Revelation
CHAPTER -- XVI --
The Plagues Poured Out
(Excerpt from Daniel
and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911)
VERSE 8. And the
fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to
scorch men with fire. 9. 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.
The Fourth Plague. -
It is worthy of notice that every succeeding plague tends to augment the
calamity of the previous ones and to heighten the anguish of the guilty
sufferers. We have now a noisome and grievous sore preying upon men inflaming
their blood, and pouring its feverish influence through their veins. In
addition to this, they have only blood to allay their burning thirst; and, as
if to crown all, power is given unto the sun, and he pours upon them a flood of
liquid fire, and they are scorched with great heat. Here, as the record runs,
their woe first seeks utterance in fearful blasphemy.
VERSE 10. 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. 11. And
blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented
not of their deeds.
p 690 -- The Fifth
Plaague. - An important fact is established by this testimony; namely, that the
plagues do not at once destroy all their victims; for some who were at first
smitten with sores, we find still living under the fifth vial, and gnawing their
tongues for pain. An illustration of this vial will be found in Ex. 10:21-23.
It is poured upon the seat of the beast, the papacy. The seat of the beast is
wherever the papal See is located, which has been thus far, and without doubt
will continue to be, the city of Rome. "His kingdom" probably
embraces all those who are subjects of the pope in an ecclesiastical point of
view, wherever they may be.
As those who place
the plagues in the past have the first five already wholly accomplished, we
here pause a moment to inquire where, in past ages, the judgments here
threatened have been fulfilled. Can judgments so terrible be inflicted, and
nobody know it? If not, where is the history of the fulfilment? When did a
noisome and grievous sore fall upon a specified and extensive portion of
mankind? When did the sea become as the blood of a dead man, and every living
soul die in it? When did the fountains and rivers become blood, and people have
blood to drink? When did the sun so scorch men with fire as to extort from them
curses and blasphemy? And when did the subjects of the beast gnaw their tongues
for pain, and at the same time blaspheme God on account of their sores?
Interpreters who thus put such scenes in the
past, where a shadow of fulfilment cannot be shown, openly invite the scoffs
and ridicule of the skeptically minded against God's holy book, and furnish
them with potent weapons for their deplorable work. In these plagues, says
Inspiration, is filled up the wrath of God; but if they can be fulfilled and
nobody know it, who shall henceforth consider his wrath so terrible a thing, or
shrink from his judgments when they are threatened?
VERSE 12. 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.
13. 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. 14. 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
p 691 -- the battle
of that great day of God Almighty. 15. Behold, I come as a thief.
Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and
they see his shame. 16. And he gathered them together into a place
called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
The Sixth Plague. -
What is the great River Euphrates, upon which this vial is poured out? - One
view is that it is the literal River Euphrates in Asia; another is that it is a
symbol of the nation occupying the territory through which that river flows. The
latter opinion is preferable for the following reasons: -
1.
It would be difficult to see what end would be gained by the drying up
of the literal river, as that would not offer an obstruction at all serious to
the progress of an advancing army; and it should be noticed that the drying up
takes place to prepare the way of the kings of the East; that is, regular
military organizations, and not a promiscuous and unequipped crowd of men,
women, and children, like the children of Israel at the Red Sea or at the
Jordan. The Euphrates is only about 1,400 miles in length, or about one third
the size of the Mississippi. Cyrus, without difficulty, turned the whole river
from its channel at his siege of Babylon; and notwithstanding the numerous wars
that have been carried on along its banks, and the mighty hosts that have
crossed and recrossed its streams, it never yet had to be dried up to let them
pass.
2. It
would be as necessary to dry up the River Tigris as the Euphrates; for that is
nearly as large as the latter. Its source is only fifteen miles from that of
the Euphrates, in the mountains of Armenia, and it runs nearly parallel with it,
and but a short distance from it throughout its whole course; yet the prophecy
says nothing of the Tigris.
3. The
literal drying up of the rivers takes place under the fourth vial, when power
is given to the sun to scorch men with fire. Under this plague occur, beyond
question, the scenes of drought and famine so graphically described by Joel, chapter
1:14-20; and as one result of these, it is expressly stated that "the
rivers of waters are dried up." The Euphrates can hardly be an exception
to this visitation of drought; hence
p 692 -- not much
would remain to be literally dried up under the sixth vial.
