Revelation 16:4-7, "And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgements."
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THIRD PLAGUE
The third plague is poured upon the rivers and fountains of fresh water and they become blood as well. This blood though is not described like the second plague as being as the blood of a dead man. This blood water is also not described as being deadly when consumed. In fact it says here that men will have to drink this blood water because this plague will affect all of the fresh water of the world.
This plague is also the only plague that gives a specific reason for its execution. This plague is in response to the blood of all the martyrs that had been spilled to that day. This includes the tribulation saints who were killed for not receiving the mark of the beast or worshipping its image. “For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy” “They are worthy” is also rendered in some translations as “such is their due.”
In response to this plague a voice from out of the altar cries, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.” This is the voice of the martyrs found under the altar at the opening of the fifth seal. Their number by this time had been completed with the murder of the tribulation saints at the mid-point of the great tribulation.
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