "such as was not since men were upon the earth," shakes the world; "great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath"; islands flee and mountains vanish; and still, under a plague of enormous hail, "men blasphemed God." "It is done" is the great word of the chapter, echoing the "It is finished" of the cross, though here it is the finishing of judgment. The God who finished redemption at Calvary now finishes wrath. For the believer, the message is settling and searching: God's justice will be complete, the world's rebellion will end at His word, and the only safety is to be found watching, clothed in Christ's righteousness, ready for the Lord who comes as a thief.
Chapter 16 in Review
Revelation 16 pours out the seven vials that fill up the wrath of God. The first four bring grievous sores on those who bear the beast's mark, blood in the sea and rivers, and scorching fire from the sun, while heaven declares, "true and righteous are thy judgments," and men "blasphemed the name of God... and repented not." The fifth darkens "the seat of the beast," the sixth dries the Euphrates and, by "three unclean spirits like frogs" from the dragon, beast, and false prophet, gathers the kings "to the battle of that great day of God Almighty" at "Armageddon." Into the scene comes Christ's voice: "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth." Then the seventh vial brings "a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done," with the mightiest earthquake in history, the judgment of "great Babylon," and a devastating hail, under which men still "blasphemed God."
For the Apostolic reader this chapter holds three great truths. First, God's judgments are righteous. Twice heaven confirms it: "true and righteous are thy judgments," for the blood of the martyrs is justly avenged. The eternal "Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and shalt be," does no wrong; His wrath is the perfectly right response of holiness to unrepented sin. Second, judgment alone cannot save. Under the full outpouring of wrath, the impenitent "repented not" but "blasphemed", proof that only grace, not terror, can turn a heart. Third, the end is certain, and the world's rebellion is doomed. The kings are gathered by lying spirits to Armageddon, but it is a march to destruction, not a contest God might lose; and at the seventh vial the throne declares, "It is done." Yet even here Christ's voice sounds the note of mercy and readiness: "Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments." So we take heed. We do not presume upon God's patience or wait for wrath to teach us; we come to the Lamb now. And we live watchful, clothed in His righteousness, ready for the Lord who comes as a thief, so that when the great voice says "It is done," we are found among the blessed who watched, and not among those who blasphemed.
- The seven vials fill up God's wrath in full, echoing the plagues of Egypt (16:1-4).
- Heaven twice declares God's judgments "true and righteous"; the martyrs are avenged (16:5-7).
- Under full wrath the impenitent "repented not" but "blasphemed", only grace turns a heart (16:9, 11).
- Lying spirits from the dragon, beast, and false prophet gather the kings to Armageddon (16:13-14).
- "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth", readiness in the midst of judgment (16:15).
- The seventh vial and the throne's word: "It is done"; God finishes His wrath (16:17).
Questions for Reflection
- Can you say with heaven, "true and righteous are thy judgments," trusting God's justice?
- Why does the same wrath that would humble one heart only harden another?
- Do you see how the world's rebellion is driven by deception and doomed from the start?
- Are you watching, clothed in Christ's righteousness, ready for the Lord who comes as a thief?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. The vials poured out; the plagues of Egypt renewed: Revelation 16:1-4; Exodus 9:8-11; 7:17-21; Psalm 78:44. The righteousness of God's judgments; the martyrs avenged: Revelation 16:5-7; Revelation 6:10; 15:3; Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 79:10; Isaiah 49:26. Blasphemy and refusal to repent under wrath: Revelation 16:8-11; Revelation 9:20-21; Exodus 10:21-23; Daniel 5:22-23. Unclean spirits, the kings, and Armageddon: Revelation 16:12-16; Revelation 12:9; 13:11-14; Judges 5:19; 2 Kings 23:29; Joel 3:2, 11-14; Matthew 24:42-44; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4. The seventh vial, "It is done," and the judgment of Babylon: Revelation 16:17-21; John 19:30; Revelation 11:19; 18:2; Isaiah 30:30; Exodus 9:23-24. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- The first four vials renew the plagues of Egypt in full: Revelation 16:1-4; Exodus 9:8-11; 7:17-21.
- God's judgments are true and righteous; the martyrs are avenged: Revelation 16:5-7; Revelation 6:10; Deuteronomy 32:4.
- Lying spirits gather the kings to Armageddon; watch and be ready: Revelation 16:12-16; Judges 5:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4.
- The seventh vial: "It is done"; the judgment of great Babylon: Revelation 16:17-21; John 19:30; Revelation 18:2.