And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. Ver. 1. _The seventh seal_] The business or parts whereof are the seven trumpets, that sound a dreadful alarm against the Roman empire, ready now to be ruined for the innocent blood, and upon the i... [ Continue Reading ]
And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. Ver. 2. _Which stood before God_] In a waiting posture, ready pressed to do his pleasure. _ Seven trumpets_] To be sounded several times, to show that God suffereth not his whole wrath to arise at once agains... [ Continue Reading ]
And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer _it_ with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. Ver. 3. _And another angel_] An angel after another manner; not by nature, bu... [ Continue Reading ]
And the smoke of the incense, _which came_ with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. Ver. 4. _The smoke of the incense_] The saints' prayers perfumed with Christ's odours ascended, that is, were highly accepted in heaven, Acts 10:4; Exodus 3:9, as well appeared... [ Continue Reading ]
And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast _it_ into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. Ver. 5. _And filled it with the fire of the altar_] Fire, in token of fierce indignation, and from the altar; for Christ came... [ Continue Reading ]
And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. Ver. 6. _Prepared themselves_] Having got sign, as it were, by that which Christ did in the former verse, they set to in order to sound their trumpets.... [ Continue Reading ]
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. Ver. 7. _Hail and fire mingled with blood_] Instead of the fire of love (saith Mr Forbes) mixed with the sweet... [ Continue Reading ]
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; Ver. 8. _A great mountain_] Some notable heresiarch, possibly Pelagius, a monk of Bangor, Morgan by name, that is, in the Welsh tongue, a seaman. This M... [ Continue Reading ]
And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. Ver. 9. _And the third part_] Heresy as a gangrene spreads and kills; as the leprosy in the head, it renders a man utterly unclean, Leviticus 13:44. So cunning are some sed... [ Continue Reading ]
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; Ver. 10. _There fell a great star_] Falling stars were never but meteors. That grand apostate of Rome may well he meant b... [ Continue Reading ]
And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. Ver. 11. _Was called Wormwood_] Because himself was in the gall of bitterness, and did embitter others. See Jeremiah 23:15; Deuteronomy 29:1... [ Continue Reading ]
And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. Ver. 12. _And the third part of the sun_] The pr... [ Continue Reading ]
And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! Ver. 13. _And I beheld and heard an angel_] αγγελου αετου, or, an ea... [ Continue Reading ]