Thus, under the symbols of these four trumpets we have developed the wondrous history of the downfall of imperial Rome, in order to give opportunity for the scenes of the drama yet to follow.  The “man of sin” could not be fully revealed in all his terrible features until this hindrance was removed out of the way.  Imperial Rome for three centuries stood as the great opposer of God’s people and slaughtered thousands, perhaps millions, of the Lord’s innocent servants, and the hand of retributive Justice was finally extended to humble her to the dust.  Singularly, the persons whom God made choice of to effect her downfall have either regarded themselves as special instruments whose mission it was to punish the world or else have received such designations by historians because of their awful work.  Contemporary historians distinguish Alaric by the epithets “The Scourge of God,” “The Destroyer of Nations”; while the great Vandal leader is designated “The Terrible Genseric.”  Attila claimed the title “The Scourge of God.”

13.  And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

The later editions of the Greek New Testament give the word eagle instead of angel—­denoting a messenger or angel flying with the swiftness of an eagle.  This messenger doubtless is not intended to be symbolic; for it is not one of the seven angels, but a messenger possessing a warning, and that warning is given “to the inhabitants of the earth,” as if they were addressed directly.  It simply announces that the three trumpets yet to sound will possess greater calamities to the people of earth than those that have preceded, by reason of which they are called woes.  The manner, also, in which the woe trumpets are spoken of afterwards confirm the statement that the announcement is literal and not symbolical.  “One woe is past, and, behold, there come two more woes hereafter.”  Chap. 9:12.  “The second woe it past:  and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.”  Chap. 11:14.  These announcements are evidently literal, and serve to explain the passage before us.  Accordingly, the last three trumpets are generally referred to as the woe trumpets.

CHAPTER IX.

    And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven
    unto the earth:  and to him was given the key of the bottomless
    pit.

    2.  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose 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.

    3.  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth:  and
    unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have
    power.