Verse 9: “And they blasphemed the name of God, who has power over these plagues. They did not repent to give Him glory.” 

These people do not want to reflect or submit to the character (name) of God. God revealed Himself to these people in a powerful, undeniable way, but they have no humility, no repentance, no pleas for mercy or forgiveness. They continue to blaspheme and refuse to give Him glory. 

Verse 10: “And the fifth angel poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast. His kingdom became dark, and they gnawed their tongues from the pain.” 

Darkness, according to Levitical tradition, is seen as one of the most fearful plagues. It was called a “thick” darkness – those who were sitting down could not stand up, those who were standing could not sit down. The plague of darkness destroyed the authority of this empire. This was a painful darkness. 

Verse 11: “And they blasphemed the God of the heaven because of their pain and their boils, and they did not turn from their deeds.” 

An unrepentant spirit. Even after the defeat of the effects and influence of the empire, people are still not willing to turn from sin or confess their unrighteousness. Everyone who goes to eternal damnation will be those who were unwilling to repent of their sins. 

Verse 12: “And the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river Euphrates. And its waters were dried up in order to make a straight path for the kings from the East.” 

The Euphrates River is in the East. Judgement, in Scripture, is depicted as coming from the East. In this plague there is a movement toward Jerusalem. Israel and Jerusalem are important to God. They are part of His kingdom. The great King is going to rule from Jerusalem for 1000 years. 

These kings play an important role in the battle of Armageddon, also called Gog and Magog. They are coming to wage war on Jerusalem They want to destroy it, and the temple, because they are against worship. The kings do not want God’s kingdom to be established. They think that if they can destroy Jerusalem they would have been successful in their ungodly purposes