What is the meaning of Revelation 16:5? And I heard the angel of the waters say John pauses to let us listen in on a specific angel assigned to oversee the earth’s waters—the very element that has just been turned to blood (Revelation 16:4). • Earlier we met angels holding back the winds (Revelation 7:1) and another with power over fire (Revelation 14:18). These glimpses remind us that every part of creation is under God’s delegated authority. • The angel’s voice confirms that what is happening to the rivers and springs is no random disaster; it is a measured act flowing from heaven’s throne (Revelation 8:10-11). • By allowing us to “overhear” this angel, the Spirit reassures believers that even in the most terrifying judgments, heaven remains orderly and purposeful. “Righteous are You The very first words out of the angel’s mouth celebrate God’s moral perfection. • Deuteronomy 32:4 calls Him “a God of faithfulness and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.” • Psalm 119:137 echoes, “Righteous are You, O LORD, and upright are Your judgments.” • Revelation 15:3-4 has already heard the song of the redeemed declare the same truth just before the bowls are poured out. Because God is righteous, His judgments can never be excessive or unfair. The angel is, in effect, testifying as a witness: everything taking place on earth lines up perfectly with God’s character. O Holy One Holiness speaks of God’s utter separateness from sin. • Isaiah 6:3 records the seraphim crying, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts.” • Revelation 4:8 repeats that triple “holy” around the heavenly throne. • Psalm 99:3 says, “Let them praise Your great and awesome name—He is holy.” Calling God “Holy One” reminds us that His judgments do not spring from fickle anger but from a morally flawless nature that cannot coexist with rebellion. who is and was Earlier scenes have praised the Lord as the One “who is and who was and who is to come” (Revelation 1:8; 4:8). Here the phrase “is to come” is absent because, in this moment, He has come in judgment. • Exodus 3:14 underlines His eternal self-existence: “I AM WHO I AM.” • Psalm 90:2 affirms, “From everlasting to everlasting You are God.” The angel is anchoring these terrifying events in God’s timeless sovereignty; He has always been on the throne and always will be. because You have brought these judgments The angel names the reason for his praise: God Himself has executed the bowl judgments. • Revelation 15:1 called them “the last, because with them the wrath of God is finished.” • Revelation 19:2 later celebrates, “His judgments are true and just.” • Romans 2:5 warns of a coming day “when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” • 2 Thessalonians 1:6 adds, “God is just: He will repay with affliction those who afflict you.” By turning water to blood, the Lord repays those who shed the blood of saints and prophets (Revelation 16:6). The angel rejoices not in suffering for its own sake but in divine justice finally being seen and vindicated. summary Revelation 16:5 lets us eavesdrop on heaven’s verdict regarding the bowl judgments. An angel entrusted with earth’s waters praises God’s righteousness, holiness, eternity, and justice. Far from questioning the severity of the plagues, heaven celebrates them as the perfect outworking of God’s unchanging character. For believers, the verse is a bracing reminder that every act of divine judgment—no matter how overwhelming—flows from a God who is eternally righteous, utterly holy, and flawlessly just. |
    |