Первые шесть печатей означают тайны судеб мира не столько в событиях или свершениях, сколько в отдельных чертах или свойствах. За снятием печатей следует семь труб, которые выражают собой уже известные события, последовательно наступающие в истории мира, так что отсюда она, собственно, начинается.

ГЛАВА VIII — IX

СЕДЬМАЯ ПЕЧАТЬ И СЕМЬ ТРУБ

Восьмая глава открывается снятием седьмой печати, которая является вместе с тем и предварением семи труб; оно не имеет собственного откровения, но тем более увеличивает значение последующего. Снятие седьмой печати Агнцем сопровождается мистическим, конечно, «безмолвием в небе как бы на полчаса», чем выражается не только значительность, но и грозность приближающихся событий. Тайнозритель видит «стоящих перед Богом», т. е. в небе, семь ангелов, которым и дано семь труб. Однако им предшествует соответствующая небесно-земному параллелизму событий торжественная молитва к Богу в небесах. «И я видел, семь ангелов стояли пред Богом и дано им семь труб». «И пришел иной ангел и стал пред жертвенником, держа золотую кадильницу; и дано было ему множество фимиама, чтобы он с молитвами всех святых возложил его на золотой жертвенник, который пред престолом. И вознесся дым фимиама с молитвами святых от руки Ангела пред Бога» (4). Здесь снова обращает внимание молитвенное активное участие «всех святых» в судьбе мира, который вступает в пору грозных испытаний. Образ жертвенника в небе нам уже знаком (VI, 9). Затем следует взятие ангелом кадильницы, наполненной огнем с жертвенника  [37] и повергаемой на землю: «и произошли голоса и громы, и молнии, и землетрясение» (5). Это — аналогия с образами главы VI, 12-17, они также свидетельствуют о проявлении Божьего гнева в предстоящих событиях, следовательно, придают им не случайное, но провиденциальное значение, включают их в общий план истории.

«Семь ангелов, имеющие семь труб, [38] приготовились трубить» (6). Каждой трубе соответствует наступление определенного ряда бедствий на земле, причем он разделен на две неравные части (обычное деление на 4 и 3): первые четыре трубы четырех ангелов прерываются «громким голосом» одного ангела ( — орла), летящего посреди неба и возвещающего о предстоящем горе: «горе, горе, горе живущим на земле» от остальных трубных гласов «трех ангелов, которые будут трубить» (13). Первые четыре трубы соответствуют наступлению природных бедствий, поражающих землю, хотя и не всю, но определенную ее часть («третью», что, конечно, не требует буквального арифметического понимания). Можно находить здесь для этой четверицы труб соответствия в четырех стихиях природы: земле, воде, огне и воздухе; видеть здесь, вслед за св. Иринеем, аналогию казням египетским в их обобщении, которое они получают в евангельской эсхатологии: Мф. XXIV, 29; Лк. XXI, II. По первой трубе сделались огонь и град, смешанные с кровью, и третья часть деревьев сгорела, я вся трава зеленая сгорела (параллель Исх. IX, 24). По трубе второго ангела «как бы большая гора, пылающая огнем, низверглась в море, и третья часть моря сделалась кровью, и умерла третья часть одушевленных тварей, живущих в море, и третья часть судов погибла» (8-9). (Параллель сюда: Исх. VII, 20-21). По третьей трубе «упала с неба большая звезда, горящая подобно светильнику, и пала на третью часть рек и на источники вод. Имя сей звезде полынь, и третья часть воды сделалась полынью, и многие из людей умерли от вод, потому что они стали горьки» (11). (Параллелью сюда является глава XVI, 3-7, вторая чаша). Наконец, по четвертой трубе поражена была третья часть солнца и третья часть луны и третья часть звезд, так что затмилась третья часть их, и третья часть дня не светла была так, как и ночи» (12). (Некоторая параллель здесь тьме египетской, десятой казни: Исх. X, 21-23) (Ср. также образы малого Апокалипсиса: Мф. XXIV, 29; Мк. XIII, 24; Лк. XXIII, 45). «Третья часть» в применении к небесным светилам звучит, конечно, особенно аллегорически).

