Revelation 16:17-21 meaning

In Revelation 16:17-21, the seventh and final bowl of judgment is poured out and a massive earthquake ensues, the mountains are not found, and a massive hailstorm is described. We saw in Revelation 15:1 in the introduction to the seven bowl judgments that they were described as “the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished” or complete.

We will now see a description of the final bowl of judgment, then Chapters 17 and 18 will describe the culminating effect of the judgments as being the fall of “Babylon”: the world system led by the beast. Then in Chapter 19 we will see the return of Christ to defeat the beast and his armies.

John continues: Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done” (v.17).

That the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air (v.17) might signify that this last bowl will affect every facet of creation. We have previously seen bowls poured out upon the land, sea, rivers, sun, throne of the beast, and on the Euphrates. Now the bowl is poured out upon the air, which envelopes the entire earth.

In the ancient world, the air was considered the domain of unseen spiritual forces; scripture affirms that Satan is the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). In targeting the air, God demonstrates sovereignty even over the invisible. His authority spans all “thrones” and “dominions” and “rulers or authorities” (Colossians 1:16).

This seventh bowl is the last judgment of a series of three sevens—seven seals, followed by seven trumpets, followed by seven bowls of judgment. Seven in the Bible represents completion, as in the seven days of creation. Three represents unity or deity, as God is Three and He is One. We see the completion of God’s judgment upon the earth in the three sevens.

Immediately after the seventh bowl is poured out, John notes a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, ‘It is done’ (v.17). This temple refers to the heavenly temple of God where His throne sits. The earthly tabernacle of Moses was constructed as a shadow and image of the true tabernacle which is in heaven (Hebrews 8:2-6). Presumably this temple is the true tabernacle in heaven referenced in Hebrews 8:2.

That the loud voice is spoken from the throne would indicate that we are hearing the voice of God. By declaring It is done, God’s voice announces the completion of His judgment and wrath. We saw in Revelation 15:1 that in these seven bowl judgements “the wrath of God is finished.” In that verse, “finished” translates the Greek root “teleo.” “Teleo” was the word Jesus used in His declaration on the cross—“It is finished” (John 19:30). Here in Revelation 16, we see a different Greek word, “ginomai,” translated it is done. “Ginomai” can include the sense of completion as well as the sense of something that has come into being. Both are fitting here, as this era of history is coming to an end and a new kingdom is being installed.

For believers of all ages, these words remind us that God’s plan for this earth has a definitive end—evil will be judged, and His kingdom will ultimately come in all its fullness (Revelation 11:15, 20:1).

Now it seems the earth begins to convulse:

And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty (v. 18).

The dramatic trio of lightning, thunder, and earthquake has appeared before in Revelation. In Revelation 8:5, we saw lightning, thunder and an earthquake when the angel threw fire to the earth just prior to the seven angels sounding the seven trumpets, signifying the seven trumpet judgments. It was out of the seventh trumpet judgment that came these seven bowl judgments.

Then in Revelation 11:19 we saw lightning, thunder and an earthquake when the “temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple.” This indicates that this trio of events is directly connected to God’s presence and glory.

We also see in Exodus 19:16-18 that there was thunder and lightning when God’s presence descended upon Mount Sinai. It seems that thunder, lightning, and earthquake signify heavenly presence being manifested upon the earth. In the case of these events in Revelation 16, this heavenly presence is the final judgment on the fallen earth that is being poured out from heaven.

The phrase such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth (v.18) indicates that this event eclipses every historical earthquake. This earthquake might be the cause of the event pictured in Zechariah 14:4-5, which foretells the split of the Mount of Olives into two parts. Perhaps this earthquake is the means God uses to bring about the change in terrain prophesied in the last days. We see additional impacts in the following verses that might be a result of an earthquake described as great and mighty:

The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. (vv. 19-20)

The phrase every island fled away, and the mountains were not found might indicate that this mighty earthquake causes such an upheaval that even islands and mountains are completely displaced. In biblical literature, mountains are often used to represent stability—unshakable fixtures of creation. For example, Jesus used moving a mountain as an example of something that is humanly impossible but can occur by the agency of faith (Matthew 21:21).

Mountains like Mount Sinai or Mount Zion carry deep spiritual significance, conveying majesty, permanence, and even God’s manifest presence (Psalm 125:1-2). Islands, though smaller landmasses, historically served as fortified refuges, places of seclusion and defense. But in this dramatic vision, every island fled away and even seemingly immovable mountains vanish, leaving no place to hide from the unstoppable approach of God’s judgment.

