Revelation 15–16

The Angels with the Last Plagues

15Then I saw in the sky another mysterious sight, great and amazing. There were seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last ones, because they are the final expression of God’s anger.

²Then I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. I also saw those who had won the victory over the beast and its image and over the one whose name is represented by a number. They were standing by the sea of glass, holding harps that God had given them ^3*and singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

“Lord God Almighty,

how great and wonderful are your deeds!

King of the nations,^f

how right and true are your ways!

^4*Who will not stand in awe of you, Lord?

Who will refuse to declare your greatness?

You alone are holy.

All the nations will come

and worship you,

because your just actions are seen by all.”

^5*After this I saw the temple in heaven open, with the Sacred Tent in it. ⁶The seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, dressed in clean shining linen and with gold belts tied around their chests. ⁷Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven gold bowls full of the anger of God, who lives for ever and ever. ^8*The temple was filled with smoke from the glory and power of God, and no one could go into the temple until the seven plagues brought by the seven angels had come to an end.

The Bowls of God’s Anger

16Then I heard a loud voice speaking from the temple to the seven angels: “Go and pour out the seven bowls of God’s anger on the earth!”

^2*The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Terrible and painful sores appeared on those who had the mark of the beast and on those who had worshipped its image.

³Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea. The water became like the blood of a dead person, and every living creature in the sea died.

^4*Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. ⁵I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “The judgements you have made are just, O Holy One, you who are and who were! ⁶They poured out the blood of God’s people and of the prophets, and so you have given them blood to drink. They are getting what they deserve!” ⁷Then I heard a voice from the altar saying, “Lord God Almighty! True and just indeed are your judgements!”

⁸Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to burn people with its fiery heat. ⁹They were burnt by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God, who has authority over these plagues. But they would not turn from their sins and praise his greatness.

^10*Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. Darkness fell over the beast’s kingdom, and people bit their tongues because of their pain, ¹¹and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not turn from their evil ways.

^12*Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates. The river dried up, to provide a way for the kings who come from the east. ¹³Then I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs. They were coming out of the mouth of the dragon, the mouth of the beast, and the mouth of the false prophet. ¹⁴They are the spirits of demons that perform miracles. These three spirits go out to all the kings of the world, to bring them together for the battle on the great Day of Almighty God.

^15*“Listen! I am coming like a thief! Happy is he who stays awake and guards his clothes, so that he will not walk around naked and be ashamed in public!”

^16*Then the spirits brought the kings together in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

¹⁷Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl in the air. A loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!” ^18*There were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder, and a terrible earthquake. There has never been such an earthquake since the creation of the human race; this was the worst earthquake of all! ^19*The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of all countries were destroyed. God remembered great Babylon and made her drink the wine from his cup—the wine of his furious anger. ^20*All the islands disappeared, all the mountains vanished. ^21*Huge hailstones, each weighing as much as fifty kilogrammes, fell from the sky on people, who cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because it was such a terrible plague.