The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 210

path, where he would find displuyed the eastern and oentral parts. at first escaping troubles whioh have afflicted or shall afflict the visitation. Bengel sees here a type of the ungodly. It is very doubtful how much ihe wars of Tra.jan and Hadrian. Vitringa of the imagery used in this series of visions considers that the famine under Gallus is is to bll interpreted ae applying to some signified. Renan points to the storms of definite event, and how much is to be con- A.D. 68-68.ss the fulfilment. . sidered merely 88 the a.coeBBOries of the Vers. 8, 9.-And the second angel sounded, pioture, neeessitated by the employment of and as· it were a great mountain burning the symbo~ and not needing particular inter- with :fire wa.s cast into the sea. Jer. li. 25 pretation. It is possible that the seer in- contains a somewhat similar description, with, tended first to set forth the judgments which however, a different meaning. There the were to descend on those powers which, at mountain ia the heathen power; here it is the time of the vision, were pressing so the instrument of the pnniahment of the heavily upon· Christiani!, and among which ungodly world. Alford objects to calling the Ruman empire held the prominent place. the mountain a volcano, though that, or But ·it also BBems probable that the woes something of the BBme nature, seelllSobviously symbolized &re general types of the jndg- to be meant. The contiguity of such IIP- ments in store for the wicked of all ages, pearances t.o ,St. John in the Isle of Patmos perhaps in this life, certainly at the last may hav.e suggested the idea. The judg- day. The blood is not found .in Exodus. mente appear to increase in severity as we It is mentioned in close connection with go on. The first affects vegetation, thus hail:!tones and fire fu Ezek. xxxviii. 22, and causing trouble, but not destruction to meu; a similar thought occurs in Joel ii. 80. the second begins t.o affect animal life; the The pi1ssage may describe the ruin wrought third ea.uses many men t.o die ; and the by war; the consequences of fire and following ones affect men as direct punish- sword. Wordsworth sees the fulfilment in ments. The vision may be saill generally the Gothic invasion of Rome, which de- to typify great trouble and commotion. scended from the norlk, here typified by the The ngure is used in other places to denote hailstorm (but see on oh. xvi. 21). The• something remarkable and awe-inspiring vlsion would thu.s answer to that of the (of. Matt. xxi. 21; 1 Cor. xiii. 2; Job ix. 5; second seal, though with this di:fl'erenoe, that xxviii. 9; J udg. v. 5 ; 1 Kings xix. 11 ; P11. under the seal war wa,i permitted as a trial xlvi. 2; Isa. xxxiv. 8; liv. 10; Ezek. xxxviii to the Church; here it is sent 88 God's 20; Micah i. i; Nah. i. 5). It is.also the vengeance against the persecutors. And symbol of a great power. In Isa. ii. 2 it they were cast upon the earth. "That is," signifies the Church; in Amos iv. 1 an •l!BYB Wordsworth, "on the earthly power, earthly power; in Isa: xii. 15 the enemies oppOl!ed to Christ and his Church, which is of Israel We may therefore conclude that the kingdom of heaven." But the words a jlllll!:ml'nt of great magnitude aed force is seem rather to describe the destruction of furetol, l ; and though it is possible to point inanimate creation,ss in the sevllnth plague to partic-ular events (such as the overthrow of Egypt. 'l'he punishment would un- of Rome by the Gothio power) as a fultlJ- doubtedly fall upon maukiud eventually, ment of the prophecy, yet we must remember though immediately upon the earth and its that the complete fulfilment will not be productions. Vitringa says the earth. de- accomplished until '.' all enemies are put notes the Roman empire; ihe sea, the bar. under his feft." And the third part of the barous races. And the third part of trees sea became blood; and the third part of was burnt up, and all green grass was the creatures which were in the aea, and burnt up. Insert and the third part of the had life, died; and the third pan of the ships earth was burnt up, as in the Revilled Ver- were destroyed; 611fl71 they that had life . sion. "A third of all the trees, etc., on the (Revised Version), (On the "third part," see earth," rather than •• all the trees, etc., on a on ver. 7.) Whether one third part of the specified third part of the earth." The sea, separated in some way from the rest, '.IAird pm-t is almost unanimou.sly oonsidered and all the creatures in that third pa.rt, or 0 t6 ·repreeent "a large part, but such that whether a third part diffused over the whole lhe greater part was. still uninj:ured.'' We extent, is meant, it is impossible to say. · are reminded again of the seventh plague, The whole is a vision, and not subject to ·. where "the flax and the barley were smitten: natuml laws. '!'he meaning is evident. but the wheat and the rie were not smitten" As before, a large part, but not the largest, (Exod. ix. 81, 82). Wordsworth interprets is signified ;and this time the judgment is the tr,a to mean the "princes " -of the directed agail!st another portion of creation. Rpman empi.m; the grars., the common The aea, as well .as the productions of the people. SoalsoHeng;itenberg. Elliottthinks earth, can be used by God as his agent by .. the third parl of the earth" denotes the whioh to punish and warn mankind. The ,watem part of the Romun empire, the attempt to preu the vision into a particular 2M THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. [on. vm. I-ta