Revelation 16

Revelation 16:1-21 . THE SEVEN VIALS AND THE CONSEQUENT PLAGUES.

The trumpets shook the world kingdoms in a longer process; the vials destroy with a swift and sudden overthrow the kingdom of "the beast" in particular who had invested himself with the world kingdom. The Hebrews thought the Egyptian plagues to have been inflicted with but an interval of a month between them severally [BENGEL, referring to SEDER OLAM]. As Moses took ashes from an earthly common furnace, so angels, as priestly ministers in the heavenly temple, take holy fire in sacred vials or bowls, from the heavenly altar to pour down (compare Revelation 8:5 ). The same heavenly altar which would have kindled the sweet incense of prayer bringing down blessing upon earth, by man's sin kindles the fiery descending curse. Just as the river Nile, which ordinarily is the source of Egypt's fertility, became blood and a curse through Egypt's sin.

1. a great voice--namely, God's. These seven vials (the detailed expansion of the vintage, Revelation 14:18-20 ) being called "the last," must belong to the period just when the term of the beast's power has expired (whence reference is made in them all to the worshippers of the beast as the objects of the judgments), close to the end or coming of the Son of man. The first four are distinguished from the last three, just as in the case of the seven seals and the seven trumpets. The first four are more general, affecting the earth, the sea, springs, and the sun, not merely a portion of these natural bodies, as in the case of the trumpets, but the whole of them; the last three are more particular, affecting the throne of the beast, the Euphrates, and the grand consummation. Some of these particular judgments are set forth in detail in the seventeenth through twentieth chapters.
out of the temple--B and Syriac omit. But A, C, Vulgate, and ANDREAS support the words.
the vials--so Syriac and Coptic. But A, B, C, Vulgate, and ANDREAS read, "the seven vials."
upon--Greek, "into."

2. went--Greek, "went away."
poured out--So the angel cast fire into the earth previous to the series of trumpets ( Revelation 8:5 ).
upon--so Coptic. But A, B, C, Vulgate, and Syriac read, "into."
noisome--literally, "evil" (compare Deuteronomy 28:27 Deuteronomy 28:35 ). The very same Greek word is used in the Septuagint as here, Greek, "helkos." The reason why the sixth Egyptian plague is the first here is because it was directed against the Egyptian magicians, Jannes and Jambres, so that they could not stand before Moses; and so here the plague is sent upon those who in the beast worship had practiced sorcery. As they submitted to the mark of the beast, so they must bear the mark of the avenging God. Contrast Revelation 7:3 , Ezekiel 9:4 Ezekiel 9:6 .
grievous--distressing to the sufferers.
sore upon the men--antitype to the sixth Egyptian plague.
which had the mark of the beast--Therefore this first vial is subsequent to the period of the beast's rule.

3. angel--So B and ANDREAS. But A, C, and Vulgate omit it.
upon--Greek, "into."
became as . . . blood--answering to another Egyptian plague.
of a dead man--putrefying.
living soul--So B and ANDREAS. But A, C, and Syriac, "soul of life" (compare Genesis 1:30 , Genesis 7:21 Genesis 7:22 ).
in the sea--So B and ANDREAS. But A, C, and Syriac read, "(as respects) the things in the sea."

4. ( Exodus 7:20 .)
angel--so Syriac, Coptic, and ANDREAS. But A, B, C, and Vulgate omit it.

5. angel of the waters--that is, presiding over the waters.
O Lord--omitted by A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and ANDREAS.
and shalt be--A, B, C, Vulgate, and ANDREAS for this clause read, "(which art and wast) holy." The Lord is now no longer He that shall come, for He is come in vengeance and therefore the third of the three clauses found in Revelation 1:4 Revelation 1:8 , 4:8 is here and in Revelation 11:17 omitted.
judged thus--literally, "these things." "Thou didst inflict this judgment."