485. CHAPTER VIII.
1. AND when he opened the seventh seal, there followed silence in heaven as it were for half-an-hour.
2. And I saw the seven angels who stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
3. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there were given unto him many incenses, that he should give [them] with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4. And the smoke of the incenses with the prayers of the saints ascended out of the angel's hand before God.
5. And the angel took the censer, and filled it from the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth: and there followed voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and earthquakes.
6. And the seven angels having the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
7. And 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 the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
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.
9. And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had lives (animas), died; and the third part of the ships perished.
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.
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.
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; and the third part of them was darkened, so that the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
13. And I beheld, and I heard one angel flying in the midst of heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, to them that dwell on the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels that are yet to sound.
THE EXPLANATION.
Verses 1-4. AND when he opened the seventh seal, there followed silence in heaven as it were for half an hour. And I saw the seven angels, who stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there were given unto him many incenses, that he should give [them] with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incenses with the prayers of the saints (sanctorum) ascended out of the angel's hand before God.
"And when he opened the seventh seal," signifies prediction concerning the last state of the church; there followed silence in heaven," signifies astonishment that the church was of such a quality and that its end was near; "as it were for half an hour," signifies a corresponding time, or pause, before all things were prepared to undergo the changes which follow. "And I saw the seven angels who stood before God," signifies all the heavens more interiorly and more closely conjoined to the Lord; "and to them were given seven trumpets," signifies influx from them, and thence changes of state and separations. "And another angel came and stood at the altar," signifies the conjunction of heaven with the Lord by means of celestial good; "having a golden censer," signifies the conjunction of that good with spiritual good, and thus the conjunction of the higher heavens; "and there were given unto him many incenses," signifies truths in abundance; "that he should give [them] with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne," signifies the conjunction [of the heavens] with those who are to be separated from the evil, and saved. "And the smoke of the incenses with the prayers of the saints ascended out of the angel's hand before God," signifies the conjunction of all with the Lord.