3 And the second poured out his bowl on the sea; and it became blood, as of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea. 4 And the third poured out his bowl on the rivers, and [on] the fountains of waters; and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Thou art righteous, who art and wast, the holy one, that thou hast judged so;
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Revelation 16:3-5
Commentary on Revelation 16:1-7
(Read Revelation 16:1-7)
We are to pray that the will of God may be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Here is a succession of terrible judgments of Providence; and there seems to be an allusion to several of the plagues of Egypt. The sins were alike, and so were the punishments. The vials refer to the seven trumpets, which represented the rise of antichrist; and the fall of the enemies of the church shall bear some resemblance to their rise. All things throughout their earth, their air, their sea, their rivers, their cities, all are condemned to ruin, all accursed for the wickedness of that people. No wonder that angels, who witness or execute the Divine vengeance on the obstinate haters of God, of Christ, and of holiness, praise his justice and truth; and adore his awful judgments, when he brings upon cruel persecutors the tortures they made his saints and prophets suffer.