Revelation 9:5-9 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

But that they should be tormented five months, &c.— But that they should torment, &c. one hundred and fifty years, from the year 612 to the year 762. See on Revelation 9:10. As the Saracens were to hurt only the corrupt and idolatrous Christians, so these they were not to kill, but only to torment; and were to bring such calamities upon the earth, as should make men weary of their lives, Revelation 9:5-6. Not that it could be supposed that the Saracens would not kill many thousands in their incursions; on the contrary, their angel has the name of the destroyer, Revelation 9:11. They might kill them as individuals, but still they should not kill them as a political body,—as a state or empire. They might greatly harass and torment both the Greek and the Latin churches, but they should not utterly extirpate the one or the other. They besieged Constantinople, and even plundered Rome; but they could not make themselves masters of either of those cities. They dismembered the Greek empire, of Syria, Egypt, &c. but they were never able to subdue the whole. As often as they besieged Constantinople, they were repulsed. They attempted it in the year 672, in the reign of Constantine Pogonatus; but their ships were destroyed by the sea-fire invented by Callinicus; and after seven years fruitless pains, they were obliged to raise the siege. They attempted it again in the reign of Leo Isauricus, in the year 718, but were forced to desist by famine and pestilence, and losses of various kinds. In the following verses, 7, &c. the nature and qualities of these locusts are described, partly in allusion to the properties of natural locusts and the description given of them by Joel, and partly in allusion to the habits and manners of the Arabians, to shew that not real, but figurative locusts are here intended. The first quality mentioned is, their being like unto horses prepared unto battle, which is described also in Joel 2:4. Many authors have observed, that the head of a locust resembles that of a horse. The Italians therefore call them cavalette, or, as it were, little horses. The Arabians too have in all ages been famous for their horses and horsemanship: their strength is well known to consist chiefly in their cavalry. Another distinguishing mark and character is, their having on their heads as it were crowns like gold; which is an allusion to the head-dress of the Arabians, who have constantly worn turbans or mitres, and boast of having those ornaments for their common attire, which are the crowns and diadems of other people. The crowns likewise signify the kingdoms and dominions which theyshould acquire: and in the space of about eighty years, or thereabouts, they subdued Palestine, Syria, both Armenias, almost all Asia Minor, Persia, India, Egypt, Numidia, all Barbary,even to the river Niger, Portugal, Spain; they added also a great part of Italy, as far as to the gates of Rome; and moreover, Sicily, Candia, Cyprus, and other islands of the Mediterranean. It is worthy of observation, that mention is not made here, as in the other trumpets, of the third part; forasmuch as this plague fell no less without the bounds of the Roman empire than within it, and extended itself even to the remotest Indies. They had also faces as the faces of men, and hair as the hair of women; and the Arabians wore their beards, or at least mustachoes, as men; while the hair of their heads was flowing, or plaited like that of women. Another property, described in Joel 1:6. is their having teeth as the teeth of lions; that is, strong to devour: and it is wonderful "how the locusts bite and gnaw all things, (as Pliny says,) even the doors of the houses." They had also breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron: and the locusts have a hard shell or skin, which has been called their armour. This figure is designed to express the defensive, as the former was the offensive arms of the Saracens. And the sound of their wings, &c. is a comparison similar to that used, Joel 2:5. and Pliny affirms, that they fly with so great a noise of their wings, that they may be taken for birds. Their wings, and the sound of their wings, denote the swiftness and rapidity of their conquests; and it is astonishing, that in less than a century the Saracens erected an empire, which extended from India to Spain. Moreover, they are thrice compared to scorpions, Revelation 9:3; Revelation 9:5; Revelation 9:10 and had stings in their tails; that is, they should draw a poisonous train after them; and wherever they carried their arms, there also they should distil the venom of a false religion. See the next note. Some read the last clause, Of chariots, when many horses are rushing into battle.