Show Bible Commentary For A Bible Verse

Click here to show/hide instructions.

Selected Verse: Revelation 16:14 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Re 16:14	Strong Concordance	For [1063] they are [1526] the spirits [4151] of devils [1142], working [4160] miracles [4592], which go forth [1607] [3739] [1607] unto [1909] the kings [935] of the earth [1093] and [2532] of the whole [3650] world [3625], to gather [4863] them [846] to [1519] the battle [4171] of that [1565] great [3173] day [2250] of God [2316] Almighty [3841].
	King James	For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

Open All | Close All Open All | Close All

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
devils--Greek, "demons." working miracles--Greek, "signs." go forth unto--or "for," that is, to tempt them to the battle with Christ. the kings of the earth and, &c.--A, B, Syriac, and ANDREAS omit "of the earth and," which clause is not in any manuscript. Translate, "kings of the whole habitable world," who are "of this world," in contrast to "the kings of (from) the East" (the sun-rising), Rev 16:12, namely, the saints to whom Christ has appointed a kingdom, and who are "children of light." God, in permitting Satan's miracles, as in the case of the Egyptian magicians who were His instruments in hardening Pharaoh's heart, gives the reprobate up to judicial delusion preparatory to their destruction. As Aaron's rod was changed into a serpent, so were those of the Egyptian magicians. Aaron turned the water into blood; so did the magicians. Aaron brought up frogs; so did the magicians. With the frogs their power ceased. So this, or whatever is antitypical to it, will be the last effort of the dragon, beast, and false prophet. battle--Greek, "war"; the final conflict for the kingship of the world described in Rev 19:17-21.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

devils--Greek, "demons."

working miracles--Greek, "signs."

go forth unto--or "for," that is, to tempt them to the battle with Christ.

the kings of the earth and, &c.--A, B, Syriac, and ANDREAS omit "of the earth and," which clause is not in any manuscript. Translate, "kings of the whole habitable world," who are "of this world," in contrast to "the kings of (from) the East" (the sun-rising), Rev 16:12, namely, the saints to whom Christ has appointed a kingdom, and who are "children of light." God, in permitting Satan's miracles, as in the case of the Egyptian magicians who were His instruments in hardening Pharaoh's heart, gives the reprobate up to judicial delusion preparatory to their destruction. As Aaron's rod was changed into a serpent, so were those of the Egyptian magicians. Aaron turned the water into blood; so did the magicians. Aaron brought up frogs; so did the magicians. With the frogs their power ceased. So this, or whatever is antitypical to it, will be the last effort of the dragon, beast, and false prophet.

battle--Greek, "war"; the final conflict for the kingship of the world described in Rev 19:17-21.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
For they are the spirits of devils - On the meaning of the word used here, see the notes on Rev 9:20. It is used here, as it is in Rev 9:20, in a bad sense, as denoting evil spirits. Compare the notes on Mat 4:1-2, Mat 4:24. Working miracles - Working what seemed to be miracles; that is, such wonders as to deceive the world with the belief that they were miracles. See the notes on Rev 13:13-14, where the same power is ascribed to the "beast." Which go forth unto the kings of the earth - Which particularly affect and influence kings and rulers. No class of people have been more under the influence of pagan superstition, Muhammedan delusion, or the papacy, than kings and princes. We are taught by this passage that this will continue to be so in the circumstances referred to. And of the whole world - That is, so far that it might be represented as affecting the whole world - to wit, the pagan, the Muhammedan, and the papal portions of the earth. These still embrace so large a portion of the globe, that it might be said, that what would affect those powers now would influence the whole world. To gather them - Not literally to assemble them all in one place, but so to unite and combine them that it might be represented as an assembling of the hosts for battle. To the battle of that great day of God Almighty - Not the day of judgment, but the day which would determine the ascendency of true religion in the world - the final conflict with those powers which had so long opposed the gospel. It is not necessary to suppose that there would be a literal "battle," in which God would be seen to contend with his foes; but there would be what might be properly represented as a battle. That is, there would be a combined struggle against the truth, and in that God would appear by his providence and Spirit on the side of the church, and would give it the victory. It accords with all that has occurred in the past, to suppose that there will be such a combined struggle before the church shall finally triumph in the world.

The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917]
kings Times of the Gentiles. (Rev 16:19); (Luk 21:24). world (Greek, "oikoumenē", means "inhabited earth"). (See Scofield) - (Luk 2:1).

Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886]
Of the earth and of the whole world Omit of the earth and. World (οἰκουμέης) See on Luk 2:1. The battle (πόλεμον) Rev., more literally, war. Battle is μάχη. That great day (ἐκείνης) Omit. Read, as Rev., "the great day."

