The Sixth Vial

The first point noticed here is that it is pourer “upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof is dried up, so that the way of till kings (not of, but) from the east might be prepared;” that is, that the present barrier to the kings of the east mingling with the wester! powers should be removed, and thus the great gathering of kings and people for their fine overthrow might be accomplished. The rive Euphrates, which formed the eastern bounder: of the land of Canaan, is a deep and wide river about 1,500 miles in length, and in some places nearly a mile in breadth; so that we can easily see what a barrier it must be to the free passage of persons across it. This, however, is to be removed in God’s time of wrath, and the spirit of gathering together and centralizing, now so rapidly growing, will, with special help from Satan and his allies, speedily bring about the awful crisis.
John tells us that he saw “three unclean spirit like frogs” acting upon the kings of the earth, and the whole world―the whole habitable world―to gather them together to the great day of God Almighty. This power is Satanic. The unclean spirits come “out of the mouth of ail dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, am out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles,” &c. Like frogs silently lurk about in hidden places unperceived, so are these, and overcome by the miraculous signs and lying wonders whirl they accomplish, and gather men to the great battle. It is said that “He gathered them together,” and in the 14th verse “they gatherer them;” that is, that though Satan be the instrument, it is to carry out God’s purpose and counsel so that it may be truly said that “He gatherer them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” (verse 16.) Men little think what Satan is doing by the confederacies of thy day. Is it possible that the fraternizing of nations, and the various minor association among men can be already the beginning of this great and awful gathering together? The question is, What is man’s object now? Is it self or Christ? Satan is ever opposed to Christ, am acts on man’s selfishness. The world, too, lied in the wicked one. How solemn it is that till dragon (Satan), the beast (the Roman earth) and the false prophet (the antichrist), give birth to these three unclean spirits like frogs, and that they gather men together.
It is remarkable that, as we noticed between the sixth and seventh seal, and the sixth and seventh trumpet, so between the sixth and seventh vial, a parenthesis occurs. It announces the Lord coming as a thief in judgment, ―the day of the Lord, ―when we shall come out of heaven with Him. (See chapters 19:11-14.) He says, “Behold I come as a thief.” Christ will suddenly come upon this world as a thief. “The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” But we know that He will not come to us as a thief. “Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 4.) But while judgment is threatened, there seems also to be a gleam of mercy rejoicing against judgment. (verse 15.) It intimates that a remnant will be watching for the Messiah, (and we gather from other scriptures that such will be the case,) and others are spoken of as having the shame of their nakedness made manifest. “Behold I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” (verse 15.)