OUT OF THE TEMPLE; coming from the temple, where God dwelt. Men are
apt to look no further than to second causes; but the holy Scriptures
refer all the judgments which fall upon the world for its wickedness
to God as their author. They come from him, and execute his holy
purposes.
POUR OUT THE VIAL... [ Continue Reading ]
UPON THE EARTH; signifying that some distressing judgment falls on the
worshippers of the beast. Men are so entirely in the hands of God, he
can in so many ways and with such perfect ease destroy them, that it
is the height of folly as well as wickedness to oppose his cause, or
to refuse his grace.... [ Continue Reading ]
UPON THE SEA; probably here, as often elsewhere, a symbol of
revolutions accompanied with a terrible amount of bloodshed, and
preparing the way for the overthrow of the beast.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RIVERS AND FOUNTAINS-BECAME BLOOD; seeming to indicate a
succession of bloody wars.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ANGEL OF THE WATERS; that had charge of the waters. Compare chap
Revelation 7:1, where four angels have charge of four winds.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE WORTHY; deserve their awful doom. Men often suffer calamities
greater than those they have wickedly inflicted, and may read their
sins in their punishment.... [ Continue Reading ]
OUT OF THE ALTAR; under which are the souls of the martyrs whose blood
has been shed by these persecutors. Chap Revelation 6:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
UPON THE SUN; not extinguishing him, but kindling in him an unnatural
and scorching heat. The symbol, according to some, denotes the turning
of civil power into a means of oppressing men.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY REPENTED NOT; they grew no better under their torment, being
given up to hardness of heart and blindness of men. The elements,
which ordinarily are sources of rich blessings, become, when
commissioned by God, sources of exquisite anguish to his foes.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SEAT OF THE BEAST; the centre of his power, authority, and
influence.
THEY; his followers.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GREAT RIVER EUPHRATES-THE WATER THEREOF WAS DRIED UP; that thus
the hinderance to the way of the kings of the east might be removed.
Many think that the decay of the Ottoman power, as a preparation for
some great movement yet in the future, is here predicted. Compare the
notes on the sixth trump... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKE FROGS; loathsome, creeping, unclean things.
THE DRAGON; the devil. See note to chap Revelation 12:3.
THE BEAST; the first beast that rose up out of the sea. chap
Revelation 13:1.
THE FALSE PROPHET; the second beast that rose out of the earth, chap
Revelation 13:11, was in league with the fir... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT GREAT DAY OF GOD; when he will inflict full vengeance on his
foes. Satan and wicked men are leagued together, and cooperate in
opposing God; and often the greater their efforts the nearer they are
to destruction.... [ Continue Reading ]
AS A THIEF; suddenly, unexpectedly. A solemn intimation that the day
here spoken of will come suddenly and unexpectedly, and find
multitudes unprepared for its approach.
WATCHETH, AND KEEPETH HIS GARMENTS; is awake and active in duty.
LEST HE WALK NAKED; as a man would whose garments, through his... [ Continue Reading ]
HE GATHERED THEM; or, as the idiom of the original Greek admits, they
gathered them; the three unclean spirits, namely, "which go forth"-the
verb in the original is here also singular-"unto the kings of the
earth and of the whole world, to gather them," verse Revelation 16:14.
ARMAGEDDON; that is, t... [ Continue Reading ]
INTO THE AIR; the place of storms and tempests, which immediately
follow, verses Revelation 16:18; Revelation 16:21, and are, as well as
earthquakes, symbolic of mighty commotions and overturnings among the
nations.
IT IS DONE; the destruction of the enemies of God is complete. So
certain was it, t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GREAT CITY; Babylon.
THE CITIES OF THE NATIONS; these with Babylon represent the centres of
the power and influence of Satan, the beast, false prophet, and all
their anti-christian associates.
GREAT BABYLON; see chap Revelation 17:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY ISLAND FLED AWAY-THE MOUNTAINS WERE NOT FOUND; representing the
overthrow by mighty revolutions of all the powers opposed to Christ
and his people.... [ Continue Reading ]
A GREAT HAIL; a symbol of God's awful judgments on the wicked.
THE WEIGHT OF A TALENT; the Attic talent was equal to about
fifty-seven pounds; the Hebrew talent to more than a hundred pounds.
The weight of the stones represents the awful severity of the
judgments. No sufferings, however great or lo... [ Continue Reading ]