16:1-7 We are to pray that the will of God may be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Here is a succession of terrible judgments of Providence; and there seems to be an allusion to several of the plagues of Egypt. The sins were alike, and so were the punishments. The vials refer to the seven trumpets, which represented the rise of antichrist; and the fall of the enemies of the church shall bear some resemblance to their rise. All things throughout their earth, their air, their sea, their rivers, their cities, all are condemned to ruin, all accursed for the wickedness of that people. No wonder that angels, who witness or execute the Divine vengeance on the obstinate haters of God, of Christ, and of holiness, praise his justice and truth; and adore his awful judgments, when he brings upon cruel persecutors the tortures they made his saints and prophets suffer.

Verse 7. - And! heard another out of the altar say. Omit "another out of." The altar is connected

(1) with the martyred saints (Revelation 6:9, 10; Revelation 8:3);

(2) with the judgments that fall on the earth in vengeance for the blood of the saints (Revelation 8:5; Revelation 9:13; Revelation 14:18); hence the appropriateness of this voice from the altar, which acquiesces in the judgments inflicted. The altar is here personified, and speaks concurring in the justice of those judgments sent on account of the saints who are represented by it. Some writers, however, understand "the angel of the altar," which is similar to the reading of the Authorized Version. Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments; Yea, O Lord God, the Almighty (Revised Version). Reaffirming what has been declared by the angel of the waters (ver. 5), and expressing concurrence therein. (On "true" (ἀληθιναί), see on Revelation 3:17.) Compare the expression in ver. 5. There God is declared righteous because he has thus judged; here the judgments are righteous because they. are his. Both phrases are equally true, giving the same truth from different standpoints. The same verdict is endorsed by the heavenly multitude in Revelation 19:2, when they celebrate the downfall of Babylon; another proof of the identity of the world which is here the object of the vial judgments and the Babylon, which is afterwards described, and whose doom is pronounced.

And I heard another out of the altar say,.... That is, another angel that came out of the altar; see Revelation 14:18 and who represents the souls under the altar, whose blood had been shed by the above persons; compare with this Revelation 6:9 though, there, such whose blood had been shed by Rome Pagan are described; the Ethiopic version calls this angel as before, "the angel of the fountains of water"; and the Alexandrian copy, and Syriac and Arabic versions, read, "I heard the altar saying": as follows,

even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments; the same as in Revelation 15:3. This angel joins the other, and approves and confirms what he says; applauding the judgements of Christ upon the worshippers of the beast, from the verity of them, being what were threatened, and from the justice of them, being what they deserved.

7. another out of—omitted in A, C, Syriac, and Coptic. Translate then, "I heard the altar [personified] saying." On it the prayers of saints are presented before God: beneath it are the souls of the martyrs crying for vengeance on the foes of God.

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