Top

¹⁷ And [2532] I saw [1492] an [1520] angel [32] standing [2476] in [1722] the sun [2246]; and [2532] he cried [2896] with a loud [3173] voice [5456], saying [3004] to all [3956] the fowls [3732] that fly [4072] in [1722] the midst of heaven [3321], Come [1205] and [2532] gather yourselves together [4863] unto [1519] the supper [1173] of the great [3173] God [2316];
¹⁸ That [2443] ye may eat [5315] the flesh [4561] of kings [935], and [2532] the flesh [4561] of captains [5506], and [2532] the flesh [4561] of mighty men [2478], and [2532] the flesh [4561] of horses [2462], and [2532] of them that sit [2521] on [1909] them [846], and [2532] the flesh [4561] of all [3956] men, both free [1658] and [2532] bond [1401], both [2532] small [3398] and [2532] great [3173].
¹⁹ And [2532] I saw [1492] the beast [2342], and [2532] the kings [935] of the earth [1093], and [2532] their [846] armies [4753], gathered together [4863] to make [4160] war [4171] against [3326] him that sat [2521] on [1909] the horse [2462], and [2532] against [3326] his [846] army [4753].
²⁰ And [2532] the beast [2342] was taken [4084], and [2532] with [3326] him [5127] the false prophet [5578] that wrought [4160] miracles [4592] before [1799] him [846], with [1722] which [3739] he deceived [4105] them that had received [2983] the mark [5480] of the beast [2342], and [2532] them that worshipped [4352] his [846] image [1504]. These both [1417] were cast [906] alive [2198] into [1519] a lake [3041] of fire [4442] burning [2545] with [1722] brimstone [2303].
²¹ And [2532] the remnant [3062] were slain [615] with [1722] the sword [4501] of him that sat [2521] upon [1909] the horse [2462], which [3588] sword proceeded [1607] out of [1537] his [846] mouth [4750]: and [2532] all [3956] the fowls [3732] were filled [5526] with [1537] their [846] flesh [4561].

¹² And [2532] the sixth [1623] angel [32] poured out [1632] his [846] vial [5357] upon [1909] the great [3173] river [4215] Euphrates [2166]; and [2532] the water [5204] thereof [846] was dried up [3583], that [2443] the way [3598] of the kings [935] of [575] the east [395] [2246] might be prepared [2090].

¹³ And [2532] he doeth [4160] great [3173] wonders [4592], so [2532] that [2443] he maketh [4160] fire [4442] come down [2597] from [1537] heaven [3772] on [1519] the earth [1093] in the sight [1799] of men [444],
¹⁴ And [2532] deceiveth [4105] them that dwell [2730] on [1909] the earth [1093] by [1223] the means of those miracles [4592] which [3739] he [846] had power [1325] to do [4160] in the sight [1799] of the beast [2342]; saying [3004] to them that dwell [2730] on [1909] the earth [1093], that they should make [4160] an image [1504] to the beast [2342], which [3739] had [2192] the wound [4127] by a sword [3162], and [2532] did live [2198].

²⁴ And [2532] his [846] fame [189] went [565] throughout [1519] all [3650] Syria [4947]: and [2532] they brought [4374] unto him [846] all [3956] sick [2560] people [2192] that were taken with [4912] divers [4164] diseases [3554] and [2532] torments [931], and [2532] those which were possessed with devils [1139], and [2532] those which were lunatick [4583], and [2532] those that had the palsy [3885]; and [2532] he healed [2323] them [846].

¹ Then [5119] was Jesus [2424] led up [321] of [5259] the Spirit [4151] into [1519] the wilderness [2048] to be tempted [3985] of [5259] the devil [1228].
² And [2532] when he had fasted [3522] forty [5062] days [2250] and [2532] forty [5062] nights [3571], he was afterward [5305] an hungred [3983].

²⁰ And [2532] the rest [3062] of the men [444] which [3739] were [615] not [3756] killed [615] by [1722] these [5025] plagues [4127] yet [3777] repented [3340] not [3777] of [1537] the works [2041] of their [846] hands [5495], that [3363] they should [4352] not [3363] worship [4352] devils [1140], and [2532] idols [1497] of gold [5552], and [2532] silver [693], and [2532] brass [5470], and [2532] stone [3035], and [2532] of wood [3585]: which [3739] neither [3777] can [1410] see [991], nor [3777] hear [191], nor [3777] walk [4043]:

¹ And [1161] it came to pass [1096] in [1722] those [1565] days [2250], that there went out [1831] a decree [1378] from [3844] Caesar [2541] Augustus [828], that all [3956] the world [3625] should be taxed [583].

²⁴ And [2532] they shall fall [4098] by the edge [4750] of the sword [3162], and [2532] shall be led away captive [163] into [1519] all [3956] nations [1484]: and [2532] Jerusalem [2419] shall be [2071] trodden down [3961] of [5259] the Gentiles [1484], until [891] the times [2540] of the Gentiles [1484] be fulfilled [4137].

¹⁹ And [2532] the great [3173] city [4172] was divided [1096] into [1519] three [5140] parts [3313], and [2532] the cities [4172] of the nations [1484] fell [4098]: and [2532] great [3173] Babylon [897] came in remembrance [3415] before [1799] God [2316], to give [1325] unto her [846] the cup [4221] of the wine [3631] of the fierceness [2372] of his [846] wrath [3709].