Bible Verses [1] And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.	V.1 This is the Seventh and Final Seal, for the Third Angel thread/series of Seven Seals which began in Chapter Five. The Seventh Seal - the Seventh Angel is of course as always the Islamic Faith. A silence came for half an hour is not a literal specific time on a clock but a short time before the next Great Event happens in humanity's religious history, which is the time of the Return of Christ. For Islam, Muhammad being the last Seal - is the 'Seal of the Prophets'. This is central to the thought of many Muslims and He truly was: He was last in the Cycle of Prophecy.
[2] And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.	V.2 This is the announcement of a new third thread that is about to begin about the Seven Angels, this time Their each having a Trumpet. As we have seen in the previous threads, the Seven Angels are symbolic of the Prophets of the Seven Major religions of the world. All of these are the religions that "stand" before God. The thread actually begins in verse 7. If thou be of the inmates of this city within the ocean of divine unity, thou wilt view all the Prophets and Messengers of God as one soul and one body, as one light and one spirit, in such wise that the first among them would be last and the last would be first. (Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries: Verse 44)
[3] And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne	V.3 This Angel (not one of the series of Seven Angels) is Baha'u'llah to Whom has been given Spiritual Power that He should offer the prayers of all the saints - the emphasis being upon all because all the religions are now recognized and unified. Even as He hath revealed: "No distinction do We make between any of His Messengers!!" [Qur'an 2:285] (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 152) Baha'u'llah devoted His entire life, giving up His material possessions, forced to live a life of imprisonment, with hunger, poor health, and abuse to bring this glorious message to mankind. He surrendered unreservedly to God's summons, having no doubt about the role He was to play in human history. He stresses that the message He brings is, quote: "Not of My own volition". Therefore we must follow and adore the virtues revealed in the messengers of God whether in Abraham, Moses, Jesus or other prophets but we must not adhere to and adore the lamp. We must recognize the sun no matter from what dawning-point it may shine forth, be it Mosaic, Abrahamic or any personal point of orientation whatever, for we are lovers of sunlight and not of orientation. We are lovers of illumination and not of lamps and candles. We are seekers for water no matter from what rock it may gush forth. We are in need of fruit in whatsoever orchard it may be ripened. (Abdu'l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 16))
[4] And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.	V.4 The incense of the prayers ascended to God, from Baha'u'llah's Hand... out of His Teachings and from His Pen. The prayers are performed with supplication towards the mysterious Kingdom, the voice of glorification is raised to the Lord, the Supreme, then the believers shall rejoice, the hearts shall be dilated and overflow with the love of the All-living and Self-existent God. ('Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p. 415) The Mightiness and Mystery of God shall ever remain far beyond whatever may be said of Him. "Thou shalt never behold Me!"; whilst a myriad Messengers, each as great as Jesus, stand dismayed upon their heavenly thrones by the interdiction, "Mine Essence thou shalt never apprehend!" (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 62)
[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.	V.5 The Angel (Baha'u'llah) gives a message that represents a whole new era, as it is His new teachings of unity of all mankind, justice and peace to the world: so powerful it is described as 'Fire from the Altar'. All this was cast to the earth, or in other words - sent unto mankind. At first there were voices, those discussing the new religion, then came the thunderings and lightnings, those who opposed, and the fear of the divines that the new religion would take over. Finally it is shown how much it was upsetting by describing it as an earthquake. As ye have heard of the former times, when (for example) Christ -- glory be to Him! -- appeared, a storm of trials arose, afflictions appeared, the winds of tests blew, the thunder of temptation descended and hosts of people (Pharisees) surrounded the houses of the friends; then the weak ones were shaken and were misled after once being guided; but the disciples withstood the hardships and endured the storms of ordeals, remaining firm in the Religion of God. ('Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 13) I know not, O my God, what the Fire is which Thou didst kindle in Thy land. Earth can never cloud its splendor, nor water quench its flame. All the peoples of the world are powerless to resist its force. Great is the blessedness of him that hath drawn nigh unto it, and heard its roaring. (Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 75)
