a two-fold vision presenting the same truth with increased emphasis, there is progress of thought. The sealing of the one hundred forty-four thousand, before the winds held by the four angels are let loose, marked them as God's own.

The Palms:-When John saw those who had been sealed, they were bearing palms. If we are right in our conjecture regarding the forepart of the vision, then the latter part must depict the Feast of Tabernacles. And with this the narrative itself agrees. They are bearing palms in token of their wilderness life and their escape from bondage. They came out of great tribulation and washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. We heartily believe that the basis of all this is Israel's experience in Egypt and in the wilderness which was celebrated in the recurring feasts, Passover and Tabernacles. Israel's struggle with the Egyptians is here made a type of the Church's struggle with the world. The vision carries us to that time when the conflict is over and the children of God are enjoying the felicities of Heaven. The vision of the "great multitude which no man could number, out of every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues," is an answer to the question, "Are they few that are saved?" (Luke xiii: 23.) It was intended as a consolation to the Christian Church in the midst of its struggles with cruel persecutors.

There has been no interruption in the opening of the seals. The author has but shown the final result of the universal struggle first, for the wicked (vi: 12-17), and then for the righteous (vii). We have completed the first great cycle of the Book's teaching regarding the conflict between Good and Evil-its universal aspect.

PART III.

NATIONAL OR REDEMPTIVE ASPECT.

VIII-XII.

CHAPTER IX.

JUDGMENT FOR SACRIFICE.

Revelation viii-ix.

And when he opened the seventh seal, there followed a silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stand before God; and there were given unto them seven trumpets.

And another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel taketh the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth: and there followed thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

And the first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of the earth was burnt up, and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

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; and there died the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, even they that had life; and the third part of the ships was destroyed.

And the third angel sounded, and there fell from heaven a great star, burning as a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of the waters; 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.

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; that the third part of them should be darkened, and the day should not shine for the third part of it, and the night in like manner.

And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, who are yet to sound.

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven fallen unto the earth: and there was given to him the key of the pit of the abyss. And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

And it was said unto them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only such men as have not the seal of God on their foreheads. And it was given them that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when it striketh a man. And in those days men shall seek death, and shall in no wise find it; and they shall desire to die, and death fleeth from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared for war; and upon their heads as it were crowns like unto gold, and their faces were as men's faces. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to war. And they have tails like unto scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men five months. They have over them as king the angel of the abyss: his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek tongue he hath the name Apollyon.

The first woe is past; behold, there come yet two Woes hereafter..

And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel, which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound at are bound at the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men. And the number of the

armies of the horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand: I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates as of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone: and the heads of the horses are as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three plagues was the third part of men killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths, and in their tails: for their tails are like unto serpents, and have heads; and with them they do hurt. And the rest of mankind, which were not killed with these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk: and they repented not of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

In this section which includes Chapters VIII-XII we are to deal with the national or redemptive aspect of this conflict. By this we mean that the section now to be considered treats of the great struggle in its relation to the ancient people of God, ending with the birth of Christ.

Position of Seventh Seal:-Before looking at the particulars of Chapters VIII-IX we must ascertain the relation of this seventh seal to its predecessors and also to what follows. This inquiry is important, for our view of the position occupied by the seventh seal will determine our view of the Trumpets and the