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The number 200 million is mentioned in Revelation 9:16. This number
is expressed in the Greek as 'two myriads of myriads' or in numeric
form, 'two 10,000 of 10,000'.
This 200 million is a number applied to the number of horsemen which
cross the Euphrates and kill a third of mankind.
There have been many fanciful notions presented by many commentators.
Predictions of massive Asian armies invading western countries have
been espoused. But, what does Scripture itself indicate.
'200 million' represents a very large number and therefore it is not
commonly encountered in the history of the people of God.
However, it is reflected in the number of silver coins annually
paid by the vinedressers who farmed King Solomon's vineyards,
(ie, 1,000 x 1,000 x 200).
Song 8:11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon;
he leased the vineyard to keepers;
everyone was to bring for its fruit
a thousand silver coins.
:12 My own vineyard is before me.
You, O Solomon, may have a thousand,
And those who tend its fruit two hundred.
(Quoted from NKJV.)
[ NB: This subtly implies the 200 million horsemen are reflecting
a group, which are in the end-time, tending the spiritual
vineyard of God. ]
The books of Revelation and Daniel provide a further indication
of the meaning of this number.
Rev 5:11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels
around the throne, the living creatures, and the
elders; and the number of them was ten thousand
times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
Dan 7:10 A fiery stream issued And came forth from before
Him.
A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
The court was seated, And the books were opened.
These verses describe two groups present before God;
1) thousands of thousands
2) ten thousands times ten thousands.
These two groups, at least those found worthy from these two groups,
may be being portrayed in chapter seven of the book of Revelation
as;
1) the 144,000
2) the great multitude
Suggesting the symbolic 144,000 are derived from the thousands of
thousands group. While the great multitude (at least those who endure
the Great Tribulation) are from the ten thousands times ten thousand
group.
Nevertheless, it still does not clearly identify the horsemen.
To establish the identity of the horsemen it is necessary to consider
the promises made by God to Abraham.
Gen 17:2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you,
and will multiply you exceedingly.
:6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will
make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.
:16 And I will bless her {Sarah} and also give you a son
by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a
mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from
her.
22:17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will
multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven
and as the sand which is on the seashore; ...
These promises were later further elaborated upon in Scripture.
Gen 24:60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her:
"Our sister, may you become The mother of
thousands of ten thousands; ...
35:11 Also God said to him {Jacob}: "I am God Almighty.
Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and
a company of nations shall proceed from you,
and kings shall come from your body".
[ Note: From the offspring of Jacob would come
'a nation' and 'a company of nations'!
Two separate groups! ]
48:19 But his father {Jacob} refused and said, "I know,
my son {Joseph}, I know. He {Manasseh} also shall
become a people, and he also shall be great; but
truly his younger brother {Ephraim} shall be
greater than he, and his descendants shall become
a multitude of nations."
Deut 33:17 ... They are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And they are the thousands of Manasseh.
The son's of Joseph, namely Ephraim and Manasseh, were prophesied to
become a company of nations and a nation respectively.
NB: Ephraim did indeed become the dominant tribe of the northern
'house of Israel'.
However, Manasseh simply became one of the ten tribes composing
the 'house of Israel'.
The actual 'nation' and 'company of nations' being referenced in the
Gen 48:19 text was,
1) company of nations = 'house of Israel'
2) nation = 'house of Judah'
These two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, in turn became types of the
spiritual.
1) house of Israel ---> Christianity
2) house of Judah ---> Judaism
In the past, the kingdom of the house of Israel lay to the north and
the kingdom of the house of Judah to the south. These two kingdoms
came into existence very early in the reign of Rehoboam (son of King
Solomon).
Following this division there arose military conflict between these
two kingdoms.
So considering the above information we can infer that the 200 million
horsemen represent;
| *** endtime workers in the spiritual vineyard of God ***
- specifically those of the spiritual house of Israel. |
When Scripture indicates they are going to cross over the Euphrates
and because of them "a third of mankind was killed", ... it is
suggesting they are going to cross over their southern border and
prevail over an endtime form of faith which is being symbolised as
the house of Judah.
NB: Of relevance is the eleventh chapter of the Book of Daniel,
which in symbolic form appears to narrate a long history of
conflict between a northern kingdom and a southern kingdom.
The result of which is the final overthrow of the southern
kingdom.
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