161 And I heard a great voice out of the sanctuary saying to the seven messengers, 'Go away, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God to the earth;' 2 and the first did go away, and did pour out his vial upon the land, and there came a sore—bad and grievous—to men, those having the mark of the beast, and those bowing to his image. 3 And the second messenger did pour out his vial to the sea, and there came blood as of 'one' dead, and every living soul died in the sea. 4 And the third messenger did pour out his vial to the rivers, and to the fountains of the waters, and there came blood, 5 and I heard the messenger of the waters, saying, 'righteous, O Lord, art Thou, who art, and who wast, and who shalt be, because these things Thou didst judge, 6 because blood of saints and prophets they did pour out, and blood to them Thou didst give to drink, for they are worthy;' 7 and I heard another out of the altar, saying, 'Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous 'are' Thy judgments.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Revelation 16:1-7
Commentary on Revelation 16:1-7
(Read Revelation 16:1-7)
We are to pray that the will of God may be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Here is a succession of terrible judgments of Providence; and there seems to be an allusion to several of the plagues of Egypt. The sins were alike, and so were the punishments. The vials refer to the seven trumpets, which represented the rise of antichrist; and the fall of the enemies of the church shall bear some resemblance to their rise. All things throughout their earth, their air, their sea, their rivers, their cities, all are condemned to ruin, all accursed for the wickedness of that people. No wonder that angels, who witness or execute the Divine vengeance on the obstinate haters of God, of Christ, and of holiness, praise his justice and truth; and adore his awful judgments, when he brings upon cruel persecutors the tortures they made his saints and prophets suffer.