Revelation 16:17, commentary and pictures

The seventh vial is emptied into the air surrounding the earth where the birds fly, shaking heaven and earth, and a great voice issues from God's throne in the heavenly temple announcing that the work is finished. It is the voice of God the Father heard before Jesus descends to awaken and gather His elect, while those who held the other view teach that Christ Himself speaks it from the throne to declare His soul-saving and sanctuary ministry complete. When it sounds every human case is decided forever and character is unchangeably fixed, closing Christ's intercession, completing the atonement and sealing, and leaving no pleading blood for sinners. It is the climax of the seventh plague and last sign before the appearing of the Son of man, bringing midnight deliverance to God's praying people amid a world-shaking earthquake, fallen cities, moved mountains and islands, and great hail. Because that moment is near yet its time unknown, all must watch, get ready under the Holy Spirit, and labor faithfully for souls while places and hearts remain open.

Voice, Vial and Setting

The seventh vial is poured into the air around the earth, the atmosphere where birds fly, not into Paradise, not into the region of the sun, moon and stars, and not into the church on earth. Its outpouring shakes the powers of the heavens and the earth and brings a great earthquake as the last literal sign before the sign of the Son of man appears in heaven. The great voice that then speaks comes out of the temple of heaven, from the throne. It comes from God's holy habitation and the place of divine glory.

That voice sounds like many waters. It sounds like peal upon peal of the loudest thunder and like a loud trumpet. At its sounding the heavens gather blackness illuminated only by blazing light and terrible glory from heaven. The throne-voice is the voice of God the Father. It is distinct from the voice of Jesus that raises the sleeping saints, for God's voice is heard first, before Jesus descends with His angels to awaken and gather the elect in the air.

The declaration is also spoken by Christ Himself from the temple throne. From there He announces that His work for the saving of souls is finished. He who has been ministering before the ark announces that His ministering work before the ark is done.

Place in Final Events

The seventh vial reaches its climax when divine power is manifested to deliver the people at midnight amid signs and upheaval in nature, with a clear space of glory appearing in the angry heavens. The throne-voice speaking completion sounds at that midnight deliverance, accompanied by a world-shaking earthquake, the fall of cities, Babylon's judgment, and the release of those imprisoned for faith. The declaration that the work is finished is followed by a mighty earthquake and destruction in many parts of the earth, while imprisoned believers are set free.

The outpouring into the air around the earth brings a great earthquake that shakes earth and heaven, with cities falling and mountains and islands moved from their places. This upheaval occurs before the second advent and gives the wicked who survive the earlier plagues places to hide from the approaching Lamb, though the glory of Christ's coming will destroy them. It is the last literal sign before the sign of the Son of man appears in heaven.

The seven last plagues contain the full measure of wrath against the living wicked, and they are future, falling in the day of wrath after priestly work in the most holy place is finished and the kingly role of executing judgment is taken up, before the resurrection and second advent. Wrath cannot come until every case is decided for salvation or destruction, until priestly attire is laid off, garments of vengeance are put on, the step is taken out from between the Father and man, and the stand is taken to pour out wrath on rejecters of truth. The anger of the nations, the wrath of God, and the time to judge the dead are separate events following one after another, with the nations now becoming angry while Michael has not yet stood up and the unequaled time of trouble has not yet commenced, and with the four angels holding the four winds until sanctuary work is done, after which the plagues enrage the wicked against the righteous whom they blame for bringing them.

After the angel with the writer's inkhorn reports that his work is done and the saints are numbered and sealed, the censer is thrown down, hands are raised upward, and the loud word of completion is spoken, at which all the angelic host lay off their crowns. The words are spoken after the last tear for sinners is shed, the last agonizing prayer offered, the last burden borne, the last warning given, and the last offer of atoning blood to cleanse and plead for longer sparing has ended. Then every case is fixed forever, the plan of salvation is complete, no atoning blood or pleading Saviour remains for the guilty, those who rejected offered life cannot obtain it, mercy's sweet voice dies away, and the impenitent rushing too late to learn escape are seized with fear and horror at being too late. Surrounded by the angelic host, priestly attire is laid off for most kingly robes with many crowns, and heaven is left while the plagues fall, though few have chosen salvation.

The announcement comes after the final test has been given and after the people have received the latter rain and the seal, when each case is decided for life or death, mercy no longer pleads for the guilty, atonement is completed with sins blotted out, the number of subjects is complete, and the kingdom is about to be given to the heirs as King of kings and Lord of lords reigns. At that sealing the people are covered with protection, while those without that shelter face wrath. The words mark the end of the seven last plagues, the completion of the work of judgment, and the closing of the time to work after the plagues have run their course. After sanctuary work is finished the four angels release the winds and the plagues fall, the wicked issue a decree to kill the saints, the saints in Jacob's trouble cry out and are delivered by the divine voice, and the 144,000 triumph, while false shepherds acknowledge divine love for those who held fast to truth and kept the commandments and all the unrighteous are destroyed. The nearness of that completion warns that judgments are already beginning, opportunities to help save people will soon end, the coming is near, and means and efforts must urgently be used in the work while time remains.

