A Plain Explanation of Revelation, Part 16
Apoc. Cap. 16. 1.
And I heard a great voice out of the Temple, ſaying to the ſeauen Angels, Goe your waies, and poure out the ſeauen Vials of the wrath of God vponupon the earth, &c.
IN the ſetting forth of the iudgements of God vponupon the Beaſt and his worſhippers, wee hauehave heard in the former Chapter, that mention was made of the Miniſters and Executioners of theſe iudgements, as alſo of the matter of the ſame. In this Chapter followeth the Execution of the Miniſtery of theſe ſeauen Angels.
And firſt it is ſaid by the Apoſtle, that hee heard a voice out of the Temple, to the ſeauen Angels, which gaue ſpeciall authority vntounto them, commanding them to poure out their Vials.
That they came forth of the Temple; it noteth their full authority and ſtrength to doe that worke they were called vntounto, and alſo that the iudgements which they executed were irreuocable.
And whereas the Vials being giuen them before, yet they would not poure them out before they were commanded; more particularly it ſheweth the great and ſingular obedience of the Angels. One would hauehave thought, that hauing the Vials once giuen them,, they ſhould preſently hauehave proceeded to execution, but they would not, till they had ſpeciall commandement. Teaching vsus not to doe any thing without ſpeciall authority, commiſſion, and commandement from God.
Euen as a ſword, being committed into the hand of a Souldier by the Captaine generall, hee is not to ſmite before he be commanded to fight, and before the Trumpet be ſounded to battaile; ſo though a man hauehave excellent graces giuen him, yet he is not to execute any function, eſpecially publiquely, before he receiue a particular warrant and calling from God thereunto. Sampſon, though hee had ſtrength giuen him that he was able to hauehave defended the Iſraelites, and reuenged them of their enemies, yet he could not take vponupon him the gouernement of the people, before the Lord had called him vntounto it: In like manner, the Miniſters of the word, albeit they hauehave neuer ſo notable gifts of Knowledge, Vtterance, &c. yet they are not in any caſe to intrude themſelues into the Miniſtery, vnleſſe they hauehave a particular calling from the Lord.
Theſe Angels are bidden firſt in generall to caſt their Vials vponupon the earth; that is, on the whole frame of all the Heauen, Earth, Sea, and all in them, in the execution: yet ſome are more ſpecially commanded to be poured on the earth, becauſe theſe iudgements are intended againſt the wicked on the earth.
The firſt Angell is ſaid to hauehave poured his Viall vponupon the earth; whereupon there fell an exceeding great ſore of Biles on them that had the marke of the Beaſt, and which worſhipped his Image. The Plagues of this Chapter hauehave great agreement with the Plagues ſet downe in the eight and ninth Chapters, they being like in the matter of the plagues, ſo alſo in the number: the difference is, that theſe were headed with more fierce tokens of Gods wrath, and with a more heauie indignation, becauſe thoſe were executed on all the earth; not on the Perſons onelyonly, theſe on the Perſons, and that on the principall offenders onelyonly, namely, on the worſhippers of the Beaſt.
So that here wee ſee the Lord executes his iudgements by degrees; firſt by Biles, not killing them, but vexing them outwardly, if happily thereby they might be brought to repentance.
The ſecond Angell poured his Viall on the Sea, whereupon the colour of it was turned, ſo that it looked like black blood of death: So that God proceeded in iudgement, they not profiting, hee now goeth on forward to puniſh with death.
The third Angell poured his Viall on the freſh waters; to declare that God left notes of his wrath on all the creatures of the world: ſo that the earth and waters themſelues being thus iudged, did beare witneſſe of their ſinnes againſt them.
On theſe two latter executions, the Angels of the Waters take occaſion to acknowledge and confeſſe that Gods iudgements againſt the wicked, are true, and holy, and iuſt, as after followeth. For as they had ſhed the bloud of Gods Saints, ſo their bloud alſo was ſhed, and they are faine (as the Egyptians did, to whom they were alluded) to drinke of the bloud of the Riuers, for ſo (ſay they) are they worthy; as before, hauing taken delight in the bloud of the Saints.
