Outline of Session 5: Commentary
on Revelation chapters 8-11. The punishments upon the earth in the seven
trumpets as bringing about the victory of the Lamb. The two witnesses, Enoch
and Elijah.
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Catholic
Commentary on the Apocalypse
Studying
the most perplexing book of the Bible with the great Catholic Scholars
Session
5 – The Seven Trumpets, the Two Witnesses
And the
Judgment, Revelation 8-11
Outline of Session 5: Commentary
on Revelation chapters 8-11. The punishments upon the earth in the seven
trumpets as bringing about the victory of the Lamb. The two witnesses, Enoch
and Elijah.
I. Review of last week: The Heavenly Liturgy, the Four
Creatures, the Four Horsemen
II. The Seventh Seal opens to Seven Trumpets
A. The image of the trumpets reminds us
of the fall of Jericho after seven days marching around the city and the
blasting of the trumpets to destroy the walls.
8:2 “And I saw seven angels standing in
the presence of God” – These could be the seven archangels referenced in the
book of Tobit. (“I am Raphael, one of the seven angels…” Tobit 12:15)
8:3 “And another angel came, and stood
before the altar, having a gold censer … that he should offer the prayers of
all the saints…” -- This calls to mind
the prayer when blessing incense at the offertory in the Traditional Latin Mass
“By the intercession of blessed Michael the Archangel, who stands at the right
hand of the altar of incense and of all his elect, my the Lord deign to bless
this incense, and to receive it as a sweet fragrance, through Christ our Lord.”
8:7 “And the first angel sounded the
trumpet…”
Haydock: “From this place to 20:11, the
visions are differently expounded. Some interpret them, without applying them
to any particular events, as general comminations, in a mystical and
allegorical sense, of the many persecutions which God permits to happen to his
Church. Others think that they are all predictions, which shall not happen till
a little time before the end of the world, in antichrist's time, after which
will follow the day of the general judgment, the punishment of the wicked, and
the reward of the just. But there are others, according to the interpretations
which these writers have followed, these predictions of St. John (except the
last persecution, when the devil shall be let loose, Rev. 20:7, in the time of
the great antichrist) have already happened in the three first centuries,
during the persecutions of the heathen emperors.”
The Seven Trumpets as representing the
Seven Ages of the Church:
1) The First Trumpet: The suffering of
the Church in the first 300 years, especially the persecutions by the sword
(blood), by being stoned (hail), by fire (trees burnt).
2) The Second Trumpet, 8:8 “A great mountain” – the Heresy of Arius.
3) The Third Trumpet points out to us the
punishment that falls upon the Roman empire, in its destruction by the northern
nations. These people spread themselves over the third part of the rivers and provinces
of ancient Rome. The star is called wormwood, from the bitter calamities and
miseries which they inflicted upon the Roman empire.
4) The Fourth Trumpet, 8:12 “A third part
of the sun was smitten…” The schism of the East from the West around the late
800s.
5) The Fifth Trumpet, 9:1 “I saw a star
fall” The heresy of the Protestants,
especially of Luther who is a star fallen as a priest fallen from his vows.
1500s
6) The Sixth Trumpet, 9:13: The four
angels loose the river Euphrates, and 200 million horses are leased with fire.
This symbolizes the wars after the advent of gunpowder.
The Little Scroll (chapter 10): signifies
the conversion of the Jews to the Faith.
7) The Seventh Trumpet (chapter 11):
After the final great persecution of the Church, the Lord himself will return.
8:13 “one eagle flying through the midst
of heaven” or in the Greek “an angel” – This seems to be the “angel of the
Apocalypse” who appears in various places throughout the book. St Vincent
Ferrer (1350-1490) was considered to have fulfilled this in part – he claimed
to be and was called the “Angel of the Apocalypse” by the Pope when he was
canonized! “Woe, woe, woe” – The triple superlative.
9:1 “I saw a star fall from heaven upon
the earth” – This could signify the fall of Martin Luther, or of the other
heresiarchs. Or the fall of whole nations into heresy (especially England). On
the other hand, there were Greek Emperors whom Church Fathers thought were this
fallen star as well.
9:1 “There was given to him the key of
the bottomless pit” – Not to the fallen star but to the angel. All these trials
and punishments come from God.
9:3 “There came out locusts” – Haydock
interprets this and what follows of the Protestant Revolution, and there are
extraordinary similarities. However,
surely, the locusts represent all the heresies and attacks of the demons that
the Church must suffer until the end of time.
9:7 “crowns like gold” The wealth of the
world and influence of worldly powers (which helped spread the Protestant
heresy. “hair of women” Many of the Protestant leaders had given over to lust
and abandoned their vows of celibacy, some even taking nuns as their wives!
(Like Luther). “teeth were as lions” By their preaching they tore apart the
Christian world.
9:7-10
Haydock cautions against trying to interpret every aspect of the locusts
appearance in a one-to-one manner. The point is that they were hideous and
caused great harm.
9:16ff Haydock interprets what is said of
the army of horsemen as referring to modern warfare.
“The horsemen appeared to St. John with
breastplates of fire, and of hyacinth, and of brimstone. By this expression is
indicated the firing of carabines, or such firearms as cavalry use, which are
applied to the breast when shot off. St. John took the fire that issued out of
the muskets to come from the horsemen's breast, on which the muskets rested,
and so thought the horsemen had breastplates of fire. The prophet here even
describes to us the composition of gunpowder, with its three ingredients, viz.
brimstone, fire, and hyacinth. Here then we see revealed to St. John both the
composition and use of gunpowder, to which he and all mankind at that time were
strangers. Then it is said: And the heads of the horses, &c. Here is
pointed out the artillery of the army, or cannon. He saw in this vision the
whole army drawn up at a distance, and the artillery placed upon a line with
the cavalry. He seemed to confound the cannon with the horses, and the cannons'
mouths with the mouths of the horses, as the height of both from the ground is
nearly the same. He describes the appearances as he saw in the vision, not the
reality. When therefore he says, the heads of the horses were as the heads of
lions, it is the same as if, the mouths of the cannon were as to the noise they
made, like the mouths of roaring lions. Hence it appears that St. John saw the
fire of the cannon, and heard the explosion.”
10:1 “And I saw another mighty angel come
down from heaven” – This seems to be the Lord Jesus.
10:10 “And I took the book from the hand
of the angel, and ate it up: and it was in my mouth, sweet as honey: and when I
had eaten it, my belly was bitter.” This
could refer to the conversion of the Jews (or the conversion of any soul) for
whom the Gospel is sweet, but the sorrow for sins is bitter. Or again, this may refer to the sweetness of
those who are to be saved, but bitter sorrow for those who will not repent and
will be damned.
11:3 “my two witnesses” – These are
commonly understood to be Enoch and Elijah. They have not died, but were taken
up and away from the earth. They will return at the end of time. Enoch will
preach to the gentiles and Elijah to the Jews – and they will be killed and
then raised form the dead.
11:8 “their bodies shall lie in the
streets of the great city … where their Lord also was crucified.” This seems to
refer to Jerusalem, though it could mean the world generally or Rome.
