Revelation 16:18
in Revelation 16And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and a great earthquake the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth—so mighty was the great quake.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men upon the earth, so great an earthquake, so mighty.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Revelation 16
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings - Accompanying the voice that was heard from the throne. See the notes on Rev 4:5; Rev 11:19. And there was a great earthquake, ... - See the notes on Rev 6:12; Rev 11:19. The meaning is, that a judgment followed as if the world were shaken by an earthquake, or which would be properly represented by that. So mighty an earthquake, and so great - All this is intensive, and is designed to represent the severity of the judgment that would follow.
This site's exposition
It is done
on Revelation 16:17-18
From the throne a loud voice says It is done, gegonen in Greek, a completed action like tetelestai spoken from the cross. The earthquake that follows is the greatest since men were upon the earth, language matching Daniel 12:1 and Matthew 24:21.
This site's exposition
a great earthquake
The lightning, rumblings and thunder first sounded from the throne at 4:5 and returned at 8:5 and 11:19, each time closing a series. Here they close the last series of all. Albert Barnes reads the doubled language as intensive, marking the severity of the judgment.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
When this was spoken, there were flashes of lightning and voices: the flashes from the heights, the voices on the earth from the awe of the flashes. And thunders and an earthquake. Either he calls an earthquake the shaking of the earth, since this too …
The Medieval Church2 voices
The angelic voice from heaven said, "It is done!" That is, the commandment of God has been accomplished. The flashes of lightning and the voices and the thunders are symbolic of the terrifying nature of these occurrences and of the future coming of Christ, just …
And there were lightnings and voices, etc. When at the end of the world there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning (Matt. 24), very great signs will also clearly appear. But whether from the side of the good, or from …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A great earthquake - Most terrible commotions, both civil and religious. Or a convulsion, shaking, or revolution.
The words behind it
25 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐγένοντο | egenonto | there were | G1096 → | 667 times |
| ἀστραπαὶ | astrapai | flashes of lightning | G796 → | 9 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| φωναὶ | phonai | voices | G5456 → | 139 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| βρονταί, | brontai | thunders | G1027 → | 12 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| σεισμὸς | seismos | an earthquake | G4578 → | 14 times |
| ἐγένετο | egeneto | there was | G1096 → | 667 times |
| μέγας | megas | great | G3173 → | 243 times |
| οἷος | hoios | such as | G3634 → | |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἐγένετο | egeneto | had there been | G1096 → | 667 times |
| ἀφ᾽ | aph᾽ | since | G575 → | 640 times |
| οὗ | hou | when | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἄνθρωπος | anthropos | man | G444 → | 549 times |
| ἐγένετο | egeneto | was | G1096 → | 667 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γῆς, | ges | earth, | G1093 → | 248 times |
| τηλικοῦτος | telikoutos | so great | G5082 → | |
| σεισμὸς | seismos | [was the] earthquake | G4578 → | 14 times |
| οὕτω | houto | so | G3779 → | 208 times |
| μέγας. | megas | mighty. | G3173 → | 243 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐγένοντοthere were
egenontoG1096 →667 times
ἀστραπαὶflashes of lightning
astrapaiG796 →9 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
φωναὶvoices
phonaiG5456 →139 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
βρονταί,thunders
brontaiG1027 →12 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
σεισμὸςan earthquake
seismosG4578 →14 times
ἐγένετοthere was
egenetoG1096 →667 times
μέγαςgreat
megasG3173 →243 times
οἷοςsuch as
hoiosG3634 →
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἐγένετοhad there been
egenetoG1096 →667 times
ἀφ᾽since
aph᾽G575 →640 times
οὗwhen
houG3739 →1405 times
ἄνθρωποςman
anthroposG444 →549 times
ἐγένετοwas
egenetoG1096 →667 times
ἐπὶupon
epiG1909 →883 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
γῆς,earth,
gesG1093 →248 times
τηλικοῦτοςso great
telikoutosG5082 →
σεισμὸς[was the] earthquake
seismosG4578 →14 times
οὕτωso
houtoG3779 →208 times
μέγας.mighty.
megasG3173 →243 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 4:5From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder. Before the throne burned seven torches of fire. These are the seven Spirits of God.
it leads to
- Revelation 8:5
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder, and rumblings, and flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 11:19
Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake,…
- Revelation 8:5
Through
Revelation 6:12And when I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red,
it leads to
- Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will…
- Joel 2:10
Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness.
- Acts 2:19–20
I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
- Matthew 24:29
Through
Daniel 12:1“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning…
it leads to
- Matthew 24:21
For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.
- Jeremiah 30:7
How awful that day will be! None will be like it! It is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved out of it.
- Mark 13:19
For those will be days of tribulation unmatched from the beginning of God’s creation until now, and never to be seen again.
- Matthew 24:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Revelation

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:17-18; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation.
