Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · Revelation Capitolo 8

Revelation 8:1.— This chapter opens the second grand period of this prophesy; which begins upon the opening of the seventh seal, and is distinguished by the sounding of seven trumpets. This period of the trumpets is of much longer duration, and comprehends many more events than any of the former seals. It comprehends indeed seven periods, distinguished by the sounding of seven trumpets, and contains a prophetic description of the state of the world and church for a considerable space of time after the empire became Christian during the continuance of the empire in the successors of Constantine, ch. Revelation 8-10. It describes the great devastation of the Roman empire by the several nations which broke in upon it, and finally put an end to it: it describes a time of great calamity, a state of new trials: it shews the church what it was to expect in new dangers and opposition after it should be delivered from the persecution of the Heathen Roman Government: and when the Christian religion should have the protection of the laws, and the favour of the emperors, the church would still have great need of caution, watchfulness, patience, and constancy; and there would be still this encouragement to faithfulness and perseverance, that though the opposition in this period of time would be great, yet neither should this prevail against the cause of truth and righteousness. The Christian faith and religion should be preserved, and in the end triumph over this opposition, as it had before over the former opposition from the Heathen emperors of Rome; and thus the general design and use of the prophesy is fully answered, to direct and encourage the constancy of the Christian Church in faith and patience, whatever opposition it may meet with from the world.

There was silence in heaven— Most interpreters agree that this silence in heaven for half an hour, is an allusion to the manner of the temple worship; for, while the priest offered incense in the holy place, the whole people prayed without in silence, or privately to themselves, Luke 1:10. On the day of expiation, the whole service was performed by the high-priest; to which particular service Sir Isaac Newton has observed an allusion: "The custom," says he, "on other days was to take fire from the great altar in a silver censer; but on this day of expiation, for the high-priest to take fire from the great altar in a golden censer: and when he was come down from the great altar, he took incense from one of the priests who brought it to him, and went with it to the golden altar; and while he offered the incense, the peopleprayed without in silence;—which is the silence in heaven for half an hour." It is true, on the day of expiation the high-priest did all the service himself; he used a golden censer, and took his hands full of incense; yet I doubt not but the mention of a golden censer, and much incense, refers to the glory and perfection of the heavenly worship, as well as to the peculiar service of the high-priest. But see the Note on Revelation 8:6, for my own opinion on this point.

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Revelation 8:6. And the seven angels—prepared themselves to sound.— As the seals foretold the state and condition of the Roman empire before, and till it became Christian, so the trumpets foreshow the state and condition of it afterward. The sound of the trumpet, as Jeremiah observes, ch. Jer 4:19 and as every one understands it, is the alarm of war; and the sounding of these trumpets is designed to rouse and excite the nations against the Roman empire; called the third part of the world, as perhaps including the third part of the world, and being seated principally in Europe, the third part of the world as believed at that time. We may just observe, that the censers here mentioned, were the same with the vials full of odours mentioned ch. Revelation 5:8. The offeringof incense on the golden altar, seems to determine this allusion to the constant offering of incense in the temples and not to the service peculiar to the high-priest on the day of expiation; and fully shews the propriety of this vision in not expressly representing the high-priest. Indeed many interpreters, and that with good reason, understand the angel, Rev 8:3 as an emblem of Christ, the great High-Priest of his church. As the golden altar made a part of the scene, there was a propriety in its appearing to be used; and the time of praying was the hour of incense. This vision may probably be designed to intimate, that, considering the scenes of confusion represented by the trumpets, the saints should be exceedingly earnest with God to pour out a spirit of wisdom, piety, and zeal upon the church, and preserve it safe amid these confusions.

