Revelation 9:18; By These Three

Revelation 9:18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 

John enumerates the three plagues that destroy a third of the human race (v. 15); they are fire, smoke, and sulfur discharging from the mouths of devilish monsters. These three natural elements are symbols that represent war, desolation, and destruction.

First, the Old Testament teaches that fire refers to war, for “burning a city with fire was a basic principle of ancient total warfare.”

Next, the fire of warfare includes the smoke that obscures the light of the sun, pollutes the air, and suffocates every being that has breath. In the Old Testament, smoke is a manifestation of God’s fierce wrath directed against his enemies (Judg. 20:40; 2 Sam. 22:9; Ps. 18:8; Isa. 30:27).

Last, sulfur, also known as brimstone, in Scripture represents God’s punishment of the wicked, as is clearly seen in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24). When deposits of sulfur begin to burn, toxic gasses are released, especially in volcanic eruptions. A combination of hot lava and burning sulfur results in painful agony and death for all those in its destructive path.⁴²

The writer relates that the power to kill human beings resides in both the front and the back of the horses, that is, in their mouths and tails (compare v. 10). Their mouths figuratively spew forth fire, smoke, and sulfur, while their tails resemble snakes that bite. John does not say that the riders of these horses kill human beings, but that the horses have that power. The text, then, is highly symbolic, so that we have to think in terms of demonic forces that are given authority to kill God’s adversaries. With both heads and tails, these demons inflict untold harm.

 Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Vol. 20, pp. 299–300). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.