CHAPTER VII. 1 The instruments of the sixth judgment, which precedes the Second Advent, are held back until the elect of God are prepared for it. 2-3 The sealing of all God's servants. 4-8 The elect of Israel are numbered. 9-11 The Gentile saints are countless. 12-17 Their songs of praise, and blessed state. 1 AND after this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind might not blow upon the earth, 1-17. 'Who shall be able to stand?' is the question of terrified sinners when the great day of the Lamb's wrath has come upon them. The vision now presented to the apostle answers this question. The 'reign of terror' shall not begin until the saints of God are ready for it. The mention of the four corners of the earth expresses the universality of the reign of terror.' The instruments of the judgment of the sixth seal are bound until the elect of God are prepared for that great tribulation; and they are seen in this vision after they have come out of it victorious and triumphant. These four angels will be loosed when the sixth angel of judg 1 Rev. ix. 14, 15. ment shall sound his trumpet.1 When the great Euphrates-the defence of Babylon, upon whose banks they are bound-shall be dried up, upon the outpouring of the contents of the sixth vial upon its waters; 2 then shall begin the final travail pangs of the suffering but victorious Church; then shall the wicked arm themselves for the last struggle with the righteous. 'The spirits of devils, working signs, shall go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.' 'Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.' 'Ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.' 5 False Christs, and false prophets 2 Rev. xvi. 12. 3 3 Rev. xvi. 14. 5 St. Matt. xxiv. 9. And I saw 2 nor upon the sea, nor upon any tree. another angel, coming from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was 3 given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God upon their fore4 heads. And I heard the number of the sealed; a hundred and forty-four thousand were sealed out of 5 the whole race of the sons of Israel: Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand; of the tribe of Gad twelve 6 thousand; of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand; of the tribe 7 of Manasseh twelve thousand; of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand; of the tribe of Levi twelve thou8 sand; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand; of the tribe of Zabulon twelve thousand; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand; of the tribe of Benjamin 9 twelve thousand were sealed. After these things I looked, and, behold, a great multitude, which no one could number, out of every nation and tribe and people and language, were standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with 10 palms in their hands; and they cry with a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongeth to our God who sitteth 11 upon the throne, and to the Lamb. And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and fell down before the throne upon their faces, and worshipped God, 12 saying, Amen: blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength 13 belong to our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying to me, These who are clothed in white robes, who are they, and whence 14 have they come? And I said to him, My Lord, thou knowest; and he said to me, These are they who come out of the great. tribulation, and they have washed their robes and have made them white by the 15 blood of the Lamb; for this cause they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sitteth upon the throne shall 16 dwell with them; they shall hunger no more, neither shall they thirst any more, neither shall the sun strike 17 them nor any heat; because the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall lead them to springs of living waters, and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. CHAPTER VIII. 1 The beginning of eternal rest. 2 The seven trumpets of judgment. 3-5 The prayers of the saints call down these judgments. 6,7 The judgment of barren Israel, and of all the unfruitful. 8, 9 The overthrow of pagan Rome, and of every nation opposing the Gospel. 10, 11 The doctrines of Revelation poisoned by the falsehoods of Mahomet and other false prophets. 12 Light is withheld from those who love darkness; the darkness of mediaval Christendom. 13 The terrific character of the last three judgments. 1 AND when he opened the seventh seal there was silence in the heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels, which stand before 3 God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came, and stood by the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, 1. A deep silence follows the tumult and terror of the sixth seal; follows also the exulting shouts of the redeemed; implying that their peace shall never again be disturbed, that they have entered into their rest. In the seventh seal,' writes Bede, following Victorinus and others, 'he beholds the beginning of eternal rest.' 2-6 Seven priests were commanded to sound seven trumpets around the accursed city, before its walls fell down flat that the 1 Joshua vi. 4, 5. people of the Lord might ascend 2 Rev. vi. 10; and xi. 5, 6. that he might offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne: 4 and the smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of the saints before God out of the hand of 5 the angel. And the angel took his censer, and filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth, and there were voices and thunders and light6 nings and an earthquake. And the seven angels, who held the seven trumpets, prepared themselves to sound. 7 And the first sounded, and there was hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast on the earth; and the third part of the earth was burnt up, and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all the green grass was burnt up. 7. And first He curses the barren fig-tree of apostate Israel; and all who, planted like trees in the garden of the Lord, yet bring no fruit to perfection. 'The axe is laid unto the root of the trees; therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.' His day shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty 6 and upon all the cedars of Lebanon... and upon all the oaks of Bashan.' 2 To destroy the 'fading flower of Ephraim,' and all who imitate their unbelief and bardness of heart, the Lord hath a mighty and a strong one, which as a tempest of hail and destroying 6 St. Matt. iii. 10. storm The fall of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the unbelieving Jews is called by our Lord Himself the coming of the Son of man with power. It was, indeed, the beginning of judgment. 'The time had come that judgment should begin at the house of God.' 4 'What then shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God?'5 Let us, therefore' not be highminded, but fear : for if God spared not the natural branches,' we have reason to take heed lest he also us. 6 not' spare By trees,' writes Bede on this |