The Seventh Vial of Revelation
God’s seventh and final vial judgment on earth is extremely cataclysmic. It is described in the Biblical text as a “great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.” This final spiritual earthquake is more severe than those of Constantine’s conversion[1] and the Protestant Reformation.[2] Scripture explicitly maintains this spiritual earthquake will be the strongest in human history—an earth-shattering event. Revelation’s seventh vial will be the most significant event in the history of Christianity and the world since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 16:17-21
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
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Considering the first-century authorship of Revelation and the context of the book, the “great city,” divided into three parts in Revelation 16:19, is irrefutably Rome. The commentator W. Boyd Carpenter wrote in Charles Ellicott’s A Bible Commentary for English Readers that he believed the great city splitting into three parts indicates Rome will “lose its power of cohesion.”[i] However, this separation may mean several things: a figurative division of Rome, a literal division of the city into three parts, a rift between three distinct factions of the Roman Catholic Church, or even the complete destruction of Rome and Vatican City.
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After the seven vials conclude, Revelation 17 describes Mystery Babylon so Christians can see exactly what this final vial would destroy. The second verse of Revelation 18 not only indicates that the Catholic Church will be destroyed, but also that it will “become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit.”[3] Although the Catholic Church’s vindictive campaign of persecution and slaughter against medieval Christians and Reformation-era Protestants was not sufficient for everyone to see the demonic inspiration behind Roman Catholicism, in W. Boyd Carpenter’s opinion, the seventh vial will eliminate any remaining doubt.
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However, the rest of Revelation 18 supports the interpretation that the tripartite division will include physical destruction. Verses eight and eighteen describe Rome as “burning.” Verses ten, seventeen, and nineteen predict she will be made “desolate” in only one hour, providing more evidence of rapid physical destruction. Under the day-year principle, one prophetic hour—or one twenty-fourth of a 360-day Hebrew year—is fifteen days.
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The burning described in chapter eighteen is not symbolic. During John’s first three trumpet visions, the allegorical hailstorm, mountain, and great star were the objects on fire. This suggests that their burning was also a metaphor, signifying military conflicts. The reference to burning found in Revelation 18 is not merely symbolic, as it specifically names Mystery Babylon as the target. This would indicate that Rome’s burning in the seventh vial is tangible, not metaphorical, as verse twenty-one predicts the city will be violently thrown down until she “shall be found no more at all.”
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Revelation 18:8-10, 18-21
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
When the seventh vial destroys Rome, other “cities of the nations” also fall. As with Rome, the indications point to a destruction in the natural world. Since the Bible predicts this will be the most substantial earthquake in human history because of its devastation of the Vatican and multiple “cities of the nations,” it is difficult to imagine a scenario where the seventh vial could be limited to spiritual destruction. After all, how could the populations of entire cities spiritually fall away from God in only fifteen days?
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Unfortunately, the simplest fulfillment for modern readers to visualize, which would also be supported by a literal reading of the scriptural text, is a nuclear war. There has never been a major armed conflict between nuclear powers. While nuclear-armed nations have fought against each other in proxy wars, any direct confrontation between two nuclear powers would render conventional weapon systems meaningless. Adversaries would fight until one nation began to lose, at which point nuclear weapons would be threatened or deployed. This theory might also explain why the seventh vial judgment of Revelation 16 is poured out “into the air.” Nuclear weapons explode before they reach the ground to increase their effectiveness, and John also may have written this description after seeing the mushroom clouds of nuclear bombs.
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However, since the day-year principle suggests a fifteen-day fulfillment, the war may begin with conventional weapons until the nuclear destruction of Rome occurs on day fifteen. World War III, which would fulfill the third frog-like spirit in the sixth vial, could also fulfill the seventh vial by destroying Rome and other cities. As uncomfortable as it may be to consider, a third World War could easily check all remaining boxes of the vial prophecies.
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It is also easy to envision a scenario where another large-scale war would impact Rome. Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) charter requires its thirty-one member nations to defend any NATO member that is attacked by a non-NATO nation.[ii] If a NATO country is attacked, the treaty requires Italy to support their NATO allies. This chain of events would mean any war involving a NATO nation would put a target on Rome and the cities of the other NATO member nations who respond. The multinational alliance created to prevent World War III may be the catalyst that causes it.
