If you have ever watched the news and wondered why God doesn't just step in and end the evil in the world, you are asking a question the Bible takes seriously.
The seven bowls of Revelation answer that question in two ways. One day, God will deal with evil completely. And until that day, He is waiting for a reason: love.
This post walks through "The Final Wrath," a message from our series The King Is Coming, a journey through the book of Revelation at illuminate church.
If you only have a minute:
- God's patience is a lifeline. He waits so more people can choose faith in Jesus, but His patience is not an endorsement of sin.
- Judgment Day is coming. In Revelation 15 and 16, seven bowls of wrath finish God's judgment on evil.
- Stay awake. Revelation 16:15 calls every reader to be ready, covered by Christ.
- Mercy and justice. On the cross, mercy said "It is finished." From the throne, justice says "It is done."
Why God Waits Before Judgment
In the Garden of Eden, through human waywardness, evil was given dominion over the earth. For everyone who sins, the result is a death beyond the body: eternal separation from a loving, holy God.
That breaks the heart of the Father. So, out of great love, God sent His Son, Jesus, as the remedy. The penalty of sin was laid on Jesus, and anyone who believes in His name has the promise of eternal life. Yet sin is still here, breaking families and leading people astray.
Why? In this message, the answer is that God is holding back final judgment so that more of the people He loves will choose faith in Jesus before it is too late. God is waiting so that love can triumph before wrath takes over. ("Wrath" here means God's settled, holy opposition to evil.)
But His patience has an end. One day the waiting will be over. Sin and the one who promotes it, Satan himself, will be completely destroyed. For people who follow Jesus, that is great hope: God is about to finish the story of sin and Satan. For those who don't yet believe, it is both an invitation and a warning.
Revelation 15: A Victory Song Before the Final Wrath
Revelation 14 ends with a pause, one more chance to turn to God before judgment comes. In Revelation 15, the march toward the end continues. John sees a new sign in heaven:
"I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues, last, because with them God's wrath is completed." (Revelation 15:1)
Throughout the Bible we are told that a day of judgment is coming. Joel 1, Zephaniah 1, Malachi 4, Matthew 24, 1 Thessalonians 5 and 2 Thessalonians 2 all point to it. In Revelation 15 and 16, that day has arrived.
Before the judgment begins, the people who overcame the beast stand beside a sea of glass glowing with fire, holding harps, and they sing. Their song is called "the song of God's servant Moses and of the Lamb":
"Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." (Revelation 15:3-4)
The song of Moses
The song of Moses comes from Exodus 15. It was sung right after God rescued Israel from Pharaoh's army by parting the Red Sea. It is a victory song:
"The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him." (Exodus 15:2)
The song of the Lamb
The song of the Lamb appeared earlier in this series, in Revelation 4 and 5. It is a victory song too: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:12).
Both songs show a high view of God as our victorious King. The chapter ends with seven angels stepping forward holding seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, and the temple fills with smoke from His glory and power.
The Seven Bowls of Revelation 16
Revelation 16 describes the final series of judgments. If you have read about the seven seals and the seven trumpets, the seven bowls of Revelation are the last and most complete of the three.
- First bowl (verse 2): Painful sores break out on people who have the mark of the beast.
- Second bowl (verse 3): The sea turns to blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in it dies.
- Third bowl (verses 4-7): The rivers and springs of water turn into blood.
- Fourth bowl (verses 8-9): The sun is given power to scorch people with intense heat.
- Fifth bowl (verses 10-11): Darkness plunges the kingdom of the beast into misery and pain.
- Sixth bowl (verses 12-16): The Euphrates River dries up to prepare the way for the kings from the East, who gather at Armageddon.
- Seventh bowl (verses 17-21): A massive earthquake and giant hailstones destroy the cities of the world.
