Revelation of John 16 · The Lantern

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;'

For the whole exodus of the people out of Egypt, which took place under divine guidance, was a type and image of the exodus of the Church which should take place from among the Gentiles; and for this cause He leads it out at last from this world into His own inheritance, which Moses the servant of God did not [bestow], but which Jesus the Son of God shall give for an inheritanc…

From this we are led to think that until the divine vexation with the wicked distinguishes who the righteous are, the saints in no wise obtain the lot of the Jerusalem above or the priesthood in the temple of God or the [final] rest.

And I heard a great voice: Go and pour out the seven bowls, etc. The Church is given the power to impose judgment on the damned and to mercifully grant absolution to the converted.

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.

All of these plagues are spiritual, and they occur in the soul. For at that time the whole people of the impious will be unharmed by any plague of the body, because they were undeserving to be chastised in the present age, and it was as though they had received all the power of causing pain.

The character of a mortal wound is such that the smaller the area on the body that is infected, the greater the likelihood that the remaining healthy part of the body can serve for the restoration of the health of the person.

And the first went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Preachers pour out the bowls of God's wrath in two ways: either by spiritually judging and imposing punishments on the impious, as Peter did to Simon, saying: Your money perish with you (Acts VIII); or by manifesting it through preaching to the holy Church, as he also said: For their judgment is not idle, and their destru…

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.

The blood of the sea and waters plainly indicate the killings of those encamped near the waters in land battles, as is natural.

It is not surprising that to expose the weakness of the antichrist and the light-mindedness of the deceived, the divine power would through the holy prophets, Enoch and Elijah, change the sea into "blood as of a dead man," that is, as of one who had been slain, and would effect the corruption of all in it, just as long ago in Egypt he worked through Moses to expose the hardhear…

And the second poured out his bowl on the sea, etc. Those who are not only marked with the character of the Antichrist but also attack the stability of Christ's servants with the waves of bitter persecution will be punished with a spiritual vengeance, which he calls blood; and those who boasted of living will be proven to have served the author of death.

And the third messenger did pour out his vial to the rivers, and to the fountains of the waters, and there came blood,

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,

And I heard, he says, the angel of the waters speaking. Almighty is God and foreseeing of His creatures and sufficient for the benefit of all, so that there is no need for any collaborator for this; for where the mere willing is the sole work accomplished and where by the impulse of the will all things have been made existent, how could there be need of one who assists and part…

Here also it is shown that angels are placed over the elements. One of these, who is over the waters, sings a hymn to God for the just condemnation that has come upon the transgressors. For since they soiled their hands in the blood of the saints, God has given them blood to drink.

And I heard the angel of the waters saying, You are just, etc. By the angel of the waters, he means all the angels of the peoples, harmonizing with divine praises from their inner affection, because in avenging the blood of His servants, He has given the murderers to drink death.

because blood of saints and prophets they did pour out, and blood to them Thou didst give to drink, for they are worthy;'

and I heard another out of the altar, saying, `Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments.'

To which an angel likewise sends up thanksgiving and those who circle the heavenly altar. For I heard the altar say this, indicating those who minister at the altar. May it be that we all, delivered from all the hardships spoken of, send up a thankful hymn to Christ, to whom be glory unto the ages. Amen.

Sometimes "the altar" signifies Christ, for in him and through him are brought to the Father our spiritual offerings and living sacrifices, which the apostle has instructed us to render.

And I heard another from the altar saying: Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments. What the angels are, the altar, giving thanks to God, also signifies, that is, the inner affection of the saints, whether angels or humans, who preside over the people by teaching.

And the fourth messenger did pour out his vial upon the sun, and there was given to him to scorch men with fire,

But these things are not difficult to explain in terms of the turns of fortune. For the scorching of the sun would be to people the wasting and the crowding and the destitution of those left in wars, who, oppressed by evils, ought to have asked from the Almighty God aid and deliverance from the afflictions that hold them.

Perhaps humankind will literally be burned by the fierce heat of the sun. While God in his goodness "curbs them with bit and bridle who do not draw near to him" so that they might look toward repentance, some have fallen to such depths of evil that by the depravity of their minds they will not turn to conversion but rather to blasphemy.

And the fourth poured out his bowl on the sun, etc. The persecutors of the Church, who, like a burning sun, try to dry up the seed of God's word, are destined to be burned with the future fire of hell.

and men were scorched with great heat, and they did speak evil of the name of God, who hath authority over these plagues, and they did not reform--to give to Him glory.