The seventh vial belongs to a final series in which trumpets sound and vials are poured one after another upon earth's inhabitants in the last great contest of stupendous interest now at hand. The powers of evil resist rather than yield, providence acts in the battle of Armageddon, and when the angel of Revelation 18 lights the earth with glory, religious forces good and evil awaken and the armies of the living God take the field. Every form of evil springs into intense activity, evil angels unite with evil men in deception and battle, all the world stands on one side or the other, none must be found sleeping but wide awake as wise virgins with oil in vessels with lamps, which is grace and the power of the Holy Ghost sustained by divine power, while the Captain of the Lord's host stands at the head of heaven's angels to direct the battle. The pouring of the vials signals the presence of Him who has directed every aggressive movement, accompanied the march of the cause through all ages, pledged presence with His people in all conflicts to the end, will vindicate truth and cause it to triumph, and supplies the faithful with motive, purpose, hope, courage, and valor in increased activity as the time is at hand.

The hour of temptation grows in force and intensity until the word of completion is spoken. Rebellion in the world, including rebellion in the church by those opposed to the terms of salvation, continues until then, when the battle of the great day of God has taken place and the power of rebellion is forever broken. Then the mediatorial remedy planned to save sinners from sin and make a repentant, humble, meek, reclaimed people is shown so plainly that all the redeemed fully understand the mission of the Son, and the difference between him that serves God and him that serves Him not is revealed. The declaration turns the wheel of providence toward the completion of events, and that completion may come soon.

Conflicts last until the heavenly voice declaring completion is heard, and that declaration comes before the redeemed host is taken to heaven and the Father is glorified in crowning Jesus, who gave His life as a ransom for the world. It is also taught that the words mark the time in heaven when conflicts are over after the redeemed have been taken to heaven, where the Father glorifies Jesus by crowning Him because He gave His life as a ransom for the world.

Signs and Deliverance Accompanying

The declaration is accompanied by a world-shaking great earthquake that reaches its climax at midnight as God delivers His people. Cities of the nations fall, mountains and islands are moved from their places, buildings totter and fall with a crash, foundations shake, the sea boils like a pot, the whole earth is in terrible commotion, and great hail of about a talent falls upon men. The upheaval occurs before the second advent and gives the wicked who survive the earlier plagues places to hide from the approaching Lamb, though the glory of Christ's coming will destroy them. The shaking brings Babylon's judgment and the setting free of God's imprisoned people and those held for their faith.

It comes at the climax of the time of trouble and Jacob's trouble, after the saints have cried and agonized day and night for deliverance as Jesus agonized in Gethsemane, surrounded with no way of escape. God then in a wonderful manner preserves them, turns their captivity, and speaks deliverance, and they know they are delivered and cherish hope of speedy redemption. The living saints hear, recognize, understand and solemnly rejoice in the voice, which also announces the day and hour of Jesus' coming. The wicked hear the sound but mistake it for thunder and an earthquake, fear, tremble, and do not understand the words.

Glory is conferred on those who honored God's holy law, their faces lighted up reflecting the image of Jesus. Those eager to destroy them cannot endure that glory but fall like dead men to the earth, and Satan and evil angels flee from the glorified saints with power to annoy them gone forever. The deliverance comes when a decree requires them to disregard the Sabbath of the fourth commandment and honor the first day, an institution of the Papacy, on pain of death. The two-horned beast speaks with a dragon mouth, the mother of harlots being past while her daughters the Protestant sects have grown and with nominal churches and nominal Adventists exercise her old persecuting power, betraying the obscure Sabbath-keeping saints to the Catholics as disregarders of Sunday the pope's institution, with Catholics bidding Protestants go forward with the death decree and stand by them giving power to the image of the beast, yet before those decrees bring forth or bear fruit the voice delivers the saints.

The destruction is what takes place when God at His own will summons the forces of nature from His armory against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war, bringing forth the weapons of His indignation with fire and hail, snow and vapors and stormy wind fulfilling His word. That hail is greater than the great stones cast down from heaven upon the Amorite enemies of Israel when Joshua commanded the sun to stand still upon Gibeon and the moon in the valley of Ajalon, proving creation under the control of the Creator. Success there comes from the union of divine power with human effort, for God inspires prayer and then answers it with evidence of His power, men of prayer becoming men of power by relying implicitly upon the Almighty Arm, while unwearied divine agency works as first great cause against exalting nature above the God of nature and against Satan's effort to conceal God's working.

