Commentators on the Second Woe

John HOOPER (Rector of Albury.) The Revelation of Jesus Christ Explained Agreeably to the Analogy of Holy Scripture and the Interpretation of Its Symbols. Joseph Masters, 1850. pp. 356-373

THE SIXTH TRUMPET.

13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions: and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk;
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

The second woe trumpet in the order of our arrangement, has its place in the sixth period of the Church’s history. And its application to our own times and the present condition of the Church throughout Christendom will be abundantly evident as we proceed with its interpretation. In order to this, we must first attend to the true meaning of its symbols.

Our attention is first directed to the golden altar which is before God, and is here used as the symbol of intercession. By reference to the book of Exodus, where we have a full detail of the different parts of the Tabernacle and its service, we find this altar of intercession was placed before the second veil, and upon it Aaron was commanded to burn incense morning and evening, when he went in to trim and light the lamps. This altar had “four horns,” and a horn in Scripture language is the symbol of power. “The voice,” therefore, which is “heard from the four horns,” must represent the power of intercession from the Church on earth, or rather from some portion of it recognizing by its outward forms such a service as that symbolized by Aaron ministering at the altar of incense; because, as we have before said, these trumpets represent the ecclesiastical phase or ordinance of the Church. We would remark also, that it is not said, a voice from the golden altar before God, but “a voice from the four horns of the golden altar.” This power, therefore, must be of a fourfold character, or the symbolism would be unmeaning, and we must find in the Church something ecclesiastically corresponding thereto.

As it is of great importance that this should be made clear, we will go somewhat into the detail of things, and show that this fourfold form of power is inherent in the very constitution of the Church. We know from S. Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews, that the tabernacle erected by Moses, was constructed in all respects according to the pattern which God showed him in the mount, and that it was a shadow of heavenly things— a type of the Christian Church and of all things pertaining thereto. As for example, the light of the Holy Place given forth by the candlestick with its seven lamps, is symbolic of the light of the Holy Ghost, in His sevenfold character, or as He is called in this book, “The seven Spirits of God.” “The table of shew-bread” represents Christ as the true bread which came down from heaven; and the golden altar on which incense, compounded of four ingredients was burnt, represents the office of intercession in the Church of Christ. As there is an outward ordinance in the Church for the giving forth of “the true light,” and an outward ordinance for the ministration of “the true bread,” so there should be a service answering to the burning of the incense, and S. Paul, in his Epistle to Timothy, speaks of “supplication, prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks;” this fourfold form answering, as it were, to the four ingredients of which the incense was compounded. In speaking of the symbolism of the Holy Place, it should be remembered also, that upon the table were four kinds of vessels for the service of the table. There were also in the centre shaft of the candlestick four bowls which would appear to be for reservoirs of oil for the lamps. Upon the golden altar, as we before observed, were four horns. Besides all this, the inner veil was supported by four pillars, the veil itself being also inwrought with cherubim. We may also remark that the whole tabernacle was enveloped in four coverings. All these point out that there must be something in the Church of Christ corresponding in its fourfoldness to these symbols; which, as we shall presently see, is a fourfold form of ministry and power. For if we refer to the New Testament Scriptures, we shall learn that the Christian ministry and priesthood is in its character fourfold. S. Paul tells us in his Epistle to the Ephesians, that when the Lord Jesus ascended up on high, He gave four classes of ministers; namely, Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and Pastors, for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the Church of Christ, until we all come unto the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the fulness of the stature of Christ. And in the Acts of the Apostles we find this fourfold class of ministries in active operation. The same ministry, as we have shown, is symbolized in this book by the cherubim.

Although these ministries have ceased in their recognized outward form for so many centuries past, namely, from the time that Apostles ceased, yet we know that they have to a certain extent existed under other names. For instance, we have had our rulers, whether they were Bishops, Kings, or Emperors. We have had our prophets, under the name of expositors and interpreters of Scripture; our evangelists, in the form of missionaries and preachers of the Gospel, and our pastors and teachers, in the curés and rectors. So also there has been a kind of fourfold division of Christendom in its outward body, viz., the Roman, Greek, Protestant, and Presbyterian—the last two, though united in their separation from the Roman and Greek sections, yet clearly distinct from each other— by their adoption and rejection of episcopal forms.

If we examine the subject more closely, we shall find that a fourfold principle of action enters into the very nature of man himself as originally constituted and formed by God; and as such, is carried out, whether in social or national relations.