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Revelation 8:7. There followed hail, &c.— See the note on Revelation 8:2-5. Here is probably an allusion also to one of the plagues of Egypt, which was a destroying storm and tempest. See Exo 9:23 . It is a just observation of Sir Isaac Newton, that, in the prophetic language, tempests, winds, or the motions of clouds, are put for wars; thunder; or the voice of a cloud, for the voice of a multitude; and storms of thunder and lightning, hail and overflowing rain, for a tempest of war, descending from the heavens and clouds politic. In like manner, the earth, animals, and vegetables, are put for the people of several nations and conditions: trees and green grass express the beauty and fruitfulness of a land; and, when the earth is an emblem of nations and dominions, may signify persons of higher rank, and those of common condition. Whether it was the intention of the prophetic style to be so particular, is not easy to determine; but it seems plain that it is designed to express some great calamities brought on the empire, when it is represented as a storm, destroying not only the green grass which is more easily blasted, but also a great part of the trees which are supposed more likely to withstand the violence of the storm; and it seems to point out these calamities as the effect of war and bloodshed throughout the Roman empire in the beginning of this period. Accordingly, says Bishop Newton, at the sounding of the first trumpet, the barbarous nations, like a storm of hail and fire mingled with blood, invade the Roman territories, and destroy the third part of trees, that is, the trees of the third part of the earth; and the green grass, that is, both old and young, high and low, rich and poor, together. Theododius the Great died in the year 395; and no sooner was he dead, than the Huns, Goths, and other barbarians, like hail for multitude, and breathing fire and slaughter, broke in upon the best provinces of the empire, both in the East and West, with greater success than they had ever done before. But by this trumpet were principally intended the irruptions and depredations of the Goths, under the conduct of the famous Alaric, who began his incursions in the same year 395; first ravaged Greece, then wasted Italy, besieged Rome, and was bought off at an exorbitant price; besieged it again in the year 410. Took and plundered the city, and set fire to it in several places, sparing neither religion, nor dignities, nor age, nor crying infants. "Among other calamities," says Philostorgius, (Hist. Eccles. 50. 2. 100. 7.) "dry heats, with flashes of flame and whirlwinds of fire, occasioned various and intolerable terrors; yea, and hail greater than could be held in a man's hand, fell down in several places, weighing about eight pounds." Well, therefore, might the prophet compare these incursions of the barbarians to "hail, and fire mingled with blood."

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Revelation 8:12. The fourth angel sounded, &c.— At the sounding of the fourth trumpet, the third part of the sun, moon, and stars, that is, the great lights of the Roman empire, were eclipsed and darkened, and remained in darkness for some time. See Jer_13:16 Jeremiah 13:16>. Isa_13:10-11 Isaiah 13:10-11>. Eze_32:7-8 Ezekiel 32:7-8>. Genseric left the western empire in a weak and desperate condition. It struggled hard, and gasped as it were for breath, through eight short and turbulent reigns, for the space of twenty years, and at length expired under Momillus, in the year 476. This change was effected by Odoacer, king of the Heruli, who, coming to Rome with an army of barbarians, caused himself to be proclaimed king of Italy, and put an end to the very name of the Western empire. After a reign of sixteen years, he was overcome in the year 493, by Theodoric, who founded the kingdom of the Ostrogoths in Italy, which continued about sixty years. Thus was the Roman sun extinguished in the Western empire: but the other lesser luminaries, the moon and stars, still subsisted; for Rome was still allowed to have her senate, and consuls, and other subordinate magistrates, as before. These lights shone more faintly under barbarian kings, than under Roman emperors; but they were not totally suppressed and extinguished, till after the kingdom of the Ostrogoths was destroyed by the lieutenants of the emperor of the East, and Italy became a province to the Eastern empire. Longinus, in the year 566, by authority received from the emperor Justin II. changed the whole form of the government, and in every city of note constituted a new governor, under the title of duke. He himself presided over all; and, residing at Ravenna, was called "the Exarch of Ravenna," as his successors were also. Rome was thus degraded to the same level with other places; and, from being the queen of cities, and empress of the world, was reduced to a poor dukedom, and made tributary to Ravenna, which she had used to govern.

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