Notes on the book of Revelations/Chapter 16
The judgment as yet, however, was not one of destruction: the heavenlies[1] and the earth were now separated; and instead of entering into the former, judgment was flowing from them on the latter; but it was not the actual judgment of the quick by the Son of man, but providential dealings of the wrath of God as such, and the wrath filled up in them.
I do not say that this is the last woe. But we have here that which was connected with it, “Thy wrath is come;” and I am disposed to think all that follows in that verse, though other things are mentioned also here.
But as the woe in the twelfth, pronounced on the descent of Satan, was on the earth and on the sea, when he was cast out of heaven, so, on the distinction between heaven and earth and closing of the theavenlies, here—the saints being on the sea of glass; the judgment sent on the earth falls on the earth and sea too.
First, it was “poured” in the stricter sense “on the earth … a grievous sore.” A manifested plague from God fell on the men who had received the mark of the beast, and who worshipped his image. Next, all form of life was turned into death in the mass of the population—“and every living soul” (they are not spoken of as written in the book of life; but those who externally had life) “died.” The profession of being alive to God was blotted out of the mass of unformed nations.
The sources of the state of the population became also the form and power of death; the just judgment of those who had put the saints to death. These were general judgments on the mass and on their condition.
Griesbach reads “I heard the altar saying:” “another out of the altar” would apparently mean another angel, which would be unsuited to all the force of these images. The force of “the altar” generally is clear, because the slain saints are looked at as offered, as burnt offerings to God (comp. vi. 9, 10). And the altar may be here heard to cry, as the witness of all this slaughter of the saints of God. I hardly think one saint would give this testimony from under or out of the altar. If the ordinary reading be correct, then an angel announces it out of the altar, recalling the mind to their having been in their death, as burnt sacrifices ta God.
The fourth angel deals with the supreme power over the earth. But its effect was only to make it hotter: men suffered from intolerable tyranny now; they would not be subject to God—now they only blasphemed Him.
The fifth poured out his vial on the throne of the beast, which was really Satan’s throne, the seat of his dominion and power.
The effect was darkness and confusion; and they, the people of his dominion, “gnawed their tongues for pain.” The beast and his armies, his active evil and mischief, are not in question now; the vial was poured upon his throne. There, God’s judgment reached him; in the other the Lamb’s. The pains and sores here connected seem to identify this class with the first. God had still, to them, only the character of the God of heaven.
Under the sixth, that which flowed through, and gave its strength, character, and prosperity to Babylon was dried up; that “the way of the kings from the sun-rising might be prepared;” the final combats and the final destruction of Babylon still remained.
There is reference here plainly to the position of the Euphrates: it is not, I conceive, the kings of the east, but the kings who came from the east τών άπό άνατολών ήλίου. This drying up of the great ‘river Euphrates prepared their way. I suppose, from other passages, the Euphrates will, at any rate temporarily, be dried up for Israel to pass over, but I do not see that this passage applies to it in the midst of a symbolical prophecy, the vial being said to be poured out on it. It is commonly, from a previous passage, considered that it is the drying up of the Turkish power: it may be so, or at least there may be something analogous, taking the whole chapter in a subordinate and preparatory sense, which I believe it has had, and is having in our own days, as I have expressed of other chapters, only over a longer period. Such application I believe this chapter has had; and this falls in consistently with the whole plan of the protracted scheme of prophecy, because the second beast loses its character as a beast and becomes a false prophet before the final close. The saints in the fifteenth had their victory over the effort to make them worship the image of the beast; but it was the second beast, not the false prophet, who sought to make them worship the image of the first; but here he has the character of the false prophet, so that thus far (i.e. in principle) the victory had been obtained and could be celebrated, by the Spirit, for the Church. But when we come to a more positive fulfilment of judgment, and the actual bringing it into effect, on the separation of the saints out of the scene, and the closing the testimony of grace which gathered into the heavenlies, then there must be something more distinct, something which makes way for the eastern kings to take their part in the great catastrophe. The barrier and resources of the western Roman empire were dried up, so that the way for this coming in of the kings of the east was prepared. Thereon it is, that: the unclean spirits go out, to gather the kings of the whole world to the battle of the great day of God Almighty.