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In Revelation 18:8, a famine follows Mystery Babylon’s destruction. Any war involving the United States or Europe would cause a dramatic disruption in the world’s food supply chain and cause substantial shortages. However, this famine could also theoretically be the result of a nuclear winter. The soot injected into the atmosphere would block the sun for several years, causing widespread crop failure and famine. This is not a prediction, only an analysis of the geopolitical environment in the nuclear weapons age that could fulfill all elements of the seventh vial.
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Member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 2024.
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We know that the vials emulate their trumpets. After the sixth trumpet, John is told the seventh trumpet will “cometh quickly.” This may also imply that the seventh vial will closely follow the sixth. The start of World War III will close the sixth vial, and the destruction of Rome will fulfill the seventh.
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A literal demolition of Vatican City may not fulfill the split of Rome into thirds. When Rome is destroyed, the cardinals located elsewhere may cause a schism. For example, the politically left-leaning churches in Europe and the United States may want to continue taking the Catholic Church down the road of activist causes. The more conservative African, South American, and Asian churches may wish to revert to traditional Catholicism, but in different ways. These fragments may want unique doctrine, pulling Catholicism apart, and dividing the once-Roman church into thirds.
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Revelation 18 suggests Jesus’ second coming will not occur immediately after Mystery Babylon’s demise. The “kings of the earth”—the world leaders who have colluded with the Catholic Church—observe the destruction of the Vatican while “standing afar off.” Since the world leaders who survive the destruction of the seventh vial will have enough time to observe the burning of Rome, Jesus’ return is not instantaneous. Additionally, the inclusion of a famine after Mystery Babylon’s destruction will require enough time for the food supply to be exhausted. Unfortunately, there is no Biblical indication of the amount of time that will pass between the annihilation of Rome and the second coming of Jesus Christ.[4]
It is important to note that whoever the pope is at the time of Christ’s return, they will survive the seventh vial. Revelation 19:20 predicts that God will cast the Antichrist into the lake of fire alive after Jesus’ second coming.[5]
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The Vatican has faced a number of significant controversies during Pope Francis’ pontificate. Upon his papal election in 2012, Francis was tasked with fixing the Vatican’s finances, which were the focus of a €4 billion tax evasion scandal.[iii] One of the most revealing issues exposed by another controversy for the Catholic Church, dubbed the Vati-Leaks scandal, was the significant internal criticism Pope Francis received for his hesitancy to condemn child rapists amongst his clergy. The pope demonstrably supported the American cardinal Theodore McCarrick,[iv] Chilean bishop Juan Barros,[v] Argentinian priest Julio César Grassi,[vi] and others while privately working to cover up their crimes until mounting evidence made the sexual assaults more damaging to deny than to acknowledge.
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Francis’ approval of Fiducia Supplicans, a declaration on Catholic doctrine allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, has caused a remarkable backlash within the church. In response, the Catholic episcopal conferences of Poland, Hungary, and the entire continent of Africa have barred their priests from blessing homosexual relationships.[vii] The bishops of Ukraine said the Fiducia Supplicans was “perceived as permission to sin.” German Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller called the decree “a sacrilegious and blasphemous act against the Creator’s plan.” Archbishop Tomasz Peta of Kazakhstan said Francis had “seriously abused the Holy Name of God,” labeling Fiducia Supplicans a “great deception and evil” that disregarded the “truth of the gospel.”[viii] The Guinean cardinal Robert Sarah called the decree “a heresy that seriously undermines the Church.”[ix]
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At the Vatican’s first World Children’s Day, on May 25, 2024, transsexual activist Carmine De Rosa danced in drag at Rome’s Olympic Stadium while young children sat in a circle around him. Later that day, Pope Francis met with those children at the same venue. After the predictable backlash from the Catholics who found the behavior of their church reprehensible, De Rosa claimed, “I was wanted at this event for the type of show I carry on stage.”[x]
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The pontificate of Francis has been tremendously controversial within church circles. When given the choice, the pope has favored immoral activist causes over Biblical teaching, often causing many to question his judgment and motives. While it may be baffling to some to see a supposedly Christian leader support such perverted ideology, this behavior is exactly what should be expected from an anti-Christian leader like the Antichrist.
