Revelation 16:17

PLUS
Revelation 16:17

the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air
The bowl is poured out into the air, ἀέρα [aera] . Elsewhere, Scripture gives Satan the title “prince of the power of the air (ἀέρος [aeros] )” (Eph. Eph. 2:2). Paul explains that believers wrestle against hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. Eph. 6:12), a reference to Satan and the angels which joined him in his rebellion (Rev. Rev. 12:4+). Having been cast to the earth (Rev. Rev. 12:9+), they no longer have access to the third heaven (the throne of God) or perhaps even the second heaven (starry space), but now are constrained to the earth and its immediate atmosphere, the “air.” At the Second Coming of Christ, the Beast and the False Prophet are captured and cast alive into the Lake of Fire (Rev. Rev. 19:20+), but no mention is made of the fate of Satan until afterwards. It is at the pouring forth of this seventh bowl, that Satan’s realm is judged. The pouring forth of this bowl corresponds to the binding and sealing of Satan in the abyss (Rev. Rev. 20:1-3+) and the confinement of the demons to the region of the wasteland that was previously Babylon (Rev. Rev. 18:2+). See commentary on Revelation 18:2 and Revelation 20:1.

a loud voice came out of the temple
Temple is ναοῦ [naou] , which generally describes the inner sanctuary. See commentary on Revelation 11:1. The Temple was filled with God’s shekinah presence and then closed for the duration of the seven bowls (Rev. Rev. 15:8+). The voice must be that of God the Father Who was alone in the Temple during this time. Thus, the declaration which follows gives the divine perspective on the results of the bowl judgments.

it is done!
It is done is Γέγονεν [Gegonen] , perfect tense, it has come to be. In the seventh bowl, the wrath has been poured out and the present condition of things at the time of the pronouncement reflects the destruction brought about by that wrath. This agrees with what John was told: that in these seven last plagues, the wrath of God is complete (Rev. Rev. 15:1+).

Here is more evidence against the idea that the bowl judgments are a recapitulation of previous seal or trumpet judgments, merely providing additional detail. For there is no indication at the opening of the seventh seal (Rev. Rev. 7:8+) or in the sounding of the seventh trumpet (Rev. Rev. 11:15+) that judgment has been completed, as here.1 The impossibility of a recapitulation is also seen in the closure of the heavenly Temple for the duration of the bowl judgments (Rev. Rev. 15:8+), whereas during the seal and trumpet judgments, the heavenly Temple is not so sealed (Rev. Rev. 7:15+; Rev. 11:19+; Rev. 14:15+, Rev. 14:17+; Rev. 15:6+). See Sequential Events.

This may be the declaration of which Isaiah wrote :

The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the LORD, Who fully repays His enemies! “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a male child. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the LORD. “Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God. “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you who love her; rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; that you may feed and be satisfied with the consolation of her bosom, that you may drink deeply and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.” (Isa. Isa. 66:6-11)

The voice of the LORD is heard. The context is the full repayment of His enemies, as here. The woman in labor is the same woman we saw in Revelation Rev. 12:1+. There, she struggled in a protracted labor. Here, she gives birth as soon as her labor pains began. There, her labor spoke of the age-long struggle to bring forth the promised Redeemer (Gen. Gen. 3:15). Here, her labor speaks of her time of Jacob’s Trouble which, although intense, is relatively short (7 years) in comparison with the thousands of years during which she labored to produce Messiah (Rev. Rev. 9:5+). Of those seven, the last half were especially difficult, the “time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished” (Dan. Dan. 12:7). At this birth, those who love Jerusalem are to rejoice with her for the long standing promise of Isaiah Isa. 62:1 will have found fulfillment in the ushering in of the Millennial Kingdom. See commentary on Revelation 12:2.

Even in the finality of the statement by God attending the pouring forth of the seventh bowl, the full effects of the judgment have yet to play out and will not be finally behind until we reach Revelation Rev. 20:4+. Even then, after the Millennial Kingdom, some cleanup operations remain. Satan will be loosed to lead the unfaithful in one last rebellion (Rev. Rev. 20:7-10+) which will be put down by God. The unbelieving dead will be resurrected, judged, and undergo the second death (Rev. Rev. 20:11-15+). The millennial heaven and earth will flee away (Rev. Rev. 20:11+) to be recreated (Rev. Rev. 21:1+) and then God will repeat this pronouncement in its absolute final sense—when death is no more and sin has been forever vanquished. “It is done!” (Rev. Rev. 21:6+). The eternal state has then begun.

Some may object to the interpretation of a statement of such finality found here by God as being other than that which ushers in the eternal state. Yet Scripture is clear that there are numerous “finishings” of God, depending on the task at hand: “So when Jesus has received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (John John 19:30).


Notes

1 At the sounding of the seventh trumpet, declaration is made of the eventual result of the completion of judgments, but the final judgments themselves remain future.