1UndG2532 alsG3753 es das siebteG1442 SiegelG4973 öffneteG455, entstandG1096 ein SchweigenG4602 inG1722 dem HimmelG3772 beiG5613 einer halben StundeG2256. 2UndG2532 ich sahG1492 die siebenG2033 EngelG32, welcheG3739 vorG1799 GottG2316 stehenG2476; undG2532 es wurdenG1325 ihnenG846 siebenG2033 PosaunenG4536 gegebenG1325. 3UndG2532 ein andererG243 EngelG32 kamG2064 undG2532 stellte sichG2476 anG1909 den AltarG2379, und er hatteG2192 ein goldenesG5552 RäucherfaßG3031; undG2532 es wurdeG1325 ihmG846 vielG4183 RäucherwerkG2368 gegebenG1325, auf daßG2443 er Kraft gebeG1325 den GebetenG4335 allerG3956 HeiligenG40 aufG1909 dem goldenenG5552 AltarG2379, derG3588 vorG1799 dem ThroneG2362 ist. 4UndG2532 der RauchG2586 des RäucherwerksG2368 stiegG305 mit den GebetenG4335 der HeiligenG40 aufG305 ausG1537 der HandG5495 des EngelsG32 vorG1799 GottG2316. 5UndG2532 der EngelG32 nahmG2983 das RäucherfaßG3031 undG2532 füllteG1072 esG846 vonG1537 dem FeuerG4442 des AltarsG2379 undG2532 warfG906 es aufG1519 die ErdeG1093; undG2532 es geschahenG1096 StimmenG5456 undG2532 DonnerG1027 undG2532 BlitzeG796 undG2532 ein ErdbebenG4578. 6UndG2532 die siebenG2033 EngelG32, welcheG3588 die siebenG2033 PosaunenG4536 hattenG2192, bereitetenG2090 sichG1438, auf daßG2443 sie posauntenG4537. 7UndG2532 der ersteG4413 posaunteG4537: undG2532 es kamG1096 HagelG5464 undG2532 FeuerG4442, mit BlutG129 vermischtG3396, undG2532 wurdeG906 aufG1519 die ErdeG1093 geworfenG906. Und der dritte Teil der Erde verbrannte, undG2532 der dritteG5154 Teil der BäumeG1186 verbrannteG2618, undG2532 allesG3956 grüneG5515 GrasG5528 verbrannteG2618. 8UndG2532 der zweiteG1208 EngelG32 posaunteG4537: undG2532 wieG5613 ein großerG3173, mit FeuerG4442 brennenderG2545 BergG3735 wurdeG906 insG1519 MeerG2281 geworfenG906; undG2532 der dritteG5154 Teil des MeeresG2281 wurdeG1096 zu BlutG129. 9UndG2532 es starbG599 der dritteG5154 Teil der GeschöpfeG2938, welcheG3588 imG1722 MeereG2281 waren, die LebenG5590 hattenG2192, undG2532 der dritteG5154 Teil der SchiffeG4143 wurde zerstörtG1311. 10UndG2532 der dritteG5154 EngelG32 posaunteG4537: undG2532 es fielG4098 vomG1537 HimmelG3772 ein großerG3173 SternG792, brennendG2545 wieG5613 eine FackelG2985, undG2532 er fielG4098 aufG1909 den drittenG5154 Teil der StrömeG4215 undG2532 aufG1909 die WasserquellenG5204 G4077. 11UndG2532 der NameG3686 des SternesG792 heißtG3004 WermutG894; undG2532 der dritteG5154 Teil der WasserG5204 wurdeG1096 zuG1519 WermutG894, undG2532 vieleG4183 der MenschenG444 starbenG599 vonG1537 den WassernG5204, weilG3754 sie bitter gemachtG4087 waren. 12UndG2532 der vierteG5067 EngelG32 posaunteG4537: undG2532 es wurde geschlagenG4141 der dritteG5154 Teil der SonneG2246 undG2532 der dritteG5154 Teil des MondesG4582 undG2532 der dritteG5154 Teil der SterneG792, auf daßG2443 der dritteG5154 Teil derselbenG846 verfinstertG4654 würde, undG2532 der TagG2250 nichtG3361 schieneG5316 seinenG846 drittenG5154 Teil undG2532 die NachtG3571 gleicherweiseG3668. 13UndG2532 ich sahG1492: undG2532 ich hörteG191 einenG1520 AdlerG32 fliegenG4072 inmittenG1722 des HimmelsG3321 und mit lauterG3173 StimmeG5456 sagenG3004: WeheG3759, weheG3759, weheG3759 denen, die aufG1909 der ErdeG1093 wohnenG2730, wegenG1537 der übrigenG3062 StimmenG5456 der PosauneG4536 der dreiG5140 EngelG32, dieG3588 posaunenG4537 werdenG3195!
