Revelation 16:8

And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. ANGEL. So 'Aleph ('), Coptic, Andreas; but A B C, Vulgate, Syriac, omit. UPON. Not as Revelation 16:2, 'into.' SUN. Whereas by the fourth trumpet the sun is darkened () in a third part, here, by the fourth vial, the sun's bright scorching power is intensified. POWER WAS GIVEN UNTO HIM - rather, 'unto it:' the sun. MEN - `the men;' those who had the mark of the beast ()....

8-11 The heart of man is so desperately wicked, that the most severe miseries never will bring any to repent, without the special grace of God. Hell itself is filled with blasphemies; and those are ignorant of the history of human nature, of the Bible, and of their own hearts, who do not know that the more men suffer, and the more plainly they see the hand of God in their sufferings, the more furiously they often rage against him. Let sinners now seek repentance from Christ, and the grace of the Holy Spirit, or they will have the anguish and horror of an unhumbled, impenitent, and desperate heart; thus adding to their guilt and misery through all eternity. Darkness is opposed to wisdom and knowledge, and forebodes the confusion and folly of the idolaters and followers of the beast. It is opposed to pleasure and joy, and signifies anguish and vexation of spirit....

Verse Revelation 16:8. _POURED OUT HIS VIAL UPON THE SUN_] Mr. Robert Fleming, more than _one hundred_ years ago, in his _View of Scripture_ _Prophecy_, supposed that the _sun_ here meant the _French empire_, and conjectured that this vial would be poured out on that empire about the year 1794. And it is remarkable that in 1793 the French king was beheaded by the National Assembly; and great and unparalleled miseries fell upon the French nation, which nearly extinguished all their nobility, and brought about a war that lasted twenty-three years, and nearly ruined that country and all the nations of Europe....

AND THE FOURTH ANGEL POURED OUT HIS VIAL UPON THE SUN - Toward the sun, or so as to reach the sun. The effect was as if it had been poured upon the sun, giving it an intense heat, and thus inflicting a severe judgment upon people. This corresponds also with the fourth trumpet Revelation 8:12, where it is said, that the “third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars.” For the general meaning of this symbol see the notes on that place. The idea is, that a scene of calamity and woe would occur as if the sun should be made to pour forth such intense heat that people would be “scorched.” It cannot be supposed that the sun would be literally made hotter, or that the exact nature of these calamities would be that people would be consumed by its rays. And power was given un

EXPOSITION In the judgments of the _vials, _or _bowls, _we have undoubtedly a recapitulation of what has been already foretold in the trumpet and seal visions. This recapitulation is not a mere repetition; but the idea contained in the first visions is strengthened and set forth more forcibly, in conformity with Revelation 15:1, where we are told the wrath of God is finished in these plagues of the vials. The following comparison will illustrate the points of resemblance and contrast between the visions of the trumpets and of the vials. _Trumpets._ 1. Hail, fire, and blood cast upon THE EARTH; _one third _trees, etc., burnt. 2._ One third _of SEA made blood; one third of creatures therein and of ships destroyed. 3.

AND THE FOURTH ANGEL POURED OUT HIS VIAL UPON THE SUN,.... Not literally; and so designs not a violent heat, which shall go before, and be a preparation for the burning of the world; nor any sore famine arising from it, which would be common to all, good and bad; but mystically: some understand this of Christ, the sun of righteousness, not of any wrath that shall be poured forth on him again, being now justified in the Spirit; but either of that clear shining of Christ in the ministry of the word, in those times this vial refers to; when Zion's light will be come, and the light of the sun will be seven fold, and Christ alone will be exalted; which clear ministration of Christ, though it will not savingly enlighten, yet will convict and confound the antichristian party; they will be scorched with the beams of heat and light, which will dart from hence; these will torture them, and fill th...

ANGEL (_ See Scofield) - (Hebrews 1:4). _...

CHAPTER 16 Revelation 16:1 . The great voice commands the seven angels to go on their way and to empty the bowls upon the earth (Ps. 49:24). And these vials of judgments affect not only the Roman Empire, but the entire world, for the whole world is guilty before God. The first vial poured out produces a grievous sore upon the worshipers of the beast. While it is undoubtedly true that we have symbols also in these vial judgments, it is nevertheless possible that some of these plagues may have, besides the symbolical, also a literal meaning. The sixth plague which came upon Egypt, the first judgment upon the persons of the Egyptians, was also a sore (Exodus 9:10). The worshipers of the beast and of the image will be dreadfully afflicted....

REVELATION 16:2. The first bowl. The wrath of God is poured out on the worshippers of the beast, _i.e._ Antichrist, _i.e._ Nero. MARK OF THE BEAST: REVELATION 13:16 *. WORSHIPPED HIS IMAGE: _ i.e._ the image or statue of the emperor (_cf. Revelation 13:14_ f.). Revelation 16:3. The second bowl, like the second trumpet (Revelation 8:8), destroys the living creatures in the sea. _Cf._ also the first of the Egyptian plagues ...

THE FOURTH VIAL. "And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire." "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." We have now reached the fourth vial of the wrath of God. It will be another of. series of calamities that befall the Papal power. We may expect it to follow closely those already described. The symbol employed to represent the fourth calamity is the sun.. have stated elsewhere in these Chapter s that the sun is symbolical of. ruler or king, Any one who becomes. great light and occupies. pre-eminent position, may be indicated by this symbol. The Savior is described as the Sun of Righteousness. In the dream of Joseph, his father Jacob, the patriarchal ruler, is represented by the sun. Among orientals it is the we...