_The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven to the earth “Stars_, in the language of prophecy,” says Lowman, “signify angels. The angels of the heavenly host, as well as the angels or bishops of the churches, (see Revelation 1:20; Revelation 8:10,) seem to be called stars in Scriptur... [ Continue Reading ]
_There arose a smoke out of the pit_ As a great smoke hinders the sight, so do errors blind the understanding. The apostle keeps to the allegory, says Grotius, for smoke takes from us the sight of the stars; smoke, especially when proceeding from a fierce fire, is also a representation of devastatio... [ Continue Reading ]
_And it was commanded that they should not hurt the grass,_ &c. This verse demonstrates that they were not natural, but symbolical locusts. The like injunctions were given to the Arabian officers and soldiers. When Yezid was marching with the army to invade Syria, Abubeker charged him with this amon... [ Continue Reading ]
_The shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle_ In this and the two following verses, the nature and qualities of these locusts are described, partly in allusion to the properties of natural locusts and the description given of them by Joel, and partly in allusion to the habit... [ Continue Reading ]
_They had tails like unto scorpions_ They are thrice compared to scorpions, namely, Revelation 9:3; Revelation 9:5, as well as in this verse. But whether these _tails_ and _stings_, as of scorpions, were designed to express that these Saracens should spread the poison of error and delusion where the... [ Continue Reading ]
_One wo is past_, &c. This is added not only to distinguish the woes, and to mark more strongly each period, but also to suggest that some time will intervene between this first wo of the Arabian locusts and the next of the Euphratean horsemen. The similitude between the locusts and Arabians is inde... [ Continue Reading ]
_The sixth angel sounded_, &c. At the sounding of the sixth trumpet, _a voice_ proceeded _from the four horns of the golden altar_, (for the scene was still in the temple,) ordering _the angel_ of _the sixth trumpet to loose the four angels which were bound in the great river Euphrates; and they wer... [ Continue Reading ]
_The number of the army of horsemen were two hundred thousand_ A description is here given of the forces, and of the means and instruments by which the Othmans should effect the ruin of the eastern empire. The armies are described as very numerous, _myriads of myriads._ When Mohammed the Second besi... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues_ That is, the Latin Church, which pretty well escaped these calamities; _yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils Daimonia_, demons, or second mediatory gods, as it hath largely been shown before... [ Continue Reading ]