"And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell.
but it can also be considered as being spoken after 14:14-16 and before 16:16, in which case it refers to those Christians who are left behind. G. The Seventh Bowl (Revelation 16:17-21) 1. Revelation 16:17 "And the seventh poured out his bowl upon the air; and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, It is done." "It is done" can also be translated "It is sufficient." "The air" is the sphere in which Satan exercises his authority. It may be that up until this point Satan still has some authority in the air. Therefore, God still needs to give him one last punishment. 2. Revelation 16:18 "And there were lightnings and voices and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as had not been since man appeared on the earth, such an earthquake, so great." Concerning the great earthquake see Ezekiel 38:20. 3. Revelation 16:19 "And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And Babylon the Great was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath." "The great city" refers to the city of Jerusalem. "Nations" means Gentiles in the original language. "Babylon" here refers to the material Babylon. (In 14:8 "Babylon" refers to the Babylon which was fallen before the Battle of Armageddon. It corresponds to the Babylon in chapter seventeen. The one in chapter sixteen refers to the material Babylon, which is after the Battle of Armageddon. This corresponds to the last half of chapter eighteen.) Sketches of these two Babylons are recorded in 14:8 and 16:19; the details are given in chapters seventeen and eighteen. 4. Revelation 16:20 "And every island fled, and the mountains were not found." This time the earthquake is severe. However, according to the Psalms, the sea, the islands, and the mountains will all be here in the millennium (Psa. 72:3, 10; 97:1). 5. Revelation 16:21