Every so often we hear about some lethal computer virus that has been created, a virus that has the potential to render any computer that it gets into useless. Such reports always make me ask, “Who are these teams of evil geeks who create these doomsday viruses? Haven’t they got anything better to do? Are they trying to take us all back to the stone age? Is it anarchy they want? Is it chaos? Is it the thrill of having the power to mess with peoples’ lives?” Seriously, their motivation escapes me.

I’m just spitballing a little today, but I have to admit that hacked computers take my mind to the book of The Revelation. As best we can understand right now, the “mark of the beast” the Antichrist will use to control all buying and selling worldwide in the coming tribulation period (Revelation 13:16-18) will involve some type of computer technology. Currently, our best guess is that it will be some version of the bar-code scanning technology used in the checkout lines of stores today.

The chronological order of The Revelation indicates that this “mark of the beast” will be implemented at the midway point of the seven-year tribulation period. Along these same lines, a few chapters earlier in chapter 9, we find what seems to be even more description of modern technology being used in the first half of the tribulation period. In that chapter, the apostle John talks about an army of 200 million “horsemen” who will reek havoc upon the world in those days (9:16). Many commentators take this army to be the allied army of “the kings from the east” who are mentioned in Revelation 16:12. If this interpretation is correct we’re talking about an alliance between the leaders of China, Japan, India, etc. Such an alliance could easily put together an army of 200 million soldiers.

Getting back to the point, though, when John describes the “horses” the members of this army ride, he makes it clear that they aren’t regular horses. Their heads are “like the heads of lions” (9:17), and out of their “mouths” come fire, smoke, and brimstone (9:17). Even their “tails” have “heads” that do harm (9:19). Let’s just admit that our generation finds it hard to read such a description and not think of modern tanks. You see, the wonders of our modern technology (at least in regards to warfare) certainly seem to be on display during the first half of the seven-year tribulation period.

Ah, but could it be that something strange happens during the period’s last three-and-a-half years? As evidence of that, I’ll point out that John again uses the word “horses” — it’s the same Greek word, hippos, he uses in chapter 16 — in relation to the battle of Armageddon that brings an end to the seven years. That battle, of course, is won by Jesus as He returns to walk the earth again, slays all the soldiers gathered together for the battle, and then reigns for 1,000 years upon the earth. Interestingly, however, when John talks about horses at the battle of Armageddon, he clearly has literal ones in mind. I say that because in Revelation 19:17-18 he describes how thousands, perhaps millions, of scavenging birds will feast upon the corpses and carcasses of all the dead soldiers and all the dead horses in the aftermath of the battle.

Do you understand what I’m getting at? A vulture can’t feast on a tank! Therefore, John must be talking about literal horses being used during the battle of Armageddon. And my simple question is, In a world where the weapons of modern warfare have become so technological (tanks, airplanes, helicopters, jeeps, Hummers, ATVs, etc.), why would men be riding out on thousands of horses to do battle? Could it be that somehow, during the last half of the tribulation period, all the technology crashes? Could it be that everything computerized becomes inoperable?

Think about it, would it really be that hard to bring it all down? To find your answer, go ask someone who’s had their email account hacked, their bank account gutted, their home computer hit with a virus, or their whole identity stolen online. Then do your homework regarding electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weaponry. Finally, finish off your search by reading up on solar flares, which are massive bursts of electromagnetic radiation that come from the sun. (And as your learn about solar flares, keep in mind that Revelation 16:8-9 describes a great intensifying of the sun’s heat being a part of the judgments that will take place just before the end of the tribulation period.)

Like I said, I’m spitballing today, but I just can’t read the apostle John’s description of the battle of Armageddon and not wonder why all those horses will be in use at such a futuristic battle. As I pointed out, John certainly knew how to write about horses that aren’t literal (9:17-19), but that’s not how he described the horses that will be employed in the battle of Armageddon. And so we are left to wonder. Hackers? EMPs? Solar flares? Something else? I don’t pretend to know that answer, but I’ve at least got enough sense to ask the question.