The fourth angel pours out his vial upon the sun, and an intenser heat is given to it to scorch men. The consequence is, that they blaspheme the name of God, but repent not of their sins, ver. 8, 9.
The fifth angel pours out his vial upon the very seat of the beast, and his kingdom is full of darkness. Men still blaspheme the name of God and repent not of their sins, ver. 10, 11.
The sixth angel pours out his vial upon the great river Euphrates. The consequence is, that the waters of the river are dried up, so that the way of the kings of the East might be prepared. The writer sees also, in this connection, three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, that go forth into all the earth to gather all nations to the great day of the battle of God Almighty, ver. 12–16.
The seventh angel pours out his vial into the air, and a voice is heard answering that “it is done:” the time of the consummation has come—the formidable Antichristian power is to come to an end. The great city is divided into three parts; the cities of the nations fall; great Babylon thus comes up in remembrance before God to receive the punishment which is her due. This terrific scene is accompanied with voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake, and with great hail—a tempest of wrath beating upon that formidable power that had so long stood up against God, ver. 17–21. The detail of the actual destruction of this power is carried forward in the subsequent chapters.
CHAPTER XVI.
A ND I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven[474] angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
1. And I heard a great voice out of the temple. A loud voice out of the temple as seen in heaven (Notes on [ch. xi. 19]), and that came, therefore, from the very presence of God. ¶ Saying to the seven angels. That had the seven vials of wrath. Notes on [ch. xv. 1], [7]. ¶ Go your ways. Your respective ways, to the fulfilment of the task assigned to each. ¶ And pour out the vials of the wrath of God. Empty those vials; cause to come upon the earth the plagues indicated by their contents. The order in which this was to be done is not intimated. It seems to be supposed that that would be understood by each. ¶ Upon the earth. The particular part of the earth is not here specified, but it should not be inferred that it was to be upon the earth in general, or that there were any calamities, in consequence of this pouring out of the vials of wrath, to spread over the whole world. The subsequent statements show what parts of the earth were particularly to be affected.
2 And the first went, and poured out his vial [475]upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous [476]sore upon the men which had the [477]mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
2. And the first went. Went forth from heaven, where the seat of the vision was laid. ¶ And poured out his vial upon the earth. That is, upon the land, in contradistinction from the sea, the rivers, the air, the seat of the beast, the sun, as represented in the other vials. In ver. 1, the word earth is used in the general sense to denote this world as distinguished from heaven; in this verse it is used in the specific sense, to denote land as distinguished from other things. Comp. Mar. iv. 1; vi. 47; Jn. vi. 21; Ac. xxvii. 29, 43, 44. In many respects there is a strong resemblance between the pouring out of those seven vials, and the sounding of the seven trumpets, in ch. viii., ix., though they refer to different events. In the sounding of the first trumpet (ch. viii. 7), it was the earth that was particularly affected in contradistinction from the sea, the fountains, and the sun: “The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth.” Comp. ch. viii. 8, 10, 12. In regard to the symbolical meaning of the term earth, considered with reference to divine judgments, see Notes on [ch. viii. 7]. ¶ And there fell a noisome and grievous sore. The judgment here is specifically different from that inflicted under the first trumpet, ch. viii. 7.There it is said to have been that “the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.” Here it is that there fell upon men a “noisome and grievous sore.” The two, therefore, are designed to refer to different events, and to different forms of punishment. The word rendered sore properly denotes a wound (Hom. Il. xi. 812), and then, in later writers, an ulcer or sore. It is used in the New Testament only in the following places: Lu. xvi. 21, “The dogs came and licked his sores;” and in Re. xvi. 2, 11, where it is rendered sore, and sores. It is used in the Septuagint, in reference to the boils that were brought upon the Egyptians, in Ex. ix. 9–12, and probably De. xxviii. 27; in reference to the leprosy, Le. xiii. 18–20, 23; in reference to the boil, ulcer, or elephantiasis brought upon Job, ch. ii. 7; and in reference to any sore or ulcer, in De. xxviii. 35. In all these places it is the translation of the word שְּׁחִין shehhin—rendered in our English version boil, Ex. ix. 9–11; Le. xiii. 18–20, 23; 2 Ki. xx. 7; Job ii. 7; Is. xxxviii. 21; and botch, De. xxviii. 27, 35. The proper meaning, therefore, is that or a sore, ulcer, or boil of a severe and painful character; and the most obvious reference in the passage, to one who was accustomed to the language of Scripture, would be to some fearful plague like that which was sent upon the Egyptians. In the case of Hezekiah (2 Ki. xx. 7; Is. xxxviii. 21), it was probably used to denote a plague-boil, or the black leprosy. See Notes on Is. xxxviii. 21. The word “noisome”—κακὸν, evil, bad—is used here to characterize the plague referred to as being peculiarly painful and dangerous. The word grievous—πονηρὸν—bad, malignant, hurtful—is further used to increase the intensity of the expression, and to characterize the plague as particularly severe. There is no reason to suppose that it is meant that this would be literally inflicted, any more than it is in the next plague, where it is said that the “rivers and fountains became blood.” What is obviously meant is, that there would be some calamity which would be well represented or symbolized by such a fearful plague. ¶ Upon the men. Though the plague was poured upon “the earth,” yet its effects were seen upon “men.” Some grievous calamity would befall them, as if they were suddenly visited with the plague. ¶ Which had the mark of the beast. Notes on [ch. xiii. 16, 17]. This determines the portion of the earth that was to be afflicted. It was not the whole world; it was only that part of it where the “beast” was honoured. According to the interpretation proposed in ch. xiii., this refers to those who are under the dominion of the Papacy. ¶ And upon them which worshipped his image. See Notes on [ch. xiii. 14, 15]. According to the interpretation in ch. xiii., those are meant who sustained the civil or secular power to which the Papacy gave life and strength, and from which it, in turn, received countenance and protection.
In regard to the application or fulfilment of this symbol, it is unnecessary to say that there have been very different opinions in the world, and that very different opinions still prevail. The great mass of Protestant commentators suppose that it refers to the Papacy; and of those who entertain this opinion, the greater portion suppose that the calamity referred to by the pouring out of this vial is already past, though it is supposed by many that the things foreshadowed by a part of these “vials” are yet to be accomplished. As to the true meaning of the symbol before us, I would make the following remarks:—