8:1. “…silence in heaven….”
“…When the priest went in unto the holy place to burn incense, notice was given to all by the sound of a little bell, that the time of prayer was now….
“…As many as were in the court where the altar was retired from between the Temple and the altar, and withdrew themselves lower:
“…In the other courts they were not bound to retire or change their place; but in all they gave themselves to prayer, and that in deep silence: ‘The fathers ordained prayers in the time of the daily sacrifice:’ And of what kind soever the prayers were,…still they uttered them very silently: ‘He that repeats his prayers in that silent manner that he does not hear himself, he does his duty.’ But R. Jose would have it, that he repeats his prayers so that the sound of his own voice may reach his own ears.’….” [3:17-8]
8:2. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. (See also “Vials” 15:1; 16:1.)
“…The manner of bringing in the Passover into the court, and of killing it, you have in Pesachin, in these words: ‘The Passover is killed in three companies; according as it is said, [Exod. xii.6,]…and all the assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it (the Passover); assembly, congregation and Israel. The first company enters and fills the whole court: they lock the doors of the court: the trumpets sound: the priests stand in order, having golden and silver vials in their hands: one row silver, and the other gold; and they are not intermingled; the vials had no brims, lest the blood should stay upon them, and be congealed or thickened: an Israelite kills it, and a priest receives the blood, and gives it to him that stands next, and he to the next, who, taking the vial that was full, gives him an empty one. The priest who stands next to the altar sprinkles the blood at one sprinkling against the bottom of the altar: that company goes out, and the second comes in,’ &c.” (Underlines mine.) [2:342]
8:3. “…golden altar which was before the throne…”
When the Temple was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes, the altar was pulled down and the stones of it were laid up in a special place. “‘Towards the north-east there was a certain chamber where the sons of the Asmoneans laid up the stones of that altar, which the Grecian kings had profaned:….’ and that ’till there might come a prophet that should direct them what to do with them.'” [1:377]
But this was not the only time the altar was defiled. At another time, one priest stabbed another as they strove for preeminence at the altar. Josephus reports that in the seige of Jerusalem, the warring factions of priests slaughtered one another upon the holy altar. [1:72, 74]
There was a chamber in the Temple where the stones of the previous altar were laid up. That altar had been defiled by the king of Greece in the Hasmonean era and so had been disassembled. Not knowing what to do with these sacred stones, they had been laid up in the Temple to await a revelation from God as to their proper disposal.
But just as the ark of the covenant was now seen to be in heaven, (11:19), so the sacred altar is now before the throne. Here it can no more be defiled. The Revelation of Jesus Christ has shown them the proper disposal of the stones.
8:5. “And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings and lightnings, and an earthquake…”
Lightfoot quotes Josephus: “…’About that time, about the battle of Actium betwixt Caesar and Antony, the seventh year of the reign of king Herod, there was a mighty earthquake in Judea, that made an infinite slaughter of beasts in that country; and near ten thousand people slain by the fall of houses….'” [3:294]
Re: Holy Fire: [Davies 208] “[Three views that the Holy Spirit had departed from Israel] With the third of these [views], namely, that which traced the cessation of the Holy Spirit to the destruction of the Second temple in AD 70, we need not stay. As for the other two views, the first connected the cessation of the Holy Spirit with the destruction of the First Temple, We read: ‘Five things which existed in the first temple were lacking in the second. These were: (a) Fire from on high. (b) Anointing oil. (c) The Ark. (d) The Holy Spirit. (e) Urim and Thummim.’ [Note 3: “Cf. b. Yoma 21b; Num. Rabba 15.10; see also Song of Songs Rabba 8.”]
8:6-11:15. “…seven trumpets….”
“…They sounded with the trumpet in every city in which was a judiciary bench, at the coming in of the new year. But this was not used but after the destruction of the Temple.
“…They sounded with the trumpet when any was excommunicated. Hence among the utensils of a judge is numbered a trumpet…’A trumpet (saith the Gloss) for excommunication and anathematizing:…’ And in the same place mention is made of the excommunicating of Jesus, four hundred trumpets being brought for that business.
“…The trumpet sounded six times at the coming in of every sabbath: that from thence, by that sign given, all people should cease from servile works….” [2:140]
“…the minister of the synagogue on the sabbath-eve sounded with a trumpet six times upon the roof of an exceeding high house, that thence all might have notice of the coming in of the sabbath.” [187]
8:7. “The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.” (See also verses 8, 10, 12, etc. regarding the “third part.”)
