Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

on the Whole Bible

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1721)

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R E V E L A T I O N.

CHAP. XVI.

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In this chapter we have an account of the pouring forth of these vials

that were filled with the wrath of God. They were poured out upon the

whole antichristian empire, and on every thing appertaining to it.

I. Upon the earth,

ver. 2.

II. Upon the sea,

ver. 3.

III. Upon the rivers and fountains of water,

ver. 4.

Here the heavenly hosts proclaim and applaud the righteousness of the

judgments of God.

IV. The fourth vial was poured out on the sun,

ver. 8.

V. The fifth on the seat of the beast.

VI. The sixth on the river Euphrates.

VII. The seventh in the air, upon which the cities of the nations fell,

and great Babylon came in remembrance before God.

The Seven Vials.	A. D. 95.

     

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.

  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.

  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.

  4 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.

     

We had in the foregoing chapter the great and solemn preparation that

was made for the pouring out of the vials; now we have the performance

of that work. Here observe,

     

I. That, though every thing was made ready before, yet nothing was to

be put in execution without an immediate positive order from God; and

this he gave out of the temple, answering the prayers of his people,

and avenging their quarrel.

     

II. No sooner was the word of command given than it was immediately

obeyed; no delay, no objection made. We find that some of the best men,

as Moses and Jeremiah, did not so readily come in and comply with the

call of God to their work; but the angels of God excel not only in

strength, but in a readiness to do the will of God. God says, Go

your ways, and pour out the vials, and immediately the work is

begun. We are taught to pray that the will of God may be done on earth

as it is done in heaven. And now we enter upon a series of very

terrible dispensations of Providence, of which it is difficult to give

the certain meaning or to make the particular application. But in the

general it is worth our observation that,

     

1. We have here a reference and allusion to several of the plagues of

Egypt, such as the turning of their waters into blood, and smiting them

with boils and sores. Their sins were alike, and so were their

punishments.

     

2. These vials have a plain reference to the seven trumpets, which

represented the rise of antichrist; and we learn hence that the fall of

the church’s enemies shall bear some resemblance to their rise, and

that God can bring them down in such ways as they chose to exalt

themselves. And the fall of antichrist shall be gradual; as Rome was

not built in one day, so neither shall it fall in one day, but it falls

by degrees; it shall fall so as to rise no more.

     

3. The fall of the antichristian interest shall be universal. Every

thing that any ways belonged to them, or could be serviceable to them,

the premises and all their appurtenances, are put into the writ for

destruction: their earth, their air, their sea, their rivers, their

cities, all consigned over to ruin, all accursed for the sake of the

wickedness of that people. Thus the creation groans and suffers through

the sins of men. Now we proceed to,

     

(1.) The first angel who poured out his vial,

v. 2.

Observe,

[1.] Where it fell–upon the earth; that is, say some, upon the

common people; others upon the body of the Romish clergy, who were the

basis of the papacy, and of an earthly spirit, all carrying on earthly

designs.

[2.] What it produced–noisome and grievous sores on all who had the

mark of the beast. They had marked themselves by their sin; now God

marks them out by his judgments. This sore, some think, signifies some

of the first appearances of Providence against their state and interest

which gave them great uneasiness, as it discovered their inward

distemper and was a token of further evil; the plague–tokens

appeared.

     

(2.) The second angel poured out his vial; and here we see,

[1.] Where it fell–upon the sea; that is, say some, upon the

jurisdiction and dominion of the papacy; others upon the whole system

of their religion, their false doctrines, their corrupt glosses, their

superstitious rites, their idolatrous worship, their pardons,

indulgences, a great conflux of wicked inventions and institutions, by

which they maintain a trade and traffic advantageous to themselves, but

injurious to all who deal with them.

[2.] What it produced: It turned the sea into blood, as the blood of

a dead man, and every living soul died in the sea. God discovered

not only the vanity and falsehood of their religion, but the pernicious

and deadly nature of it–that the souls of men were poisoned by that

which was pretended to be the sure means of their salvation.