These observations are sufficient to show that a fourfold form of setting forth the truth appears to be inherent in the very constitution of the Christian Church. But in order to a true interpretation of the prophecy, it is necessary there should be found in the Christian Church, when this trumpet is sounded, something answering ecclesiastically to this fourfold form. And it is a remarkable feature of the present times that there has gone forth “a voice,” or cry, throughout Christendom for the restoration of this fourfold form of power or ministry. Moreover, as we believe it is God’s purpose to restore these ministries to the Church again for its perfecting, so we believe He has already given indications of their revival, although as might be expected, in a state of weakness, answering to the little faith and apprehension there is in the Church that such ministries are necessary for its perfecting and preparation for the coming of the Lord. We, therefore, believe that the “voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God,” is at this time being heard, and is calling for the “loosing of the four angels bound in the river Euphrates,” the other part of the mystery which has yet to be fulfilled.

To understand what the loosing of these four angels means, we must have recourse to other Scriptures, that we may learn from them the meaning of the mystic river in which they are said to be bound; remembering also that we are interpreting the symbols contained in this trumpet phase after an ecclesiastical form or manner; that is, as having relation to the outward forms and constitution of the Church as a visible body. The first mention we have of the Euphrates is in the second chapter of Genesis, where we find that the one river which went out of Eden to water the garden of God’s planting was divided into four heads, and by these four was the fulness of that river poured forth—one of these was the Euphrates. We learn from other parts of Scripture that the Garden of Eden represents the Church of Christ, even as our Lord Himself is the antitype of the first Adam placed in this garden. The four streams, therefore, would naturally represent those ministries in the Church which the Lord gave at the beginning for its perfecting and blessing, and by which His fulness was poured forth, so that the Church of Christ, the garden of God’s own right hand planting, became the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.” We shall be confirmed more fully in this opinion if we consider the analogy which these rivers bear to the ministries of Christ. “The name of the first is Pison; that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havillah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.” Pison signifies extension, or opening of the mouth, and the ministry of Apostles is one of extension; by them new churches are planted, or set up. S. Paul says, “I have planted, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation.” They have also “the care of all the churches,” and their ministry extends throughout the whole Church, reaching unto and embracing all the baptized. It is remarkable that S. Paul uses the same expression— “O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.” And speaking of his commission in the tenth chapter, he says, “But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule,” or line (κανόνος) “which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.” Gold, the most precious of all metals, is an emblem of truth; bdellium, pearl or crystal, represents the precious stones which are gathered out of Christendom for the temple of the Lord. The onyx stone was set upon the shoulder of the High Priest as an emblem of rule, as it is also written of our Lord, “The government shall be upon His shoulder.” “The river Pison,” therefore, “encompassing the whole land of Havillah,” beautifully represents the office of Apostles, which is ordained to embrace and set forth the whole truth and counsel of God, and to rule and guide the whole Church. “The name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.” Gihon signifies valley of grace, also breast and impetuous. All these expressions are descriptive of the prophetic gift of the Holy Ghost. The prophets both of the Old and New Testament, who were used by the Holy Ghost to reveal the truth of God, were humbled before Him from a sense of His greatness, and of the grace given unto them, as well as the deep things of God they were led to unfold. Thus Job said, “I am full of matter; the Spirit within me constraineth me.” In the thirty-ninth Psalm it is written, “My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned; then spake I with my tongue.” Jeremiah also said, “His word was in my mouth as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” The word impetuous is also descriptive of inspiration, coming upon men as by impulse. Ethiopia signifies blackness or darkness. The river Gihon, therefore, “which compasses the whole land of Ethiopia,” very aptly represents the prophetic office in the Church of Christ, as being ordained to reveal all things by the Holy Ghost, even the deep things of God, and the mysteries of the kingdom; and this sure word of prophecy, unto which we are commanded to take heed, is also spoken of as a light which shineth in a dark place, “until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in our hearts.” “The name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria.” Hiddekel signifies a sharp voice or sound, and is illustrative of the preacher’s voice or the ministry of the Evangelist who is commanded to “Cry aloud, and spare not;” to “lift up his voice like a trumpet, and to show the people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins.” S. Paul, speaking of this ministry, says, (quoting the language of Isaiah and David,) “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things . . . . . their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.” The power of “Assyria” has ever been opposed to God, and is used in the Scriptures as a type of the infidelity which is in the world, and of the opposition of the natural man to the Gospel of Christ. The river Hiddekel which goes towards the east of Assyria, represents then the Evangelical ministry whose office it is to show forth the Gospel of the grace of Goo, and by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe, and to gather out of the world a people for His name, even as the Lord commanded, saying—“Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature: he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.” Accordingly, S. Paul says, “The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men; teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, even our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.” “The fourth river is Euphrates.” The Hebrew name of this river is Phrath or Paret; the eu prefixed is a Greek particle, implying excellence. In Greek it is written Euphrates, in the Septuagint as been opposed to God, and is used in the Scriptures as well as in the Apocalypse, and signifies fruitful, or that makes fruitful or growing. The name also implies in the language of the country, ablution. This river, therefore, considered in connexion with the other three, is sufficiently indicative of the pastoral office. For it is the special duty of the pastor to purify and cleanse the flock, by the washing of water by the Word, and to feed them with the bread of heaven, that they may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: or to return to the emblem we before used of the Garden of God’s right hand planting, we may remark, that whilst it is the peculiar office of the Apostle to plant, it is the office of the pastor to water and nourish those who are engrafted into Christ and brought under His special care as a Bishop and Shepherd of His flock, that they also may be “called trees of righteousness,” bringing forth much fruit, to the glory of God. We may observe also, that there is nothing said of the river Euphrates beyond its name, whilst the other three are explained by appropriate symbols connected with them, leaving us to infer that this fourth river, as symbolizing one of the ministries of Christ, can be applied to none other than the pastoral office. For these are the four ministries which God hath ordained in His Church for its perfecting. Now, though there can be no doubt that a measure of the fulness of Christ, which these four were ordained to administer, has been continued to the Church until the present time, yet there is only one of these four ministries which is recognized as existing in the Christian Church, and that is the pastoral. For though there are Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, they all belong to this class of ministry; and all the other ministries, so far as they are exercised, (for they are exercised in measure) are now merged in the pastoral; so that it may be called emphatically—“The great river Euphrates.” Moreover, to see how this river is connected with “the trumpet” under consideration, we must also bear in mind that it was the only river which of old passed through Babylon, and Babylon is interpreted in the Revelation to mean mystically, the whole of Christendom. Therefore “the great river Euphrates” in its mystical sense, (which is the only sense in which it is used in this vision) must signify the Pastoral office or the ministry of the Christian Church, as it is now exercised in Christendom.

