Bible Commentaries
Revelation 16

Verse 1

Revelation 16:1

Revelation 16:1 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.

The great voice that John heard out of the Temple, was the voice of the Lord. {Isaiah 66:6} A voice from the Temple, the voice of the Lord that rendreth recompense to his enemies. By earth here, we are to understand the whole Roman papal state, both political, and ecclesiastical; called mystery Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth. {Revelation 17:5}

Verse 2

Revelation 16:2

Revelation 16:2 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 beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

The earth in this verse, doth metonymically signify the inhabiters of the Popish earth, the earthly state of the Roman papal kingdom; that is, those inhabiters of the earth against whom the third woe is pronounced, {Revelation 8:13} especially those that rejoiced at the killing of Christ’s two prophetical witnesses. {Revelation 11:10} By the

noisome and grievous sore that fell upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image,

we may understand (by some allusion which this plague fore beareth to that upon the Egyptians, Exodus 9:10-11) such a plague as causeth very great pain, and is so noisome and pestilentious, that it maketh those men that are lovers and friends to Babylon, to stand a far off for fear of the torment, Revelation 18:10-17 which are the proper effects of such noisome and grievous sores. Psalms 38:11; Psalms 77:2

Verse 3

Revelation 16:3

Revelation 16:3 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.

By sea here, we may understand the see of Rome, the see of Canterbury, the see of York, and all other ecclesiastical, metropolitan, and diocesan sees; especially, the Popes See, etc. In which see of the church of Rome, those kings of the earth, who give their power, strength, and kingdom to the beast, and all Babylon merchants, and ship masters, and as many as trade by sea, and traffic for estates, for slaves, and for souls of men. {Revelation 18:9-19}

And it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

So that the effects of this vial is death, unto them that worship the beast or his image, or receive his mark, name, or the number of his name, {Revelation 18:8} not only temporal but eternal death. {Revelation 14:9-11} See the exposition thereof. See KNOLLYS: Revelation 14:9 See KNOLLYS: Revelation 14:10 See KNOLLYS: Revelation 14:11

Verse 4

Revelation 16:4

Revelation 16:4-7 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. 7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

By these mystical

rivers and fountains of waters,

we may understand the emperors, kings, princes and nobles of the Roman papal kingdom, which give their power and strength to the see of Rome; as the rivers and fountains of waters run into the sea. {Ecclesiastes 1:7} The great monarchs and kings of the earth are called the heads of their rivers, {Ezekiel 29:3-4; Ezekiel 32:2-6} that is, of their mystical waters.

And they became blood.

Which plague may bear some allusion unto that plague of Egypt, {Exodus 7:20-21} so God will give mystical Babylon blood to drink, for she hath shed the blood of the saints, and of the martyrs of Jesus. {Revelation 16:6; Revelation 17:6; Revelation 18:24; Revelation 19:2}

And the angel of the waters

and another angel acknowledged and testified God is just and righteous in judging thus.

And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, even so Lord God almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

Verse 8

Revelation 16:8

Revelation 16:8-9 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 great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

By the sun here, we are to understand the emperor of Germany, the French King, and the Pope of Rome, who are the great lights in the Roman papal kingdom, who rule the day of the anti-Christian state, as the sun in the firmament doth, {Genesis 1:15} rule and govern the natural day. The effect of this vial or plague is the scorching of the men of the beasts kingdom with great heat. {Revelation 16:9} They that worship the beast or his image, or receive his mark, etc. are tormented with fire, {Revelation 14:8-11} see the exposition. See KNOLLYS: Revelation 14:8 See KNOLLYS: Revelation 14:9 See KNOLLYS: Revelation 14:10 See KNOLLYS: Revelation 14:11 And they repented not to give glory to God. Impenitent papists will be tormented for ever and ever.

