Revelation 16:6-11
Darkness on the Beast's Kingdom
Read the passage
6For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.”
7And I heard the altar reply: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments.”
8Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch the people with fire.
9And the people were scorched by intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues. Yet they did not repent and give Him glory.
10And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish
11and curse the God of heaven for their pains and sores. Yet they did not repent of their deeds.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The angel's declaration continues: those who spilled the blood of saints and prophets have been given blood to drink, as they deserve. The altar answers that the Lord God Almighty's judgments are true and just. This is His righteous answer to persecution.
The fourth angel pours his bowl on the sun, which receives power to scorch people with fire. In their intense pain they curse God's name. They know He has authority over the plagues, yet they refuse to repent and give Him glory.
The fifth bowl falls on the beast's throne, plunging its kingdom into darkness. People gnaw their tongues in anguish and curse the God of heaven because of their pains and sores. Again, they refuse to repent of their deeds.
Knowing that God has power does not by itself bring these people to repentance. They blame Him while remaining attached to what He judges. The darkness on the beast's kingdom exposes the failure of the power they worship. It cannot save them from the Lord whose authority they curse.
Questions
1 What does the fourth bowl affect?
AnswerIt affects the sun, which scorches people with fierce heat. The source of light becomes an instrument of painful judgment.
2 How do people respond to the heat?
AnswerThey curse God's name but do not repent or give Him glory. The passage distinguishes anger at judgment from a changed heart.
3 What happens to the beast's kingdom?
AnswerIt is plunged into darkness. The kingdom that demanded worship loses the light and stability it appeared to possess.
4 What do people do with their pain?
AnswerThey gnaw their tongues, curse God, and still refuse to repent of their deeds. Pain alone does not guarantee humility or moral clarity.
What This Means for Us
When the consequences of a known sin become painful, it is tempting to blame everything except the sin itself. Ask God for honesty. If you have harmed someone, confess what you did and seek a right way to make amends. This warning calls us to examine our own refusal to turn; it does not authorize guessing why another person is ill.
Prayer
God of light, soften us when correction is painful. Keep our household from hardening into blame, show us what must change, and bring darkness over systems that demand worship and harm people. Amen.