This post will be a little out there. But bear with me on this journey.

Then I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming from the dragon’s mouth, from the beast’s mouth, and from the mouth of the false prophet. ¹⁴ For they are demonic spirits performing signs, who travel to the kings of the whole world to assemble them for the battle on the great day of God, the Almighty.

Revelation 16

The Apostle John writes this after he has seen the vision of the kings of the east and the drying up of the Euphrates river. Whether this means it happens after the river dries, or was merely revealed to him after that, is unclear from the text.

Who are they?

Are the three frog-like spirits, three representatives: one of Satan, one of the Earth Beast, and one of the Image Beast (False Prophet) that travel to persuade the kings to gather for battle? OR, is it three successive representatives from the same place? OR, is it one representative with three spirits?

I incline to the latter. It is understandable that the Earth Beast (UN/NATO etc) may have a representative out advocating for a war; it is harder to understand that the False Prophet will have a representative, after all, it is the Media and False Prophet who speaks for itself; and it is highly implausible that Satan will have a representative who will be received by the kings of the earth to be persuaded.

Literal or figurative spirits?

Scripture does not always use the word ‘spirit’ to be a literal spirit:

• The spirit of Elijah was not literally in John the Baptist (Luke 1:17)
• Blessed are the poor in spirit: ^G4151 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)
• Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit ^G4151 indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41)
• And he sighed deeply in his spirit, ^G4151 and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. (Mark 8:12)
• And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, ^G4151 and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel. (Luke 1:80)
• But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, ^G4151 and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Romans 2:29)
• But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, ^G4151 and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:6)
• (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit ^G4151 of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. (Romans 11:8)
• etc.

It indicates, to my mind, the possibility that these are not three literal spirits; after all can a spirit come out of the mouth of Satan? How can a spirit come out of the UN/NATO (Earth Beast) or out of the Media (False Prophet/Image Beast)? It suggests rather that they are acting in harmony, where they agree “in spirit”, similar to Paul’s statements in 1 Corinthians and also in Colossians where he is with the people “in spirit” (1 Corinthians 5:3¹ and Colossians 2:5²). However, because the spirits are described as looking like frogs, it does suggest an agent where they unify, rather than a symbolic unification of purpose.

Given these reasons, it follows that it is likely an individual person, working the three spirits/bodies spoken of here, rather than three separate people or powers. And it would be fulfilled if the person is part of the Earth Beast (a member of the UN/NATO, or an appointed representative), and speaks through the Image Beast (media) for a common purpose.

Why do the unclean spirits look like frogs?

It is to describe their origin, or more specifically the origin of their representative. The locusts of Revelation 9 represented the hordes of Saracens depicting the origin from the Arabian peninsular (well know for being a source of locusts ³ and from where the locusts of the Egyptian plagues came⁴.

Three frogs have long represented France. It was the symbol of the very first King of France, Clovis (c.415) and remained the symbol of the King of the Franks (French) until the 1500s ^{5 6}.

Many will dispute this because the use of heraldry did not exist at the time of Clovis (see Wikipedia on attributed heraldry⁷); however, even so, 3 frogs has been the symbol of the Kings of the French for centuries.

Arms were attributed to important pre-heraldic kings. Among the best known are those assigned to the King of the Franks, who was given three toads. The three fleurs-de-lis of France supposedly derive from these (Neubecker, 225)

Wikipedia, Neubecker, 225

It is known that Clovis’ father, Childeric, did have a frog on his tomb ⁸. It is still well documented that the symbol of 3 frogs is a symbol of French royalty. ⁹

And it is known that the French themselves would refer to each other as ‘frogs’. The marshes around Paris where known for their frogs. After Clovis’ marriage and conversion to Christianity, the frogs were replaced with three fleurs-de-lis named after an apparent miracle and at his wife’s encouragement. However, many, especially the English, saw the fleurs-de-lis as a stylised frog. Even so, frogs have been representing France for a long time and continue to this day, even in advertising to attract English Bankers to France (2017):

It is not unusual for a nation to be associated with particular wildlife: Australia & the kangaroo or crocodile; New Zealand with a kiwi; United States and the bald eagle; Russia and its brown bear; South Africa and the springbok; Wales with a dragon (obviously mythical); Canada with its beaver; China and the giant panda.

