Revelation 16:4; Fresh Water Sources Filled with Death
Revelation 16:4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
As mentioned, less than 1 percent of the Earth’s water is fresh water and we see them being polluted with death!
Recall the 3rd trumpet judgment where 1/3 A falling star poisons 1/3 of Rivers and 1/3 Fountains.
Revelation 8:10-11 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
This time, it is total!
Here is the parallel to the third trumpet (Revelation 8:10–11) and at the same time a reference to the curse that changed all the streams, canals, ponds, and reservoirs of Egypt into blood (Exodus 7:19).
Exodus 7:19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.
The people who experience the plague are like the Egyptians whose rivers God turned to blood so that “they could not drink from their streams” (Psalm 78:44).
Psalm 78:44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.
This plague differs from the preceding one, because human beings and the animal world daily depend on drinking water. When this supply is polluted and unfit to drink, they will eventually die. At this point, John could have continued the sequence with the fourth plague, but he inserts a brief interlude that reveals a hymn comparable to the song of Moses and the Lamb (Revelation 15:3–4). Here an angel voices a hymn; there the saints sing a song.
Revelation 15:3-4 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Vol. 20, pp. 441–442). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.