Those who conquered the beast were sinners who needed the blood of Jesus Christ to atone for their sins (Revelation 12:11). The beast exerted great effort to compel them to worship him and his image, even subjecting them to martyrdom. The beast (under Satan’s lordship) would leave no stone unturned to force a Christian to deny his Saviour—and as weak and sinful as even the holiest Christian is, some of those conquerors in God’s presence undoubtedly had sinned in the course of their martyrdom. Jesus had expressed God’s woe on any who causes one of God’s “little ones” to sin (Matthew 18:6). Christ had laid down his life to atone for the sins of his own, including sins committed under the coercion of great suffering. The residue of that sacrifice must be poured out over those who tempted God’s own to sin (Revelation 16:1).
7 And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever,