Revelation 16 21

Revelation 16:21 kjv

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.

Revelation 16:21 nkjv

And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.

Revelation 16:21 niv

From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

Revelation 16:21 esv

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 16:21 nlt

There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing as much as seventy-five pounds fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the terrible plague of the hailstorm.

Revelation 16 verses

Revelation 16 21 Meaning

Revelation 16:21 describes the culminating physical manifestation of God's wrath during the seventh and final bowl judgment. Supernaturally large and heavy hailstones, each weighing approximately a talent (around 60-100 pounds), descend from heaven upon humanity. Despite the unprecedented and destructive nature of this plague, which is declared to be exceeding great, the afflicted do not repent. Instead, their response is an intensified defiance and direct blasphemy against God, highlighting the depths of their spiritual rebellion in the face of divine judgment.

Revelation 16 21 Context

Revelation 16:21 marks the consummation of the seven bowl judgments, specifically the seventh bowl poured out by the angel. This sequence of increasingly severe plagues is God's final and complete outpouring of wrath upon those who have rejected Him and followed the Beast. The preceding verses (Rev 16:17-20) describe immense seismic activity ("the great city...divided into three parts," "every island fled away, and the mountains were not found"), making the hail plague the devastating, visible finale to the global cataclysm.

Historically and culturally, the concept of divine judgment via natural disaster was familiar in the ancient Near East, frequently seen in the Old Testament, most notably the plagues on Egypt. The mention of "a talent" (Greek: talanton), a common unit of weight in the Greco-Roman world (roughly 60-100 Roman pounds or 27-45 kg), would vividly convey to the original audience the immense, unnatural size and destructive power of each hailstones. The response of "blasphemy" rather than repentance directly confronts the expected human reaction to overwhelming power, serving as a powerful polemic against any notion that such calamities would automatically lead to spiritual awakening. Instead, it highlights profound spiritual defiance, particularly against the backdrop of Roman imperial cults where emperors were revered as divine or divinely favored.

Revelation 16 21 Word analysis

• great hail (Greek: χαλαζα μεγαλη - chalaza megale): "Hail" is a common biblical metaphor for divine judgment and destruction, often heavy and inescapable. The addition of "great" (μεγαλη) signifies its unprecedented scale and severity, surpassing natural occurrences and preceding judgments. This isn't just severe weather; it's a supernatural weapon.
• as weights of a talent (Greek: ως ταλαντιαια - hos talantiaia): "Talent" (talanton) was a considerable unit of weight, not value in this context. While exact weights varied (Roman talent around 72 lbs or 32 kg, Attic talent 57 lbs or 26 kg), this signifies hail as heavy as stones, cannonballs, or small boulders. It implies total annihilation and demonstrates God's complete control over nature to inflict tailored judgment.
• cometh down out of heaven (Greek: καταβαινουσα εκ του ουρανου - katabainousa ek tou ouranou): This phrase emphasizes the divine origin of the plague. It is not a random weather phenomenon but a direct, deliberate act of God from His heavenly throne. This leaves no doubt about the source of the judgment and underscores God's absolute sovereignty.
• upon men (Greek: επι τους ανθρωπους - epi tous anthrōpous): The judgment is specifically directed at humanity, particularly those who are aligned with the Beast and have refused to repent throughout the preceding judgments. This is a targeted visitation of wrath.
• blasphemed God (Greek: εβλασφημησαν τον Θεον - eblasphēmesan ton Theon): To "blaspheme" (βλασφημεω - blasphemeo) means to speak evil of, curse, revile, or slander God. Instead of humbling themselves in fear and seeking mercy, the people's response to God's raw power is open, direct defiance and accusation. This shows the ultimate hardening of their hearts.
• because of the plague of the hail (Greek: εκ της πληγης της χαλαζης - ek tēs plēgēs tēs chalazēs): The hail itself is the direct catalyst for their blasphemy. It is not confusion or ignorance, but the overwhelming experience of God's punitive justice that elicits their defiant curses. Their suffering fuels their hatred of God rather than turning them to Him.
• the plague thereof was exceeding great (Greek: μεγαλη η πληγη αυτης σφοδρα - megalē hē plēgē autēs sphodra): This reinforces the severity (megalē - great) of the judgment with an intensifier (sphodra - exceedingly, greatly, vehemently). It validates that the scale of destruction was truly immense, and the human response, while wicked, occurs in the face of unparalleled devastation. It underlines the sheer horror and power of God's wrath.

