Study Desk

The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple^(a) saying to the seven angels,^(b) "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth."^(c)

The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land,^(d) and ugly, festering sores^(e) broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.^(f)

The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.^(g)

The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,^(h) and they became blood.⁽ⁱ⁾

Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: "You are just in these judgments,^(j) O Holy One,^(k) you who are and who were;^(l)

for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,^(m) and you have given them blood to drink⁽ⁿ⁾ as they deserve."

And I heard the altar^(o) respond: "Yes, Lord God Almighty,^(p) true and just are your judgments."^(q)

The fourth angel^(r) poured out his bowl on the sun,^(s) and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.^(t)

They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God,^(u) who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent^(v) and glorify him.^(w)

The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,^(x) and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.^(y) People gnawed their tongues in agony

and cursed^(z) the God of heaven^(aa) because of their pains and their sores,^(ab) but they refused to repent of what they had done.^(ac)

The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,^(ad) and its water was dried up to prepare the way^(ae) for the kings from the East.^(af)

Then I saw three impure spirits^(ag) that looked like frogs;^(ah) they came out of the mouth of the dragon,^(ai) out of the mouth of the beast^(aj) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.^(ak)

They are demonic spirits^(al) that perform signs,^(am) and they go out to the kings of the whole world,^(an) to gather them for the battle^(ao) on the great day^(ap) of God Almighty.

"Look, I come like a thief!^(aq) Blessed is the one who stays awake^(ar) and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed."^(as)

Then they gathered the kings together^(at) to the place that in Hebrew^(au) is called Armageddon.^(av)

The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,^(aw) and out of the temple^(ax) came a loud voice^(ay) from the throne, saying, "It is done!"^(az)

Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder^(ba) and a severe earthquake.^(bb) No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth,^(bc) so tremendous was the quake.

The great city^(bd) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered^(be) Babylon the Great^(bf) and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.^(bg)

Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.^(bh)

From the sky huge hailstones,^(bi) each weighing about a hundred pounds,^[a] fell on people. And they cursed God^(bj) on account of the plague of hail,^(bk) because the plague was so terrible.