These plagues from God do not strike them in the body but in the soul. And, therefore, they do not consider God but progress toward greater evil and for that reason blaspheme [God] and persecute his saints.

It is the habit of blasphemers that they prefer to blame God for wickedness and iniquity rather than themselves, and therefore [they] do not seek penance after plagues but, even though tormented, continue to throw insults.

And men were scorched with great heat. At present, indeed, as much as is permitted, the devil glorifies his own. But that clarity and joy the Holy Spirit has defined as plagues and sorrows. For we read above that the army of the devil killed men by fire, smoke, and brimstone. Not that he clearly killed them, but that he destined those who consented to these punishments.

And the fifth messenger did pour out his vial upon the throne of the beast, and his kingdom did become darkened, and they were gnawing their tongues from the pain,

And the bowl of the fifth angel was poured out, he says, upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became darkened. For it is written concerning the apostle about the Antichrist, "whom the Lord will consume by the breath of His mouth," (2 Thess. 2:8) and concerning Isaiah: "Let the wicked be taken away that he may not see the glory of the Lord," (Isa.

Pouring the bowl on the throne of the beast signifies the pouring out of a great wrath upon the kingdom of the antichrist.

And the fifth poured out his bowl, etc. The seat of the beast, that is, his kingdom, like judicial power, is darkened by such plagues, that is, the false joy of earthly happiness, and it becomes devoid of light, as the Psalm says: You cast them down as they were lifted up (Psalm LXXIII). For he did not say, after they were elevated.

and they did speak evil of the God of the heaven, from their pains, and from their sores, and they did not reform from their works.

And the sixth messenger did pour out his vial upon the great river, the Euphrates, and dried up was its water, that the way of the kings who are from the rising of the sun may be made ready;

The sixth angel made the Euphrates River passable, perhaps drying up some of its springs so that passage by it would be easy for the kings. By a diabolic agency and by the permission of God, many kings were gathered together for their mutual war; for the Lord had said that wars would occur at the time of the end in the brief testimony given above (Matt. 24:6).

Perhaps by divine providence the Euphrates River will diminish in size and provide passage to the kings of the nations for their wars of destruction against each other and the rest of humankind.

And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on that great river Euphrates, etc. With the people perishing, the abundance of Babylon, in which nothing living, nothing green, that is not fit for fire, will remain. This is what was said above: The harvest of the earth is dried up (Rev. XIV), the holy king hastens to meet the Sun of righteousness.

and I saw 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, three unclean spirits like frogs--

In addition to their ugly appearance, frogs are unclean also in their places of habitation. Although they seem to be native to the waters, they cannot endure it when the waters recede or dry up, and they roll around in the waters themselves and in the mud and filth of the waters.

This passage mentions individually the devil as a dragon, the antichrist as a beast, and the false prophet as another figure distinct from the other two. It says that spirits similar to frogs come out from these, for they are characterized by a poisonous and filthy nature, and these evil powers love the mud and creep toward foul and moist pleasures.

From these three idolatries proceed all falsities and disordered states of sin, by which the wretched soul is subjected to demons; which is well signified in Revelation, where it is said: "I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits in the form of frogs." By the dragon are signifie…

for they are spirits of demons, doing signs--which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to bring them together to the battle of that great day of God the Almighty; --

We are to believe that these will do wonders even as was the case through the magicians of Pharaoh. Not without reason did he recollect their deeds at the mention of the frogs, so that he might foretell that the ministers of Satan will themselves do similar wonders. For until the sign of the frogs the magicians had been allowed to prevail through their incantations.

The false signs produced by the demons will cause those who follow them to make war on the "great and terrible day of God, the Judge of the living and the dead." On that day, those who fight against God will be utterly defeated and, although they lament over their former deception, they will weep in vain.

For they are the spirits of demons performing signs. Just as through Pharaoh's magicians, they are believed to perform signs. It is not without reason that the mention of frogs is made, unless to proclaim that the ministers of Satan will then also perform similar signs. For up to the sign of frogs, the magicians were permitted to prevail with their enchantments.