This cataclysmic imagery reminds us of Jesus’ prophecy in Luke 21:25-26 concerning signs in heaven and on earth that will cause men’s hearts to fail from fear. Like an unstoppable force leveling the landscape, God’s justice moves all creation toward its divinely appointed moment. This massive cataclysm echoes other prophecies such as these:

• Isaiah 24:1 speaks of the earth becoming empty and a waste.
• Isaiah 24:19 speaks of the earth being split open and being “shaken violently,” perhaps referring to this massive earthquake.
• Isaiah 24:20 speaks of the earth reeling “to and fro like a drunkard.”
• Hebrews 12:26-27 quotes Haggai 2:6, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.”

The earth only holds together because of God’s hand (Colossians 1:17). Humans tend to ignore the fragility of earthly securities—be they mountains or islands. We can see that only those who anchor themselves in Christ, the solid Rock, will remain unshaken in the final day (Matthew 7:24-25).

We are not told the specific identity of the great city that is split into three parts. At the time of John’s writing, the greatest city in the world was Rome. It was the capital of the empire and the center of government, commerce, and culture. The beast and his kingdom are still a part of Rome, as the eras are defined in the kingdoms of men according to Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2:37-45.

Jerusalem is the central city in all things biblical. It is possible that it is the focus of the term, the great city. We see in Zechariah 14:3-4 that the Mount of Olives is split in two. And we see in Ezekiel 45:1-5 there is a specific section of Jerusalem that will be set aside for the Messiah when His kingdom is established.

However, since the next sentence references Babylon the great, it would seem that the phrase the great city is used as a synonym. The greatest kingdom in Daniel’s statue was Babylon. It represented the head of gold on the statue. The beast’s kingdom is called “Babylon” throughout Revelation.

So, the great city that is also Babylon the great could represent the beast’s entire kingdom, a kingdom that covers the earth. This would also indicate that the earthquake is global.

The beast’s global kingdom, Babylon the great, is failing. We will see in Revelation 18:19 that the merchants of the earth will greatly bemoan the failing of the global economy—an economy that deals in the souls of men (Revelation 18:13). We can consider a parallel to the last night of the ancient kingdom of Babylon prior to its fall. God sent a hand to write on the wall. The king sent for Daniel to interpret, which he interpreted as follows:

• Daniel 5:26, MENE, God had “numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.” This is similar to the statements in Revelation 15:1, 16:17, 18:2 pronouncing an end to the beast’s kingdom which is called Babylon the great, and which is also about to fall.
• Daniel 5:27, TEKEL, Babylon had been “weighed on the scales and found deficient.” Ancient Babylon was evaluated and found unjust. It was therefore going to be judged. Just as with the ancient Babylon, the modern Babylon the great has been remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.
• Daniel 5:28, PERES, which meant “your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.” Just as the ancient Babylonian kingdom was divided and taken from Belshazzar, the modern kingdom of the beast, Babylon the great, will be disintegrated and given over to the messianic kingdom. This will be the kingdom that will “endure forever” that will “crush and put an end” to all the former kingdoms of the earth, as spoken of by Daniel in Daniel 2:44-45.

The central focus of events in the preceding verses center on Jerusalem. The nations of the earth, the global kingdom of the beast, which is Babylon the great, is assembling in the Jezreel Valley near Har—Megiddo (Armageddon) to assault Jerusalem (Revelation 16:16). It could be that these events and this earthquake that is a) great and mighty and b) an order of magnitude greater than any human has ever experienced will accompany Jesus’s return, where He will defeat the armies descending on Jerusalem (Revelation 19:11-21).

The text notes that the cities of the nations fell. Just as the earlier bowls impacted the entire earth—land, sea, rivers, sun—so now the urban strongholds of humanity come under devastating quake and collapse. This sequence highlights that human attempts to build towers of power and pride (echoing Babel in Genesis 11) cannot stand the judgments poured out on the earth in the day of the Lord.

The phrase split into three parts indicates a partitioning which can signify a breakdown of unity. This could signify that the evil power of the beast begins to falter and disintegrate as a part of God’s judgments even prior to his final vanquishing in Revelation 19:20.

John asserts that Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath (v.19). The reference to Babylon the great is woven throughout Revelation (Revelation 14:8; 17:5; 18:2). The phrase Babylon the great symbolizes a powerful civilization in rebellion against God.

Historically, the ancient Babylonian Empire rose to prominence under King Nebuchadnezzar II (who reigned 605-562 B.C.). His was the empire that conquered Jerusalem and exiled the people of Judah. In John’s day, “Babylon” became a nickname for Rome, the empire oppressing believers.

