15:7 seven golden vials. The Greek word here is phiale, from which we get “vial.” Some translators render it “bowl,” others by “censer.” The exact form of the container is unknown, though it might even be thought of as a large urn, overflowing with God’s long restrained wrath.

15:7 for ever and ever. This phrase “for ever and ever” occurs twenty-one times in the book of Revelation, seventeen of which stress the uniquely eternal nature of God. Three times it refers to the never-ending punishment of the ungodly. Once, in its final occurrence, it refers to the never-ending blessedness of the redeemed. “The Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:5).