Revelation 9:17-21
As stated previously, there are two schools of thought concerning this massive army. It is either another demonic hoard or an actual physical army on the Earth.
I believe both to be correct. A physical army that would destroy a third of mankind has to be demonically driven so I lean toward this being a literal army, neither figurative nor symbolic.
Questions may arise concerning the size of this army. Two hundred million can seem inconceivable. Never in the recorded history of actual war do we find anything close in number. However many are aware of Time Magazines article dated May 21, 1965 in reference to China making the claim to have a 200 million men and women militia. Apparently it is possible.
Many that believe this is merely a demonic hoard also discount this claim of China as having anything to do with this army. They also separate the reference of the Kings of the East in chapter 16 from this huge army of the sixth trumpet.
Why I claim that the two theories can be compatible has to do with the four evil spirits being loosed at the River Euphrates. These are obviously some powerful spirits of the kingdom of darkness to cause the kind of destruction noted in this passage.
When we reference the book of Daniel in the Old Testament we find that Daniel had a vision and was informed of evil spirits that were called princes. One was called the prince of Persia and the other was called the prince of Greece. Follow history to the time of the prophet Daniel and you will find that he was under the dominion of the Persian Empire when he had this vision. In the vision he was also told the Grecian Empire was coming soon.
So these ruling spirits functioned in the various Empires of the day and are still functioning in the world today yet many do not know or understand this. Satan is also referred to by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:2 as the “prince” of the power of the air.
These four angels/evil spirits are likely of the same caliber of the princes Daniel was informed of and will influence the Kings of the East to draw their vast armies to the Middle East for a final showdown; which we will discuss later. We will see the same thing happen again in chapter 16 when the kings of the entire Earth are drawn together.
It may well take the timeline of 13 months to move a huge army as this one is across almost 4,000 miles of Continent with equipment and stops along the way to kill and destroy cities.
Consider also the fact that these prince spirits would bring a huge hoard of evil spirits with them that will keep these armies motivated to be as vicious as portrayed in this chapter; in this we could have the bringing together of the spiritual and physical realms that would encompass both schools of thought concerning this event.
Now for what John saw and described in verses 17-19. Let us keep in mind that for someone of that Century to describe the technology of our day, he would only use what he knew and understood. So animals, mouths, tails, fire and smoke would be what his limited vocabulary and knowledge could do with what he saw. Just as what will take place when we get to Heaven; we will have to be educated to understand what we will see and experience there.
So he may likely be seeing a physical army on the move. In this vision he is doing his best to describe the type of equipment he is seeing.
Horses and chariots were the only war equipment that he was familiar with, so he uses this animal to describe most likely an armored vehicle that has a ferocious look about it, so he gives it the face of a lion. If the Orient is the army he sees, then the colors he describes is a fit, for they are known for these types of colors.
Fire coming out of a tanks mouth could explain the gun coming out of the turret on the front and they usually have some form of fire power on the rear or tail as well. This should not seem so strange to understand unless we are bent on this being only a demonic force which could also be described by these unusual characteristics, just as the locust described previously.
Either way, the destruction will be great beyond anything we can imagine!
In verse 20, after all is said and done men who survive all these plagues will not give up their worship of devils and idols. In the descriptive of that day, these idols would actually be something constructed as a statue or an altar made from materials such as gold, silver, brass, stone and wood. These materials today would describe material wealth.
Verse 21 sounds like a present day News report. Not repenting of murders, fornications (all sort of perverted sex), thefts and this interesting word; sorceries.
The Greek word used here for sorceries is “pharmakeia.” This is where we derive our definition for pharmacy and pharmaceuticals! In other words, it is a reference to drugs.
Mankind does not want to give up their drugs! Follow the money in today’s world and it will lead to the greatest flow of drugs ever; legal and illegal!