The First Four Vial Plagues (Rev 16:2-8)

Vial Plagues 1-3 (Rev 16:2-4)

The Vial Plagues of the Third Woe in Revelation 16 will afflict telestial-worthy people who have "the mark of the beast." (Rev 16:2) People who live at least terrestrial law will survive to live during the millennium. The First Vial Plague will be poured out on dry land to afflict telestial people with a noisome and grievous sore similar to the sixth Egyptian plague in Exodus 9:9-10. A noisome sore is vexing and loathsome. Grievous is an intensification of this to indicate that the sore includes inflamed blisters and ulcers. They are painful pus-filled boils and skin lesions similar to leprosy.

The second and third Vial Plagues curse the waters in oceans and freshwater systems in Revelation 16:3-4. The ocean waters will become like the coagulated and putrid blood of a dead man that kills every living sea creature. The rivers and fountains will literally turn to blood in the likeness of the first Egyptian plague in Exodus 7:20-25. Anyone drinking this blood will die. These plagues are mentioned in D&C 61:14, where the Lord said, "in the last days, by the mouth of my servant John, I cursed the waters." (D&C 61:14) Since life cannot exist more than a few days if all fresh water has turned to blood, it seems certain that the Third Woe will last only days‒not weeks or months.

The Angels of Water and Fire (Rev 16:5-6)

After the first three plagues, John "heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord … because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy." (Rev 16:5-6) "The angel of the waters celebrates the righteous judgments of God in adapting and proportioning the punishment of the followers of the beast to their crime; for no law is more just and equitable, than that they who have been guilty of shedding the blood of saints and prophets, should be punished in the effusion of their own blood." (Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible)

After the angel of water praises Jesus Christ for his just judgments, the angel of fire symbolically emerges from the brazen altar and declares: "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments." (Rev 16:7) This angel is a second witness who confirms the justice of God in sending the plagues of the Third Woe. The testimonies of the two angels fully satisfy the eternal law of witnesses (Deut 17:6), which legally validates the truth of Christ's justice.

Vial Plague 4 (Rev 16:8)

Immediately after the angels of water and fire legally validate the justice of God's judgments, "The fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire." (Rev 16:8) Isaiah 30:26 states that "the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days." This plague from God occurs suddenly and quickly, but it may also be due to natural laws that currently influence global warming as a precursor to the intense heat of the fourth Vial Plague. Donald W. Parry opines that the scorching effect of the sun "may result from a breakdown of the ozone layer of the atmosphere." (Understanding the Signs of the Times, 341) If the fourth Vial Plague is the endpoint of what we call "global warming" and "climate change," then righteous living is the only insurance policy against the effects of this plague from God.

For a deeper dive into the first four Vial Plagues of the Third Woe, check out my podcasts from May 10 and 12, 2026.

May 10, 2026 — Podcast

May 12, 2026 — Podcast