the divine government, exhibiting the moral world as affecting, or
affected by the Christian religion, it seemed good to the Divine Author
that the destinies of the eastern section of the Roman empire yet
standing, where many of his saints reside, shall come under review.
Ecclesiastical history treats familiarly of a _Greek,_ as well as a
_Latin_ church and empire. As the trumpets cover the whole time from the
opening of the sixth seal till the final overthrow of the whole fourth
monarchy; (Dan. vii. 26; Rev. xi. 15,) it follows that the eastern
section must be the object of a part of them. Accordingly, the remaining
part of the second period,--the _Period of the Trumpets,_ includes the
first two of the three, emphatically and significantly styled
"woe-trumpets."




CHAPTER IX.


1. 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 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.

4. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the