Close of Probation Doctrine

The declaration from heaven will soon be spoken, and when it sounds every human case will have been decided forever. At that moment character is fixed with no further change possible, the unjust and filthy remaining so and the righteous and holy remaining so, each to receive according to his work when Christ comes quickly. It comes when wickedness has increased to its limit and Satan's possession of the human family reaches its end. After the angel with the writer's inkhorn reports that his work is done and the saints are numbered and sealed, Jesus, who has been ministering before the ark containing the ten commandments, throws down the censer, raises His hands upward and speaks with a loud voice, while all the angelic host lay off their crowns at that solemn word.

The word marks the close of Christ's intercession and the end of mercy's pleading for the guilty. The plan of salvation is then complete, the atonement finished for His people with their sins blotted out, the number of His subjects complete, and the kingdom about to be given to the heirs of salvation as Christ reigns King of kings and Lord of lords. No atoning blood remains to cleanse the sinner and no compassionate Saviour remains to plead to spare the sinner a little longer. Those who rejected the offered life cannot obtain it after the last tear for sinners is shed, the last agonizing prayer offered, the last burden borne, the last warning given and the last offer ended, and the saints have nothing to give those who rush to them to learn how to escape the judgments; as mercy's sweet voice dies away the impenitent are seized with fear and horror at being too late, facing God's judgments while the plagues are falling.

At that time Jesus finishes His work in the most holy place and will not leave it until every case is decided either for salvation or destruction. He lays off His priestly attire, clothes Himself with garments of vengeance and most kingly robes with many crowns upon His head, steps out from between the Father and man, stands up, and surrounded by the angelic host leaves heaven and the sanctuary while the plagues are falling, though few have chosen to accept salvation. Then the wrath of God is poured out on those who rejected truth, divine restraint is laid aside so the wicked are no longer held by grace, and a final time of trouble and destruction begins, with the anger of nations, the wrath of God, and the time to judge the dead following in separate order one after another. Then Christ's mediatorial work as the remedy planned to save sinners from sin and make the fallen race a repentant, humble, meek, reclaimed people is shown so plainly that all the redeemed fully understand His mission, the battle of the great day of God has taken place with the power of rebellion forever broken, and the difference between him that serves God and him that serves Him not is revealed.

The heavenly voice ends the opportunity to labor on earth after the plagues begin to fall and God's Spirit is withdrawn. Until Christ declares His soul-saving work finished, that work continues to grow in importance and reach, and believers are to remain active workers with Him. When the Lord speaks the word, His word brings the event to pass, and age, position, influence and cherished plans cannot protect anyone from sudden sickness or calamity when He permits it, so those who know the truth must not be presumptuous but remain spiritually prepared for whatever may occur.

Prophetic Fulfillment and Warning

Revelation 16:17 belongs to the prophecies of Revelation 12 to 18, which are the vision of the last events of earth's history given to John on Patmos as a solemn warning from God and are now being fulfilled as the final message of warning is given, demanding attention in the last days while Satan seeks to confuse minds. The plagues of Egypt before and during Israel's deliverance foreshadow these seven last plagues, which come upon the wicked just before and at the deliverance of the saints. The seven last plagues contain the full measure of God's wrath against the living wicked, falling in the future day of God's wrath after priestly work in the heavenly sanctuary is finished and kingly judgment to repay adversaries is taken up, before the resurrection and second advent, when the garments of vengeance are put on. Yet they are judgments on the living wicked and not the final execution of judgment, for final judgment is executed at the second death when the wicked are destroyed, after which God makes all things new.

Drops and sprinklings from the vials poured on land and sea and into the air were already falling in 1889 and 1890, because God had not restrained the powers of darkness from vitiating the air, one of the sources of life and nutrition, with deadly miasma harming vegetable life and human life. They came as awful calamities by sea with vessels hurled into eternity without warning, accidents by land, unusually destructive fires consuming riches hoarded and accumulated by oppression of the poor, earthquakes burying cities and villages with their inhabitants, terrible railway accidents, tornadoes and floods including Johnstown and Williamsport with more than two thousand lives lost, and pestilence including cholera and unexplainable diseases and diphtheria gathering its harvest of children. God permits these judgments that sweep away the most costly structures as by a breath of fire from heaven and will not interfere to protect the property of those who transgress His law, break His covenant, and trample upon His Sabbath while accepting a spurious rest day in its place, permitting them that the world may take heed, that professing Christians may come to their senses, and that sinners may be afraid and tremble before Him. These things are only faint representations and premonitory convulsions of what will be in the near future, when there will be great mortality, crimes greater than on record, weeping and lamentation and woe, more earthquakes and terrible shocks rending the earth's crust by outbursts of elements concealed in its bowels, lordly palaces becoming heaps of ruins, treasures gained by oppression swept away, and the religious world terribly shaken, for the end of all things is at hand.