More broadly, it represents the world’s oppressive system that stands in defiance of God’s authority. The root of “Babylon” is “Babel” which was the place of humanity’s earliest organized rebellion against God after the flood (Genesis 11:1-9). The word “Babylon” occurs six times in Revelation (Revelation 14:8, 16:19, 17:5, 18:2, 10, 21). In each instance, it refers to the kingdom of the beast that represents the world system that stands against God and will now fail under His judgment.

When the text says Babylon was remembered before God (v.19), it underscores that God does not forget unrepented sin or injustice. This “remembrance” indicates a sovereign reckoning—Babylon, in all her manifestations, must drink “the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath” (v.19). The imagery of a cup brimming with wrath recurs throughout Scripture (Isaiah 51:17), signifying full punishment for defiance. God, patient in mercy (2 Peter 3:9), ultimately deals with rampant evil, ensuring that every tear and cry for justice is answered.

This judgment upon Babylon the great is liberating, clearing the path for the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:1). Just as the sheriff’s final showdown eliminates the town’s violent oppressors, ushering peace for the townsfolk, so God’s fierce wrath against Babylon marks the necessary climax that will birth a righteous kingdom led by The Son and His brethren (Hebrews 2:10).

John’s readers, suffering under the empire’s brutal weight, would find hope in knowing that their oppressor was already marked for divine remembrance. But the oppression they were suffering would turn out to be merely the earliest of birth pangs. As the Apostle Peter asserts in 2 Peter 3:9, God’s justice is deferred in order to give humanity the opportunity for repentance.

This passage gives believers of all ages comfort and hope, knowing that God will not delay His justice forever. The day of reckoning will eventually come for evil, and it will be eradicated from the earth. God’s judgement continues:

And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe (v.21).

Hail was one of the ten plagues in Egypt (Exodus 9:18-26), a direct blow to Pharaoh’s domain and evidence of God’s sovereignty over nature. Here, however, these hailstones surpass ordinary size, being about one hundred pounds each. The Greek word “talantiaios” is translated one hundred pounds each. The word literally means “the weight of a talent.” It is believed that a talent of silver weighed about one hundred pounds, which is why translators chose to translate “talantiaios” in this manner.

Some estimate that a hundred—pound hailstone might be the size of a washing machine. According to the Guinness Book of World Records (as of 2025), the largest hailstone ever recorded weighed approximately two pounds, and the hailstorm in which these large hailstones occurred was deadly. Thus, even if the ancient talent in mind is much smaller, it is still large enough to create a terrifying and deadly barrage that would wreak havoc on property and person. Despite such extraordinary destruction, the text reveals an unrepentant response: men blasphemed God.

In response to the hail, people harden their hearts, much like Pharaoh who repeatedly resisted God’s judgments (Exodus 9:27-35). The hardening of hearts and increasingly open rebellion against God is a recurring theme in Revelation. Even when faced with the unmistakable reality of divine power, many will refuse to repent, choosing instead to curse God (Revelation 6:15-16).

The Greek word for blasphemed is the same as we saw in Revelation 16:11. We see in Matthew 27:39 the same Greek word rendered as blasphemed in verse 21 translated as “were hurling abuse.” People passing by Jesus hurled abuse at Him, saying, “If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matthew 27:40). These insults toward Jesus infer rejection because He was not living up to their expectations and doing their bidding. Therefore, He was rejected and abused.

It would seem here in verse 21 that people are similarly hurling abuse at God for His judgment upon them. God is not doing their bidding, so the people rail at Him.

By mentioning the plague of the hail (v.21) as being extremely severe, John emphasizes that this final judgment surpasses any natural disaster. The Greek word translated severe is “megas.” It is the same word translated huge in the opening phrase of verse 16, And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down. The repeat of “megas” indicates the immense magnitude of this judgment. This will fulfill Jesus’s prediction in Matthew 24:

"For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”
(Matthew 24:21-22)

In the term “great tribulation,” Jesus also used the word “megas” which is translated “great.” These passages emphasize to the reader that the calamitous nature of these “megas” events at the world’s end are beyond our capacity to comprehend.

Thus, the seven bowl judgments are completed. They began with sores and ended with global cataclysm. Believers can rest in hope that no matter how much it seems evil gains a foothold, God is still on His throne. Nothing happens that He does not allow or authorize. And, although God allows human agency, permitting us to make moral choices, even bad moral choices, His justice will inevitably prevail.

The satanically—inspired human rebellion against God that began in Eden is now reaching its point of culmination. Beginning in the next chapter, then through Chapter 19, we will see the kingdom of the beast fall, and Jesus, the second Joshua, enter the land and conquer it for His kingdom.