Revelation 9

ISLAM CONTESTS CHRISTIANITY

 

This chapter is primarily assigned to the Turks & Saracens - the desert dwellers.

THE FIFTH TRUMPET - THE FIRST WOE

 

1: & THE FIFTH ANGEL SOUNDED, & I SAW A STAR FALL FROM HEAVEN UNTO THE EARTH: & TO HIM WAS GIVEN THE KEY OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT

Another star plummets from heaven - this entity is Mohammed, 570-632 AD        

Mohammed creates a new direction - drafts what will be established as Islam in this era of Rome's downfall under the Papacy's controls, & will last until Armageddon

Armageddon obtains its roots from this epoch, but is foretold in Old Scripture - under Ishmael, Genesis 16:12 HE WILL BE A WILD MAN; & HIS HAND WILL BE AGAINST EVERY MAN, & EVERY MAN'S HAND WILL BE AGAINST HIM - which parallels Revelation 16:12 thru 16:16 [16 is a destructive number & 12 is Christ's kingdom]       

Islam was instrumental in decelerating the papacy's ever growing authority  

Islam also caused the Hindu to branch out into a more militant sect, the Sikh. Although the Sikh adopted some of the eventual Islam tenets, they rejected much more. They mirror the same violence that was being directed towards them

This WOE, like the next two woes, shows the long-term seriousness of the period.

 

2: HE OPENED THE BOTTOMLESS PIT; & THERE AROSE A SMOKE OUT OF THE PIT, AS THE SMOKE OF A GREAT FURNACE; & THE SUN & THE AIR WERE DARKENED BY REASON OF THE SMOKE OF THE PIT        

The sun & the air are life itself - life was sinister in these dark ages       

The Islamic was endowed with the growing strength they retain today       

A bottomless pit, by definition, is deep, profound - also refers to waste, desolate, & an uncultivated land - like the Arabian Desert, which brings forth locusts

 

3: THERE CAME OUT OF THE SMOKE LOCUSTS UPON THE EARTH: & UNTO THEM WAS GIVEN POWER, AS THE SCORPIONS OF THE EARTH HAVE POWER. 4: & IT WAS COMMANDED THEM THAT THEY SHOULD NOT HURT THE GRASS OF THE EARTH, NEITHER ANY GREEN THING, NEITHER ANY TREE; BUT ONLY THOSE MEN WHICH HAVE NOT THE SEAL OF GOD IN THEIR FOREHEADS       

The seals of God are obviously the Commandments; just as Christianity branched from the roots of Judaism, so did Islam

what Mohammed did not see in the foreheads, were the performances of the papacy; the Commandments were being spurned - Sunday worship [Sabbath deleted] - image worship of statues &  crosses - a religion far from its birth - PAGANISM

Islam's inauguration was very similar to the Papacy - bloodshed to all who opposed - murdered in the name of God

 

5: TO THEM IT WAS GIVEN THAT THEY SHOULD NOT KILL THEM, BUT THAT THEY SHOULD BE TORMENTED FIVE MONTHS: & THEIR TORMENT WAS AS THE TORMENT OF A SCORPION, WHEN HE STRIKETH A MAN. 6: & IN THOSE DAYS SHALL

MEN SEEK DEATH,

& SHALL NOT FIND IT;

& SHALL DESIRE TO DIE, &

DEATH SHALL FLEE FROM THEM

strange words on death; perhaps wanting to see the end of these sinister rulers; wanting to hide from their controls; perhaps wanting no more war, but can not get out of their situation in life. Much like an American fighting a country that has never caused them reason to do so, like Vietnam & its people

Abubekr took command when Mohammed died in 632, & may just as well have written the above verses by his written orders   

With the extinction of the Western Empire, Constantinople was captured, ruled by the Persian king, Chosroes

When Mohammed entered - a self-proclaimed prophet who demanded recognition as such - Chosroes did not acknowledge him      

the exhausting wars between the Romans & the Persians left each other with little strength; & thus very vulnerable to Mohammed      

Gibbon's details an incredible account of the bloodshed of the Christians under the early Moslems        

Herculus lost to the Moslems what he gained from the Persians        

Islam, same as Christianity, was forcing its religion by the sword, defying the Creator's Commandment, THOU SHALL  NOT MURDER

 

7: THE SHAPES OF THE LOCUSTS WERE LIKE UNTO HORSES PREPARED UNTO BATTLE; & ON THEIR HEADS WERE AS IT WERE CROWNS LIKE GOLD, & THEIR FACES WERE AS THE FACES OF MEN       

The locusts [which also come out of the desert] often symbolize the Arabs     

They had crowns [head gear] like gold, but not of gold - sovereign, but not kings

