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Revelation Segment 9
All scripture is from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. Before beginning this study, I suggest you pray and ask God to guide you through this study. I also suggest that you do you own study of this material in order to ensure its accuracy.
Rev 9:1 "And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit."
The number five is usually associated with the Grace of God. But not here. The fifth trumpet sounds the beginning of the first of three woes (Rev 8:13). Five may also be identified with consecration. Consecration can be used several different ways. It means to set apart as something sacred. It also means to change the elements of communion into the body and blood of Christ (a false teaching). It also means to initiate or ordain for a holy purpose, such as initiating a man as a pastor or into the priesthood. Finally it means to dedicate to a service or goal.
So what can we say here? Well Rev 8:13 says that the next three trumpets (five, six, and seven) will begin three woes. So the last three trumpets are set apart or consecrated to heralding three woes. They could be said to be ordained for that purpose or dedicated to that purpose.
To begin this woe, a star falls from heaven. This is not a falling star like we can see nightly if we look up on a clear night. It is not a meteor. We need some help to understand this star. Remember that when the third angel sounded a star fell from heaven. That star was called Wormwood, or bitter. You may read about it in Revelation Segment 8.
There are some commentaries that assume that if the word here translated "fall" is used in conjunction with angels (stars symbolize angels), it really means to descend. In other words, a star (or angel) descended from heaven. But a careful study of the word will yield an alternate result. The Greek here is pípto, Strong's 4098. The actual conjugation is peptokóta, having fallen. A study of the infinitive, pípto, shows that the verb is used in only two ways in the New Testament; primarily as abasement. The abasement can be caused by the judgment of God, or the fear and resulting worship of God. For example, the Samaritan that was cleansed worshipped God: "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, {16} And fell [hépesen--from pípto] down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan (Luke 17:15-16)."
This example is of judgment (when Ananias and Sapphira when they lied about the funds they gave): "And Ananias hearing these words fell [pesón--from pípto] down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things (Acts 5:5)."
Because the majority of examples are similar to the second one, judgment, I cannot in good conscience say that this verse refers to an angel who is in good standing with God descending from heaven. No, this angel fell from heaven in abasement, because he had been judged by God.
Some maintain that the key to the abyss (literally, pit of the abyss (a place with no bottom), or bottomless pit--the KJV gets it correct) was given to the fifth angel who sounded his trump. However, the only trumpeter to take any action other than sounding the trump was the sixth angel, and he was told by the LORD to take that action. There is no evidence that the fifth angel was to take any action other than to sound the trump. Moreover, the reading of the verse itself, in both the Greek and English, suggests that the star that fell was given the key.
Some also maintain that the angel of 20:1 is the same as the one given the key here. But, the angel of 20:1 is most likely Michael who defeated the dragon in 12:7. Again, it doesn't fit the context. Michael is not a fallen angel and the star that fell is fallen in judgment.
Let's read from the Book of Enoch, Chapter 21:5-10:
Then 5 I said: 'For what sin are they bound, and on what account have they been cast in hither?' Then said Uriel, one of the holy angels, who was with me, and was chief over them, and said: 'Enoch, why 6 dost thou ask, and why art thou eager for the truth? These are of the number of the stars of heaven, which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and are bound here till ten thousand years, 7 the time entailed by their sins, are consummated.' And from thence I went to another place, which was still more horrible than the former, and I saw a horrible thing: a great fire there which burnt and blazed, and the place was cleft as far as the abyss, being full of great descending columns of 8 fire: neither its extent or magnitude could I see, nor could I conjecture. Then I said: 'How 9 fearful is the place and how terrible to look upon!' Then Uriel answered me, one of the holy angels who was with me, and said unto me: 'Enoch, why hast thou such fear and affright?' And 10 I answered: 'Because of this fearful place, and because of the spectacle of the pain.' And he said unto me: 'This place is the prison of the angels, and here they will be imprisoned for ever.'
This passage from Enoch tells us two things believed about stars. One, they are angels, here fallen angels, and two, they are imprisoned in the cleft or pit of the abyss (bottomless pit).
Now let us get back to the identity of the star that was given the key to the Pit. We have seen several possible thought processes and have explored the beliefs of different commentators and the reasons for their beliefs. Let us now see what the Bible says, for the Bible interprets the Bible. Verse eleven of this chapter gives us the answer: "And 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." So this star or angel of the bottomless pit has a name —Abaddon or Apollyon. Abaddon was a destroying angel, but his name means perishing. Apollyon is also a destroyer and a Greek word that also means perishing.
