Reflections on Revelation 16

Revelation 16 (Contemporary English Version)
1. From the temple I heard a voice shout to the seven angels, "Go and empty the seven bowls of God's anger on the earth."
   
2. The first angel emptied his bowl on the earth. At once ugly and painful sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and worshiped the idol.
   
3. The second angel emptied his bowl on the sea. Right away the sea turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.
   
4. The third angel emptied his bowl into the rivers and streams. At once they turned to blood.
   
5. Then I heard the angel, who has power over water, say, "You have always been, and you always will be the holy God. You had the right to judge in this way.
   
6. They poured out the blood of your people and your prophets. So you gave them blood to drink, as they deserve!"
   
7. After this, I heard the altar shout, "Yes, Lord God All-Powerful, your judgments are honest and fair."
   
8. The fourth angel emptied his bowl on the sun, and it began to scorch people like fire.
   
9. Everyone was scorched by its great heat, and all of them cursed the name of God who had power over these terrible troubles. But no one turned to God and praised him.
   
10. The fifth angel emptied his bowl on the throne of the beast. At once darkness covered its kingdom, and its people began biting their tongues in pain.
    
11. And because of their painful sores, they cursed the God who rules in heaven. But still they did not stop doing evil things.
    
12. The sixth angel emptied his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it completely dried up to make a road for the kings from the east.
    
13. An evil spirit that looked like a frog came out of the mouth of the dragon. One also came out of the mouth of the beast, and another out of the mouth of the false prophet.
    
14. These evil spirits had the power to work miracles. They went to every king on earth, to bring them together for a war against God All-Powerful. But that will be the day of God's great victory.
    
15. Remember that Christ says, "When I come, it will surprise you like a thief! But God will bless you, if you are awake and ready. Then you won't have to walk around naked and be ashamed."
    
16. Those armies came together in a place that in Hebrew is called Armagedon.
    
17. As soon as the seventh angel emptied his bowl in the air, a loud voice from the throne in the temple shouted, "It's done!"
    
18. There were flashes of lightning, roars of thunder, and the worst earthquake in all history.
    
19. The great city of Babylon split into three parts, and the cities of other nations fell. So God made Babylon drink from the wine cup that was filled with his anger.
    
20. Every island ran away, and the mountains disappeared.
    
21. Hailstones, weighing about a hundred pounds each, fell from the sky on people. Finally, the people cursed God, because the hail was so terrible.

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Chapter 16 outlines events leading up to the end of time which are described in the pouring out of the seven bowls. Much destruction has preceded these events with the opening of the seven seals and then the blowing of the seven trumpets. The series of sevens have been successive. The opening of the seventh seal launched the blowing of the seven trumpets, then the blowing of the seventh trumpet launched the pouring out of the seven bowls. When reading through Revelation, this succession can easily be missed due to the parenthetical narrative that comes with the seventh seal and prior to the beginning of the seven trumpets, and then another parenthetical narrative with the seventh trumpet and prior to the seven bowls.

Here is an overview of successive events leading up to the pouring out of the seven bowls:

Open of the seven seals --

• Opening of the first seal: A white horse appears whose rider has a bow and was given a crown. He was sent out as a victor to conquer. 
  
• Opening of the second seal: Another horse appears whose rider was empowered to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another.
  
• Opening of the third seal: A third horse appears whose rider had a balance scale in his hand. John heard a voice announce high prices for food, indicating a famine. 
  
• Opening of the fourth seal: A fourth horse appears whose rider was given authority over a fourth of the earth to kill using the sword, famine, plague, and wild animals.
  
• Opening of the fifth seal: John saw the souls of those who had been martyrd because of their testimony. They were assured their deaths would be avenged once the number of those who were to be martyred was completed. 
  
• Opening of the sixth seal: An earthquake occurred followed by the sun turning black, the moon becoming like blood, and stars falling from heaven. Then the sky separated like a scroll and every mountain and island was moved from its place. 
  
• Opening of the seventh seal: Seven angels were revealed, each with a trumpet.

Blowing of the seven trumpets --

• Blowing of the first trumpet: "hail and fire, mixed with blood, were hurled to the earth," resulting in the burning up of a third of the earth, a third of the trees, and a third of the green grass. 
  
