Audio Download

Rev 16:17-21 The 7th Vial, Part 1

[Study Aired March 30, 2025]

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, [and] so great.
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Introduction

In our last study we saw that the seals, trumpets and vials are all part of “the judgments of the great day of God Almighty” upon the darkness in our lives:

Rev 16:12  And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
Rev 16:13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

 “Spirits of devils” are ‘doctrines of devils’, working miracles that deceive us:

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

What this tells us is that all of this takes place while we are still in darkness, and while we are still “children of disobedience…children of… [God’s] wrath”.

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course [G165: ‘aion’] of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

It is our false doctrines which gather us together to withstand the Lord and His doctrines.

These seven plagues begin to be fulfilled within our lives after we come to know and believe on Christ, but while we still “have no place in us for Christ’s word.” That is an unheard of, but very Biblical doctrine, as Christ demonstrates for us in John 8.

Joh 8:30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed [‘I know you are Christians’]; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

These seven plagues of the seven angels are poured out upon us when we are “building on the foundation of Jesus Christ”, but we are building with the “wood, hay and stubble” of “the commandments and doctrines of men” instead of taking great care of that with which we are building.

Mat 15:9 But in vain they [you and I] do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Mar 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Col 2:22  Which all are to perish with the using; [at ‘the great day of God Almighty’] after the commandments and doctrines of men?

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the [great] day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

Tit 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth [Christ].

At this time in our walk we are “holding the Truth in unrighteousness.” Here is the apostle Paul speaking of these very same plagues upon our lives, by which we “keep the things written therein”:

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth [Christ] in unrighteousness;

God’s Truth is the spiritual Words of Christ as exemplified in His life. “The air” is the symbol for that spirit. It is into this part of our walk, when we think we believe on Christ yet we are still rejecting Him and His life and His words, that this seventh vial is poured out. It is while we think we are out of Babylon, but we simply cannot let go of “that great city”:

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

This seventh vial symbolizes spiritual warfare in which we are engaged as we are “coming out of… that great city” (Rev 18:4). Therefore this seventh vial is “poured out… into the air.” The Greek here for ‘air’ is G109, ‘aer’. Here is how this word is used in scripture:

Rev 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

The darkening of our sun and air by reason of the smoke from the bottomless pit signifies the darkening of our understanding of spiritual matters. Here is how this word is used elsewhere in the New Testament:

Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course [the ‘aion’] of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [G109: ‘aer’], the lying and rebellious] spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

This ‘air’, G109, ‘aer’ of Ephesians 2:2 and Revelation 9:2, is the abode of the “principalities and powers” of the spiritual realm against which we are wrestling and fighting in this verse:

Eph 6:12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world [Greek: ‘aion’, same as “course” in Eph 2:2], and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. (NLT)

Here is the King James Version of this verse:

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].

So it is for the purpose defiling the spiritual realm of our heavens [the G109, ‘aer’ of Ephesians 2:2 and Revelation 9:2, that this “seventh vial [is] poured out.” It is through the work of this vial that our heavens must be cleansed at the coming of Christ into the ‘air’, the spiritual realm of our lives destroying the ways of our old man while purging and purifying our “air”.

Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens [signified by ‘the ‘aer’ of Eph 2:2 and Rev 9:2] should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves [our hearts and minds] with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

“The holy places… made with hands” was the physical temple in Jerusalem. What is “heaven itself?” What are the “heavenly things themselves” of which the temple was but a mere pattern? Here is the ‘temple’ of the ninth chapter of Hebrews:

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Where does “the man of sin sit as God”?

2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

“All men shall worship the beast”, which ‘beast’ we all first are. This ‘beast’ is even given “to overcome the saints.”

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Rev 13:7 And it was given [aorist tense] unto him [the beast] to make [aorist tense] war with the saints, and to overcome [aorist tense] them: and power was given [aorist tense] him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

This is the work of the seventh vial. Our ‘air’, signifying our understanding of spiritual matters, is darkened, and our understanding of spiritual matters is taken from us as we continue in the death throes of our old man, the beast within us, to resist the purpose for this “great and marvellous” work which is the work of these seven last plagues of the wrath of God upon all of our false doctrines and lying spirits which are loath to leave the temple which was his throne but is now through ‘Christ in [us]’, Col 1:27, ours to begin to enter in Christ. Our heavens are now beginning to be cleansed because the seven plagues of the seven angels are now beginning to be fulfilled within us:

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

So we are now told:

1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air [the realm of the spirit]: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

“The air” is invisible. “The air”, when it is in motion, is called “the wind”, and “the wind” is another symbol of the spiritual realm.

Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

“The air” is the realm of the spirit. When the seven plagues have been fulfilled and have accomplished their predestined mission of showing us all of the blasphemous nature of ‘the aer’ of our old man, then, and only then, we are told:

Rev 16:17  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

The old man has run his course. That which withholds has withheld until he has been revealed for what he is, and he is now slated for destruction. “It is done.” He will now be destroyed by the brightness of the coming of the proper and rightful king of His throne, which is our hearts and minds, “the heavens themselves… the temple of God” in which God will now, through Christ, dwell with us in “this present time” and at the appointed time with all men of all time:

2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let [will withhold], until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

So, as with all things, we must be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, in “earnest” form, in down payment form first, if we hope to do so at “the redemption of the purchased possession”, known as that “blessed and holy first resurrection”:

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead [who do not reign with Christ a thousand years] lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

Why are we told “there was a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth?” Why are we being told here in this last vial that “the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath?”

It is very appropriate that Babylon is mentioned at this very juncture in this “great and marvellous” revelation of Jesus Christ within His elect saints. What are the things of this world which we are so loathe to relinquish? What is within “the Jews who believe on Christ, but have no room in them for Christ or His Word?” What is one of the sins that so easily besets us all? What is it that caused “all they which are in Asia” to forsake Christ in His elect apostles who had raised up these seven churches, to whom this revelation is addressed? It was the attachment to the false doctrines of Babylon which caused the whole church to treat the apostles who founded those churches as their enemies?

Here is why “great Babylon” is mentioned here in the last of the seven last vials which fill up the wrath of God. It is because we have been building upon Christ with the lying doctrines of “wood, hay and stubble” of the traditions of Babylon, and we are loathe to separate ourselves from those traditions. We have been so faithful to God in so many ways; we hate the Nicolaitans, we have had good works which were better at the end then at the beginning, but we have left our first love, and have permitted that woman Jezebel to spread her doctrine within our midst.

1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Having seen the opening of the seven seals in this prophecy from God, to Christ, to us, (Rev 1:1) will we now declare we have never built upon the foundation of Christ with wood, hay and stubble? Will we deny that this part of the seventh trumpet, which is an integral part of the seventh seal, is not ours to fulfill? Will we deny these words of God?

1Co 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

When we deny the need to fulfill these plagues and their function of burning out of us “every sin that so easily besets us”, we are making Christ and His apostles liars and setting ourselves up on Christ’s throne in our hearts.

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

If all things are ours (1Co 3:21-22), then the “darkness upon the throne of the beast” is ours as long as we are in that darkness. We all come to Christ “out of [that] darkness… [out of] the course, the ‘aion’ of this world, [and out of] the traditions of men.” These are the very things which are the wood, hay and stubble, within us which fuel the fire of the Sun in these seven plagues which scorches us and burns us up. The fire of 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 is the same fire doing the same thing; purifying us before we can begin to enter into the temple.

Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled [aorist tense] with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter [aorist tense] into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled [aorist tense].

The story of King David’s adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband, Uriah, after being made king over all Israel, demonstrates that God’s wrath is not confined to the sins of our early walk. Nevertheless there in no contradiction in saying that God’s wrath upon the sin and darkness in our lives subsides as we “come out of that darkness into the glorious light” which is Christ. So, too, the wrath of God subsides and we can say “in times past we walked according to the course of this world… and in times past… we were by nature the children of wrath even as others”.

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Being “the children of wrath, even as others” is plainly said to be “in times past.” So where do we stand with God when He brings us “out of darkness, into His marvellous light?”

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Remember the fifth plague of the seven angels is “darkness upon the throne of the beast.” These plagues are upon us while we are “walking in darkness… walking according to the prince of the power of the air… as children of disobedience.” In Christ we are “called out of darkness into His marvellous light.” So is there now any change in our relationship with our heavenly Father? John 3 tells us we now have “everlasting life”, whereas “the wrath of God abode on us before we believed.” What does the spirit reveal is our relationship with our God now? We read it in Ephesians 2, but let’s read it again in Colossians 3.

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

We all “were… children of disobedience… when you lived in them.” However, we no longer live in “our members which are upon the earth”. We are now “seated with Christ in the heavens” and “in time past… we were the children of wrath even as others… when the wrath of God abode upon us.”

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life;but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:6 and He raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenlies [or, heavenly realms] in Christ Jesus, (ALT)

We will pause our study at this point and when we resume our next study we will be shown the extent to which Christ identifies with us and we with Him, by acknowledging that the curse placed upon Christ is also placed upon us as His body:

Act 22:6  And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
Act 22:7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.