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. Ver. 1. _Go your ways_] A proof of the divine calling of the ministers of the gospel. This commission came out of the temple, as obtained by the prayers o... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 2. _And the first went_] They went not all at once. Note the patience of God, waiting men's return un... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 3. _Upon the sea_] The popish council (called a sea, from the concourse thereunto from all parts), that of Trent especially, with their deadly decrees, mak... [ Continue Reading ]
And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. Ver. 4. _Upon the rivers, &c._] The persecutors and impostors, the Jesuits especially, who have lately added twelve new articles (by the authority of Pope Pius IV) raised out of the Council of Tr... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 5. _The angel of the waters_] The same that poured forth his vial upon the waters, Revelation 16:4 . _ Thou art righteous_] God's judgments are sometimes secr... [ Continue Reading ]
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. Ver. 6. _For they have shed_] As Minerius that monster, the cruel Duke of Alva, bloody Bonner, the Guises, and other of the pope's champions. Duke d'Alva, boasted of it, that he had pu... [ Continue Reading ]
And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous _are_ thy judgments. Ver. 7. _And I heard another_] That in the mouth of two witnesses this truth might be established. Let God be justified, and every mouth stopped. _ Out of the altar_] Under which lie the s... [ Continue Reading ]
And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. Ver. 8. _Upon the sun_] The pope's supremacy, say some, the Scriptures, say others, by the light whereof they are laid open to the world (dancing naked in a net, and yet not seeing their own... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 9. _And men were scorched_] Or parched, scalded, roasted, εκαυματισθησαν. This is by accident in regard of the Scriptures; for the Lord speaketh... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Ver. 10. _Upon the seat of the beast_] This city of Rome, which was never yet besieged (since it became the seat of Antichrist) but it was taken, and sha... [ Continue Reading ]
And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. Ver. 11. _And blasphemed the God of heaven_] As they did in 1588, when the Spaniards gave out that Christ was turned Lutheran; and as Faux the gunpowder traitor did, when he told those that too... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 12. _Upon the great river Euphrates_] _i.e._ Upon whatsoever yet hindereth the destruction of spiritual Babylon and the coming in... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 13. _Three unclean spirits_] Spiritual fathers, as the Papists call their Jesuits, who seek to subject all to the pope, and the pope t... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 14. _The spirits of devils_] Or breathing devils. _ Working miracles_] Lying wonders, 2 Thessalonians 2:9... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed _is_ he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Ver. 15. _I come as a thief_] Who gives no warning. _See Trapp on "_ Mat 24:44 _"_ I come suddenly, secretly, yea, and also violently and terribly. See Revelation 3:3; Luk... [ Continue Reading ]
And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. Ver. 16. _And he gathered_] God hath an overruling hand in that which the frogs of Rome do at the courts of kings, and ordereth the disorders of the world to his own glory. _ Called in the Hebrew Armageddon_] That i... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 17. _Into the air_] The popish air, the kingdom of Satan, Ephesians 2:2 . _ Saying, It is done_] What is done? The mystery of iniquity is abol... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 18. _And there were voices_] A description of the last judgment, when heaven and earth shall conspire together for the... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 19. _And the great city_] The whole Antichristian state. _ Divided into three parts_] By... [ Continue Reading ]
And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. Ver. 20. _Fled away_] Either swallowed up by the water or consumed by the fire.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 21. _A great hail_] Bigger than that which brained the kings of Canaan, Joshua 10:11; perhaps th... [ Continue Reading ]