A Plain Explanation of Revelation, Part 8
Apoc. Cap. 8. 1.
And when he had opened the ſeauenth Seale, there was ſilence in heauen about halfe an houre.
THe Apoſtle S. Iohn doth recontinue his purpoſe begun in the fift Chapter, being omitted in the ſixt and ſeauenth Chapters; for theſe two Chapters were put in for the comfort of Gods children, and to preſerue them againſt the troubles afterwards to befall. Now he commeth to the opening of the ſeauenth Seale, whereat there was ſilence in heauen for the ſpace of halfe an houre: ſignifying, that all the Saints and Angels were amazed at the opening of it, marueiling at the Iudgements which followed it, more then at the other wonders which before were receiued, albeit they alſo were very marueilous. The like ſpeech is vſed in Iob, for when his friends comming to viſite him, ſaw what a miſerable caſe he was in, they were ſo appalled thereat, that they could not ſpeake to him for three dayes. This is to ſet forth vntounto vsus the wonderfulneſſe of the iudgements contained in the opening of the ſeauenth Seale.
After this, is a preparation vntounto the Iudgement to come, vntounto the ſixt Verſe, where it is ſaid, that Trumpets are giuen to the ſeauen Angels; that is, to a perfect and competent number, fit for ſuch a worke, and for the executing of that ſeruice ouer all the world.
Then he ſpeaketh of another Angell, viz. another in nature, as being both God and man; another in office, as being the Angell of the euerlaſting Couenant: And he is ſaid to ſtand before the Altar, that is, in his office of Mediation betweene his Father and his Church. And therefore it is after ſaid, that to him was giuen ſweet Odors, that is, there was in him things acceptable to God, to wit, his perfect obedience, wherein was an acceptable receiuing and perfuming of the praiers of the Saints vntounto God. So that we ſee, that God accepteth of our prayers at the hands of Chriſt, which at ours he will not.
By the Cenſor in his hand, hee alludeth to the cuſtome of the Prieſts in the ceremoniall Law.
In that hee taketh coales from the Altar, and caſteth them on the earth, it ſignifieth the denouncing of his iudgements againſt the wicked on the face of the earth; ſhewing that as he is the meanes of mercy vntounto the Godly, ſo hee is the executioner of the iudgement on the wicked: At the greatneſſe of which his iudgements, there were Voices, and Thunders, and Lightnings, and Earth-quakes. Afterward followeth the execution of the iudgments, wherof foure Trumpets of iudgements are ſounded in this Chapter, performed by the foure firſt Angels. The firſt Angel bloweth his Trumpet, & then it is ſaid there was hayle, and fire, mingled with blood, and theſe did deſtroy the trees, and eueryevery greene thing.
By this he ſeemeth to allude vntounto that in the ninth of Exodus, where it is ſaid, that in one of the Plagues of Exod. 9. 24.Egypt, was Haile mingled with Fire, the like is here mentioned; but in this place there is an addition of blood; noting, that all ſhould be conſumed, namely, that there ſhould not onelyonly be a deſtruction of the trees and greene things, but of the men alſo, which came to paſſe euen among the Egyptians, for thoſe that were in the fields were conſumed by the tempeſt. After, in the ſecond place, it is ſaid that the ſecond Angell did blow his Trumpet; whereupon, there was a mountaine burning with fire caſt into the Sea, being ſet on fire by the wrath and anger of God, ſignifying the iudgements to be executed on the Earth, and then vponupon the Sea: Seeming to allude to that place in the Pſalme, where the Prophet ſaith, that though the Pſalme 46. 2.Mountaines ſhould fall into the midſt of the Sea, yet I will not be remoued: And this iudgement ſhould be executed vponupon the Sea, on the Fiſhes, and alſo vponupon the Ships, ſo that not onelyonly the Earth, but euen the Sea ſhould hauehave iudgements executed vponupon them.
At the blaſt of the third Trumpet, it is ſaid, that a ſtarre fell from heauen into the third part of the freſh waters and Riuers, ſignifying Gods iudgements vponupon them alſo, whereupon the third part of men died. The name of this Starre is Worme-wood, from the effect, to wit, the bitterneſſe which it ſhould cauſe in the freſh waters.
Where wee ſee, albeit the certainty of the time is not knowne, nor any ſet time wherein this ſhall be effected, yet the Lord doth ſometimes poyſon and infect the Aire, ſometimes the Earth, and ſometimes the Sea and Waters; whereby infection ariſeth to man, and hereby it is ſaid that the third part of men ſhould dye: that is, the liues of many men ſhould be ſhortened. And theſe all ſeeme literally to be vnderſtood, ſauing that the Mountaine and the Starre which fell into the waters, doe ſignifie that the heauens ſhould be ſo infected, that they alſo by their infectious diſpoſition ſhould corrupt and infect the waters, and thereby cauſe death to men.
The fourth Angell hauing blowne his Trumpet, it is ſaid that the third part of the Sunne, of the Moone, and of the Starres was darkened, which ſeemeth to be meant of the ſpirituall darkeneſſe ſhould be vponupon the Earth: For hitherto the Plagues that hauehave beene ſet downe, hauehave beene corporall, to wit, either pertaining to the things of the nouriſhment of the bodies of men, or vponupon the bodies themſelues: thoſe that follow in the reſt of this and the next Chapter, ſeeme to be vnderſtood of the ſpirituall Plagues of the ſoule, that the light thereof, in the middeſt of men, ſhould very much be darkened: for I cannot ſee how thoſe words concerning the darkening of the Sunne and Moone, and the Starres, can literally be vnderſtood, but rather by ſome Allegory, becauſe in the next Chapter, verſe 2. it is ſpoken of the darkeneſſe of the Sunne, that it was altogether darkened, noting the depriuation of all the light and knowledge of the ſoule. And therefore this is to be vnderſtood of the darkeneſſe of the minde, through want of knowledge, by taking away of the truth in part, as appeareth by the hiſtories; for ſince that Popery came in by meanes of Antichriſt, Sathan had wonderfully darkened the light of the Goſpell; yea euen before Antichriſt was at his full height.
Then hee ſetteth downe, that he ſaw an Angell flying through the middeſt of heauen, which cryed with a loud voice, Woe, Woe, Woe to the Inhabitants of the earth; for the plagues which were to come: for albeit thoſe that were before were grieuous, and eſpecially of the darkening of their vnderſtandings; yet theſe that were to enſue ſhould be farre more grieuous and terrible. And therefore wee ſhould be ſtirred vp to a more diligent obſeruation and conſideration of them.