Destruction and Mercy

7-Trumpet Locusts

We turn now to the locusts pouring out in a dark cloud from the bottomless pit (Rev. 9:3-11) Bruce Metzger (Breaking the Code, pp.66-67) reminds us that the objects and events in John's vision are not physically real nor physically present. They are not descriptions of real occurrences, but symbols of real occurrences. John intends to focus our attention upon the idea his symbolical language conveys. And what is that? The idea is that to rebel against God is extremely serious and those who persist will meet with judgment and destruction. Swarming from the bottomless pit are locusts (Exod 10:12-14) like battle horses with human faces, long hair like women, teeth like lions, tails and stings like scorpions, wings rattling like many chariots rushing into battle, wearing breastplates of iron and crowns of gold. An altogether frightening crowd of beasts. The very name of their king conveys their mission. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, translated into Greek that means Apollyon and into English Destruction !

So what kind of destruction awaits those who rebel against their Creator and God? Perhaps it is physical, but more likely it is the inner, spiritual torment of guilt and fear. Whatever it is, it is:

• five months of torment, but not death
• torment like the sting of a scorpion, excruciating, but not fatal
• torment that will make men long to die, but unable to find death

On the other hand this vision emphasizes also God's great mercy and forgiveness because the locust-creatures are forbidden to harm the vegetation as locusts usually do (Psa 105:34-35). Nor are they permitted to touch those who have the seal of God on their foreheads (Rev. 7:3-4; 14:1; Eph. 4:30).

So the first woe passed, but two were still to come.

Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 

The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound. 

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. - Rev 9:13-21 ESV

As the sixth angel blows his trumpet 10,000 X 10,000 = 100,000,000 X 2 = 200 million mounted troops pour out across the Euphrates river to slaughter a third of mankind. The Euphrates was the eastern border of the Roman Empire. Beyond it were the hordes of Parthian horsemen, never conquered by the Romans. They now become symbolic of the grave destruction awaiting all who will not bow before the throne of God.

Still not all die. Only a third are killed by these plagues. Nevertheless, in spite of the mass destruction, the rest of mankind do not repent. They continue to worship demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood. They continue to murder, practice sorcery, sexual immorality and thievery.

So through John's vision the LORD God speaks His Word. It is a Word of judgment and destruction, but for those who turn from their idols and godless ways it is a word of mercy and forgiveness, freely offered to all in Jesus Christ.