“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.” Rev. 8:7. NOTES.—“Twice, at least, before the Roman Empire became divided permanently into the two parts, the Eastern and the Western, there was a tripartite division of the empire. The first occurred 311 A.D., when it was divided between Constantine, Licinius, and Maximin; the other, 337 A.D., on the death of Constantine, when it was divided between his three sons, Constantine, Constans, and Constantius.”—_Albert Barnes, on Rev. 12:4._ To Constantius was given Constantinople and the East; to Constans, Italy, Illyricum, and northern Africa; and to Constantine II, Britain, Gaul, and Spain. This trumpet describes the first great invasion upon Western or ancient Rome, by the Goths, under Alaric, from 395 A.D. to 410 A.D. In 408 he descended upon Italy, the middle “third part,” pillaging and burning cities, and slaughtering their inhabitants. Says Gibbon, in his “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” chapter 33, closing sentence, “The union of the Roman Empire was dissolved; its genius was humbled in the dust; and armies of unknown barbarians, issuing from the frozen regions of the North, had established their victorious reign over the fairest provinces of Europe and Africa.” 4. What striking figure is used to describe the destruction wrought under the second trumpet? “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; 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.” Verses 8, 9. NOTE.—This describes the invasions and conquests of the Vandals under the terrible Genseric—first of Africa and later of Italy—from 428 to 476 A.D. His conquests were largely by sea. In a single night, near Carthage, he destroyed, by fire and sword, more than half of the Roman fleet, consisting of 1,113 ships and over 100,000 men. See Gibbon’s “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” chapter 36. 5. What was to take place under the third trumpet? “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; 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.” Verses 10, 11.