Daily Scripture Reading Revelation 9:13 - 10:7

Many Christians believe that if a person is unsaved, it is because they have not heard the gospel often enough, or it has not been presented in the right manner. However, today’s passage reminds us that some people are simply stubborn. Some people don’t want to believe. Some people will not repent no matter how much evidence they see of God’s existence and power.

The beginning of the ninth chapter describes the first woe, the action which will take place after the fifth trumpet. Locusts will come up out of the abyss and torment men for five months. The tormented men will want to die, but death will flee from them.

Rev. 9:13 ¶ Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

Rev. 9:14 one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who have been bound at the great river Euphrates.”

Rev. 9:15 And the four angels were released, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, so that they would kill a third of mankind.

Note that four angels have been prepared to kill a third of mankind. Today, world population is 8 billion people. A third of mankind would be 2.6 billion people. In contrast to that, right now the death rate is only about 3 million people per year. Less than 100 million people died in World War 2.

Rev. 9:16 And the number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.

Look at the number of horsemen: 200 million. As of 2020, the total number of military personnel from all militaries around the world is around 27 million.

Rev. 9:17 And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sit on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths come fire and smoke and brimstone.

Notice the word “vision”. John saw the warfare that will occur in the future. Today, we have words like tank, helicopter, and warplane to describe military hardware. John did not have those words. If he saw modern military equipment in his vision, he would have been limited in his ability to describe it because languages in the 1st century AD did not have words to describe modern warfare.

Look at the word “like”. Since John did not have words to describe what he was seeing, he used known words to describe his vision as best he could. He may have been trying to describe a military tank.

Rev. 9:18 A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths.

Rev. 9:19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads, and with them they do harm.

We see the word “like” again. He saw something that looked like a serpent. Perhaps he saw a gun barrel.

Rev. 9:20 ¶ And the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.

Look at the phrase “did not repent”. Despite the overwhelming demonstration of God’s power, the men who will be left after all the death and destruction will not change their ways. They will continue to worship demons and idols.

Many Christians believe that if a person is unsaved, it is because they have not heard the gospel often enough, or it has not been presented in the right manner. However, this passage indicates that some people will not give up their idolatry no matter what happens or no matter what they learn. During the tribulation, men will see a third of mankind get killed, but that will not be enough to make them repent.

Rev. 9:21 And they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their sexual immorality nor of their thefts.

Rev. 10:1 ¶ Then I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire;

Rev. 10:2 and he had in his hand a little scroll which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the earth,

Rev. 10:3 and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. And when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices.

Rev. 10:4 And when the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.”

Rev. 10:5 Then the angel, whom I saw standing on the sea and on the earth, lifted up his right hand to heaven,

Rev. 10:6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that there will be delay no longer,

Rev. 10:7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He proclaimed good news to His slaves, the prophets.

The passage we have been reading today describes what will happen after the trumpet is sounded by the sixth angel. Tomorrow’s passage will finish that description. Two days from now, we will read about the days of the seventh angel. At that point, the promises proclaimed to the prophets will be fulfilled.

Many Christians believe that if a person is unsaved, it is because they have not heard the gospel often enough, or it has not been presented in the right manner. However, today’s passage reminds us that some people are simply stubborn. Some people don’t want to believe. Some people will not repent no matter how much evidence they see of God’s existence and power.

Who do you know who refuses to repent no matter how many times they have heard the truth about Jesus?

Has the way of salvation been presented clearly and completely?

Is there a part of the gospel they have not heard, or are they simply refusing to repent?

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”