Все это суть массивные образы, несущие явные следы тяжелой насыщенности апокалиптических апокрифов и древних религиозных мифологий. Они выражают ту общую мысль, что «вся тварь совокупно стенает и мучится доныне» (Рим. VIII, 22), ибо она «покорилась суете не добровольно, но по воле покорившего ее» (26), ожидая, что она будет «освобождена от рабства тлению» (21). Более буквальное истолкование этих образов, в особенности с их приурочением к определенным эпохам или событиям, встречает себе совершенно непреодолимые препятствия, да и является некоторым насилием над художественно-символическим стилем Откровения. Общая же мысль здесь такова, что существуют в жизни природного мира расстройства, связанные с человеческим грехом, но являющиеся и божественным, промыслительным воздействием на природу, причем они касаются разных сторон природной жизни, ее элементов. Эта общая мысль находит себе повторяющее подтверждение, «рекапитуляцию», и в дальнейших образах Откровения (как мы это еще увидим). Следует лишь установить, что это проявление зла в природе объясняется здесь не только как божественное попущение, но как спасительное и воспитательное средство на путях истории, хотя при этом оно и имеет для себя противодействие в заступлении святых в небесах (фимиам — молитвы святых).

Chapter IX is devoted to the fifth and sixth trumpets, which no longer refer to the calamities of the natural world, its disorders, but to the action of demonic forces hostile to man. This chapter is distinguished by the greatest accumulation of mythologically sounding images in the whole of Revelation. Through the trumpet of the fifth angel, the seer sees "a star fallen from heaven to earth, and the key to the well of the abyss was given to it" (IX, 1). This star is a fallen angel, who is called Abaddon in Hebrew, and Apollyon (the destroyer) in Greek, Satan who fell from heaven (Lk. X, 8), "and he was given the key to the well of the abyss" (2). The Abyss, in the language of Revelation, is the place of preliminary punishment of the fallen angels, demons, the beast, and the false prophet (XI, 7; XVII, 8; XX, I, 3) (as a dwelling place for demons — see Lk. VIII, 31). "She opened the well of the deep," and smoke came out of her, darkening the sun and the air; here, obviously, spiritual obscuration is understood. Out of the smoke the locusts come out to the earth (parallel to the 8th Egyptian plague: Exod. X, 1-9) (cf. Joel I-II), "having the power of earthly scorpions" (3). These locusts are not given to harm the vegetation of the earth, but only to people who do not have the seal of God (those without grace), and not to kill, but to torment them "for five months", i.e. for a certain certain time. "This torment is like that of a scorpion, when it bites a man" (5), it is the anguish of death, "when men seek death, but will not find it." Obviously, this refers to the spiritual state of black melancholy, which afflicts people and is associated with spiritual illness from the influence of the demonic. Further, the same locust is described not only by spiritual but also by physical features, which are clearly allegorical and mythological, as mighty, non-malevolent anthropomorphic creatures in crowns with female hair and teeth like those of lions, with iron armor, with the noise of wings as from the clatter of chariots from a multitude of horses running to war (cf. Joel II, 4), and with tails, having stingers — the demonic "armored division". For its king it has Abaddon or Apollyon (the destroyer) — if not Satan himself, then, in any sense, the principle of Satan, and its power also extended for five months, that is, for a limited time. It is evident that the seer is consciously speaking here in the language of religious syncretism, which he uses as a means of describing an almost ineffable and indescribable spiritual vision of the misfortunes and devastation that befall the unsealed part of humanity. It seems to us impossible to understand this literally, or even to make only an attempt to interpret the individual features of these images, as well as their combination, even if it is possible to