• Blowing of the second trumpet: A huge object, "like a great mountain," that was ablaze with fire was hurled into the sea. A third of the sea became blood from a third of the sea creatures being killed and a third of the ships being destroyed. 
  
• Blowing of the third trumpet: A star falls to earth and the waters into which it falls are the waters of earth other than the oceans - the rivers and springs of water. It is not the falling of the star into these waters that causes destruction but the poisoning of the waters from the star so that people who drink from the water are killed.
  
• Blowing of the fourth trumpet: A darkening of the heavenly lights is the result of this seventh judgment. We are told a third of the sun, moon, and stars was struck causing a third of them to be darkened. The effect is not a third less light, but a third less time of the day and night that have light. This would seem that the damage to the heavenly bodies changed their rotational course.
  
• Blowing of  the fifth trumpet: A star fell from heaven to earth. To this star, who is thought to be Satan, a key was given to the abyss. With the opening of the abyss came creatures called locusts that had deadly stingers like that of scorpions. They were sent, for a period of five months, to torment those who were unbelievers - those who did not have God's seal. The torment will be such that they will wish they were dead, but death will not come. 
  
• Blowing of the sixth trumpet: "four angels bound at the river Euphrates" were releaased. (9:14) The release of these angels will be timed to a particular hour, day, month, and year, and they will kill a third of the earth's population. Along with the destruction that has preceded this, a half of the world's population will have been destroyed. This destruction will be caused by an army of 200 million. In spite of these events, people do not repent. They continue to worship their idols and demons and to murder and do other ungodly things.
  
• Blowing of the seventh trumpet: There were loud voices in heaven saying: The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign forever and ever! The 24 elders, who were seated before God on their thrones, fell on their faces and worshiped God. God's sanctuary in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His sanctuary. There were lightnings, rumblings, thunders, an earthquake, and severe hail.

Now we come to chapter 16 and the pouring out of the seven bowls --

• Pouring out of the first bowl: Severely painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. 
  
• Pouring out of the second bowl:  The sea turned to blood like a dead man's, and all life in the sea died. 
  
• Pouring out of the third bowl: The rivers and the springs of water became blood. The angel states that God is righteous as are His judgments. Those suffering from this judgment deserve it because they "poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets." (16:6)
  
• Pouring out of the fourth bowl:  This bowl was poured out on the sun and the angel was given the power to burn people with fire. Those who were burned "blasphemed the name of God who had the power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give Him glory." (16:9)
  
• Pouring out of the fifth bowl:  This bowl was poured out on "the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues from pain and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, yet they did not repent of their actions." (16:10-11)
  
• Pouring out of the sixth bowl:  This bowl was poured out "on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east."  (16:12) Spirits came from the mouths of the dragon (Satan), beast (Antichrist), and false prophet and went about to convince the kings of the earth to assemble for battle in a place called Armagedon. With the pouring of this bowl Christ announces that He is about to come "like a thief. Blessed is the one who is alert and remains clothed so that he may not go naked, and they see his shame."  (16:15)
  
• Pouring out of the seventh bowl:  This bowl was poured into the air and a loud voice came from the throne in the sanctuary saying, "It is done!"  (16:17) This was accompanied by lightnings, rumblings, and thunders and "a severe earthquake occurred like no other since man has been on the earth."  (16:18)  The city of Babylon was split into three parts and all other cities fell. Babylon was given the cup filled with "the wine of His (God's) fierce anger."  (16:19)  The islands and mountains disappeared and hailstones weighing 100 pounds fell from heaven. Despite all this, people still blasphemed God and refused to repent. 

It seems amazing that after all these events God's existence and power over creation would be evident and people would turn to Him to escape this judgment. But that is not the case. Denying God's existence or acknowledging His existence but refusing to follow Him are choices people make. Some may say they "can't" believe God and His teaching, but the truth is that they "won't" believe. It is a choice in the face of overwhelming evidence. Over time, evidently this choice becomes irreversible and they "can't" choose God. This would seem to be the case with those who experience these bowl judgments but continue to blaspheme God.