CHAPTER VIII.

THE SEVENTH SEAL, AND FOUR FIRST TRUMPETS.

V. 1. And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

Καὶ ὅτε ἤνοιξε τὴν σφραγῖδα τὴν ἑβδόμην, ἐγένετο σιγὴ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ὡς ἡμιώ

ριον.

§ 185. And when he had opened,' or, when he was opening, the seventh seal, there was silence,' &c.-Silence in the Hebrew sometimes expresses rest; a pause, during which nothing is done, (Cruden's Concord.) The duration is not to be taken strictly, but as it is in the Greek, as it were half an hour. As in a dramatic exhibition a pause of half an hour, or thereabouts, in the representation would denote not merely a change of scene but a change in the acts; so here we may suppose the pause indicates the commencement of a new series-something for which the previous representations had been preparatory: the silence at the same time enabling the reader, or the spectator, to take a retrospective glance at the past, in order to prepare his mind the better for that which is to come.

An hour, indeed, might be supposed to represent a time, or prophetic term of 360 days of years; the half hour thus expressing a chronological lapse of time of 180 years. But this does not appear to accord so well with the general term of the vision; especially taking into consideration, as we shall see, that time in this vision is no longer (§ 230) to be contemplated in a literal sense. The previous developments are not such as to involve the necessity of chronological succession, and the riders of the four horses apparently go all forth at the same time, each having his peculiar functions to perform. The souls under the altar are in the interim in a state of impatient expectation, and the different exhibitions of approaching judgment and of merciful provision simultaneously grow out, as we may suppose, of the four equestrian powers of development. The exhibition of the blissful position of the great multitude clothed in white, resulting from the action of the rider of the white horse, with his bow and crown; and the awful spectacle of those who are without Christ and without hope, being a consequence of the joint actions of the riders upon the red, black, and green horses. The first showing the earthly system to afford no peace or recon

ciliation with God, its principles themselves being at war with each other; the second exhibiting the standard of divine judgment; and the third, with his attendant, showing the liability to judgment, and the certainty of condemnation all of which elements enter into the picture of imminent danger, utter helplessness, and extreme desperation, so vividly painted at the close of the sixth chapter.

We are now to call to mind the position of things at the opening of the seventh seal. On the one hand, there is a fearful looking for of judgment, and of fiery indignation-a dread of impending wrath; but the judgment, and the indignation or wrath are not yet exhibited as in actual operation. All the visible elements, it is true, are in commotion, and the hitherto selfconfident inhabitants of the earth are awakened to a sense of their insecurity, and their need of a refuge-but the wrath itself has not yet come. On the other hand we see those so provided for that, whatever happen, they have nothing to apprehend; the trying moment, however, even with these, has not yet approached, although, whenever it comes they are prepared for it. Their garments are white, not with a cleansing element of their own providing, but washed in the blood of the Lamb. They have a covert from the storm, Is. xxxii. 2, and from the burning heat, Is. iv. 6; and they have the assurance, that their bread shall be given them, and their water shall be sure, (Is. xxxiii. 16.) Possibly, as we have suggested, ($ 81,) the first class may be finally merged in the second, or partially so, having undergone a corresponding change of views.

Under the recollection of the peculiar circumstances of these two different classes of expectants, we are now to attend to the particulars of the wrathful visitation of which we have hitherto only contemplated the coming.

V. 2. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

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Καὶ εἶδον τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀγγέλους, οἳ ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἑστήκασι, καὶ ἐδόθησαν αὐτοῖς ἑπτὰ σάλπιγγες.

§ 186. And I saw the seven angels.'-There are no seven angels previously spoken of as standing before God. The seven angels of the seven churches, represented by the seven stars in the hand of one like unto the Son of man, could hardly be considered as the seven angels which stood before God. These àngels are probably the seven spirits, spoken of as before the throne, (Rev. i. 4 ;) especially as Paul, speaking of the angels, represents them all as "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation," Heb. i. 14. This function being also that of the Comforter, these seven angels before God must be, as we have supposed, the seven spirits before the throne, (§ 9)—so many emanations or elements of the Holy Spirit, constituting also a totality.

' And to them were given seven trumpets.'-Each of these elements of

the Holy Spirit being charged with making his peculiar revelation, or with teaching a certain truth, or series of truths. This teaching being intended to be public and for the benefit of all, the commission to perform these several functions is figuratively spoken of as the giving of a trumpet. The trumpet of ancient times, in the hands of the herald, or of the trumpeter, was not merely the instrument of calling attention to the command uttered; it also made known the authority by which the command was given, and itself announced by certain variations of sound the particulars of this command; as it is said, (1 Cor. xiv. 8,) "If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?" The trumpet, therefore, in the hands of these angels, may be supposed to represent an instrument or means of revealing the truths uttered. As the walls of Jericho fell after the repeated sounds of the trumpets of the priests, (Joshua vi. 8-16,) so the bulwarks of erroneous systems are demolished after repeated revelations or developments of truth; as it is said, also, 1 Thess. iv. 16, "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." We do not suppose either the shout, the voice, or the trumpet, to be literally understood here; but the manifestation spoken of is to be made through some instrumentality analogous to these: it being evident that the trump or trumpet of God is something very different in reality from the trumpet of a man, or even that of a priest.

The use of the trumpet, however, amongst the Hebrews, was not confined to purposes of alarm, or to the utterance of commands. We find the instrument spoken of, Ps. xcviii. 6, as making a joyful noise before the Lord; and 1 Chron. xiii. 8, They played with trumpets, as well as with cymbals. The character of the revelation or proclamation, therefore, must be gathered from the circumstances under which the instrument is supposed to be employed.

