A Third Part of Men Killed Revelation 9:18

As John the apostle continued to share about the “tribulation” that was to come upon the earth, he shared concerning the first six seals Jesus removed from the “scroll” in God's right hand. He wrote about what happened when Jesus, “had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets … And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first, second, third, fourth and fifth angels” blew their trumpets, and great judgment fell upon the earth. John continued, “And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates, and the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And 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.” In chapter nine and verse eighteen of Revelation John shared “three” things by which a “third part of men” were “killed” where we read:

By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire,

and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

The verse reads, “By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, ...” John began with the words, “by these three” which means “through and by way of the three things John will mention” “was the third part” or “was one third” “of men” which refers to “of people whether male or female” “killed” or “destroyed, perished, extinguished and abolished”, “by the fire” which refers to “though the fire which was borne by the horsemen”. John began to list “three” ways by which one third of the people are earth were “killed”. The first was by “fire” which the horsemen bore.

The verse continues, “... and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.” John added the words, “and by the smoke” which means “and through and by way of smoke which is from burning”, “and by the brimstone” or “and through or by way of sulfur like material”, “which issued” which means “went and flowed forth, proceeded, and departed” “out of their mouths” or “away from the opening in their mouths used for speaking and language”. John saw “fire, smoke and brimstone” proceeding from the “horses'” mouths.

When we consider John's words in this verse, we see the effect of the “fire, smoke and brimstone” upon the people on the earth. One third of the people who have survived all the previous judgments will be killed by the “horsemen” in this huge army. God does not desire for people to be destroyed by these things, and He has provided a way to escape them through a relationship with His Son Jesus. Though these “horsemen” shall “abolish” this “third” of the people living, those who are reading these words do not have to be a part of their destruction.

Next time John describes, “their power is in their mouth, and in their tails”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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