The Fifth Angel's Vial Revelation 16:10

As John continued to share concerning the events during the tribulation, He wrote about the antichrist, the false prophet and the angels who were involved in the reaping of the harvest of believers who received the Lord Jesus during that time. John wrote about the first, second and third angel and what happened when they poured out their “vials” filled with the “wrath of God”, and he continued by writing, “And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which has power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory”. In chapter sixteen and verse ten of Revelation John saw what happened when “the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast” where we read:

And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

The verse reads, “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast;” John began with the words, “and the fifth angel” which means “and the fifth messenger, envoy and one sent” “poured out” or “shed forth, bestowed and distributed largely” “his vial” which means “his shallow bowl filled with the wrath of God” “upon the seat” or “on the throne or chair having a footstool which shows kingly power or royalty” “of the beast” which refers to “belonging to the savage and ferocious being known as the antichrist”. John watched as this “fifth angel” distributed his “vial” upon the “throne” of the antichrist.

The verse continues, “and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain.” John added the words, “and his kingdom” which means “and the antichrist's royal power, dominion and rule” “was full” or “was filled completely and thoroughly” “of darkness” which means “with obscurity and blindness”; “and they gnawed” or “and the people within the antichrist's kingdom chewed” “their tongues” or “the tongues in their mouths” “for pain” which means “because of the great trouble, intense desire, toil and anguish”. John watched as the “kingdom” of the antichrist becomes so “dark” that the people within it will “chew” their tongues because of the “pain” they endure.

When we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we see God's retaliation upon the “antichrist” who will lead so many people away from a relationship with Him. People will be fooled by this “evil” man, and instead of “worshiping” God, they will “worship” the “antichrist” instead. When the “darkness” comes upon the antichrist's “kingdom”, the horror and “pain” of it shall make people “gnaw” their own tongues. God desires to “save” people from this atrocious time, and this is accomplished by receiving His Son Jesus as a personal “Savior and Lord”. Those who are wise and warned shall accept Jesus today and never know the troubles that are destined for this tribulation time.

Next time John shares how people “blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and sores”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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