Read & explore together
The First Six Bowls of Wrath
This vision shows the first six bowls of God’s wrath poured out on the earth. As each bowl is poured, the passage highlights both the severity of judgment and the repeated refusal to repent.
Understanding the passage
The setting of this message
John hears a loud voice from the temple command the seven angels to pour out God’s wrath. These verses trace the first six bowls, include voices that declare God’s judgments righteous, and end with a warning to stay watchful amid deception and gathering for war.
Revelation 16:1–16Main takeaway
This vision presents God’s judgments as righteous and shows that severe warning does not automatically produce repentance.
Explore the message
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01The command and the first bowlA loud voice from the temple commands the seven angels to pour out the bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.
Explanation
A loud voice from the temple commands the seven angels to pour out the bowls of God’s wrath on the earth. The first bowl brings harmful and painful sores on people who have the mark of the beast and worship his image. The vision identifies the target of this judgment clearly.
02Sea and fresh water turned to bloodThe second bowl turns the sea into blood, and every living thing in the sea dies. The third bowl turns rivers and springs into blood.
Explanation
The second bowl turns the sea into blood, and every living thing in the sea dies. The third bowl turns rivers and springs into blood. Then the angel of the waters declares God righteous, because blood was poured out from saints and prophets, and blood is given in return.
03The altar agrees about God’s judgmentAnother voice speaks from the altar: ‘Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments.’
Explanation
Another voice speaks from the altar: ‘Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments.’ This matters because the passage does not leave the meaning unclear. Within the vision itself, God’s judgments are openly affirmed as true, righteous, and worthy of agreement.
04The fourth and fifth bowlsThe fourth bowl brings scorching heat from the sun. The fifth bowl darkens the beast’s throne and kingdom, and people suffer pain.
Explanation
The fourth bowl brings scorching heat from the sun. The fifth bowl darkens the beast’s throne and kingdom, and people suffer pain. Yet the repeated human response is not repentance. They blaspheme God, do not give him glory, and do not repent of their works despite the plagues.
05The sixth bowl and the call to watchThe Euphrates is dried up to prepare the way for kings from the sunrise. John then sees three unclean spirits like frogs from the dragon, beast, and false prophet.
Explanation
The Euphrates is dried up to prepare the way for kings from the sunrise. John then sees three unclean spirits like frogs from the dragon, beast, and false prophet. These demonic spirits gather kings for war. In the middle comes a blessing on the one who watches and keeps his clothes.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01Who is struck by the first bowl?
Look at the exact description in the verse: the people affected have the mark of the beast and worship his image.
02How does the passage explain that God’s judgments are righteous?
Read both the angel of the waters and the altar, and notice the connection between shed blood and this judgment.
03What response is repeated after the fourth and fifth bowls?
Compare the wording in both scenes and note what people do instead of repenting.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Revelation 16:1–16
1I heard a loud voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God on the earth!”
2The first went, and poured out his bowl into the earth, and it became a harmful and painful sore on the people who had the mark of the beast, and who worshiped his image.
3The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man. Every living thing in the sea died.
4The third poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
5I heard the angel of the waters saying, “You are righteous, who are and who were, O Holy One, because you have judged these things.
6For they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this.”
7I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments.”
8The fourth poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given to him to scorch men with fire.
9People were scorched with great heat, and people blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues. They didn’t repent and give him glory.
10The fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was darkened. They gnawed their tongues because of the pain,
11and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. They still didn’t repent of their works.
12The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings that come from the sunrise.
13I 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, something like frogs;
14for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of that great day of God the Almighty.
15“Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn’t walk naked, and they see his shame.”
16He gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew, “Harmagedon”.