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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
REVELATION CHAPTER 16
Rev_16:1 The seven angels are commanded to pour out their
vials on the earth.
Rev_16:2-14 Great plagues follow thereupon.
Rev_16:15-21 Christ cometh suddenly as a thief: blessed are they
that watch.
Chapter Summary
God having showed unto his servant John in the vision of the first six seals, the fate of the church under the pagan emperors of Rome, Rev_5:1-6:17, and its fate under antichrist, in the vision of the six first trumpets, under the seventh seal, Rev_8:1-9:21, and diverted him by the vision of the little book opened, Rev_10:1-11, and by the contents of it, Rev_12:1-14:20, and instructed him concerning the affairs of the church during all the time of the reign of the dragon, and antichrist, who was the image of the dragon, comes now to instruct him particularly how and by what means he would ruin antichrist, and restore peace to his church.
And I heard a great voice out of the temple; either out of the church triumphant, Christ, the Head of it, commanding the executioners of his justice to go and do their office; or out of the church militant, by their prayers soliciting God to execute vengeance upon the beast. All the beast’s territories, or the several parts of his kingdom, are expressed in this chapter, under the notions of the earth, the sea, the rivers and fountains, the sun, and the seat of the beast. The first command to the executioners of God’s justice, is, to pour out his wrath on the earth. By the earth; Pareus understands some parts of the earth; others, the common people; others, the Roman empire; but others, considering the earth as the firmest part of the universe, say, that by the earth is meant the popish clergy, the basis of the papacy; and I am very much inclined to judge that the most probable sense of it, not only because there is little of heaven in them, and their whole frame and model is the product of earthly policy, but because experience hath told us that the pope here received his first wound, in the diminution of their power and authority, and a contempt of them. God hath used many instruments to pour out this vial, even so many (whether princes or ministers) as he hath made use of to root out monasteries and abbeys, and to expose mass priests to scorn and contempt. Mr. Mede seemeth to be of another mind, thinking, that by earth is meant the commonalty of the people, whose defection from the pope was his first plague: but that which is to be understood by the earth, being the affected part of antichrist, I cannot agree with that learned man; for though the beast suffered by the defection of the commonalty, yet I cannot see how those that made the defection suffered at all by it.