It seems very plain that the Bible is telling us the earth will be struck by meteors. What happens next is right out of a science fiction novel.
Let’s go back one thought before we allow our minds to be whisked away…wondering what army wears the colors described in this passage. That’s not the important part! The significant thing to realize here is that God is exerting His authority over the earth in hopes that the people will repent. This isn’t the first time God has caused these kinds of things to happen, on a smaller scale they are reminiscent of the plagues of Egypt. Those plagues could have been avoided if Pharaoh would have allowed the Hebrew people to leave. As terrible as these events are, they could be avoided if the people would turn to God and repent.
I think that might be why God “seals” and leaves 144,000 people on the earth. If everyone were stung by “human looking hornets” it would just be one more unfortunate thing that happens to the earth. But when there is one specific group of people who aren’t touched at all…that’s too specific to be a coincidence. It would force the rational mind to conclude that there is something special about this particular group of people: say, maybe it’s the seal from God that they are branded with….hmm.
What about this seal? It wouldn’t have to be a physical mark, but it could be. It might simply be the infilling of the Holy Spirit in a way that sets them apart from the rest of society. God makes them stand out like a Hawaiian in Alaska, because that’s the point…to let the earth know this plague comes from a high and holy God who is angry with the people because they have refused to acknowledge Him.
Do the people repent? the last verses tell us that they do not. The next trumpet sounds a great battle with 200 million mounted troops. It almost has to be Armaggedon, the earth doesn’t have enough soldiers to produce two battles of that magnitude.
Okay, to address quickly the imagery in this chapter (it’s the part we all wonder about). I guess you have to allow your mind to wander away from literal, proven science for a moment. Accept that there are things living underneath the earth’s crust that you and I have never seen, and hopefully will never experience. Perhaps some new genetically modified horse will be created that breathes fire and has several stingers in it’s tail. More likely, John is seeing some piece of military equipment that his mind cannot begin to conceive of. He describes it as best he can, using words like “horse” for a piece of futuristic equipment that a man rides or drives. I did a quick search of the colors listed here and didn’t find the exact description for any one country (and by that I mean China…given the number of soldiers mentioned). There are some countries that come close, but none that are exact. Most likely, this is a new army made up of several countries that have consolidated for strength and resources after the tribulations on the earth.
Be encouraged! Those marked by God are not afflicted by the demons of the deep. No one can harm God’s people unless the Lord allows it, and He will not allow anyone who harms us to escape His wrath.
The earth is on the way down and out, and the believers are on their way to heaven. This is the message of Revelation, and the message that the world needs to hear from those whom God has already marked with His Spirit in this age.
Share the message, spread hope!
PR