The third bowl: (drinking water- lifeline turned into bitter) (16:4-7):
The 2nd and 3rd bowls parallel the 1st plague in Egypt (Ex.7:14-25). The 2nd bowl will centre on the sea, and the 3rd will turn the inland waters (rivers and fountains) into blood. By the time the 3rd bowl is poured out, freshwater will be critically in short supply.
The 3rd trumpet made a third part of the inland waters bitter as wormwood; but the 3rd bowl will turn all of those bitter waters into blood. In addition to this, the 2-witnesses will “have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying (i.e. the last 3 ½ years of tribulation). The temporary restraining of the earth’s winds (7:1) will also cause drought. With no wind to move, clouds and weather systems the hydrological cycle will be disrupted and no rain will fall.
The destruction of what is left of the earth’s freshwater will cause unthinkable hardship and suffering. The scene is so horrible, that people will think how a God of compassion, mercy and grace could send such a judgement. That’s why there is a brief interlude in the pouring out of the judgements while an angel speaks in God’s defence. The angel of water declares: “Righteous are You who are and who were, O holy One because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets and You have given them blood to drink.
There is nothing for the unbeliever except to receive what they deserve, a horrifying expectation of judgement and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries”(Heb. 10:27). They deserve it.” From the altar came the voice of affirmation saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous and Your judgement.” (16:5-7).
The fourth bowl: (sun’s scorching) (16:8-9):
The angel poured out his bowl upon the sun. Men will experience scorching heat as if the earth’s atmosphere is on fire. Those who are scorched with sun’s heat are the same people who bore the mark of the beast and worshipped his image. All earthly life depends on the light of the sun. In previous trumpet-judgments, a part of the sun had been dimmed (8:12), but now the heat of the sun is increased. Anyone who has been on the desert knows how merciless the sun’s heat can be. Remembering too that the water system is now useless, we can imagine how people will suffer from thirst.
One would think that these unparalleled disasters would bring people to repentance. Alas, even this judgment will not bring men to their knees! (Mal.4:1). But along with Antichrist they will hate God and refuse to repent, which would give glory to God as a just and righteous Judge of sin.
The fifth bowl: (Darkness) (16:10-11):
This is similar to the 5th Trumpet (9:2) and 9th plague (Ex. 10:21-23). The 5th angel poured our his bowl on the throne of the beast and the entire world became darkened. The beast will be helpless before the power of God.
The cumulative effect of the painful sores, fouled oceans, lack of drinking water, intense and scorching heat and the thick blackness will bring unbearable misery. Yet incredibly the wicked, the unbelieving people of the world will still refuse to repent. John notes that they gnawed their tongues because of the most intense and excruciating pain. Yet they didn’t repent of their sins. This is perhaps the last reference of their unwillingness to repent. The sinners ignored and refused to repent even after the devastating 5-bowls and now it is confirmed that they will go into the judgement.