The Rabbis discuss keeping the statutes. One says that if only one statute is not observed, he is condemned to hell. Another says that if only one statute is kept, he will escape hell. “It is said, ‘It shall come to pass that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts of it shall be cut off and die, and the third part shall be left.’ Resh Lachish saith, ‘The third part of Shem;. R. Jochanan saith unto him, ‘Their Lord will not have it so as thou sayest concerning them, for it is the third part of Noah.’ It is said, ‘I will take you one of a city and two of a tribe.’ Resh Lachish saith, ‘These words are to be understood in the very letter.’ R. Jochanan saith unto him, ‘Their Lord will not have it so as thou sayest concerning them, but one of a city shall expiate for the whole city, and two of a family for the whole family. It is said, ‘I will take them for my people;’ and it is said, ‘I will bring you into the land.’ He compares their going out of the land of Egypt with their coming in to their own land: now how was their coming in into the land of Canaan? There were only two persons of threescore myriads that entered it. Rabba saith, So also shall it be in the days of the Messiah.”….” [ 3:143]
“Perhaps it will not repent him that reads the Holy Scriptures to observe these few things:
“I. That the destruction of Jerusalem and the whole Jewish state is described as if the whole frame of this world were to be dissolved. Nor is it strange, when God destroyed his habitation and city, places once so dear to him, with so direful and sad an overthrow; his own people, whom he accounted of as much or more than the whole world beside, by so dreadful and amazing plagues. Matt.xxiv.29,30, ‘The sun shall be darkened, &c. Then shall appear the ‘sign of the Son of man,’ &c; which yet are said to fall out within this generation, ver. 34. 2 Pet. iii.10, ‘The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat,’ &c. Compare with this Deut.xxxii.22, Heb.xii.26: and observe that by elements are understood the Mosaic elements, Gal.iv.9, Coloss.ii.20: and you will not doubt that St. Peter speaks only of the conflagration of Jerusalem, the destruction of the nation, and the abolishing the dispensation of Moses.” [3:452, Underlines mine.]
8:8. “…a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea…”
In the Syriac and Chaldee languages the word Taur signifies ‘a mountain.’ [1:380]
“…This is a hyperbolical way of speaking, taken from the common language of the schools of the Jews, and designed after a manner for their refutation….
“The Jews used to set out those teachers among them, that were more eminent for the profoundness of their learning, or the splendour of their virtues, by such expressions as this; …He is a rooter up (or a remover) of mountains. ”Rabh Joseph is Sinai, and Rabbah is a rooter up of mountains.‘ The Gloss; ”They called Rabh Joseph Sinai, because he was very skilful in clearing of difficulties; and Rabbah Bar Nachmani, A rooter up of mountains, because he had a piercing judgment.’ ”Rabba said, I am like Ben Azzai in the streets of Tiberias.” The Gloss; ”Like Ben Azzai, who taught profoundly in the streets of Tiberias; nor was there in his days…such another rooter up of mountains as he.” ”He saw Resh Lachish in the school, as if he were plucking up mountains and grinding them one upon another.”” [2:282-3]
8:8. “…and the third part of the sea became blood….”
When Christ was tried before the council, it was said that it was not lawful for them to put a man to death, (John 18:31). This is usually taken to mean that the Roman government had taken away the authority of the Jews to sentence a man to death. However, Lightfoot shows that they could indeed put a man to death, for example, Stephen. The Talmudists show the true reason for this:
“…’because they saw murderers so much increase that they could not judge them. They said therefore, ‘It is fit that we should remove from place to place, that so we may avoid the guilt.’ That is, the number and boldness of thieves and murderers growing so great that, by reason thereof, the authority of the council grew weak, and neither could nor dared put them to death. ‘It is better (say they) for us to remove from hence…where by the quality of the place, we are obliged to judge them, than that, by sitting still here, and not judging them, we should render ourselves guilty….The authority of them was not taken away by the Romans, but rather relinquished by themselves….’These men have increased the number of murderers in Israel.’…they so far neglected to punish bloodshed and murder, and other crimes, till wickedness grew so untractable that the authority of the council trembled for fear of it, and dared not kill the killers….spares crows, but vexeth pigeons. Thieves, murderers, and wicked men armed with force, they dared not call into their judgment; they were afraid of so desperate a crew: but to judge, condemn, torture, and put to death poor men and Christians, from whom they feared no such danger, they dreaded it not, they did not avoid it….” [2:325-7]
8:10. “…and there fell a great star from heaven…and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters.”
Lightfoot quotes Josephus: “…’These are the words of Josephus, exhorting the people to surrender themselves: ”Those springs flow abundantly to Titus, which, as to us, had dried away long before. For you know how, before his coming, Siloam and all the springs about the city failed so much, that water was bought by the bottle: but now they bubble up afresh for your enemies, and that in such abundance, that they have sufficient, not only for themselves, but for their cattle and gardens. Which very miracle this nation hath formerly experienced, when this city was taken by the king of Babylon.”” [3:295]
“…’They offer seventy bullocks for the seventy nations, to make atonement for them, that the rain may fall upon the fields of all the world; for in the feast of tabernacles, … judgment is made as to the waters:‘ i.e. God determines what rains shall be for the year following….” [3:320]