Revelation 8

Revelation 8:1

SIlence in heaven, about the space of half an hour] Some interpret it of the small time of cessation and rest which the Church had in Constantines time. Others, that John and the rest seeing nothing, as they did after the opening of the other seals, stood silent, admiring at it, and expecting greater matters to be revealed Others think it an allusion to the silence that used to be in the temple, while the incense was offering, Luke 1. 10. whereas they blew trumpets, and sung, while the sacrifice was offered, 2 Chron. 29. 27. And so this silence may seem to have lasted, till the incense and odours hereafter mentioned were all consumed, v. 4.

Revelation 8:2

seven angels, which stood before God] Attended upon him, as Daniel 7. 10. Chap. 7. 11.

to them were given] They were appointed by God to blowe the trumpets, and stood ready so to do, whensoever he should bid them.

seven trumpets] To blowe Gods alarm against the ungratefull world, and thereby to give warning of the vials of his wrath to be poured forth on such as would not be amended by the judgements now denounced. They are seven blowing one after another, to shew Gods patience, who is unwilling to pour out his wrath all at once, Psalms 78:38.

Revelation 8:3

another angel] Some take it for Christ, who offereth up the prayers of the saints to God, mixed with the precious odours of his merits, Eph. 5. 2. Others, for Constantine, whom God honoured so much, as to make him an instrument, as of giving liberty to the faithfull for the publike exercise of Gods worship, and prayer, more acceptable to God then any incense or offering, Psalms 69:31. and Psalms 141:2. Malachi 1:11. so also of that peace and rest which they had formerly long prayed for, and of vengeance executed on their cruell persecutours and oppressours, which the souls under the altar had so earnestly cried for, chap. 6. 10. See v. 5. It may well seem to be some speciall minister of church or state (for it was none of those four living wights, chap. 4.) rather then Christ himself, because the incense or odours are said to be given to him, not to be his own, or to have them of himself.

having a golden censer.] As the high-priest had, to offer incense; Hebrews 9:4. See chap. 5. 8.

there was given unto him much incense] That is, as some, he had power given him to preach to the people the merits of Christs death, which should make their prayers pleasing to God. Or, he found that grace and favour with God, through Christ, to be a means of doing that which should manifest, that their prayers had prevailed, and found acceptance with God; as Acts 10:4; Acts 10:31.

that he should offer it with the prayers] Or, adde it to the prayers. That he should pray with and for the people in the name of Christ: or, procure a gracious answer to their prayers. An allusion to the peoples continuing in prayer, while the priest offered incense, Luke 1:10.

vpon the golden altar.] Such as was the altar of incense; so called, Numbers 4:11. because overlaid with gold, Exodus 30:3.

which was before the throne] As that in the temple stood before the ark, Exodus 30:6. on which God is said to sit, as on a chair of estate, Psalms 80:1.

Revelation 8:4

ascended up before God] A signe that God did accept their service, Psalms 142:2. Phil. 4. 18.

Revelation 8:5

took the censer] The same in which he had offered up the incense with the prayers of the saints, v. 4. whereby it appeareth, that the prayers by this angel presented, were as well for vengeance on the bloody persecutours of Gods people, as for peace and rest to them. See v. 3.

filled it] To shew the greatnesse of the judgements to come.

with fire] Gr. of the fire; as chap. 2. 17. Or, out of the fire; as Jude v. 23. For he took not away all the fire from the altar.

of the altar.] An allusion to Levit. 16. 12, 13. where the fire that the incense was to be kindled with, was commanded to be taken from the altar of burnt-offerings, where it was continually burning, Levit. . 12, 13. else were it strange fire, Leviticus 10:1. This altar of burnt-offerings is alluded to, chap. 6. 9. and withall, here may well be an allusion to that handfull of coles of fire taken from off the altar, and scattered, in token of Gods wrath, upon the citie, Ezekiel 10:2; Ezekiel 10:6-7.

and cast it into the earth] Or, upon the earth; as v. 7. chap. 9. 3. Matthew 26:10. A signe of judgements to come on wicked men, Ezekiel 10:2; Ezekiel 10:7.

and there were voices] Or, then; as Matthew 23:32. Some take the voices and thundrings to be all one: see chap. 4. 5. and thereby to be signified, Gods acceptance of the prayers of the saints mentioned, v. 3. because God useth to answer his people with thunders, Psalms 81:7. John 12:28-29. Others make a gradation: Thunders exceed mens voices, lightning destroyeth many creatures and buildings; but the earthquake threatneth to rent the earth, as if hell opened her mouth to receive men: and they will have these terms to signifie terrible judgements, and such as cannot be prevented, as punishments coming from heaven, and out of the earth, can by no skill or power of man be avoided. See Isaiah 24:18.

and an earthquake] A forerunner of great troubles, chap. 6. 12.

Revelation 8:6

And the seven angels] They are all said to prepare themselves at once, though they sounded one after another, that there may not need a repetition of this preparation at every sounding. Or, to shew they were all ready to sound, when God should command. Or, to declare the certainty of sounding the rest, as well as the first. Or, because in the vision they were all to sound suddenly one after another, though there were more distance of time in execution.

prepared themselves to sound] Seeing by the signes, v. 5. the time was nigh, they set the trumpets to their mouthes. God gave some time for men to repent, between the denunciation and execution of the judgements.

Revelation 8:7

hail and fire] Which in those hotter regions go usually together. So Exod. 9. 22, 23. Psal. 18. 12, 13. and 105. 22, 23. and 148. 8.

mingled with blood] Both the hail and fire were mingled with blood; for the word is plurall in the Greek. By fire is meant lightnings, Psal. 18. 12, 13. Blood is added, to shew that this storm or tempest tended to slaughter. A terrible judgement. What the hail did not beat down, the fire burnt up; and what the fire left, the blood corrupted. See the like, Joe 1:4.

