Teaching Notes Book of Revelation - Chapter 11

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Teaching Notes Book of Revelation - Chapter 11

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Quarantine Day 63.  Thursday.  This needs to end.
Courts are extending Zoom through at least June 2020
My guess is they are here forever.

Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

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Revelation 11

New International Version

The Two Witnesses

11 I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. 2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. 3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”[a] 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. 6 They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. 8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

11 But after the three and a half days the breath[b] of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.

13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.

The Seventh Trumpet

15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:

“The kingdom of the world has become
    the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
    and he will reign for ever and ever.”

16 And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
    the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
    and have begun to reign.
18 The nations were angry,
    and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
    and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name,
    both great and small—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.

Footnotes
Revelation 11:4 See Zech. 4:3,11,14.
Revelation 11:11 Or Spirit (see Ezek. 37:5,14)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nvVVcYD-0w&

Bible Project
Revelation 1-11

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The Two Witnesses
Verses 1-2
1And there was given me a reed like a rod, and the angel stood, saying, “Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship therein, 2but the court which is outside the temple leave out, and measure it not, for it is given to the Gentiles, and they will tread the holy city under foot forty-two months.”
Commentary:

"...forty-two months" (3½ years or 1,260 days), see note on 13:5 [1]. It defines the length of time that the "holy city" will undergo hardship. This time frame is also observed in Daniel 12:11.

This passage may have its roots in Ezekiel 40-48, in which measuring also plays a very important role. However, this passage is not just a commentary, reference, or play on those chapters of Ezekiel. It likely deals with the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem. Whether or not it is about the past or the future depends on what date the Book of Revelation was written, which of course cannot fully be ascertained. Passages such as these support a date after 70 A.D., since they seem to describe the destruction of the temple.

Significance of measuring:

       1) Necessary before rebuilding and restoring – This would make sense after the destruction of the temple in 70AD.  On the other hand, why would John want to prepare to rebuild the old temple when a new earth is being created?
2) Assessed for destruction – This would make sense only in the unlikely event that this book was written prior to 70AD.

3) Setting aside some parts to be protected – This does not fit well with the idea that all are subject to the divine judgments before this portion in the book. The theme includes the notion that everyone, including Christians, will suffer to some degree.

4) Protection from spiritual harm – If the temple here does not signify the physical building but rather the group worshipping, this could refer to keeping believers spiritually safe. The temple is symbolic of all God's followers, not only a structure to worship in. This metaphorical interpretation is consistent with 3:12 and 13:6.[1]

The measuring rod has a connection to Ezekiel 40:3:

"He took me there, and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze. He had a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway" (KJV).

"Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship therein" is an explanatory command of what John is supposed to measure on earth. He is supposed to measure the temple, the altar (which is located in the holy place), and "those who worship therein" = the counting of prients worshipping near the altar.

John is to proceed to measure the altar. Since the altar of incense is located in the holy place, which is part of the building that houses the holy of holies, this altar is more than likely the altar of burnt offerings. It (in the Herodian temple) was located in the court of the priests, which is the next area one sees when leaving the building that houses the holy of holies.
Verse 3
3“And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth.”
Commentary: While the two witnesses are unnamed, some commentaries have suggested some possible identities. Two of these interpretations include Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:1-11) or Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18) and Elijah. Even though John does not explain who these witnesses are, he does bring the reader's attention to their attire. They are said to be wearing sackcloth. This gives the reader a clue of the prophecies will entail. Attire made of sackcloth is usually indicative of a state of mourning (rf. Gen. 37:34). For they were faithful teachers of the Lord despite their trials. All who despise these witnesses and the teachers of the Lord will experience eternal death in hell rather than eternal life in Heaven. This chapter of Revelation gives hope to Christians, that even during times when the antichristians try to take over, there will be some holding firm to their ground (the witnesses)

The 1,260 days (3½ years) in this verse appears to be the same time period as the forty-two months of the preceding verse.

Verse 4
4“These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.”
Commentary: The olive trees reveal yet one more clue about the identity of the two witnesses. It is also a reference to Zechariah 4:14’s mentioning of the two anointed witnesses standing by the Lord of the entire earth. However, the iditity of the two witnesses is not revealed completely. Quite possibly, John recognized these witnesses as prophetic characters but did not know or did not have the ability to know their names, identity and character. The two candlesticks, or lampstands is this verse’s second clue about the identity of the two witnesses. It refers to Zechariah 4:11-13.

Zechariah 4:11-14, Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?” And I answered the second time and said to him, “What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?” So he answered me, saying, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.”

Verse 5
5“And if anyone hurts them, fire proceeds out of their mouths and devours their enemies, and if anyone hurts them, he must in this manner be killed.”
Commentary: Those that would try to harm them are identified at the enemies of the two witnesses. Whether or not the fire is literal or symbolic has often been debated. It may be that the fire which will proceed forth from their mouths is the Word of God. God's word has been previously compared or associated with fire in the Bible as evidenced by Jeremiah 23:29 and Ps. 119:105. It could very well be literal fire, as John describes the fire devouring the enemies and "killing" them.

Verse 6
6“These have power to shut heaven, so that it does not rain in the days of their prophecy, and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.”
Commentary: It is important to note that these two witness have been given to authority to induce plagues. Verse 6 seems to indicate that these plagues include, though are not explicitly restricted to, natural phenomenon. It has been suggested that the two witness are or at least allude to Moses and Elijah.

Verse 7
7“And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, and will overcome them, and kill them.”
Commentary: "And when they have finished their testimony" refers back to the 1260 days, or three and a half years, in Revelation 11:3. Because of these witnesses, many people will come to Jesus Christ because they were openly giving their testimony. "The beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit" refers back to the fourth scroll and the beasts that are introduced there. It is very important to John that readers understand how dangerous and bad the beasts are. While it may be hard to fathom, the beast here is not an animal, but a kingdom, or man, of course this may be figurative language that will tempt the people a final time before the judgement. "Will make war against them" is interesting because war is not typically thought of as one against two, but the power of the two witnesses is greater than that of the beast's armies. Therefore, the beast has to use every possible way to defeat the witnesses. "And will overcome them, and kill them" is the result of three and a half years of desiring this outcome. Having tormented the people without mercy, permission is possibly granted the beast to kill the witnesses. Satan is in the body of the Beast, or AntiChrist, and will kill them at the midpoint of the 7-year period.

Modern readers may associate the "bottomless pit" with Hell. This would be an error since the ancient Hebrew conception of the universe did not have a modern perception of a fiery hell deep in the earth. Although, there are elements in Revelation where hell begins to enter the picture, the ancient Hebrew conception would have been one that had Sheol directly underneath the earth and then under Sheol was the 'great deep'. Sheol is unlike hell because both the righteous and the unrighteous are sent after they die there to wait for the resurrection of the dead. Sheol might be translated 'the pit', the 'great abyss', or the 'grave' leading us to believe that the bottomless pit described here is not hell in a modern conception but a dark, slimy, pit, where both the righteous and unrighteous awaited the end times.


Verse 8
8“And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.”
Commentary:

Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem, which makes Sodom and Egypt a dysphemism for Jerusalem. The two witnesses will serve, as Christ did, as a public display for all to see. In other words, Jerusalem is a place of slavery, oppression, and immorality. Witherington postulates without citation that John may have seen pilgrims to Jerusalem somehow corrupted by the city.


Verse 9
9“And the people, kindreds, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.”
Commentary:

An unburied body was considered a soul's worst fate - the body becoming not animated life but meat - in the levantine tradition, as seen in Isiah 5.25 and Psalms 2.30.

For three and a half days the world will be celebrating the deaths of the witnesses because through their deaths, the judgments from Heaven fell onto the Earth.

Verse 10
10“And they that dwell upon the earth will rejoice over them, and make merry, and will send gifts one to another, because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.”
Commentary: Those that have survived the opening of the seals and the judgement will rejoice because they have overcome the trials and tribulations. They will also rejoice by sending gifts to one another. The two prophets that came were a torment to those who lived sinful lives on earth and were blamed for the problems that the sin had caused on the Earth.

