16:1 And {1} 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.
(1) In the former chapter was set down the preparation to the work of God: here is delivered the execution of it. In this discourse of the execution, is a general commandment, in this verse, then a particular recital in order of the execution done by every of the seven angels, in the rest of the chapter. This special execution against Antichrist and his crew does in manner agree to that which was generally done on the whole world, chapters eight and nine and belongs (if my conjecture fail me not) to the same time. Yet in here they differ from one another, that this was particularly effected on the princes and ringleaders of the wickedness of the world, the other generally against the whole world being wicked. Therefore these judgments are more grievous than those.
16:1 The Seven Last Plagues
SUMMARY OF REVELATION 16:
The Seven Angels Directed to Pour Out God's Wrath. The First Bowl and the Grievous Ulcers. The Second Bowl Poured Out Upon the Sea. The Third Bowl on the Rivers. The Fourth Bowl Upon the Sun. Its Scorching Heat. The Fifth Bowl Poured on the Seat of the Beast. The Sixth Bowl on the Great River Euphrates. The Three Unclean Spirits. Armageddon. The Seventh Bowl Poured on the Air. The Great City Fall.
I heard a great voice. As in several more instances John hears the voice, but does not see the speaker. This voice comes
out of the temple, from the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven (Re 15:5), from the abode of God. This signifies that God's hand will shape the events symbolized. They represent his judgments.
Pour out the vials of the wrath of God. Punishment sent for sins. As the plagues were sent on Egypt in order to secure the redemption of Israel, so these plagues are sent in order to redeem God's Israel from the slavery of spiritual Babylon. See Re 18:4.
Upon the earth. The term earth is still used by John in his usual meaning of the Roman world.
16:1 Pour out the seven phials - The epistles to the seven churches are divided into three and four: the seven seals, and so the trumpets and phials, into four and three. The trumpets gradually, and in a long tract of time, overthrow the kingdom of the world: the phials destroy chiefly the beast and his followers, with a swift and impetuous force. The four first affect the earth, the sea, the rivers, the sun; the rest fall elsewhere, and are much more terrible.
16:1-7 We are to pray that the will of God may be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Here is a succession of terrible judgments of Providence; and there seems to be an allusion to several of the plagues of Egypt. The sins were alike, and so were the punishments. The vials refer to the seven trumpets, which represented the rise of antichrist; and the fall of the enemies of the church shall bear some resemblance to their rise. All things throughout their earth, their air, their sea, their rivers, their cities, all are condemned to ruin, all accursed for the wickedness of that people. No wonder that angels, who witness or execute the Divine vengeance on the obstinate haters of God, of Christ, and of holiness, praise his justice and truth; and adore his awful judgments, when he brings upon cruel persecutors the tortures they made his saints and prophets suffer.
