The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 218

(Gil. ·iL 4• 'l&.) The," abyl!S " WM full of ••locusts;" the "four angels• were bound iD. tlhe.great·river:E:upbrate&'· In both eases )hese were tremendous destructive forces, 4/..Imt,up • or ,-bound" foll a while. Rut they could only exert their power under J»!.ine pennisaion.. ,. Not till the command iii gitcn, to loose them can they abow them- llhlee.: ·No seal~ lie opened nor ,any,trumpet BOW1ded aave under the direction of Jlbn-w.ho bi.in the midat. of the throne. "The Lord reigneth;" and foresees all with ~ t preeision. to the year, the month, the day, the hour. · · · ,,, IV. W:uEN,si1uc11 J'OBCJEB ABE LET ,LOOSE, w• BFPEm' wn.L Bz STARTLING .a.a.THB Jli'iA8'l' 0'6'A .!fflD'lU'~. (Oh~ viii. 2.). 'l'he imagery oftb.e ApocalJPSe is gathered in the ,mam· from ihe Old Testa:men~ Of old, trumpets were so~ed, mainly, for'one or othe.- d iwo .purpo&e11-they ·marked an epoch for the Church; they proclaim(•d war upon,, jhe •WOdd. . An.Ii.we canaot but be struck with the variety .of symbulism nuder "Which the-effect of the kUlllpe~.sounding is set. But however great the variety-in elMlh ,caa;e, t.l.Hiro-is indiQll.ted the smiting, eveli to its overthrowf of some. great worl~ PiJ,wer., -By theAirst Jirumpet, destruction aweeping oivet thee earth is shown. By the ~ - th.lt'..downfall of: some. nstiou. or empi'r~ By the third, the overthrow -Of· illlDle fOTE!('ei~ By the f.eurth, ar.widuipttad Btorm. Bydhe fifth, a tremendous rush,of ~Yil,·auf o?gau;iized by the -.ery devil himself~ By the sixth, a succession of destructive plagues. And who can read hist.ory and not know tbai preciaely such .events. are, ever ,ecu,ring again and &pin? . . · ' · Y. ,WIIJ!lf. Ilf. Tll&, p•ovro:tNOE OJ!' GoD 8UOR' DEl!TRUO'l'IVB ll'OBOBS A.BJ: LET L0()8'li, ,:JID ,:P JU,,Illl PAO'l'OR8 ON WHICH NATIONAL WEALTR DEPENDIHNISTABTLY PAIL.' (Oh. ."WI 9.) How much is uidicaied in that symwlio expression, "a third part of the ships w..-i,,destroyed." 1 If anything like this were to OC<,-ur t,o British ships, a large portion of.our-:Qlaterial defen<:es, and even of.our supplies·of food:, would be in a moment with- drawn! , Y ejl; wli are a:hsolutely in God's hands. We hold the common blessings of life )1l<Jei; imtirQlyat his dis~ The world ill govern~ for God's purposes, and not for our~ ,. ,.;VL l{o)V]SVQ. ACTIVB THESE DRSTllUOTIVE ..AGBNOIEil HAY BE, THK'r HAVll TliElB ~n.,. 1(0b. ix. 4, 5.i) Neither nature nor man .cau be injured beyond God'.s permissive iltt. ,, '.ro the men who have not the seal of GocLon their foreheads, there should be Msu.s·and,wrment; but even their lives •should not be at the mercy of othere,. bui lliwuld bli. guarded by a higher Power. Albeit in some cases so great should be the ~ that men should seek death and should not find it. But the text implies that 1o t}i(l66 men.who Aa'l/6 the seal of God on their forehead.a.no harm of any kind should ~ In the worst of times there should be round them a special guard~ · Nothing w.iU ,be lost or hurt that is .God's. 'l'he mightiest agents of destruction, though #lppa.i:eotly.,.mcurbed, yet'have their curb. Goo girds them, tho~.they doilot know him. We h11,ve seen. in .the appalliug wildness and savage grandeur oh mountain paSH, "'he\11 !hti. wild winds were bowling all i£ they would rend .the very rocks in pieces, a · .tiuy Jfower sheltered. in its little nook, Bafe in its littleJiedof· earth, turfed as ricLly JIUheugb. onJtGod had sp®.t special care; an.d t.be l!8UlB -wind that nmt in pieces the '11)0\,e, berore tJie Loi:d, blew to tha,Uittle flower the tiny,,monel af soil thai waa wanted &Q~ouri~its roots, and_the little droJ>;Of 11p~y frOl'D the ~ cascade beneath ~hat WIMI nL~ tQ ..:refresh its petals. W 1ld winds were .roanng, torrents were rolling; dashing, and foaming, yet the little flower bloomed. up on high,. sam, serene, and -1ni~ . So ..shall it be in "the greai .tribulation". with those who have the Stl8l of God Jn lbeif forelM:ads. As P~ul Gerhardt 11inge, in respect of the Thirty Years• War," .A. faithful mothers in severe st.orms on earth anxiously keep aud gu~rd. their little ones, BO 8,UjO does God, when tribulation &11d distress.arise, prcsa his children to his bol!om,. {cf. Heugstenberg. in Zoe.). · . ; dl. 'nlL 1.......1,.] THE REVELATION-or ST., JOHN THE DIVINB; 1!3