and
6. huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, CAME DOWN from heaven UPON MEN;
While the 666-marked people on earth curse God because of this hailstorm, it really could be that the earth is giving praise back to God for its deliverance (return to the pristine created form) from the sin curse (Psalm 148). Or it could be the earth reacting to God's FIERCE WRATH (verse 19), or as the Psalmist testifies in Psalm 18:7-15.
The punishment of blasphemy under Levitical law was stoning (Leviticus 24:10-16), and this is God's way of stoning the blasphemous people. This implies many men will die worldwide ... their dwellings have been flattened by the GREAT EARTHQUAKE (verse18), so they are outside, unprotected from this plague.
Great hailstones have killed people in recent times; however, these hailstones or boulders are many times larger. Henry Morris in "The Revelation Record" points out the Greek (chalaza) means 'something which falls' and (lithinos) is always used for true rock material. The tectonic undoing during the GREAT EARTHQUAKE certainly could/would open huge gashes in the earth's crust and would force 'lava' boulders high into the air (heaven).
and MEN BLASPHEMED GOD because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.
This is the third time the marked MEN have blasphemed God (Revelation 16:9 and Revelation 16:11). It almost is like complete denial of God comes in threes (Matthew 26:69-75).
If this verse tells us anything, we need a 'protector' around us when this happens. Make a commitment to follow Christ TODAY to be protected from this horrible plague!