When God stops asking
This message points out something about the fifth bowl. Earlier in the chapter, people refuse to repent (to turn away from sin and back to God). After the fifth bowl, that refusal is no longer mentioned. In this message, that silence means the time has passed: they loved their idols and their sin more than the Savior who would have set them free.
That is heartbreaking, and it is terrifying. As the message puts it, the most terrifying judgment is when God finally stops asking you to change.
What this means for you
God is still asking. If you sense Him calling you to change, that is His patience at work, and it is a lifeline. Don't wait. Run to salvation, cling to freedom and leave your old ways behind while the invitation is still open.
"Stay Awake": The Key Verse in Revelation 15 and 16
Right in the middle of the sixth bowl, Jesus speaks. This verse is key to the message, and to the whole book of Revelation:
"Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed." (Revelation 16:15)
Earlier in Revelation, Jesus told a church to buy from Him white clothes to cover their nakedness (Revelation 3:18). You can read more about that letter in our post on Revelation 3. In this message, those clothes are spiritual clothing that only Christ gives. The warning is for everyone: be ready. You will either stand covered by the clothes of Christ or be exposed by the thief in the night.
"It Is Finished" and "It Is Done"
Then comes the climax. The deceiver gathers the kings of the earth to a place called Armageddon (verse 16), the site of the final battle. The seventh angel pours out his bowl, and a loud voice comes from the throne:
"The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'It is done!'" (Revelation 16:17)
Lightning, thunder and the worst earthquake in history follow, and hailstones of about a hundred pounds fall from the sky. For comparison, the heaviest hailstone ever recorded in the United States, found in Vivian, South Dakota in 2010, weighed just under 2 pounds.
Words we have heard before
"It is done" may sound familiar. At the cross, Jesus spoke similar words:
"When he had received the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." (John 19:30)
Just before this, John writes that Jesus was "knowing that everything had now been finished" (John 19:28). Jesus was fully aware. He laid down His life of His own accord (John 10:17-18). "Everything" included the payment for sin foretold from Genesis 3:15 through Isaiah 53.
"Finished" means the work is complete. Nothing remains for us to add. As Paul wrote, "it is by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:8).
So the two moments belong together. On the cross, mercy said "It is finished." From the throne, justice says "It is done." And just as the earth shook when Jesus died, it shakes again at the end.
How Will You Respond?
Look at how people respond at the very end of Revelation 16: "And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible" (Revelation 16:21). They cursed God for the results of their own decisions. God offered a path to freedom, and they chose to stay in bondage.
What this means for you
- Thank God daily for sparing you from His wrath because of the cross.
- Examine your heart and repent of any remaining sin. God is still giving you time to change, so embrace it.
- Pray for others who are far from God, that they would turn to Christ.
The seven bowls of Revelation are written so you will run to God while He is still waiting. Ready for that step? Find out what it means to follow Jesus. If you would like someone to pray with you, reach out to our prayer and care team. And if you live in or are visiting the Kissimmee area, plan your visit and join us on a Sunday. To keep reading through the series, see The Battle for Faith in Revelation 12 and 13.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Seven Bowls of Revelation
What are the seven bowls of Revelation?
They are the final judgments in Revelation 16, poured out by seven angels from seven golden bowls filled with God's wrath. Revelation 15:1 says that with them, God's wrath is completed.
Why does God wait to judge evil?
In this message, God holds back final judgment out of love, so that more people will choose faith in Jesus before it is too late. His patience is a lifeline, not an endorsement of sin, and one day the waiting will end.
What is the song of Moses and the Lamb?
It is the song in Revelation 15:3-4, sung by those who overcame the beast. It echoes Moses' victory song in Exodus 15 and the song to the Lamb in Revelation 5.
What does "It is done" mean in Revelation 16:17?
It is the voice from the throne when the seventh bowl is poured out, marking the completion of God's judgment. This message connects it to Jesus' words on the cross, "It is finished" (John 19:30): mercy finished the work at the cross, and justice finishes it from the throne.
