Verse 10
10. Wine of the wrath of God The double effect of wine first to exhilarate, and then, when drunk in full quantity, to asphyxiate is here alluded to. The former images the exciting power of sin, the latter its destructive effect. To sip the wine is a delight; to drink the cup to its dregs is destruction.
Poured out without mixture The Greek has a play upon words: Which is mixed without mixture. The wine was so customarily mingled with water that the Greek word mixed came to signify prepared. Hence the phrase prepared without mixture could, as here, be verbally, mixed without mixture.
Cup of his indignation As if divine justice had a regular retributive cup.
Fire and brimstone Imagery borrowed from Genesis 19:24. “Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire.” The imagery of fire and brimstone for the wicked is used in Psalms 11:6, and brimstone in Job 18:15. This imagery is not used in the New Testament excepting in the Apocalypse, namely, here and Revelation 19:20; Revelation 21:8. “The addition of brimstone to the imagery,” says Stuart, “renders it exceedingly intense: for this not only makes the fire to rage with the greatest vehemence, but it is noisome to the smell and suffocating to the breath.” Of those who maintain that final punishment is in literal fire it may be asked, Is the brimstone literal?
Presence of angels… Lamb Their sentence and execution take place by the judgment and solemn approbation of the holiest and most merciful of Kings. Holiness and love ratify the penalties of divine justice.
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