Revelation 15:7-8 And one of the four beasts gave to the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.… Observe — 1. That what was called seven plagues in the foregoing verse is here called seven golden vials full of the wrath of God: in this verse vials are full cups. Vials of wrath are prepared when the measures of a people's sins are filled up; full cups of sin are followed with full vials of God's wrath. Next, these vials are said to be of gold, signifying that these judgments proceed from a just God, with whom there is no corruption nor iniquity in judgments, He being holy in all His ways, and righteous in all His works. These vials are also said to be full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever, as an aggravation of the same, it not being like the wrath of a mortal man, of short continuance; it is the wrath of Him that ever lives to maintain His wrath, and to uphold and sustain the sinner under the execution and infliction of this wrath, that the sinner cannot run from Him. 2. The executioners of this wrath are said to be seven angels. The angels, which are merciful attendants upon the godly, are also at God's command, the executioners of His wrath upon the wicked. These angels are here said to be seven, to signify that God's judgments upon His Church's adversaries shall be heavy and great; one angel plagued all Egypt, and destroyed Sennacherib's mighty host, but here went out seven angels to destroy antichrist. 3. The tremendous dreadfulness of this wrath, intimated by filling the temple with smoke, thereby signifying that the wrath of God, kindled against His enemies, shall be unto them like a devouring and consuming fire, before the flame of which burst forth, a cloud of smoke appears. Learn — That almighty God is glorified in the destruction as well as in the salvation of sinners; His glory is as well seen in His smoking wrath against the wicked, as in His saving mercy towards the godly. The temple was filled with smoke, from the glory of God, and from His power; it follows, no man was able to enter into the temple; that is, to deprecate God's anger and supplicate His mercy, or to avert the plagues threatened and now just ready to be inflicted; when mercy has been long offered and despised, the Lord at last becomes inexorable, and will suffer none to intercede or plead with Him (Jeremiah 15:1). (W. Burkitt, M. A.). Parallel Verses KJV: And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. |
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