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| Photo of Jon Tracy, by Jim Tracy |
1 And when He had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half a hour.
After the opening of all the other seals, there are earthquakes, prayers, people talking, horses marching. But after this seal, silence.
This silence is in dreaded expectation of what is fixing to happen. It is horribly long while it is happening, but in reality, is a very short time.
2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
Things were preparing to happen. There is great expectation.
Seven is, again, the number of completion. The complete plans of God are fixing to happen.
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.
This other “angel” may very well be Christ functioning in His priestly office. He brought the prayers of the saints to the throne of Grace.
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.
God heard their prayers.
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.
The result of the prayers reaching God was great turmoil on the earth; great shakings.
As the worst of the events began at Jerusalem, one of the warring factions invited Idumeans (descendants of Esau) into the city to help them. The night before they came in there was a tremendous storm and earthquakes. Some told Josephus afterward that they heard voices coming from the Holy of Holies saying “Let us depart” also.
The Idumeans became their own gang inside the city, adding to its destruction.
6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
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.
The Romans bombarded the city with 75-100 lb, white boulders (“hail”). Many fires broke out during this ordeal that burned much of the city. People were killed everywhere from the alter to the gates, blood flowing freely down the streets. The Romans crucified anyone who tried to leave the city, necessitating the cutting down of all the local trees. They destroyed everything pleasant.
“The land was wasted; the trees-the chiefs of the nation, were destroyed; and the grass-the common people, slain, or carried into captivity. High and low, rich and poor, were overwhelmed with one general destruction. This seems to be the meaning of these figures.” Josephus
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;
The Mountain (Israel) was cast into the Sea of Humanity (dispersed into all nations). Jesus told His disciples to pray for this in Matthew 21:21-22. There He speaks of praying for THIS Mountain (not A mountain) to be cast into the sea.
Josephus also tells us of a battle just before the destruction of Jerusalem where the Roman’s chased many Jews onto the Sea of Galilee and slaughtered them. Blood and dead bodies floated all over the sea. “A third” means “A large number,” not necessarily exactly one of three parts.
The physical city (not just the people) was destroyed by several fires, some set by the Romans, some by the warring Jews, some by lightening (God).
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.
The Romans also destroyed all the boats on the Sea of Galilee at that time. And certainly the eatable fish could not have survived such pollution.
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;
Stars represent leadership or God's people throughout the Bible. Israel fell from God's grace when she rejected Christ. This rejection of her Messiah brought total destruction.
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.
Wormwood is a bitter herb used to expel parasites. God called a rebellious heart a “root that bears gall and wormwood” (“gall” also denotes “bitterness”) in Deuteronomy 29:18.
In Proverbs 5:4, it is said that an adulteress is bitter as wormwood.
Israel was an adulterous nation, choosing to worship other gods than her “Husband” the One True God.
A third of the population was destroyed by Rome. Many others were carried off into slavery. The rest were totally impoverished.
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.
In the Patriarch Joseph’s dreams, the stars, sun and moon represented his family, the founders of the nation Israel. Again, a third of the people were destroyed by Rome and the rest of the country laid waste.
13 And I 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!”
Some transcripts read “Eagle” instead of “Angel.” Though the symbol (emblemized on the flags) of Titus’s troops was locusts, the symbol of the entire Roman army (also on some of the flags) was the Eagle.