r XX.

Simultaneous with the notable events of this vial, the announcement is
made of the near-coming of Christ to the world--"Behold I come as a
thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he
walk naked, and they see his shame." The children of God that have been
gathered out of old Babylon rejoice in the glad announcement and say,
"Even so come, Lord Jesus."

17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and
there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the
throne, saying, It is done.

18. 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.

19. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the
cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in
remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of
the fierceness of his wrath.

20. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not
found.

21. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every
stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God
because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was
exceeding great.

The application of this vial to the judgments of the last great day is
so plain that but little comment is here necessary. It was poured "into
the air," a region of vast extent, not confined to a given locality, but
embracing the whole earth. Hence this plague is universal. When the
seventh angel emptied his vial, "There came a great voice out of the
temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done." All is now
fulfilled. The work of wrath is finished. The description of the plague
follows, but it follows only _as a description_. As actually
accomplished, it preceded that great voice, which was uttered in view of
the thing already brought to pass.

The dissolution of the earth itself upon which we live is not here
described, although according to the teaching of other scriptures it
occurs at this time; but the symbols, being drawn from the department of
the operations both of humanity and of nature, show the complete and
final overthrow of all the great powers civil and ecclesiastical. The
dominancy of these great powers has been the chief burden of Apocalyptic
vision, and here their utter destruction at last is set forth under
various symbols. The weight of the Jewi