The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 211

applieation has led to a variety of lnt.erpre- The p?eBent -English word is • corruption tations. Wordsworth and Elliott both think of tom"-mod (equivalent to t11are-mood), which that the destruetion of Roman ships is fore- may be rendered "mind-pr011erver," a. name told; the former pointing to the ships as given to the plant by the Saxons, on account the instruments of commerce and luxury, of its fancied virtues; for it was believed to the latter tefening t.o the destruction of the be II protection against madness. Such Roman navy. Bengel, Groti1JS, Vitringa, properties were formerly frequently ascribed s"e here II vision· of · war. H-engstenberg to plants posseasing bitter and na.nsoo118 lK·lfrm>.1 the ,ea to typify this world; the tastes, such as that of the wormwoed. Uofog creaturea, mankind; and the iTLips, Varieties of the plant are common in Pales- villages and towns. Th01!8 who plaee the tine, and are widely distributed in the world. fulfilment of the vision in time subsequent Among the ancients it was typical of bitter to the sealing of eh. vii. fail to see that sorrow. Thus Lam. iii. 19, "Remembering the trumpets do not follow the 800,lS in my misery, the wormwood and the gall;" chronologicnl ordCl', but thnt both are being Jer. ix. 15, "I will feed them with worm. fulfilled side by side in the eame epoch ; wood." Here, therefore, the name indicates viz. that of the existence of man. the efi'eot of the star, viz. to cause iuteW!ll Ver, 10.-And the third angel sounded, trouble and sorrow. And the third part ot and there fall a great star from. heaven, the waters became wormwood; that is. 1n1l'ning u it were a lamp. In the Old became bitter as wormwood, that is, charged T,,ste.ment trouble is foretold under the with sorrow and disaster. 'l'he general symbol of darkened stars ( of. Ezek. xuiL effect of the incident is described in the 7; Joel ii. 10). In Mau. xxiv. 29 the name given to the chief actor, e.s in the falling of stars is part of the general picture 0&88 of the fourth seal (see eh. vi. 8). And of the coming of the judgment-day. The many men died of the waters, because they description here may therefore symbolize were made bitter; many of the met1. Possibly ail act of judgment--One more ofthe troubles (though not necessa.rily)ofthemendwelling infticted by God upon the guilty world. near the waters. For tho first time mention The frequent use of the symbol, ,tar, a.a is made of the death of men, though, doub~ a. type of one in an exalted position, he.s less, it. is implied in the preceding judg- led most commentators to interpret the star ments. We may notice the contrast in the of individual rulers, especially of those who mire.oles of Moses, who sweetened the wa.tel'8 poisoned the waters of Divine truth by of Marah (Exod. xv.), and of Elisha (2 heresy. But it seems more likely that the Ki11gs ii. 22). . event here portmyed carries one step Ver. 12.-And the fourth angel 1ounded, further the description of God's vengeance and the third part of the sun W88 IIJilitteJa, on the wicked, whioh has been already and the third part of the moon, and the partially set forth. At first vegetatioo, third part of the llta.r8. Still the creat".d then the sea, now the land watera, are Universe is the di.root object of these viai.ta- smitten. The star, as the means employed tions. The planets were smitt.,n, but. we by God, is typical of the awe-striking nature are not told with what instrument. As of the punfufunent, and is indicative of the Alford points out, this may teach us not to fact that t.he judgment is the act of God, lay too great stress upon that part of the and proceeds directly from heaven, and visions whioh describes the means. Om is not £o be attributed to merely ll8tural attention is to be fixed upon the effect, the circumstances. And it fell upon the third stroke, not upon the mountain or the star pm of the riven, and upon the fountains by whose means the result is attained. (For of waters. ·Not upon a third part of the t.he signifioation of fM th,rd wrt, tl1de fou:ntains, but upon all fountains, just as supm.) In the Bible, frequent. use is made in ver. 7 "all green grass" is visited with of this figure to express trouble and oom• the plague. As stated above, another part motion (see Isa. xiii.10; xxiv. 23; Jer. sv. of creation (and therefore another portion of 9; Ezek. x.xxiL 7; Amos viii. 9; Matt. xxiv. mankind) is afflicted. Ii is, of course, im- 29). The sun, et.a., are also looked upon possible to point ont the complete fulfilment as examples of stability. Thu11 Ps. hm. of this judgment, which is yet being fulfilled, 5, "As long as the.· sun and moon endure"" but we may mention as illustrations the (see also Pa. lnli. 17: lnxix. 86). The trouble caused to man by means of land vision may therefore be suggestive of God's watem, by floods, by drought, by pestilence. power over things the mos, permanent. and As before, only part suffers· rrom this stable, and thus demolllltr!Lte to Christiana visitation ; the greater part is spared. his ability to punish "the ungodly who Ver. 11.-And the name of the star is prosper in the world." Thus Job ix. 7 oalled. Wormwood. The plant known to us attributes omnipotence to God, "which under the name of trormwood is doubtless commandeth the sun. and ihiseth not ; and identical with the •A"4iwS01 of this passage. -1eth up the n11,111" (see aho Ps. ouxvi.  CDL vm. 1-13.) THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINB. 235