`lo, I do come as a thief; happy is he who is watching, and keeping his garments, that he may not walk naked, and they may see his unseemliness,' --

Of the benefits of martyrdom. In the Proverbs of Solomon: "The faithful martyr delivers his soul from evils." Also in the same place: "Then shall the righteous stand in great boldness against them who have afflicted them, and who took away their labours.

Behold, I come like a thief, says the Lord. He says "like a thief" because of the sudden and unexpected nature of his second coming. Blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked.

Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, etc. Blessed are those whose sins are covered (Psalm 31), who cover the shame of a blameworthy life before the eyes of the just with the cloak of subsequent good works. And in the Gospel, the Lord, using the example of avoiding a thief, commands the servants to be watchful.

and they did bring them together to the place that is called in Hebrew Armageddon.

And the demons, he says, gathered the kings of the whole inhabited earth into the place called in Hebrew Meggido. This is interpreted as "Cutting off" or "to be cut off." Therefore he called the place of war Meggido from the cutting off and slaughter destined to be gathered there.

Armageddon is translated as "cutting" or "being thoroughly cut up." And so we should think that the nations gathered and led for battle there by the devil will be slaughtered, since the devil rejoices in human blood.

And he gathered them together in a place called in Hebrew Armageddon. He explains this place elsewhere, saying: He gathered them for battle, and they surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city (Rev. 20), that is, the Church.

And the seventh messenger did pour out his vial to the air, and there came forth a great voice from the sanctuary of the heaven, from the throne, saying, `It hath come!'

Into the air indeed he poured out his bowl; and the voice said It is done. What has been done? The decree, that is, of God and His plan.

The angelic voice from heaven said, "It is done!" That is, the commandment of God has been accomplished. The flashes of lightning and the voices and the thunders are symbolic of the terrifying nature of these occurrences and of the future coming of Christ, just as long ago they announced the descent of God upon Mount Sinai.

And the seventh poured out his vial into the air, etc. Just as above the blood of vengeance up to the horse bridles, namely the unclean spirits went out, so also here when the same aerial powers are drenched with the final vengeance, it is said to have happened, that is, the end is at hand, when (as the Apostle says) the last enemy, death, will be destroyed (1 Cor. 15).

and there came voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and a great earthquake came, such as came not since men came upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake--so great!

And it came--the great city--into three parts, and the cities of the nations did fall, and Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the wrath of His anger,

This great city is to be understood as in general every people that is under heaven and that is seen to be in three parts when the church is divided [into three parts]. And so, the Gentiles are considered to be one part, the heretics and false Christians [are] another part, and the catholic church [is] the third part.

The city that was great because of the size of its population and that was haughty and arrogant because of its immodest enterprises shall fall into three parts.

And the great city was divided into three parts. The impious city inflicts a threefold war upon the Church of Christ. Which the Gentiles and Jews openly with combat, heretics with deceitful defection, false brethren with corrupt examples assail. Which was also figured above in the three bad horses, the red, black, and pale.

and every island did flee away, and mountains were not found,

And he says that every island fled and no mountains were found. Islands are said to be the churches from the nations, as the prophet says: "The Lord has reigned; let the earth rejoice; let many islands be glad." (Ps. 97:1) Islands are also said, as those that have emerged and overcome the bitter and salty idolatry.

The holy Scriptures have taught us that "islands" refer to the churches and "mountains" refer to those who are leaders in them. That they flee at the time of the arrival of the aforementioned occurrences, we have heard from the Lord, who said, "Then they will flee from the east to the west and from the west to the east.

And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. The Church, which, because of its eminence of stability, is compared to islands and mountains, cautiously hides itself from the waves of persecutors.

and great hail (as of talent weight) doth come down out of the heaven upon men, and men did speak evil of God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague is very great.

Because of these events and the great hail, it was necessary that the people then turn to pleas and prayers. For thereby the calamities upon them would cease, whereas they instead blasphemed God, by whose favor the evils also increased against them.

We think that the hail that comes down from heaven is the wrath from God, which also comes from above. That this hail weighs a hundredweight indicates the completeness [of its fearful torment] on account of the extremity and seriousness of the sins, which the image of the talent suggests and as Zechariah saw.

And men blasphemed God, etc. Because some sins are the cause of sin, some the punishment of sin, and some both. As Isaiah says: Behold, you were angry, and we sinned (Isa. 64). Here, to blaspheme God because of the hail, both the sin and the punishment of sin are recognized.

Revelation of John16