Revelation 16:10

“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast, etc.] The beast is the same with that in (<661301>Revelation 13:1,11) and which again shows that to be one and the same: the seat or throne of the beast is Rome, which, when the empire was Pagan, was the seat of Satan, or the dragon, (<660213>Revelation 2:13) and when the beast or antichrist was risen, the dragon gave this seat, as well as his authority to him, (<661302>Revelation 13:2) and is that city which is so often called, in this book, the great city, and is manifestly pointed out by its seven mountains, on which the city of Rome stood, (<661709>Revelation 17:9) and the pouring out of this vial upon it denotes the…”

“angel--omitted by A, B, C, Vulgate, and Syriac. But Coptic and ANDREAS support it. seat--Greek, "throne of the beast": set up in arrogant mimicry of God's throne; the dragon gave his throne to the beast (Rev 13:2). darkness--parallel to the Egyptian plague of darkness, Pharaoh being the type of Antichrist (compare Notes, see on Rev 15:2-3; compare the fifth trumpet, Rev 9:2). gnawed their tongues for pain--Greek, "owing to the pain" occasioned by the previous plagues, rendered more appalling by the darkness. Or, as "gnashing of teeth" is one of the accompaniments of hell, so this "gnawing of their tongues" is through rage at the baffling of their hopes and the overthrow of their kingdom.…”

“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast - The previous judgments had been preparatory to this. They all had a bearing on this, and were all preliminary to it; but the “seat” - the home, the center of the power of the beast - had not yet been reached. Here, however, there was a direct blow aimed at that power, still not such yet as to secure its final overthrow, for that is reserved for the pouring out of the last vial, Revelation 16:17-21. All that is represented here is a heavy judgment which was merely preliminary to to that final overthrow, but which affected the very seat of the beast. The phrase “the seat of the beast” - τὸν θρόνον τοῦ θηρίου ton thronon…”

“The four first phials are closely connected together; the fifth concerns the throne of the beast, the sixth the Mahometans, the seventh chiefly the heathens. The four first phials and the four first trumpets go round the whole earth; the three last phials and the three last trumpets go lengthways over the earth in a straight line. The fifth poured out his phial upon the throne of the wild beast - It is not said, "on the beast and his throne." Perhaps the sea will then be vacant. And his kingdom was darkened - With a lasting, not a transient, darkness. However the beast as yet has his kingdom. Afterward the woman sits upon the beast. and then it is said, "The wild beast is not," Rev 17:3, Rev…”

“16:10-11 the throne of the beast: John might be alluding to Rome, the political power of his time. Built on seven hills (17:9), Rome’s empire spanned the sea (13:1) and ruled the world (13:7). • plunged into darkness: Similar to the ninth plague of Egypt (Exod 10:22) and to the fourth trumpet (Rev 8:12). • ground their teeth [literally gnawed their tongues] . . . cursed the God of heaven: Both pain and hostility motivated these responses to punishment (cp. Matt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28).”

“upon: Rev 11:2, Rev 11:8, Rev 13:2-4, Rev 17:9, Rev 17:17, Rev 18:2, Rev 18:21, Rev 18:23 full: Rev 9:2, Rev 18:11-19; Exo 10:21-23; Psa 78:49; Isa 8:21, Isa 8:22; Mat 8:12, Mat 22:13; Pe1 2:17 they: Rev 11:10; Mat 13:42, Mat 13:50, Mat 24:51; Luk 13:28 Revelation 16:11”