Introductory remarks:
Chapter six left of with the opening of the sixth seal and chapter seven did some explaining as to these seals. Now here in chapter eight we have the opening of the seventh seal and the symbol of the first four trumpets.
"The seven seals, the seven trumpets, the seven personalities, and the seven vials or bowls of wrath all concern the same period, but from a little different angle. (1) In the seven seals we see the judgment, which is the result of man's willful activity. The judgment of God will be coming upon man. In the first seal we saw the riding of the white horse - false peace; For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them. . . (1 Thess. 5:3). The second seal was the riding of the red horse of war. War comes because it is in the heart of man. A great many people think that if we took all the guns away from people, if there were no arms and no atom bombs, then we would have peace on the earth. My friend, war is in the heart of man, and you have to change the heart of man before you can get rid of war. Frankly, I would have more confidence in a real, born again Christian who has a gun than an unsaved man who does not have a gun, because if he is unarmed, he can still choke his victim to death. We are seeing that murder is in the human heart. (2) In the seven trumpets, to which we are coming in this chapter, we see the judgment, which is the direct activity of God. (3) When we come to the seven personalities, we will see the judgment, which is the result of Satan's fight against God. Satan will be brought out in the open at that time. (4) In the seven bowls of wrath, we will see the final judgment of the Great Tribulation, which is the direct activity of God because of man's and Satan's rebellion - God will judge both, by the way" (T. T. B. J. Vernon McGee).
The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
Verse 1, "And when He had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour."
LGT "And when He opened the seal the seventh, there came to be silence in the heaven for about one half hour.
"And when He had opened the seventh seal,"
Jesus begins this eighth chapter by opening the seventh seal. "The opening of the last seal. This was to introduce a new set of prophetical images 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" (Matthew Henry).
"There was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour."
This is the only place in the NT that this word 'half-hour' (hemi = half and hora = hour) is used.
"The half-hour stillness implies the adoring expectation with which the blessed spirits and angels await the unfolding of God's judgments" (Fausset).
Verse 2, "And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets."
LGT "And I saw the seven angels who before God they stand, and were given to them seven trumpets."
"And I saw the seven angels which stood before God;"
"These seven angels are introduced to us as a special group. I believe that Gabriel is in this group because we are told that he stood before God. When he announced the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias, he said, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God (Luke 1:19). The seraphim are also identified as beings that stand before God (see Isa. 6:1-2). However, these seven angels are seemingly a different order from the seraphim as their mission and service are altogether different" (McGee). I personally think if it were a necessary point to be made to identify these seven angels, God would have identified them to John.
"And to them were given seven trumpets."
"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 Savior" (Matthew Henry). The angels stand ready to sound their trumpets, separated by a brief interlude in verses three to six.
Verse 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 prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne."
LGT "And another angel came and took his place over the altar having a golden censer, and was given to him much incense, in order that he might add it to the prayers of the saints all upon the altar the golden, which was before the throne."
"And another angel came and stood at the altar."
Another angel, not one of the seven mentioned in verse two, comes and takes his place before the altar. "The verb 'stood' (estathe) is an ingressive passive aorist of histemi (intransitive), meaning, took his place" (Robertson). At the altar is literally, over the altar.
"Having a golden censer;"
"This golden censer is a golden incense-cup or spoon to receive the frankincense which was lighted with coals from the brazen altar, and offered on the golden altar before the veil. The imagery is from the tabernacle and temple service" (Vincent).
"And there was given unto him much incense,"
"Incense speaks of the value of Christ's name and work in prayer. If you ask in My name is His injunction. Many today who really believe the Word of God are falling into the habit of ending their prayer by just saying Amen. Someone said to me, It is redundant to say 'In Jesus name', because in your heart you are praying in Jesus' name. I agree that to pray in Jesus' name means more than simply putting on a tag end, in Jesus name. But I want to say that if you are making a prayer in Jesus' name, and especially a public prayer, be sure to say that it is Jesus' name. I believe that is very important. Here they are offering incense, a sweet smelling incense. You and I are not heard for our much speaking or for our flowery prayer. We are heard when our prayer is made in Jesus' name. It is interesting that the incense was given to this angel. Christ didn't need anything given to Him when He prayed. The prayers of saints which were offered under the fifth seal (see Rev. 6:9-11) are now being answered because of the person and sacrifice of Christ" (McGee).
