In direct response to the pouring of the seventh bowl of divine wrath on the air John heard “a loud voice” that “came out of the temple, from the throne.” John was in heaven when he witnessed the actions described in this chapter (see Revelation 4:1–2; Revelation 15:1, Revelation 15:5; Revelation 16:1) and so the temple he sees is clearly the heavenly prototype of the one Moses had to copy on earth (Exodus 25:40; Hebrews 8:5). In the earthly tabernacle God himself dwelled deep inside, in the Holiest Place, on the throne of the ark (Exodus 25:22). In the course of the revelation that Jesus Christ had shown to John, the apostle had repeatedly seen this throne with God himself seated on that throne (Revelation 4:2–3; Revelation 5:1, Revelation 5:13; Revelation 6:16–17; Revelation 7:10, Revelation 7:15, etc.). That the “loud voice” is described, then, as coming “out of the temple, from the throne” can only mean that God himself uttered this “loud cry.” We need further to recall that God himself was the initiator of all the action John witnessed in heaven as described in Revelation 4 and following, and particularly the instruction of Revelation 16:1 to the seven angels.