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With the sound of the 5th Trumpet, St John describes something that is hard to imagine for ancient illustrators. Even 100 years ago it would have been hard for the readers of Revelation to understand it. It wasn't until WWII that fighter planes were used extensively in warfare. John's bizarre descriptions of "armored locusts" are very recognizable as fighter planes. And their weapons are bombs and chemical warfare. St John's description of chemical warfare is what makes this vision especially sinister. How can we doubt that we are living in the end times, when such a mysterious vision is now so clear to us?
With the sound of the 5th Trumpet, St John describes something that is hard to imagine for ancient illustrators. Even 100 years ago it would have been hard for the readers of Revelation to understand it. It wasn't until WWII that fighter planes were used extensively in warfare. John's bizarre descriptions of "armored locusts" are very recognizable as fighter planes. And their weapons are bombs and chemical warfare. St John's description of chemical warfare is what makes this vision especially sinister. How can we doubt that we are living in the end times, when such a mysterious vision is now so clear to us?