find parallels for them of a religious-historical and comparative-mythological nature. Their true interpretation requires for itself such spiritual clairvoyance, which is not given to modern humanity not only in the form of one or another individual interpreter, but also because of the general state or spiritual age of modern humanity. The comprehension of these images may be a matter for the future, which is still separated from us by a certain historical and mystical transcendence. Such inaccessibility to the interpretation of individual images, of course, does not deprive them of their power and significance, and authenticity as the Word of God, but it remains hidden by the veil of mystery. This calls us to reverence and modesty, which are equally violated by arbitrary and tasteless allegorization, or, on the contrary, by an attempt to open an unopened bud, or to ignore their spiritual meaning by placing these images in the cabinet of curio-historical values. The general meaning of these images is quite clear: it speaks of the effective intervention of demonic forces in human life, which is providentially allowed, although limited by God's Providence, and placed within certain limits. The same has to be said about the sixth pipe. The trumpet of the sixth angel is accompanied by "the voice of one of the four horns of the golden altar standing before God" (13). This signifies a deliberate action of God's Providence, which can also be connected with the prayers of the saints for peace (VIII, 3-4), which precede and, of course, accompany the action of the seven trumpets with their revelations. A voice commands the sixth angel to release the four angels "bound by the river Euphrates." Here the hierarchical and ministerial difference between these messengers and the executor of God's commands, the angel of the sixth trumpet and the four angels "bound" at the "Euphrates River" is obvious. This is the realm of demonic domination, and at the same time of worldly power (like the "Babylon" of the later chapters of Revelation). Unlike the four angels VII, 1, who protect the earth from destructive winds, these are at the head of a devastating and demonic invasion. Obviously, they are only waiting for this opportunity, "prepared for a day and an hour, and a month, and a year, in order to kill a third of the people" (15). Unlike locusts, which have only to torture, and not to kill, these are given to "kill", although their lethality is only set within certain limits – of time and number of victims, namely, it extends to "a third of people" (15). Then it speaks of the number of cavalry troops", "two thousand themes" (16), millions. Antiquity generally did not know such a number of troops with their destructive effect, and the seer here penetrates the prophetic gaze in our days. What follows is a nightmarishly fantastic, almost delusional image of this army. The seer "saw him in a vision" (17), but in essence he already corresponds to what we are now contemporaries. Here a kind of demonic "tanks" and asphyxiating gases are described: "the riders wore armor of fire, hyacinth (blue) and sulfur; the horses' heads were like the heads of lions, from my mouth came fire, smoke and brimstone" (17). A third of the people died from these three plagues, and "the strength of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails, and the tails were like serpents, and had heads, and with them they harmed" (18-19). With regard to these images, it is necessary, as before, to abandon in advance the attempt to comprehend them as precisely as possible. These are images of clairvoyance regarding the demonic forces that have gained access to the human world. These pictures are like the delirium of hallucinating people in "mental illnesses", accompanied by all sorts of manias. At the end of Chapter IX, as if in response to all these plagues and horrors, the continuing impenitence of the "others" is testified, who have survived in the works of their hands, in all kinds of idolatry, "worship of demons" and in various sins: "their murders, sorcery, fornication, theft" (IX, 20-21).

