And I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God upon the earth.

And the first one poured out his bowl…and a bad and malignant sore came on the men who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.

And the second one poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of the dead, and every living soul died in the sea.

And the third one poured out his bowl into the rivers and the fountains of waters, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are the righteous, who is and who was, the holy One. You have judged these things. Because they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink, they deserve it.” And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”

And the fourth one poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to burn people with fire. And the people were burned with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who had authority over these plagues, and they did not repent to give Him glory.

And the fifth one poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened, and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and sores, and did not repent of their works. Revelation 16: 1-11

These plagues, plus the last two, are poured out upon the wicked. It is just and appropriate because they have poured out the blood of God’s people.

As we go along, observe that there are similarities between the seven last plagues and the ten plagues that fell upon ancient Egypt (Exodus 7 to 12: 30). I mention that because just as God’s chosen people back then were protected from the plagues, so will His end-time people be spared. The bottom line is that both the Egypt and end-time plagues are instrumental in defeating those who defy God, and in the deliverance of God’s people.

The seven last plagues are poured out in the end-times (post probation; pre-millennial ).  The effects of the bowl plagues are world-wide and are without grace and mercy. Their purpose is punitive.

The boils from the first bowl are reminiscent of the boils of the sixth plague that struck Egypt (Exodus 9: 10, 11). In that case, the Israelites weren’t affected; only the Egyptians were. And so in this case, the only ones affected will be those who have the mark of the beast and who worship his image.

When bowls two and three are poured out, earth’s waters become like blood in terms of consistency, odor, and color. Travel and commerce on the sea will be hampered because the sea is primarily used in those two areas. In Bible times, rivers and fountains of waters were used for drinking, bathing, and irrigation, so it’s safe to say that those will be the end-time areas affected too.

It is during these blood plagues that John hears praises of God. The praises, coming from under the altar of burnt offering, more than likely are voiced by the souls first mentioned in the opening of the fifth seal (Rev. 6: 9, 10).

The fourth bowl poured out affects the sun by increasing its intensity, causing great heat upon the people. And even though they recognized that God is in charge of the plagues, instead of repenting, they blaspheme God, blaming Him that they suffer. Conveniently, they ignore the fact that their suffering is a result of their own actions. As Pharaoh’s heart was hardened during the Egyptian plagues, it is the same in this instance.

The first four plagues affect humanity in general. But when the fifth bowl is emptied, its wrath falls upon the headquarters of the sea beast (papal Rome in its fully revived state as a persecuting world power). The supernatural darkness over the beast’s kingdom causes confusion, terror and embarrassment. The rest of the world takes note and realizes how powerless the beast is against the plagues. However, even during the ongoing pain and sores – causing the biting of tongues – acknowledging the beast’s impotence still doesn’t stop the unrepentant of the world from continuing to blaspheme God.

With that mindset fixed firmly against God, the opportunity opens for the unholy trinity (Satan, sea beast, and false prophet (earth beast) to cast the final deception that will pull the world together for the final battle. The deception is portrayed in the sixth-bowl plague.