The Arabian horse & its trainer were considered the best of the world, unsurpassed; when they rode, they take on the look as if they were in flight

 

8: THEY HAD HAIR AS THE HAIR OF WOMEN, & THEIR TEETH WERE AS THE TEETH OF LIONS. 9: & THEY HAD BREASTPLATES, AS IT WERE BREASTPLATES OF IRON; & THE SOUND OF THEIR WINGS WAS AS THE SOUND OF CHARIOTS OF MANY HORSES RUNNING TO BATTLE        

The Arabs do have hair like women, but are far from feminine       

They may resemble a lion, taunt jaws & glistening white teeth on darker skin, with a fixed look & long mane       

They wore breastplates when they entered Medina, in 622, & began wearing the standard of the turban, to which they attached the ornaments of their victories

 

10: THEY HAD TAILS LIKE UNTO SCORPIONS, & THERE WERE STINGS IN THEIR TAILS: & THEIR POWER WAS TO HURT MEN FIVE MONTHS        

By the end of the thirteenth century the Mohammed tribes would be united under one monarchy, the sultan.        

Under Decline and Fall; Gibbon shows Othman first enters the territories of Nicomedia on July 27, 1299 - thus begins the 5 month period - 150 years [5x30=150 day for each year] - the time the Turks fought the Greeks for the empire; even though they could not seize it, they did hurt many for 150 years     

In 1449 the Greek Emperor, John Palaelogus, died leaving no heirs; his brother, Constantine, took over with the blessings of the Turkish sultan - a very simple takeover, 1299-1449, 150 years [5 months]

 

11: & 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        

Abaddon translates to 'destroyer' which the Moslems were

 

12: ONE WOE IS PAST; &, BEHOLD, THERE COME TWO WOES MORE HEREAFTER

 

THE SIXTH TRUMPET - THE SECOND WOE

13: THE SIXTH ANGEL SOUNDED, & 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        

Horns from 17:12 showing great strength such as in Rev 5:6 & Rev 4:6 concerning the 4 beasts

These four are the four sultans of the Ottoman Empire; Aleppo, Iconium, Damacus, & Baghdad        

They obtain their water from the Euphrates River

 

15: & THE FOUR ANGELS WERE LOOSED, WHICH WERE PREPARED FOR AN HOUR, & A DAY, & A MONTH, & A YEAR, FOR TO SLAY THE THIRD PART OF MEN

One hour - 15 days; 1 day = 1 year; 1 month = 30 years; 1 year = 360 years - totaling 391 years & 15 days       

The last of the Constantines' was dead & now the Eastern city of the Caesar was the seat of the Ottoman Empire        

Mohammed took Constantinople as his headquarters        

The supremacy of the Islam over the Greeks continued from July 27, 1449 to August 11, 1840, the time of Palaeolgus's brother Constantine - the sultan surrendered its independence to the hands of the Christians in the same voluntary manner it was surrendered to them, 391 years & 15 days earlier

 

16: & THE NUMBER OF THE ARMY OF THE HORSEMEN WERE TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND THOUSAND: & I HEARD THE NUMBER OF THEM

Gibbons also give an incredible account of the murders by both sides - 200,000,000 are those slaughtered through Christians & Moslems - fought & died throughout these years through the inquisitions & crusades

 

17: & THUS I SAW THE HORSES IN THE VISION, & THEM THAT SAT ON THEM, HAVING BREASTPLATES OF FIRE, & OF JACINTH, & BRIMSTONE: & THE HEADS OF THE HORSES WERE AS THE HEADS OF LIONS; & OUT OF THEIR MOUTHS ISSUED FIRE & SMOKE & BRIMSTONE. 18: BY THESE THREE WAS THE THIRD PART OF MEN KILLED, BY THE FIRE, & BY THE SMOKE, & BY THE BRIMSTONE, WHICH ISSUED OUT OF THEIR MOUTHS. 19: FOR THEIR POWER IS IN THEIR MOUTH, & IN THEIR TAILS: FOR THEIR TAILS WERE LIKE UNTO SERPENTS, & HAD HEADS, & WITH THEM THEY DO HURT        

These colors represent the wears of the Turkish uniform of the day, but also of the use of gunfire, which would appear to be exiting from the horses' tails & mouths

Horse's tail is a well-understood symbol of Turkish authority

 

20: & 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, & IDOLS OF GOLD, & SILVER, & BRASS, & STONE, & 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

What still remains is the reasoning for Mohammed's apostles attack on the Papacy - Her selfish need of idolatry possessions & practices towards them - plus the obvious, religious domination - oblivious to its pure inauguration