Revelation 16:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.

NIV: and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

NASB: and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.

CSB: and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they did not repent of their works.

NLT: and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God.

KJV: And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

NKJV: They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

This verse reports that the people who experienced painful sores (Revelation 16:2) curse the God of heaven. Clearly, they know God exists and dwells in heaven. But they reject the light that shows them who God is. The fact that they curse God shows how hard and wicked their hearts are. Their hearts are, as Jeremiah 17:9 says, "deceitful above all things, and desperately sick."

These people languish from a severe physical condition—painful sores—but their spiritual condition is far worse. Instead of turning to God and repenting of their evil ways, they turn against Him defiantly and refuse to repent. They are forever set in their opposition to God, and they will suffer eternally in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). Jesus predicted this condemnation by telling His audience, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). Fortunately, God forgives even the foulest sinner who repents and trusts in Jesus as Savior (1 Timothy 1:15).

Revelation 16:8–16 reports what happens when the fourth, fifth, and sixth angels emptied their bowls of God's wrath. It continues the apostle John's description of the bowl judgments which began in Revelation 16:1–7. The fourth and fifth bowl judgments resemble some of the events of the trumpet judgments, but are much more intense. These events occur just prior to the return of Christ to subdue His enemies and establish His kingdom on earth (Revelation 17—19).

This chapter explains the bowl judgments, which are the last and most severe of God's outpouring of wrath on earth. The first three bowls bring sores, seas of blood, and rivers of blood. After a declaration of God's justice come the next three bowl judgments, involving scorching sunlight, darkness, and a drying of the Euphrates to clear the way for an invading army. In the final, seventh bowl judgment, an earthquake tears Jerusalem into three parts, levels cities worldwide, and displaces islands and mountains. Hundred-pound hailstones fall, but unbelievers refuse to repent and instead continue to curse God.

Revelation 16 resumes the account of God's judgments on the wicked. It describes the bowl judgments, the third and final series of judgments. The seven seal judgments of Revelation 6:1–17 and 8:1 are the first series of judgments. The trumpet judgments of Revelation 8:1—9:21 and 11:15 are next. All of these judgments vent God's wrath and are recognized as the day of his wrath and the wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:17). Chapters 17 and 18 further describe the destruction caused by the judgments. Revelation 19 and 20 will describe the culmination of God's wrath and the final events of the end times.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''

Accessed 12/4/2024 3:21:47 AM