Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sunThis phrase indicates the continuation of the series of seven bowl judgments, which are part of the apocalyptic visions given to John. The pouring out of the bowl signifies the execution of divine judgment. The sun, a symbol of life and sustenance, becomes an instrument of judgment. This act reflects the sovereignty of God over creation, as He can use elements of nature to fulfill His purposes. The sun's role here contrasts with its usual function of providing light and warmth, highlighting the reversal of natural order in the end times.
and it was given power to scorch the people with fire
The empowerment of the sun to scorch people signifies an intensification of judgment. This scorching can be seen as both literal and symbolic, representing severe trials and suffering. The imagery of fire is often associated with purification and judgment throughout Scripture, such as inMalachi 4:1, where the day of the Lord is described as burning like an oven. This judgment serves as a call to repentance, echoing the plagues of Egypt, where natural elements were used to demonstrate God's power and prompt Pharaoh to release the Israelites. The suffering inflicted by the sun underscores the severity of divine wrath against unrepentant humanity.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
The Fourth AngelOne of the seven angels tasked with pouring out the bowls of God's wrath. Each angel represents a specific judgment upon the earth.
2.
The SunA celestial body that, in this context, is used as an instrument of God's judgment. The sun, typically a source of light and life, becomes a source of torment.
3.
The PeopleRefers to those on earth who are subject to the judgment. This group is often interpreted as those who have rejected God and are experiencing His wrath.
4.
The BowlRepresents the judgment of God. The bowls are symbolic of the fullness and completeness of God's wrath being poured out.
5.
FireSymbolizes judgment and purification. In this context, it is a literal and metaphorical representation of God's consuming wrath.
Teaching Points
The Sovereignty of God in JudgmentGod's control over creation is evident as He uses the sun, a natural element, to execute His judgment. This reminds us of His ultimate authority over all things.
The Consequences of RejectionThe scorching heat serves as a metaphor for the spiritual consequences of rejecting God. It is a call to repentance and faithfulness.
The Dual Nature of CreationThe sun, which sustains life, also has the power to destroy. This duality reflects the nature of God's justice and mercy.
Urgency of RepentanceThe severity of the judgment underscores the urgency for individuals to turn to God before it is too late.
Endurance in FaithFor believers, this passage serves as a reminder to remain steadfast in faith, knowing that God's justice will ultimately prevail.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Revelation 16:8?
2.How does Revelation 16:8 demonstrate God's power over creation and judgment?
3.What is the significance of the sun's role in Revelation 16:8?
4.How can Revelation 16:8 deepen our understanding of God's justice?
5.What Old Testament prophecies connect with the events in Revelation 16:8?
6.How should believers respond to God's judgments as seen in Revelation 16:8?
7.What does Revelation 16:8 reveal about God's control over natural elements?
8.How does Revelation 16:8 challenge our understanding of divine judgment?
9.Why does God allow the sun to scorch people in Revelation 16:8?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Revelation 16?
11.What are the Seven Bowls of Revelation?
12.Does the author's emphasis on the limitation of human understanding in Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 conflict with other biblical texts that claim revelations of divine mysteries?
13.How do the twenty-four elders from Revelation 4:4 align with or contradict other biblical notions of heavenly beings or leadership?
14.What is the Bible's perspective on incense?What Does Revelation 16:8 Mean
Then the fourth angelRevelation’s seven bowls follow the seven trumpets, forming the final wave of God’s end–time judgments (Revelation 15:1). By the time the “fourth angel” steps forward, three bowls have already devastated land, sea, and rivers (Revelation 16:2-4).
• The phrase “fourth angel” reminds us that these messengers act in strict sequence and under direct command, just as the angels ofRevelation 8:7-12 sounded their trumpets one after another.
• God’s orderly progression highlights His sovereignty; nothing here is random or accidental (Psalm 135:6;Daniel 4:35).
• Because the narrative keeps count—first, second, third, fourth—we see a countdown toward the return of Christ (Revelation 19:11-16).
poured out his bowlEach bowl represents wrath “mixed full strength” (Revelation 14:10), unlike earlier trumpet judgments that struck one-third portions.
• The imagery recalls the plagues of Exodus, where Moses stretched out his hand and God’s judgments fell (Exodus 9:22-23).
• “Poured out” stresses completeness; nothing is held back (Isaiah 42:13). What God decrees is fully delivered.
• John’s vision portrays judgment as something stored up and then released, echoingRomans 2:5 about wrath “stored up” for the day of judgment.
on the sunMost previous plagues targeted earth or water, but this one strikes the very source of earthly light and warmth (Genesis 1:16).
• Earlier, the fourth trumpet darkened the sun (Revelation 8:12); now the bowl intensifies it, showing God can both withhold and amplify creation’s forces (Job 37:10;Amos 4:7-8).
•Malachi 4:1 foretells a day “burning like a furnace,” connecting Old Testament prophecy to this scene.
• By aiming at the sun, God touches something humanity cannot control or shield itself from, underlining human helplessness without Him (Jeremiah 10:11-13).
and it was given powerThe wording “was given” appears often in Revelation (e.g.,Revelation 13:5, 7), underscoring that any destructive force operates only by divine permission.
• Creation itself remains under God’s authority; the sun receives new “power” only because God entrusts it (Colossians 1:16-17).