France’s involvement in Armageddon

The purpose of the three spirits is to persuade the kings of the earth to battle in a place called Armageddon. Who are they battling is unstated. If you read out post “Where is Armageddon?” you will see the rationale for Armageddon being in Ukraine. However to summarise:

1. Armageddon, in Hebrew is “Mount of the Congregation” which in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 38 & 39 place in the “remotest parts of the north” in the region of Meshech and Gog, which is modern day Ukraine.
2. Ukraine is very important in Israel, both being the singular largest source of Jews in Israel, it also is the founding place of Hasidic Judaism and other movements. It is the home of Yiddish.
3. Ukraine boasts the worlds largest Jewish centre, 1000 nautical miles due north of the Temple Mount.
4. President Zelensky has announced his plans to build both a “Little Jerusalem” and turn Ukraine into “Big Israel”.

According to mainstream press and think tanks:

1. France has been instrumental in uniting governments to support Ukraine¹⁰.
2. France has been criticised for being a solitary leader in trying to support Ukraine.¹¹
3. France has helped Zelensky get around persuading groups such as the G7¹²
4. France leads the discussions^{13 14 15}

At the time of the start of French involvement in the leadership of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, France held the presidency of the EU (Jan-June 2022). After the presidency, France, Macron in particular, has continued to lead the diplomacy efforts to support Ukraine. Many critics believe that France’s approach has caused more harm than good, giving Russia confidence in the conciliatory approach of Macron.¹⁶. The former British PM has heavily criticised Macron evoking a response from his own former staff:

France’s goal is to integrate Ukraine into NATO and/or the EU. At that point, NATO and the EU will be required to intervene in the war ¹⁷. In my opinion, Ukraine does not need to join NATO to fulfil this prophecy as it is satisfied by the significant support moral support as well as financial and military aid.

“I stand with Ukraine” is a popular slogan with Ukrainian flags dominating social media accounts; marches are organised and significant support from the media for Ukraine. Russian media broadcasts in the West have been censored or banned entirely in many countries.

FOOTNOTES:

1. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit…
2.  For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit…
3. Matthew Henry referred to the army of locusts as ‘the armies of the Mohamedan empire.’ [Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. 10, 1167.7]. John Wesley said, ‘All this agrees with the slaughter which the Saracens [Arabs] made for a long time after Mahomet’s [Mohammed’s] death.’ [John Wesley’s Notes on the Whole Bible, 903.8].”
4. Exodus 10:13
5. https://living-faith.org/2022/12/03/are-the-french-the-frog-like-spirits-of-revelation-16/
6. https://wappenwiki.org/index.php/House_of_Merovingi
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attributed_arms
8. Mansfield, H. P. (1980). The Christadelphian Expositor: The book of Revelation. Logos Publications.
9. Vado Aureo, J. (1450). Tractatus de armis (Latin and French), folios 15v-16r (French batarde script). Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection. Worcester, England. Link.
   https://www.deviantart.com/scipia/art/Palais-du-Tau-Histoire-du-Fort-Roy-Clovis-539342810
10. https://blog.prif.org/2022/03/07/france-and-the-russian-ukrainian-conflict-an-analysis-of-macrons-diplomatic-efforts/
11. https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2022/12/13/war-in-ukraine-macron-s-lone-ranger-diplomacy_6007680_4.html
12. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230520-paris-sees-success-in-bringing-zelensky-to-g7
13. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-france-is-taking-a-leading-role-in-the-effort-to-ease-tensions-between-russia-ukraine
14. https://warontherocks.com/2022/03/a-case-for-french-leadership-on-ukraine/
15. https://www.ft.com/content/c8cb44f2-9651-498d-840c-6dc18159226e
16. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/expert-takes-macron-putin-talks-ukraine-and-de-escalation
17. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/06/06/d4c4-j06.html