The Revelation of Jesus Christ
 

---

Revelation 16


The angels pour out the 7 bowls of God's wrath
 

I heard a loud voice out of the temple. He told the 7 angels to go pour out their bowls.
[1] And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
 

The first bowl  -- sores on people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped the beast's statue.
[2] And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.


The second bowl -- the sea became like the blood of a dead man. Every living thing in the sea died.
[3] And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.


The third angel --  the rivers and other water became blood. The angel said that God is righteous. God was and is and will be.  He is righteous because he has judged people who killed the saints and prophets. He gave them blood to drink. I heard one on the altar say, "Lord God Almighty, you are true and your judgments are righteous."
[4] And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
[5] And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
[6] For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
[7] And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.


The fourth angel --  gave power to the sun to burn men with fire.  Men were burned with great heat. They said bad things about God's name. God could stop the plagues, but the men did not give God glory.
[8] And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
[9] And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.


The fifth angel -- poured his bowl on the seat of the beast.  His kingdom became dark.  People bit their tongues in pain.  They said bad things about God in heaven because of their pain.  But they did not repent of their sins.
[10] And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
[11] And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

The sixth angel -- poured his bowl on the Euphrates River. The river dried up. Then it was a road for kings from the east. 
[12] And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

 

---

Kings and Jesus have a battle at Armageddon.


I saw 3 unclean spirits. They looked like frogs. They came out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. These are the spirits of devils.  They could do miracles. They went to the kings on earth. They brought them to have a battle with God.
[13] And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
[14] For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

 

Jesus said He will come like a thief.  He will bless the people who who keep watch. He will gather the people to the place called Armageddon.
[15] Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
[16] And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

 

---

The 7th bowl of God's wrath.


The seventh angel -- a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven. It was from the throne.  The voice said, "It is done."
[17] And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

There were voices, thunder, lightning, and a big earthquake. It was the biggest earthquake that ever happened on earth.
[18] And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.


The great city was divided into 3 parts. The cities of other nations were defeated. The great city of Babylon came to God, and it drank the wine of God's anger.
[19] And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.


The islands ran away, and the mountains were lost. Big hailstones fell from the sky. They weighed a talent each (about 75 pounds). The  men said bad things about God because of the hail.  The hail was causing a lot of trouble.
[20] And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
[21] And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
 

---

Revelation 17


The woman riding on a red beast.
 

One of the 7 angels who poured out the 7 bowls talked to me.  He said, "Come here.  I will show you what will happen with the bad prostitute that sits on the waters.  Kings have committed fornication with her. People who live on the earth were drunk with her wine."
[1] And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
[2] With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.


The angel carried me away to the wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a red beast.  The beast was full of bad names about God. It had 7 heads and 10 horns.  The woman was wearing purple and red.  Her clothes had gold and valuable stones and pearls. She had a gold cup in her hand.  The gold cup was full of bad things she had done.  She had writing on her forehead. It said, "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and evil things on the earth."
[3] So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
[4] And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
[5] And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

 

The woman was drunk from drinking the blood of saints and people who died for Jesus.  When I saw her, I was amazed. The angel asked why I was amazed.  He said he would tell me about the woman and the beast she was sitting on that had 7 heads and 10 horns.
[6] And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
[7] And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.


The beast will come out of the pit. It was the beast that was in the past and is not now.  The beast will go into a place of eternal punishment. The people on earth whose names were not written in the book of life from the beginning of the world will be amazed at the beast. The beast was in the past, is not now, but will be.
[8] The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.


The 7 heads mean the 7 mountains that the woman sits on.  There are 7 kings. 5 kings have fallen, 1 king is now, and the other king will come later.  When he comes, he will only rule for a short time.
[9] And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
[10] And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.


The beast is one of the 7 kings. He will be the 8th king and then will be punished forever. The 10 horns are 10 kings. They have not yet been kings. They will be kings for a short time with the beast.
[11] And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
[12] And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.


These 10 kings will think like the beast.  They will give their power and strength to the beast.  They will make war with the Lamb. But the Lamb will defeat them because He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings. The ones with him are special and chosen, and they are faithful.
[13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
[14] These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.


The angel continued to talk to me.  He said the waters that I saw where the woman was sitting were people, nations, and languages. The 10 horns that were on the beast will hate the woman. They will destroy her and make her empty. They will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. They will destroy her because God made them all agree. They will all give their kingdoms to the beast. They will do this until God's word is fulfilled.   The woman is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.
[15] And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
[16] And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
[17] For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
[18] And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
 

---

Revelation 18


Babylon is destroyed.
 

Then, I saw another angel come down from heaven.  He had great power. His glory made the earth bright.
[1] And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.


The angel cried loudly.  He said that Babylon the great has been destroyed. Now it is the home of devils and evil spirits.  It is a cage for unclean and violent birds.
[2] And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.


All the nations have fornicated with her. The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her.  The merchants of the world are rich because she bought evil things from them.
[3] For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.


I heard another voice from heaven. The voice said that God's people should come out of Babylon. They should not commit Babylon's sins so that they do not receive her punishments.  God knows about Babylon's sins and He remembers them.
[4] And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
[5] For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.


Babylon should pay double for the sinful things she has done.  She should receive double of what she gave out.
[6] Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.


Babylon greatly glorified herself. She lived richly. Now, she should get suffering and sadness.  She says in her heart, "I am a queen, and nothing sad will happen to me."  So, she will have plagues of death, mourning, and famine. She will be destroyed with fire. God is strong, and He will judge her.
[7] How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
[8] Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.


The kings of the earth who sinned with her will cry for her when they see her burning. They will be afraid and stand far away and say that in one hour she was judged.
[9] And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
[10] Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.


The merchants of the world will cry and mourn for her because no one else will buy their merchandise. This is a list of their merchandise she bought from them:  gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet, thyine wood, ivory, and items made of valuable wood, brass, iron, and marble.  They also sold cinnamon, fragrances, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, animals, sheep, horses, chariots, slaves, and men's souls. 
[11] And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
[12] The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
[13] And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
 

The fruits that Babylon's soul lusted after have gone. The things which were good and fine have left. Babylon will not find them anymore.
[14] And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.


The people who sold these things to her got rich from her. They will be afraid and will stand back and cry loudly.  They will say that in one hour, the city was gone. The city wore fine linen, purple, and red cloth with gold, pearls, and precious jewels.  Now, it is gone.  The people on the ships stood back far away.
[15] The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
[16] And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
[17] For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,


From far away, the people on the ships could see the smoke from the burning city.  They said no other city has ever been as great as Babylon. They put dust on their heads. They cried hard and said people with ships had made a lot of money selling things to Babylon. Now, in one hour, she has been destroyed.
[18] And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
[19] And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
 

Heaven and God's apostles and prophets will rejoice. God has avenged them by destroying Babylon.  
[20] Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.


A mighty angel picked up a very large stone.  It was like a millstone used to grind corn. He threw it into the sea.  He said Babylon will be thrown down the same way. It will never be found again.
[21] And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
 

There will be no more music from harps, trumpets, and flutes. There will be no more craftsmen making things or millers grinding corn there.
[22] And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;


There will be no more candles shining there. There will be no more weddings there.  People who sold things for Babylon went around the world and tricked other nations.  Babylon was responsible for killing prophets, saints, and others who were killed on the earth.
[23] And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
[24] And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

 

Back to the previous chapters	To the next chapters
Workers For Jesus Online Bible Study Table of Contents
Workers For Jesus Main Page