(Chapter 15)
Chapter 15 is introductory to these judgments. It is a scene of faithful Gentile martyrs in heaven praising the Lord. These judgments are poured out in answer to the cry of these martyrs who have suffered and died under the regime of the Beast. They have “gotten the victory over the beast” in that they would not yield to the pressure of worshipping its image, nor would they receive its mark, but remained faithful unto death. Now they are before God in the disembodied state, but in a fixed condition of purity and bliss.
It is significant that these Gentile martyrs sing of Christ as “the King of nations, and that they make mention of “all nations” coming to worship before Him (vss. 3-4 – J. N. Darby Trans.). This is in keeping with the focus of these vial [bowl] judgments whose effects will reach to the outlying Gentile nations. They are poured out on the prophetic “earth” (chap. 16:1), but their effect spreads out to the nations outside the prophetic earth.
A Two-Fold Song of the Martyrs
• “The song of Moses” pertains to the crushing of the faithful martyrs’ enemies (Ex. 15:1-19).
• “The song of the Lamb” pertains to the redemption of the martyrs’ souls (chap. 5:9).
There is a definite correlation between the trumpet judgments and the vial [bowl] judgments. The 1st trumpet and 1st vial have to do with the “earth.” The 2nd trumpet and 2nd vial have to do with the “sea.” The 3rd trumpet and 3rd vial have to do with the “rivers.” The 4th trumpet and the 4th vial have to do with the “sun.” The 5th trumpet and the 5th vial have to do with the influence of “darkness.” The 6th trumpet and the 6th vial have to do with “the river Euphrates” and an invading army passing over it. The 7th trumpet and the 7th vial have to do with the personal intervention of Christ—His Appearing in judgment. It is significant that the trumpet judgments are on “the third part” of the earth, sea, rivers, etc.—a restricted area of the world (the western prophetic earth)—whereas the vial judgments have no such expression. This indicates that the vial judgments are much broader in their range.
Some have thought that these vial [bowl] judgments will occur after the trumpet judgments—just a few days prior to the Appearing of Christ. But this upsets the outline of the book and makes for problems in interpretation. For instance, then the drying of the Euphrates occurs twice and the land of Israel will be attacked and devastated by armies from the northeast twice—the sixth trumpet and the sixth vial! Moreover, the Lord will come out of heaven in judgment (His Appearing) twice!—the seventh trumpet and the seventh vial. A. C. Brown and others have pointed out that it makes much more sense to see the trumpet judgments and the vial judgments as going over the same ground, but from a different perspective. (This is indicated on the chart placed at the beginning of the sixth chapter.)
The First Vial [Bowl]
(Chap. 16:1-2)
Individual followers of the Beast in his empire (“the earth”) and also any followers who may be in the out-lying nations will be smitten with a “grievous sore” whereby they are afflicted with a guilty conscience that brings them constant misery.
The Second Vial [Bowl]
(Chap. 16:3)
Those in the outlying nations (“the sea”) who have rejected the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 24:14) will apostatize from what light they have had.
The Third Vial [Bowl]
(Chap. 16:4-7)
The natural sources of joy and well-being of life (“the rivers”) will be taken away from those in the outlying nations.
The Fourth Vial [Bowl]
(Chap. 16:8-9)
A great governing authority in the outlying nations (“the sun”) will apostatize, causing a frightful oppression over men.
The Fifth Vial [Bowl]
(Chap. 16:10-11)
Moral and spiritual “darkness” will sweep over the subjects of the Beast, which will give them a deep sense of the abandonment of God. This will also be felt by many in the outlying nations.
The Sixth Vial [Bowl]
(Chap. 16:12-14)
The eastern border of the Beast’s empire (which drying of “the great river Euphrates” symbolizes) will be overrun by a vast army of attacking soldiers. This will be a confederacy of Moslem nations situated to the immediate north and east of Israel. It is the same company mentioned in chapter 9:13-21. These confederate armies will be led by “the King of the North” (Psa. 83:1-8; Dan. 11:40-42). They will sweep through the land of Israel and proceed into Egypt, destroying the mass of the Jews who will have received the Antichrist. The devil (“the dragon”) and his two human agents (“the Beast” and “the False Prophet” – the Antichrist) will be behind the drawing together of these confederacies to battle.
These “kings from the east” are not China and India, etc. W. Scott has pointed out that if China is in view here, it would say, “the kings of the east.” If those Far East nations are involved in these end of time battles, they would come up later with Gog—Russia (Ezek. 37:6 – “many peoples with thee”). Moreover, the King of the North is not Gog. Gog is from “the uttermost north” (Ezek. 38:1-6 – J. N. Darby Trans.).