Revelation 8

Under the fifth seal we find all the souls lying, as it were, weltering in their blood under the altar on which they had been slain: in the first scene of this seal their blood is avenged, and they are raised to glory, honour, and immortality. ‘‘A great multitude, which no man could number, stand before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes as symbolic of their purity, and having in their hands palm branches, as implying that they had gained the victory by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” ((Revelation 12:11).) Here they appear worshipping among the heavenly hosts. And when John witnesses this, questions are put, and an answer is given, calculated to excite feelings of joy and of devotion.

“ These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb: and therefore’ — that is, because they are thus justified and sanctified—therefore “are they before the throne,” and serve him ever more. - After writing the above, we were gratified to find that we are unwittingly following in the track of those judicious expositors, Mr. Lowman and Mr. Fuller. ‘After the sealing of God’s servants is accomplished, (says the latter,) the saints and martyrs of Jesus, who, during the preceding persecutions, had overcome, and had been received into glory, joining with the whole heavenly chorus, engage in a triumphant song of praise to God and to the Lamb.

The reason of their being here introduced, seems to be, that the sealed servants of God, who were yet on earth, and had to pass through a series of trials, might, by a view of their happy end, be strengthened to follow their example. As great numbers would be against them in this world, they are directed to view the numbers of friends which they have in heaven; who not only look back to their own deliverance, and ascribe it to God, but seem to look down to their brethren, and to say, ‘ Hold fast the profession of your faith without wavering.’ ” Chap. VIII. Ver. 1—6. The seventh seal opened. Seven angels prepare to sound—and one offers incense on the golden altar—the reasons on which our exposition is founded.

We have explained the seals in relation to those awful public events, which, at the same time as they purified the church, led also to the overthrow of Paganism, and the establishment of Christianity. The four first scenes we have considered as exhibiting, 1. The glorious conquests of the gospel. 2. The horrors of war. 3. The miseries of famine. 4. The miseries of plague or pestilence; all of which, while intended to punish idolaters, were also intended to purify the church, even as gold is purified by fire. The fifth seal exhibits an awful picture of Pagan persecution. The sixth, under the figure of a general concussion, both of heaven and earth, exhibits those mighty revolutions by which the Pagan government was overturned; and then the divine means, namely, the seal of baptism and of the Spirit, by which the church was so wonderfully protected and enlarged.

We have then another celestial vision—a view within the veil, (as it were,) when we see the martyrs, who had so lately bled, received in triumph before the throne of God and the Lamb, with the happy assurance of everlasting life. The first thing which arrests our attention in this chapter, is “silence in heaven,” which is not to be understood of that heaven in which the divine presence dwells, for there the worshippers “rest not day nor night,” (ch. iv. 8;) but evidently refers to the state of the church below, and is thought to allude to the temple worship, when, during the time of a incense, the whole multitude were employed in secret and private prayer. ((Luke 1:10).) This is called “half an hour,” which was probably about the time so usually employed, and represents that short interval of peace and liberty of conscience which followed upon the accession of Constantine, before the church itself began to practise that system of intolerance, which led to the establishment of the Roman antichrist.

During this interval, seven angels who were waiting before God, come forward and receive seven trumpets, which they were to be prepared to sound when the signal of the divine pleasure should be given. In the mean time, another angel comes forward, and there is given to him “much incense,” that he may “add it to the prayers of the saints,” which are as a sweet savour. Upon that altar the sacred fire was constantly kept burning. (Leviticus 6:13).— And cast it into—Margin, “‘up. n”—the earth.—And cast what? Not the censer, but the fire, or rather some remnant of the burning incense. Ver. 7. Hail and fire.—| This refers to the irruptions of the barbarous nations into the Roman empire, from A. D. 338 to 412; and principally to the incursions of the Goths under Alaric, who, after spreading desolation by fire and sword prior; and seems to refer to Attila and his Huns, who, after Alaric, ravaged the empire during fourteen years, massacring, plundering, and destroying all before him in the most barbarous manner.

‘This period probably includes the calamities which befell the empire from A. D. 412 to 450.|—Bagster.— The third Bet of the sea became blood.—This has an evident allusion to one of the miracles wrought in Egypt. See (Exodus 7:20-21).—The third part.—This the preceding; and, as to the chief himself, he affected to be considered as “the scourge of God,” and pretended that the grass would never grow upon ground whereon his horse had trodden. Others, however, apply this to Genseric, King of the Vandals, and conqueror of Africa, who about the same period (the middle of the fifth century) also plundered Rome, and carried off the Empress Eudoxia (whom he pretended to avenge) and her two daughters, and a vast number of inferior captives. This Alaric had, in our opinion, a superior claim to the character of a fallen star, named Wormwood; since he was, according to Bishop Newton, ‘a most bigoted Arian: thus poisoning the doctrines of the church, and, at the same time, bitterly persecuting the orthodox or Trinitarian Christians.

At the sound of the fourth trumpet, all the luminaries of heaven become dim, and lose a third, i. e. a considerable part of their light and glory. ‘‘Darkening, smiting, or setting of the sun, moon, and stars, (says Sir Js. Newton,) are put for the setting of a kingdom, or the desolation thereof, proportional to the darkness.” And when darkness is opposed to light, (Mr. Daubuz observes,) ‘‘ as light is a symbol of joy and safety, so darkness is a symbol of misery and adversity.” (See (Isaiah 13:10-11). (Jeremiah 12:16). (Ezekiel 32:7-8).) From the time that Genseric entered Rome, its strength and glory rapidly diminished. ‘“ Genseric (says Bishop Newton) left the western empire in a weak and desperate condition.

