Monday, 11 January 2021
And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. Revelation 9:9
John is attempting to describe the “locusts” he sees in his vision. So far, he has seen…
They can be commanded.
They can target their enemies without hitting objects around them.
They are not given the authority to kill them, but only to torment them.
Their torment is painful and so horrifying that those targeted will seek death and not find it.
They are like “horses prepared for battle.”
They have “crowns of something like gold.”
They have the faces of men.
They have hair like women’s hair.
They have teeth like lion’s teeth.
In this, they have minutely described modern jet fighters and their ability to attack specific targets, destroying infrastructure while protecting human life. This is exactly what occurred during the Gulf War and other recent wars, such as in Israel’s skirmishes against those in Gaza and elsewhere. The descriptions are exactly as you would expect from a man 2000 years ago. John now continues, saying, “And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron.”
John, not having an understanding of modern metallurgy, describes a modern fighter as best as he could, saying “iron” instead of “titanium,” or “aluminum.” But the description is marvelously accurate other than the exact type of metal. To someone who had never seen a modern jet fighter, it would appear as a locust with a metal breastplate. And more, John next says, “and the sound of their wings.”
First, John identifies the sound as coming from the wings. That precisely identifies this as a jet fighter, not a helicopter, a supposed human/angel hybrid, or a rocket. Rather, John is seeing modern jet fighters whose wings are “like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle.”
The comparison is so precise that it is uncanny.
If one watches a movie like Ben Hur and listens closely to the sound as the horses come by, the comparison becomes obvious. This link will take you to a suitable time frame from the classic movie – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3QM0b3MqqQ
From there, you can go to any recorded flyby of a jet fighter, and the sound is practically identical. This link is set to the appropriate time – https://youtu.be/5GuSg8BHO4w?t=118
John used Roman-era sound that he was aware of to describe something that would not be known for two thousand years, and he did so exactingly. As you watch the jet fighter video, think on the other descriptions John has given concerning these “locusts.” They are uncanny in how beautifully John presented them as he wrote out the pages of Revelation on the exile island of Patmos.
Life application: John’s vision is a terrifying and tremendous comparison to a modern war waged with fighter jets that are specifically targeting infrastructure to weaken an enemy without killing people. The air force is using extreme restraint in their attacks. This is something one would expect from a nation not intent on destroying its enemies but only crippling their ability to retaliate.
One can see the future from John’s perspective, united with the reality of our modern-day, in what John is describing. This tells us that Jesus Christ, who relayed these prophetic visions to John, is the Master of time. He transcends it because He created it. He is not bound to it, and therefore He can present the future to us as if it has already come to pass. In Him is the spirit of prophecy because He is JESUS!
Lord God, it is amazing to read the descriptions of future events in Scripture and to see that they accurately and minutely describe visions that we can now properly interpret, such as the engagement of a modern battle with fully equipped jet fighters. We know that You are the Creator of time, and therefore You can and have revealed the future to us. We know that You are in complete control, and so we can trust in You to care for us, just as You have promised. Praises to You, O God, for confirming Your word through prophecy to give us a sure and blessed hope. Amen.