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Corroborating Evidence for the Seventh Vial Elsewhere in the Bible
Revelation is not the only place where the events of the seventh vial are depicted. The Bible describes an environment of tremendous anguish and despair immediately preceding Christ’s second coming in several passages, including many in the Old Testament.
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Isaiah 62 is a chapter about God’s promise to restore Jerusalem’s glory during the millennium reign after Jesus returns. Verse four indicates God will restore the city’s land from extreme desolation.
Isaiah 62:4
4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
Although Israel’s climate is primarily dry and arid, the country is home to an active and innovative agricultural industry. Israel is a world leader in the production of fruit such as pomegranates, nectarines, plums, dates, pomelit, strawberries, and avocados.[xi] Isaiah 62 suggests that a catastrophe will occur which causes Israel to become a wasteland shortly before the second coming.
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Jeremiah 31 is another Old Testament chapter commonly interpreted as a reference to the millennium reign. The prophet illustrated a distressed Israel stricken with grief and sorrow before Jesus returns to end the Jews’ suffering. In Jeremiah 31:13, God promises the Jews he will “turn their mourning into joy” and “make them rejoice from their sorrow.”
Jeremiah 31:13
13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
Much of the tenor of Jeremiah’s prophecy is reflected by Zephaniah, but in much greater detail. Zephaniah 1:15 describes the day of the Lord as a time of wrath, trouble, and distress, but the rest of the verse implies something far worse: a day of “wasteness and desolation,” “darkness and gloominess,” and “clouds and thick darkness.”
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Zephaniah 1:14-16
14 The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
This is the part of Zephaniah’s account that suggests that a nuclear war could be coming. After a nuclear war, the Earth’s atmosphere would be filled with soot from the fires caused by the blasts. This soot would block out a significant percentage of the sun’s light, leaving a dark, gloomy, cloudy planet.
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Zephaniah then goes further, prophesying about the impact on humans in verse seventeen. God will “bring distress upon men” so that they walk the earth as if they are blind. This would make sense if the world is shrouded in darkness. The prophet also predicts that people’s “blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.” This part of the prophecy evokes the impact the heat from nuclear blasts would have on those nearest to ground zero as their bodies are essentially vaporized.[xii]
Zephaniah 1:17-18
17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
The gloominess of the days before the second coming is also prophesied in Zechariah 14:6, which states, “the light shall not be clear, nor dark.” This indicates daytime will appear like dusk, as the soot in the stratosphere after a nuclear war would filter out most sunlight.
Zechariah 14:6
6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
However, the clearest description of the events of the seventh vial found outside of Revelation comes from II Peter 3:10-12. Peter’s words read as if he were watching a nuclear explosion as it happened. He describes the skies “passing away” with a loud noise, the “elements” melting under the pressure of extreme heat, and the earth and the things in it burning up and dissolving. Verse twelve even goes as far as to say the heavens will be on fire.
II Peter 3:10-12
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
This prophecy of the days just before Christ’s return delivers the clearest support for the nuclear war theory. A nuclear fireball would not only appear as if the heavens were on fire, but the force and power of the explosion would easily dissolve even the most heat-resistant materials with temperatures four thousand degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the surface of the sun.
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Zechariah 13 predicts that two-thirds of the people in “all the land” will die shortly before Christ’s second coming, and the one-third who survive will suffer through unprecedentedly trying times. This widespread death can be easily attributed to the nuclear war of the seventh vial.
Zechariah 13:7-9
7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.
The prophecies in this passage have two unique interpretations. First, after the shepherd—or Jesus—is executed, the sheep—his disciples—will be scattered. Second, this chapter refers to the experiences of Jesus’ followers immediately before the second coming, which is foretold in the next chapter.