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 In these verses we have the prelude to the sounding of the trumpets in several parts.
I. The opening of the last seal. This was to introduce a new set of prophetical iconisms and events; there is a continued chain of providence, one part linked to another (where one ends another begins), and, though they may differ in nature and in time, they all make up one wise, well-connected, uniform design in the hand of God.
II. A profound
silence in heaven for the space of half an hour, which may be understood either, 1. Of the silence of peace, that for this time no complaints were sent up to the ear of the Lord God of sabaoth; all was quiet and well in the church, and therefore all silent in heaven, for whenever the church on earth cries, through oppression, that cry comes up to heaven and resounds there; or, 2. A silence of expectation; great things were upon the wheel of providence, and the church of God, both in heaven and earth, stood silent, as became them, to see what God was doing, according to that of
Zech 2:13,
Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord, for he has risen up out of his holy habitation. And elsewhere,
Be still, and know that I am God. III. The trumpets were delivered to the angels who were to sound them. Still the angels are employed as the wise and willing instruments of divine Providence, and they are furnished with all their materials and instructions from God our Saviour. As the angels of the churches are to sound the trumpet of the gospel, the angels of heaven are to sound the trumpet of Providence, and every one has his part given him.
IV. To prepare for this, another angel must first offer incense,
Revel 8:3. It is very probable that this other angel is the Lord Jesus, the high priest of the church, who is here described in his sacerdotal office, having a golden censer and much incense, a fulness of merit in his own glorious person, and this incense he was to offer up,
with the prayers of all the saints, upon the golden altar of his divine nature. Observe, 1. All the saints are a praying people; none of the children of God are born dumb, a Spirit of grace is always a Spirit of adoption and supplication, teaching us to cry,
Abba, Father. Pss 32:6,
For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee. 2. Times of danger should be praying times, and so should times of great expectation; both our fears and our hopes should put us upon prayer, and, where the interest of the church of God is deeply concerned, the hearts of the people of God in prayer should be greatly enlarged. 3. The prayers of the saints themselves stand in need of the incense and intercession of Christ to make them acceptable and effectual, and there is provision made by Christ for that purpose; he has his incense, his censer, and his altar; he is all himself to his people. 4. The prayers of the saints come up before God in a cloud of incense; no prayer, thus recommended, was ever denied audience or acceptance. 5. These prayers that were thus accepted in heaven produced great changes upon earth in return to them; the same angel that in his censer offered up the prayers of the saints in the same censer
took of the fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth, and this presently caused strange commotions,
voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake; these were the answers God gave to the prayers of the saints, and tokens of his anger against the world and that he would do great things to avenge himself and his people of their enemies; and now, all things being thus prepared, the angels discharge their duty.
