Revelation 9:16

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Revelation 9:16

And the number of the armies of the horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand: I heard the number of them.The number mentioned here could not possibly have been ascertained by counting, hence the mention of John's having heard it. Even this vast number appears to be symbolical of an infinitely greater and more overwhelming number.This martial host signifies war, the great recurring scourge of the human race. When it is time for millions of men to perish, a war is all that is needed to... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Revelation 9:16-19

Revelation 9:16-19. The number of the army, &c.— A description is here given of the forces, and of the means and instruments bywhich the Othmans should effect the ruin of the Eastern empire. Their army is described as very numerous,—myriads of myriads; and when Mohammed the second besieged Constantinople, he had 400,000 men in his army, besides a powerful fleet of thirty larger, and two hundred lesser ships. They are described too, chiefly, as horsemen; and so they are described also by... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Revelation 9:16

16. Compare with these two hundred million, Psalms 68:17; Daniel 7:10. The hosts here are evidently, from their numbers and their appearance (Daniel 7:10- :), not merely human hosts, but probably infernal, though constrained to work out God's will (compare Revelation 9:1; Revelation 9:2). and I heard—A, B, Aleph, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and CYPRIAN omit "and." read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Revelation 9:13-19

A deadly attack 9:13-19 read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Revelation 9:13-21

The sixth trumpet (second woe) 9:13-21As will become evident, the severity of these judgments increases as the trumpets (woes) unfold. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Revelation 9:16

The "horsemen" may be humans under the control of these four evil angels (cf. Daniel 11:44), or more likely the horsemen are demons. The description of the horses (Revelation 9:17) argues for an angelic army, as does its leadership, namely, four angels (Revelation 9:14-15). Most interpreters take their number as meaning innumerable, but their number could be literal even if these are human warriors."Years ago Red China claimed to have an army of 200 million (cf. Time, May 21, 1965, p. 35)."... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 9:1-21

The Fifth and Sixth TrumpetsThese herald woes upon the ungodly and idolatrous, inflicted both by demonic and by human agency.1-12. The fifth trumpet initiates the first of the three woes. A star fallen to the earth, i.e. an angel who has descended from heaven (cp. Revelation 1:20), not necessarily an evil angel (Revelation 9:1), opens the pit of the abyss. The ’abyss’ is the abode of evil spirits or demons, and the ’pit’ is the shaft which was supposed to lead to it. St. John uses this Jewish... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Revelation 9:16

(16) And the number . . .—Translate, And the number of the armies of the cavalry was two myriads of myriads. I heard the number of them. The writer heard, perhaps from some herald angel, the number of this vast army of horsemen; it was twice ten-thousand times ten thousand—i.e., two hundred millions. The number is like an echo from Psalms 68:17—“The chariots of God are twenty thousand (two myriads), even thousands (or, thousands of thousands) of angels.” This utterly bewildering number might... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Revelation 9:1-21

Revelation 9:2 Milton alludes to this passage in the great apostrophe towards the close of his Reformation in England, where he invites the Triune God on behalf of England's peace and purity. 'Look upon this, Thy poor and almost spent and expiring Church, leave her not thus a prey to these importunate wolves, that wait and think long till they devour Thy tender flock; these wild boars that have broke into Thy vineyard, and left the print of their polluting hoofs upon the souls of Thy servants.... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Revelation 9:1-21

CHAPTER 9 Revelation 9:1-12 . The remaining three trumpets have a “woe” attached to each. This is announced in the last verse of the preceding chapter, where the word angel should be “eagle.” An eagle, the bird of prey, proclaims the threefold woe. He acts thus as a herald of great judgments (Matthew 24:28 , Revelation 19:17-18 ). The fifth trumpet is a special judgment upon apostate Israel: because those who suffer are they “which have not the seal of God on their foreheads” (Revelation 9:4... read more

Group of Brands