And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
This verse comes from one of the most striking visions in the book of Revelation, written by the apostle John while he was exiled on a Roman island called Patmos around 95 AD. Revelation uses a style called apocalyptic literature — vivid, symbolic imagery meant to describe spiritual realities, not literal events. John is describing a terrifying army released during a period of divine judgment: horses with lion-like heads breathing fire, smoke, and sulfur, ridden by soldiers wearing armor in matching colors. The three colors — fiery red, dark blue, and sulfur yellow — directly mirror the three plagues the army unleashes. This is less a news report and more a vision of catastrophic, unstoppable power that no human force can contain.
Father, these visions are hard to sit with, and we admit we don't understand everything you're showing us here. But we trust that you see every dark and overwhelming force — in the world and in our lives — and that you are not finished. Hold us in that truth today. Amen.
There's a moment in every life when something comes that can't be reasoned with, negotiated away, or survived through sheer effort. John saw it in a vision and reached for the most terrifying imagery he knew — lion-headed horses breathing fire and sulfur. He wasn't writing a thriller. He was trying to describe something real: the presence of forces in this world that operate entirely outside human control. What do you do with a God who shows his servant something like this and says, 'Write it down'? The hard truth is that Revelation doesn't pretend evil is small or manageable. It takes the darkness with absolute seriousness. And somehow, in the full sweep of the book, the same God who shows John the horror also holds the final word. The visions get worse before they get better — but they do get better. If you are sitting with something right now that feels like a lion-headed, fire-breathing force in your life, Revelation's strange gift is this: God sees it too, and he has not left the story.
What does it tell you about the Bible that it contains passages like this — vivid, disturbing, and genuinely difficult to interpret? Does that surprise you or reassure you?
Have you ever faced a situation that felt completely outside your control? How did your faith hold up in that season?
Why do you think God would allow John — and us — to sit with visions of such darkness? What might the purpose of showing us this be?
How does a passage like this shape the way you show up for someone who is going through catastrophic suffering — something that can't be fixed or explained away?
If you truly believed God holds the final word over every dark force in the world and in your life, what is one thing you would do differently this week?
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.
Revelation 9:18
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Revelation 21:8
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Ephesians 6:14
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation 19:20
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Revelation 14:10
Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
Genesis 19:24
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 20:10
And this is how I saw the horses and their riders in my vision: the riders had breastplates [the color] of fire and of hyacinth (sapphire blue) and of brimstone (yellow); and the heads of the horses looked like the heads of lions; and from out of their mouths came fire and smoke and brimstone (burning sulfur).
AMP
And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths.
ESV
And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: [the riders] had breastplates [the color] of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone.
NASB
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.
NIV
And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone.
NKJV
And in my vision, I saw the horses and the riders sitting on them. The riders wore armor that was fiery red and dark blue and yellow. The horses had heads like lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths.
NLT
and saw both horses and riders in my vision: fiery breastplates on the riders, lion heads on the horses breathing out fire and smoke and brimstone.
MSG