Having breastplates of fire.—Keeping the doctrine of hell-fire well to the front in their teachings.
And of jacinth.—“The hyacinthus of the Romans is invariably blue and lustrous. This description suggests the blue flame which issues between the fire and the brimstone, represented as ‘smoke’ in verse 18.”—Cook.
And brimstone.—Yes, indeed, plenty of brimstone went along with the hell-fire.—Rev. 14:10.
And the heads.—“The ancient and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet that teaches lies, he is the tail.”—Isa. [pg 165] 9:15. “In a genus of serpents or ophidian reptiles called amphisboena the tail and head are equally obtuse, and the scales on the head so similar to those on the back as to render it difficult to distinguish one extremity from the other. Hence these reptiles have been supposed to have the power of creeping backwards or forwards with equal facility.” (Cook.)—Isa. 29:10-14; John 4:22.
Were as the heads of lions.—Able to swallow the most ridiculous and impossible theories.—1 Chron. 12:8.
And out of their mouths issued fire.—Sermons full of hell-fire.
And smoke.—See Rev. 9:18.
And brimstone.—O yes, surely; plenty of brimstone, to go with the hell-fire.
9:18. By these [three] PLAGUES was the third part of men.—The Protestant third of Christendom.
Killed.—Deprived of reason, manhood and dignity.