Revelation 16 in the early church

[Vulgate: Apocalypse]

24 passages quote, allude to, or echo Revelation 16, grouped by verse; passages on the same verse are in date order. Verse text from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain). References use the Protestant English Bible's numbering, with a writer's own numbering in brackets where it differs.

Verses: 1 · 4 · 5 · 7 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 19 · 20

Revelation 16:1

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out on the earth the seven bowls of God’s wrath.”
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 16:1	Against Heresies 4.30.4 · Irenaeus of Lyons	allusion, medium confidence	ca. 180–190
Rev 16:1	On the Resurrection of the Flesh 25 · Tertullian	allusion, high confidence	ca. 208–212
Rev 16:1	Commentary on the Apocalypse 8.2 · Victorinus of Pettau	allusion, medium confidence	late 3rd century

Revelation 16:4

And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they turned to blood.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 16:4	Divine Institutes 7.16.7 · Lactantius	allusion, medium confidence	ca. 303–311
Rev 16:4	Epitome of the Divine Institutes 66.4 · Lactantius	allusion, medium confidence	ca. 314–320

Revelation 16:5

And I heard the angel of the waters say: “Righteous are You, O Holy One, who is and was, because You have brought these judgments.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 16:5–7	Apocalypse of Peter (Akhmim fragment) 25 · Anonymous	echo, medium confidence	ca. 100–150

Revelation 16:7

And I heard the altar reply: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments.”
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 16:7	Against the Greeks 3 · Hippolytus of Rome	quotation, medium confidence	3rd century (disputed)

Revelation 16:12

And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 16:12	Arabic commentary on the Apocalypse, fragment 17 (on Rev 16, 12) · Hippolytus of Rome	quotation, high confidence	ca. 200-235
Rev 16:12	Lines 885–908 · Commodian	allusion, high confidence	3rd century (disputed)

Revelation 16:13

And I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 16:13	Eleven Tractates 1.13 · Priscillian	quotation, high confidence	ca. 380–385
Rev 16:13	Eleven Tractates 1.14 · Priscillian	quotation, high confidence	ca. 380–385
Rev 16:13	Eleven Tractates 10.131 · Priscillian	quotation, high confidence	ca. 380–385
Rev 16:13–14	Formulae of Spiritual Understanding 4 · Eucherius of Lyon	quotation, high confidence	ca. 420-430
Rev 16:13–14	Part 4, chapter 11 · Quodvultdeus of Carthage	quotation, high confidence	ca. 445-450
Rev 16:13	Part 4, chapter 13 · Quodvultdeus of Carthage	allusion, high confidence	ca. 445-450

Revelation 16:14

These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 16:14	Eleven Tractates 1.14 · Priscillian	quotation, high confidence	ca. 380–385
Rev 16:14	Eleven Tractates 10.131 · Priscillian	quotation, high confidence	ca. 380–385

Revelation 16:15

“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 16:15	To Quirinus 3.16 · Cyprian of Carthage	quotation, high confidence	ca. 248–250 (book 3 perhaps later)
Rev 16:15	Part 2, chapter 31 · Quodvultdeus of Carthage	quotation, high confidence	ca. 445-450
Rev 16:15	Part 4, chapter 13 · Quodvultdeus of Carthage	quotation, high confidence	ca. 445-450
Rev 16:15	Part 4, chapter 14 · Quodvultdeus of Carthage	allusion, medium confidence	ca. 445-450

Revelation 16:16

And they assembled the kings in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 16:16	Arabic commentary on the Apocalypse, fragment 18 (on Rev 16, 16) · Hippolytus of Rome	quotation, high confidence	ca. 200-235

Revelation 16:19

The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 16:19	Formulae of Spiritual Understanding 9 · Eucherius of Lyon	quotation, high confidence	ca. 420-430

Revelation 16:20

Then every island fled, and no mountain could be found.
BSB

Reference	Passage	Kind	Date
Rev 16:20	Divine Institutes 7.16.11 · Lactantius	echo, low confidence	ca. 303–311