---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible"
author: "Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown"
languages: [en]
shelf: "Commentaries"
section: 908 of 927
url: https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/908/
cite: "Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, section 908. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/908/"
---

# Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

*Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown*

The Victorian standard commentary, critical and practical, from Genesis to Revelation.

## 908. Revelation · 14 of 33

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/908/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/908/#p-N

[¶0] 13. a voice--literally, "one voice."

[¶1] from--Greek, "out of."

[¶2] the four horns--A, Vulgate (Amiatinus manuscript), Coptic, and Syriac omit "four." B and Cyprian support it. The four horns together gave forth their voice, not diverse, but one. God's revelation (for example, the Gospel), though in its aspects fourfold (four expressing world-wide extension: whence four is the number of the Evangelists), still has but one and the same voice. However, from the parallelism of this sixth trumpet to the fifth seal ([Re 6:9], ), the martyrs' cry for the avenging of their blood from the altar reaching its consummation under the sixth seal and sixth trumpet, I prefer understanding this cry from the four corners of the altar to refer to the saints' prayerful cry from the four quarters of the world, incensed by the angel, and ascending to God from the golden altar of incense, and bringing down in consequence fiery judgments. Aleph omits the whole clause, "one from the four horns."

[¶3] 14. in, &c.--Greek, "epi to potamo"; "on," or "at the great river."

[¶4] Euphrates--(Compare [Re 16:12]). The river whereat Babylon, the ancient foe of God's people was situated. Again, whether from the literal region of the Euphrates, or from the spiritual Babylon (the apostate Church, especially Rome), four angelic ministers of God's judgments shall go forth, assembling an army of horsemen throughout the four quarters of the earth, to slay a third of men, the brunt of the visitation shall be on Palestine.

[¶5] 15. were--"which had been prepared" [Tregelles rightly].

[¶6] for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year--rather as Greek, "for (that is, against) THE hour, and day, and month, and year," namely, appointed by God. The Greek article (teen), put once only before all the periods, implies that the hour in the day, and the day in the month, and the month in the year, and the year itself, had been definitely fixed by God. The article would have been omitted had a sum-total of periods been specified, namely, three hundred ninety-one years and one month (the period from A.D. 1281, when the Turks first conquered the Christians, to 1672, their last conquest of them, since which last date their empire has declined).

[¶7] slay--not merely to "hurt" ([Re 9:10]), as in the fifth trumpet.

[¶8] third part--(See on [Re 8:7-12]).

[¶9] of men--namely, of earthy men, [Re 8:13], "inhabiters of the earth," as distinguished from God's sealed people (of which the sealed of Israel, [Re 7:1-8], form the nucleus).

[¶10] 16. Compare with these two hundred million, [Psa 68:17]; [Da 7:10]. The hosts here are evidently, from their numbers and their appearance ([Re 9:17]), not merely human hosts, but probably infernal, though constrained to work out God's will (compare [Re 9:1], ).

[¶11] and I heard--A, B, Aleph, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and Cyprian omit "and."

[¶12] 17. thus--as follows.

[¶13] of fire--the fiery color of the breastplates answering to the fire which issued out of their mouths.

[¶14] of jacinth--literally, "of hyacinth color," the hyacinth of the ancients answering to our dark blue iris: thus, their dark, dull-colored breastplates correspond to the smoke out of their mouths.

[¶15] brimstone--sulphur-colored: answering to the brimstone or sulphur out of their mouths.

[¶16] 18. By these three--A, B, C, and Aleph read (apo for kupo), "From"; implying the direction whence the slaughter came; not direct instrumentality as "by" implies. A, B, C, Aleph also add "plagues" after "three." English Version reading, which omits it, is not well supported.

[¶17] by the fire--Greek, "owing to the fire," literally, "out of."

[¶18] 19. their--A, B, C and Aleph read, "the power of the horses."

[¶19] in their mouth--whence issued the fire, smoke, and brimstone ([Re 9:17]). Many interpreters understand the horsemen to refer to the myriads of Turkish cavalry arrayed in scarlet, blue, and yellow (fire, hyacinth, and brimstone), the lion-headed horses denoting their invincible courage, and the fire and brimstone out of their mouths, the gunpowder and artillery introduced into Europe about this time, and employed by the Turks; the tails, like serpents, having a venomous sting, the false religion of Mohammed supplanting Christianity, or, as Elliott thinks, the Turkish pachas' horse tails, worn as a symbol of authority. (!) All this is very doubtful. Considering the parallelism of this sixth trumpet to the sixth seal, the likelihood is that events are intended immediately preceding the Lord's coming. "The false prophet" (as [Is 9:15] proves), or second beast, having the horns of a lamb, but speaking as the dragon, who supports by lying miracles the final Antichrist, seems to me to be intended. Mohammed, doubtless, is a forerunner of him, but not the exhaustive fulfiller of the prophecy here: Satan will, probably, towards the end, bring out all the powers of hell for the last conflict (see on [Re 9:20], on "devils"; compare [Re 9:1], 2, 17, 18).

[¶20] with them--with the serpent heads and their venomous fangs.

[¶21] 20. the rest of the men--that is, the ungodly.

