In this chapter we really begin to see John's struggle to describe his vision. The fifth trumpet ushers in creatures that defy description. Locusts that have power like scorpions of the earth. They cannot kill, but can torture people for five months. The locusts look like horses prepared for battle, with faces that resemble human faces, golden crowns on their heads, women's hair, lions' teeth and breastplates of iron. They have tails with scorpion-like stingers.
That is stranger than anything I have ever seen, probably stranger than anything I have ever imagined. Reading this chapter is a good reminder of just how incapable we are of grasping many aspects of the spiritual realm. It's also a good reminder of just how frightening the spiritual battle is that rages every day.
The sixth trumpet releases four angels to kill a third of mankind by way of fire, smoke and sulfur from their mouths. Yikes. The horses with deadly tails like snakes sound particularly devastating. At the end of chapter 9, we see the cause of all this destruction. People are worshiping demons and idols, and refuse to repent of the evil they do. A final reminder from this chapter is just how loving and gracious our God is to provide a way for us to avoid this punishment that we deserve for our rebellion against a holy God. Jesus took all of it on the cross. For those who know Him, the debt has been paid in full.
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