Day 163

Read Rev 9:15-17

 In the larger picture of the sixth trumpet, these four angels call up an “army from hell,” dressed in red, blue, and sulfurous yellow. These angels and their army have one purpose, and one purpose only, to kill human beings in massive numbers. You could say that these four angels are the ultimate “weapons of mass destruction.” The powerful weapons they direct, emanating from the mouths and tails of 200,000,000 cavalry horses, kill a full third of the human race. Lurking in the background of all this destruction is the “angel of the abyss” (Rev 9:11). The urge to kill and destroy ultimately arises from the proud and vengeful heart of satan himself.

There is a contrast here between the numbering of satan’s army and God’s army in Rev 7. One can’t help but think of the story of Gideon in Judges 7 – the battle is the Lord’s. The book of Revelation contains many parallels between the unsaved and the people of God. The unsaved call for the rocks and mountains to fall on them (Rev 6:15-17), the great multitude stands safely before the throne (Rev 7:9). 200,000,000 surge forth in the sixth trumpet. They are in contrast to the 144,000 (Rev 7:1-4) and the two witnesses (Rev 11:3-6). The unsaved are represented by a beast from the sea (Revelation 13), and the righteous by a remnant (Rev 12:17).

It is as if there were no sharp distinctions between good and evil in the visions of Revelation, even though such distinctions are made in the seven letters. The reason for the ambiguity in the visions of Revelation is the role of deception and counterfeit in the central part of the book. The line between truth and error will be hard to distinguish toward the End.
As we approach the end, Satan will do all he can to deceive us. Just because something is religious doesn’t mean it is right or honours God. The Word of God is our best safeguard against satan’s deceptive advice.