This whole description of these locusts speaks them no insects, but to be mischievous men; they were very terrible to look upon, like horses harnessed ready to fight; so Joel 2:4. And upon their heads were as it were crowns like gold; this signified they should be great and rich conquerors. And their faces were as the faces of men; yet these were men. read more
And they had hair as the hair of women; dishevelled, or hanging loose; the Arabians were wont to go so; or this may signify, that they were beautiful as well as terrible to look upon. And their teeth were as the teeth of lions; sharp and strong: see Joel 1:6. read more
And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; armed with the best armour of defence. And the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle; like locusts, they moved very swiftly. This agreeth to the Saracens, who made such haste in their conquests, that (saith Mr. Mede) in little more than eighty years they had subdued Palestina, Syria, both the Armenias, almost all the Lesser Asia, Persia, India, Egypt, Numidia, all Barbary, Portugal, Spain;... read more
THE FIFTH AND SIXTH WOE-TRUMPETSCRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTESRevelation 9:1. Fall.—Better, “fallen”; that had fallen. A star would seem to represent a false teacher. Some think Mahomet is referred to. He claimed to have received instructions from Gabriel. And he let loose a flood of evils on the earth. But it is doubtful whether any personal identifications are permissible. The typical and symbolical character should be preserved. Bottomless pit.—Better, “pit of the abyss”; inner prison; lowest... read more
breastplates Revelation 9:17; Revelation 9:17 contra, Ephesians 6:14. read more
Chapter 9And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the eaRuth ( Revelation 9:1 ):And it is interesting how that a great mountain of fire burning, a star falling, a star falling, these are like fallen stars. That is why I relate them to perhaps asteroids or meteorites. I could be completely wrong. In other words, there are a lot of people who would like to sort of speculate, and in observed and knowable phenomena, these are not unreasonable. We know of phenomena that... read more
Revelation 9:1-2 . The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star, the vile impostor Mahomed, fall from heaven unto the earth. And to him was given the key of the bottomless pit: it should read, the keys of the abyss. This is the tartarus, as in the Greek of 2 Peter 2:4. The Waldenses understood this of papal darkness, and the overflowing of cruel persecution; but more sober wisdom confines it to the Saracen and the Turkish armies and conquests. And there arose a smoke out of the pit, as of... read more
Revelation 9:1-12I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth.Moral evil in the universeI. It is exposable (Revelation 9:1). Moral evil, in its incipient state, so stupefies the faculties and blinds the conscience that the subject only becomes aware of it by the advent of s messenger from heaven--an angel from heaven uncovers it, makes it bare to the soul.II. It is fathomless. “Bottomless pit.” Who can fathom its--1. Origin.2. Issues.III. It is burning. “A great furnace.” Like all fire, it... read more
7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. Ver. 7. Like unto horses ] Fed and fierce, to run and rush into the battle, as being driven by the devil. Si videris persecutorem tuum nimis saevientem, scito quia ab ascensore suo daemone perurgetur. (Bernard.) Were as it were crowns ] Triple crowns, mitres, head tires, shaven crowns; which last is a ceremony so bald,... read more
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Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 9:1-12
Revelation 9:1-2 Kings : . The Fifth Trumpet or the First Woe.— The seer sees a star fallen on the earth. The star seems to represent a person, possibly Satan ( cf. Luke 10:18).— abyss: the word properly means “ bottomless,” and is used in OT of the abode of the dead, e.g. Psalms 71:20. The abyss is approached by a “ shaft” or “ well,” here translated “ pit,” which is closed and kept under lock and key. Revelation 9:3 . out of the smoke came . . . locusts: cf. Exodus 10:13 and Driver’ s... read more