A comparison of the end of Chapter IX with the final scene of Chapter VI of Article 12 (after the opening of the sixth seal) once again testifies to a certain parallelism in the content of Chapters VI-VIII and IX, the six seals and six trumpets, the appearance of four horsemen and locusts and mounted troops. These are not the events that follow one another, but different aspects of one historical process, let us take – which deserves special attention here – Chapter VI in its concluding verses brings the story even to a later time than the IX, already before the onset of God's preliminary judgment on the world, while the end of Chapter IX leaves the course of events still incomplete, continuing. This does not introduce a contradiction or contradiction between the sixth and ninth chapters of the six seals and six trumpets, but it clearly indicates that the plan of Revelation in its middle part contains a "recapitulation" or parallel, as we shall see later. In any case, the trumpets belong to the horrors and trials of the penultimate days, if not the very last. However, the prophetic meaning calls them not to intimidation, but to Christian courage. He says, "Do not be afraid; for this also must come to pass.

CHAPTER X

VISION OF THE MIGHTY ANGEL

This is an episodic chapter, a kind of prophetic intermezzo as an introduction to further revelations. Here is described the vision of a "mighty angel" (cf. V, 2) descending from heaven: clothed with clouds, a rainbow above his head, his face like the sun, his feet like pillars of fire, he puts his right foot on the sea, his left foot on the earth. He cries out in a loud voice, like a lion roaring (1-3). All this speaks of the high dignity of the heavenly messenger, whose angelic name, however, is not mentioned (and, of course, this is an angel, and not Christ Himself). The idea is expressed that it may be the Archangel Gabriel (and in V, 2 – Michael). He has in his hands "an open book" (2), and his voice is echoed by "seven thunders with their voices." Is this a voice from heaven at all, or does it refer to the sevenfold spiritual gifts and signifies the extreme importance and mystery of revelation? But when the seer wanted to write, it was forbidden to him by a voice from heaven. Consequently, there is a mystery of human destinies here, which must remain (for the time being) unknown to man. The angel, raising his hand to heaven, "swore" by the Creator of the universe to Him who lives forever, "that time will be no more" (16). Such an oath gives special force, importance and significance to these words "about time". However, these words cannot be understood in relation to temporal existence in general, which is already extinguished in eternity: on the contrary, time continues even after that, in accordance with the further content of Revelation. Together with the overwhelming majority of interpreters, these words: "χρόνος ουκέτι εσται" should be referred to a certain period of time as a period. This means that there will be no longer a delay in the onset of some final decisive events, which are already approaching with the seventh trumpet, but have not yet come with the previous trumpets (nor even with the demonic invasions of locusts and horsemen). Is it clear that the approaching Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ, is at hand here? And also no, firstly, because, according to the word of Christ, "of that day no one tidings, not even the Son of Man" (Mk. XIII, 32), and secondly, because the Parousia in general will not take place in the time calculated by earthly times and dates, but supra-temporally and super-temporally, with the beginning of modern times. If we attribute this text that "the time will be no more" to the Parousia, then we must directly conclude that this prophecy was not fulfilled, for the Parousia of Christ did not come in the days of John. The last prayer of Revelation, "Come," still leaves us in ignorance, though in Christian longing and expectation of this coming. Thus, the absence of an interval of time must be attributed to the general context of the sequence of events prophesied here in Revelation: this means that then the last hour of the world comes, the times of the Antichrist are approaching, corresponding to the last sorrow and the last trumpet. However, it must be firmly established that the historical chronology of this accomplishment, as well as of the preceding epoch (the six trumpets), also remains unknown here. It is outlined in the language of symbolic ontology, but not geography and history. It simply testifies to the internal, ontological sequence and connection of world events in their maturation towards the end. This also corresponds to the Gospel foreword of the Lord: "Take a likeness from the fig tree: when its branches are already soft and put forth leaves, you know that summer is near. Thus, when you see all these things, know that you are near, at the doors" (Matt. XXIV, 32-33). This "near, at the door" corresponds to the fact that "time will be no more" in Revelation. However, on the basis of all the rest of the content of Revelation, we indirectly conclude that the seer himself, although he desired, did not hope to live to see the Parousia and even to the last times of the Antichrist, but only prophesied about them. The mystery of God, which was proclaimed from heaven by seven thunders, he was forbidden to "write." "But in the days when the seventh angel shall cry, when he shall sound the trumpet (and yet the 'when' is unknown), the mystery of God shall be fulfilled, as he preached to his servants the prophets."7 The same idea can be expressed in such a way that in history and through history the mystery of meta-history, eschatology, which is transcendent, but at the same time immanent in history, is accomplished. It shines through it, but it does not fit into it. This last thought about the immanence of the transcendent, which is nevertheless realized in a certain accessibility to prophetic contemplation, is expressed at the end of the chapter, in its final images. The same voice from heaven commanded the seer to take the "open book" (of the fate of history) from the hands of the angel and eat it, and "it will be bitter in his belly, but sweet in his mouth," which he does (9-10). And as an explanation of this symbolic action, this angel said to him: "It behooves you to prophesy again about nations and nations and tongues and kings of many" (11). From the contemplation of the mysteries of heaven and in their light, we again turn our gaze to the earthly history of mankind (and consequently to historical time with its chronology), which has not yet ended, but continues, is still in full swing, in the middle of its development. However, it is a mistake to expect that this is where the presentation of earthly history begins, "peoples and tribes, languages and kings." This is not the case, the content of Revelation refers only to the historical ontology or philosophy of history, which is set forth not in the language of historical dates and facts, but in symbolic images expressing the spiritual essence of what is happening in historical empiricism, in so far as it becomes transparent in its spiritual content. This is the proper subject of Revelation as such, in its special way of perceiving both individual events and the general course of world history. "Again" – πάλιν – has a double meaning here: general and particular. The first is understood in the context of this Chapter X, in which the seer is taken beyond the history of this world, into the transcendental realm, which in this sense constitutes "the mystery of God — τò μυστήριον — as He preached the gospel also to the prophets" (7); In a particular sense, "again" means the continuation of the prophetic revelation about the paths of the history of mankind, but with new ones, which have not yet been revealed by the side about its further accomplishments.

The seer here contemplates as events and accomplishments that which has not been accomplished and has no existence for itself, and yet that which must be accepted already exists in Divine knowledge, and this is equivalent to the fact that it already exists, in God I am for God.