These plagues, from
the very nature of the case, must be manifestations of wrath and judgments upon
men; but if the drying up of the literal Euphrates is all that is brought to
view, this plague is not of such a nature, and turns out to be no serious affair,
after all.
These objections
existing against considering it a literal river, it must be understood
figuratively as symbolizing the power holding possession of the territory
watered by that river, which is the Ottoman, or Turkish, empire.
Webmaster note: At
the time of the writing of this book, the Ottoman Empire seemed to be the
obvious power to point to, however, today we must take time and place into
consideration to apply this prophecy. In previous prophecies we are talking
historical facts, whereas this prophecy is talking about things that are STILL
unfolding in time.
1. It
is so used in other places in the Scriptures. (See Isa. 8:7; Rev. 9:14.) In
this latter text, all must concede that the Euphrates symbolizes the Turkish
power; and being the first and only other occurrence of the word in the
Revelation, it may well be considered as governing its use in this book.
2. The
drying up of the river in this sense would be the consumption of the Turkish
empire, accompanied with more or less destruction of its subjects. Thus we
should have literal judgments upon men as the result of this plague, as in the
case of all the others.
But it may be
objected to this, that while contending for the literality of the plagues, we
nevertheless make one of them a symbol. We answer, No. A power is introduced,
it is true, under the sixth vial, in its symbolic form, just as it is under the
fifth, where we read of the seat of the beast, which is a well-known symbol; or
as we read again in the first plague of the mark of the beast, his image, and
its worship, which are also symbols. All that is here insisted upon, is the
literality of the judgments that result from each vial, which are literal in
this case as in all the others, though the organizations which suffer these
judgments may be brought to view in their symbolic form.
Again: It may
be asked how the way of the kings of the East will be prepared by the drying
up, or consumption, of the Ottoman power? The answer is obvious. For what is
the way of these kings to be prepared? Answer: To come up to
p 693 -- the battle
of the great day of God Almighty. Where is the battle to be fought? - Near
Jerusalem. (Joel and Zephaniah.) But Jerusalem is in the hands of the Turks;
they hold possession of the land of Palestine and the sacred sepulchers. This
is the bone of contention; on these the nations have fixed their covetous and
jealous eyes. But though Turkey now possesses them, and others want them, it is
nevertheless thought necessary to the tranquility of Europe that Turkey should
be maintained in her position, in order to preserve what is called the
"balance of power." For this the Christian nations of Europe have
co-operated to sustain the integrity of the sultan's throne, because they
cannot agree as to the division of the spoils, when Turkey falls. By their
sufferance alone that government now exists, and when they shall withdraw their
support, and leave it to itself, as they will do under the sixth plague, that
symbolic river will be wholly dried up; Turkey will be no more, and the way
will be all open for the nations to make their last grand rally to the Holy
Land. The kings of the East, the nationalities, powers, and kingdoms lying east
of Palestine, will act a conspicuous part in the matter; for Joel says in
reference to this scene, "Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the
valley of Jehoshaphat." The millions of Mohammedans of Persia,
Afghanistan, Toorkistan, and India will rush to the field of conquest in behalf
of their religion. (See more about Turkey in Dan. 11:40-45.)
NOTE- CLEARLY this
above is not fact, only fact of the time, not fact in history. They were
putting their current events into the prophecy and while during the last days
of prophecy we will be living in that prophecy and unable to look back upon it,
we have to be careful, VERY careful not to see what isn't there. END NOTE
Those who place five
of the plagues in the past, and contend that we are now living under the sixth,
urge, as one of their strongest arguments, the fact that the Turkish empire is
now wasting away, and this takes place under the sixth vial. It is hardly necessary
to reply, The event that takes place under the sixth vial is the entire
and utter consumption of that power, not its preliminary state of decay, which
is all that now appears. It is necessary that the empire should for a time grow
weak and powerless, in order to its utter dissolution when the plague shall
come. This preliminary condition is now seen, and the full end cannot be far in
the future.