Verse 10

Revelation 16:10

Revelation 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

By

the seat, or throne of the beast,

we are to understand the place where the beast hath his chief residence, and where his highest court is kept, and where his holiness’s chair is set, in which the Pope sitteth as the infallible judge; that is, the city of Rome; for there his throne is placed, and his great power, and authority is principally exercised. The effects of this vial or plague are four, first,

His kingdom was full of darkness:

That is, the beast’s kingdom and dominion, both political and ecclesiastical was greatly eclipsed and clouded. The ruin of Rome will exceedingly darken the grandeur, glory and pomp of the beast. Secondly,

And they gnawed their tongues for pain:

That is, they that worshipped the beast, or his image, or received his mark; namely, his kings, his cardinals, etc., were tormented and pained with grief, and sorrow, and sores, when they saw that great city burned and utterly destroyed by the righteous judgments of God. {Revelation 18:7-19}

Verse 11

Revelation 16:11

Revelation 16:11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

And repented not of their deeds.

That is of their idolatries, murders, massacres, persecutions, and worshipping the beast, etc.

Verse 12

Revelation 16:12

Revelation 16:12 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.

The object of God’s wrath and plague poured out of this sixth vial is the great river Euphrates. There was a river which ran through Mesopotamia unto old Babylon, that by way of eminency is called the great river, the river Euphrates, {Genesis 15:18; De 1:7; Joshua 1:4} unto which this river may bear some allusion. The principal benefits of a great river are three, first, revenue, {Isaiah 23:3} Secondly, strength, {Isaiah 8:7} Thirdly, riches, {Ezekiel 27:12-33} so of mystical Babylon. {Revelation 18:10-17}

And the water thereof was dried up.

By waters we may understand peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. {Revelation 17:15} By the drying up of the waters, we may understand the wasting and destroying of the Turk’s dominion, kingdom and power, as the Turk’s dominion was enlarged under the sixth trumpet, {Revelation 9:14} so it shall be wasted and destroyed by the pouring forth of the plagues of this sixth vial.

That the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

By the kings of the east, we are to understand the Jews, whom God hath promised to bring from the east. {Isaiah 43:5} They are called kings (as all the Lord’s redeemed ones are,) { Revelation 5:9-10} for they shall have the first dominion. {Micah 4:8; Isaiah 62:1-3} And kings of the east, because God hath promised to save them from the east country. {Zechariah 8:7-13; Daniel 11:44-45}

Verse 13

Revelation 16:13

Revelation 16:13 And I saw 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 which John saw and heard in this vision, {related Revelation 16:13-16} was preparatory unto the Supper of the great God {Revelation 19:16-20} and interval between the sixth and seventh vial; in which vision John

saw three unclean spirits like frogs (croaking frogs) come out of the mouth of the dragon;

that old serpent called the devil;

and out of the mouth of the beast, (the Pope) and out of the mouth of the false prophet;

the papal priests, cardinals, lord bishops, etc.

Verse 14

Revelation 16:14

Revelation 16:14 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.

The unclean spirits are here said to be

the spirits of devils, working miracles

as Revelation 13:13-14 Like that lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab’s false prophets. {1 Kings 22:21-22} And our blessed Lord Jesus testified, that in the latter days before his second coming, there will come false Christs and false prophets. {Lu 21:8; Matthew 24:24-25} Behold I have told you before.

Which go forth to the kings of the earth

By the kings of the earth we are to understand those kings that give their power, strength, and kingdom to the beast. {Revelation 13:17} And therefore when John had the full vision of this

battle of that great day of God Almighty

he saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together (by these frogs) to make war against Him that sat upon the white horse, and against his army, {Revelation 19:1-21} whose name is called the WORD of God, {Revelation 16:11-21; Revelation 17:13-14} which is here called

the battle of that great day of God Almighty

Verse 15

Revelation 16:15

Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Before the success of this hellish negotiation, we have in this verse a warning word to watch and keep our garments.

Behold, I come as a thief.

The second coming of our blessed and beloved Lord Jesus Christ will be as a thief; that is, unexpectedly, {1 Thessalonians 5:2-4; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 3:3} as a thief in a dark time, in a midnight dispensation of great darkness. {Isaiah 60:1-3; Matthew 25:6-44} By

keeping our garments

we may understand, first, keeping our gospel profession unspotted of the world. {James 1:27} Secondly, keeping the faith. {1 Timothy 3:9; 1 Timothy 5:22} Keep thy self-pure; white, and clean; which is the righteousness of saints, {Revelation 19:8}

Lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

The scandalous sins and disorderly walking of gospel professors discover their nakedness to the men of the world, who see their shameful behaviour, and sinful conversation, to the dishonour of God, and shame of their profession.

