Revelation 16:1 See Revelation 15:5-8 Revelation 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go ye, and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth.--These words are a statement of the commission to the angels. They were spoken in the temple, indicating that the authority to execute their commis-sion is from God. The word "earth" here is to be taken liter-ally, for the angels who were to pour out the plagues were in heaven, and those upon whom they were to fall were dwelling on the earth. The part of the earth in each case corresponds with those affected. This verse is but a general statement of authority being conferred upon the angels; the remainder of this chapter is a detailed description of how that authority was carried out.