those many kingdoms of the western world, which at that very time, on account of their ignorance and superstition, were submitting themselves to the papal yoke. The sealed are to be found in all Christian countries, mingled with the unsealed; and the invasion which could hurt the one, and not the other, may easily be understood to be that of an universally extended heresy, but not that of a partial invasion by arms *. The good Christian who continued stedfast in the primitive faith, did not submit to the Gnostical teachers, and thus remained unhurt. But how could he escape unhurt from the sword and Priva plunder and domination of the Mahometans? 5. A period is assigned for the continuance of this woe; five months, or 150 years. The progressive conquests of the Saracene Mahometans continued more than double the length of this period; have been renewed by other nations professing the same creed; and the Mahometans have at this day possession of the greater part of their acquired dominions, after a lapse of nearly 1200 years! 6. To accommodate the Saracens to the symbols of this Trumpet, the commentators have been obliged to apply the prophetic characters sometimes in a borrowed, sometimes in a literal sense, which I suppose to be unwarranted. They ought all to be applied in the same sense. 7. Under the next Trumpet, we shall attempt to shew, that another prophecy belongs more appro Especially if a whole region be invaded; for, in the invasion of a particular city, the sealed might escape, as we are told they did, at the siege of Jerusalem under Titus, retiring timely to Pella, upon the warning given them by their Lord. Euseb. Eccl. Hist. lib. jii. c. 5. priately A . " priately to the Mahometans. The application of the fifth Trumpet to them is of modern date :-Contenta in hâc visione omnes penè de hæreticis intelligunt *. 8. The important period of 150 years, during which the infant Church was darkened and disfigured by the Gnostic heresies, and on that account exposed to scandal, and misrepresentation, and additional persecution, seems of magnitude to require the notice of Divine prophecy. Though but sparingly mentioned in history, because the records of it, which have survived the Diocletian destruction of manuscripts, are few; yet, its real consequence is not diminished by such accidental circumstance. The great and leading facts are fully established, and no doubt can be entertained of their extensive and powerful influence on the progress of Christianity. But this is its place in the Apocalyptic Visions, (and I hope clearly ascertained,) or it has none. * Gagnæus apud Polum. PART III. SECTION V. The sounding of the sixth Trumpet and beginning of the second Woe. 13 Καὶ ὁ ἔκλα αγελα ἐσάλπισε, καὶ ἤκεσα φωνὴν μίαν ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων κεράτων το θυσιαςηρία το χρυσᾶ τὸ ἐνώπιον CHAP. ix. VER. 13-to the end. 13 And the sixth angel | 13 And the sixth angel sounded; and I heard one voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which is 14 before God, Saying to sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which is before 14 God, Saying to the 14 το Θεό, λέγεσαν τῷ ἔκλῳ ἀγγέλω, ὁ ἔχων τὴν σάλπιγα Λῦσον τὰς τέσσαμας ἀγέλες τις δεδεμένες ἐπὶ τῷ πολαμῷ τῷ μεγάλῳ 15 Εὐφράτη. Καὶ ἐλύθησαν οἱ τέσο ἵνα ἀποκλείνωσι τὸ τρίτον τῶν ἀνθρώ 16 πων. Καὶ ὁ ἀριθ μὲς τῶν τρατευμάτ των τῇ ἱππικᾶ, δύο μυριάδες μυριάδων καὶ ἤκεσα τὸν ἀριθ 17 μὲν αὐτῶν. Καὶ ὕτως εἶδον τὰς π πως ἐν τῇ ὁράσει, και τις καθημένες ἐπ ̓ αὐτῶν, ἔχονίας θώς ρακας πυρίνες, καὶ ὑακινθίνες, καὶ θειώ δεις καὶ αἱ κεφαλαί τῶν ἵππων ὡς κει φαλαί λεόνων, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ςομάτων αὐ τῶν ἐκπορεύεται τουρ καὶ καπνὸς καὶ θεῖον, 18 ̓Απὸ τῶν τριῶν πληγῶν τέτων άπεκτάνθησαν τὸ τρίτον τῶν ἀνθρώτων, ἐκ τῶ πυρὸς, καὶ ἐκ τῶ καπνᾶ, κ τῇ θείᾳ τῇ ἐκπα ρινομένω ἐκ τῶν δου the sixth angel who had the trumpet, « Loose the four an"gels, who are bound 66 en at the great river 15 Euphrates.” And the four angels were loosed, who were prepared for the hour, and day, and month, and year, for to slay the third part of the 16 men. And the num ber of the troops of cavalry was two myriads of myriads: and I heard the number of 17 