Well, now we come to another controversy. Who is this Abbadon or Apollyon? Abaddon is a reference to the underworld, personified as destruction in Job 28:22. Apollyon, or destruction, alludes to Apollo the Greek god. Apollo's sign was the locust (It is interesting that an army of locusts came out of the abyss). Domitian, emperor of Rome and persecutor of the church, called himself Apollo. This helps us to understand why John used these words, but there is a better way to understand these names. However, very few will admit to whom this really is:
There is only one entity who has already received judgment and is therefore perishing. Ezekiel 28:16 says: "By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire." And Of Lucifer, Isaiah 14:15 states: "Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." God has judged the covering cherub, AKA Lucifer, AKA Satan. Satan will perish and could formally be called Perishing. Apollyon and Abaddon both mean Perishing.
There is another who agrees with this assumption. John Bunyan, writer of The Pilgrim's Progress, writes of Apollyon. Bunyan shows him as Satan. Here are three excerpts:
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Apollyon speaking: |
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Apol. By this I perceive thou art one of my subjects; for all that country is mine, and I am the prince and god of it. |
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Apol. Then Apollyon broke out into a grievous rage, saying, I am an enemy to this Prince [Christ]; I hate his person, his laws, and people: |
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Narrator speaking: |
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Apollyon made all the time of the fight; he spake like a dragon: |
It is evident that Bunyan believed Apollyon to be Satan, and therefore this is evidence of that thinking among Bunyan's people, the Pilgrims (yes, those Pilgrims who migrated to America).
Let us compare this with something Jesus Himself said: Luke 10:18 "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." Here Satan falls (pesónta--from pípto) out of heaven under judgment. The word rendered 'from' in the original is actually 'out of'. Satan was in heaven (compare Job 1:6 and 2:1) and after judgment was cast out of heaven. Jesus compares his fall with lightning or, more properly a falling or shooting star (a meteor). The word is rendered lightning because the streak of a meteor and the streak of lightning are similar in that they are both glowing streaks. Jesus' simile aptly fits the description of a star falling from heaven.
This begs the question, Why would Satan be given the key to the bottomless pit where evil spirits dwell? And why would he be allowed to release those spirits?
One of the most obvious reasons would be to allow Satan to try his luck, thinking he might win against the LORD. He thought so in the past so why should he not try again. That is what this is all about, to allow Satan a final chance. Satan is given a little while. Though Satan will lose, he thinks he can win. He corrupted his wisdom when he fell (Eze 28:17). With corrupted wisdom, he might believe anything to be possible. What is even more amazing is that there are those who will follow him (Rev 20:8).
Rev 9:2 "And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit."
He who? He who was given the key to the pit. Satan opens it allowing those imprisoned within an opportunity to escape.
A furnace is a place where combustion takes place. There are several Hebrew words rendered furnace. One is a smelter, another an open pit of fire, another a fireplace, another a fire pot. In the NT Greek there is only one word rendered furnace and it is not as specific as the Hebrew. It strictly means furnace. Again, a furnace is a place for a fire to burn.
A furnace can get very hot. Consider a smelter, or picture a giant ladle of molten metal. That is from a very hot furnace. A covered backyard barbecue grill is also a furnace. Get the coals very hot and close the cover. A few seconds later, open it again. A column of heat and smoke quickly rush up and out of the grill. If you are not careful, you will get burned or be overcome with the smoke. That is the picture here.
The abyss is opened and immediately a great column of smoke and heat rush upward and out, spewing into the atmosphere. Enoch tells us that the abyss in which the fallen angels abide is filled with "great descending columns of fire" (Enoch 21:7). When that abyss is opened smoke escapes and fills the atmosphere, obscuring the sun. There are multiple references to this event throughout the Bible (e.g. Eze 32:7, Joel 2:31, Matt 24:29, Acts 2:20).
Rev 9:3 "And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power."
The locusts come out of this smoke; they are not a part of it. Some commentators believe that the locusts materialize out of the smoke. It is possible to arrive at this idiomatically but one must strain to do so. The Greek is "kai ek tou kapnou exelthon akrides", which is literally, "and out of the smoke came forth locusts." Surely one could say that came forth could connote brought forth or became, but that is not normally what this statement would be taken to mean by most people. The smoke and the locusts are two different phenomena.
Roman Emperor Domitian (Titus Flavius Domitianus), who persecuted the church, called himself Apollo. Apollo was a Greek god, the son of Zeus the king of gods. He was renowned for his beauty and considered by Homer to be the god of prophecy. He was also a great warrior god, having defeated the serpent Python. Additionally, Apollo was a gifted musician as well as an accomplished archer and a world class athlete, supposedly the first winner of the Olympic Games. The art world loved him and there is a large quantity of art depicting him. Apollo was a well rounded individual, with many excellent attributes. It would be natural for an egotistical emperor to identify himself with the god Apollo. Domitian was such a man.
