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Revelation

About this book
Chapter 16

1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple declaring to the seven angels: “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.” 2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Then ugly and painful sores appeared on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.⁠ 3 Next, the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood, like that of a corpse, and every living creature that was in the sea died.⁠ 4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. 5 Now I heard the angel of the waters saying:⁠ “You are just—the one who is and who was, the Holy One—because you have passed these judgments, 6 because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets, so you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved!”⁠ 7 Then I heard the altar reply, “Yes, Lord God, the All-Powerful, your judgments are true and just!” 8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was permitted to scorch people with fire. 9 Thus people were scorched by the terrible heat, yet they blasphemed the name of God, who has ruling authority over these plagues, and they would not repent and give him glory. 10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast so that darkness covered his kingdom, and people began to bite their tongues because of their pain.⁠ 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings and because of their sores, but nevertheless they still refused to repent of their deeds. 12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and dried up its water to prepare the way for the kings from the east.⁠ 13 Then I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.⁠ 14 For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful. 15 (Look! I will come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition be seen.) 16 Now the spirits gathered the kings and their armies to the place that is called Armageddon in Hebrew.⁠ 17 Finally the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying: “It is done!” 18 Then there were flashes of lightning, roaring, and crashes of thunder, and there was a tremendous earthquake—an⁠ earthquake unequaled since humanity has been on the earth, so tremendous was that earthquake. 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. So Babylon the great was remembered before God and was given the cup filled with the wine made of God’s furious wrath. 20 Every island fled away, and no mountains could be found. 21 And gigantic hailstones, weighing about a 100 pounds each, fell from heaven on people, but they blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, since it was so horrendous.⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare Exodus 9:9 and Revelation 16:2

Hebrew Bible · New Testament

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Summary

Revelation’s description of painful sores echoes the sixth plague of Egypt, where sores spread over humans and animals after soot was scattered into the air. Revelation reshapes this into a global judgment, using the exodus plague as a model.

Passages

Exodus 9:9

Hebrew Bible
8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a furnace, and have Moses throw it into the air while Pharaoh is watching. 9 It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt and will cause boils to break out and fester on both people and animals in all the land of Egypt.” 10 So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh, Moses threw it into the air, and it caused festering boils to break out on both people and animals. 11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Exodus

Revelation 16:2

New Testament
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple declaring to the seven angels: “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.” 2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Then ugly and painful sores appeared on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. 3 Next, the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood, like that of a corpse, and every living creature that was in the sea died. 4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. 5 Now I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are just—the one who is and who was, the Holy One—because you have passed these judgments, 6 because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets, so you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved!”
92–96 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Revelation

References

"... The seven bowl plagues are enumerated in Revelation 16:2–21: (1) The plague of sores or boils (verse 2; the sixth plague of Exodus 9:9) affects those who had received the brand of the beast and worshiped its image (continuing these motifs first mentioned in 13:15–16 and reiterated in 14:9–11). (2) The sea becomes blood, killing all sea creatures (verse 3), parallel to the effects of the second trumpet plague in 8:8–9 and reminiscent of the first plague of Exodus 7:20–21. (3) The rivers and wells become blood (verse 4), also reminiscent of the first plague of Exodus 7:20–21. This bowl plague is accompanied by a “judgment doxology” sung by a mysterious angel of the water, emphasizing the justice of God in avenging the death of his prophets and saints (verses 5–7). (4) The sun scorches people (verses 8–9; partially resembles the fire from heaven of the seventh plague of Exodus 9:22–24). (5) The throne of the beast (already mentioned in 13:2) and its kingdom are covered with darkness (verse 10), reminiscent of the ninth plague of Exodus 10:21 ..."
David Aune, Word Biblical Commentary: Revelation 6-16 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2017), 1105.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Exodus 9:9 and Revelation 16:2

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