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485. CHAPTER 8.
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.
485. 486; "there was silence in heaven," signifies astonishment that the church is such and that its end is at hand (n. 487); "as it were for half an hour," signifies a time corresponding to, or the delay before, the preparation of all things for undergoing the changes that follow (n. 488).
2. "And I saw the seven angels who stood before God," signifies all the heavens more interiorly and more closely conjoined to the Lord. n. 489); "and there were given unto them seven trumpets," signifies influx from them, and consequent changes of state and separations (n. 459, 489).
3. "And another angel came and stood at the altar," signifies the conjunction of heaven with the Lord through celestial good n. 490; "having a golden censer," signifies the conjunction of that good with spiritual good, and thus the conjunction of the higher heavens n. 491; "and there was given unto him much incense," signifies truths in abundance (n. 492); "that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne," signifies the conjunction [of the heavens] with those who must be separated from the evil and saved n. 493.
4. "And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints ascended out of the angel's hand before God," signifies the conjunction of all with the Lord. n. 494).
485. CAPUT VIII.
1. Et cum aperuit sigillum septimum, factum est silentium in caelo quasi semihoram.
2. Et vidi septem angelos, qui coram Deo steterunt, et datae sunt illis septem tubae.
3. Et alius angelus venit et stetit ad altare, habens thuribulum aureum; et dati sunt illi suffitus multi, ut daret precibus sanctorum Omnium super altare aureum quod coram throno.
4. Et ascendit fumus suffituum precibus sanctorum de manu angeli coram Deo.
5. Et accepit angelus thuribulum, et implevit illud de igne altaris, et projecit in terram, et factae sunt voces et tonitrua et fulgura et terrae motus.
6. Et septem angeli habentes septem tubas pararunt se ut clangerent.
7. Et primus angelus clanxit, et facta est grando et ignis mixta sanguine, et missa in terram, et tertia pars arborum combusta est, et omne gramen viride combustum est.
8. Et secundus angelus clanxit, et quasi mons magnus igne ardens missus est in mare, et facta est tertia pars maris sanguis.
9. Et mortua est tertia pars creaturarum illarum in mari habentium animas, et tertia pars navium periit.
10. Et tertius angelus clanxit, et cecidit ex caelo stella magna ardens quasi lampas, et cecidit super tertiam partem fluviorum et super fontes aquarum.
11. Et nomen stellae dicitur absinthium; et facta est tertia pars aquarum absinthium, et multi homines mortui sunt ex aquis, quia amarae factae sunt.
12. Et quartus angelus clanxit, et percussa est tertia pars solis, et tertia pars lunae, et tertia pars stellarum, et obtenebrabatur tertia pars illorum, ut dies non luceret tertia parte ejus, et nox similiter.
13. Et vidi et audivi unum angelum volantem in medio caeli, dicentem voce magna, Vae, vae, vae habitantibus super terra ex reliquis vocibus tubae trium angelorum futurorum clangere.
EXPLICATIO.
VERSUS 1-4.
"Et cum aperuit sigillum septimum, factum est silentium in caelo quasi semihoram. Et vidi septem angelos, qui eoram Deo steterunt; et datae sunt illis septem tubae. Et alius angelus venit et stetit ad altare, habens thuribulum aureum; et dati sunt illi suffitus multi, at daret precibus sanctorum omnium super altare aureum quod coram throno. Et ascendit fumus suffituum precibus sanctorum de manu angeli coram Deo."
1. "Et cum aperuit sigillum septimum", significat praedictionem de ultimo statu ecclesiae [n. 486] ; "factum est silentium in caelo", significat stuporem quod ecclesia talis, et quod finis ejus instet [n. 487] ; "quasi semihoram", significat tempus correspondens seu moram antequam omnia praeparata sunt ad subeundas sequentes mutationes [n. 488] .
2. "Et vidi septem angelos qui coram Deo steterunt", significat omnes caelos interius et arctius conjunctos Domino [n. 489] ; "et datae sunt illis septem tubae", significat ex illis influxum, et inde mutationes status et separationes [n. 489] .
3. "Et alius angelus venit et stetit ad altare", significat conjunctionem caeli cum Domino per bonum caeleste [n. 490] ; "habens thuribulum aureum", significat conjunctionem illius boni cum bono spirituali, et sic conjunctionem caelorum superiorum [n. 491] ; "et dati sunt illi suffitus multi", significat vera in abundantia [n. 492] ; "ut daret precibus sanctorum omnium super altare aureum quod coram throno", significat conjunctionem [caelorum] cum illis qui separandi a malis et salvandi [n. 493] .
4. "Et ascendit fumus suffituum precibus sanctorum de manu angeli coram Deo", significat conjunctionem omnium cum Domino [n. 494] .