The Revelation Explained / An Exposition, Text by Text, of the Apocalypse of St. John

by F. G. Smith

Under this striking symbol we have a description of the third important step in the downward course of Rome—the short but eventful career of Attila, with his terrible Scythians, or Huns. Singularly, Attila was said to "possess the iron sword of the war-god Mars," and he claimed for himself the designation or title "The Scourge of God"; while his followers were even more cruel and barbarous, if possible, than the Goths and the Vandals.

Coming from the remote solitudes of Asia under the leadership of their fierce king, they poured like a tornado, first upon the inhabitants of the Eastern empire (in 442, 445) and then turned their attention westward. Attila ruled over "nearly all the tribes north of the Danube and the Black sea," and under his banner fought Ostrogoths, Gepidæ, Alani, Heruli, and many other Teutonic peoples. Says Gibbon: "The whole breadth of Europe, as it extends above five hundred miles from the Euxine to the Adriatic, was at once invaded, and occupied, and desolated by the myriads of barbarians whom Attila led into the field." It was the boast of Attila that the grass never grew on the spot which his horse had trod. In 451 he led his forces, seven hundred thousand strong, through the center of Germany into the heart of Gaul, where he was met at Chalons by the combined forces of the Visigoths, Alans, Franks and Romans, and was defeated, with the loss of one hundred and seventy thousand of his men. This was one of the most gigantic as well as one of the most important battles of history. A rivulet flowing through the field of battle is said to have been colored and swollen by the blood of the slain. The next year, however, with a greater force at his command, he fell with headlong fury upon northern Italy; but he did not attack Rome. Suddenly and seemingly without cause, he withdrew his army; and this peculiar action of his has been the wonder of historians ever since. Says the Encyclopædia Britannica: "Attila at once withdrew from Italy, but the motive which led him to act thus is not known." According to the prophecy, he was to fall upon the "rivers and fountains of waters" only. A short time later, in 453, he died, and "the vast empire over which he had ruled broke up immediately after his death, no one chief being powerful enough to seize the supremacy." Thus his short but wonderful career of about twelve years ended suddenly, like a meteor falling into a river.

But the effects of this invasion were farreaching. Rome in her declining strength, being unable to cope with these immense hordes of barbarians, was forced to call to her assistance the half-civilized tribes of Gothic barbarians against a more dreaded foe. The success that attended these conflicts of the combined forces were the means of giving greater political importance to these Gothic tribes and securing their independence. But while they rose, Rome fell. By the very act of employing such weapons in defense, Rome robbed herself of the little political strength remaining, and she was obliged to accept the bitter consequences.

Under each of these first three trumpets the extent of destruction is indicated by the expression "the third part." Since the successive steps in the downfall of the empire is the subject under consideration, this expression as here applied doubtless has particular reference to the loss of political power and life, rather than referring directly to the loss of human life sustained. With this thought in view, it is evident that the political importance of the empire was entirely destroyed by these desolating incursions. Of the truth of this fact all historians agree. Nothing of Rome remained, except the semblance of a government, when the time arrived for the sounding of the next trumpet.

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.

The symbol of this trumpet is that of an eclipse of sun, moon, and stars, so that they shone not for a third part of the day and night. Under the sixth seal we showed that these luminaries of heaven are taken as symbols of rulers and princes; for the latter bear an analagous relation to the empire that the former do to the earth. In the darkening, then, of the sun, moon, and stars, we are to look for some disastrous change or overthrow in the imperial government. Such an event occurred only a few years after the events described under the preceding trumpets. With her political strength and resources exhausted, Rome could no longer maintain a separate existence, and Odoacer, king of the Heruli, overthrew Momyllus Augustulus, the last of the Roman line of emperors, and caused himself to be proclaimed king of Italy in A.D. 476. This terminated the Western empire; and thus was the Roman sun eclipsed in darkness. In a subsequent chapter, however, we will find the eclipse lifted at a later period and New Rome enjoying all the power and authority lost in her predecessors of the old Augustin line.

Odoacer continued in possession of his kingdom seventeen years. Then he was defeated and slain by Theodoric, and by him the kingdom of the Ostrogoths was established in Italy. Sixty years later this kingdom was subverted by Belisarius, the general of Justinian, emperor of the East, to whom it became a tributary province. In each of the principal cities of Italy Justinian appointed a governor with the title of Duke, in subordination to another with the title of Exarch, whose residence was at Ravenna. "Thus, at last, was Rome, once the proud mistress of the world, reduced to a poor dukedom, made tributary to the Exarch of Ravenna, and he holding his authority at the will of the emperor of Constantinople, the seat of the Eastern empire."

Thus, under the symbols of these four trumpets we have developed the wondrous history of the downfall of imperial Rome, in order to give opportunity for the scenes of the drama yet to follow. The "man of sin" could not be fully revealed in all his terrible features until this hindrance was removed out of the way. Imperial Rome for three centuries stood as the great opposer of God's people and slaughtered thousands, perhaps millions, of the Lord's innocent servants, and the hand of retributive Justice was finally extended to humble her to the dust. Singularly, the persons whom God made choice of to effect her downfall have either regarded themselves as special instruments whose mission it was to punish the world or else have received such designations by historians because of their awful work. Contemporary historians distinguish Alaric by the epithets "The Scourge of God," "The Destroyer of Nations"; while the great Vandal leader is designated "The Terrible Genseric." Attila claimed the title "The Scourge of God."