Another event to be
noticed under this plague is the issuing forth of the three unclean spirits to
gather the nations to the
p 694 -- great
battle. The agency now already abroad in the world known as modern
Spiritualism, is in every way a fitting means to be employed in this work. But
it may be asked how a work which is already going on can be designated by that
expression, when the spirits are not introduced into the prophecy until the
pouring out of the sixth plague, which is still future. We answer that in this,
as in many other movements, the agencies which Heaven designs to employ in the
accomplishment of certain ends, go through a process of preliminary training
for the part which they are to act. Thus, before the spirits can have such
absolute authority over the race as to gather them to battle against the King
of kings and Lord of lords, they must first win their way among the nations of
the earth, and cause their teaching to be received as of divine authority and
their word as law. This work they are now doing; and when they shall have once
gained full influence over the nations in question, what fitter instrument could
be employed to gather them to so rash and hopeless an enterprise?
To many it may seem
incredible that the nations should be willing to engage in such an unequal
warfare as to go up to battle against the lord of hosts; but it is one province
of these spirits of devils to deceive, for they go forth working miracles, and thereby
deceive the kings of the earth, that they should believe a lie.
The sources from
which these spirits issue, denote that they will work among three great
religious divisions of mankind, represented by the dragon, the beast, and the
false prophet, or Paganism, Catholicism, and apostate Protestantism.
But what is the
force of the caution thrown out in verse 15? Probation must have closed, and
Christ have left his mediatorial position, before the plagues begin to fall.
And is there danger of falling after that? It will be noticed that this warning
is spoken in connection with the working of the spirits. The inference
therefore is, that it is retroactive, applying from the time these spirits
begin to work to the close of probation; that by an interchange of tenses
common to the Greek language, the present tense is put for the past; as if it
had read, Blessed is he that hath watched and kept his garments, as the
p 695 -- shame and
nakedness of all who have not done this will at this time especially appear.
"And he
gathered them." Who are the ones here spoken of as "gathered,"
and what agency is to be used in gathering them? If the word them refers to the
kings of verse 14 it is certain that no good agency would be made use of to
gather them; and if the spirits are referred to by the word he, why is it in
the singular number? The peculiarity of this construction has led some to read
the passage thus: "And he [Christ] gathered them [the saints] into
a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon [the illustrious city, or New
Jerusalem]." But this position is untenable. The following criticism,
which appeared not long since in a religious magazine, seems to shed the true
light upon this passage. The writer says: -
"It seems to me
that verse 16 is a continuation of verse 14, and that the antecedent of autouV
[them] is 'the kings' mentioned in verse 14. For this latter verse says, 'Which
go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them,'
etc., and in verse 16 it says, 'And he gathered them.' Now in the Greek, 'a
neuter plural regularly takes a verb in the singular.' (See Sophecles's Greek
Grammar, sec. 151, l.) Might not, therefore, the subject of the verb sunhgagen
[gathered] (verse 16) be ta pneumata [the spirits] of verse 14, and thus the
'gathering' mentioned in the two verses be one and the same?
"And if this is
to be a gathering of 'the kings of the earth and of the whole world,' will it
not be for the purpose mentioned in the text; namely, 'to gather them to the
battle of that great day of God Almighty' ?"
In accordance with
this criticism, several translations use the plural instead of the singular
pronoun.
Mr. Wakefield, in
his translation of the New Testament, renders this verse thus: "And
the spirits gathered the kings together at a place called in Hebrew
Armageddon."
The Syriac Testament
reads: "And they collected them together in a place called in
Hebrew Armageddon."
Sawyer's translation
renders it: "And they assembled them in the place called in Hebrew
Armageddon."
p 696 -- Mr.
Wesley's version of the New Testament reads: "And they gathered
them together to the place which is called in the Hebrew Armageddon."
Whiting's
translation gives it: "And they gathered them into a place called
in Hebrew Armageddon."
Professor Stuart, of
Andover College, a distinguished critic, though not a translator of the
Scriptures, renders it: "And THEY gathered them together,"
etc. De Wette, a German translator of the Bible, gives it the same turn as
Stuart and the others.
