In the English Version of Apoc. 9:20, ta daimonia, in very improperly rendered “devils.” In my translation I have merely transferred it from the Greek, leaving it for explanation as a symbol.
In the twentieth verse, the Spirit refers to hoi loipoi ton anthropon, “the rest of the men who were not killed by these plagues.” The to triton ton anthropon, the third of the men were killed by the plagues.
It will be in place here to remark, that “these plagues,” as they are fitly termed in verse 20, will be terribly operative in the destroying of the body of the beast, and in the binding of the dragon, and casting of him into the abyss (Dan. 7:11).
“Fire, hyacinth, and sulphur, ” and “fire, smoke, and sulphur, ” are symbolical of gunpowder, which is composed of charcoal, saltpetre, and sulphur.
But what he saw and smelt were not mere holiday salutes. He saw and smelt them in the battles which extinguished the political existence of “the third” — to triton. There were not only color and smell, but death also, in “the fire, and the smoke, and the sulphur;” for “by these three,” saith he: “were killed the third of the men by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the sulphur bursting forth out of their mouths.
But, there were characteristics pertaining to the armed equestrian myriads seen in vision by John, that Habakkuk did not see in the Chaldean hosts.
“And thus I saw the horses in the vision; and those sitting upon them.” The description which follows exemplifies the “thus.” He saw the equestrian millions in vision. What a host to contemplate! He beheld them embattled, and vomiting forth fire and smoke, and deadly missiles.
‘‘And the number of the hosts of the cavalry was two myriads of myriads” — theo muriathes muriathon. This is the symbolical number of the four angel-powers — two myriads of myriads hippikou of cavalry — equestrian myriads.
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.