[¶22] yet--So A, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic. B and Aleph read, "did not even repent of," namely, so as to give up "the works," &c. Like Pharaoh hardening his heart against repentance notwithstanding the plagues.

[¶23] of their hands--([De 31:29]). Especially the idols made by their hands. Compare [Re 13:14], , "the image of the beast" [Re 19:20].

[¶24] that they should not--So B reads. But A, C, and Aleph read "that they shall not": implying a prophecy of certainty that it shall be so.

[¶25] devils--Greek, "demons" which lurk beneath the idols which idolaters worship.

[¶26] 21. sorceries--witchcrafts by means of drugs (so the Greek). One of the fruits of the unrenewed flesh: the sin of the heathen: about to be repeated by apostate Christians in the last days, [Re 22:15], "sorcerers." The heathen who shall have rejected the proffered Gospel and clung to their fleshly lusts, and apostate Christians who shall have relapsed into the same shall share the same terrible judgments. The worship of images was established in the East in A.D. 842.

[¶27] fornication--singular: whereas the other sins are in the plural. Other sins are perpetrated at intervals: those lacking purity of heart indulge in one perpetual fornication [Bengel].

### Chapter 10

### Re 10:1-11. Vision of the Little Book

[¶30] As an episode was introduced between the sixth and seventh seals, so there is one here ([Re 10:1-11:14]) after the sixth and introductory to the seventh trumpet ([Re 11:15], which forms the grand consummation). The Church and her fortunes are the subject of this episode: as the judgments on the unbelieving inhabiters of the earth ([Re 8:13]) were the exclusive subject of the fifth and sixth woe-trumpets. [Re 6:11] is plainly referred to in [Re 10:6] below; in [Re 6:11] the martyrs crying to be avenged were told they must "rest yet for a little season" or time: in [Re 10:6] here they are assured, "There shall be no longer (any interval of) time"; their prayer shall have no longer to wait, but ([Re 10:7]) at the trumpet sounding of the seventh angel shall be consummated, and the mystery of God (His mighty plan heretofore hidden, but then to be revealed) shall be finished. The little open book ([Re 10:2], [9, 10]) is given to John by the angel, with a charge ([Re 10:11]) that he must prophesy again concerning (so the Greek) peoples, nations, tongues, and kings: which prophecy (as appears from [Re 11:15-19]) affects those peoples, nations, tongues, and kings only in relation to Israel and the Church, who form the main object of the prophecy.

[¶31] 1. another mighty angel--as distinguished from the mighty angel who asked as to the former and more comprehensive book ([Re 5:2]), "Who is worthy to open the book?"

[¶32] clothed with a cloud--the emblem of God coming in judgment.

[¶33] a--A, B, C, and Aleph read "the"; referring to ([Re 4:3]) the rainbow already mentioned.

[¶34] rainbow upon his head--the emblem of covenant mercy to God's people, amidst judgments on God's foes. Resumed from [Re 4:3] (see on [Re 4:3]).

[¶35] face as ... the sun--([Re 1:16]; 18:1).

[¶36] feet as pillars of fire--([Re 1:15]; [Eze 1:7]). The angel, as representative of Christ, reflects His glory and bears the insignia attributed in [Re 1:15], ; , to Christ Himself. The pillar of fire by night led Israel through the wilderness, and was the symbol of God's presence.

[¶37] 2. he had--Greek, "Having."

[¶38] in his hand--in his left hand: as in [Re 10:5] (see on [Re 10:5]), he lifts up his right hand to heaven.

[¶39] a little book--a roll little in comparison with the "book" ([Re 5:1]) which contained the whole vast scheme of God's purposes, not to be fully read till the final consummation. This other, a less book, contained only a portion which John was now to make his own ([Re 10:9], ), and then to use in prophesying to others. The New Testament begins with the word "book" (Greek, "biblus"), of which "the little book" (Greek, "biblaridion") is the diminutive, "the little bible," the Bible in miniature.

[¶40] upon the sea ... earth--Though the beast with seven heads is about to arise out of the sea ([Re 13:1]), and the beast with two horns like a lamb ([Re 13:11]) out of the earth, yet it is but for a time, and that time shall no longer be ([Re 10:6], ) when once the seventh trumpet is about to sound; the angel with his right foot on the sea, and his left on the earth, claims both as God's, and as about soon to be cleared of the usurper and his followers.

[¶41] 3. as ... lion--Christ, whom the angel represents, is often so symbolized ([Re 5:5], "the Lion of the tribe of Juda").

[¶42] seven thunders--Greek, "the seven thunders." They form part of the Apocalyptic symbolism; and so are marked by the article as well known. Thus thunderings marked the opening of the seventh seal ([Re 8:1], ); so also at the seventh vial ([Re 16:17], ). Wordsworth calls this the prophetic use of the article; "the thunders, of which more hereafter." Their full meaning shall be only known at the grand consummation marked by the seventh seal, the seventh trumpet ([Re 11:19]), and the seventh vial.

[¶43] uttered their--Greek, "spake their own voices"; that is, voices peculiarly their own, and not now revealed to men.

[¶44] 4. when--Aleph reads, "Whatsoever things." But most manuscripts support English Version.