Some interpret it of the bitter contentions in the Church after the Nicene-council. Others, of the Arrian heresie, and persecution following it. Others, of the invasion of the Romane empire, after it was turned Christian, by the Goths and Vandals: for by such signes war is signified, Isaiah 28:2. and 30. 30, 31, 32. It is conceived commonly, that the last interpretation is the truest; and that shall be proportionably pursued in the trumpets following.

upon the earth] Upon the Romane empire, so that they shaked the foundation of it.

the third part] That the rest might repent, before all were destroyed.

of trees] Of the princes, and great men in the empire, a third part, or great number, was destroyed in those invasions. So trees are taken, Isaiah 2:13. & Isaiah 14:8. & Isaiah 37:24. Zechariah 11:2.

all green grasse] Most of the meaner sort of men, Isaiah 27:37.

Revelation 8:8

as it were] This sheweth, that John did not see the things themselves here named, but resemblances of them.

a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sed] An allusion to the burning of Aetna or Vesuvius, or the like hills, that, breaking out with flames, run down into the neighbour seas. So Isaiah 64:1; Isaiah 64:3. Mountains, for cities, Jeremiah 51:25. Isaiah 13:2. The sea, for the large territories of an empire, Jeremiah 51:36. 44. Ezekiel 31:4. After that the barbarous people had surprised and sacked the citie of Rome, they wasted and spoiled the territories of it, destroying the people, without respect of sex or age.

became blood] The waters were not onely putrified, and grew muddie, but also were turned into gore blood, which is the greatest corruption of water that can be. An allusion to Exodus 7:20-21. The territories did swim in blood, like a beast new slain, chap. 16. 3.

Revelation 8:9

creatures which were in the sea] Fishes, or what else liveth in the waters. The men seem to be here intended, that lived in the provinces; or, the souldiers who lay in garison there.

life] Gr. souls. Chap. 12. 11. Matthew 10:39. Luke 14:26.

died] Were choked with the bloody waters, Exodus 7:18; Exodus 7:21.

of the ships were destroyed] Either by the fiery mountain falling on them, or corrupted by the bloody waters. Hereby is intended, the decay of a great part of the means to defend those provinces, or of the trading there.

Revelation 8:10

A great star from heaven] Or, out of heaven. The Romane emperour of the west, who, like a blazing star, shined bright for a time, but was put down by the Gothes; Isaiah 14:12. and Isaiah 34:4.

burning as it were a lamp] I is compared to a lamp, then, not for greatnesse, but for light and heat.

upon the third part] Belike it tell into pieces, and one part fell on one river, another on another, &c. not on some part of every river, but on so many rivers as made up a third part of the rivers.

of the rivers, and upon the fountains] Of waters. On the fountains of those places where the third part of the rivers was. It is likely, then, that the rivers first grew bitter, and afterwards dried up. By rivers and fountains may be meant, the magistrates sent abroad into severall provinces, and the cities and provinces unto which they were sent.

Revelation 8:11

wormwood] A name given it from the effect of it. The Hebrew word to which this answereth, signifieth a poisonfull herb that destroyed men, Deuteronomy 29:18. Amos 5:7. By this bitter fall of that emperour, the magistrates and cities suffered much, and many men were destroyed.

Revelation 8:12

the third part of the sun] The sun shined but eight hours, where it used to shine twelve. It was dark two hours longer in the morning, and sooner at night. Or, the third part of the body of the sun was darkened, so that it gave not so much light by a third part, at any time of the day, as it did before. So of the moon and stars in the night.

was smitten] The sun is compared to a living body that hath one part of it dead with the palsie, or some other disease. The losse of part of the light, is as losse of part of the life, to a living creature. By the sun, seemeth to be meant the consular power at Rome, permitted by the ruling Gothes for a time: by the moon, the senate: by the stars, the other magistrates. By these, government, and the glory of it, are set out, Isaiah 13:10. Jeremiah 15:9. Ezekiel 32:7. These were eclipsed, when the Viceroy lived not at Rome, but at Ravenna.

Revelation 8:13

And I beheld] Chap. 4. 1. & 14. 1. To see if any thing else would be offered to my sight. Or, it may be, there being some distance between, he looked when the fifth angel would sound; but seeth somewhat foregoing it in this verse, to make him the more to attend to it hen it cometh.

thorow the midst] Gr. in the midst; chap. 14. 6. That is, as some, in the midst between heaven and earth, as the angel appeared to David, 1 Chron. 1. 16. Or rather, in the midst of heaven, along the meridian-line, which is the greatest height of heaven, and from whence his voice might every way be most clearly heard.

with a loud voice] That all men might hear, chap. 5. 12. or, to shew the greatnesse of the plagues to come, chap. 14. 9.

Wo, wo, wo] Signifying, by these three wo’s, that three greater judgements were yet to come, chap. 9. 12. and 11. 14.

to the inhabiters of the earth] Wicked men, and idolaters, chap. 11. 10. and 13. 12, 14. For these look after earthly things onely, and have no other portion, Psalms 17:14. Their conversation is not in heaven, like the saints, Philippians 3:19-20.

by reason of] As chap. 10. 13. Or, from. The miseries following shall proceed, as it were, from the sounds of the following trumpets. The angels shall not onely be heraulds to denounce them, but instruments to inflict them, chap. 9. 1, 2.

of the trumpet of the three angels] Of each of their trumpets, chap. 9. 19. Or, the trumpet, because they were all alike, in denouncing heavier judgements then the former.