I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: Seven angels with the seven last plagues - last, because with them God's wrath is completed. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls. _{Revelation 15:1,7}

In biblical numerology, seven symbolizes completion or perfection. The seven plagues is the last in the series of seven-numbered prophecies in the book of Revelation. The first is the letter John is commanded to send to the seven churches in the province of Asia. This is followed by the seven seals and the seven trumpets. There is also mention of the seven thunders but John was commanded to seal up what they said.

The objects of the seven plagues closely mirror those of the seven trumpets. The effects are different and there is evidence that the plagues are sent to punish the enemies of God's people, specifically Babylon the Great, the beast, those who bear the mark of the beast and worship its image.

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth." The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. _{Revelation 16:2}

Spared this plague are those who do not have the mark of the beast or worship its image, just as the Israelites were spared the plague of boils. _{Exodus 9:8-12} This plague brings open, oozing and smelly sores, a skin disease most commonly caused by an untreated bacterial infection. Is this a real condition or symbolic for something else? Isaiah suggests that people who persist in rebellion against God bring affliction upon themselves.
_{Isaiah 1:5-6} I am favoring that as the correct interpretation.

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}

I find it difficult to accept the object of this plague to kill every living thing in the sea. The creatures living there are God's creation, not his enemies. The sea as a symbol has been identified as 'peoples, multitudes, nations and languages'. _{Revelation 17:15}  Additionally, the first beast of chapter 13 is seen coming up out of the sea. Am I saying that this plague will kill everything living on the land areas of earth? That doesn't work either as even after the seventh bowl is poured out, people are cursing God and remaining unrepentant. So the question is, what is destroyed and what is the signifigance of the blood like that of a dead person?

At death the blood in the body changes in three ways: 1) It changes color because circulation and oxygenation have ceased, 2) After death the blood generally clots slowly and remains clotted for several days, and 3) Decomposition by bacterial action begins shortly after death. The first Egyptian plague: The Nile becomes a river of blood. The river stank and the fish died._{Exodus 7:20-21}

The summation of this is that the blood of a dead person is toxic. In symbolic terms this could likely refer to the effect that deceit has on truth. _{Psalm 52:2-3, Isaiah 59:15, Jeremiah 7:28, Daniel 8:12, 2 Timothy 4:4}

During the time of these plagues the world is under the dominion of the beast (the antichrist) and the false prophet. Deceit and false religion is practiced and truth is cast down._{Daniel 8:12, Revelation 13:14, Revelation 19:20}

The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: "You are just in these judgments, O Holy One... for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve." _{Revelation 16:4-6}

As with the second plague, I intend to look for a symbolic interpretation. What does scripture say about rivers and springs of water? "Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven." _{Psalm 85:11}  "Like a muddied spring or a polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked." _{Proverbs 25:26}  So during the end time events of the beast, faithfulness and righteousness are replaced by wickedness.

The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. _{Revelation 16:8-9}

Thus far the objects affected by the first four plagues mirror those of the first four trumpets. Unlike the fourth trumpet, which produced a dimming of the heavenly lights, the fourth plague causes an increase in solar radiation which produces great discomfort. It is obvious from the text this plague is directed only on those who follow the beast. _{Revelation 13:3}  How is it the faithful are spared what would seem to be a global event? "God... leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land."

Amun-Ra was the chief god in ancient Egyptian religion. It was the combination of two earlier deities: Amun, the god of air, and Ra, the god of the sun. The hallmark of any false religion is the worship of anything other than Yahweh. During the time of these plagues people are worshiping the beast and its image. "All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast - all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life." _{Revelation 13:8}  Because of this they are, in fact, inflicting upon themselves the punishment described, which is the result of all sin that people commit.

The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done. _{Revelation 16:10-11}

Unlike the fourth plague, when the fifth angel pours out his bowl the realm of the beast goes dark. This is not ordinary darkness as evidenced by the torment inflicted on those who follow the beast. If light brings knowledge, then darkness is the absence of same. _{Psalm 88:12, Psalm 105:28}  If knowledge dispels fear then the lack of it results in all manner of evil on those who refuse to live in the light.

The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, the mouth of the beast and the mouth of the false prophet; demonic spirits that perform signs. They go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them for battle on the great day of God Almighty. _{Revelation 16:12-14}

The events described here are similar to that of the sixth trumpet. Both fortell a horrific fianl battle. The forces from the east (i.e. from Asia) are allowed to advance with the drying up of the Euphrates. An important note must be made that rivers are no hindrance to modern armies so this precursor must have another interpretation.

These three issue from the entities presented in the 13th chapter of Revelation. The dragon is identified as Satan [a]. The sea beast is the antichrist [b] and the beast from the earth is the false prophet [c]. The signs these three perform influence the powers that be to come "together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. [d]"
[a] Revelation 12:9 & 20:2, [b] Revelation 13:5-8, [c] Revelation 13:12 & 19:20 [d] Revelation 16:16

The culmination of the sixth plague is the foretold Second Coming of Jesus Christ. At the battle of Armageddon the armies of heaven led by one riding a white horse, who is called "Faithful and True", the "Word of God" and the "King of Kings", confront the antichrist and those who are assembled with him. The antichrist and the false prophet are captured and cast into the lake of fire. The rest are killed with the sword coming out of his mouth. Is this a literal description of the battle at Armageddon or is it symbolic? Let's examine the text in detail:

1. Jesus is shown riding a white horse and armed with a sharp sword
2. He leads a heavenly army also riding white horses
3. The sword he weilds is seen coming out of his mouth
4. With this he destroys the kings of earth and their armies

This prophecy is heavily symbolic. Most telling is showing Christ weilding a sword that issues from his mouth. This has to be a metaphorical representation of Jesus' powerful word, his ability to judge and defeat evil with his spoken truth. Therefore I prefer to think of the battle of Armegeddon as spiritual warfare not a literal battle.

The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. The great city split into three parts, and God remembered Babylon the Great. From the sky huge hailstones fell on people and they cursed God on account of the plague of hail._{Revelation 16:17-21}