At the sounding of the sixth trumpet, four angels are unleashed. They are angels of vengeance, executing God's judgment through warfare on earth.
We read in verse 16 about the size of the army, which is enormous. Throughout history, numerous wars have been fought, accompanied by enormous armies; however, in the end times, warfare is expected to escalate. We read, “And the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred thousand.” It says literally translated, “Twice ten thousands of ten thousands.” It is a play on Psalm 68:18: “God's chariots are twenty thousand, the thousands doubled.” A thousand represents a complete army unit in Hebrew. Ten thousand signifies a full army. “Ten thousand of ten thousand,” thus refers to a complete army in the superlative degree. Verse 17 then describes the army. How terrifying it is! The color of the breastplates matches what emerges from their mouths. Red symbolizes fire from their mouths. Dark blue symbolizes smoke from their mouths. Yellow represents sulfur (brimstone) from their mouths. Verse 18 reveals the result of this terrifying army's work: one-third of humanity is killed! An enormous number, yet still limited. It’s not yet the day of the Second Coming, the great day of judgment. The purpose of this disaster is solely to call for repentance! Verse 19 emphasizes the army's power. Their strength lies both in front (mouth) and behind (tails). Basically, everywhere — like the serpent and the scorpion. Who can stand against this destructive force? No one. But even though all of this serves as a warning and a call to repentance, we read in verse 20a that no one repents. True repentance requires God's Word! That’s why it comes first in the end times. That’s why the church's greatest task is to proclaim the Word, including mission and evangelism. And in verses 20b and 21, we see that sins against the first and second commandments continue. People worship idols made of gold, silver, copper, stone, and wood — living for everything the world offers, without God. A life devoid of God. There is also evil towards neighbor: malice, fornication, and theft. What a powerful call to the church to proclaim the Word in a world that’s falling apart, burdened by evil, and refusing to repent!