Five trumpets have been sounded. Each has announced something falling from heaven to strike the one-third of the earth.
The NIV footnotes say that Abaddon and Apollyon mean "Destroyer". The star that fell with the fifth trumpet seems to be the "angel of the Abyss", that is Satan, Destroyer.
Revelation 9: 12, Two more judgments
The first terrible judgment is past. Two others are still coming.
The first four trumpets brought destruction; the last three bring "woes". The first woe corresponded with the fifth trumpet.
Once again, one-third of mankind will die in this event. The four angels have been waiting for this very hour, day, month, year, as if it were indeed a single moment in time.
The number two hundred million is literally "twice ten thousand ten thousands."
The horses and riders I saw in my vision had armor on their chests. It was red like fire, dark blue, and yellow like sulfur. The heads of the horses looked like lions’ heads. Out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur.
18 A third of all people were killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of the horses’ mouths.
19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails. The tails were like snakes whose heads could bite.
The author describes these 200 million horses and riders; they have armor that is vivid red, blue and yellow; the head of the horses is terrifying, looking like lions, yet they act like ancient dragons, spouting fire, smoke and sulfur, which act like three different plagues. The horses have deadly mouths and tails!
The first four trumpets brought destruction; the last three bring "woes". The first woe corresponded with the fifth trumpet.
Revelation 9: 13-16, The sixth trumpet
The sixth angel blew his trumpet. Then I heard a voice coming from the four corners of the golden altar. The altar stands in front of God.
14 The voice spoke to the sixth angel who had the trumpet. The voice said, “Set the four angels free who are held at the great river Euphrates.”
15 The four angels had been ready for this very hour and day and month and year. They were set free to kill a third of all people.
16 The number of troops on horseback was 200,000,000. I heard how many there were.
Four angels have been released by the voice of God. The angels were "held at the river Euphrates". The river Euphrates is an ancient river, at the cradle of humanity, and mentioned with the Tigris River in Genesis as one of the boundaries of the garden of Eden (Genesis 2: 10-14.) According to Genesis 3:24, after driving mankind from Eden, an angel is put there to guard the way to the Tree of Life.
14 The voice spoke to the sixth angel who had the trumpet. The voice said, “Set the four angels free who are held at the great river Euphrates.”
15 The four angels had been ready for this very hour and day and month and year. They were set free to kill a third of all people.
16 The number of troops on horseback was 200,000,000. I heard how many there were.
Four angels have been released by the voice of God. The angels were "held at the river Euphrates". The river Euphrates is an ancient river, at the cradle of humanity, and mentioned with the Tigris River in Genesis as one of the boundaries of the garden of Eden (Genesis 2: 10-14.) According to Genesis 3:24, after driving mankind from Eden, an angel is put there to guard the way to the Tree of Life.
Once again, one-third of mankind will die in this event. The four angels have been waiting for this very hour, day, month, year, as if it were indeed a single moment in time.
The number two hundred million is literally "twice ten thousand ten thousands."
Revelation 9: 17-19, The sixth trumpet
18 A third of all people were killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of the horses’ mouths.
19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails. The tails were like snakes whose heads could bite.
The author describes these 200 million horses and riders; they have armor that is vivid red, blue and yellow; the head of the horses is terrifying, looking like lions, yet they act like ancient dragons, spouting fire, smoke and sulfur, which act like three different plagues. The horses have deadly mouths and tails!
One can attempt to make these objects into modern weaponry -- is the smoke a chemical weapon? or these strange tanks -- but I think that is not a useful exercise. Surely in the past we have seen nightmares like this, from the black plague of Europe to the weapons of mass destruction unveiled in the two world wars of the last century.
Revelation 9: 20-21, The world's reaction to the plagues
There were people who were not killed by these plagues. But they still didn’t turn away from what they had been doing. They did not stop worshiping demons. They kept worshiping statues of gods made out of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood. These statues can’t see or hear or walk.
21 The people also did not turn away from their murders, witchcraft, sexual sins and stealing.
Despite the horrible disasters, mankind is resistant to change. The most persistent charge against mankind is their idolatry, their worship of gods made by idols. But they also murder, steal, are sexually immoral and involved in "magic arts". Mankind seems incapable of repenting, possibly because they see nothing to repent from and no one to turn to.
Despite the horror of these events, the Christians listening to John's letter were probably encouraged. This vision describes what happens to those of the earthly kingdom, those who put their hopes in the emperor cult or other forms of political power. There is only one true kingdom, John will tell us, and it will eventually come to power and reign for all eternity.
Despite the horror of these events, the Christians listening to John's letter were probably encouraged. This vision describes what happens to those of the earthly kingdom, those who put their hopes in the emperor cult or other forms of political power. There is only one true kingdom, John will tell us, and it will eventually come to power and reign for all eternity.
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