The sign of Apollo was the locust. This helps us to understand what John is speaking of here. Domitian, like Nero before him, and Diocletian after him, persecuted the church. Since John was exiled to Patmos by Domitian, the locust army can be seen as the army and praetorian guards of Domitian as they persecuted the church. That was a perfect picture of later persecutions, and a superb example of the coming tribulation in the Great and Terrible Day of the LORD (Joel 2:31).
What is the power of a scorpion? Its sting. With its sting, it immobilizes its victim and then while the victim is still alive, it injects digestive fluids into its victim. When the digestive juices have done their work, the scorpion sucks the resulting gelatin like mass out of the victim, leaving an empty husk. These locusts are given the power of a scorpion to sting, but not to kill.
This is an example of the state under Domitian stinging the church but not being able to suck the life out of it like a scorpion does to its victim. The church suffered loss, symbolized by the sting, but was not destroyed symbolized by the sting not being able to kill. This sting was painful for brethren in Christ because when a loved brother in Christ was take grieving brethren were left behind. Children were taken from parents, husband from wife, and brother from sister during the persecution. That was very painful. But the pain and the sting did not stop the church; in fact, it enhanced it, for as Tertullian said, blood of the martyrs became the seed of the church.
To apply this to eschatology, there is coming a time when the reverse will happen. Men who are not saved, who shake their fists at God, will be the recipient of this painful sting that does not kill. They will wish to die because of the pain, but they will not be able to. Their system, unlike the Church, will fall. More on this subject in the next few verses.
Rev 9:4 "And 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."
Remember that when the first angel sounded his trump, a third of the trees and all of the grass was burned up. Here the locusts are commanded not to hurt these things. Why? True locusts consume green plant tissue. These are not real locusts because they are told not to hurt green things. We will be given a description in later verses. These locusts are a woe upon the enemies of God: those men who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Who were those sealed? Rev 7:3 tells that they were " the servants of our God". There were 144,00 of those servants of God who were sealed. See Revelation Segment 7. Therefore, those that were not sealed were not the servants of God.
Rev 9:5 "And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man."
Though these are not real locusts, the metaphor is well rounded. I have found many commentaries that say that the natural period of the life span of the locust is about five months, from May through September. Bullinger makes this statement as well as others. I can find nothing in any biology book, reference book or scientific treatise that confirms this. I did find, however, that the eggs are usually laid in the spring when the weather warms up and the young go through several metamorphoses and usually emerge as adults sometime in late summer. Well May is the month the weather usually turns warm in the northern Hemisphere. September is the last month of summer and is the month we call late summer. So it could be said that a normal life cycle of the locust is five months. Locusts swarm when there is not enough food, especially in the dry season. Well, generally, the dry season in the Israel is approximately May through September. Note also that Passover is in the Spring, on 14 Nissan (March or April) and Tabernacles is from 14-21 Tishri (September or October). I believe that it is acceptable to say that the five months here is in keeping with the normal life span of the locust.
A scorpion sting is usually quite painful. It can be life threatening, but is not usually so. It is usually just painful. This sting, however, seems to be much more painful than a normal scorpion's sting as we will see in the next verse.
Rev 9:6 "And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them."
The sting of this locust is probably not an actual physical pain induced in the skin by a chemical sting, but rather a sting like the sting of death. It is a spiritual or psychological sting. Paul tells us in 1 Cor 15:56, that the sting of death is sin. Sin is the reason that these men are being tormented. Sin has kept them from being sealed. When they experience the coming of these demonic forces from the bottomless pit, they realize that they are suffering because they have not the seal of God on their foreheads. Great is their shame and they even asked the rocks to fall on them in the sixth seal. This sting is from the utter shame of sin and these know they have nowhere to turn. They are so shamed that they seek death. But it is not yet time for death.
Rev 9:7 "And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men."
Horses symbolize power and war. These horses are in fact prepared for battle (A battle lost before it starts-- Isa 11:4, 2 Thes 2:8, Rev 19:16). These locusts were in the manner of horses. They were not horses, it is a simile.
The crowns again were in the manner of crowns like golden crown. They were like (or as) golden crowns, but they were not golden crowns. There is only one in the whole New Testament with a golden crown. That is Jesus, Rev 14:14 "And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle." These locusts are trying to have the appearance of Christ. The winner of an Olympic race received a crown in Paul's day (1 Cor 9:25). It was basically a laurel or olive wreath. The crown on Jesus' head is a diadema in the Greek, which is the crown of a king. The crowns on the horses heads are stephanos, or wreaths. Perhaps the crowns are there because they want it to appear that they have already won the battle, which is false. Satan's forces are ultimately defeated.
