Revelation 16:3 kjv
And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
Revelation 16:3 nkjv
Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.
Revelation 16:3 niv
The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.
Revelation 16:3 esv
The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.
Revelation 16:3 nlt
Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse. And everything in the sea died.
Revelation 16 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 7:19 | ...upon their waters, upon their rivers...ponds...blood; and there shall be blood... | First plague: water turned to blood |
| Ex 7:21 | ...the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank... | Consequence of water to blood: fish died, stench |
| Deut 28:43 | The stranger that is within thy gate...shall get up above thee very high... | Inverse prosperity in judgment |
| Ps 78:44 | And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink. | Recounting God's judgments in Exodus |
| Isa 14:12 | How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! | The fall of evil and pride |
| Isa 19:5-6 | And the waters shall fail...the rivers shall be wasted... | Prophecy of ecological desolation |
| Jer 14:2-6 | Judah mourneth...every one in the wilderness...beasts died because no grass. | Famine and death linked to lack of water |
| Eze 32:6 | I will also water the land wherein thou swimmest with thy blood... | Imagery of nations overflowing with blood |
| Eze 47:9 | And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live... | Life from waters, inverse to judgment |
| Hag 2:6 | Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; | God's future shaking of creation |
| Rev 8:8-9 | ...as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood... | First trumpet judgment: partial sea blood |
| Rev 11:6 | These have power to shut heaven...to turn their waters to blood... | Moses and Elijah figures (Two Witnesses) |
| Rev 16:2 | ...the first angel poured out his vial...a noisome and grievous sore upon the men... | Immediate preceding judgment (first bowl) |
| Rev 16:4 | And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters... | Subsequent judgment on fresh waters |
| Rev 18:17 | And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors...shall stand afar off. | Economic impact of sea judgment on Babylon |
| Rev 18:21 | ...thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down... | The destruction of the economic center |
| Rev 21:1 | And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. | Future state: no sea (negatively as chaotic) |
| Jonah 1:4 | But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea...a mighty tempest... | God's control and use of the sea in judgment |
| Zec 14:12 | ...Their flesh shall consume away...their eyes shall consume...tongue... | Judgment upon the bodies of those who fought God |
| Mk 4:41 | ...what manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? | Christ's authority over creation |
| Matt 8:31-32 | And the devils besought him...suffer us to go away into the herd of swine...they went into the sea... | Demons destroyed in the sea |
Revelation 16 verses
Revelation 16 3 Meaning
Revelation 16:3 describes the outpouring of the second bowl of God's wrath upon the sea. As a result, the sea transforms into a horrifying state resembling the congealed blood of a corpse, leading to the complete death of all living creatures within it. This catastrophic event signifies a pervasive judgment impacting global marine ecosystems and a vital source of life and commerce, reflecting the severity and totality of divine judgment against a defiant world.
Revelation 16 3 Context
Revelation 16 details the outpouring of the seven bowls of God's wrath, the final and most intense series of judgments upon the earth and its inhabitants who have sided with the Beast and rejected God. These judgments are distinguished from earlier trumpet judgments by their global scope, lack of repentance, and utter finality. Chapter 16 begins with the first bowl affecting those with the mark of the Beast with sores (Rev 16:2). Revelation 16:3 describes the second bowl, which targets the sea, intensifying the ecological disaster foreshadowed by the trumpet judgments (Rev 8:8-9), turning a partial destruction into a complete annihilation of marine life. This is part of a series of escalating global judgments leading up to the Battle of Armageddon and the ultimate defeat of the Beast and Babylon. The destruction of the sea is not merely an environmental catastrophe; it undermines a vital source of global sustenance and trade, pointing to the complete unraveling of the worldly systems that opposed God.
Revelation 16 3 Word analysis
- And the second angel: Signifies the specific, ordered nature of God's judgments. Angels are instruments of divine will, executing God's decrees systematically. This emphasizes divine control over chaos.
- poured out his vial (phiale / φιάλη): Phiale refers to a shallow bowl or saucer. The act of "pouring out" implies a swift, decisive, and complete action, without reserve. It signifies the full measure of God's contained wrath being unleashed. This action is swift and overwhelming.
- upon the sea (thalassan / θάλασσαν): Refers to the literal oceans, covering the vast majority of the earth's surface. In biblical imagery, "the sea" can also sometimes symbolize chaotic nations or human rebellion (e.g., Isa 57:20). Here, it most directly refers to the physical body of water, indicating a global ecological disaster.
- and it became (kai egeneto / καὶ ἐγένετο): Signifies a dramatic and irreversible transformation. It emphasizes the direct and immediate effect of the divine judgment, changing the fundamental nature of the water.
- as the blood of a dead man (hōs haima nekrou / ὡς αἷμα νεκροῦ): This is a powerful simile. It does not just mean "red like blood" but evokes the thick, congealed, and putrefying blood from a corpse. This imagery signifies corruption, defilement, decay, and utter lifelessness, going beyond the mere redness seen in the Egyptian plague (Ex 7:20-21). It is associated with the foulness and horror of death, not fresh blood. This specific imagery communicates revulsion and an irreversible state of decay.
- and every living soul (pasa psychē zoēs / πᾶσα ψυχὴ ζωῆς): "Soul" (psyche) refers to the animating life force or spirit. The addition of "living" (zoes) underscores the comprehensive nature of what dies. This phrase highlights that the judgment is total, encompassing all marine life, from the smallest to the largest creatures, ensuring absolute biological annihilation in the seas. It contrasts sharply with God's original creation, where the waters teemed with life (Gen 1:20-21).
- in the sea died: Direct and absolute consequence. No survival. This denotes a complete end to the life processes within the oceans. This devastation eliminates a critical source of food, global oxygen production, and impacts climate, presenting an unprecedented catastrophe for humanity.
Revelation 16 3 Bonus section
The comprehensive death of all marine life, unlike the partial destruction in earlier judgments, indicates that this wrath is no longer intended to lead to repentance, but rather to bring about definitive retribution. The symbolism of "blood of a dead man" also strongly connects to the theme of defilement in the Old Testament, where contact with a corpse or shed blood defiled. This transforms the life-giving, often purifying, waters of the sea into an abhorrent source of ultimate defilement and death, making it entirely uninhabitable and useless to humanity. This judgment directly impacts global trade and supply chains that heavily rely on maritime activity, aligning with later pronouncements against Babylon, the great commercial city, which is metaphorically intertwined with the "sea" of nations (Rev 18).
Revelation 16 3 Commentary
Revelation 16:3 depicts a horrifying and total environmental catastrophe affecting the world's oceans, as the second angel pours out his bowl of wrath. This judgment, surpassing the partial impact of the trumpet judgments (Rev 8:8-9), completely eradicates all marine life. The sea transforming "as the blood of a dead man" implies not just a change in color but a state of putrid decay, a source of revulsion and death, rather than life. This echoes the first Egyptian plague (Ex 7:20-21) but with far greater intensity and finality. The destruction of the sea represents a direct strike against God's creation, particularly that which provides sustenance and facilitates commerce, impacting global prosperity. It is a terrifying display of divine justice, demonstrating that persistent rejection of God leads to the dismantling of the very systems and blessings that sustain life on Earth. This judgment also has a symbolic layer, as the sea can represent the turbulent nations of the world; its death might foreshadow the death of the power structures that have rebelled against God.