Study Excerpt from
Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith (1897)
Revelation 9 -
VERSE 5. And to
them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be
tormented five months; and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when
he striketh a man.
"Their constant
incursions into the Roman territory, and frequent assaults on Constantinople
itself, were an unceasing torment throughout the empire; and yet they were not
able effectually to subdue it, notwithstanding the long period, afterward more
directly alluded to, during which they continued, by unremitting attacks,
grievously to afflict an idolatrous church, of which the pope was the head.
Their charge was to torment, and then to hurt, but not to kill, or utterly
destroy. The marvel was that they did not." ( In reference to the
five months, see on verse 10.)
VERSE 6. And in
those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to
die, and death shall flee from them.
"Men were weary
of life, when life was spared only for a renewal of woe, and when all that they
accounted sacred was violated, and all that they held dear constantly
endangered, and the savage Saracens domineered over them, or left them only to
a momentary repose, ever liable to be suddenly or violently interrupted, as if
by the sting of a scorpion."
VERSE 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.
"The Arabian
horse takes the lead throughout the world and skill in horsemanship is the art
and science of Arabia. And the barbed Arabs, swift as locusts and armed like
scorpions, ready to dart away in a moment, were ever prepared unto battle.
"'And on their
heads were as it were crowns like gold.' When Mohammed entered Medina (A. D.
622), and was first received as its prince, 'a turban was unfurled before him
to supply the deficiency of a standard.' The turbans of the Saracens, like unto
a coronet, were their ornament and their
p 505 -- boast.
The rich booty abundantly supplied and frequently renewed them. To assume the
turban is proverbially to turn Mussulman. And the Arabs were anciently
distinguished by the miters which they wore.
"'And their
faces were as the faces of men.' 'The gravity and firmness of the
mind of the Arab is conspicuous in his outward demeanor; his only gesture is
that of stroking his beard, the venerable symbol of manhood.' 'The honor
of their beards is most easily wounded.'"
VERSE 8. And
they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
"Long
hair" is esteemed an ornament by women. The Arabs, unlike other men, had
their hair as the hair of women, or uncut, as their practice is recorded by
Pliny and others. But there was nothing effeminate in their character; for, as
denoting their ferocity and strength to devour, their teeth were as the teeth
of lions.
VERSE 9. And
they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their
wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
The Breastplate.
- "The cuirass (or breastplate) was in use among the Arabs in the
days of Mohammed. In the battle of Ohud (the second which Mohammed fought) with
the Koreish of Mecca (A. D. 624), 'seven hundred of them were armed with
cuirasses.'"
The Sound of Their
Wings. - "The charge of the Arabs was not, like that of the Greeks
and Romans, the efforts of a firm and compact infantry; their military force
was chiefly formed of cavalry and archers. With a touch of the hand, the Arab
horses darted away with the swiftness of the wind. "The sound of their
wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle."
Their conquests were marvelous both in rapidity and extent, and their attack
was instantaneous. Nor was it less successful against the Romans than the
Persians."
VERSE 10. And
thy had tails like unto scorpions, and there were strings in their tails: and
their power was to hurt men five months.
p 506
-- 11. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of
the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the
Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
Thus far, Keith has
furnished us with illustrations of the sounding of the first five trumpets. But
we must now take leave of him, and proceed to the application of the new
feature of the prophecy here introduced; namely, the prophetic periods.
Their Power Was to
Hurt Men Five Months. -
1. The
question arises, What men were they to hurt five months? - Undoubtedly the same
they were afterward to slay (see verse 15); "the third part of men,"
or third of the Roman empire, - the Greek division of it.
2. When
were they to begin their work of torment? The 11th verse answers the question.
(1)
"They had a king over them." From the death of Mohammed until near
the close of the thirteenth century, the Mohammedans were divided into various
factions under several leaders, with no general civil government
extending over them all. Near the close of the thirteenth century, Othman
founded a government which has since been known as the Ottoman government,
or empire, which grew until it extended over all the principal Mohammedan
tribes, consolidating them into one grand monarchy.
(2)
The character of the king. "Which is the angel of the bottomless
pit." An angel signifies a messenger, a minister, either good or bad, and
not always a spiritual being. "The angel of the bottomless pit," or
chief minister of the religion which came from thence when it was opened. That
religion is Mohammedanism, and the sultan is its chief minister. "The
Sultan, or grand Seignior, as he is indifferently called, is also Supreme
Caliph, or high priest, uniting in his person the highest spiritual dignity
with the supreme secular authority." -World
As It Is, p. 361.
(3)
His name. In Hebrew, "Abaddon," the destroyer; in Greek,
"Apollyon," one that exterminates, or destroys. Having two different
names in two languages, it is evident that the character, rather than the name
of the power, is intended to be represented. If so, as expressed in both
languages,
p 507 -- he is
a destroyer. Such has always been the character of the Ottoman government.
But when did
Othman make his first assault on the Greek empire? - According to Gibbon, Decline and Fall, etc., "Othman
first entered the territory of Nicomedia on the 27th day of July, 1299."
The calculations of
some writers have gone upon the supposition that the period should begin with
the foundation of the Ottoman empire; but this is evidently an error; for they
were not only to have a king over them, but were to torment men five months. But
the period of torment could not begin before the first attack of the
tormentors, which was, as above stated, July 27, 1299.
The calculation
which follows, founded on this starting-point, was made and published in a work
entitled, Christ's Second Coming,
etc., by J. Litch, in 1838.
"And their
power was to hurt men five months." Thus far their commission extended, to
torment by constant depredations, but not politically to kill them. "Five
months," thirty days to a month, give us one hundred and fifty days; and these
days, being symbolic, signify one hundred and fifty years. Commencing July 27,
1299, the one hundred and fifty years reach to 1449. During that whole period
the Turks were engaged in an almost perpetual warfare with the Greek empire,
but yet without conquering it. They seized upon and held several of
the Greek provinces, but still Greek independence was maintained in
Constantinople. But in 1449, the termination of the one hundred and fifty
years, a change came, the history of which will be found under the succeeding
trumpet.
*******
More tomorrow to
gain more understanding.
Again, by the grace
of God alone do we gain any understanding.
Do we need to
comprehend? I think we do at least to the understanding that so many people put
ALL of revelation to the future but it's NOT all future! It has so much history
in it! The history unfolds and leads us up to the point where there is still a
bit of history yet to unfold for us.
By the mercy of God
may our Savior come soon! Please LORD come soon and by Your grace and mercy
alone may we be found in YOU as YOURS, known of YOU. Please, Lord, please!
All in YOUR LOVE,
all by YOU!
Now and forever, amen!
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