And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven — Such a silence is mentioned but in this one place. It was uncommon, and highly observable: for praise is sounding in heaven day and night. In particular, immediately before this silence, all the angels, and before them the innume... [ Continue Reading ]
And I saw — The seven trumpets belong to the seventh seal, as do the seven phials to the seventh trumpet. This should be carefully remembered, that we may not confound together the times which follow each other. And yet it may be observed, in general, concerning the times of the incidents mentioned... [ Continue Reading ]
And — In Revelation 7:2, the "trumpets were given" to the seven angels; and in Revelation 7:6, they "prepared to sound." But between these, the incense of this angel and the prayers of the saints are mentioned; the interposing of which shows, that the prayers of the saints and the trumpets of the an... [ Continue Reading ]
And the smoke of the incense came up before God, with the prayers of the saints — A token that both were accepted.... [ Continue Reading ]
And there were thunderings, and lightnings, and voices, and an earthquake — These, especially when attended with fire, are emblems of God's dreadful judgments, which are immediately to follow.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the seven angels prepared themselves to sound — That each, when it should come to his turn, might sound without delay. But while they do sound, they still stand before God.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the first sounded — And every angel continued to sound, till all which his trumpet brought was fulfilled and till the next began. There are intervals between the three woes, but not between the four first trumpets. And there was hail and fire mingled with blood, and there were cast upon the eart... [ Continue Reading ]
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea — By the sea, particularly as it is here opposed to the earth, we may understand the west, or Europe; and chiefly the middle parts of it, the vast Roman empire. A mountain here seems to signify a gr... [ Continue Reading ]
And the third part of the creatures that were in the sea — That is, of all sorts of men, of every station and degree. Died — By those merciless invaders. And the third part of the ships were destroyed — It is a frequent thing to resemble a state or republic to a ship, wherein many people are embarke... [ Continue Reading ]
And the third angel sounded, and there fell from heaven a great star, and it fell on the third part of the rivers — It seems Afric is meant by the rivers; (with which this burning part of the world abounds in an especial manner;) Egypt in particular, which the Nile overflows every year far and wide.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the name of the star is called Wormwood — The unparalleled bitterness both of Arius himself and of his followers show the exact propriety of his title. And the third part of the waters became wormwood — A very considerable part of Afric was infected with the same bitter doctrine and Spirit. And... [ Continue Reading ]
And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten — Or struck. After the emperor Theodosius died, and the empire was divided into the eastern and the western, the barbarous nations poured in as a flood. The Goths and Hunns in the years 403 and 405 fell upon Italy itself with an... [ Continue Reading ]
And I saw, and heard an angel flying — Between the trumpets of the fourth and fifth angel. In the midst of heaven — The three woes, as we shall see, stretch themselves over the earth from Persia eastward, beyond Italy, westward; all which space had been filled with the gospel by the apostles. In the... [ Continue Reading ]