But during the sixth period of the Christian age, a voice is heard from the four horns of the golden altar, that the four angels bound in the great river Euphrates, or the Pastorship of Christendom, might be loosed. And we believe this loosing of the angels to be Satan’s response to the growing consciousness in the Church of her need of the fourfold form of ministry; he who was a liar from the beginning seeking thus to pervert the very truth of God, and taking advantage of the weak and fallen condition of the Church, to draw her into his snare, and tempt her to receive his lying counterfeit, instead of the true operation of the Spirit of the Lord in the revived ordinances of Christ. For we know there has never been any truth of God which Satan has not perverted, or any working of the Holy Ghost in the Body of Christ, which he has not counterfeited.

Though we have not yet seen the fulness of this mystery of iniquity, yet we believe there are certain indications of it, as well as of the true and legitimate ministers of Christ, of which this is the counterfeit. If we are asked to point out such an indication of the evil working of the enemy, we would mention the Mormons as an example, who profess to have among them this fourfold form of ministry, and who have already seduced thousands into their snare. There are also other indications throughout Christendom of a similar spirit, which are only cognizable to those who are watching for such signs of the times: for as yet this mystery of iniquity is only in its embryo state, even as we believe the ministries of God which He will raise up, are, as it were, hidden from the great multitude of professing Christians.

