Revelation 9

Notes

Ver. 1. As to whether the falling star to whom was given the key of the bottomless pit refers to Mahomet, as some writers have supposed, or to some one of the wicked Roman emperors, it is difficult to determine. The Arabian prophet, as is well known, in the seventh century, pretended that he made a journey to heaven and from thence brought his revelations, which were only delusions, which have been used to afflict mankind and to keep millions of the human race under the dominion of a fanatical religion. 2. The dark- ening smoke rising from hell imports the terrible ignorance, superstition, error and wickedness which then reigned among Christians, and made them an easy prey to the Popish and Mahometan delusions which more and more darkened men's understandings, hid the light of God's truth from them, and destroyed everything dear and valuable. 3-11. The locusts may denote designing and wicked persons, who, led by the power of evil, gave themselves up, tormenting men by the introduction of error, idolatry, superstition, and horrid profaneness; and, by their tyrannical oppressions of men's consciences, exaction of their wealth, excommunications, interdicts, persecutions, massacres, fearfully enslaving magistrates, murdering men's souls and bodies, and making even natural life a burden to them, during the time fixed by God, perhaps five-twelfths of the New Testament period; and denote the Saracen armies, who, chiefly mounted on horses, and commanded by murderous generals, did, with great pride and fury, for about 150 years, and chiefly during the five summer months, spread ravage, desolation, and bloodshed through much of Asia, the north of Africa, and south of Europe—there establishing their delusion and empire. [See Introduction, ch. iv. sect. 16.] 13-19. The four angels bound by the Euphrates denote, not the Saracens, in whose history, after their former period of 150 years, reaching to A.D. 760, nothing answers to this vision, but the Turks, who, after pouring themselves into Persia and places about the Euphrates for 300 years, did, A.D. 1040-80, form themselves into the four kingdoms of Bagdad, Damascus, Aleppo, and Iconium, all adjacent to that river. By their own mutual contentions, and by the war which the Christians carried on with them for the recovery of Canaan, and by the invasion of the Jenghizan Tartars, they were indeed about 200 years divinely restrained from ravaging the countries of the devout Christians; but these restraints being removed, the Ottoman Turks, about A.D. 1281 or 1302, began their ravages and conquests on the Christians, and carried them on till A.D. 1672 or 1698, and with great fury and bloodshed established an extensive empire in Asia, Africa, and Europe, and their Mahometan delusion along with it. [See Introduction, ch. iv. sect. 17.] 20, 21. But the professed Christians, whether Latins, Greeks, or others, who survived these fearful ravages and murders of the Ottoman Turks, were not in the least reformed by these calamities from their idolatries, murders, frauds, and dreadful apostasy or uncleanness. [Introduction, ch. iv. sect. 19.]

Ver. 5. Five months are said to be the period during which the locust perpetrates its annual depredations. They have also been supposed by some expositors to describe the predatory irruptions of the Saracens into the eastern Roman empire, which usually lasted five months in each year. Others view them as prophetic months, or 150 years, descriptive of the time between the fall of the western Roman empire and the rise of Mahommedanism. But as the first of these interpretations is unsupported by scriptural analogy, and the second inconsistent with historical fact, it becomes necessary to seek the meaning in the earlier prophetic Scriptures. Accordingly, from Je. 1. 3; 52. 12; Eze. 20. 1; Zec. 7. 3, 5, it appears that 'the fifth month' marked an annual fast in commemoration of the destruction of the temple and city, and carrying away of the people, by Nebuchadnezzar. Do not these 'five months' of torment therefore intimate the torment of the Jews by their own satanic factions (see Josephus, Bel. Jud. iv. 9, 10), by which they were not destroyed, but prepared for the ruin of their temple, their city, and their nation, by the Romans; who, while they thus executed the prophetic judgments of God upon that rebellious generation, were not permitted by Providence at that time to injure the infant Christian church, but merely 'the men who had not the seal of God in their foreheads?' C.

Reflections.—If the solemn warnings of Jesus and his faithful ministers be contemned, tremendous executions of his wrath may be expected. There sometimes come the most numerous and well-furnished armies of devils and of men, crafty and furious, to deform his church, or desolate her countries of hypocritical professors. And it is only through the love and infinite kindness of God, as these are shown in Christ, that Christians are protected. How active, sagacious, and insinuating are the instruments of his wrath! and yet how furious and destructive! But it is the comfort of the saints that Jesus can and will preserve them as his sealed ones in the worst of times, as far as is for his glory and their real benefit. And, alas! how stupid and hardened their hearts who, under the most terrible judgments of God, refuse to repent and reform, but grow worse and worse, till they be utterly destroyed hy the wiale af hic wreath