Revelation 16:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.

NIV: Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.

NASB: And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since mankind came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.

CSB: There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. And a severe earthquake occurred like no other since people have been on the earth, so great was the quake.

NLT: Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And a great earthquake struck — the worst since people were placed on the earth.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.

Lightning, thunder, and a devastating earthquake occurred when the seventh angel poured his bowl into the air. A similar occurrence followed the seventh seal judgment (Revelation 8:5) and the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments (Revelation 11:13, 19). It's reasonable to assume those earthquakes would have brought severe destruction, but the earthquake that follows the outpouring of the seventh bowl is unprecedented in magnitude and destruction. Revelation 16:18 describes it as the greatest earthquake to strike the earth in human history. What is described in the following verses has led interpreters to suggest that the geography of the entire world will be changed—that this event will be worldwide, and not restricted to the region of Israel. If so, then global mountains and coastlines will be altered.

This judgment is a precursor to the calamities that follow. It may also be a preview of what happens when Jesus returns to earth to establish His kingdom. Zechariah 14:4 predicts that when the Lord returns to earth, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, the place from which He ascended into heaven, and the Mount of Olives will experience an earthquake. The Mount of Olives will split in two from east to west, with a northern half and a southern half.

Revelation 16:17–21 tells what happens when the seventh angel empties his bowl of the wrath of God. This is the last stage of the tribulation—the final chapter in God's outpouring of wrath on the world. What the sixth angel did prepared the way for the seventh bowl judgment to put an end to the kingdom of the beast. Chapters 17—19 give a detailed account of the fall of the beast and his kingdom.

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.''