Verse 11
11“And after three and a half days the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them which saw them.”
Commentary: This could be referring to the first resurrection of martyrs, which we learn more Chapter 20. Just as Jesus rose from the dead after 3 days, these two prophets receive eternal life from the Holy Spirit. And, just like Jesus, their bodies will be raised after 3 days. This will be a rude awakening for the world because everyone will think that they are dead, but they will live after 3 days.

Verse 12
12“And they heard a great voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up hither.’ And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.”
Commentary: The ascension of the two witnesses into heaven mirrors the story of Elijah being caught up into heaven in 2 Kings 2:11. By including the detail that the enemies of the witnesses watch the ascension, the author of the Book of Revelation is reiterating a point found repeatedly in the text: Evil does not really conquer Good, it wins temporary victories that further God's plans for the world. While it is true that the forces of the beast are able to overcome and kill God's two witnesses, the enemies of the witnesses, those who refuse to believe and worship God, are themselves witnesses to God's power and ability to grant a life beyond death for faith and loyalty.

Verse 13
13“And the same hour there was a great earthquake and a tenth of the city fell, and in the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the remainder were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.”
Commentary:

The death of seven thousand can be interpreted as a reversal of the events in 1 Kings 19.18, when god promises Elisha that seven thousand godfearing Israelites will be spared a vengeful death, while the rest will be killed as punishment for praying to Baal. Combined with the knowledge that only a tenth of the city is demolished while the rest are saved, the fate of Jerusalem, at least in this verse, is a relatively tame one.

Verse 14
14“The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe comes quickly.”
Commentary:

The promise of a third woe is not answered in chapter 11. Instead, this ominous setup leads into a hymn of praise.

The Seventh Trumpet
Verse 15
15And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”
Commentary: This is signifying that after the seventh trumpet (God's complete number and presumably the last of God's plagues on the earth) and in the end of all things, the Lord and Christ will reign over the earthly kingdom and make it his own. The voices in heaven can be seen as rejoicing because they have been waiting for this day for quite some time.

Verse 16
16And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces and worshipped God, 17saying, “We give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who is, and was, and is to come, because you have taken to yourself your great power, and have reigned.”
Commentary: Notice in this verse that God has become of reality, he is no longer "was, is, and is to come".

Verse 18
18And the nations were angry, and your wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you should reward your servants the prophets, and the saints, and those who fear your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.
Commentary: This is basically describing the scene that has just happened. Because of God's wrath, the people and non-believers of the world became angry at him, but since most of them have died, they are all going to be judged. At the same time, God is rewarding all the believers of the world with everlasting life in heaven. The last phrase is just reiterating the fact that God is punishing the sinners of the world particularly those who were a force of destruction in the world.

Verse 19
19And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of his covenant was seen in his temple, and there were lightnings, voices, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
Commentary: The ark of the covenant, which according to the Torah was used to house the original stones upon which God wrote the Ten Commandments, symbolizes law and judgment. Before the destruction of the temple in 70 CE the ark of the covenant was housed in the holiest of holies which was the innermost chamber of the temple which only the high priest was allowed to enter. After the destruction of the temple the ark became lost, something which would have been of great concern to Jews and some Christians. The fact that the ark is described in being in the heavenly temple instead of the earthly one might be an indication that the date of Revelation is after the destruction of the temple. This is the time of God’s judgment upon the Earth. Like the seventh seal, the seventh trumpet is not an end, but a new beginning. When it is sounded, yet another series of seven catastrophic judgments begins. These are the seven bowls which are poured out on the earth by seven angels coming out of the heavenly temple. But before the bowls are poured out, John is shown several things which further shed light on the events of the end.

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Zechariah 4 New International Version (NIV)

The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

4 Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep. 2 He asked me, “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps. 3 Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

4 I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

5 He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.

6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

7 “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”

8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

10 “Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone[a] in the hand of Zerubbabel?”

11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?”

12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”

13 He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I said.

14 So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to[b] serve the Lord of all the earth.”

Footnotes:
Zechariah 4:10 Or the plumb line
Zechariah 4:14 Or two who bring oil and

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Ezekiel 37 New International Version (NIV)

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”

One Nation Under One King
15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 “Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated with him.’ 17 Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.

18 “When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you tell us what you mean by this?’ 19 say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim’s hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.’ 20 Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on 21 and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. 23 They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding,[b] and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

24 “‘My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. 25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.’”

Footnotes:
Ezekiel 37:5 The Hebrew for this word can also mean wind or spirit (see verses 6-14).
Ezekiel 37:23 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts all their dwelling places where they sinned

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Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

(c) Ben Witherington III, Revelation, Cambridge University Press: New York, 2003.

Witherington, Ben. Revelation. Cambridge Univeristy Press, 2003.

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Biblical_Studies/New_Testament_Commentaries/Revelation/Chapter_11

17 USC § 107 Fair Use.  No claim of monetary remuneration on same.

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END

Teaching Notes Book of Revelation - Chapter 10

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Teaching Notes Book of Revelation - Chapter 10

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Quarantine Day 62.  Thursday.  This needs to end.

Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

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Revelation 10

New International Version

The Angel and the Little Scroll

10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”

5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! 7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’[a]” 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”

Footnotes
Revelation 10:9 Ezek. 3:3

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nvVVcYD-0w&

Bible Project
Revelation 1-11

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The Angel with the Little Book
Verse 1
1And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.
Commentary: The description of this angel in particular in interesting because it draws on images from several other places. Firstly, the cloud image quite possibly refers to the dream-like quality of John's revelation. The rainbow part of the description refers back to God's covenant with Noah. By using this symbol, John is emphasizing the fact that the goal of the plagues and judgments is to cause people to repent and come back to God. John's reference to the face like the sun, hearkens back to the way in which John described Jesus at the beginning of the Book of Revelation. The legs life pillars of fire evoke imagery of the pillar of fire that led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness. So far 2 angelic beings are marked as mighty or strong. The first angel identified as mighty appears in Revelation 5:2. There may be some significance or distinguishing mark about "mighty angels" versus John just using the term angel. In Revelation 5, the angel is a revelatory angel that acts as a messenger between God and man, carry critical information to pass on. This also poses the question of whether or not there is some sort of hierarchical system among the angels in Heaven. There has also been some suggestion that the mighty angel is in fact Christ, however there seems to be no good reason why the author would then identify the figure as an angle instead of Christ. The imagery of the angel complete with rainbow, a face like the sun, and legs which were as pillars of fire seems to suggest that this figure is a positive one rather in contrast with the graphic descriptions of other figures in Revelation which bring death.

The rainbow image associated with the avenging angel can be interpreted as an allusion to an older apocalyptic act by a vengeful god -- the rainbow was the symbol of the covenant between god and Noah. Witherington imagines that this then, is a sign of hope of salvation for a godfearing few.

Verses 2-3
2And he had in his hand a little book open, and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, 3and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars, and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
Commentary:

The fact that the angel is on both land and sea shows that this message is for everyone in heaven, on earth, and hell. It also shows that both land and sea are under the authority of this mighty angel. This open book can be contrasted to the scroll mentioned in Revelation 5, as this book is opened and exposed, revealing things to come to John.It speaks of the coming of Christ, the millennium kingdom, the heavens, and the final judgement. It is also interesting that this little book, or scroll, is already opened, as opposed to the previous scrolls that had all been sealed. The idea of the open book suggest that there is no secret hidden inside to reveal. The cry with a loud voice is a term that is mentioned multiple times in the book of Revelation and may be a typical oratorical communication used to convey critical messages by the heavenly beings. The planting of feet on the sea and dry land shows that Jesus has authority over all of the earth. This also shows that he inherets the earth as being Messiah.

Verse 4
4And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write, and I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.”
Commentary:

The Lord showed John a glimpse of what the end of time would bring. As John is getting ready to write about this, the Lord tells him to not write a thing. Many have said that John was shown a vision that no one else was as a means to comfort John during troubled times. Therefore, showing him a glimpse of what will happen on Judgement day gave John some relief.

