The Big Storm Forecast-Revelation 16:13-21

This past week I saw a meme on social media that made me laugh and reflect. It read “The weatherman says a storm is coming and everybody panics and gets prepared. The preacher says Jesus is coming and nobody moves. Let that sink in for a minute.” I couldn’t help but think of how true this is. Once a state of emergency is declared by a governor or a series of reports is offered by a meteorologist, grocery stores are raided, houses are boarded up, other supplies are procured, and any number of other preparatory activities are executed. There is something about an existential threat that puts people in a frenzy and yet, those threats that people cannot yet see (say coming judgment, last things, etc.) are easily ignored or placed on the back burner. Any responsible reading of Revelation would encourage otherwise. This is especially true of the passage we are going to look at today—Revelation 16:13-21. In this passage the last bowl judgment is poured out onto the earth, eliciting a massive spectacle that dwarfs any hurricane and makes a tornado look like a light breeze. As the two phases of this coming bowl are described, a warning is voiced that asks us all whether we are ready for what is to come when Christ returns.

PHASE #1: The Preparation for the Bowl-16:13-16

In reaction to all of the judgments that have been poured out over the earth, all three members of an unholy trinity go about the business of preparing for a final conflict—“And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs” (16:13). Remember, as was discussed in chapters 12 and 13, the dragon is identified as Satan, the beast from the sea is the Antichrist, and the beast from the earth is the false prophet. These three evil beings imitate, albeit in an inferior and wicked way, the divine Trinity (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

Out of the mouths of these three separate but related entities come unclean spirits. As stated in 1:16, the mouth in the ancient world often represented an important proclamation. Here the false trinity sends a deceptive proclamation throughout the world (Osborne, Revelation, 591). Throughout Revelation, the supernatural and physical world collide in a variety of ways. Here, demonic activity is very much involved in the activities taking place on the earth as unclean spirits are used to proliferate the message of this unholy trinity. The evil nature of the message coming from the mouths of these three is revealed in the description of the spirits—“like frogs” (16:13).  Frogs were considered unclean in the Torah (Lev. 11:10-11) and also call to mind the second plague that befell Egypt in Exodus 8:1-15. Given this, it is possible that more than emissaries who deliver an important message in a formal way, these frogs/spirits/deceptive messages prove to behave more like a pestilence that spreads throughout the earth to mislead the nations.

“…for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God the Almighty,…” (16:14). Again, what is emphasized here is that the spiritual realm is very much involved in what is experienced in the physical realm, especially among those who have/use power. In fact, any time you see religious blasphemy and persecution against the people of God among world leaders/powers, you can count on there being a heavy demonic influence that is fueling it. Demonic forces have and will continue to lead the world and its leadership toward the worship of false Gods and foment antagonism toward the one true God. This will reach fever pitch here at the end of all things. When this is fulfilled, attitudes against God manifest in preparations made to battle against him in an existential way. Wicked ideologies are betrayed in massive armies that collect themselves and lead to a final insurrection against the God they cannot stand and the people who follow him.

The collection of forces assimilate in verse 16—“And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon” (16:16). The natural meaning of this title from the Hebrew is “mount Megiddo,” however, there is no Mount Megiddo. There is a city and plain of Megiddo. So where is this? Some believe this is a reference to the greater area surrounding this plain complete with the hills and Mount Carmel along the periphery of Megiddo (but some think this is too vague or large an area for what appears here to be a specific reference). Others think that Megiddo is Megiddo the city on the plain that was erected on a seventy foot artificial mound (some believe this is too small a location for so great a coming conflict). Others believe it is Mount Carmel near Megiddo (however, Mount Carmel is never called Megiddo and this connection is obscure) (Osborne, Revelation, 595-96). Still others argue that a more general reference is intended that build on the Old Testament connection of Megiddo with warfare. Megiddo was the site of several major battles (see Judg. 5:19; 2 Kings 23:29-30). Also, Ezekiel locates the defeat of Gog in the final eschatological battle on the mountains of Israel (Ezek. 39:4). John may be combining these references together in describing an undisclosed location of coming cosmic conflict (Wilson, ZIBBC, 342). Regardless of where it is exactly, it will serve as a epicenter of a coming battle, the likes of which the world has never before seen.

In the midst of this disturbing description of deception and preparation for coming war, Jesus breaks through to share an important alert with the reader—(think FoxNews ALERT! or “We interrupt this program to…”). To those reading this book (Asian believers initially and today’s reader as well), Jesus says, “‘Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame,’” (16:16). In this bulletin Jesus uses the imagery already present in the messages to Sardis (3:1ff) and Laodicea (3:14ff) of readiness and watchfulness. You can almost hear the urgency in the comments Jesus puts forth. “Look!” he says, “I can come at any moment. Those who are ready will be blessed!” and, spared from witnessing these ordeals firsthand. This imminent reference here probably refers to the next eschatological event to transpire for which there is no warning—the rapture. After all, many will see this late episode the tribulation coming a mile away and those aware of Revelation’s prophecy will not be surprised by it in the least. Believers are those who are dressed and ready for such—having put on the clothes of righteousness provided by Jesus so that the shame of their nakedness is covered (see 3:18). These will not “not walk about naked and men will not see his shame” (16:15) nor will they be made to endure these plagues that God brings upon the planet. This is the message of the third beatitude of seven found in the book (see 1:3; 14:13 for the first two).

PHASE #2: The Emergence of the Bowl-16:17-21

After these preparations are made, “the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne saying, ‘it is done,’…”(16:17). The dissonant chord of finality sounds again here with “It is done.” Different from “It is finished” introduced 15:1 and 15:8 (telew) “it is done” (gegonen) calls to mind something that happens with the implication that what transpires is different from a previous state (Louw & Nida). This is emphasized by the use of the perfect tense suggesting the culmination of something major. The implication here is that this final plague will result in a totally different state of affairs, distinct in some ways, from what came before it. God himself (from “the temple”) makes this pronouncement as, once again, he is shown calling the shots (see 16:1), instigating the judgments (15:5ff), and separating the epochs (16:17).  

What happens as a result of this seventh bowl being poured out upon the earth is very-near indescribable. That said, John does he best to articulate what he sees in this vision. First, something causes a huge earthquake—“And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder, and there was a great earthquake, such as there has not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty” (16:18). Though the earthquake is what takes precedent in the description, a familiar literary invention introduces it—a storm theophany (or the use of storm imagery to symbolize the power of God). In fact, this is the last of four passages that allude to the cosmic storm based on the phenomena first witness on mount Sinai in Exod. 19:16-18 (see Rev. 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18).  Though this is the fourth iteration of a storm theophany and the third that is accompanied by an earthquake, what John sees here is more severe than anything that has been witnessed previously in his vision. The earthquake is called “great, such as there has not been since man come to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty” (16:18). The compounding of adjectives emphasizes the awesomeness of this plague.

The earthquake is so severe that “the great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations fell,…” (16:19a). Revelation 11:8 has a clear identification of Jerusalem as “the great city.” Also, its separation from “the cities of the Gentiles (or nations) in the next phrase indicates that Jerusalem is in view (Tomas, Revelation 8-22, 275). Though this location experienced an earthquake back in 11:13, this separate earthquake will divide the city into three parts—highlighting the complete and total devastation of this location. Not only will Jerusalem be decimated, so too will all the gentile cities of the earth and, in particular, Babylon the great (the headquarters of the beast)—"Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of his fierce wrath” (16:19b). Later (in chapters 17-18) this future Babylon and her influence over the cities of the world will be described in greater detail. In all, Babylon represents a vast political, religious, and commercial system controlling the lives of men and nations (Thomas, Revelation 8-22, 275). This city does not come out of this seventh bowl judgment unscathed. In fact, as will be made clear in 17:1-5, she falls—only to be remembered by God after the cup of his fierce wrath is poured over her.

In addition to the decimation of cities is the disappearance of landmarks and land masses—“and every island fled away and the mountains were not found…” (16:20). The image of the sea swallowing up islands is ominous as earthly bodies of water often symbolize chaos, confusion, and danger. In many ways, this might set things up (at least figuratively) for the new creation to come later in Revelation 21:1-2. Also, mountains are leveled. Proud platforms that once served as strongholds and places of meeting are brought low. In many ways, the world is being demolished down to the foundation.

In addition to the earthquake, “huge hailstones, about one hundred pound each, came down from heaven upon men,…” (16:21). Just to provide an idea of how large these hailstones will be, consider that according to the Guinness Book of Records 1997, the largest hailstones in recorded history were 2.25 pounds and they fell on Bangladesh on April 14, 1986, killing 92 people (Osborne, Revelation, 600). The largest ever recorded in the United States were 1.671 pounds with a diameter of 5.62 inches that fell on Coffeyville Kansas, on September 3, 1970. Those that will fall in the end will be multiple times larger than even these, killing many beneath their weight. 

However, as before (see 2:9; 9:20-21; 16:9, 11), the earth-dwellers are stubborn and do not repent following this plague. To the contrary, they “blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe” (16:21b). Instead of focusing on the message of the plagues (that illustrates the holiness and power of God), they dwell on their pain. This is similar to what was done in Egypt. “Like Pharaoh the unbelievers (in Revelation 16) do not listen to God’s message to them but only think of their plight, blaming it on God rather than on their own sin” (Osborne, Revelation, 600). 

So What?

Speculation concerning exactly what will cause the phenomena described here abounds. Whether or not this destruction is brought on supernaturally or as the result of something like nuclear warfare is still up for debate. However, one thing is for sure, this plague appears to eclipse all that come before it both in severity and scope. It is, in many ways, the final chord played after a long and disturbing crescendo. The only thing that remains is to consider what we are to do in response to this prophecy that has been provided.

Thankfully, the application of this passage is explicit in what Jesus himself shares as he breaks through to speak with the reader—“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame” (16:15). This period of judgment that is described for us in Revelation 16 will come at the tail end of a period that could start at any moment. In light of this, Jesus encourages that people be ready. Readiness means staying awake—i.e. being watchful, busy about the mission of God, and watchful for Christ’s return. Readiness is possible only after receiving the righteousness raiment that is required for salvation from the only one who can give it—Christ. Readiness means no longer being subject to the shame of sin awaiting punishment—the punishment that we read about in this passage—because Jesus has taken that punishment upon himself on your behalf. Are you ready today? Or are you at risk of experiencing the judgment we read about in this terrifying passage?