"That he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne."
Literally, that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints. "Of all the prayers, the martyr's cry is the foremost, and brings down the judgments of God" (A.R. Fausset).
"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. 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 the people" (Matthew Henry).
Verse 4, "And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand."
LGT "And went up the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints out of [the] hand of the angel before the God."
"The ascending smoke had reference to the prayers, was designed to accompany them and render them more acceptable" (Winer). "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. Psalm 32:6. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto Thee" (Matthew Henry). Theime notes: "The incense indicates the prayers will be answered. The seven Trumpet Judgments are in answer to these prayers. They will be supernatural judgments."
Verse 5, "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."
LGT "And the angel has taken the censer and filled it [with burning coals] out of the fire of the altar and threw [it] into the earth, and there came to be thunders and voices and lightnings and earthquake."
"And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar,"
The angel filled his censer with the burning coals out of the fire on the altar. Fire speaks of God's judgment: Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. (Gen. 19:24). All its land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and unproductive, and no grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and His wrath (Deut. 29:23). Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face (Psa. 11:6). And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah (Isa. 13:19). But on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and Brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all (Luke 17:29). Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, and exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire (Jude 7). Christ is getting ready to answer the prayers of the Tribulation Saints.
"And cast it unto the earth:"
Literally, And threw [His judgments] into the earth.
"The high priest of Israel took a censer with him as he carried the blood into the Holy of Holies. Here the ritual reversed, because out of heaven the censer is hurled upon the earth. In other words, the prayers ascended as incense, and now we have the answer coming down. The tribulation saints had prayed, Oh, God, avenge us! The people of the earth, having rejected the death of Christ, for the judgment of their sins, must now bear the judgment for their own sins. The Great Tribulation is going to get under way" (T. T. B. J. Vernon McGee).
"And there were voices,"
This is the same as chapter four verse five except the order was different, lightening and voices and thunder. The Greek word for 'voices' is phonai and means a sound or an utterance. Of course we know that thunder accompanies lightning and makes an awful sound, but these sounds seem to be distinguished from just the noise of these judgments; these voices, it seems, will be audible, and they seem to present God in His anger against all the unrighteousness on the earth. It seems as though they will all know that they come from God Almighty. (Perhaps the voices are just the sounds of the storm - Robertson).
"And thunderings, and lightnings,"
When we hear thunder, we know there is a storm coming. The thunder seems to be a warning that judgment is coming, and the voices seem to present where the storm is coming from. "Lightning follows thunder. This is not a reversal of the natural order. We see the lighting before we hear the thunder due to the fact that light waves move faster than sound waves. Actually, the thunder comes first, but we do not hear it until after we have already seen the lightning" (McGee).
"And an earthquake."
An earthquake is caused by internal strife in the earth. These judgments will cause the earth to respond with violence.
The Trumpets
Verse 6, "And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound."
LGT "And the seven angels the ones having the seven trumpets prepared themselves that they should blow the trumpets."
The time has come for God to visit His wrath upon the earth at the sounding of the trumpets.
"This is a solemn moment. The half hour of silence is over. The prayers of the saints have been heard. The order is issued to prepare to blow. The angels come to attention, and at the blowing of the trumpets, divine wrath is visited upon rebellious men. The blowing of the trumpets does not introduce symbols or secrets. The plagues here are literal plagues" (McGee).
Verse 7, "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."
LGT "And the first [angel] sounded: and there came to be hail and fire mixed with blood and was cast into the earth, and the third of the earth was burned up and the third of the trees was burned up and all green grass was burned up."