The fourteenth had given, so to speak, the ecclesiastical dealings of the Lord; and testimony in grace was there. In the fifteenth, we have the separation of the saints appropriated in the heavenlies; and then, in the sixteenth, the judgment on the earth, reaching primarily those who had received the mark: all this in relation to God,—subjection and fidelity to Him—not the Lamb. The Son of man judging as the Judge from God, so to speak, not wielding His power as King of kings and Lord of lords.
But upon this judgment[2] (the drying up of the Euphrates), the last struggle must. commences and Satan uses all his energies to prepare his forces: but it is only for the battle of the great day of God Almighty. This is done (being a vision in the midst of the course of the judgment) by the influence and principles of the positive exercise of infidel self-will and enmity to Christ’s power—the concentrating spirit of empire in the beast—the Roman power—and the spirit of popery—here, having changed its secular hierarchical power as a beast for its false influence on minds as a prophet. We see the sort of place this holds in Judah in Jeremiah’s time, and with Ahab, &c.: the manner of it may be different, but it exercises this guiding character, in apostasy; the power to be wielded being held by another.
These three gather the kings (τἤς οίκουμένἤς) of the whole organised habitable earth, to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. But now Christ was nigh at hand. All this went on with multiplied human plans; perhaps, but to the saints it was the sign that Christ was at hand. “And He gathered them together.” Who is He? This was the power and providence of God by Christ, I apprehend: whatever the Satanic influence or instrumentality, it was done, if through that, by Him. The spirits were to go forth to gather; and they gathered: but it was really the Lord’s doing in judgment. Compare Mic. iv. 11, 13.
This battle, the scene of the Lamb’s judgments, against whom the hatred and opposition was, is reserved for His coming forth, and the display of His power. We have an intimation of its connection with Hebrew localities: the place has a Hebrew name, Armageddon. But this comes in here, by the bye; for it is the account of God’s wrath, and the gathering is all that has this character providentially. If there be allusion to the place and term, Megiddo, I should suppose it was of the two; rather Judges v., than the case of Josiah.
The seventh vial was poured into the air, that which affected the whole scene below, the place of universal government and influence. The wrath was still in the earth. So, in fact, of all: and now a voice from the throne in the temple announced that all was finished (γέγονε), and the power of God displayed itself in judgments and thunderings of His power; for “the voice of the Lord is mighty in operation.” And never was so great an earthquake—so great a disruption of all the elements of organised social existence. “The great city (that frame-work and centre of this organisation) “was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell”—all the centres of organisation of the nations extern to the great city: and great Babylon is here presented, not merely in its civil sociality, but its full character before—“great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.” The particulars of her judgment also are reserved for a fuller and exacter display, together with her character, as was that of the beast. The precursory judgments have been stated here, and the order of these final ones placed. The fall of Babylon is connected with the fourteenth chapter, where testimony is going on, as we have seen.
Direct destructive judgment, in the way of plague, not proper judgment before the throne, came down on men, along with this bringing the corporate system of Babylon into remembrance. It was neither repentance, nor, as I have said, any thing of the final judgment of the throne—an earthly thing; for men blasphemed God because of it, for it was very great: such is the effect of God’s judgments when the wilful rebellious heart is unchanged—such have all of us, unless in new life by grace.
- ↑ I doubt, as to the crisis, that the heavens were yet changed—whether these signs did not belong to the old heavens.
- ↑ Although I do not doubt this will have an actual physical accomplishment in gathering of the nations, or their powers and armies, to battle, yet, as that which concerns us all, I would say, that in that which the Church is entitled to understand—the more hidden working of the enemy in principle—this is just going on: that a moral, and so far partial, fulfilment of what preceded has taken place, and there is that which morally gathers them now taking place, so that we have a date of locality as to the Church’s spiritual judgment and position given: the separation then only marked in character, and morally also.