Revelation 16

Revelation 16:1-7

In this chapter we have an account of the pouring forth of these vials that were filled with the wrath of God, and they were poured out upon the whole unidentified empire, and an every thing appertaining to it: 1. Upon the earth, ver. 2. then, 2. Upon the sea, ver. 3. 3. Upon the rivers and mountains of waters, ver. 4. Upon which there the heavenly lusts proclaim and applaud the righteousness of the judgments of God.

4. The fourth vial was poured out on the sea, ver. 8. the fifth on the seat of the beasts; the sixth on the river Euphrates; the seventh on the air, upon which the cities of the nations fell, and great Babylon came in remembrance before God.

5. AND I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

6. And the first went and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beasts, and upon them which worshipped his image.

7. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

8. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and mountains of waters; and they became blood.

9. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and waft, and shall not, because thou hast pauged thus: 6. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

10. And I heard another one of the dear say, Keren so, and Lord God almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

11. 1-20. Whether these rules have already begun to be passed forth, or whether all of them are to be referred, to some future day of vengeance on the antichristian beall, is matter of dispute. I am most inclined to the latter opinion, and that the events can only show the meaning of the judgments: but I shall give the sentiments of those who suppose them already begun.

12. The first vial, which brings a noxious and grievous love upon the men who worshipped the beall, is supposed to refer to the great corruptions of worship and manners, and the wars which arose among the popish princes, alter the death of Lewis, festerred the pious, between the years 830 and 988.

13. The second vial was poured upon the sea, and it became navigated as the blood of a dead man, and every living creature died: alluding, as is suggested, to the wars which were set on foot for the recovery of the holy land from the Saracens, whereas their insuperable multitudes of papilla lost their lives, between 1040 and 1100.

14. The third vial is poured on the rivers, and turns them into blood; and is referred to the civil wars of Italy between the Gospels and Gibelines, the popes and the emperors, carried on with vast effusion of blood, from the year 1200 to about 1370.

For these judgments, the angel who left poured out his vial upon the waters, ascribes glory to God, acknowledging the righteousness of his punishments, in giving those in return blood to drink, who had died to profusely the blood of saints: to which another angel, soon under the slow said, Amos; concurring in the solemn ascription of praise to God for these his righteous judgments. Now, God will make every creature fubberment on his glory: even the damnation of the wicked shall redound to the youth of his justice and holiness; and saints and angels shall adore him for his awful judgments, as well as for his mercies.

8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 9. And men were scorched with a great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not, to give him glory. 10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the sea of the beall; and his kingdom was full of darkness, and they gnawed their tongues for pain. 11. And blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and their fores, and repented not of their deeds. 12. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs, come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beall, and out of the mouth of the falfe prophet. 14. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God almighty. 15. Behold, I come as a thief. Bleifed is he that wasteeth, and keepeth his garments; left he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16. And he gathered them together into a place, called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon.

Revelation 16:8-10

We have here,

1. The fourth vial poured out upon the sun; and this may refer to the terrible calamities which happened between 1378 and 1530, through the contentions about the papal chair, several popes as a time claiming it, and excommunicating each other; and through their intrigues and ambition horrid ravages and furtions were urged. Yet, far from being affected with these providences, the adherents to popery repented not, but blasphemed God the more, and set themselves more fiercely to persecute those whom he raised up, burning those faithful witnesses Jerome and Huss, who testified against their abominations.

2. The fifth vial was poured on the seat of the beall, and darkness followed in his kingdom, and his subjects gnawed their tongues for pain; where, as in the foregoing vials, there is a manifest allusion to the plagues of Egypt. And this is interpreted of the stroke given to the pope’s dominion by the reformation, between 1530 and 1650, which recited the blasphemed of the antichristian powers; and, far from bringing them to repentance, though it cut them to the heart with war, war, second their bitter imprecations upon the reformed, as heretics and apostates, on whom they denounced the heaviest vengeance.

3. The sixth vial is poured upon the river Euphrates, and exposed to imply the destruction of the Ottoman empire, in order to open a way for the conversion of the eastern nations to Christianity, the river being dried up, to prepare a passage for the kings of the east to come into the church.

Hereupon the devil, persisting his kingdom every minute shaken, settles all his forces, and by his constellations, the ecclesiastics of Rome, represented by unclean spirits like frogs, finish

forth to gather the kings of the antichristian party to his banners, and by lying wonders and false miracles engage them, in support of the papal cause, to assemble for war against the spirits in a place called Armageddon, which should be so fatal to the enemies of the church in Megiddo, where the army of Sikra fell before the sword of Barak.

A warning is added, v. 15. addressed to the faithful in the view of this day: Behold, I come as a thief, suddenly and unintentionally, whom these enemies apprehended themselves and turned Bleifed is he that wasteeth, and keepeth his garments, left he walk naked, and they see his shame. Now, The uncertainty in the coming of our Lord should engage us to maintain constant watchfulness, that we may not be surprised, but ready with joy to welcome his arrival.

17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 18. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not there men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19. And this great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell; and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fiercest of his wrath. 20. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21. And there fell upon men a great hall out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hall; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Revelation 16:17-21

The seventh and last vial is poured into the air, the place where Satan’s illusions are gratified. And now a white from heaven setting cries, It is done, the ruin of Antiochist is completed. Tremendous voices, thunders, and lightning followed; and such an earthquake as had never been before, denoting the entire dissolution of this persecuting state. Rome itself, the seat of the papal empire, is thattered in pieces; and all the other cities of the antichristian empire sink into ruins. The time is now come for mystical Babylon’s overthrow, and God’s fearful vengeance is poured out upon her. The whole body of her adherents, whether dwelling in islands of mountains, shall utterly be destroyed, as if swallowed up by an earthquake. And, as one means of compleating their ruin, they who attempt to flee for their lives, shall, like the Amorites, (Juh. x. 11.) be confirmed with half-thenes, each cast as a talent, and die impenitent under all their judgments, still blaspheming the hand that lies to heavy upon them. Not, The loreil judgment is an hard and impenitent heart: where that abides, there all God’s visitations tend but to exasperate and provoke deeper blasphemies.