Revelation 8:12,13

THE FOURTH TRUMPET.

And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars, so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for. third part of it, and the night likewise. 8:12.

The fourth "wind" rushes forth as the fourth angel blows the charge of battle. The effect is darkness. The smitten sun, moon, and stars refuse to give their usual light, and. third part of the day and night is filled with darkness.

I have before stated that, in the interpretation of symbolism, the sun, moon, and stars are the symbols of kings, dignitaries, and great men of the earth. The blast of the fourth trumpet then, evidently shows that there shall again be the rush of war, that the shock of battle shall overthrow. multitude of these earthly luminaries and the result shall be darkness. As we have found that this is still limited to the Latin third part of the world, this would be fittingly fulfilled if. period of calamity and mourning was inaugurated by the overthrow of the kings and great men of the Roman Empire, the extinguishment of its government, followed by ages in which the human mind was shrouded in mental and spiritual darkness.

This is just what we find to have occurred in the last series of events that led to the final overthrow of Rome. We are to seek the fulfillment in the next final invasion of Rome. It occurred A. D. 476. Odoacer, king of the Heruli,. Northern race, encouraged by the apparent weakness of the falling empire, besieged and took the almost helpless city. Augustulus, the feeble emperor, was hurled down, the Roman Senate that had met for twelve hundred and twenty-eight years, was driven from the Senate chambers, the mighty fabric of empire fell to the dust, and the great men were humbled never to rise again. Sun, moon, and stars, emperor, princes, and great men, are smitten, lose their power, and cease to give light. Nay, more. There now began the period called by all historians the "Dark Ages." The fall of Rome introduced the period when, intellectually and spiritually, the day and night were darkened; when the minds of men were blinded, and when the Church, falling gradually into apostasy, gave forth for ages only. feeble light to human souls. In the period that follows, the barbarians who had ruined Rome fell gradually under the sway of an artful priesthood, the Bible was wrested from the hands of the people, and buried in the recesses of monasteries, superstition usurped the place of religion, and the gloom of the "Dark Ages" diffused itself over the Latin third part of the world.

Thus, in the overthrow of the western Roman Empire, ends the work of the four hurtful angels, who were held back, for. season, from destruction.

There remain three angels, the woe angels, who are grouped together by the angel that flits across the heavens and who foreshadows the terrible calamities that shall fall upon the earth when they blow their trumpets. These will be considered in the next chapter.

The blast of the fourth trumpet, the last of the series of trumpets, representing the four winds that were held back, marks one of the most important eras in history. As the trumpet angels come forth in succession the mighty tide of invasion rolls upon the vast empire that had long ruled the world, and after the fourth trumpet, Rome, for twelve hundred years. seat of power, and for over five hundred years the capital of the world, was overwhelmed and hopelessly crushed beneath the barbarian wave. Ancient history ends with A. D. 476, when the Roman fabric finally gave way before the Goths, the Vandals, and the Huns. From that period. new Europe begins. The fresh blood of the northern hordes, mingled with that of the civilized inhabitants of western Europe, begins the formation of the new races that lead the world at this day. The Saxons, the Franks, the Goths, and the Lombards are represented in the nineteenth century by the Anglo-Saxon, the French, the Spanish, and the Italian. The Christianity of the West was deep-rooted and vigorous enough to overcome the Pagan faith of the northern invaders, and the new kingdoms which were formed out of the fragments of old Rome, all became Christian states.

It has already been seen that the trumpet angels are divided into two groups. There remain the three who have been called the woe angels, on account of the language applied to them in Chap. 8:13. It is manifest that the first four have completed their work, and that the others are devoted to another and. distinct work, which shall be the source of great woe to. part of the inhabitants of the earth. This work must be at. later period, and hence must be after the year 476.

In order to enable the reader who is not well read in history to appreciate what will follow, it will be needful to give. short view of the condition of the world about one hundred years later. In all western and southern Europe, as far east as the Adriatic Sea, and in northern Africa, the, Gothic nations were moulding their new kingdoms. In the East there existed. fragment of the old Roman Empire, with Constantinople as its capital. Its dominions embraced. part of the territory of modern Turkey in Europe and in Asia, and also Egypt in Africa. It professed the Christian faith, but there has seldom been. more corrupt state of society than existed in A. D. 600. Idolatry and saint worship had supplanted the simple faith of the apostles; luxury had undermined society; frivolity, effeminacy and licentiousness had taken the place of manhood. The hierarchy ruled the Church, instead of Christ, and bishops were more ambitious to supplant rival bishops than to convert heathen, or to promote the spiritual condition of their dioceses. The worldliness, excesses, license, and corruption which held unchecked sway in the cities and towns had caused tens of thousands who sighed for. purer life to flee from the haunts of men and to hide themselves, as hermits, in the recesses of the desert, or to bury themselves, as monks and nuns, in monasteries. Monasticism, unauthorized by the letter or spirit of Christianity, and destined finally to become utterly corrupt, was born of. yearning for. holier life.

In the two centuries that had passed since the triumph of Christianity over Paganism, the unholy alliance of Church with State had led the former into practical apostasy from her ancient faith. The spiritual despotism which had overthrown the liberty of the children of God seemed to be almost universal, but the corruption of society was far greater in the East than in the West. The hierarchy ruled absolutely, and idolatry prevailed in both quarters of the world, but the recent acceptance of the Christian faith by the conquerors of the West, and their pure, vigorous blood, saved them from the effeminacy of the luxurious East. Western rulers had little taste for theatres, eunuchs, dances, and harems. In the East. rottenness prevailed of which it is hard for us in this nineteenth century to form even. conception. The Western world had died and risen again. The East was slowly dying of corruption.