[6] And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.	V.6 This is the THIRD of Six threads about the Seven Angels with the Trumpets which are the Seven Major Religions of the world. The fact that they are now sounding at the end of this time - which is the end of the Cycle of Prophecy and the beginning of the Cycle of Fulfillment - is because all the religions of the world had prophesied the day when their religion would be fulfilled with the return of their Lord. Each of the Seven Angels will sound for their religion in the exact same order as always, the order in which they were revealed in the world. To Israel He was neither more nor less than the incarnation of the "Everlasting Father," the "Lord of Hosts" come down "with ten thousands of saints"; to Christendom Christ returned "in the glory of the Father," to Shi'ah Islam the return of the Imam Husayn; to Sunni Islam the descent of the "Spirit of God" (Jesus Christ); to the Zoroastrians the promised Shah-Bahram; to the Hindus the reincarnation of Krishna; to the Buddhists the fifth Buddha. (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 93)
[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.	V.7 This first angel is the Angel of the Sabean Religion which, going by the order here, was the first and most ancient of the Seven Religions. The Sabean religion, being so very ancient, and having often been supplanted by other religions is no longer very prominent in the world as an organized religion. The mentioning of 'hail and fire mixed with blood' and being cast to the earth and a third part of the trees and all the grass being burnt up may yet have external implications, both in regards to environmental issues and catastrophic events to come, but the internal spiritual meanings are key. Trees and greenery are symbolic of spiritual powers (such as,. the tree of 'knowledge' and the tree of 'life' in the Garden of Eden), however, over-time these spiritual powers and teachings have lost their heavenly vitality and have become earthly. The grass is indicative of the general followers of the religion and the one third portion also appears in the following verses regarding other religions and this shows that a large part of the whole of mankind is in spiritual darkness. From the seed of reality, religion has grown into a tree which has put forth leaves and branches, blossoms and fruit. After a time this tree has fallen into a condition of decay. The leaves and blossoms have withered and perished; the tree has become stricken and fruitless. It is not reasonable that man should hold to the old tree, claiming that its life forces are undiminished, its fruit unequalled, its existence eternal. The seed of reality must be sown again in human hearts in order that a new tree may grow therefrom and new divine fruits refresh the world. ('Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p. 226)
[8] 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;	V.8 The second angel represents what we identify as the second most ancient of the existing religions - the Jewish Religion. It remains very prominent in the world like a mountain. Indeed, its teachings, such as the Ten Commandments, being cast into the sea has dual meanings. One, being cast into the sea, has to do with its spreading throughout the world, especially through Christianity and Islam, the adherents of those religions spreading the concept of monotheism and the Decalogue to many societies throughout the world. Each of the old religions have become ineffectual in their ability to bring harmony and love to all of mankind. The mountain burning and being cast into the sea is symbolic of the downfall of its teachings, which is a reference to the spiritual death seen later in Rev.16:3. Rabbis, many of them sincere, taught dogmatic doctrines. Because these doctrines were antiquated they caused the separation of many of the followers from the practice of the religion and many of those who were associated with the religion, only in name, often prided themselves in saying that they weren't religious, and indeed often became humanists and even atheists. The sea is a symbol of separation from God. Because this man's father was a Jew, he considers himself a Jew; not that he has investigated the Reality and proved satisfactorily to himself that Judaism is right; nay, rather he is aware that his forefathers have followed this course, therefore he has held to it himself. ('Abdu'l-Baha Baha'i Scriptures, p. 268) This relates back to the Second Seal and the second (red) horse of the Apocalypse in Rev. 6:1, in that religious intolerance can progress to war which is the greatest scourge of mankind. So blind hath become the human heart that neither the disruption of the city, nor the reduction of the mountain in dust, nor even the cleaving of the earth, can shake off its torpor. The allusions made in the Scriptures have been unfolded, and the signs recorded therein have been revealed, and the prophetic cry is continually being raised. And yet all, except such as God was pleased to guide, are bewildered in the drunkenness of their heedlessness! (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 39)
[9] And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.	V.9 In the sea of life, those who are separated from God, although they had life, died spiritually. External events may occur; but in another sense one may see ships as representing the vessels that brought the teachings to the people. One great contribution, and attribute, which we attach to the Jewish Religion is the establishment of law. Not just religious law, but also social law, as we see for example in the Ten Commandments. The Judaic, Christian, Islamic, Baha'i religions all have this common origin. Indeed, through Abraham, all the nations of the earth are said to have been blessed by this star. How many are the strangers who have sought shelter beneath the shadow of the tree of Thy oneness, and how numerous the thirsty ones who have panted after the fountain of Thy living waters in Thy days! (Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 33) The Great Ships were religions, the institutions brought by the Great Prophets to carry us safely across to