TRANSLATION.

6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them."

7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of

men.

8 And they had hair as the hair of women," and their teeth' were as the teeth of lions.

9 And they had throats as it were throats of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.*

READING.

6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them."

7 And the appearance of the idolaters was like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns resembling gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

8 And they held out allurements as it were the allurements of women," and their spears were as the spears of the brave.

9 And they had throats as it were throats of iron; and the praise of their congregations was as the praise of instruments of war, of a diversity of faiths rushing to battle.*

а

" And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal, how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper-tree: and he REQUESTED FOR HIMSELF THAT HE MIGHT DIE; and said, It is enough; Now, O LORD, TAKE AWAY MY LIFE; for I am not better than my fathers. And, as he lay and slept under a juniper-tree, behold, then, an angel touched him, and SAID UNTO HIM, ARISE AND EAT. And he looked, and behold there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him and said, Ărise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights, unto Horeb the mount of God. And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword: and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."-1 Kings xix. 1-10.

"And there were also Sodomites in the land; and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel."-1 Kings xiv. 24.

Teeth are called " spears and arrows. Ps. liv. 4.

* " And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock

TRANSLATION.

.10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

11 And they had a king over them, who is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon."

12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more on account of these things.

13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four

READING.

10 And they had false prophets like unto scorpions,' and their dependence was on their false prophets and their power was to hurt men five months.

11 And they had a king over them, who is the messenger of the idolatrous altar, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon [or the destroyer]."

12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more on account of these things.

13 And the sixth messenger sounded, and I heard a voice from

for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal, from morning even until noon,, saying, O Baal, hear us! But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they LEAPED upon the altar which was made. And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud; for he is a god: either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they CRIED ALOUD, AND CUT themselves, after their manner, with knives and lances, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, when mid-day was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither, voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded."-1 Kings xviii. 25-29. The scorpion is a drowsy animal, whose favourite haunt is amidst things in a state of decay, where it contentedly remains in darkness its sole dependence is in its tail, with which it strikes and acutely stings those who may chance to come in contact with and disturb it. Scorpions appear to be symbolical of those who do not love or seek the light, and who sting to the very soul, by the venom of self-acquired and pernicious doctrine, those who would endeavour to rouse them from a blind dependence on their false prophets, who are metaphorically designated "tails."

m

Apollyon signifies "the Destroyer," and is peculiarly applicable to Jeroboam although he did not live during the whole period which this trumpet announces, yet, as THE ANGEL OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT,' his principles governed the nation even till the Lord removed it out of his sight. "For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, king and Jeroboam_drove Israel from following the Lord, and made them sin a great sin. For the children of Israel walked IN ALL THE SINS OF JEROBOAM which he did; they departed not from them; UNTIL THE LORD REMOVED ISRAEL OUT OF HIS SIGHT, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day."-2 Kings xvii. 21-23.

:

15 And the four angels were loosed, who were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year," to slay the third part year," to slay the third part of

16 And the number of the army 16 And the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred of the horsemen was two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. the number of them.

20 And the rest of the men 20 And the rest of the men who were not killed by these who were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

And it came to pass in the NINTH YEAR of his reign, in the TENTH MONTH, in the TENTH DAY of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about."-2 Kings xxv. 1.

It is possible that this may be figurative of the people of Israel from the following, viz. "In that day shall Israel be THE THIRD with Egypt and Assyria."-Isaiah xix. 24.

TRANSLATION.

horns of the golden altar which is before God,

14 Saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Loose the four angels who are bound in the great river Euphrates.

15 And the four angels were loosed, who were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year," to slay the third part of men.

16 And the number of the army of the horsemen was 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 throats 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.

17 And likewise I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having throats of fire, and 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 18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brim- by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their stone, which issued out of their mouths.

19 For their influence is in their mouth for their tails, like unto serpents', had heads, and with them they do hurt.

mouths.

19 For their influence is in their oracles: for their false prophets, like unto devils, had principles, and with them they do hurt.

20 And the rest of the men 20 And the rest of the men who were not killed by these who were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: neither can see, nor hear,

n

nor walk:

And it came to pass in the NINTH YEAR of his reign, in the TENTH MONTH, in the TENTH DAY of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against and they built forts against it round about."-2 Kings xxv. 1.

it;

It is possible that this may be figurative of the people of Israel from the following, viz. "In that day shall Israel be THE THIRD with Egypt and Assyria."-Isaiah xix. 24.