The seven bowls (, ''phialas'', sing. φιάλη ''phialē''; also translated as cups or vials) are a set of plagues mentioned in

Revelation 16 Revelation 16 is the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, but the precise identity of the author remains a po ...

. They are recorded as apocalyptic events that were seen in the vision of the

Revelation In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing of some form of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity or other supernatural entity or entities. Background Inspiration – such as that bestowed by God on the ...

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

, by

John of Patmos John of Patmos (also called John the Revelator, John the Divine, John the Theologian) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Book of Revelation. The text of Revelation states that John was on Patmos, a Greek island where, accordin ...

. Seven angels are given seven bowls of God's wrath, each consisting of judgements full of the wrath of God. These seven bowls of God's wrath are poured out on the wicked and the followers of the

Antichrist In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form)1 John ; . 2 John . ...

after the sounding of the

seven trumpets In the Book of Revelation, seven trumpets are sounded, one at a time, to cue apocalyptic events seen by John of Patmos ( Revelation 1:9) in his vision ( Revelation 1:1). The seven trumpets are sounded by seven angels and the events that follow are ...

Plagues

First bowl

The first bowl is poured out upon the earth, and causes painful sores to break out upon all those bearing the

mark of the beast The number of the beast ( grc-koi, Ἀριθμὸς τοῦ θηρίου, ) is associated with the Beast of Revelation in chapter 13, verse 18 of the Book of Revelation. In most manuscripts of the New Testament and in English translations of t ...

Second bowl

The second bowl is poured out upon the sea. The sea turns to blood, and every living creature in it dies.

Third bowl

The third bowl is poured out upon the rivers and springs of water, and they turn to blood. The "angel of the waters" makes a speech in praise of God's justice, which is echoed by a voice from the altar.

Fourth bowl

The fourth bowl is poured out upon the sun. The sun scorches the people, but they only curse the name of God and do not repent.

Fifth bowl

The fifth bowl is poured out upon the throne of the beast. A thick darkness overwhelms the kingdom of the beast, and the wicked still do not repent.

Sixth bowl

The sixth bowl is poured out upon the river

Euphrates The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...

. The river dries up to allow "the kings of the east" to cross. Three unclean spirits with the appearance of frogs come, one each, out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. These spirits, referred to as unclean (meaning unfit for consumption in Biblical literature), work miracles to gather the nations of the world to battle against the forces of good during the

Battle of Armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of arm ...

. The vision is interrupted by a voice that says "Behold, I am coming like a thief", and urges believers to stay alert. Other biblical scholars believe that the great eschatological battle is not described in these verses, having already been won at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus.

Seventh bowl

The seventh bowl is poured out into the air. A voice from the throne says: "It is done." There is thunder and lightning, and an earthquake which destroys the cities of the world, and splits "the great city" into three parts. The islands and mountains are destroyed, and hailstones weighing a talent each fall upon the earth. The people continue to curse God.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seven Bowls Angelic apparitions in the Bible New Testament words and phrases Book of Revelation Christian terminology Biblical phrases Prophets in Christianity Seven in the Book of Revelation