16 The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.
That’s a lot of troops! That number of troops could overwhelm any defensive force, short of nuclear weapon deployment. They could come so fast that the bullets could not be loaded in the weapons fast enough to stop the attack. They would be running at the defensive line for weeks straight, unending, unrelenting. And what I find interesting is that John says “I heard their number.” I think John not only heard the angel say there were 200,000,000 troops, but John also heard the hoofs of those 200,000,000 horses. What a sound! I can guarantee any army in the world would be shaken by the sound of 200,000,000 horses. The ground would be trembling under the deafening sound of those advancing troops. And the result will be a third of humankind will be killed in their wake. If they were to advance today over two billion people would be dead. So why tell about this coming destruction? Why let people know what their fate is if they reject the truth? The truth is told, in all its ugliness, in order to give people the opportunity to turn to God and start a relationship with Him. God’s desire is for people to avoid this kind of destruction. He offers rescue. We must just respond to His invitation. God’s desire is for us to live a live now that mirrors our life in heaven. He wants us to experience the peace and freedom of heaven right now while we live here on earth. In a world of turmoil, both inside ourselves and in the world around us, peace and freedom are a welcome respite. Because there is a time, sometime in the future, when those 200,000,000 troops come they will remove peace and freedom from the world. Their destruction will be part of God’s judgment on this world in preparation for the new heaven and new earth where Jesus-followers will live with all the heavenly creations for all eternity.
The Arnold Journey 