Revelation 16:21
And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The most chilling detail here isn't just the size of the hailstones—each weighing as much as a grown man! It's that despite this cataclysmic judgment, the people's response is not repentance but blasphemy, a hardened refusal to acknowledge God even as His wrath is poured out.
This verse concludes the description of the seventh and final vial judgment, a cataclysmic outpouring of God's wrath. Building on the previous judgments, this final blow involves immense hailstones, drawing parallels to ancient plagues and battles, emphasizing the overwhelming and inescapable nature of God's justice. Despite the severity of these divine punishments, those afflicted react not with repentance but with further defiance, cursing God for the very destruction they face.
Imagine hailstones weighing as much as a small adult. This isn't just a storm; it's a cosmic weapon.
A Judgment Beyond Natural Laws
Revelation 16:21 describes hailstones "about one hundred pounds each" falling from heaven. This is a supernatural judgment, far exceeding any natural hailstorm. Ancient commentators note its immense size, comparing it to a talent – a significant weight in ancient times (around 55-113 pounds depending on the talent system).
Echoes of God's Power
This imagery isn't new. The Bible often uses hailstorms to signify God's powerful intervention against His enemies:
This isn't just random destruction; it's a targeted, overwhelming display of divine authority. It underscores that God is the ultimate sovereign, capable of unleashing forces beyond human comprehension to execute His justice.
When faced with ultimate devastation, what's the human response? Not repentance, but rage against the source of the plague.
Impenitence in the Face of Judgment
The most shocking aspect of this plague isn't the size of the hailstones, but the people's reaction. Instead of recognizing God's hand and repenting, they "cursed God." This highlights a profound spiritual blindness and a hardened heart.
Sin's Ultimate Rebellion
This response mirrors the defiance of Pharaoh in Egypt, who repeatedly hardened his heart despite God's plagues (Exodus 8-10). However, this passage suggests an even greater level of rebellion: active blasphemy against the very God inflicting the punishment.
Understand the original words
barad · Hebrew Noun
A phenomenon of weather characterized by frozen rain, often used in Scripture as a sign of divine judgment, manifestation of God’s power, or an instrument used to afflict the enemies of God’s people.
ouranos · Greek Noun
The abode of God, the place where His throne is established, and the source of divine authority and intervention in human history. It signifies the realm transcending the earthly, from which judgment or blessing originates.
blasphemeo · Greek Verb
To express extreme displeasure, to revile, or to blaspheme. In a biblical context, it often denotes a hardened heart that refuses to repent before God, choosing instead to express hatred toward the Creator in the face of judgment.
plege · Greek Noun
This verse powerfully echoes the plagues of Egypt and the battle at Beth-Horon, showing how God has historically used hailstorms as instruments of judgment. In Revelation, it signifies a final, overwhelming divine wrath against those who refuse to repent, emphasizing their continued hardened hearts even in the face of such devastation.
c. 1440 BC
Plague of Hail in Egypt
During the Exodus, God sent a fierce hailstorm upon Egypt, destroying livestock and crops. This event demonstrated God's power over nature and served as a judgment against Pharaoh and his people.
c. 1400 BC
God Fights for Israel at Beth-Horon
As the five Amorite kings attacked Joshua's forces, God intervened by casting large hailstones from heaven, killing many of the enemy soldiers. This event shows God using natural phenomena as instruments of war.
c. 587 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, destroying the Temple and exiling many Israelites. This event marked a period of intense suffering and judgment for the people of Judah.
c. AD 30-100
Composition of Revelation
The Book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John, likely during his exile on the island of Patmos. It describes visions of end-time events and God's ultimate victory over evil.
This passage describes the first plague of hail in Egypt, providing a clear Old Testament parallel to the severe, destructive hail unleashed in Revelation.
Joshua 10:11Here, God sends massive hailstones from heaven to aid Israel in battle, showing how God has used hail as a weapon of judgment against His enemies throughout history.
Isaiah 30:30This prophecy speaks of God casting down fire, hail, and storm, illustrating the catastrophic and devastating nature of divine judgment that mirrors the hail in Revelation.
Ezekiel 38:22This prophetic vision describes God sending a flood, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone against Gog, linking the imagery of destructive hail to God's judgment on opposing forces.
Revelation 11:19This verse also describes God's judgment manifesting as hail and lightning, linking the final judgments in Revelation with the catastrophic celestial events that signal God's wrath.
pulpitRevelation 16:21: "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."
Verse 21. - And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent; cometh down upon, the present tense, rendering the description more graphic. Commentators usually quote 'Diodorus Siculus' (19:45), who mentions. as something marvellous, hailst…
pooleRevelation 16:21: "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."
The hail was another of the Egyptian plagues, Exodus 9:22-25 . The allusion also may be to the hailstones by which God fought against the five Canaanitish kings, Joshua 10:11 . It signifies only further great judgments with which God will pursue the beast and his party, until they a…
The most chilling detail here isn't just the size of the hailstones—each weighing as much as a grown man! It's that despite this cataclysmic judgment, the people's response is not repentance but blasphemy, a hardened refusal to acknowledge God even as His wrath is poured out.
This verse concludes the description of the seventh and final vial judgment, a cataclysmic outpouring of God's wrath. Building on the previous judgments, this final blow involves immense hailstones, drawing parallels to ancient plagues and battles, emphasizing the overwhelming and inescapable nature of God's justice. Despite the severity of these divine punishments, those afflicted react not with repentance but with further defiance, cursing God for the very destruction they face.
This verse concludes the description of the seventh and final vial judgment, a cataclysmic outpouring of God's wrath. Building on the previous judgments, this final blow involves immense hailstones, drawing parallels to ancient plagues and battles, emphasizing the overwhelming and inescapable nature of God's justice. Despite the severity of these divine punishments, those afflicted react not with repentance but with further defiance, cursing God for the very destruction they face.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Revelation 16:21 is available in the Sola app.
This is the terrifying end-state of sin: a heart so calloused that even the most severe, undeniable judgments provoke not humility, but bitter, defiant hatred.
A term used to describe a calamity, disaster, or affliction sent by God, often as a direct judgment against sin and a call to repentance, though often met with obstinacy by the unrepentant.
Late 1st century AD— this verse
Vial Judgments Begin
The seventh vial judgment describes a catastrophic hailstorm, symbolizing God's final and overwhelming wrath. This event follows previous divine judgments poured out upon those who oppose God and His people.
"And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe." — The most chilling detail here isn't just the size of the hailstones—each weighing as much as a grown man! It's that despite this cataclysmic judgment, the people's response is not repentance but blas…
