Revelation 8-9 - In Depth Bible Commentaries

917(...continued)the east; and the third woe is the judgments of the seven bowls, which will be poured out uponthe papacy–identified with the French Revolution and its results.” (Gregg, p. 172)The preterist Chilton states that “the prophetic warnings of Israel’s destruction are oftencouched in terms of eagles descending upon carrion (Deuteronomy 28:49; Jeremiah 4:13;Lamentations 4:19; Hosea 8:1; Habakkuk 1:8; Matthew 24:28). Indeed, a basic aspect ofthe covenantal curse is that of being devoured by the birds of the air (Genesis 15:9-12; Deuteronomy28:26, 49; Proverbs 30:17; Jeremiah 7:33-34; 16:3-4; 19:7; 34:18-20; Ezekiel39:17, 20; Revelation 19:17-18)’...Adam Clarke [a historicist] states that ‘These woes aresupposed by many learned man to refer to the destruction of Jerusalem: the first woe–the seditionsamong the Jews themselves; the second woe–the besieging of the city by the Romans;the third woe–the taking and the sacking of the city, and burning of the Temple. This was thegreatest of all the woes, as in it the city and Temple were destroyed, and nearly a million menlost their lives.’” (Gregg, p. 172)It is frustrating to see the same material applied so differently, and we are led again toremark concerning the “puzzling” nature of Johns’ visions, which is only to be expected in thelight of Numbers 12:6-8 / 1 Corinthians 13:9-12. We also note that many of the passagesreferred to by Chilton are related to the oft-occurring day of YHWH in history.429