Mr. Albert Barnes,
whose notes on the New Testament have been so extensively used, refers to the
same grammatical law as suggested by the criticism above quoted, and says,
"The authority of De Wette and Professor Stuart is sufficient to show that
the construction which they adopt is authorized by the Greek, as indeed no one
can doubt, and perhaps this construction accords better with the context than
any other construction proposed." Thus it will be seen that there are
weighty reasons for reading the text, "They gathered them together,"
etc., instead of "he gathered." And by these authorities it is shown
that the persons gathered are the minions of Satan, not saints; that it is the
work of the spirits, not of Christ; and that the place of assemblage is not in
the New Jerusalem at the marriage supper of the Lamb, but at Armageddon (or
Mount Megiddo), "at the battle of that great day of God Almighty."
The hills of
Megiddo, overlooking the plain of Esdraelon, was the place where Barak and
Deborah destroyed Sisera's army, and where Josiah was routed by th Egyptian
king Pharaoh-Necho.
*******
More truth--by
another author - William Grotheer-
Fourth plague
Rev. 16 8 And
the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him
to scorch men with fire. 9And 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.
Repented not- why?
Because there was no place for repentance. The plagues come after the close of
probation- there is no more repentance. The sun god they've worshipped is now a
curse to them.
Going on-
Fifth plague- Rev.
16 10 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,
11And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their
sores, and repented not of their deeds
When this plague is
poured out it is poured out upon the seat of the beast and his kingdom - pain
for their blasphemies, pain and sores. The sores are of the first plague. These
are those that repented not of their deeds. Apostasy.
Integrity of truth
is VITAL in this final conflict, and the maintenance of that truth- the devil
abode not in the truth.
John {8:43} Why do
ye not understand my speech? [even] because ye cannot hear my word. {8:44}Ye
are of your father the devil, and the lusts of [your] father ye will do. He was
a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no
truth in him.
When he speaketh a
lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. We have to
know what is truth! Sanctified by truth. John {17:17} Sanctify them through thy
truth: thy word is truth.
We have to study
what the word says... not what we WANT it to say.
Going on-
Sixth plague- Rev.
16 12 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. 13And 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. 14 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.
15Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his
garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And he gathered
them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Typology- river
Euphrates and the drying up.
What sat on the
river? Ancient/literal Babylon sat over the river Euphrates. Cyrus - Mede/Persians diverted the river
into a lake to dry up the river bed so they could over throw Babylon.
The water dried up.
Water in prophecy-
nations, peoples, and tongues. Rev.
{17:15} And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore
sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes,
and nations, and tongues -- Restrictive descriptive. WHERE THE WHORE SITTETH.
Rev. 16 12 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.
Why this plague--
13And 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. 14
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. 15Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that
watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue
Armageddon.
3 unclean spirits
like frogs... spirits of devils working miracles
The dragon
represents satan Rev. 12
Symbolism is
changing..... spirits of devils are pictured as frogs
Frogs catch their
prey with their tongues. Frogs are noisy especially during mating season when
they're bringing everything together. Spirits of devils- modern charismatic
movement that has pervaded ALL religious aspects today!
They come out of the
mouth of the dragon the beast and false prophet- all are religious in nature!
Combined religious world will be gathered together to the great day of God
Almighty. Satan will use the combined religions to fight against God! This
takes place in probationary time, before the plague is given out. This is the
reason FOR the plague. The religions combined will be used by satan.
Where are they
gathered- Heb. 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the
Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Breaking this greek
word down- we are reading it greek in english, john wrote it as translated
hebrew to greek so....
KJV- Armageddon
AMR- Har-mageddon
(means mountain)
Mountain of what?
In
Hebrew language no vowels- but they had vowel consonant
What's left after
breaking it all down-
Three
Hebrew consonant.
In transliteration-
Spelling gommorah
-
((He has diagrams
etc))
Hebrews tongue - the
mount of moade ?
Isa. 14: 12How
art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut
down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13For thou hast said
in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars
of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the
north:
The mount of the
congregation (is har moade - mount of
the congregation)
Ps. 48
2Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on
the sides of the north, the city of the great King
They are going to
attempt to set up a new Jerusalem on earth!
But in the plague
God reveals it's Babylon they're setting up.
What evidence do we
have about the importance of Jerusalem. Dan.11:45
During the sixth
plague- they are gathering in Jerusalem!
More on this
tomorrow by the GRACE of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST NOW AND FOREVER!!!!
Amen.
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