Why did they have the faces of men? They were in the manner of the faces of men, but they are not really men. Gen 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." We are made in the image of God and the heavenly hosts, the angels. In fact, angels always have the appearance of men (yes, that is so, there are no women angels or baby angels in the Bible--check it out for yourself). The angels that rebelled with Satan are kept in this pit. These locust forces are demonic, or fallen, sinful angels. Men are made in the image of the heavenly hosts, including angels, therefore these locusts, which are fallen angels, have the faces of men.
Rev 9:8 "And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions."
Their bite is much worse than their bark. Women bring life into the world; a lion brings death. Again, their appearance is deceiving. They are not really women. They are demonic forces. They may appear to be benign, but they are not. Paul tells us that if a man has the hair of a woman it is a shame to him. Angels, even fallen ones, are masculine and this hair is shameful, which is to be expected of Satan's minions.
Rev 9:9 "And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle."
Again, these breastplates appeared to be of iron. The word rendered breastplate can also mean simply the chest or the breast. They could have had chests that had the appearance of iron. The wings of locusts make the sound of horses running in battle. It is said that the sound of a locust swarm is thunderous like the sound of stampeding cattle or horses.
Rev 9:10 "And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months."
The Revelation reiterates the fact of the sting of the scorpion and the five months of torment. Daniel tells us of the seven year period in the end of time. The first 3˝ years is a period of relative calm, but the last 3˝ years are the period of suffering and desolation (Dan 9:27). Jesus said in Matthew 24:22: "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." Those days are the tribulation of the end times. Jesus says they will be shortened. There were prophesied 3˝ years of affliction. Are these 3˝ to be shortened? It would seem so because Jesus talked about the tribulation prophesied in Daniel (Mat 24:15). So how long will the shortened tribulation period be? An educated guess is the time period of locust swarms, or the five months of this verse.
Rev 9:11 "And 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."
Satan is their king, see above.
Rev 9:12 "One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter."
The sixth trumpet heralds the second woe.
Rev 9:13 "And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,"
In the first chapter where John sees Jesus among the golden candlesticks, there is no mention of an altar. But we know there is an altar before the throne in Heaven. There is mention of it in chapter 6, where the souls under it are asking God "How long?" and in Chapter 8, where the incense is poured out.
In the Tabernacle and Temple, the golden altar stood before the Most Holy Place and was used to provide the fire for the incense (Ex 40:26 & 27). The temple was just a shadow of heavenly things: "Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount (Heb 8:5)." The golden altar in front of the veil in the temple was an earthly shadow or replica of the true altar in heaven. That is the altar in Heaven from whence came the voice. It is before God; God is on His Throne; it is therefore before His Throne. The voice is coming from the Throne. It is the Voice of God.
Rev 9:14 "Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates."
This is Elizabethan English from the KJV. Having lived in England for several years, I learned a bit about UK English syntax and idiom. Though UK English and American English are very closely related, there are some prominent dissimilarities. I will give one example, which is appropriate to our study. In the USA we say that we live on a particular street. Someone may live on Walnut Street or on Main Street. But in England one would say, with the same exact meaning, that he lives in a particular street. One may live in Fleet Street or in Watling Road. The statements on First Street, and in First Street mean that a person resides inside a house built adjacent to First Street. One is the Queen's English and the other is American English, but both express the same exact meaning.
Now, if we apply this to the river Euphrates, we might find that the angels who are bound in the river are actually bound adjacent to it. This gives us a better sense of reality here. The angels are not bound and weighted down under the water of the Euphrates, they are bound near enough to it to be considered in it or on it.
In fact, a more literal rendering of the Greek affirms this. Let me quote from J.P. Green and his Literal Translation of the Bible (this can be found in the margin of Green's Interlinear Bible). "saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Release the four angels, those having been bound at the great river Euphrates." (Emphasis is mine). The Greek is èpi tõ potamõ tõ megálo, "at the river the great". The word èpi means over, upon, at, on, of direction, towards, upon, about, above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside and other words. They all have the same general meaning of relation or superimposition. The angels were not bound in the river, they were bound at the river.