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This prophecy does not describe the desolation of Israel during the First Jewish-Roman War. If we assume this prophecy was only intended to refer to the first-century Jews of Judea, only one-third of the Jews living there died during the conflict—a considerably lower number than the two-thirds that Zechariah’s prophecy predicts will die. Bible commentators are also unsure of the meaning of “all the land.” Zechariah 9-14 refers to an invasion of Israel before the second coming, but this phrase may also imply a global calamity. Zechariah 11:9 even predicts the survivors will be forced into cannibalism.[6]
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The “Jews” Return to God
The catastrophe of the seventh vial will cause unimaginable suffering in the world. Human nature causes us to turn to God during times of tragedy, as those who are normally skeptical of him look for comfort and answers in a “higher power” who is bigger than ourselves.
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The Bible tells us that the Jewish people will also respond similarly to the trauma of the seventh vial. Because there was no term for “Christians” until after the life of Christ, it is unclear if the word “Jews” in these prophecies predicts that Jews will also return to God, or if the prophecy implies that only the lukewarm Laodicean Christians of today will follow God more faithfully. The prophecy predicting the “Jews” will return to God before the second coming is found in several places in the Old Testament, including Hosea 5:15 and Zechariah 12:10.[7]
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[1] Revelation 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
[2] Revelation 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
[3] Revelation 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
[4] Revelation 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Revelation 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Revelation 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
[5] Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
[6] Zechariah 11:9 Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of an-other.
[7] Hosea 5:15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.
Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
[i] Carpenter, W. Boyd. 1878. “Revelation XVI.” In A Bible Commentary for English Readers, Vol. VIII, by Ellicott, Charles John (ed.), 610. London: Cassell and Company.
[ii] North Atlantic Treaty Organization. 2023. Collective defence and Article 5. July 4. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_110496.htm.
[iii] Fonte, Giuseppe, and Alvise Armellini. 2023. EU orders Italy to recover unpaid property taxes by the Catholic Church. March 3. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-orders-italy-recover-unpaid-property-taxes-by-catholic-church-2023-03-03/.
[iv] The Washington Post. 2019. Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò Gives First Extended Interview Since Calling on the Pope to Resign. June 10. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/archbishop-carlo-maria-vigano-gives-his-first-extended-interview-since-calling-on-the-pope-to-resign/2019/06/10/00205748-8b79-11e9-b08e-cfd89bd36d4e_story.html.
[v] Kirchgaessner, Stephanie. 2015. Vatican Supports Chilean Bishop Despite Allegations of Sex Abuse Cover-Up. March 31. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/31/vatican-juan-barros-chile-bishop-appointment-sex-abuse.
[vi] Henao, Luis Andres, and Nicole Winfield. 2018. Pope Role in Study of Argentine Sex Abuse Case in Spotlight. September 18. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://apnews.com/general-news-85cff83cc9e2448d802e15d80bae7765.
[vii] Arnold, Tyler. 2024. Pope Francis: Small ideological groups oppose same-sex blessings; Africa a ‘special case’. January 29. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256671/pope-francis-small-ideological-groups-oppose-same-sex-blessings-africa-a-special-case.
[viii] Luxmoore, Jonathan. 2024. Episcopate gives Rome a rough ride over Fiducia Supplicans declaration. January 5. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/5-january/news/world/episcopate-gives-rome-a-rough-ride-over-fiducia-supplicans-declaration.
[ix] Quiñones, Kate. 2024. Cardinal Sarah speaks out against clergy blessing same-sex unions. January 8. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256481/cardinal-sarah-speaks-out-against-clergy-blessing-same-sex-unions.
[x] Haynes, Michael. 2024. Male Drag ‘Artist’ Dances for Kids at Vatican’s World Children’s Day. May 27. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/male-drag-artist-dances-for-kids-at-vaticans-world-childrens-day/.
[xi] Abraham, Danielle, Thierry Ngoga, Jonathan Said, and Merav Yachin. 2019. “How Israel Became a World Leader in Agriculture and Water.” Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. September 2. Accessed January 29, 2025. https://institute.global/insights/economic-prosperity/how-israel-became-world-leader-agriculture-and-water.
[xii] Lynas, Mark. 2022. What the science says: Could humans survive a nuclear war between NATO and Russia? March 10. Accessed January 29, 2025. https://allianceforscience.org/blog/2022/03/what-the-science-says-could-humans-survive-a-nuclear-war-between-nato-and-russia/.
