And the fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given power to scorch people with fire.
Parallel translations
- WEB The fourth poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given to him to scorch men with fire.
- KJV And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
- BSB Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch the people with fire.
- NKJV Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.
- NLT Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, causing it to scorch everyone with its fire.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The fourth bowl empowers the sun to scorch people with fire. The very source of light and warmth becomes an instrument of judgment.
Overview
The fourth bowl turns the sun into a means of burning judgment upon rebellious humanity. As with the other plagues, what should bless instead afflicts those allied with the beast. This sets the stage for revealing the hardness of the human heart in response.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Acts 2:20The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
- Jonah 4:8When the sun arose, God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he fainted, and requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
- Rev 14:18Another angel came out from the altar, he who has power over fire, and he called with a great voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Send your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for the earth’s grapes are fully ripe!”
- Luke 21:25There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves;
- Rev 7:16They will never be hungry, neither thirsty any more; neither will the sun beat on them, nor any heat;
- Rev 8:12The fourth angel sounded, and one third of the sun was struck, and one third of the moon, and one third of the stars; so that one third of them would be darkened, and the day wouldn’t shine for one third of it, and the night in the same way.
- Isa 24:23Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for Yahweh of Armies will reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and before his elders will be glory.
- Rev 9:2He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit.
- Rev 6:12I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became as blood.
- Matt 13:6When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.
- Rev 9:17–18Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the horses’ heads resembled lions’ heads. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur.
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Christ at the center
Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.
How Revelation 16:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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