The Language of a Seer

Last week, in the discussion of the book of Revelation, I had arrived at the fifth and sixth trumpet, as described in Revelation 9. It is part of the series of trumpets that announce the jubilee year, the beginning of the great Millennium (Rev. 20), the Sabbath day for this world.

The setting of ‘the trumpets’

At the sounding of the trumpets, the land of Israel has by then come into the possession of the only rightful heir, namely “the little Lambkin slain” but standing, that is, “the Lion of Judah.” Also, the twelve tribes have by then been gathered from all nations, and the throne is established in Jerusalem (Rev. 7). From this throne the Kingdom will then be extended over the entire world of nations. The seven trumpets that are sounded from that point on are as many judgments over the nations; increasing in intensity each time.

The first six trumpets

The first four trumpets (Rev. 8) ‘only’ affect humanity indirectly:

1. the first trumpet: 1/3 of the vegetation is struck;
2. the second trumpet: 1/3 of the sea is struck;
3. the third trumpet: 1/3 of the rivers and springs is struck;
4. the fourth trumpet: 1/3 of the heavens is darkened.

But with the fifth and sixth trumpet (Rev. 9), people are directly affected. During the fifth trumpet, 1/3 of mankind undergoes pain for five months, which is compared to a scorpion’s sting. But the judgment of the sixth trumpet goes even further, because then 1/3 of mankind is killed.

Realistic language

The description of what will take place during the blowing of the fifth and sixth trumpet comes across as partly realistic. This applies to the pain that people will undergo during the fifth trumpet, but also to the period in which this will occur. The description of the sixth trumpet is, though severe, also partly recognizable. This applies to the indicated location from which the disasters will unfold (at the river Euphrates), as well as to the nature of the disasters to which people will succumb: fire, smoke, and sulfur.

Here is the faithful and literal English translation of your provided text:

The ‘locusts’ at the fifth trumpet

But as realistic as the aforementioned may be, just as surreal is the portrayal of the ‘locusts’ (at the fifth trumpet) and the ‘horses’ (at the sixth trumpet). To begin with the ‘locusts’: they emerge from the smoke of a water reservoir from the abyss (9:2–3). This intriguing detail I will leave aside for now and limit myself to the description of the locusts as such:

1. the appearance of the locusts was like horses (verse 7);
2. on their heads were wreaths like gold (verse 7);
3. their faces were like faces of humans (verse 7);
4. they had hair like women’s hair (verse 8);
5. their teeth were like lions’ teeth (verse 8);
6. they had breastplates like iron breastplates (verse 9);
7. the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots of many horses (verse 9);
8. they have tails like scorpions and stingers in their tails (verse 10).

One thing should be clear: these are not ordinary locusts. This is also confirmed by the fact that these locusts have a king over them, who likewise comes out of the abyss (9:11), while ordinary locusts, even according to the Bible, have no king (Prov. 30:27). What is remarkable is that John speaks of ‘locusts’ while their appearance is like horses, and they also have teeth like those of lions, and tails like those of scorpions, but their faces are like those of humans. What is John seeing here? Realize that John is not experiencing a nightmare or an LSD trip here, but was given a vision from God.

Symbolic?

One could dismiss the question by saying that, since this is a vision, we therefore should not take such language literally. But that is concluded too quickly. That John sees these locusts in a vision is correct, and this is also explicitly stated in 9:17. But does it follow from that that the description is therefore symbolic? One may easily claim that, but can one also explain what these symbols then mean? Why should we take the five months and the pain literally, but not the rest of the description? Merely because we are not yet able to interpret certain phenomena?

Visionary language

Also note that in his description of the ‘locusts’, John tells what he sees and not what it is. John does not recognize the phenomenon and therefore expresses himself in comparisons to what the various things remind him of. That is, in general, important for understanding the language of a visionary. Try to imagine how someone from the first century would describe things if he were allowed to take a look into the twenty-first century. He would see countless things that he would not be able to place or name at all. He would have arrived in a magical world, completely unreal! The concept of ‘airplane’ is unknown to him, and he might describe it as a gigantic, glittering, smoke-producing bird. And how would he describe television, radio, electric light, helicopters, rockets, drones, telephones, computers, and the internet? Since he does not know these phenomena and their names, he is therefore compelled to make use of words that the things remind him of, expressed in the language of the time in which he lives.

Time travel

Well then, John has made such a time travel and has been transported from the first century to “the day of the Lord” (Rev. 1:10). He saw things that will, at that time, be reality. Even readers in the year 2020 are still unable to identify the ‘locusts’ of Revelation 9. In our perception, they most resemble bio-robots or genetically modified beings. But I hasten to add that I could very well be missing the mark even with that. For the time of the sixth trumpet is, in my view, at least still a decade away from us. In the meantime, so much can still be discovered but also developed. Things of which we currently have no idea whatsoever. The book is not called the ‘Apocalypse’ (= unveiling) for nothing – it describes the time in which matters that were previously hidden come to light.

The ‘horses’ at the sixth trumpet

Just like the ‘locusts’, the ‘horses’ in Revelation 9 also come across to us as very unreal. Below is a brief description of them:

1. the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions
2. from their mouths came fire and smoke and sulfur
3. the authority of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails
4. their tails are like snakes with heads, and with them they injure

Just as John does not recognize these ‘horses’, so we too in the year 2020 still do not recognize them. Although… in one respect, the description has become easier for us to understand than it was for John at the time. For what is striking is that the danger does not come from those who control the ‘horses’, but from the ‘horses’ themselves. Traditionally, in the cavalry, the riders were dangerous. The horses merely served for transport. But in modern warfare that has changed: not the operators, but the vehicles such as tanks, airplanes, and drones are the danger. That is also the case with the ‘horses’ at the sixth trumpet: from their ‘mouths’ comes destructive fire, smoke, and sulfur. And the ‘riders’ merely control these horses.

Finally

Let us not too quickly dismiss the language of the ‘Apocalypse’ as symbolism. John has written down what he saw. Concretely. Some things can only be understood at the time when the prophecies come to fulfillment. It is only since relatively recently that we can understand how the whole world will be able to see “the two witnesses” lying dead for three and a half days on the temple square (Rev. 11:9). TV and internet make that possible—and now they are even self-evident. Also think of the mark on the forehead or on the right hand, by which one will be able to buy and sell (Rev. 13). Since the development of computer chips and biometric technology, we have become aware that this development could become reality in the foreseeable future. In short, the book of Revelation is ultra-realistic and confronts us with matters for which—even we, in the year 2020—are often not yet ready!

Delen: