Verse 3 says, “And the second poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living soul that was in the sea died.” I do not believe that this will include all the seas. Probably it will mainly affect the Mediterranean Sea, the sea enclosed by Antichrist’s empire.
In verses 4 through 7 we have the outpouring of the third bowl. Verse 4 says, “And the third poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood.” Verse 5 speaks of “the angel of the waters.” In God’s administration, an angel has been appointed to control the waters. This angel praises God, saying, “You are righteous, who is and who was, the holy One, because You have judged these; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink; they deserve it” (vv. 5-6). Both here and in 11:17 it does not say, “Who is coming,” as in 1:8 and 4:8. This proves that the Lord’s coming back must follow 4:8 and precede 11:17.
Not everyone dwelling on earth will deserve to be given blood to drink, for not all of them have poured out the blood of the saints. If Americans are those who pour out the blood of the saints, then they deserve to drink blood. I am assured, however, that such a thing will not take place in America. I believe that it will be mainly in the territory of Antichrist that the waters will turn into blood.
Before we go on, I need to insert a word regarding the extent of Antichrist’s empire. Luke 2:1 is helpful in this matter. This verse says that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus “for all the inhabited earth to be enrolled.” Certainly “all the inhabited earth” did not include ancient China; neither did it include America, which at the time was inhabited only by Indians. We must understand the Bible with its background and the circumstances in which it was written. According to the background, “all the inhabited earth” in Luke 2:1 refers to the world of the Roman Empire. Do not take this to mean every place on the whole earth. The earth-dwellers who will be punished by the seven bowls are mainly those who reside in the territory of Antichrist.
Verse 7 says, “And I heard the altar saying, Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” This is the praise from the altar concerning God’s judgments over Antichrist’s territory, which are true in nature and righteous in principle.
Verses 8 and 9 say, “And the fourth poured out his bowl upon the sun; and it was given to it to burn men with fire. And the men were burned with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God, who has the authority over these plagues, and they did not repent to give Him glory.” The men who are burned with great heat, who blaspheme the name of God, and who refuse to repent must be mainly the citizens of the Roman Empire who follow Antichrist to persecute God’s people and to rebel against God.
Verses 10 and 11 say, “And the fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven for their pains and for their sores; and they did not repent of their works.” Here we read that the fifth bowl is poured out upon the throne of the beast. This indicates that the seven bowls are for judging the beast, his kingdom, and his territory. This can be compared to God’s deeds through Moses upon Pharaoh and Egypt. When the land of Egypt was darkened, the whole earth was not darkened. The darkening of the kingdom of the beast will be exactly the same as the darkening of Egypt. Those in the kingdom of Antichrist will gnaw their tongues, blaspheme God, and refuse to repent.
Verse 12 continues, “And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river Euphrates; and its water was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared.” The plague of the second bowl is more severe than that of the second trumpet (8:8-9); the plague of the third bowl, more than that of the third trumpet (8:10-11); the plague of the fourth bowl, more than that of the fourth trumpet (8:12). The plague of the fifth bowl, the judgment upon the throne of Antichrist and his kingdom, is related to the fifth trumpet, in which Antichrist is the king of the demonic locusts tormenting men (9:3-11); and the plague of the sixth bowl is related to the sixth trumpet (9:14), because the plagues of both are related to the same river, the Euphrates. In 9:14 and 15 we read that the four angels bound at the great river Euphrates will be loosed to stir up the kings to send their armies, and in 16:12 we are told that at the outpouring of the sixth bowl the water of the Euphrates will be dried up that these kings and their armies may pass over it. Hence, the sixth trumpet and the sixth bowl are related to each other.