7 Observe, I.
The first angel sounded the first trumpet, and the events which followed were very dismal:
There followed hail and fire mingled with blood, etc.,
Revel 8:7. There was a terrible storm; but whether it is to be understood of a storm of heresies, a mixture of monstrous errors falling on the church (for in that age Arianism prevailed), or a storm or tempest of war falling on the civil state, expositors are not agreed. Mr. Mede takes it to be meant of the Gothic inundation that broke in upon the empire in the year 395, the same year that Theodosius died, when the northern nations, under Alaricus, king of the Goths, broke in upon the western parts of the empire. However, here we observe, 1. It was a very terrible storm-fire, and hail, and blood: a strange mixture! 2. The limitation of it: it fell on
the third part of the trees, and on the third part of
the grass, and blasted and burnt it up; that is, say some, upon
the third part of the clergy and
the third part of the laity; or, as others who take it to fall upon the civil state, upon
the third part of the great men, and upon
the third part of the common people, either upon the Roman empire itself, which was a third part of the then known world, or upon a third part of that empire. The most severe calamities have their bounds and limits set them by the great God.
II.
The second angel sounded, and the alarm was followed, as in the first, with terrible events:
A great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood, Revel 8:8. By this mountain some understand the leader or leaders of the heretics; others, as Mr. Mede, the city of Rome, which was five times sacked by the Goths and Vandals, within the compass of 137 years; first by Alaricus, in the year 410, with great slaughter and cruelty. In these calamities, a third part of the people (called here the sea or collection of waters) were destroyed: here was still a limitation to the third part, for
in the midst of judgment God remembers mercy. This storm fell heavy upon the maritime and merchandizing cities and countries of the Roman empire.
III.
The third angel sounded, and the alarm had the like effects as before:
There fell a great star from heaven, etc.,
Revel 8:10. Some take this to be a political star, some eminent governor, and they apply it to Augustulus, who was forced to resign the empire to Odoacer, in the year 480. Others take it to be an ecclesiastical star, some eminent person in the church, compared to a
burning lamp, and they fix it upon Pelagius, who proved about this time a falling star, and greatly corrupted the churches of Christ. Observe, 1. Where this star fell:
Upon a third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters. 2. What effect it had upon them; it turned those springs and streams into wormwood, made them very bitter, that men were poisoned by them; either the laws, which are springs of civil liberty, and property, and safety, were poisoned by arbitrary power, or the doctrines of the gospel, the springs of spiritual life, refreshment, and vigour to the souls of men, were so corrupted and embittered by a mixture of dangerous errors that the souls of men found their ruin where they sought for their refreshment.
IV.
The fourth angel sounded, and the alarm was followed with further calamities. Observe, 1. The nature of this calamity; it was darkness; it fell therefore upon the great luminaries of the heaven, that give light to the world -
the sun, and the moon, and the stars, either the guides and governors of the church, or of the state, who are placed in higher orbs than the people, and are to dispense light and benign influences to them. 2. The limitation: it was confined to a third part of these luminaries; there was some light both of the sun by day, and of the moon and stars by night, but it was only a third part of what they had before. Without determining what is matter of controversy in these points among learned men, we rather choose to make these plain and practical remarks: - (1.) Where the gospel comes to a people, and is but coldly received, and has not its proper effects upon their hearts and lives, it is usually followed with dreadful judgments. (2.) God gives warning to men of his judgments before he sends them; he sounds an alarm by the written word, by ministers, by men's own consciences, and by the signs of the times; so that, if a people be surprised, it is their own fault. (3.) The anger of God against a people makes dreadful work among them; it embitters all their comforts, and makes even life itself bitter and burdensome. (4.) God does not in this world stir up all his wrath, but sets bounds to the most terrible judgments. (5.) Corruptions of doctrine and worship in the church are themselves great judgments, and the usual causes and tokens of other judgments coming on a people.
V. Before the other three trumpets are sounded here is solemn warning given to the world how terrible the calamities would be that should follow them, and how miserable those times and places would be on which they fell,
Revel 8:13. 1. The messenger was
an angel flying in the midst of heaven, as in haste, and coming on an awful errand. 2. The message was a denunciation of further and greater woe and misery than the world had hitherto endured. Here are three woes, to show how much the calamities coming should exceed those that had been already, or to hint how every one of the three succeeding trumpets should introduce its particular and distinct calamity. If less judgments do not take effect, but the church and the world grow worse under them, they must expect greater.
God will be known by the judgments that he executes; and he expects, when he comes to punish the world, the inhabitants thereof should tremble before him.