This passage is especially interesting since John is instructed to not write something down, which seems counter to the rest of the book. This shows that his purpose was not, in fact, to write down everything, but only to write down what he was directed to. This makes his purpose, and the purpose of the book, much more specific. It is not meant to be all encompassing, but instead it only conveys very specific information. In other words, the book is intended to be incomplete, instead of a full record of what will come. It is not for John, or his audience to know everything.

As a syntactical point, this is first instance in the text in which the author indicates that he is recording all of these things. The voice is an example that John is to only record what he is instructed, and not what he is experiencing. Within the frame of the narrative John displays, it is now shown that these events transpire, and John records them journalistically. It is still uncertain if these images are poetic, prophetic, allusions to the past or present, or any of the other varieties of interpretations.

Verses 5-7
5And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven 6and swore by him that lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, and the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be time no longer, 7but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he will begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he has declared to his servants the prophets.
Commentary: In this translation, the mighty angel proclaims, "there should be time no longer." As many commentaries suggest, this phrase with the Greek word "chronos" (generally translated as "time") should not be interpreted literally. In other words, time will continue to exist; it will not fold or dissolve into eternity. Instead, this proclamation can be understood as an answer to the question posed by saints under the altar in Revelation 6:10. They essentially ask, "How much longer until God's judgment is carried out?" Here we see the mighty angel responding to that cry. Other translations suggest that the angel announces, "There will be no more delay." This seems to indicate that the sounding of the seventh trumpet is imminent. The mystery of God refers to all that has previously been revealed and is leading up to the end. Some believe that he is referring to "mystery of God" because man is uncertain and unable to tell what God will do next.

The confusion that may have occurred at the beginning of the chapter about who the "strong angel" is has now been cleared up. Although there are parallels that can be drawn between the "strong angel" and Jesus Christ, this passage clears that blurry line up. The angel being Jesus is really limited when John states "and the angel;" while it is indeed a unique angel, it is most certainly not Jesus Christ.

John Eats the Little Book
Verses 8-10
8And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again, and said, “Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which stands upon the sea and upon the earth.” 9And I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take it and eat it, and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be sweet as honey in your mouth.” 10And I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but as soon as I had eaten it, my stomach was bitter.
Commentary: The "little book" or little scroll, is mentioned earlier in the chapter. There are many interpretations of the angel's stance. The angel's dominion may be over land and the sea, this expression could be used to show that the message is applicable to everyone, or the angel may truly be a mighty or large angel. The phrase "Take it and eat it" is a parallel to the verses found in Ezekiel 2 & 3 (vv 8-3:3) in which a man is also given a scroll and is instructed to eat it, the taste of which he describes as sweet as honey. The reasoning behind eating the book and the significance of the bitter feeling, but sweet taste is widely debated and merely speculatively interpreted. Some believe the bitter coupled with sweetness demonstrates the grievous feelings that John would experience with the revelation of the impending destruction and state of the world intermingled with sweet or future hopeful events for the righteous. Ezekiel was instructed, almost 700 years earlier, to eat the scroll and deliver the message to the people of Israel, so John is most likely intended to deliver the message also. He was most likely intended to deliver the second half of the tribulation because chapter ten takes place just before the second half.

C. Koestler has speculated that this little scroll is an overture to the bloody denouement of Revelation, serving as John's further prophesies. John here sheds his role of observer and becomes an actor. That the scroll is initially sweet and ultimately bitter suggests a final hopelessness and discomfort that is contradicted elsewhere in the book. This image seems to undermine the central concern of Revelation -- that though god's judgement is violent and fearful, it is a required step toward salvation.

The idea of eating scrolls or other sacred scripture is found elsewhere in the Bible. In the ancient Hebrew context there was not a separation between the physical and the spiritual like we have in modern times. For example, the same word for heart was used to describe their ancient conception of the abstract concept of the mind and at the same time for what we know now to be a cardiac muscle. So when the writer says to "eat" the scripture he is more or less saying to read it, memorize it, and to absorb it. In general, the symbolism is meant to give the reader an idea of how important what is written on the scrolls is.

