•  Key  SRB  = Scofield References SRB  = Scofield Margin Notes JFB   = Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary JFB   = Introduction AC    = Adam Clarke Comentary AC    = Chronology by Adam Clarke OU1    = OUtline Index of Book OU    = OUtline of This Chapter Verses   |-1- |-2- |-3- |-4- |-5- |-6- |-7- |-8- |-9- |-10- |-11- |-12- |-13- |-14- |-16- |-16- |-17- |-18- |-19- |-20- |-21-| Revelation Chapters 15 and 16.  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index A. The Seven Vials of God's Wrath Judgments of God by which the Power of the Beast is Broken, Revelation 15:2; Revelation 16:2, 10, 13: evidently, the Leopard-Lamb- Boast of chapter 13, identified as "Babylon" in Revelation 16:19, and more fully detailed in Chapters 17 and 18. Revelation 16:1-9 1. The First Four Vials The angels are commanded to pour out their vials upon the earth, Verse 1.  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index The first pours out his vial on the earth, by which a grievous sore is produced, Verse 2.  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index The second angel pours out his trial on the sea, and it is turned into blood, Verse 3.  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index The third angel pours out his vial on the rivers and fountains, and they are turned also into blood, Verses 4-7.  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index 2. The Seven Vials, as a whole, seem to portray the terrifying catastrophes that are to befall the world in the Last Days, climaxing in the Battle of Armageddon, Revelation 16:14-16.  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index The First Five Vials may, also, have specific reference to the Fall of Papal Rome, which was the form of World-Government, existing, and to exist, between the Fall of the Roman Empire and the Final Government of Anti-Christ: even as the Trumpets, chapter 8, did to Pagan Rome. 3. The First Four Vials, like the plagues of the First Four Trumpets, Revelation 8:7-12, fell, successively, on Earth, Sea, Rivers, and Sun.  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index "The Rivers" upon which the Third Vial was poured, Revelation 16:4. were the same rivers where the Blood of Martyrs had been shod. Revelation 15:5, by 1he Beast, Revelation 13:15, and by Babylon, Revelation 17:5; Revelation 18:24. This Vial may represent God's Avenging Judgments on the Papacy in the Very Same River Valleys where Millions of the Papacy victims had been Martyred. B. The Fifth Vial Revelation 16:10, 11  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index The fifth angel pours out his vial on the throne of the beast, Verses 10, 11. 1. Poured out on the Throne of the Beast, whose Realm had already suffered terribly from the First Four Vials, These Five Vials, while they may have other meanings, seem, prophetically, to parallel the colossal upheavals and convulsions of the 18th century by which the Papacy Ceased to be a World-Government. 2, The Papacy was the Dominating Power of the Work! from the 6th to the 18th centuries, the Most Despotic Power in history. its Growth was gradual, gaining steadily from 6th to 9th centuries. From 9th to 13th centuries it absolutely Dominated the Kings of Europe. C. From the 13th century its Decline has been gradual. 1. It's power was tremendously shaken by the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century; and by the French Revolution and the Wars of Napoleon in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. 2. At the hands of Napoleon, the Papacy received its crowning humiliation, and loss of prestige from which it has never recovered. He just about ended the Pope's Political power in Europe. Since then Papal Power in World-Government has been a mere shadow of what it was in the Middle Ages. In the Middle Ages, Popes spoke, and Kings trembled. But that day, THANK GOD, has passed.  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index The fourth angel pours out his vial on the sun, and men are scorched with fire, Verses 8, 9.  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index 3. "Blasphemed the Name of God" Revelation 16:9. Perhaps a reference to the Pope's decree of his own infallibility, 1870 A D. the dying gasp of a World Power, The Crowning Blasphemy of the Ages. Infallibility      The idea that the Pope is Infallible found no expression In Christian literature for 600 years. It arose with the appearance of the False Decretals, and grew with Papal assertion in the Crusades, and in the conflicts of Popes and Emperors. .Many Popes from Innocent 111 on- ward advocated it. But the Councils of Pisa, Constance and Basel expressly decreed that the Popes are subject to the Councils. Pius !X, 1854, "of his own sovereign authority, and without the cooperation of c. Council," proclaimed the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, as a sort of feeler to the Roman Catholic worlu, on the question. Its reception emboldened him to call the Vatican Council (1870) for the express purpose of having himself declared Infallible, which, under his skillful manipulation, they did. The decree reads that it is "divinely revealed" that the Pope, when he speaks "ex cathedra," is "possessed of Infallibility in defining doctrines of faith and morals," and that "such definitions are irreformable of themselves, and not from the consent of the church." And so the Pope is now INFALLIBLE, because the Vatican Council, at his bidding, voted that he is. The Eastern Church considers this the Papacy's crowning Blasphemy. Loss of Temporal Power      Since 754 the Popes had been Civil rulers of a kingdom called "The Papal States," which included a large part of Italy, with Rome as its Capital; and many of the Popes had been more concerned with ex- tending the boundaries and wealth and power of this kingdom than they were in the spiritual welfare of the church, and had often used their spiritual position as Head of the Church to enlarge their secular power. Papal corruption was just as glaring in their Secular rule as in their Spiritual rule. Papa] misrule of Rome was a byword: venality Of officials, frequency of crime, unwholesome streets, exactions upon visitors, falsified coinage, lotteries. Pius IX ruled Rome with the help of 10,000 French troops. On the outbreak of the war between France and Germany, 1870, these troops were recalled; and Victor Immanuel, king of Italy, took possession of the city, and added the Papa] States to the Kingdom of Italy. The vote of the people transferring Rome from the Pope to the Government of Italy was 133,648 to 1,507. The Pope, thus, lost not only his earthly kingdom, but himself became a Subject of another Government, which was a deep humiliation to him who claimed to be Ruler of all kings. His Temporal Power was re- stored, on a miniature scale, 1929, by Mussolini; and tho Vatican City comprises only 100 acres, the Pope is again a Sovereign, king, subject to no earthly authority. Present-Day Popes      Leo XIII, 1878-1903, claimed that he was appointed to be Head of all rulers, and that he holds upon this earth the place of Almighty God; emphasized Papal Infallibility; pronounced Protestants "enemies of the Christian name"; denounced "Americanism"; called the Masonic Order a "source of all evil"; laid down as the only method of coopera- tion complete submission to the Roman Pontiff.      Pius X, 1903-1914, denounced leaders of the Reformation as "enemies of the Cross of Christ."      Benedict XV, 1914-22. Pius XI, 1922-39, in 1928 re-affirmed 1he Roman Catholic Church to be the only church of Christ, and the reunion of Christendom impossible except by submission to Rome. Pius XI 1, 1939—  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index D. The Sixth Vial Revelation 16:12-16 Battle lines being drawn for Armageddon. The Dragon, Boast, and False Prophet muster their Demon Army for One Last Desperate Attack on the Church, Revelation i6:13, 14: the Dragon, Satan: the Beast, World Government: False Prophet, the Apostate Church: all in Alliance. E. The "Euphrates", Revelation 16:12  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index The sixth angel pours out his vial on the river Euphrates, Verse 12. 1. The Vials, still paralleling the Trumpets; as, under the Sixth Trumpet, a Demon Army, from the Euphrates, had delivered a frightful blow against the Church, Revelation 9:14-16, so here, under the Sixth Vial, the Euphrates "Is the assembling place of the Hosts of Wickedness for a Final Effort to Destroy the Church. 2. The Garden of Eden, where the human race originated, and Babel, where earthly Government began its rebellion against God, were in the Euphrates Valley. Thus human history will come to an end where it began. "Behold, 1 Come", Revelation 16:15  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index Three unclean spirits come out of the mouth of the beast, dragon and false prophet: and go forth to gather all the kings of the world to battle, in the place called Armageddon, Verses 13-16. Note the parenthetical caution that with the approach of Armageddon the Day of the Lord's Coming is at hand.  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index F. The Seventh Vial Revelation 16:17-21 The seventh angel pours out his vial on the air, on which followed thunders, lightnings, earth-quakes, and extraordinary hail, Verse 17-21.  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index 1. This seems to be the actual Battle of Armageddon. "Hailstones" from the "Air", Revelation 16:17, 21, each the weight of a talent, that is, about 100 pounds. Seems like a prophecy of Air-Planes and A-Bombs.  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index 2. "Three Parts", Revelation 16:19. As the Roman Empire fell in Three parts, Revelation 8:7-12; 9:18, so in Three stages will the Final Anti-Christian World Government go down: Babylon; Beast; False Prophet.  â€¢ OU Top â € ¢ AC  SRB  JFB  OU Index 3. "Mighty Earthquake", Revelation 16:18. The Two Recent World Wars, threatening clouds of a Third, the present uneasy, disturbed, chaotic condition of nations and governments, half the world already under control of Atheistic Communism avowedly Determined to Destroy Christianity,— these things make us wonder, sometimes with anxious forebodings, it perchance we may even now be in the initial stages of Armageddon. •  Key  SRB  = Scofield References SRB  = Scofield Margin Notes JFB   = Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary JFB   = Introduction AC    = Adam Clarke Comentary AC    = Chronology by Adam Clarke OU1    = OUtline Index of Book OU    = OUtline of This Chapter NOTE: If your reference search placed you here it is indication that there are no Outline References for your search on this page. To return . . . click the link on the Key above ~ Or CLICK   - Revelation 16:1. Additional Resources  â€¢ Adam Clark Commentary  â€¢ Barnes' New Testament  â€¢ Darby's Synopsis  â€¢ Gill's Exposition  â€¢ Geneva Study Bible  â€¢ David Guzik's Commentaries  â€¢ Jamieson, Fausset, Brown  â€¢ Matthew Henry Complete  â€¢ Matthew Henry Concise  â€¢ People's New Testament  â€¢ Robertson's Word Pictures  â€¢ Scofield Reference Notes  â€¢ Treasury of Scripture  â€¢ Wesley's Explanatory Notes SRB References ^ JFB Comentary ^ Adam Clarke Commentary ^ Outline Of Chapter ^ Copyright Statement These files are considered public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that is available in the Online Bible Software Library. Bibliography Information Scofield, C. I. "Scofield Reference Notes on Revelation 16". "Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)". <http://www.studylight.org/com/srn/view.cgi?book=re&chapter=016>. 1917.

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