Revelation 16:10-11 - The Great Darkness Judgment

“Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.” When the fifth angel pours out his bowl God will turn up the intense suffering of the sinful world by turning out the lights. This is the judgment of great darkness, like what happened in the ninth plague in Egypt (Exodus 10:21-23). Commentators disagree over where specifically this bowl will be dumped. Some think it will be on the actual throne that the beast sits on; others on his capital city of Babylon; still others on his entire kingdom. It is best to see the throne as a reference to his kingdom, since the bowl poured out on the throne darkens the whole kingdom. Regardless of the exact location of where the bowl is dumped, the result is that darkness engulfs the whole earth, which is Antichrist's worldwide kingdom. The beast will be as helpless before the power of God and this darkness as anyone else. Joel described this time of judgment as "a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness... Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon grow dark and the stars lose their brightness" (Joel 2:2; 3:14-15). Zephaniah described the Day of the Lord as "a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness" (Zeph. 1:15). Jesus declared in His Olivet discourse that "in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light" (Mark 13:24). The cumulative effect of the painful sores, fouled oceans, lack of drinking water, intense heat, all engulfed in thick blackness, will bring unbearable misery. Yet, incredibly, the wicked, unbelieving people of the world will still refuse to repent. John notes that they gnawed their tongues (lit. "kept on chewing") because of the most intense and excruciating pain, yet with those same tongues they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores (perhaps related to the lack of sunlight, as well as the effect of previous plagues) and they did not repent of their deeds—the ultimate act of defiance by those hopelessly engulfed in Antichrist's satanic system. This is the last reference to their unwillingness to repent. The first five plagues were God's final call to repentance. Sinners ignored that call and are now confirmed in their unbelief. The final two bowls, containing the severest of all the judgments, will be poured out on hardened sinners who have refused to repent! Remember Antichrist revealed himself as the promised Messiah! Promising peace, unity and prosperity. He came claiming to be light! But now God strips him of his false light and exposes him to the world for what he really is, “the ruler of the darkness”(Eph. 6:12). Jesus said that “men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil” (John 3:19). Again, it is if God is saying, “You love darkness! I will give you darkness”. My friend, only Jesus is the true Light! Today, please turn from the darkness of your sin and come to Christ! God bless!