I do realize that much of the book of Revelation is symbolic, but there is a literal interpretation of the type. The O.T. is given in types and is revealed in the anti-type of the N.T. However, all this is explained in the Word as we study it. I believe here in this portion of the Word it is unnatural to make this description symbolic. The O. T. used symbols, but the entire book was not symbolic. The plagues in Egypt seem very unlikely by human standards, but nevertheless, they were literal plagues. The skeptics have all types of rationale that would like to convince believers that the plagues in Egypt did not happen literally. Lets review: So there was hail, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very severe, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation (Ex. 9:24). Again, Thus says the Lord, 'By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I will strike the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in My hand, and it shall be turned to blood' (Ex. 7:17). "The first four trumpets are very much like the plagues in Egypt, this one like a semitropical thunderstorm (Swete) with blood like the first plague" (Robertson).
You see, what I believe is that in these soundings of the trumpets, God is unleashing His fury on sinful man and nature. If it is not too hard to believe He did it in olden times, why is it so hard to believe that He can do it again? He did part the Red Sea, right; and He did destroy mankind, except eight, in the flood, right; He did feed the children in the wilderness with quail, and manna, and water from a rock, right; then why in His Good Name can He not do it in the last days after the church has left this earth. McGee calls this reading the O.T. account in Exodus of the plagues as literally happening, and this account in Revelation as symbolic, as "Flip-flop hermeneutics."
One third of the earth will be affected by this judgment.
Verse 8, "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."
LGT "And the second angel sounded: And as it were a great mountain with fire burning was cast into the sea, and the third of the sea became blood."
Here in this verse we have a splendid example of the use of symbols in the book of Revelation in the second phrase:
"And as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea:"
"As it were, not a great mountain, but a blazing mass as large as a mountain. Burning with fire (puri kaiomenon) a present middle participle of kaio. Perhaps with the picture of a great volcanic eruption like that of Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Strabo tells of an eruption B.C. 196 which made a new island (Palaea Kaumene)" (Robertson).
"I want you to notice the exact language used here. John does not say that a burning mountain was cast into the sea but rather he indicates that a great mass or force as it were a great mountain burning with fire was [thrown] cast into the sea - as it were a great mountain. This careful distinction in the use of language should be noted, especially since it is the common practice to lump together everything in Revelation and call it symbolic. You might think it gets you out of a lot of trouble, but it gets you out of the frying pan into the fire, by the way" (McGee).
"And the third part of the sea became blood."
Like the Nile in the first plague, Ex. 7:20, 21: So Moses and Aaron did even as the Lord had commanded. And he lifted up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood. And the fish that were in the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through all the land of Egypt.
"A fiery mass, huge as a mountain, is flung into the sea - a description which would recall the fiery volcanic bombs familiar to inhabitants of the Egean. The catastrophe includes, as in the first Egyptian plague, the turning of water into blood and the destruction of marine animals, besides havoc among the shipping. Volcanic phenomena in the Egean archipelago (e.g. at Thera) are in the background of this description, and of others throughout the book; features such as the disturbance of islands and the mainland, showers of stones, earthquakes, the sun obscured by a black mist of ashes, and the moon reddened by volcanic dust, were the natural consequences of eruption in some submarine volcano, and Thera - adjoining Patmos - was in a state of more or less severe eruption during the first century. (We all saw the destruction of the tidal wave the Tsunami recently caused by the great earthquake off the Canary Islands). All this suggested the hideous colors in which the final catastrophe was painted by the imagination of pious contemporaries. In the eruption of 1573, the sea round Thera was tinted for twenty miles round, and even when the submarine volcano quiescent [became inactive], the sea in the immediate vicinity of the cone is of a brilliant orange color, from the action of oxide of iron. In 1707 a large rock suddenly appeared in the sea, during the eruption, and owing to noxious vapors all fish in the harbor died" (The Expositor's Greek Testament).
Verse 9, "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."
LGT "And the third of the creatures the ones in the sea which have life died, and the third of the ships were destroyed."
After this literal fiery mass falls into the sea a third of the fish die; a third of all the living creatures of the sea, such as the bottom dwellers die; a third of the ships are destroyed, literally.
"There is no use to try to find some symbol. John doesn't say that this is symbolic. He makes it very clear that a great mass, a force, is put into the ocean. I do not know what this could possibly be, and there are two reasons for that. First of all, John didn't tell me; he didn't tell anybody, I do not think that anyone has the answer. The second reason is that I don't expect to be here at the that time to be reading the evening papers. The bad news that we get in the papers and on television today will continue, only more so, during the Great Tribulation. I won't be here to see it. Therefore, this does not concern me too much, other than it is an awful tragedy that is coming on a Christ-rejecting world which actually ridicules the Word of God today" (McGee).
Verse 10, "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;"
LGT "And the third angel sounded: and [there] fell out from the heaven a great star burning as it were a lamp and fell upon the third of the rivers and upon the springs of the waters."
A blazing meteor shoots out of the heaven and pollutes not only the rivers, but also the springs and fountains. McGee says that, man has gotten a head start on the star in the water pollution department.
Verse 11, "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."
LGT "And the name of the star is called The Wormwood, and a third of the waters became wormwood and many of the men died from the waters because they were made bitter."
"The third part of all drinking waters is poisoned by a huge, noxious, torch-like meteor shooting down from the sky. Wormwood, a bitter drug typical of divine punishment, was apparently supposed to be a mortal poison" (The Expositor's Greek Testament). "This star is literal and is a meteor containing poison which contaminates one-third of the earth's fresh water supply. The star's name suggests that this is a judgment upon man for idolatry and injustice. Calamity and sorrow are the natural compensations that are coming upon man because of this judgment" (McGee).
Verse 12, "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."
LGT "And the fourth angel sounded: and the third of the sun was smitten and the third of the moon and the third of the stars, in order that the third of them should be darkened, and the third of the day should not shine and the night likewise."
The earth looses a third part of its radiation and this will drastically affect the photosynthesis disrupting all plant life. "The laws of nature are radically altered by these disturbances. There is a definite limitation - only a third part of the light and of the day is affected. The intensity of the light has the wattage reduced by one third. Talk about an energy shortage! Believe me, my friend; one is coming to this earth someday.
I saw an arresting billboard in Seattle, Washington, when Boeing had shut down many plants, laid off several thousand men, and people were beginning to leave town. On this billboard on Highway 5, some wag put this sign: The last one leaving town, please turn out the lights. Well God is getting ready to turn out the lights here on this earth. However, the Lord has made it clear, While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease (Gen. 8:22)" (McGee).
Verse 13, "And 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!"
LGT "And I saw, and heard one eagle flying in mid-heaven saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe to the ones who dwell upon the earth, [because] of the remaining voices of the trumpets of the three angels who are about to sound trumpets."
"And beheld, and heard and angel flying through the midst of heaven,"
This phrase is literally, And I saw, and heard one eagle flying in mid-heaven. Vincent says, "the eagle is a sign of vengeance," "like the king of birds, pouncing on its prey" [Fausset] Deut. 28:49: The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you shall not understand." Vincent remarks about the term 'mid-heaven:' "it means, properly, the meridian, the highest point in the heavens which the sun occupies at noon: not the space between heaven and earth."
"Saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth,"
This is a literal eagle flying in mid-heaven speaking with a loud voice. McGee says, "If men can make parrots and other birds talk, it should be no big deal for God to make an eagle speak with a great voice."
The reason for the three 'woes' is one for each of the last three trumpets that are about to sound.
"By reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!"
The last of the judgments are on the ones who inhabit the earth as their only portion, for they have no hope beyond this life. The last three trumpets are separate from the other four, these are all woes. McGee notes: "It is interesting to note that our Lord used the eagle to speak of His coming: For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together (Matt. 24:28) - that is after the great Battle of Armageddon."
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