Revelation 8-9 - In Depth Bible Commentaries

913 914 915 916great voice, “Woe, woe, woe --those who dwell upon the earth– because of the912(...continued)voice can be heard by all. This noun occurs again in Revelation at 14:6 and 19:17.In a spiritual interpretation of this flying eagle, Hough states that “The hostile empirehad brought woe to Christians. The hostile universe is to bring woe to the foes of the Christiansin all their far-flung, wicked ways. The conclusive word is spoken not by Rome but byGod, and that word is a word of terror to all who have enmeshed themselves in ways of evil.The eagle was used as an ensign of the Roman army. In a sense it was the symbol of theRoman power. But the eagle...in mid-heaven represents the power of God. It brings a judgmentbeyond the conception of any Roman emperor. The suffering caused by evil powers isanswered by the coming of suffering upon those evil powers themselves.” (P. 431) Yes, andwe add, in answer to the prayers of God and the Little Lamb’s persecuted people!913Can an eagle "speak"? Not literally, but in symbolical visions, many things ordinarilyimpossible are completely fitting and possible. We are reminded of the talking serpent inGenesis 3, and of the talking donkey in Numbers 22.Hough spiritual interpretation continues: “There are always plenty of [people] who areready to declare that goodness represents a lovely world of ideas and ideals, but that the factsare on the side of realistic and selfish [people] who go their way without moral scruples or spiritualhesitations. But this is simply not true. It is the selfish cynics who refuse to face relevantfacts. It is cynicism which offers to [people] a dream-world. Goodness is not merely an idea.It is a power. Rightness is not merely an ideal. It is an enthroned authority. And in the veryworld of action goodness has the last word. It is not only a last word. It is a terrible word tothose who have committed themselves with final decisiveness to an evil allegiance.“...Moral short cuts are the most impractical things in all the world. In the long run thegood facts are always stronger than the bad facts. Goodness appears as a friend with an outstretchedhand. But if that hand is refused, goodness will appear at last as a moral executionerwith a sharp and terrible sword. At last, the moral law has the facts as well as thevalues upon its side. If only [human beings] had eyes to see and ears to hear, there is alwaysan eagle in the midst of the sky crying forth these truths which have in them the very safety ofour souls.” (P.576)914The third ïáé, ouai, “woe!” is omitted by Minuscule 2329, some other Greek manuscripts,some manuscripts of the Latin Vulgate and Tyconius (who died after 390 A.D.). Thismay be another instance of the eye of copyists and translators skipping from the first instanceof the word to the third, overlooking its second occurrence. The variant reading does notchange the meaning of Revelation, but slightly lessens its picturesque emphasis.The three-fold "Woe! Woe! Woe!" signifies much greater destruction that is comingupon the world due to the divine judgments held in store by the remaining three messengers /angels with their trumpets. Much suffering has already occurred; now even greater suffering isin store in John's vision!(continued...)427