Verse 16

Revelation 16:16

Revelation 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

He, that is, the dragon, called the devil, and his three unclean wicked spirits, called the spirits of devils. {Revelation 16:13-14} See the exposition thereof: See KNOLLYS: Revelation 16:13 & See KNOLLYS: Revelation 16:14

Gathering them together;

that is, the kings of the earth and their armies against Christ and his army, {Revelation 19:19} (as before)

into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon;

that is, the place of the utter destruction of the Turk’s great army; which the Jews shall so name after they have gotten the victory (which God Almighty will give them) over their enemies, both Turk and Pope; as the people of Israel had over Sisera the chief captain of Jabin and all his mighty host at the waters of Megiddo, {Judges 5:19-31} not a man left. {Judges 4:16}

Verse 17

Revelation 16:17

Revelation 16:17 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.

The air fills all empty places in the whole universe; and by this mystical air, we may understand all Satan’s kingdom, who is the prince of power of the air, {Ephesians 2:2} so that the wrath of God poured out of this seventh vial, will diffuse and spread over all the kingdoms of antichrist, Pope and Turk, and all the enemies of God and his people.

And there came a great voice out of the Temple of heaven from the throne.

This great voice was the voice of Christ, whose throne is in the Temple of heaven. {Psalms 103:19} The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens, his kingdom ruleth over all.

The Temple of heaven

is the Church of God. {Jeremiah 17:12} A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. {Ephesians 2:19-21}

Saying, it is done;

that is, there shall be time no longer to the beast, to the Turk, to mystery Babylon, nor to their dominions; for the mystery of God is finished. {Revelation 10:6-7; Revelation 11:15-16; Revelation 21:5-6} And all the kingdoms of the world shall then become the kingdom of Christ, and of his saints. {Daniel 7:27; Revelation 11:15}

Verse 18

Revelation 16:18

Revelation 16:18-19 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19 And the 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 fierceness of his wrath.

Like unto this was the effect of the mystical resurrection of the witnesses of Christ. See the exposition of Revelation 11:13. See KNOLLYS: Revelation 11:13 In that earthquake the tenth part of the city fell; so by this great earthquake,

the great city was divided into three parts. And the cities of the nations fell.

By this great city, we are to understand the great whore, that woman whose name is mystery Babylon the great, {Revelation 17:1-18} which in John’s time reigned over the kings of the earth. By

the cities of the nations,

we may understand all national churches: As the great whore is called

the great city,

the mother of harlots, so all national churches, her daughters are here called

the cities of the nations

who shall fall with her; that is, all the three parts of mystical Babylon, namely, the national churches of the papists, of the Lord Bishops, and of the Presbyterians; these three sorts only are for national churches.

And great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

This wine of the fierceness of the wrath of God, is poured out without mixture of any mercy upon the worshippers of the beast, {Revelation 14:10} and upon the kings of the earth, and their kingdoms. {Jeremiah 25:19-33; Revelation 18:2-21}

Verse 20

Revelation 16:20

Revelation 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

By island, we may understand such things as are separated from a common unto some sacred (or rather superstitious) use; such are all popish consecrated and dedicated things, as parish churches, cathedrals, abbies, priories, nunneries, bishops, lands, glebe lands, dean and chapter lands, etc. All these

fled away

that is, they shall be removed and restored to their common use as before their consecration or dedication. By

mountains

here, we may understand the great powers, dominions, and kingdoms of the Roman papal monarchy, and all other monarchs and monarchies of the world, (Isaiah 40:4; Jeremiah 51:25; Zechariah 4:7 especially, Daniel 2:21-45).

Verse 21

Revelation 16:21

Revelation 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

And there fell upon men a great hail

Revelation 16:21 as Joshua 10:11 or thereby is signified Gods just and righteous judgments, as upon Gog in the land of Magog. {Ezekiel 38:2-19; Ezekiel 38:22-23}

And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail

By those men, we are to understand (as before) those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, who worship the beast or his image, and receive his mark or name in their forehead or right hand. See Revelation 13:9; Revelation 13:11. They repented not, to give glory to God, but blasphemed God, because he plagued them for their idolatry, false worship, after the commandments and doctrines of men, and not according to the institutions of our Lord Jesus Christ.