There are a couple of things to consider about the Euphrates. One is the meaning of the name. Euphrates simply means "river". It is from a word meaning "rushing". Two is the location of the Euphrates. It is the boundary between ancient Israel and Babylon (Solomon's northern border was the Euphrates). The Euphrates stood between Israel and her enemy Babylon and protected Israel for centuries. The children of Israel were and are God's chosen people. As Christians, we are also God's chosen people. We can see that in 1 Peter 2:9, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" So it can be said that this boundary is also for the church.
What kind of angels are bound? Fallen ones. Evil ones, Unclean ones, demonic ones. Holy angels are not bound; only unholy ones are.
Rev 9:15 "And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men."
It has always been God's plan to release these angels at this particular time for this particular purpose. That purpose is to kill a third of the people alive at this stated time.
Through the centuries, the Euphrates had been a protective boundary separating Israel from the empires and armies of the East. The Great River had bound them or restrained them from attacking Israel. The picture here is of a vast army headed by four generals that are no longer restrained by the river but are loosed and ready to attack and slaughter the people.
Rev 9:16 "And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them."
This army, which is commanded by the four angels, is 200 million strong. It is of interest to note that the Chinese say that they can field an army of 200 million. This number is used to give the picture of uncountable hordes. You could not see all of an assembled 200,000,000-man army. They would flow over the horizon, cutting of your view of most of them. It would seem useless to battle them. But what is impossible for men is possible with God.
Rev 9:17 "And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone."
Jacinth is another word for hyacinth. The hyacinth is a lily that ranges in color from white to dusky red to blue and purple. My hyacinths are a dusky red or nearly purple. Most hyacinths I see are of the reddish variety, though I do see white quite often. The blue does not seem to be not so common, though. I have seen red mixed with yellow variegations (fiery!). Brimstone is another name for sulfur, which is yellow. The word rendered "fire" actually means fiery. So the color of these breastplates was a combination of fiery red and yellow (just like some hyacinths). Breastplates of literal fire can also be implied from this statement. But note that the colors of the breastplates match the issuance from the horses' mouths. A horse is not a predator; it is a browser. The lion is a predator. That is why the horses had the heads of lions. As horses, they were the conveyances of an army; as lions they were predators.
Fire smoke and brimstone issued forth from the horses' mouths. Fire and brimstone are common elements of judgment of the wicked. A glaring example is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Rev 9:18 "By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths."
Notice that not only did the fire and sulfur kill, the smoke did as well. Most people killed in building fires are killed by smoke inhalation.
There is another more symbolic way to understand this woe. It is that the horses are the minions of the Devil. Out of their mouths come lies, deception and delusion. These lies, deceptions and delusions, when accepted by men, lead to the death of the soul. Just as Satan used lies, deception, and delusions against Eve, so he uses them again against mankind.
In Eden the lie was that if they partook of the fruit that they would not surely die. The deception was that their eyes would be opened, and the delusion was that they would be as gods. The same things apply here. The lie is the same: that they will not die. The deception is the same: that they will know all and the delusion is the same: that they will be like gods if they follow Satan. Many will follow and many will die.
Rev 9:19 "For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt."
The power of the mouth is its ability to praise or lie. James 3:10 "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."
AND James 3:5-8 "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! {6} And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. {7} For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: {8} But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."
AND Mat 15:17-18 "Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? {18} But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man."
The power of the mouth is that to bless and to curse, to be truthful or to lie, to love or to hate, to build up or tear down. The mouth and the tongue within can inflict many types of damage, from the ruin of a reputation through deceit to the destruction of lives and property through war.
These horses had the power to hurt in their mouths and their tails. Remember the locust army from the pit? They had the power to inflict pain but not death. Here these horses of the 200 million strong army were able to cause death. The tails had the heads of serpents. Evidently they were poisonous serpents for the tails could kill.
Since John is being shown the "things which must be hereafter," this 200 million strong army will be assembled in John's future and in our future. Again, it is of interest to note that the PRC boasts that it can field a 200 million man army. There is to be a future battle in Israel. It is known as the battle of Armageddon. However, no actual battle takes place at Armageddon, rather the armies of the kings of the earth are gathered there. There will be no battle at all for Jesus will speak and the armies will be defeated.
Another great battle to remember is the battle of Hamongog. Gog will array for battle against God's people and the people will take seven months to bury all the dead of the army of Gog. They will be buried in the valley of Hamongog. Both are large armies. But whether or not these two events can be equated with this army of 200 million, a third of men will be killed by it.
Note: 2006-If united, Muslim countries can field a 200 million strong army. We must take Islam into account when we views these prophecies, or any eschatological prohecies, for that matter.
Rev 9:20-21 "And 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, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and 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."
It is amazing that men will still reject God even after they see all these events. The second woe continues in the next segment.
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