These four angel-powers of the Euphratean region of the globe, were loosed for the execution of a mission to be completed in a specific period — “they were loosed that they might kill the third of the men at the end of, eis, until, the hour, and day, and month and year, ” eniauton.

To loose is the opposite of to bind. The nature of the loosing de­pends upon that of the thing bound. The things to be loosed in the text before us are “the four angels.” These are the symbols of the “two myriads of myriads of cavalry” by which “the third” is killed. The four angels, therefore, represent four powers. These were “bound”. A power bound is either a power restrained from action, or bound by its own territorial limits. An example of the former occurs in the Dragon shut up in the abyss.

1. “One Voice of the Four Horns”

“And / heard One Voice out of the Four Horns of the Altar of Gold which is in the sight of the Deity, saying, cfee. ” This is the same altar as that in the scene pictured in Apoc. 8:3, which may be fitly reproduced here by way of remembrance.

1. Eastern Part

Summary

The locusts had a king over them, the Angel of the Abyss — not the angel of the pit of the abyss, but of “the abyss” at large. The star was especially related to “the pit”; and the Angel-king, to “the abyss.

The words used by John with respect to their mission are basanizo, and adikeo. The first is rendered torment, the last, injure. The Spirit, doubtless, intended different ideas to be represented by the different words.

After these things, the earth was invaded, and Damascus, the capit­al of Syria, attacked.

The time had now arrived for the Star-Kingdom-Power of the Arabian Pit to “fall into the earth,” and to open it completely and per­manently for the egress of the smoke with its clouds of locusts, for “the darkening of the sun and the air.” At this crisis, as we learn from the fourth verse of the chapter under consideration, “it was commanded them (the smoke issuing locusts) that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree; but those men only who have not the seal of the Deity in their foreheads.” This is explained by what foll

When Heraclius, emperor of the Roman world, returned victorious from the Persian war, A.D. 629, Mohammed having conquered and converted the idolators of Arabia, and thereby united them into one kingdom, judged that the time had come to invite the princes and na­tions of the Catholic Idolatry to abandon the worship of images and de­mons, commonly known among the ignorant as the ghosts of dead men and women. He beheld with great disgust and contempt the condition of the catholic apostasy from the religion of Christ.

The choice of an independent people had exalted the fugitive of Mecca to the rank of a sovereign; so that he was now invested with the prerogative of forming alliances, and of waging offensive or defensive war. In other words, being now the Star of the Pit he possessed the power of kindling within its limits a burning furnace, in which might be melted down into one homogeneous mass, all the tribes of Arabia.