This manifestation of evil power is said to be, “for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year.” These are expressions, which under some circumstances, might be referred symbolically to certain measures of time, but we do not believe they are here used so much in this sense as to indicate the time or times when this mystery of iniquity shall be revealed. In this point of view, the following passages of Scripture will give their true interpretation. “Jesus said, Woman, my hour is not yet come.” “Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father.” “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of Man, and they that hear shall live.” “A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come.” “This is your hour and power of darkness.” “I will keep thee from the hour of temptation.” “For in one hour is thy judgment come.” An hour is used in these passages to denote a period or time of visitation. So of the day. “To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts,” i.e., in this present season of grace. “He seeth that his day is coming.” “In that day the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.” “The day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night.” “The day of Midian.” “The day of slaughter.” “The day of judgment.” “The battle of that great day of God Almighty.” In this sense also a month is used. “In her month they shall find her.” “Now shall a month devour them with their portions.” “Three shepherds also I cut off in one month.” A year also is used in like manner. “The year of My Redeemed is come.” “I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.” “For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompense for the controversy of Zion.” All these words, “An hour, a day, a month, and a year,” in the passages referred to, denote a special time or season, and in most of the references they relate to a time of judgment, when God will arise out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and to deliver His people out of captivity. But the wicked are prepared against this time of judgment, for it is evidently the last time or period during which God’s mercy will be held out to those who will repent and turn to Him, at the close of which the ungodly will be sealed up to judgment, having done despite to the Spirit of grace and forsaken their own mercy.

“And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand, and I heard the number of them.” The Apostle says that he heard the number of the AntiChristian army; and he also states in the prophecy belonging to the same period, but under another aspect, that he also heard the number of the sealed host. And these two numberings clearly refer to two distinct companies, who will doubtless be both manifested, according to this prophecy: the favoured hosts of the Lord who shall come with Him; and the army of AntiChrist, who shall be destroyed, when He cometh with His saints to execute judgment. In respect to the number of the army of the horsemen, it is a remarkable circumstance, that not long since, and therefore during the time when this vision is being developed, the chief Bishop and head of Christendom, or rather he who has assumed universal supremacy over the Christian nations, has boasted in an official communication to those who acknowledge his claim, that he has an army of this number, or could call an army of this number into the field, namely, 200,000,000. And this is about the number also of those throughout Christendom, who confess him to be the head of the Church on earth. The intimation in the prophecy is no less remarkable; for S. John says, “I heard the number of them,” as though it should be a number to be spoken of rather than seen. And such an announcement from a person upon whose words and actions the eyes of Christendom are perhaps fixed, more than on any other, is an event worthy of the record of prophecy. We do well likewise to observe, that it is not said, the number of horsemen were 200,000,000, but the army of the horsemen were of that number, thus distinguishing the horsemen or leaders from the army.

Now to apply this number to the Turkish army, as some have done, is most absurd: for it is probably more than that nation could number from its very commencement, including every individual of it, much less had that nation ever an army of such a number. The inconsistency, also, of such an interpretation is apparent, from the circumstance that those who interpret the vision after this manner, are obliged to accommodate it to their theory, as in the case before referred to, by making some of the symbols literal, and others figurative; as for instance, the horsemen are interpreted by them to be literal horsemen; the fire, jacinth and brimstone, representing colours, as denoting the costume in which they are arrayed; the combined symbol of the “horses having lions’ heads,” and tails like unto serpents, with heads upon their tails, they explain as denoting literal cannons, which ought also to have the shape of a lion's head, the fire, smoke, and brimstone, coming out of their mouths, being in this case interpreted literally. And to render the inconsistency of this interpretation still more glaring, we find the same symbol made to represent horses in the sixteenth verse, and cannons in the seventeenth. It is also unfortunate for this exposition, that whereas in the vision these symbolic horses appear to be the prominent actors in the scene described, we learn from history that the cannon which they are said to symbolize, were not used till the taking of Constantinople, the very last act of the prophetic history ascribed to them.

