The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds. The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. (Revelation 16:8-16 ESV).
For God’s people, the Lord’s judgment is not something to fear. Instead, it is something for which we long for. Because His judgment is rooted in His perfect righteousness, His judgment reveals His wisdom and the true justice that we pray for. Thus, when the bowls of God’s final wrath are poured out on the earth, heaven rejoices and praises the Lord (vv. 1–7).
The final outpouring of God’s wrath in our reading today is described in terms of the plagues that fell on Egypt at the time of the exodus (cf. Exodus 7:1–12:32). This tells us that the enemies of God in every era share the same wicked disposition as Pharaoh, who falsely believed that he could defeat the Lord. These judgments’ recalling the plagues on Egypt also encourages believers. At the time of the exodus, plagues fell selectively on the Egyptians only; the Israelites, who were living in the land of Egypt at the time, were spared. Those who trust in Christ alone have nothing to fear when God pours out His final wrath on creation, for like the ancient Israelites, we will be preserved from destruction. Only those who have the mark of the beast and worship his image will suffer the wrath of God.
The wise response to the wrath of God would be to repent; however, as we see in today’s reading, the servants of the beast do not turn from their sin. They share in the hard-heartedness of Pharaoh, whose rejection of the Lord grew stronger the more the plagues caused him and his nation to suffer. Sin is manifestly irrational, which is why it takes more than just suffering to get people to turn to the Lord. Their hearts must also be changed by the Holy Spirit (cf. John 3:1–8). Those who serve the beast respond not only with greater hatred toward God as His wrath is poured out but also with greater hatred of His people. When the Euphrates is dried up so that enemies from the east can gather, the forces opposed to God assemble “at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.” In Hebrew, “Armageddon” means “Mount of Megiddo,” but Megiddo is actually a plain located northeast of Jerusalem where some important Old Testament battles took place and where many Jews expected the final war between God and the forces of evil to occur. John well knows that Megiddo is not a mountain; he is using language symbolically not to tell us where the last battle will take place but to give a picture of the conflict to come at the end of time. This accentuates to destruction. However, with faith, there is nothing to fear! This is the time of final victory for all the children of God.