Revelation 8:1 - John Wesley's Notes

Revelation 8:1

Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets

1 When^a He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

2 ^aAnd I saw the seven angels who stand before God, ^band to them were given seven trumpets.

3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with ^athe prayers of all the saints upon ^bthe golden altar which was before the throne.

4 And ^athe smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.

5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And ^athere were noises, thunderings, ^blightnings, ^cand an earthquake.

6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

First Trumpet: Vegetation Struck

7 The first angel sounded: ^aAnd hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown ^bto the earth. And a third ^cof the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck

8 Then the second angel sounded: ^aAnd something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, ^band a third of the sea ^cbecame blood.

9 ^aAnd a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck

10 Then the third angel sounded: ^aAnd a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, ^band it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.

11 ^aThe name of the star is Wormwood. ^bA third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.

Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck

12 ^aThen the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day¹ did not shine, and likewise the night.

13 And I looked, ^aand I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, ^b“Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

Commentaries:

John Wesley's Notes

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Revelation 8:1

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven - Such a silence is mentioned but in this one place. It was uncommon, and highly observable: for praise is sounding in heaven day and night. In particular, immediately before this silence, all the angels, and before them the innumerable multitude, had been crying with a loud voice; and now all is still at once: there is an universal pause. Hereby the seventh seal is very remarkably distinguished from the six preceding. This silence before God shows that those who were round about him were expecting, with the deepest reverence, the great things which the Divine Majesty would farther open and order. Immediately after, the seven trumpets are heard, and a sound more august than ever. Silence is only a preparation: the grand point is, the sounding the trumpets to the praise of God. About half an hour - To St. John, in the vision, it might seem a common half hour.

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Revelation 8:2 >>

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