It struggled hard, and gasped, as it were, for breath, through eight short and turbulent reigns, for the space of twenty years, and at length expired in the year 476, under Momyllus or Augustulus, as he was named in derision, being a diminutive Augustus. This change was effected by Odoacer, king of the Heruli, who coming to Rome with an army of barbarians, stripped Momyllus of the imperial robes, put an end to the very name of the western empire, and caused himself to be proclaimed king of Italy.” His reign was, indeed, but short; for, sixteen years afterwards, he was slain by Theodoric; who, in A. D. 493, founded the kingdom of the Ostrogoths, which continued about 60 years longer. ‘Thus was the Roman sun extinguished in the western empire; (continues the Bishop;) but the other lesser luminaries, the moon and stars, still subsisted, for Rome was still allowed to have her senate and consuls, and other subordinate magistrates, as before.”

Thus the glory of Rome continued to decline, until, in A. D. 556, it was made a province of the eastern empire, under Justin II., and governed by a duke who was himself subject to the Exarch of Ravenna, which Rome had been used to govern. Thus fell imperial Rome. But, says Mr. Fuller, “It may be ever, may be alleged in answer:—; “1. They were necessary for the accomplishment of other prophecies, particularly (Daniel 7:7-8). 2 recess li. 7; thereby a way was made for the beast to have ten horns; as, after the overthrow of the empire, it was divided into so many independent kingdoms, which, with little variation, continue to this day. Hereby also a way was made for the little horn of Daniel’s fourth beast, or the papal antichrist, to come up amongst them; or, as the apostle expresses it, for the man of sin to be revealed.

F _‘“2. In these judgments upon the empire, we perceive the divine displeasure for its having corrupted the Christian religion, and transformed it into an engine of state. The wars of the Assyrians and Babylonians, were the scourges of God on those who had corrupted the true religion; and such were those of the Goths, the Vandals, and the Huns, on the Christian governments of the fourth and fifth centuries.” In the close of this chapter, another celestial herald flies through the midst of heaven, warning the inhabitants of the earth, of the three dreadful woes which are to attend the sounding of the other three trumpets which are yet to sound: which is as much as to say, that the judgments already executed were but slight, compared with the farther judgments which might be expected; and this, indeed, we shall find to be the fact.

Mr. Cunninghame suggests, that this proclamation may serve also “as a chronological mark, to show that these three trumpets, are all posterior to the first four, not only in order, but in time; and that they belong to a new series of

Notes on the verses

Chap. VIII. Ver. 2. Seven angels, &c.—The seven angels that appear upon the scene are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth; and none of them are the same as the four living creatures who were in the midst of the throne and round about the throne.—Seven trumpets.—Commentators, with considerable variance in the details, are of one accord that the first four trumpets denote the successive events which caused the downfall of Rome, and that the fifth and sixth trumpets, or the first and second woe, characterize the Saracen and Turkish power.—Keith. % Ver. 3. And stood.— Woodhouse, ‘‘ was stationed.”——A These censers, Lowman remarks, are ‘‘ the same with the vials (Revelation 5:8), (which are there explained to mean a sort of cups upon pistons [saucers].) The offering incense on the golden altar, seems to determine its allusion to the constant offering of incense in the temple, and not to the service peculiar to the high priest on the day of expiation; and fully to the propriety of this vision, in not representing the high priest, which in this view would have been the Lamb, as he is in this act of worship.

—Of all saints.— Woodhouse, “all the saints.” vols And filled it with fire of the altar.—As there was no fire upon the golden altar, this must refer to the altar of burnt-offering, which, as well as the other, appears to have had a place in the heavenly temple. See (Revelation 6:9).—Golden censer.— full of odours, throughout the provinces, took and plundered Rome, A. D. 410, and slew all, without distinction of rank, sex, or age.|—Bagster.—And they were cast.— Namely, the hail, and fire, and blood. Doddridge, “It was cast;” meaning the storm, or perhaps the incense.——Upon the earth.—Woodhouse, “Upon the land,” as distinguished from the sea, rivers, &c., ver. 8—10. Ver. 8. A great sath again this is an emblem of a mighty destructive war is an expression not uncommon with the prophetic writers.

See (Ezekiel 5:12) Zech, xiii. 8, 9, &c. Ver. 9. Which were in the sea, and had life.—Doddridge, “* Which had life in the sea;” i. e. which lived in the sea. This, as some think, refers particularly to the maritime parts of the empire; but see (Revelation 17:15). x Ver. 10. A great star.—” A star, in prophetic language, signifies a prince, or leader.”— Woodhouse. Of Genseric, Gibbon says, ‘‘ The terrible Genseric, a name which, in the destruction of the Roman Empire, has deserved an equal rank with Alaric and Attila.” [This seems to refer to Genseric, who, soon after Attila’s retreat, unexpectedly invaded the empire with 300,000 Vandals and Moors, besieged and took Rome, and abandoned it to the ravages of his troops, from A.

D. 450 to 456. As this assault was made at the source of the Roman power and prosperity, and as he was a bigoted Arian, and a cruel persecutor of the orthodox, he may justly be said to poison the fountains. |—B. Ver. 11. Because they were made bitter.—See (Exodus 15:23). Ver. 13. An eagle ere ‘‘one angel.” Griesbach here reads, ‘‘ one eagle;” but as the whole machinery is administered by angels, we think, with Woodhouse, that the internal evidence is strongly in favour of the common r: