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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Revelation 16:12 - 16:16
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Rev_16:12-16
12The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. 13And 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; 14for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. 15("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.") 16And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.
Rev_16:12 "the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates" This river was mentioned in Rev_9:13-19 when the demonic army crossed its borders to torture mankind. The headwaters of the Euphrates were the northern boundary of the Promised Land and the outer limits of the Roman Empire. The possible historic basis for this metaphorical demonic army was the Parthian calvary. These fierce anti-Roman invaders were a terror to the Roman legions.
▣ "its water was dried up" Quite often in the OT the drying up of the water was seen as an act of God as seen in
1. the Red Sea (cf. Exo_14:21)
2. the Jordan River (Jos_3:17)
3. several allusions in prophetic literature (cf. Isa_11:15-16; Isa_44:27; Jer_51:36; Zec_10:11)
This physical act symbolizes that God is allowing the end-time conflict to culminate. It is theologically parallel to 2Th_2:6-7, "what/who restrains."
▣ "that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east" There has been much discussion as to how "the kings of the east" in Rev_16:12 are related to "the kings of the whole world" in Rev_16:14 :
1. they are the same
2. they are antagonists (Nero Redivivus myth and the Parthian army)
3. the kings of the east refer to the army of God
If so, it is an allusion to God's calling His people from Babylon (cf. Isa_41:2; Isa_41:25; Isa_45:1-3; Isa_46:11). It is possible from the context that the kings of the east are God's tools to attack the armies of the beast (i.e., a historical allusion to Parthians attacking Rome). However, Rev_16:14 and chapters 19 and 20 imply that there is only one human army and it is united against God (cf. Psalms 2; Jer_25:15-26).
Rev_16:13 "the dragon, the beast, the false prophet" This is the first time that the second beast (cf. Rev_13:11) is called "the false prophet," but from now on he will be referred to by this name every time (cf. Rev_16:13; Rev_19:20; Rev_21:10).
These three refer to a Satanic trinity which will be defeated in two stages: the two beasts in the valley of Megiddo (cf. Rev_16:12-16) and Satan at the end of Christ's earthly reign (cf. Rev_20:7-10).
▣ "three unclean spirits like frogs" The term "unclean" is used in the NT gospels to refer to demons. Why they are characterized as frogs has been greatly disputed:
1. this is another reference to the Egyptian plagues (cf. Exo_8:6)
2. in Zoroastrianism frogs are the symbol of ultimate evil
3. they refer to unclean animals (cf. Lev_11:10; Lev_11:31)
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Rev_16:14 "they are spirits of demons, performing signs" It is very interesting to note that these signs and wonders will lead all unbelievers astray, but not even the least of the children of God (cf. Rev_13:13; Mat_24:24; Mar_13:22; 2Th_2:9-11). This last literary unit (the bowls) is a comparison between what will happen to the children of God and what will happen to the inhabitants of the earth. Christ speaks words of truth, righteousness, and mercy to bring peace to the earth, but the demonic frog spirits speak lies and gathers the nations for war.
▣ "which go out to the kings of the whole world" This may be an allusion to Psa_2:2, which forms the imagery of these last chapters of Revelation.
▣ "gather them together for the war of the great day of God" The description of an end-time battle appears in Rev_6:2-8; Rev_11:7-10; Rev_12:17; Rev_16:14; Rev_17:14; Rev_19:19; Rev_20:8. It is possible these all represent one battle from different perspectives (i.e., parallelism).
Rev_16:15 This parenthetical phrase contains the words of Christ which are interjected to encourage and warn the people of God. This is the third of the seven blessings to believers (cf. Rev_1:3; Rev_14:13; Rev_16:15; Rev_19:9; Rev_20:6; Rev_22:7; Rev_22:14).
▣ "I am coming like a thief" These words of Jesus (cf. Mat_24:43-44; Luk_12:39-40) were used earlier in Rev_3:3 and alluded to in 1Th_5:2 and 2Pe_3:10. It seems to refer to the any-moment, sudden coming of Christ in judgment at the Parousia (Second Coming).
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▣ "Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes" This is the third of seven blessings given to faithful believers (cf. Rev_1:3; Rev_14:13; Rev_16:15; Rev_19:9; Rev_20:6; Rev_22:7; Rev_22:14). This almost seems to be a summary of the eschatological warning found in Mar_13:33-37; Luk_12:37. This verse must be out of place if the theory of a secret rapture of the Church before this time of persecution is affirmed. To whom, then, is Jesus speaking? See Mat_24:37-42 online at hyperlink.
▣ "so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame" This may be an allusion to Rev_3:18. In the OT nakedness was a symbol of judgment (cf. Eze_23:29; Hos_2:3; Amo_2:16; Mic_1:8). However, it refers not to the loss of salvation, but to Christians who will be ashamed of their activities and lack of lifestyle faith at Jesus' Second Coming. Jesus' coming as the Judge and Conqueror, which is exactly how the Jews expected the Messiah to return, is described in Rev_19:11-16.
Rev_16:16 "and they gathered them together" This is repeated in Rev_20:8.
NASB "in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon"
NKJV, NJB "in Hebrew, Armageddon"
NRSV "in Hebrew is called Harmagedon"
TEV "in Hebrew is Armageddon"
This word is spelled differently in several Greek manuscripts. There have been several theories to describe this name (which appears nowhere else in Hebrew or Greek literature).
1. it refers to "the mountain of Megiddo," a northern city in the tribal allocation of Manasseh, built on a hill
2. it refers to "the city of Megiddo," but the problem is that this is not the exact spelling of that city
3. it is a translation of a phrase "the mount of assembly" found in Isa_14:13, which refers to the ultimate mountain of Deity which Satan attacks
4. it refers to the whole Promised Land (cf. "the mountains of Israel" mentioned in Eze_38:8; Eze_38:20-21; Eze_39:2; Eze_39:4; Eze_39:17)
5. it refers to "the fruitful mountain" which would symbolize Jerusalem, the end-time site of many of these final battles between good and evil (cf. the prophecy of Joel)
6. the root meaning of "megiddo" might be "to cut or to attack," making this a reference to "the destroying mountain" of Jer_51:25, a symbol of Rome's destruction.
John has chosen a city that was well known and has slightly changed its spelling (see Metztger, Textual Commentary, p. 755). This is similar to his inaccurate listing of the twelve tribes in Rev_7:5-8 in order to show their symbolic nature. This symbolic interpretation is further seen in the use of the phrase "in Hebrew," which indicates symbolism, as in Rev_9:11. It is true that the Valley of Jezreel or the Plain of Esdraelon was the site of many OT battles (cf. Jdg_5:19-21; 2Ki_9:27; 2Ki_23:29-30; 2Ch_35:22; Zec_12:11). This northern invasion route of Mesopotamian powers had become a cultural symbol of evil (cf. Isa_14:31; Jer_1:13-14; Jer_4:6; Jer_10:22; Jer_46:20-24; Jer_47:2-7; Jer_50:3; Jer_50:9; Jer_50:41; Jer_51:48; Eze_38:6; Eze_38:15; Eze_39:2).