CHAPTER VIII. _The opening of the seventh seal_, 1. _The seven angels with the seven trumpets_, 2-6. _The first sounds, and there is a shower of hail, fire, and_ _blood_, 7. _The second sounds, and the burning mountain is cast into the_ _sea_, 8, 9. _The third sounds, and the great star Wormw... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 8:2. _THE SEVEN ANGELS WHICH STOOD BEFORE GOD_] Probably the same as those called the _seven Spirits which are before his_ _throne_, Revelation 1:4, where see the note. There is still an allusion here to the seven ministers of the Persian monarchs. See _Tobit 12:15_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 8:3. _ANOTHER ANGEL_] About to perform the office of _priest_. _HAVING A GOLDEN CENSER_] This was a preparation peculiar to the _day of expiation_. "On other days it was the custom of the priest to _take fire_ from the _great altar_ in a _silver censer_, but on the _day of expiatio... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 8:4. _THE SMOKE OF THE INCENSE - WITH THE PRAYERS_] Though incense itself be an emblem of the prayers of the saints, Psalms 141:2; yet here _they_ are said to _ascend before God_, as well as the _incense_. It is not said that the angel presents these prayers. He presents the incense... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 8:5. _CAST_ IT _INTO THE EARTH_] That is, upon the land of Judea; intimating the judgments and desolations which were now coming upon it, and which appear to be farther opened in the sounding of the seven trumpets. _THERE WERE VOICES_] All these seem to point out the confusion, com... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 8:6. _PREPARED THEMSELVES TO SOUND._] Each took up his trumpet, and stood prepared to blow his blast. _Wars_ are here indicated; the _trumpet_ was the emblem of _war_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 8:7. _HAIL AND FIRE MINGLED WITH BLOOD_] This was something like the _ninth_ plague of Egypt. See Exodus 9:18-2: "The Lord sent thunder and hail-and fire mingled with the hail-and the fire ran along upon the ground." In the _hail_ and _fire mingled with blood_, some fruitful imagina... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 8:8. _A GREAT MOUNTAIN BURNING WITH FIRE_] Supposed to signify the powerful nations which invaded the Roman empire. _Mountain_, in prophetic language, signifies a _kingdom_; Jeremiah 51:25; Jeremiah 51:27; Jeremiah 51:30; Jeremiah 51:58. Great disorders, especially when kingdoms ar... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 8:9. _THE THIRD PART OF THE SHIPS WERE DESTROYED._] These judgments seem to be poured out upon some maritime nation, destroying much of its population, and much of its traffic.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 8:10. _THERE FELL A GREAT STAR FROM HEAVEN_] This has given rise to various conjectures. Some say the star means _Attila_ and his Huns, others, Genseric with his Vandals falling on the city of Rome; others, Eleazer, the son of Annus, spurning the emperor's victims, and exciting the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 8:11. _THE STAR IS CALLED WORMWOOD_] So called from the _bitter_ or _distressing effects_ produced by its influence.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 8:12. _THE THIRD PART OF THE SUN - MOON - STARS, WAS SMITTEN_] Supposed to mean _Rome_, with her _senates, consuls_, c., eclipsed by _Odoacer_, king of the Heruli, and _Theodoric_, king of the Ostrogoths, in the fifth century. But all this is uncertain.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 8:13. _I - HEARD AN ANGEL FLYING_] Instead of αγγελου πετωμενου, _an angel flying_, almost every MS. and version of note has αετου πετωμενον, _an eagle flying_. The _eagle_ was the symbol of the Romans, and was always on their ensigns. The _three woes_ which are here expressed were... [ Continue Reading ]