them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sate on them having breast-plates of the colour of fire, of hyacinth, of brimstone. And the heads of the horses like heads of lions; and out of their mouths issueth fire, and smoke, and brim18 stone. By these three plagues were slain the third part of the men, by the fire, and the smoke, and the brimstone issuing from 19 their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouth, and in their tails; for, their tails are like serpents, sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great 15 river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third 16 part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand and I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinct, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoak, 18 and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoak, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their 19 mouths. For their in power is their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto ser 19 μάτων αὐτῶν. Ἡ γὰρ ἐξεσία τῶν ἵππων ἐν τῷ σόμαλι αὐτῶν ἐςιν, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐραῖς αὐτῶν· αἱ γὰρ ἐραὶ αὐτῶν ὅμοια, ὄρεσιν, ἔχει και κεφαλάς κ ἐν αὐταῖς ἀδικασι 20 Καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ανθρώπων οἱ ἐκ απο κλάνθησαν ἐν ταῖς πληγαῖς ταύταις, ὦ μετενόησαν ἐκ τῶν ἔργων τῶν χειρῶν αὕτων, ἵνα μὴ προσκυνήσωσι τα δαι μόνια, καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα τὰ χρυσᾶ, καὶ τὰ ἀρτυρᾶ, καὶ τὰ χαλο κα, καὶ τὰ λίθινα, καὶ τὰ ξύλινα, ἔτε βλέπειν δύναται, ἔτε ακέειν, ἔτε 21 περιπατεῖν· Καὶ ἐ μετενόησαν ἐκ τῶν φονῶν αὐτῶν, ἔτε ἐκ τῶν φαρμακειῶν αὑτῶν, ἔτε ἐκ τῆς πορνείας αὑτῶν, ἔτε ἐκ τῶν κλεμμάτων αὐτῶν. having heads: and with them they injure. 20 And the remainder of | the men, who were not slain by these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, so that they should not worship the dæmons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood, which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk. 21 And they repented not of their murders, thefts, pents, and had heads, and with them they 20 do hurt. And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood; which neither can see, nor hear, 21 nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their Ver. 13, &c.] Upon the sound of the sixth Trumpet, a voice, proceeding from the four horns of the altar, and addressed to the angel, commands that he should loose the four angels, then bounden at the great river Euphrates," who were appointed for this precise precise time," the hour, and day, and month, and The altar is the golden one, the altar of incense*, which makes a part of the scenery in heaven, standing before the Throne, as, in the earthly temple, before the Mercy-seat, which represented the local residence of Godt. Upon the four horns or projecting angles of this altar, under the Mosaic law, atonement for the sins of the people was made. From this sacred place, from the four cardinal points thereof, is issued a decree of destruction against a third part of the Christian Church. For, by the men is to be under-x stood the Christian men. In Acts xv. 17. οἱ καταλοιποι Tüv avlewπv, are the remnant or residue of the Israelites;—and thus also in this chapter (verse 20,) oi λοιποι τῶν ἀνθρωπῶν are plainly the residue of the Christian men; as also in chap. ix. 4, the men who have not the seal of God, are the nominal Christians. And the sins and offences of the Christians must have been great at this period, when the altar, which, as Bishop Newton observes, is "their sanctuary, calls "aloud for vengeance upon them." The voice coming from the altar which was before the throne, is as the voice of God, who permits, and had decreed this destruction; yet, coming from the altar, and not from the throne, somewhat more seems to be intended religion seems intimately concerned. The angels who lead this assault on the Christian Church, are four, in concordance with the four horns of the anyon altar, whence the decree and permission proceeded. We are to account them evil angels, like those of the * See note, ch. vi. 9. ↑ See notes, ch. vi. 9. viii. 3. ↑ Exod. xxx. 1—10. Prideaux, Con. i. 141, &c. |
