Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: all;hopespringseternal; sola gracia; webstersII; TomSmedley; OwenKellogg; webwide; sheltonmac...
A few times I've noted on this thread the following reference to 100,000,000 horses:
100,000,000 horses and soldiers in an age of jets and nuclear weapons?

The correct number is 200,000,000 and the only reference is in Rev 9:16. The next three verses in Rev 9:17-19 actually state

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.

John does not say they were in fact horses. He says what he saw in the revelation looked to him like horses. Not quite the same degree of specific certainty as has been discussed here.

Further, at present there are only about 67 million horses on the planet, of which about 11 million are presently in China and Mongolia. While God could start up a human managed breeding program (presumably in China), making some assumptions about the foal rate for horses starting at 11 million to reach 200 million, and about mare to stallion ratios, breeding age of mare and average lifespan, and feed stocks, puts a population of 200 million in China to be decades away.

I believe (given that scripture is silent on essential details) that this is to be interpreted literally, not symbolically, but that it is not actual "horses" as we presume them, but something else. What that something else is, literally, is open to much discussion, and I don't have any further insight to offer.

244 posted on 06/09/2002 5:31:24 PM PDT by Starwind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 129 | View Replies ]


To: Iowegian
Meant to cc you...you might be interested in my posts #244, #245
246 posted on 06/09/2002 5:39:08 PM PDT by Starwind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 244 | View Replies ]

To: quix
Apologies, I meant to cc you on my posts #244, 245
247 posted on 06/09/2002 5:47:25 PM PDT by Starwind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 244 | View Replies ]

To: Starwind;Sheltonmac;All
Yes, there is a 'gap' between Daniel's 69 weeks and the 70th week. However, Daniel's prophecy of 69 weeks beginning with the decree of Artaxerxes I given to Ezra was fulfilled with the baptism (anointing) of Jesus Christ (Dan 9:25). Dan 9:26 refers to the cutting off of the anointed one (Christ's crucifixion) which is after the 69 weeks, and not included in the 69 weeks. This has already been explained here, and elsewhere. Specifically then, the incorrect phrase above is 70 weeks culminating with the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Christ. It was 69 weeks and did not include Christ's ministry, death and resurrection. Yes, those happened, but not as part of Daniel's 69 week prophecy, and not as part of the 70th week either, as the math obviously doesn't work.

Actually, the 69th week culminated with what is referred to as Christ's triumphal entry, or the public advent of "Messiah the Prince." That fulfills Zech. 9:9, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee..." Prior to that He had consistently told His disciples not to make known anything about Him and His Messiahship. Our Lord's last visit to Jerusalem was the crisis point in His life on earth. He was publically proclaimed as King and Messiah, and as such He rode to His death on the cross. Therefore, this fulfills the angel's prophecy in Dan. 9:25, "unto Messiah the Prince." His baptism does not do this. Furthermore the date of His entry can be established and the number of days some scholars have calculated the interval from the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the public advent of "Messiah the Prince" to be exactly to the day 173,880 days, or 7 times 69 prophetic years of 360 days. This is the first 69 weeks of the angel Gabriel's prophecy.

You are correct on the "gap." The prophetic clock only runs when God is dealing with Israel, which He isn't doing right now since God set Israel aside temporarily as He forms the church, the Body of Christ. The "gap" started with the public advent of Messiah the Prince and will end with the "prince that shall come" who "shall confirm the covenant with many for one week." This "gap" will continue until following the rapture of the Body of Christ. An example is found in Isa. 9:6, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder." The colon here represents the gap that now spans nearly 2000 years since the second part of this verse is yet to be fulfilled.

The correct number is 200,000,000 and the only reference is in Rev 9:16...John does not say they were in fact horses. He says what he saw in the revelation looked to him like horses. Not quite the same degree of specific certainty as has been discussed here.

There's all sorts of disagreement on these horses and even the number of them. Some feel these are the same as the locusts that were "like unto horses" in Rev. 9:1-11, which is a definite possibility. Both these locust/horses and the horses of the horsemen of verses 16-19 are supernatural entities. The number is considered by some as meaning an uncountable number, such as in Rev. 5:11 where it states the number of the congregation around the throne is "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." Pretty impressive number. Ps. 68:17 tells us the "chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of thousands." I would imagine the "chariots" of God are not exactly like the Roman chariot Ben Hur drove. I choose to take what is stated in Rev. 9 as literal not figurative.

281 posted on 06/10/2002 1:35:45 PM PDT by gracebeliever
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 244 | View Replies ]

To: Starwind
I believe (given that scripture is silent on essential details) that this is to be interpreted literally, not symbolically, but that it is not actual "horses" as we presume them, but something else. What that something else is, literally, is open to much discussion, and I don't have any further insight to offer.

Thanks for the correction on the number.

So it is literally 200 million, but it is only symbolically horses? *LOL*

294 posted on 06/11/2002 11:24:45 PM PDT by webwide
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 244 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson