Revelation 16:12 kjv
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.
Revelation 16:12 nkjv
Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.
Revelation 16:12 niv
The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.
Revelation 16:12 esv
The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.
Revelation 16:12 nlt
Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance.
Revelation 16 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 2:14 | The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates. | Identifies Euphrates as a literal river. |
| Gen 15:18 | On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—" | Euphrates as a historical/geographical boundary. |
| Deut 1:7 | Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, and into the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon as far as the great river Euphrates. | God's promised territorial boundaries. |
| Isa 11:15-16 | The Lord will dry up the gulf of the Babylonian Sea; with his scorching breath he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams... | Prophetic drying of Euphrates as a path for return. |
| Isa 41:2-3 | "Who has stirred up one from the East...?" He overtakes nations... | Foretells a conqueror from the East (Cyrus). |
| Isa 44:27 | who says to the deep, ‘Be dry! And I will dry up your rivers,’ | God's power over waters, drying them up. |
| Jer 13:4-7 | Take the sash you bought and are wearing, and go at once to Perath and hide it there... | Symbolism involving Euphrates (Perath). |
| Jer 46:10 | For this is the day of the Lord, the Lord Almighty, a day of vengeance, when he will avenge himself on his foes. The sword will devour... by the River Euphrates. | Battle at Euphrates against Egyptian army. |
| Jer 50:38 | A drought on her waters! They will dry up. For it is a land of idols, and they are mad over their images. | Prophetic drying of Babylon's waters. |
| Jer 51:36 | "Therefore this is what the Lord says: 'See, I will defend your case and avenge you; I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry.'" | Divine judgment involving drying of waters. |
| Ex 14:21 | Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land... | God dries waters to make a way (Red Sea). |
| Josh 3:15-17 | when the priests... stepped into the edge of the water, (the Jordan was at flood stage)... the water... piled up in a heap... and all Israel crossed over on dry ground. | God dries waters to make a way (Jordan). |
| Ps 24:1 | The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. | God's sovereignty over creation, including waters. |
| Ezek 38:8-9 | ...you will attack a land that has recovered from war... you will sweep in like a storm—you and all your hordes... from the far north. | Gog from the "far north" in eschatological war. |
| Joel 3:9-11 | Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Stir up the mighty men... | Summons to final battle. |
| Zech 12:3 | On that day, when all the nations of the earth gather against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock... | Gathering of nations against Jerusalem. |
| Rev 9:14 | ...saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." | Foreshadows the significance of Euphrates in judgment. |
| Rev 17:15 | Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages." | Waters can symbolize peoples or nations. |
| Rev 19:19 | Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. | The final gathering for war. |
| Mk 1:2-3 | ...as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way" – "a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’" | "Prepare the way" is a biblical theme for divine work. |
| Mt 2:1 | After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the East came to Jerusalem | Literal "kings from the East" (Magi, not directly related but illustrates the concept). |
| Ps 72:8 | He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. | River often refers to the Euphrates in its expansive sense. |
| Jer 1:14 | The Lord said to me, "From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land." | Evil often comes from the north (general direction relative to Israel), but can extend East. |
Revelation 16 verses
Revelation 16 12 Meaning
Revelation 16:12 describes the outpouring of the sixth of the seven bowls of God's wrath, a judgment that symbolically or literally impacts the "great river Euphrates." This event involves the drying up of its waters, an act intended to clear a path or "prepare the way" for "the kings from the East." This judgment is part of the final series of God's righteous judgments before the ultimate culmination of events in the book of Revelation, signifying a removal of obstacles for a final phase of prophetic events, particularly leading to the gathering for Armageddon.
Revelation 16 12 Context
Revelation 16 details the outpouring of the seven bowls of God's wrath, a series of intensified judgments following the trumpet judgments, leading up to the final conflict of Armageddon and the return of Christ. Each bowl is severe and comprehensive, targeting specific aspects of the fallen world system. The sixth bowl judgment focuses on the geopolitical sphere, particularly with the drying of the Euphrates. This verse marks a crucial transition, as it explicitly prepares for the gathering of hostile forces for the final battle, a theme that dominates the immediate subsequent verses in chapter 16. Historically and culturally, the Euphrates was a significant boundary for empires (Roman, Persian) and a traditional route for invaders coming from the East or North into the Middle East and the Promised Land. The drying up of this river evokes past divine acts (Red Sea, Jordan) where God removed natural barriers to accomplish His purposes, signaling an imminent, unhindered movement of actors on the world stage, whether literal or symbolic. This act serves to clear a path for the "kings from the East," potentially an allusion to the ancient fear of invasions from beyond the traditional boundaries of civilization, often associated with enemies of God's people.
