And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 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. 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. During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 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. They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 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).
The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.
The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 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. The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.
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. A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 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.
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. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
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As we have noted, the repeated patterns of seven and parallels such as the pause between seals six and seven and between trumpets six and seven (Rev. 7; 10:1–11:14) most likely indicate that Revelation is not providing a strict chronology of end-of-days events. Instead, it is looking at the same things again and again from different perspectives. The visions John receives look at the entire era between Christ’s ascension and return, occasionally making references to first-century events such as the destruction of Jerusalem and the Roman persecution of Christians. In other words, Revelation shows us the kinds of things that have occurred, are presently occurring, and will continue to occur until Jesus returns.
We see this especially with the sounding of the seventh trumpet. John hears this trumpet in today’s passage, and it results in an announcement from heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15). In turn, God and His Son are worshiped because they have begun to reign and to judge the earth (vv. 16–18).
It may seem strange to speak of the kingdom of the world becoming the kingdom of “our Lord and of his Christ,” for Scripture teaches that God has always reigned over the universe (Pss. 10:16; 29:10). Certainly, we must not forget that our Creator is sovereign over all, ordaining whatsoever comes to pass according to His perfect will (Eph. 1:11).
However, today’s passage does not have that sovereign, all-controlling rule of God in view. Scripture refers to another type of divine reign, God’s rule over a cosmos in willing subjection to Him. This rule is exercised through His appointed human king. Originally, this reign was given to all humanity through Adam, as we were commanded to take dominion over creation for God’s glory. When Adam sinned, we lost this right to rule, and the cosmos was subject to futility in rebellion against the Lord (Gen. 1–3; Rom. 8:19–22). Thankfully, God in His grace purposed to restore this rule and reign, preeminently in His Messiah, His anointed King who would be set over all nations. Psalm 2 tells us of the enthronement of this King and the submission of the nations to Him. Revelation 11:15–19 echoes this passage, pointing to its fulfillment in Christ. Jesus is the truly human King, who is also truly divine, in whom God’s reign over a creation no longer in rebellion to Him is reestablished.
Coram Deo
This phrase literally refers to something that takes place in the presence of, or before the face of, God. To live Coram Deo means to live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God.
God’s reign over a creation that willingly serves Him was reestablished in Christ, who ascended to God’s right hand. He sat down there, ruling and reigning until all things are put under His feet. Jesus is reigning even now, and all creation is groaning as we await the King’s return. As subjects of that reign, we must willingly obey Him and tell others of His kingship.
This commentary was copied from the Ligonier.org website:
https://learn.ligonier.org/devotionals/the-seventh-trumpet