Verse 11
11And he said to me, “You must prophesy again before many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”
Commentary: This is a contrasting statement to John being told earlier that he should not write something down. It also exemplifies that John is not seeing these visions to record everything he senses, but more-so to write down what God has specifically told him in order to get a certain point across. This also adds to the idea that this work is incomplete and not an exact chronology of what the apocalypse is supposed to entail.

The term "must" is the closest translation to the Greek verb for divine necessity. John has no other choice because this is God’s implicit will. John is called to be a prophet by God, he is expected to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the message of God. The term before is from the Greek word epi, meaning against.

The next 10 chapters is focused on the wrath of God and the fulfillment of His promise, bringing justice, and God’s judgment of his people.

The Last part of this verse “many peoples and nations and tongues and kings” defines the audience of Johns prophecy, it is a list of four ethnic groups, it is the third time of seven times that it is mentioned in the book of Revelation. (Fun fact: never in these 7 times is the order of the nations, tongues, kings, and peoples in the same order. Perhaps this shows that John focused on universality, or is just a fluke)

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Here are Old Testament Citations Relevant to Revelation 10

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Here is Daniel 12

Daniel 12 New International Version (NIV)
The End Times
12 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise[a] will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”

7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time.[b] When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”

8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”

9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

11 “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.

13 “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”

Footnotes:
Daniel 12:3 Or who impart wisdom
Daniel 12:7 Or a year, two years and half a year

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Here is Ezekiel 2 and 3

Ezekiel’s Call to Be a Prophet
2 He said to me, “Son of man,[a] stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” 2 As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

3 He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. 4 The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ 5 And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious people—they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. 8 But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”

9 Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, 10 which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.

Footnotes
Ezekiel 2:1 The Hebrew phrase ben adam means human being. The phrase son of man is retained as a form of address here and throughout Ezekiel because of its possible association with “Son of Man” in the New Testament.

Ezekiel 3
New International Version
3 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

3 Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

4 He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. 5 You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel— 6 not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. 7 But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. 8 But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. 9 I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.”

10 And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. 11 Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen.”

12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing.[a] 13 It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound. 14 The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord on me. 15 I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days—deeply distressed.

Ezekiel’s Task as Watchman
16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for[b] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.

20 “Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 21 But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

22 The hand of the Lord was on me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.” 23 So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown.

24 Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. 25 And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people. 26 I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious people. 27 But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are a rebellious people.

Footnotes
Ezekiel 3:12 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text sound—may the glory of the Lord be praised from his place
Ezekiel 3:18 Or in; also in verses 19 and 20

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Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

(c) Ben Witherington III, Revelation, Cambridge University Press: New York, 2003.

Witherington, Ben. Revelation. Cambridge Univeristy Press, 2003.

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Biblical_Studies/New_Testament_Commentaries/Revelation/Chapter_10

17 USC § 107 Fair Use.  No claim of monetary remuneration on same.

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Teaching Notes Book of Revelation - Chapter 9

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Teaching Notes Book of Revelation - Chapter 9

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Quarantine Day 62.  Thursday.  This needs to end.

Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

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Revelation 9

New International Version

9 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.

13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.

17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.

20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nvVVcYD-0w&

Bible Project
Revelation 1-11

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The Fifth Trumpet
Verse 1
14And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven to the earth, and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Commentary: It is commonly accepted that the star falling from this trumpet is actually some sort of being, because of the fact that it is given a key to open the abyss. Many believe that the star could actually be seen as Satan. Part of the reason for viewing the fallen star as Satan can be found in the foreshadowing from Isaiah Chapter 14 verse 12, "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations." Ezekiel 28 is also thought to contain a similar reference. It may also be relevant to note that in Revelation chapter 11 Satan is depicted as being thrown down to earth from heaven. The word for abyss would have brought to mind to the readers the original chaotic pre-creation waters in the beginning of Genesis. It was here also that Leviathan, the great sea monster, was thought to live. Although some might argue that the star being that opens this “Pandora’s Box” of torment is evil, John clearly tells us that it receives the key from Heaven. Again, God is in control of the divine judgment. This is not an evenly matched battle between Satan and God, but rather an attempt by God to dramatically call people to repent before the final judgment. [1]

