Death in the City: Daily Thoughts from Revelation (Revelation 16:17-21)

Many movies have been made that show great destructive enemies (Godzilla, invading aliens, extreme weather, etc.) destroying the great cities of the earth. We’re drawn to these in part because we cannot conceive of it in reality and wonder how it would look, and in part because these cities symbolize all the greatness of human kind reduced to nothing and there is something in us that anticipates such a reality.

The final bowl of judgment depicted in John’s Revelation will be poured out and great cities will fall. The inconceivable will become reality.

The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.  (Revelation 16:17-21 ESV)

The final bowl of judgment is a unprecedented earthquake that destroys Jerusalem (the great city), the cities of the nations, and particularly Babylon, whose other judgments will be detailed in chapters 17 & 18.  Additionally, huge hailstones 100 pounds each will wreak incredible destruction.  And yet people will not turn to God but away from Him.  Their anger against Him and their foolish boldness to curse Him will be evident.

“It is done” will be the cry from the throne as God wraps up His day of wrath and brings to earth His kingdom in two forms.  The first will be the millennial form with Jesus as king on earth as detailed in Revelation 20.  Then there will be the reforming of heaven and earth to prepare for the second and eternal form of God’s kingdom in which God’s throne and the heavenly Jerusalem comes down to earth (Rev 21,22).  But first, John must show the conflict between the beast (antichrist) and Babylon, followed by Babylon’s destruction by the beast.