the other side of the terrifying world-ocean of the spiritual school of life. In a spiritual sense then, these great institutions brought by the Teachers of the beneficial religious, were later the vessels that were destroyed. The divine prophets have revealed and founded religion. They have laid down certain laws and heavenly principles for the guidance of mankind. They have taught and promulgated the knowledge of God, established praiseworthy ethical ideals and inculcated the highest standards of virtues in the human world. Gradually these heavenly teachings and foundations of reality have been beclouded by human interpretations and dogmatic imitations of ancestral beliefs. The essential realities which the prophets labored so hard to establish in human hearts and minds while undergoing ordeals and suffering tortures of persecution, have now well nigh vanished. Some of these heavenly messengers have been killed, some imprisoned; all of them despised and rejected while proclaiming the reality of divinity. Soon after their departure from this world, the essential truth of their teachings was lost sight of and dogmatic imitations adhered to. ('Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p. 225)
[10] And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;	V.10 The Third Angel represents another of the ancient existing religions - the Hindu Religion. In its own history it counts back to what may have been predecessor or Sabean Teachings. It remains very prominent in the world, being the predominant religion of India which is at this time the world's second most populous country. It has certainly been a great star in the firmament of religions and saying that the great star (lamp) fell from heaven, indicates that the star left its rightful place and was no longer a lamp that gave the spiritual light that brought harmony, peace and unity, but rather there became inharmony and dissension between the castes and factions. The theme of the star falling from heaven in relationship to India may have a particular significance as seen in the next verse.
[11] 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.	V.11 The archetype of the falling star may have a special application to this day, and to India, the predominant location of the Hindu Faith. The name of the star is given as 'Wormwood' (a bitter medicinal plant). In a sense it was the crowning scientific achievement of humanity, visible to all the world, and even surpassing the Tower of Babel, in mankind's reach for the heavens. Because in the minds of many men the 'scientific way of life' no longer supported the true spiritual teachings of the Prophets/Manifestations it brought bitterness of life causing many men to die literally and spiritually. The life giving sweet water, the true spiritual knowledge of God's righteousness and justice, had been turned to materialism and bitterness. What should have been an Age of Light, because of scientific attainment, became one instead of spiritual darkness which the Hindu writings call the dark age of Kali Yuga.
[12] 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; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.	V.12 The fourth angel, in the historical order, was Zoroaster. This verse continues the description of the spiritual darkening and dying of all the religions in the last days, but there remain some viable remnants of each of the religions. Mention should also be made here that the Fourth Angel and likewise the fourth seal was associated with the fourth (pale) last horse of the Apocalypse (Rev.6:7). The flame ignited by Zoroaster is still burning. ('Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 346) Great emphasis is shown in the writings of Zoroaster about the sun, moon and stars. When smitten and darkened, it describes the spiritual darkness that has taken over Iran. Now is the time for the 'good restoration of the world' described in the Zend-Avesta. The leadership of political and religious leaders are in denial about the New Message that Baha'u'llah brought to their land. In former days, in the time of the Buddha and Zoroaster, civilization in Asia and in the East was very much higher than in the West and ideas and thoughts of the Eastern peoples were much in advance of, and nearer to the thoughts of God than those of the West. But since that time superstitions had crept into the religion and ideals of the East, and from many differing causes the ideals and characters of the Eastern peoples had gone down and down, lower and lower, while the Western peoples had been constantly advancing and struggling towards the Light. ('Abdu'l-Baha, 'Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 69) Had the Zoroastrians comprehended the reality of Zoroaster, they would have understood Moses and Jesus. Alas! the majority of men attach themselves to the name of the mediator and lose sight of the real purport. ('Abdu'l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 32)
[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!	V.13 This verse is about the Three Woes that are to come in the 'last days', and is actually an introduction to the next chapter, where they are presented. In this present thread about the Seven Angels and their Seven Trumpets in the "last day events", the next of the Seven Angels, the Fifth Angel (the Buddhist Angel), starts the next chapter and then the Angels of the Christian and Islamic religions will follow, so that in fact these "Three Woes' involve all on earth in the Last Days. Archetypes, such as the Three Woes, of course have many meanings, and elsewhere other meanings are given. In the Afterword to this chapter, there is further discussion as to the nature of The Three Woes.