Revelation 16:8: And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

The fourth angel¹ in this verse is the same angel of fire identified in Revelation 16:7, who bore a second witness of Christ's righteous judgments.² He did so just before he poured out his vial upon the sun.³ This fourth Vial Plague parallels the fourth trumpet plague in Revelation 8:12.⁴ The trumpet plague darkened the sun, similar to the three days of darkness during the ninth plague in Egypt.⁵ The fourth Vial Plague, by contrast, intensifies the power of the sun on earth⁶ by seven times according to the prophet Isaiah.⁷ Righteous people that have the seal of the Living God and who stand with Christ on heavenly mount Zion as transfigured, translated, or resurrected people will, of course, be able to endure this physical heat.⁸

When the fourth angel of fire pours out his Vial Plague, power is given unto him [meaning the sun]⁹ to scorch men with fire.¹⁰ Many telestial people which have the mark of the beast¹¹ will be dead already from the third Vial Plague when they drink blood from the cursed rivers and fountains of the earth.¹² Their dead bodies will be burned and others still living will be literally burned by the intense heat from the physical sun.¹³ The sun's increased intensity may have a natural explanation such as the thinning or loss of the ozone layer in the atmosphere.¹⁴ This physical burning is a precursor to the all-consuming heat from the glory of Christ himself¹⁵ during his final appearance of the Second Coming.¹⁶

Revelation 16:9: And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

John states again for emphasis that wicked people will be scorched with great heat¹⁷ from the increased intensity of the sun.¹⁸ Some scholars believe this scorching heat may be from atomic weapons. They say that Zechariah described the intensity of an atomic explosion when he prophesied in Zechariah 14:12 that: "Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth."¹⁹

In response to the burning sun and the plagues that precede it,²⁰ wicked people will blaspheme (revile)²¹ the name of the Father because he controls the Vial Plagues.²² The telestial worshipers of the Second Beast²³ will refuse to repent²⁴ and glorify God²⁵ during the Third Woe, just as they did during the Second Woe.²⁶