• This phrase answers the implied question, “Who is in charge?” By repeating “was given,” Scripture affirms that God alone sets the limits and timing of judgment (Job 1:12).
to scorch the people with fireThe result is physical torment on earth’s inhabitants who have taken the beast’s mark (Revelation 16:2).
• Isaiah foresaw people “burned by the sun” for rebellion (Isaiah 24:6).
• Jesus warned of a coming “tribulation such as has not occurred” (Matthew 24:21-22), and this plague fits within that unparalleled distress.
• The bowl does not annihilate but afflicts, inviting repentance even now (Revelation 16:9 shows many still blaspheme instead).
• This scorching previews the final lake of fire (Revelation 20:15); temporary pain points to an eternal consequence unless hearts turn.
summaryRevelation 16:8 depicts an ordered, divinely authorized judgment: the fourth angel releases his bowl, the sun receives enhanced power, and unrepentant humanity is seared. The verse confirms God’s absolute control over creation, His escalating wrath against persistent rebellion, and His unwavering march toward the ultimate victory of Christ.
(8, 9)
And the fourth . . .--Better,
And the fourth(
angel)
poured out his vial upon the sun; and it was given to it (the "sun," not the "angel;" the rendering of the English version "unto him is misleading)
to scorch men with fire. And men(
i.e.,those who were worshippers of the wild beast)
were scorched . . .
and did not repent to give him glory. The sun, the great source of light and warmth, whose beams call forth the flowers of the earth, becomes a power to blast, not to bless. This is another example of the way in which the things full of beneficence are turned into powers of sorrow to those who follow evil. Not only the pleasant gifts and influences, which, like streams, were made to gladden men, grow corrupt, but the very source of light and knowledge becomes a power to destroy. We may contrast this influence of the sun with the beneficent beams of the Sun of Righteousness. Christ rose as the light and sun upon the world, because He diffused the knowledge which gave life to men; but here we have a light and sun which scorches. There is a knowledge which withers while it illumines; there is a teaching which does not warm the heart, but dries both heart and conscience, and brings but pain. The result, painful as it is, does not work repentance. Suffering, without grace and humility, does not bless men; they grow angry; the fire hardens instead of purifying. The whole series of these judgments illustrate the awful truth that there is a stage in personal life, and in national and world life also, in which suffering loses its remedial force, because the character has become set, and even an occasional desire after higher things is no longer felt.
"When we in our viciousness
Grow hard, the wise gods seal our eyes,
In our own slime drop our clear judgments,
Make us adore our errors, and thus
We strut to our destruction."
Verse 8. -
And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun.Ἀγγέλος, "angel," is omitted in nearly all manuscripts, though, of course, it is understood. For the first time we have
ἐπί, "upon," instead of
εἰς. "into" (see on ver. 2). Another part of creation is visited, thus completing the visitation of the fourfold division of the universe - the earth, the sea, the rivers, the heavens - as foretold in
Revelation 14:7.
And power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. "And it was given to it" is more probable than "to him;" the angels do not directly punish, but indirectly by pouring out the vials. This form of words expresses the permissory nature of the evil which is wrought; nothing can be done but by the will of God (cf.
Revelation 13:5, 7, 14). Bengel, Hengstenberg, and others consider that the permission to scorch men is given to the angel.
Themen (with the article); perhaps referring to those mentioned in ver. 2. who had the mark of the beast, and those who worshipped his image, and who are the object of all the vial plagues. Though differing in form from the fourth trumpet, where the sun was darkened, yet the judgment is similar, though here of a more intense nature. In both cases, those objects which are given to men for their good are converted into instruments of punishment. We may, perhaps, see here an allusion to the heat of men's passions and vices, by which physically as well as morally they are destroyed; and which are also an emblem of the pains of hell as pictured in
Luke 16. It has been noticed as a coincidence that the objects of creation which are the subjects of the judgments of the fourth trumpet and fourth vial, were created on the fourth day.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
Next,Καὶ(Kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.theὁ(ho)Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.fourth [angel]τέταρτος(tetartos)Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5067:Fourth. Ordinal from tessares; fourth.poured outἐξέχεεν(execheen)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1632:Or ekchuno ek-khoo'-no from ek and cheo; to pour forth; figuratively, to bestow.hisαὐτοῦ(autou)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.bowlφιάλην(phialēn)Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5357:A shallow and flat bowl. Of uncertain affinity; a broad shallow cup.onἐπὶ(epi)Preposition
Strong's 1909:On, to, against, on the basis of, at.theτὸν(ton)Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.sun,ἥλιον(hēlion)Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2246:The sun, sunlight. From hele; the sun; by implication, light.andκαὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.it was given powerἐδόθη(edothē)Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1325:To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.to scorchκαυματίσαι(kaumatisai)Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 2739:To burn, scorch. From kauma; to burn.theτοὺς(tous)Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.peopleἀνθρώπους(anthrōpous)Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 444:A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.withἐν(en)Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.fire.πυρί(pyri)Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4442:Fire; the heat of the sun, lightning; fig: strife, trials; the eternal fire. A primary word; 'fire'.
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NT Prophecy: Revelation 16:8 The fourth poured out his bowl (Rev. Re Apocalypse) 
