A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Revelation · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
1 ANd the fifth angel ſounded, and I ſaw a ſtar fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomleſs pit. 2. And he opened the bottomleſs pit, and there aroſe a ſmoke out of the pit, as the ſmoke of a great furnace, and the ſun and the air were darkned, by reaſon of the ſmoke of the pit.
1, 2. Note; By this, ſome ſay, is meant that Jewiſh Seducer that headed the turbulent Zealots in the Siege of Jeruſalem: Others apply it to Arrius; moſt Proteſtants take it for the Pope: Some take it for Chriſt that had the Keys of Death and Hell, deſcending to let looſe theſe deſtroyers. And the Smo…k is by Proteſtants moſtly taken for the obſcuring of holy Doctrine and Manners; but by the firſt for the Confuſions in Jeruſalem by the Zealots (as the murderers were called.)
3. And there came out of the ſmoke locuſts upon the earth; and unto them was given power, as the ſcorpions of the earth have power. 4. And it was commanded them that they ſhould not hurt the graſs of the earth, neither any gr… thing, neither any tree; but onelyonly tho… …en which have not the ſeal of God in the… foreheads.
3, 4. Note; That this was an increaſe of God's Plagues, is clear; and that it was to be by Souldiers, that were not to make an utter deſolation, but to captivate and puniſh the Enemies of Chriſtianity. But the particular ſenſe is controverted. Some take it for the foreſaid rage of the Zealots in Jeruſalem; ſome for the beginning of the Roman Aſſaults; ſome for Conſtantine's Dejection of the Heathens, who yet did not kill them, but give them a diſgraced Liberty of Idolatry; ſome take it for the firſt riſing of the Saracens and Mahometans; and ſome-take them for Devils that are called Locuſts; ſome for Hereticks; and moſt Proteſtants for the Papal Clergy and Fryars; and theſe by [hurting] mean [deceiving.]
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. 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.
5, 6. The Torment of Chriſt's Enemies ſhall be worſe than Death, ſo that they ſhall wiſh for Death, and not obtain it. Some by this underſtand the Famine in Jeruſalem, and the Zealots tormenting the Inhabitants, to make them confeſs where their Bread or Food was. Others otherwiſe.
7. And the ſhapes of the locuſts were like unto horſes, prepared unto battel; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men, 8. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9. And they had breſt-plates as it were breaſt-plates of iron, and the ſound of their wings was as the ſound of charrets of many horſes running to battel. 10. And they had tails like unto ſcorpions, and there were ſtings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 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.
7, 8, 9, 10, 11. That this is the deſcription of a terrible Army of cruel men, ſeemeth plain, but who they were, and when, is not ſo plain: Whether the foreſaid Jewiſh Zealots, (who got out of the Country into the City, and uſed the Inhabitants cruelly:) Or whether it was the Roman Army, or the Arabian Mahometans (which many had rather think, than that all this obſcure Viſion ſpake but of things already done, and known to John, and thoſe of his time, if it was in Domitians Days.) And the Abadddo… their King, both ſorts think was the Devil; though ſome ſay, it is Chriſt, and ſome an Angel that had power to let out ſuch deſtroyers. Five months being the juſt time of the Zealots Rage, before Titus came againſt the City, confirmeth the firſt ſort of Expoſitors in their Opinion: But, as I ſaid, moſt Proteſtant Writers take this King to be the Pope, or the Devil as acting him, and the Locuſts to be the Fryars and Clergy and all their tormentings and deſtroyings to be ſpiritual: But it's hard to think that Deceiving ſhould be meant by ſuch tormenting, as made men wiſh for death: For their Excommunications and Perſecutions cannot be meant, becauſe thoſe are more againſt good men, than the bad; and though ſome of their Doctrines be uncomfortable, they have more that flatter men in ſin.
12. One wo is paſt, and behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
12. Thus one of the three Woes reſerved to the three laſt Trumpets, is paſt, and two follow.
13. And the ſixth angel ſounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14. Saying to the ſixth angel, which had the trumpet, Looſe the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
13. Thoſe that expound all this of the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, think that by Euphrates is meant Rome, and that the four Angels there bound, was the Roman Legions which Viſpaſian had ſtopt, till he ſaw what would become of the Empire, when Galba, Otho, and Vitellius were killed, and he was choſen Emperour; and then he went on to the Siege; Or elſe that the Syrian Legions, having marched as far as Euphrates, were there ſtop'd. But this expoſition hath much ſaid againſt it: Eſpecially that theſe were then things paſt, and that v. 20. the men are deſcribed as groſs Idolaters, which the Jews then were not.
Many others expound it of the Arabians and Turks, who dwelt beyond Euphrates, out of the Roman territories, till they invaded and ſpoiled them.
15. And the four angels were looſed, which were prepared for an hour and a day, and a month, and a year, for to ſlay the third part of men.
15. Some gather from [an hour, a day, a month and a year) that from the firſt great invaſion and taking of Babylon to the fall of the Turks, it will be exactly in 1696, that is, twelve years hence: which time will expound. The four Angels ſome take for four Mahometan Generalls, and parts, before they united in one. And by ſlaying the third part of men, their cruel devaſtations and ſucceſſes.
16. And the number of the army of the horſemen were two hundred thouſand thouſand: and I heard the number of them.
16. The number of the Roman Army ſay ſome: But moſt ſay the number of the Mahometans was exceeding great, like locuſts over ſpreading all the Countries.
17. And thus I ſaw the horſes in the viſion, and them that ſat on them, having breſt-plates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimſtone: and the heads of the horſes were as the heads of lions, and out of their mouths iſſued fire and ſmoke, and brimſtone.
17. They appeared terribly as fitted to deſtroy: But ſome expound it of their falſe doctrine.
18. By theſe three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the ſmoke, and by the brimſtone, which iſſued out of their mouths.
18. Multitudes ſay ſome killed by the Romans; and, ſay moſt others, the exceeding great numbers killed by the Mahometans, Saracens and Tarks.
19. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto ſerpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
19. They are both fierce and venemous, and every way deſtructive. Some expound mouth and tail, of the front and the rear of their Armies.
20. And the reſt of the men, which were not killed by theſe plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they ſhould not worſhip devils, and idols of gold, and ſilver, and braſs, and ſtone, and of wood, which neither can ſee, nor hear, nor walk: 21. Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their ſorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
20. 21. To take this for the Gnoſticks, and the Spiritual Idolatry of the Jews, ſeems very unlikely. The Mahometans, ſay others, made the deſtroying of Idols their chief profeſſion, and have not only rooted out image-worſhip from the Eaſtern Chriſtians, but turned ſince many great Kingdoms and Empires from Heatheniſm to Mahometaniſm: But they repented not under thoſe deſtructions.