Instead, however, of looking to the literal Euphrates, from whence these Turkish hordes are said to be loosed, we prefer the more consistent course of making the whole vision symbolic, and of looking to the mystical Euphrates as the source from whence the instruments of this war have their rise. And in so doing, we believe the symbolism will apply to the present condition of Christendom, especially to the western part, moved, and led on, as it is, by infidel men. In this point of view, “horsemen” represent those who lead on a host. Thus it is written of Pharaoh, “ The horse and his rider are cast into the sea;” the horse itself being a representative, as it were, of the host which is led; and the rider, of the leader of the host. The leaders of this host are said to have “breastplates of fire, and of jacinth and brimstone;” or rather, as the words denote, not the substances themselves, but like them—fire-like, jacinth-like, sulphur-like. “Fire” is the symbol, properly, of love—of the love of God shed in the heart by the Holy Ghost; and hence the Holy Ghost is frequently represented by fire, because the Holy Ghost is God; and being partakers of the Holy Ghost, God dwelleth in us. When the Holy Ghost was given on the day of Pentecost, cloven tongues like as of fire rested upon the disciples. “God is love.” “Our God is a consuming fire.” “The name of our God is jealous,” which belongs abstractly to love. Hence love and jealousy are used conjointly in the Canticles, “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy is cruel as the grave; the coals thereof are coals of fire, which have a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.” This is its meaning in a good sense, but as all symbols have an application both to good and evil, or rather, as the abstract quality is moved and filled by good or evil, so here, it has only the semblance of good, and intimates that the men who ought to have on them the breastplate of righteousness, are wearing only as their defence an appearance of love. The “jacinth” is a mixture of blue and red; which combination of colours would seem to indicate a spiritual zeal for what they deem truth. “Brimstone” is the symbol of spiritual death; its vapour always destroys life under every form. These three symbols put together, will bring out, in an ecclesiastical point of view, what chartists and democrats are clamouring for in the state, and will produce in the Church the last universal earthquake, under the three forms of fraternity, liberty, and equality, which evil principles will alike destroy the constitution of kingdoms, and all Church establishments. They say, “We can love as brethren, without a Church establishment. We can be spiritually minded, and have zeal for truth, without Church ordinances. We are by nature equal, and as Christians we are all equal, are all partakers of one Spirit, and have equal rights one with another, and therefore we need no rulers or any Church establishment.” These fearful perversions of truth produce, what we may term, ecclesiastical death. Church establishments cannot exist any more than civil governments, if men maintain that all are equal, and all have an equal right, instead of recognizing the principle of God’s government over them, and that He calleth and ordaineth some to holy office in the Church, which none others can fulfil. But although such is the cry, and defensive armour of the leaders of this host against the righteous ways of the Lord, they are themselves the most tyrannical of men, and are well represented as having the “lion’s head,” for they deliver forth their dogmas with the same authority as though they were sent of God as Apostles to the Church, and assume an equal right to guide and control men. They are also false teachers, having a serpentine subtility, or semblance of truth in them; and these serpent tails having “heads,” shows that they are heads to themselves, and acknowledge by their principles no headship over them. “Out of their mouth also issued fire, and smoke, and brimstone;” that is to say, their zeal bears the semblance of love, (symbolized by the fire,) but their doctrines are those of darkness and not of light, being heretical and damnable, (represented by the smoke,) and they produce spiritual death (described as brimstone.) In short, these symbolic horsemen are Apostles of Satan, sent forth by him for the destruction of that outward fabric of Christian polity and government, which up to the present time, under one form or another, has ever been held sacred.

“By these were the third part of men killed.” This symbolism in the trumpet phase, relates to that class of persons who are the heads of the ecclesiastical body: for as the democrats aim at the destruction of all the upper classes of society who bear rule in the government of the world, so these spiritual leaders, or apostles of Satan, aim at the subversion and destruction of all rule in the exercise of the pastoral ministry in its three offices of Bishop, Priest, and Deacon. And the Pastors of the churches throughout Christendom, losing the power of rule, (even as the kings of the earth lose theirs) become ecclesiastically dead.

“And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands that they should not worship devils, and idols, and gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and wood, which neither can see nor hear, nor walk; neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” “Evil men and seducers, (it is said) shall wax worse and worse,” and S. Peter declares of such “they shall utterly perish in their own corruption.” So devil-worship will be the last form of iniquity into which men will fall! As it was the last temptation which Satan presented to our Lord, so it is the last which he will present to the Church; and those who abide not stedfast in the faith, taking shelter and protection under God’s ordinances, will be led captive by him, and worship him as their God. And the personal AntiChrist who will arise out of apostate Christendom to rule over men, being energized and indwelt of Satan, will direct all men to worship him; sitting as he will, “in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." Those who repent not of their works go on into deeper depths of iniquity, robbing God of His dues both ecclesiastical and spiritual; and destroying all discipline and authority in the Church of Christ on earth. This work of destruction, in ecclesiastical things, together with the idolatry they commit, their worship of the work of their own hands, their forms of service and doctrines, their boast of natural talents and endowments, together with their unlawful intercourse with the world, or spiritual fornication, uniting ecclesiastical with worldly things, conspire at this period to bring about the consummation of the mystery of iniquity. As the former woe arose from separating the spiritual from the outward ordinances of the Church, so this second woe as a natural consequence leads to the destruction of all outward or ecclesiastical form whatever.