Another Angell, that is, the third Angell which was in the Sanctuary, doth approue that which the other two had confeſſed; for their office was ouer the Waters: noting, that the Angels of God hauehave their particular places of gouernment, wherein they execute their functions enioyned them of God. And leſt the wicked ſhould ſeeme to thinke that God was too ſharpe and ſeuere in iudgement againſt them, therefore not onelyonly the Angels of the Waters, that is, of the freſh and ſalt waters, doe acknowledge, that the ſinnes of thoſe wicked men had deſerued this and more; and therefore the iudgement was iuſt, inſomuch as that they might ſee their very ſinnes in the ſame, as it were in capitall letters: but euen alſo that other Angell, out of the Sanctuary, doth affirme, that which theſe two had ſaid, and acknowledgeth Gods righteous iudgement herein.
The fourth Angell caſts his Viall on the Sunne; noting, that the iudgement was not onelyonly on the earth, but in the heauen, by the diſtemperature thereof, through the intemperate weather, as namely, the extreame heat which ſhould proceed from it, which ſhould ſcorch the earth, and the men that were in it, wheron ſhould come dearth, famine, &c.
And here the Euangeliſt notes, that theſe worſhippers of the Beaſt, whether they had receiued the marke of the Beaſt vponupon the foreheads, that is, were open profeſſors of the worſhip of the Beaſt, or receiued it in their hands, that is, were priuate fauourers of the Beaſt and his Idolatries, namely, whether they did openly or priuately or any way yeeld to the Idolatry of the Beaſt of Rome; yet they repented not: ſignifying, that whereas as yet, Gods iudgements were in his hand to remoue them if they repented, or to double them if they did not repent: They notwithſtanding for all theſe degrees of Plagues, doe ſtill continue obſtinate; yea, they proceed to blaſpheme God, ſo farre are they from repenting and glorifying God. And hitherto it ſeemes God began with the common people; for as in his Plagues, he vſeth to begin firſt with his Church, then with the wicked; ſo in the wicked hee begins firſt with the lower and inferiour ſort, and then followes with the more grieuous and principall offenders.
The fift Angell poures out his Viall on the ſeate of the Beaſt; which is to be vnderſtood of the Church of Rome; whereupon followes darkeneſſe, to wit, anguiſh, and trouble, and paine: which appeared in that they are ſaid to bite their tongues, as the malignant and enuious perſons vſe to doe, who being troubled or croſſed any way, will for anguiſh vexe themſelues more.
The ſixt Angell poures out his Viall on the Riuer Euphrates; viz. that defence wherewith this ſpirituall Babilon is enuironed and compaſſed about; for by Babilon is vnderſtood Rome; for as in Babilon the children of Iſrael were kept both in ſpirituall and bodly ſeruitude; ſo by the ſinnes and Idolatries of the Church of Rome, it hath beene ſhewed that the Church of God ſhould be tormented with ſpirituall bondage. And this Riuer Euphrates was a riuer which compaſſed and defended Babilon from their enemies: and therfore by Euphrates here ſeemeth to be meant, the fort, ſtrenght, and munition of the City and Church of Rome. Whereas then he poureth his Viall vponupon Euphrates, whereby it was dried vp; it noteth that the ſtrength and fort of Rome was hereby greatly abated, and as it were taken away.
The reaſon of this is rendred, namely, that their might be way made for the Kings of the Eaſt, who ſhould come for the aide and reliefe of this Beaſt of Rome; for whereas by this Iudgement, and by theſe Plagues, they ſhould hauehave turned vntounto repentance, yet they would not, but in their diſtreſſe would make rather all friends they could to be at one with the Kings of the earth, and vſe all meanes of reconciling themſelues vntounto them; and ioyning to themſelues the Kings which were from farre, making them their defendants and maintainers.
And whereas it is ſaid, that from the Dragon, that is, from Sathan; from the Beaſt, that is, from the Empire; from the Prophet, that is, from that man of Rome, the Pope, are ſent forth three ſpirits: It noteth, that when they ſhould ſee themſelues thus deſtitute, made naked, and depriued of their defences and ſafeguards which they had before, there ſhould be a certaine number of falſe Prophets raiſed vp by the Pope and his adherents, which ſhould ſtirre vp and ſolicite the Kings to ioyne to the Church of Rome. Theſe Prophets are compared to Frogs, partly becauſe of their loud voice, and of that great noiſe which they ſhould make, and whereby they ſhould be continually crying in the eares of the Princes; which thing wee ſee effected by the Monkes, Fryers, and the reſt of thoſe curſed Prophets, who are alwaies perſwading thoſe whom they would hauehave to ioyne themſelues vntounto them, by theſe arguments; by defending their holy Father the Pope; of helping their holy Mother the Church, &c. thereby ſtirring them vp againſt Chriſt and his ſeruants. Partly alſo theſe falſe Prophets are compared to frogs, by reaſon of their great multitudes, wherein they come.
