Second Woe: Battle

"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." (Revelation 9:17-19 - New International Version)

I believe in verses seventeen to nineteen, John is trying to describe a modern army in terms familiar to him. There are three distinct colors that he observes among this force. Some are wearing armor the color of fire, which would be orange or red. Some are wearing the color of jacinth, probably sapphire, which is blue. Some are wearing the color of brimstone, which is yellow.

It is impossible to identify this army based on these colors. However, the only soldiers, of which I am aware, that wear blue are those operating under United Nations control. This army, in my opinion, will be multinational.

An even more difficult question is the cause for this battle. According to the writing of many, the Antichrist at this time, should have an iron grip upon the nations of the world with a worldwide government firmly in place. This view makes good preaching but is both unrealistic and unnecessary to the fulfillment of prophecy.

The Antichrist will establish a loose worldwide government. But even in the face of great problems, many national governments will be slow to accept his authority. Throughout the Tribulation, he will be embroiled in the political turmoil of trying to enforce his policies. These policies will be implemented to varying degrees in different parts of the world.

The events described in this passage would indicate that at this time, there is a full fledged rebellion against the world government. Possibly led by the Asian countries tired of being told what to do by the West. The Antichrist mobilizes an army to suppress this challenge. The combined forces of these opposing sides number two hundred million.

From John's description and the results of the fighting, the battle may go something like this. In the beginning, it is a conventional fight. However, either as part of their plan going into the battle, or because they are losing the fight, one side decides to use tactical nuclear weapons. These are missiles with small warheads of limited range capable of totally destroying an area a few miles in radius.

Such an attack would bring an immediate counter attack using similar weapons. This quickly escalates into a limited nuclear exchange that directly and indirectly will kill one third of the world's population. When the smoke clears, the Antichrist has won the war.

Rather than dismantling what is left of his huge army, the Antichrist turns his attention toward another troublesome area: Israel. He turns his army towards Jerusalem and begins moving in that direction. At this time, the battle of Armageddon is only a few weeks away.