Revelation 16: Group Study Handout

How to use: read Revelation 16 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

A loud voice commands the seven angels to pour out the bowls of God's wrath (vv. 1-2). The first bowl causes harmful sores on those marked by the beast.

Key verse

“He gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew, Megiddo.”
Revelation 16:16 (WEB)

Outline

Revelation 16:1–2 The Command to Pour Out Bowls
Revelation 16:3–5 Plagues on Nature and Humanity
Revelation 16:6–7 Acknowledgment of God's Justice
Revelation 16:8–11 Intensification of Suffering
Revelation 16:12–14 Preparation for Final Battle
Revelation 16:15–17 A Warning and Promise
Revelation 16:18–21 The Seventh Bowl and Cataclysm

Discussion questions

In v2, what affliction comes to those with the 'mark of the beast'?
What happens to the rivers in v4 when the third angel pours out his bowl?
In v6, how is God's judgment justified by the angel of the waters?
What does the phrase 'It is done' in v17 imply about God's purpose?
When have you faced a situation like the 'great earthquake' in v18, feeling overwhelmed?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Revelation 16: Revelation 3, Revelation 11, Matthew 24.

Before next time: read Revelation 17.