In the great change described by Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 22, the last trumpet is spoken of, apparently intimating the sounding of certain previous trumpets; all of which may have some correspondence with the action of the seven trumpets committed to these seven angels.

V. 3. 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.

Καὶ ἄλλος ἄγγελος ἦλθε, καὶ ἐστάθη ἐπὶ το θυσιαστήριον ἔχων λιβανωτὸν χρυσοῦν· καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ θυμιάματα πολλά, ἵνα δώσῃ ταῖς προςευχαῖς τῶν ἁγίων πάντων ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ χρυσοῦν τὸ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου.

187. The seven trumpets are given to the seven angels, but the description of the effects of their sounding is yet delayed, apparently to describe some process or processes going on at the same time. While the

scene of judgment is being enacted, glory, and praise, and thanks, continue to be ascribed to God.

Another angel came.'-While the seven angels are commissioned to develope the purposes of God, another messenger, or instrument of revealing truth, is commissioned to develope what is doing amongst the redeemed, as also amongst others of an opposite character.

And stood at the altar, having a golden censer.'-The altar we have already considered the purpose of God—the Logos, Christ under a certain aspect, (§ 161.) It is spoken of as golden, because the composition-the material is pure truth; capable of standing the test or the trial of any assay. The censer, also of gold, is the instrument with which the incense is offered: it must represent some principle or instrumentality of truth, by which the offerings are set apart and made acceptable to God. The peculiar quality of incense is its sweet smell; a smell, as it is used in the East, overcoming all others, and consequently overcoming all unpleasant odours.

Thus, incense may be put for the quality in any sacrifice by which the offering is made acceptable to God. No propitiatory offering, as we learn from the whole tenor of divine revelation, can be acceptable to God, except it be made by Jesus Christ; hence, incense is put for the atonement itself, as we find from the direction given to Aaron, Numbers xvi. 46-48: “Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly into the congregation, and make an atonement for them, for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun. And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and behold, the plague was begun amongst the people: and he put in incense, and made an atonement for the people, and he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed." The incense was not all that was required. It must be offered by the high priest-Moses could not offer it; so the atonement of the Christian economy can only be offered by the high priest of our profession. Christ, however, is not only the priest, but the incense also; the sacrifice carrying in itself its acceptable quality as it is said, Eph. v. 2, that he hath given himself for us; an offering and a sacrifice to God of a sweet-smelling savour. On a certain principle of gratitude, nevertheless, the disciple may offer his body an acceptable sacrifice, or thank-offering, Rom. xii. 1; and it is said, 2 Cor. ii. 15, that " we are to God a sweet savour of Christ." So, after the patriarch Noah had experienced the signal preservation vouchsafed him and his family, he built an altar and offered a sacrifice, evidently not in order that he might be delivered from peril, but because he had been delivered and the Lord smelled, it is said, a sweet savour, Gen. viii. 21.

The incense offered by the angel may thus represent the atonement, or propitiatory merits of Christ, going up with the prayers of saints; or it may

represent that principle of gratitude resulting from the intercession of Christ, which renders the offerings of disciples acceptable to God. The angel standing in the place of the priest must represent Christ in his priestly character, by whom alone we have access unto God, and through whom alone our prayers or our worship can be accepted. The altar we may presume to be described as before the throne, because God has his purpose of mercy in Christ always in view, and always a subject of complacency.

Vs. 4, 5. And the smoke of the incense, (which came) with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hands. 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.

Καὶ ἀνέβη ὁ καπνὸς τῶν θυμιαμάτων ταῖς προςευχαῖς τῶν ἁγίων ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ ἀγγέλου ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ εἴληφεν ὁ ἄγγελος τὸν λιβανωτόν, καὶ ἐγέμισεν αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ πυρὸς τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, καὶ ἔβαλεν εἰς τὴν yip zaì ¿yśvorto qavaì zai ßportai xai ἀστραπαὶ καὶ σεισμός.

183. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers,' &c.-This smoke may be denominated the vehicle by which the prayers are made to ascend; the ascending before God being expressive of the favour with which these prayers are received: that is, they are rendered an acceptable sacrifice, Rom. xii. 1, by being incorporated with the offering of Christthe sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour, Eph. v. 2. These prayers of the saints, as before suggested, (§ 139,) are put for acts of worship generally; or for the entire self-devotion virtually constituting an act of worship. No doubt the same prayers as those mentioned Rev. v. 8, in possession of the twenty-four elders-retained, we may suppose, till they could go up with the smoke of the incense; the human offering being permitted to ascend before the Lord, only under cover of the divine oblation. So Aaron was directed (Lev. xvi. 12 and 13) to take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar, before the LORD; and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: and to put incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense might cover the mercyseat and this, it is added, "that he die not."

The apostle may be said to have witnessed on this occasion an illustration of the efficiency of Christ's merits in rendering the service of his followers, subsequent to their redemption, acceptable in the sight of God.

'And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire,' &c.-The fire from the altar was necessary to elicit the perfume affording a sweet savour; so the fire of the divine word, or revealed purpose of God, is requisite to elicit the principle upon which alone the disciple's offering of service can be acceptable.

And cast it into the earth, and there were voices, and thunderings,' &c. -The same element of trial, the fire of the altar, which exhibits the acceptable character of a grateful service, consequent to the work of Christ, is also the means of exhibiting the rigid character of the legal dispensation. The