The opening of the vials of wrath brings pestilence, famine, and death upon the inhabitants of the earth, with incurable sores and other withering afflictions on those without shelter who worship the beast and its image and receive its mark on forehead or hand, leaving the ungodly without deliverance. Only those sealed and covered with protection, sanctified through truth and hid with Christ in God, will stand, for the seven last plagues are poured out after every case is decided, after ministers and people are called out of the fallen churches and the honest take their stand with the remnant, and when the angel of mercy leaves a world of sin, shame, sorrow, and darkness. The outpouring comes when the earth is defiled by its inhabitants, God's law is transgressed and made void and trampled under foot, truth is corrupted, and the swelling of unrighteousness reaches a fearful pass beyond the bounds prescribed by God, with human laws made supreme. Then divine forbearance reaches its limit and grace is exhausted, Omnipotence keeps reckoning of the sum of guiltiness of every nation, God will no longer delay but will interfere to vindicate His honor, come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for iniquity, rebellion against His law, hatred to God, and cooperation with evil angels. The decisive, imminent crisis finds heaven ready and God's wrath about to be revealed through thunder, lightning, earthquakes, and widespread desolation, and those who fail to recognize the signs of the times face perishing under these plagues, while pride is humbled from kings to the poor and the end is shown at hand.

The plagues bring fearful suffering and rage in which families blame one another and hearts faint, and sinners bitterly reproach those who hindered the faithful warning and the ministers who failed to warn them. The ministers who failed to give the warning suffer even more severely than their hearers. Among believers living in 1856, some would die beforehand, some would live as subjects through the time of the seven last plagues ending with It is done, and some would be translated to heaven at the second coming of Christ without seeing death, and likewise some present in 1864 would suffer those plagues while others would remain alive to be translated when Jesus comes.

Call to Readiness and Work

The moment when completion is announced is unknown, yet near, so servants are to wait, watch, and faithfully do the work entrusted to them, for only a little time remains to labor. Until that heavenly word is spoken there will still be places for gospel work and hearts ready to receive the message. Because every case will soon be fixed forever and Christ comes quickly to reward each person according to work, workers must at once take up small humble work, wearing Christ's yoke and bringing people to God, instead of lingering in long preparation while fields are neglected and youth are left unenlightened.

Until Christ declares His soul-saving work finished, that work grows in importance and reach, and while life lasts no believer is to feel his work done. The salvation of souls depends on the consecration and activity of the church as workers together with Him, redeeming precious time because destiny hangs in the balance, salvation was provided at infinite cost through great sacrifice, and the earth is in danger of being entirely controlled by satanic agencies. Christ will proclaim completion after the gospel work has been carried forward through united heavenly and human agents, while the enemy's efforts grow stronger until the work is finished and the time for warning has passed.

The symbolic portrayal in Revelation holds deep truths that require close prayerful study and practice, so that people shape their course and avoid receiving the plagues coming upon the world. The seven last plagues will soon be poured out when mercy leaves the world, with sin, shame, sorrow and darkness on every side, yet even now the privilege remains of exchanging darkness for light, error for truth, and sin for righteousness. That patience and mercy will not always wait, sin must be firmly rebuked and given no sanction, every refuge of lies for covering sin must be torn away lest deluded souls sleep on to everlasting ruin, and when punishment begins there will be no period of respite until the end. Only those sanctified through truth in the love of God will stand, hid with Christ in God until the desolation is overpast.

The present call is to get ready and receive the Holy Ghost as preparation and shelter before the plagues fall, since many professed people will otherwise come up to that time unready and without shelter and find the hour too late to prepare. Escape comes by faithful stewardship of God-given time, sense, opportunity, means, Word and Spirit in soul-saving work. Until the word of completion is spoken there will still be places for labor and hearts to receive the message, so even when religious denominations unite with the papacy to oppress and persecution becomes severe in one place, workers are to move to another place where they will be led to be a blessing in many places.

God's judgments are already beginning, the plagues are completing and the time to work is closing, so while time remains believers are to watch and urgently use means and efforts in the southern and other needy fields because opportunities to save people will soon end. When the Lord says the word of completion His word brings the event to pass, and age, position, influence and cherished plans cannot shield anyone from sudden sickness or calamity when He permits it, so those who know truth must not be presumptuous but remain spiritually prepared for whatever may occur. Present judgments carry special meaning and prove how fast the last great crisis approaches, calling for less time in strife and more thought about that nearness, and those who claim they have no special meaning will soon be forced to understand what they now choose not to understand. Success comes from union of divine power with human effort, for God inspires prayer then answers with evidence of power, making men of prayer men of power through reliance on the Almighty Arm, while unwearied divine agency works as first great cause in the physical world against exalting nature above God and against the effort to hide God's working.