Word Analysis
And the sixth angel poured out his bowl:
- And the sixth angel (καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ ἕκτος, kai ho angelos ho hektos): In Revelation, angels are divine agents executing God's commands. "Sixth" indicates sequential progression within God's judgments, highlighting increasing intensity.
- poured out (ἐξέχεεν, exécheen): Signifies a deliberate, forceful, and complete discharge of divine judgment. This imagery implies an outpouring of wrath without mixture or restraint (Rev 14:10).
- his bowl (τὴν φιάλην αὐτοῦ, tēn phialēn autou): Refers to the flat, shallow bowl used for libations, symbolizing a vessel filled with God's concentrated wrath, emptied quickly and entirely upon the earth.
upon the great river Euphrates:
- upon (ἐπὶ, epi): Indicates direct impact and targeting of this specific geographical feature.
- the great river Euphrates (τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν μέγαν Εὐφράτην, ton potamon ton megan Euphratēn): The Euphrates (Perath in Hebrew) is a literal, geographically significant river, often mentioned in Old Testament as a boundary (Gen 15:18, Deut 1:7) and associated with great empires (Assyria, Babylon). It also appeared in Revelation 9:14 as a place where four destructive angels were bound. "Great" emphasizes its prominence and historical importance. Symbolically, it can represent a major geopolitical or spiritual barrier, or a source of power/control, especially relating to Babylon.
and its water was dried up:
- and its water (καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ αὐτῆς, kai to hydōr autēs): "Water" here is literal but also carries symbolic weight, as water often represents peoples or nations in Revelation (Rev 17:15).
- was dried up (ἐξηράνθη, exēranthē): An act of divine intervention, akin to God parting the Red Sea (Ex 14) or Jordan River (Josh 3). This "drying up" removes an obstacle, a natural barrier, allowing unimpeded passage. In Old Testament prophecy (Isa 11:15, 44:27, Jer 50:38), drying of waters often prefigures the collapse of enemy powers (like Babylon) or preparation of a way for God's people.
to prepare the way for the kings from the East.
- to prepare the way (ἵνα ἑτοιμασθῇ ἡ ὁδός, hina hetoimasthē hē hodos): The Greek hetoimazō means to make ready or clear. This specific phrase is crucial, echoing John the Baptist's role in "preparing the way" for the Lord (Isa 40:3, Mk 1:2-3). Here, the way is prepared for antagonistic forces.
- for the kings (τῶν βασιλέων, tōn basileōn): Implies sovereign rulers or leaders, signifying significant power. They are a plurality, indicating a coalition or multiple forces.
- from the East (τῶν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου, tōn apo anatolōn hēliou): Literally "from the rising of the sun," pointing to the lands to the east of Israel/the Roman world. Historically, this region included powerful empires (Persian, Parthian) and could denote forces beyond the perceived limits of the civilized world. This phrasing identifies their origin, possibly hinting at an overwhelming and unforeseen threat. Symbolically, the "East" could represent where divine judgment or unexpected intervention arises.
Revelation 16 12 Commentary
Revelation 16:12 encapsulates a pivotal moment in the end-times judgments. The drying of the Euphrates, a significant ancient boundary, symbolizes the removal of a major obstacle, whether a physical river, a geopolitical barrier like the Islamic world (for some interpretations), or a demonic constraint (connecting to Rev 9:14). This act facilitates the movement of "kings from the East," signaling the impending global conflict. These kings are often interpreted as a large, perhaps unprecedented, confederation of nations or rulers, specifically from Asia, gathering for the ultimate battle against God. The purpose, "to prepare the way," underscores God's absolute sovereignty over history, even in orchestrating the assembly of His enemies for their ultimate defeat at Armageddon (Rev 16:16). This specific judgment demonstrates God's strategic control over geography and geopolitics to fulfill His divine purposes and hasten the climax of human history, setting the stage for the Beast's final efforts to gather armies against God's rule.
Bonus SectionThe phrase "kings from the East" (ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου) is the same term used for the wise men in Matthew 2:1, who were also "from the east." While contextually different, it subtly evokes figures from distant lands bearing significant impact. In a broader Old Testament context, conquerors like Cyrus (Isaiah 41:2, "one from the east") emerged from the east. The drying up of the Euphrates specifically for invaders is seen by some scholars as an anti-type to the Exodus, where God opened the Red Sea for His people; here, a way is opened for the forces opposed to God. This further underscores the sovereign power of God orchestrating events for the grand consummation. The emphasis on the "great river Euphrates" often leads to discussions about its current state and future role in literal fulfillment, given various geopolitical shifts in the region and ecological concerns, although theological interpretations often prioritize its symbolic significance as a strategic boundary.