REV 16

Revelation 16:18

WEB

There were lightnings, sounds, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake such as has not happened since there were men on the earth—so great an earthquake and so mighty.

BSB

And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and a great earthquake the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth—so mighty was the great quake.

KJV

And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

Matthew Henry

Verses 17–21

Revelation 16:17–21

Here we have an account of the seventh and last angel pouring forth his vial, contributing his part towards the accomplishment of the downfall of Babylon, which was the finishing stroke. And here, as before, observe,

I. Where this plague fell - on the air, upon the prince of the power of the air, that is, the devil. His powers were restrained, his policies confounded; he was bound in God's chain: the sword of God was upon his eye and upon his arm; for he, as well as the powers of the earth, is subject to the almighty power of God. He had used all possible means to preserve the antichristian interest, and to prevent the fall of Babylon - all the influence that he has upon the minds of men, blinding their judgments and perverting them, hardening their hearts, raising their enmity to the gospel as high as could be. But now here is a vial poured out upon his kingdom, and he is not able to support his tottering cause and interest any longer.

II. What it produced, 1. A thankful voice from heaven, pronouncing that now the work was done. The church triumphant in heaven saw it, and rejoiced; the church militant on earth saw it, and became triumphant. It is finished. 2. A mighty commotion on the earth - an earthquake, so great as never was before, shaking the very centre, and this ushered in by the usual concomitants of thunder and lightnings. 3. The fall of Babylon, which was divided into three parts, called the cities of the nations (Rev 16:19); having had rule over the nations, and taken in the idolatry of the nations, incorporating into her religion something of the Jewish, something of the pagan, and something of the Christian religion, she was as three cities in one. God now remembered this great and wicked city. Though for some time he seemed to have forgotten her idolatry and cruelty, yet now he gives unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And this downfall extended further than to the seat of antichrist; it reached from the centre to the circumference; and every island and every mountain, that seemed by nature and situation the most secured, were carried away in the deluge of this ruin.

III. How the antichristian party were affected with it. Though it fell upon them as a dreadful storm, as if the stones of the city, tossed up into the air, came down upon their heads, like hailstones of a talent weight each, yet they were so far from repenting that they blasphemed that God who thus punished them. Here was a dreadful plague of the heart, a spiritual judgment more dreadful and destructive than all the rest. Observe, 1. The greatest calamities that can befall men will not bring them to repentance without the grace of God working with them. 2. Those that are not made better by the judgments of God are always the worse for them. 3. To be hardened in sin and enmity against God by his righteous judgments is a certain token of utter destruction.

Cross-references: Rev 16:19

Greek interlinear

οὕτωohutōadverb

G2532

καίkaí/kahee/

and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet

Derivation: apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force;

and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words

KJV: and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.

G1096

γίνομαιgínomai/ghin'-om-ahee/

arise, be assembled, be(-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought

Derivation: a prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb;

to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.)

KJV: arise, be assembled, be(-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.

G796

ἀστραπήastrapḗ/as-trap-ay'/

lightning, bright shining

Derivation: from G797;

lightning; by analogy, glare

KJV: lightning, bright shining.

See also: G797.

G5456

φωνήphōnḗ/fo-nay'/

noise, sound, voice

Derivation: probably akin to G5316 through the idea of disclosure;

a tone (articulate, bestial or artificial); by implication, an address (for any purpose), saying or language

KJV: noise, sound, voice.

See also: G5316.

G1027

βροντήbrontḗ/bron-tay'/

thunder(-ing)

Derivation: akin to βρέμω (to roar);

thunder

KJV: thunder(-ing).

G4578

σεισμόςseismós/sice-mos'/

earthquake, tempest

Derivation: from G4579;

a commotion, i.e. (of the air) a gale, (of the ground) an earthquake

KJV: earthquake, tempest.

See also: G4579.

G3173

μέγαςmégas/meg'-as/

(+ fear) exceedingly, great(-est), high, large, loud, mighty, + (be) sore (afraid), strong, X to years

Derivation: (including the prolonged forms, feminine μεγάλη, plural μεγάλοι, etc.; compare also G3176, G3187);

big (literally or figuratively, in a very wide application)

KJV: (+ fear) exceedingly, great(-est), high, large, loud, mighty, + (be) sore (afraid), strong, X to years.

See also: G3176, G3187.

G3634

οἷοςhoîos/hoy'-os/

so (as), such as, what (manner of), which

Derivation: probably akin to G3588, G3739, and G3745;

such or what sort of (as a correlation or exclamation); especially the neuter (adverbially) with negative, not so

KJV: so (as), such as, what (manner of), which.

See also: G3745, G3588, G3739.

G3756

οὐou/oo/

+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but

, also (before a vowel) οὐκ , and (before an aspirate) οὐχ

Derivation: a primary word;

the absolute negative (compare G3361) adverb; no or not

KJV: + long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.

See also G3364, G3372.

See also: G3361, G3364, G3372.

G575

ἀπόapó/apo'/

(X here-)after, ago, at, because of, before, by (the space of), for(-th), from, in, (out) of, off, (up-)on(-ce), since, with

Derivation: a primary particle;

"off," i.e. away (from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative)

KJV: (X here-)after, ago, at, because of, before, by (the space of), for(-th), from, in, (out) of, off, (up-)on(-ce), since, with.

In composition (as a prefix) it usually denotes separation, departure, cessation, completion, reversal, etc.

G3739

ὅςhós/hos/

one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc

, including feminine , and neuter

Derivation: probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article G3588);

the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that

KJV: one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.

See also G3757.

See also: G3588, G3757.

G444

ἄνθρωποςánthrōpos/anth'-ro-pos/

certain, man

Derivation: from G435 and ὤψ (the countenance;

from G3700); man-faced, i.e. a human being

KJV: certain, man.

See also: G435, G3700.

G1909

ἐπίepí/ep-ee'/

about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, X have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with

Derivation: a primary preposition;

properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.

KJV: about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, X have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with.

In compounds it retains essentially the same import, at, upon, etc. (literally or figuratively).

G3588

ho/ho/

the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc

, including the feminine , and the neuter τό in all their inflections;

Derivation: the definite article;

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)

KJV: the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.

G1093

γῆ/ghay/

country, earth(-ly), ground, land, world

Derivation: contracted from a primary word;

soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe (including the occupants in each application)

KJV: country, earth(-ly), ground, land, world.

G5082

τηλικοῦτοςtēlikoûtos/tay-lik-oo'-tos/

so great, so mighty

, or feminine τηλικαύτη

Derivation: from a compound of G3588 with G2245 and G3778;

such as this, i.e. (in (figurative) magnitude) so vast

KJV: so great, so mighty.

See also: G3588, G2245, G3778.

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