And here Chriſt comforteth and vpholdeth his Seruants, and warneth them to take heed to themſelues, that howſoeuer the Beaſt, with his Prophets, thus proceeded, and made themſelues ſtrong, by ioyning to them the Princes of the earth; yet hee ſaith, hee will come vponupon them as a Thiefe; namely, at vnawares to them. And therefore hee admoniſheth the Children of God to watch; and keepe vponupon them their cloathes and their armour, leſt hee comming in the night, ſhould finde them naked, both to their ſhame, and to their deſtruction, they being naked to his iudgements: alluding to a Souldier, who being naked and without Armour, when the enemie commeth muſt needs be ſlaine.
And as they gather the Kings for their aſsiſtance; ſo he alſo gathereth great companies together, and the place he gathereth them to, is Harmageddon; ſignifying the mountaine of deſtruction, which was the place where Ioſiah was ſlaine, and a great ouerthrow was giuen to the Iſraelites by the King of Egypt; which fearefull and grieuous ouerthrow, the wicked bragged at, and vſed to obiect it againſt the people of God, which here he ſeemeth to aime at: as if hee ſhould ſay, that they ſhould bragge no more againſt the Church of God, becauſe they had ſo ſore an ouerthrow at that time, for which, there was ſo great a lamentation, as it is ſaid, that there was neuer the like heard; for euen as that place, was a place of deſtruction to them, ſo this ſhould be to theſe enemies of God.
The ſeauenth Angell poures his Viall on the Aire, then there is ſaid to come a voice from the Temple, which was the voice of God: the effects whereof were wonderfull; for it is ſaid, that there followed in heauen, moſt fearefull thunders, lightnings, and voices, in the earth a great Earth-quake; whereby the earth trembled and ſhaked, which is ſaid to be ſo fearefull a one, as neuer was before. Which noteth the fearefull maieſtie and terror of God againſt his enemies, and his mightie power whereby hee is able to ſcatter and to deſtroy them. The words which the Voice vttered, are theſe; It is done: to wit, the conſummation of the victory of Chriſt ouer his enemies, the parts whereof are expreſſed, ſome in the words following, to the end of this Chapter, and the reſt follow in the other Chapters.
Then in the next words, it is ſaid, that the victory of Chriſt is in part wrought by the Earth-quake, the effects whereof are, firſt, that the great City was ſhaken, to wit, Rome; called the great City, by way of excellencie, in that it was counted the greateſt in the world, being the greateſt in account, in fame, and eſtimation: according to our vſuall cuſtome, who call the moſt famous and chiefe City, by the name of The City.
And it is not onelyonly ſhaken, and many Houſes throwne downe, but alſo it is diuided into three parts; that is, their power is ſcattered, the City being diuided and rent into many peeces by the Earth-quake: and not onelyonly this City, but many Cities of other Nations, and the Iſles alſo, to wit, other Countries are hereby ouerthrowne, and the Mountaines were not found, which vſeth to come to paſſe in great Earthquakes, their power likewiſe and ſtrength being taken away.
Afterwards it is ſaid, that there fell great Haile-ſtones like Talents vponupon men: and theſe come, when by the Earth quake they were terrified and ſcared out of their doores: for when they were diſlodged of their Houſes and all refuge, then the Lord poured out his iudgements on them, to breake their heads, the denouncing whereof before could not breake their hearts: ſuch was the Haile which fell on the Egyptians, that whoſoeuer were without the doores, ſhould be killed therewith: but here the Lord dealeth more ſeuerely, for firſt he driueth them out of their Houſes from all refuge, and then poures the Hayle ſtones vponupon them: the effect hereof in them is, that they blaſphemed God by reaſon of the greatneſſe of the Hayle.