Verse 2
2And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke rose out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.
Commentary: The bottomless pit is believed to be an abyss. The abyss is the place of residence of Satan and following demons, which are expected to deceive and destroy. The abyss is originally thought to be the flood that once covered the earth and that God confined. It is supposedly the place were evil creatures are kept, such as the sea monster Leviathan. This is a relevant theory considering what is to come out of the smoke, referring to the locusts in verse 3. It is also easy to think of the abyss as a place for the evil creatures and a great furnace for its' closeness to Hell and most peoples images of the underworld. The smoke from the furnace will not only cover and hide the sun's light but in a spiritual sense will hide the Light of God.

The concept of an abyss wherein beasts and monsters and fallen angels are trapped is not unique to Revelation; it can be found in Isiah, Enoch, and Jubilee.

Verses 3-6
3And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth, and to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power, 4and they were commanded to not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only those who have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months, and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he strikes a man. 6And in those days people will seek death, but will not find it, and they will desire to die, but death will flee from them.
Commentary: These locusts have been interpreted in different ways. Some say that they are demons, others that they symbolize a huge army.The enemies of the Church of Christ are often noted to be locusts. This is because they come in large numbers and because they have the capability to be very destructive. Regardless, they only have authority to hurt those "who have not the seal of God in their foreheads.” In 14:1, the 144,000 are described as having God's name "written on their foreheads," and 22:4 says that God’s servants "shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads." These are among several figures of speech used in Revelation which appear to refer to the same thing: having the "seal of God" on their foreheads; having the "Father's name" on their foreheads; having access to the "hidden manna"; etc. For more on this fascinating topic, see the commentary on 3:12 [1].

Verses 7-8
7And the shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for battle, and on their heads were crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
Commentary: A theory exists that the images that John describes as locusts are actually military helicopters. Because of the time of authorship, John would not have had the vocabulary to adequately denote what he was seeing, the theory suggests. However, this theory should certainly be taken with a grain of salt. While it is true that that John would not have possessed the language to describe helicopters, there is otherwise extremely little to suggest that these could be helicopters. For example, this description uses anthropomorphic language, which indicates that these locusts resemble humans in some way. If it is a helicopter, then what are the crowns, faces, hair, and teeth? Perhaps, the teeth of lions shows the sharpness and ability to shred and break things into pieces, exhibiting the great power behind the "locusts."Furthermore, the book of Revelation is packed full of bizarre imagery which leaves countless readers perplexed. It may be the natural tendency to thrust meaning upon the more obscure passages, but these claims should be examined carefully.

Verses 9-10
9And they had breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots and horses running to battle. 10And they had tails like scorpions and there were stings in their tails, and their power was to hurt mankind five months.
Commentary: The breastplates of iron is referring to the animal like characteristics like horses equipped for battle, mentioned in verse 7. The sound of these locusts is to show the tremendous number and power they hold. The very purpose of these creature is to bother, harass, and terrorize mankind. The tails of these insects is also to show the power, authority, and terror that these creatures are have over man. This passage is similar to the plague of locusts in Egypt in Exodus 10:1-18. This verse also can remind the reader of the full armor of God in Paul's letter to Ephesus in Ephesians 6:13-14.

Verse 11
11And they had a king over them who is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue is Apollyon.
Commentary: This verse figures a very interesting character, who is portrayed in several different ways. First and foremost, he is a celestrial figure who is given charge of the locusts who plague humanity. While this may appear to make Abaddon/Apollyon a malevolent figure, it is important to remember that God has given Abaddon this appointment as part of the judgments intended to cause humanity to repent. The name Abaddon is Hebrew for destroyer or an idea likened to the Greco-Roman idea of Hades, and Apollyon has ssimiliar connotations, but, according to Witherington, also can be connected with the Greek God, Apollo, whose symbol was the locust, and after whom Emperor Domitian styled himself as.

In extra-canonical texts, Abaddon has been identified as the angel of death, but there are still other who argue that Abaddon is Satan or the anti-Christ.