     

(3.) The next angel poured out his vial; and we are told,

[1.] Where it fell–upon the rivers, and upon the fountains of

waters; that is, say some very learned men, upon their emissaries,

and especially the Jesuits, who, like streams, conveyed the venom and

poison of their errors and idolatries from the spring-head through the

earth.

[2.] What effect it had upon them: It turned them into blood;

some think it stirred up Christian princes to take a just revenge upon

those that had been the great incendiaries of the world, and had

occasioned the shedding of the blood of armies and of martyrs. The

following doxology

(v. 5, 6)

favours this sense. The instrument that God makes use of in this work

is here called the angel of the waters, who extols the

righteousness of God in this retaliation: They have shed the blood

of thy saints, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are

worthy, to which another angel answered by full consent,

v. 7.

The Seven Vials.	A. D. 95.

     

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 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 seat of the

beast; 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 sores, and repented not of their deeds.

     

In these verses we see the work going on in the appointed order. The

fourth angel poured out his vial, and that fell upon the sun; that is,

say some, upon some eminent prince of the popish communion, who should

renounce their false religion a little while before his utter downfall;

and some expect it will be the German emperor. And now what will be the

consequence of this? That sun which before cherished them with warm and

benign influences shall now grow hot against these idolaters, and shall

scorch them. Princes shall use their power and authority to suppress

them, which yet will be so far from bringing them to repentance, that

it will cause them to curse God and their king, and look upward,

throwing out their blasphemous speeches against the God of heaven; they

will be hardened to their ruin. The fifth angel poured out his vial,

v. 10.

And observe,

1. Where this fell–upon the seat of the beast, upon Rome

itself, the mystical Babylon, the head of the antichristian empire.

2. What effect it had there: The whole kingdom of the beast was

full of darkness and distress. That very city which was the seat of

their policy, the source of all their learning, and all their

knowledge, and all their pomp and pleasure, now becomes a source of

darkness, and pain, and anguish. Darkness was one of the plagues of

Egypt, and it is opposed to lustre and honour, and so forebodes the

contempt and scorn to which the antichristian interest should be

exposed. Darkness is opposed to wisdom and penetration, and forebodes

the confusion and folly which the idolaters should discover at that

time. It is opposed to pleasure and joy, and so signifies their anguish

and vexation of Spirit, when their calamities thus came upon them.

The Seven Vials.	A. D. 95.

     

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 beast, and out

of the mouth of the false 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. Blessed is he that watcheth,

and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his

shame.

  16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the

Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

     

The sixth angel poured out his vial; and observe,

     

I. Where it fell–upon the great river Euphrates. Some take it

literally, for the place where the Turkish power and empire began; and

they think this is a prophecy of the destruction of the Turkish

monarchy and of idolatry, which they suppose will be effected about the

same time with that of the papacy, as another antichrist, and that

thereby a way shall be made for the conveniency of the Jews, those

princes of the east. Others take it for the river Tiber; for, as Rome

is mystical Babylon, Tiber is mystical Euphrates. And when Rome shall

be destroyed her river and merchandise must suffer with her.

     

II. What did this vial produce?

1. The drying up of the river, which furnished the city with wealth,

provisions, and all sorts of accommodations.

2. A way is hereby prepared for the kings of the east. The

idolatry of the church of Rome had been a great hindrance both to the

conversion of the Jews, who have been long cured of their inclination

to idols, and of the Gentiles, who are hardened in their idolatry by

seeing that which so much symbolizes with it among those called

Christians. It is therefore very probable that the downfall of popery,

removing these obstructions, will open a way for both the Jews and

other eastern nations to come into the church of Christ. And, if we

suppose that Mahomedism shall fall at the same time, there will be

still a more open communication between the western and eastern

nations, which may facilitate the conversion of the Jews, and of the

fulness of the Gentiles. And when this work of God appears, and is

about to be accomplished, no wonder if it occasion another consequence,

which is,

3. The last effort of the great dragon; he is resolved to have another

push for it, that, if possible, he may retrieve the ruinous posture of

his affairs in the world. He is now rallying his forces, recollecting

all his spirits, to make one desperate sally before all be lost. This

is occasioned by the pouring out of the sixth vial. Here observe,

(1.) The instruments he makes use of to engage the powers of the earth

in his cause and quarrel: Three unclean spirits like frogs come

forth, one out of the mouth of the dragon, another out of the

mouth of the beast, and a third out of the mouth of the false

prophet. Hell, the secular power of antichrist, and the

ecclesiastical power, would combine to send their several instruments,

furnished with hellish malice, with worldly policy, and with religious

falsehood and deceit; and these would muster up the devil’s forces for

a decisive battle.

