1AndG2532 whenG3753 he had openedG455 the seventhG1442 sealG4973, there wasG1096 silenceG4602 inG1722 heavenG3772 about the space ofG5613 half an hourG2256. 2AndG2532 I sawG1492 the sevenG2033 angelsG32 whoG3739 stoodG2476 beforeG1799 GodG2316; andG2532 to themG846 were givenG1325 sevenG2033 trumpetsG4536. 3AndG2532 anotherG243 angelG32 cameG2064 andG2532 stoodG2476 atG1909 the altarG2379, havingG2192 a goldenG5552 censerG3031; andG2532 there was givenG1325 to himG846 muchG4183 incenseG2368, thatG2443 he should offerG1325 it with the prayersG4335 of allG3956 saintsG40 uponG1909 the goldenG5552 altarG2379 whichG3588 was beforeG1799 the throneG2362. 4AndG2532 the smokeG2586 of the incenseG2368, which came with the prayersG4335 of the saintsG40, ascendedG305 beforeG1799 GodG2316 out ofG1537 the angel’sG32 handG5495. 5AndG2532 the angelG32 tookG2983 the censerG3031, andG2532 filledG1072 itG846 withG1537 fireG4442 of the altarG2379, andG2532 castG906 it uponG1519 the earthG1093: andG2532 there wereG1096 voicesG5456, andG2532 thunderingsG1027, andG2532 lightningsG796, andG2532 an earthquakeG4578. 6AndG2532 the sevenG2033 angelsG32 whoG3588 hadG2192 the sevenG2033 trumpetsG4536 preparedG2090 themselvesG1438 toG2443 soundG4537. 7 The firstG4413 angelG32 soundedG4537, andG2532 there followedG1096 hailG5464 andG2532 fireG4442 mixedG3396 with bloodG129, andG2532 they were castG906 uponG1519 the earthG1093: andG2532 the third partG5154 of treesG1186 was burnt upG2618, andG2532 allG3956 greenG5515 grassG5528 was burnt upG2618. 8AndG2532 the secondG1208 angelG32 soundedG4537, andG2532 as it wereG5613 a greatG3173 mountainG3735 burningG2545 with fireG4442 was castG906 intoG1519 the seaG2281: andG2532 the third partG5154 of the seaG2281 becameG1096 bloodG129; 9AndG2532 the third partG5154 of the creaturesG2938 whichG3588 were inG1722 the seaG2281, and hadG2192 lifeG5590, diedG599; andG2532 the third partG5154 of the shipsG4143 were destroyedG1311. 10AndG2532 the thirdG5154 angelG32 soundedG4537, andG2532 there fellG4098 a greatG3173 starG792 fromG1537 heavenG3772, burningG2545 as it wereG5613 a lampG2985, andG2532 it fellG4098 uponG1909 the third partG5154 of the riversG4215, andG2532 uponG1909 the fountainsG4077 of watersG5204; 11AndG2532 the nameG3686 of the starG792 is calledG3004 WormwoodG894: andG2532 the third partG5154 of the watersG5204 becameG1096 G1519 wormwoodG894; andG2532 manyG4183 menG444 diedG599 fromG1537 the watersG5204, becauseG3754 they were made bitterG4087. 12AndG2532 the fourthG5067 angelG32 soundedG4537, andG2532 the third partG5154 of the sunG2246 was smittenG4141, andG2532 the third partG5154 of the moonG4582, andG2532 the third partG5154 of the starsG792; so thatG2443 the third partG5154 of themG846 was darkenedG4654, andG2532 the dayG2250 shoneG5316 notG3361 for a third partG5154 of itG846, andG2532 the nightG3571 likewiseG3668. 13AndG2532 I beheldG1492, andG2532 heardG191 anG1520 angelG32 flyingG4072 throughG1722 the midst of heavenG3321, sayingG3004 with a loudG3173 voiceG5456, WoeG3759, woeG3759, woeG3759, to the inhabitersG2730 ofG1909 the earthG1093 by reason ofG1537 the otherG3062 voicesG5456 of the trumpetG4536 of the threeG5140 angelsG32, whichG3588 are yetG3195 to soundG4537!
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.