Verse 12
12One woe is past. Behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
Commentary: This verse is simply saying that the fifth trumpet has sounded and sent devastation to the disbelievers on earth. There will be two more to come to come from the sixth and seventh trumpet blasts. This is also an indication that chronology and sequence is important to correctly understand the book of Revelation.

The Sixth Trumpet
Verses 13-14
13And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice, from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, “Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.”
Commentary: The Euphrates River begins in eastern Turkey, then flows through Syria and Iraq to the Persian Gulf. The location of the Garden of Eden was said to be at the junction of the Euphrates with the Tigris, just north of the Persian Gulf. The voice is coming from the trumpets. These trumpets are in praise of God, from the altar of God. God responds to the sixth angel, who has the trumpet. There is a difficulty in this verse, however, because we can't be sure who the four angels are. There were the angels mentioned in verse 7:1, but these are bound, indicating a different set of angels.

Witherington supposes an importance for the location of the Euphrates as a dividing line of civilization. Wicked hordes lived beyond the river -- the oppressing Babylonians and Assyrians, in Jewish histories; and the Parthian hordes in the contemporary Roman era.

Verse 15
15And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year to slay a third of mankind.
Commentary: It is suggestive that the time frame is symbolic to mean that these four angels were in a constant preparative state and could inflict pain, pestilence, and kill those in which they were assigned to slay. Some scholars, however, believe that the time specificity are divisions representative of prophetical periods. Some believe that this means that one third of mankind will be slain. These four angels are "demons of death" that are released to kill mankind. This also clearly indicates the predetermined will of God and that He had a specific purpose in mind for these angels and now their time has come.

Verse 16
16And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred million, and I heard the number of them.
Commentary: It may be that the large number is just to give the reader a picture of the vastness of the approaching multitude of horsemen and that all the soldiers were employed to fight in this battle. The battle refers to the battle of all the countries. It is possible that the attacking horsemen outnumbered the entire Middle Eastern population at the time of writing. Some conspiracy theorists believe that this number today could be seen as the Chinese who claim to have a standing army of 200 million. However, this is just speculation to try and tie the apocalypse to modern times.

Verse 17
17And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone, and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions, and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
Commentary: "Out of their mouths issued fire and brimstone": It is an interesting description, considering that at the time of writing, armies fought with swords and clubs. It is interesting to note the primary color vibrancy of red, blue, and yellow; the first being the color of fire, the second of jacinth, and the third of sulphur. The fire and smoke issued forth from their mouths may be a figurative expression employed to demonstrate the power of destruction, fierceness, and mighty force or it may be a representative statement of the use of gunpowder.

Witherington writes that the feared Parthian horsemen rode horses with brightly colored breastplates, and links this verse with descriptions of Parthians in Horace and Martial.

Verses 18-19
18By these three a third of mankind was killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the brimstone which issued out of their mouths, 19for their power was in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails were like serpents, and had heads, and with them they do harm.
Commentary:

Witherington finds meaning in the image of horses with biting tails in descriptions of mounted Partian archery whereby the riders could shoot arrows facing forward or back.

The fire, smoke, and brimstone appear to be a form of plague, according to John.

Verses 20-21
20And the rest of the people who were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk, 21repented not of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornications, nor of their thefts.
Commentary: This verse suggests that the fundamental purpose of these judgments, specifically the trumpets, is to provoke repentance. Even though those without the seal of God are subjected to these horrific woes, they continue in their sinful ways. Most commentaries conclude that humanity actually becomes even more hardened in their wicked ways after these judgments. The Greek word "pharmakon" is translated here as "sorceries." This likely refers to use the of magical spells, charms, and potions in order to achieve some end. This verse has striking similarities to the story of Pharaoh in Exodus. Just like humanity maintains their wicked ways after the trumpets, Pharaoh maintains his hardened heart even after the plagues.

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Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

(c) Ben Witherington III, Revelation, Cambridge University Press: New York, 2003.

Witherington, Ben. Revelation. Cambridge Univeristy Press, 2003.

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Biblical_Studies/New_Testament_Commentaries/Revelation/Chapter_9

17 USC § 107 Fair Use.  No claim of monetary remuneration on same.

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