Chapter 16
Seven bowls of God's wrath are poured upon the earth — plagues, darkness, and the battle of Armageddon — all pointing toward the final reckoning.
I heard a loud voice speaking from the temple to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the seven bowls of God's fury upon the earth."
The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Festering and ugly sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast or worshiped its image.
The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water. These also turned to blood.
The sixth angel emptied his bowl on the great river Euphrates. Its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East.
NAB footnote:Kings of the East: the Parthians, Rome's most feared enemies, who were expected to invade from the east.
They then assembled the kings in the place that is named Armageddon in Hebrew.
NAB footnote:Armageddon: the Hebrew name for the ancient battlefield of Megiddo, where decisive battles were fought in Israelite history; cf Judges 5:19; 2 Kings 23:29-30.
Large hailstones like huge weights came down from the sky on people, and they blasphemed God for the plague of hail because this plague was so severe.