(2.) The means these instruments would use to engage the powers of

earth in this war. They would work pretended miracles, the old

stratagem of him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with

all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of

unrighteousness,
2 Thess. ii. 9, 10.

Some think that a little before the fall of antichrist the popish

pretence of power to work miracles will be revived and will very much

amuse and deceive the world.

(3.) The field of battle–a place called Armageddon; that is,

say some, the mount of Megiddo, near to which, by a stream issuing

thence, Barak overcame Sisera, and all the kings in alliance with him,

Judges v. 19.

And in the valley of Megiddo Josiah was slain. This place had been

famous for two events of a very different nature, the former very happy

for the church of God, the latter very unhappy; but it shall now be the

field of the last battle in which the church shall be engaged, and she

shall be victorious. This battle required time to prepare for it, and

therefore the further account of it is suspended till we come to the

nineteenth chapter,

v. 19, 20.

(4.) The warning which God gives of this great and decisive trial, to

engage his people to prepare for it,

v. 15.

It would be sudden and unexpected, and therefore Christians should be

clothed, and armed, and ready for it, that they might not be surprised

and ashamed. When God’s cause comes to be tried, and his battles to be

fought, all his people shall be ready to stand up for his interest and

be faithful and valiant in his service.

The Seven Vials.	A. D. 95.

     

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 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.

  20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not

found.

  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.

     

Here we have an account of the seventh and last angel pouring forth his

vial, contributing his part towards the accomplishment of the downfall

of Babylon, which was the finishing stroke. And here, as before,

observe,

     

I. Where this plague fell–on the air, upon the prince of the

power of the air, that is, the devil. His powers were restrained, his

policies confounded; he was bound in God’s chain: the sword of God was

upon his eye and upon his arm; for he, as well as the powers of the

earth, is subject to the almighty power of God. He had used all

possible means to preserve the antichristian interest, and to prevent

the fall of Babylon–all the influence that he has upon the minds of

men, blinding their judgments and perverting them, hardening their

hearts, raising their enmity to the gospel as high as could be. But now

here is a vial poured out upon his kingdom, and he is not able to

support his tottering cause and interest any longer.

     

II. What it produced,

1. A thankful voice from heaven, pronouncing that now the work was

done. The church triumphant in heaven saw it, and rejoiced; the church

militant on earth saw it, and became triumphant. It is finished.

2. A mighty commotion on the earth–an earthquake, so great as never

was before, shaking the very centre, and this ushered in by the usual

concomitants of thunder and lightnings.

3. The fall of Babylon, which was divided into three parts, called

the cities of the nations

(v. 19);

having had rule over the nations, and taken in the idolatry of the

nations, incorporating into her religion something of the Jewish,

something of the pagan, and something of the Christian religion, she

was as three cities in one. God now remembered this great and wicked

city. Though for some time he seemed to have forgotten her idolatry and

cruelty, yet now he gives unto her the cup of the wine of the

fierceness of his wrath. And this downfall extended further than to

the seat of antichrist; it reached from the centre to the

circumference; and every island and every mountain, that seemed by

nature and situation the most secured, were carried away in the deluge

of this ruin.

     

III. How the antichristian party were affected with it. Though it fell

upon them as a dreadful storm, as if the stones of the city, tossed up

into the air, came down upon their heads, like hailstones of a talent

weight each, yet they were so far from repenting that they blasphemed

that God who thus punished them. Here was a dreadful plague of the

heart, a spiritual judgment more dreadful and destructive than all the

rest. Observe,

1. The greatest calamities that can befal men will not bring them to

repentance without the grace of God working with them.

2. Those that are not made better by the judgments of God are always

the worse for them.

3. To be hardened in sin and enmity against God by his righteous

judgments is a certain token of utter destruction.

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1721)

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