John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 9:16
And the number of the army of the horsemen ,.... This shows that the four angels before mentioned were men, and design generals of armies, or armies of men, even of horsemen; and manifestly point at the Turks, who were not only originally Persians, and had their name, as some say F5 Laonic. Chalcocondylas de reb. Turc. l. 1. p. 6. , from Turca in Persia, and פרש , from whence the Persians have their name, signifies an horseman; but the armies of the Turks chiefly consisted of horse,... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 9:15
And the four angels were loosed ,.... The time being come, fixed by the decrees of God, making use of the Turks for the destruction of the eastern empire, the restraints of divine Providence were taken off from them, and they were suffered to pass the river Euphrates; they were let loose like so many furies, and in a little time overran and destroyed the whole empire, and settled their own, now called the Turkish or Ottoman empire; and which was done about the year 1301. Which were... read more