Revelation 16:9 - Exposition

And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the Name of God. The men (see on Revelation 16:8 ). (On the meaning of the first clause, see on Revelation 16:8 .) This is the first mention in the vials of men blaspheming. As with Pharaoh and the Egyptians, the judgments of God, instead of awakening them to repentance, only serve to harden their hearts. This again occurs under the fifth and seventh vials. So also in the sixth trumpet, we are told, men repented not—a statement also made in the subsequent part of this verse. As before pointed out ( Revelation 13:1 ), the two things are identical; non repentance, continuance in the service of the dragon, is blasphemy against God; though we generally reserve the name "blasphemy" for the open avowal of infidelity to God. Which hath power over these plagues. This is what is implied in the words of Revelation 16:8 , "it was given to it?' In this visitation men distinctly recognize the hand of God. And they repented not to give him glory. Vide supra, on the "blasphemy;" and contrast with Revelation 11:13 —another example of the sense in which these vials are the "last plagues" ( Revelation 15:1 ).