Catholic Commentary on Revelation 16

"You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were; for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve." (Revelation 16:5-6)

The Seven Bowls

A loud voice from the temple tells the seven angels to pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth. The first bowl brings ugly, festering sores on those who have the mark of the beast. The second turns the sea to blood. The third turns the rivers and springs to blood. The angel of the waters declares: You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were; for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve. The altar responds: yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.

The fourth bowl makes the sun scorch people with fire, but they curse God and refuse to repent. The fifth brings darkness on the throne of the beast and people gnaw their tongues in agony, but they curse God and refuse to repent. The sixth dries up the Euphrates to prepare the way for the kings from the east. Demonic spirits perform signs and gather the kings of the whole world to Armageddon. The seventh pours out into the air and a voice from the throne cries: it is done. Lightning, thunder, earthquake. The great city splits into three parts. Every island flees and every mountain disappears. Hailstones weighing a hundred pounds fall on people, and they curse God. Through six bowls of escalating judgment, the inhabitants of the earth curse God and refuse to repent. The Catechism identifies this as the mystery of moral evil at its most extreme: the freedom that refuses God even in the face of the clearest evidence of his existence and his judgment (CCC 1033).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, the most sobering verse in this chapter is not the scale of the judgments but the response: they cursed God and refused to repent. Repentance is always possible until it is not. The hardened heart that has said no to grace long enough eventually cannot say yes, not because God withdraws the offer but because the capacity to receive it has atrophied. Repent quickly. Keep the heart soft. Never let the sun go down on an unresolved refusal of grace.

Prayer

Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments. Keep our hearts soft before you, quick to repent, unwilling to curse what is holy. Let no judgment, small or great, find us without the willingness to return. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

16
The First Six Bowls of Wrath
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out on the earth the seven bowls of God’s wrath.”
 
2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
 
3 And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned to blood like that of the dead, and every living thing in the sea died.
 
4 And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they turned to blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters say:
 
“Righteous are You, O Holy One,
who is and was,
because You have brought these judgments.
6 For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets,
and You have given them blood to drink,
as they deserve.”
 
7 And I heard the altar reply:
 
“Yes, Lord God Almighty,
true and just are Your judgments.”
 
8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch the people with fire. 9 And the people were scorched by intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues; yet they did not repent and give Him glory.
 
10 And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish 11 and curse the God of heaven for their pains and sores; yet they did not repent of their deeds.
 
12 And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East.
 
13 And I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. 14 These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
 
15 “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”
 
16 And they assembled the kings in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
The Seventh Bowl of Wrath
 
17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!”
 
18 And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and a great earthquake the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth—so mighty was the great quake. 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.
 
20 Then every island fled, and no mountain could be found. 21 And great hailstones weighing almost a hundred pounds each * 16:21 Greek great hail as of a talent; that is, hailstones weighing approximately 75.4 pounds or 34.2 kilograms each rained down on them from above. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because it was so horrendous.

*16:21 16:21 Greek great hail as of a talent; that is, hailstones weighing approximately 75.4 pounds or 34.2 kilograms each

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