• Great hail... cometh down out of heaven: This phrase evokes ancient Near Eastern divine judgment narratives, often involving meteoric or storm phenomena directly from the divine realm. The magnitude signals it as an ultimate, unprecedented act of judgment, distinct from anything seen before.
• As weights of a talent: This detail is crucial for visualizing the horror. These are not typical hailstones; they are massively heavy objects. The force of impact from a stone weighing 60+ pounds falling from the sky would be catastrophic, crushing buildings, and killing countless individuals, making escape or shelter almost impossible.
• Men blasphemed God: This phrase encapsulates the spiritual tragedy of the end times. Despite overwhelming proof of God's power and righteous judgment, humanity's will remains adamantly opposed to Him. Instead of repentance, the pain drives them further into defiant rebellion, confirming their impenitent hearts.
• For the plague thereof was exceeding great: This highlights the crescendo of the divine judgments. The plagues have steadily increased in intensity throughout Revelation. This final plague is characterized as beyond all previous sufferings, emphasizing its unparalleled devastation and underscoring the completeness of God's wrath poured out.

Revelation 16 21 Bonus section

• Contrast with Exodus: This hail judgment intentionally parallels the seventh plague on Egypt (Exod 9), but it is exponentially magnified in scope and intensity. In Exodus, there was still a partial hardening, but here, it's total blasphemy across a global scale, showing humanity's increased wickedness over time.
• Symbolic connection to Babylon's fall: The phrase "every island fled away, and the mountains were not found" in Rev 16:20 suggests a literal reshaping of the earth. The massive hail completes this physical devastation, likely acting as a final judgment against "Babylon the Great" (Rev 18:21 explicitly states "a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone... and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down"), underscoring that no earthly refuge or power structure can withstand divine judgment.
• The unrepentant heart: The repeated mention of "blasphemed God... and repented not" (Rev 16:9, 11, 21) throughout the bowl judgments is crucial. It negates the idea that mere suffering or observation of divine power will automatically lead to repentance. For hearts thoroughly set against God, suffering intensifies their animosity rather than fostering remorse or a turning to God. This emphasizes that true repentance is a work of the Holy Spirit in conjunction with divine revelation, not solely a product of external circumstances, no matter how severe.
• Talent as a "weight": The term "talent" here specifically refers to a measure of weight, not a coin or skill. This clarification helps the reader grasp the literal crushing impact, making the plague incredibly tangible and terrifying for the original audience and for us.

Revelation 16 21 Commentary

Revelation 16:21 depicts the chilling climax of God's righteous wrath. The supernaturally massive hailstones, weighing a talent each, are not merely a natural disaster but a direct, deliberate weapon from heaven. This seventh bowl judgment is unique in its unprecedented severity, designed to underscore the absolute sovereignty and punitive power of God. The chosen human response, however, is deeply sobering. Rather than being broken or driven to repentance by this ultimate display of divine power and the immense suffering it brings, those afflicted instead escalate their rebellion through direct blasphemy. This reveals the hardened, impenitent heart of humanity against God, where even catastrophic suffering only serves to deepen defiance. It demonstrates that judgment alone does not change a rebellious will but instead reveals its true depth. The severity of the hail perfectly matches the severity of humanity's ingrained hatred and defiance of the Divine, bringing God's righteous verdict to its bitter, unyielding conclusion.