Rev 16:12~19 #55-THINGS PERTAINING TO THE EUPHRATES RIVER~5-22-10
Last time we finished chapter 16: and was going to try and get into chapter 17: but I decided to talk some more about the GREAT EUPHRATES RIVER.
Ø The 1st time the Euphrates is mentioned in the Bible is found in
Gen.2:10-14 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
11The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth**{encircled} the whole land of
Ha-vi-lah,**{ a region encircled by the Pishon River, a place whose exact position is unknown, thought to be in the northeast corner of Asia Minor, near the Caspian Sea.} where there is gold; 12And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.
13And the name of the second river is Gi-hon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.
14And the name of the third river is Hid-dek-el: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
Ø And the last time we read about the Euphrates is found in
Rev.16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
So the Euphrates was at the beginning of mankind and is prominent at the close of rebellious man.
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Ø Listen as I read again verse 12 of chapter 16:
12And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
The Euphrates River will be supernaturally dried up for the sole purpose of making the way of the kings of the east to get to the valley of MEGIDDO, where the battle of Armageddon will take place, these are the people that we know as the Chinese, Japanese, and other people of that part of the world.
Lets realize that God is in the process of gathering all the armies of the world together at this time, these kings of the east and the kings of the earth in verse 14 are two different bodies of nations and armies, but these “kings of the east” think at this particular point in the tribulation that they’re coming to do battle with the Antichrist and his forces because of the destruction that has already taken place with Russia and her coalition that we read about in EZK. 38:& 39:, it seems as though these “kings of the east” believe that the antichrist and his ten toed confederation are responsible for their destruction, although it was God that destroys 5/6th of that coalition of Gog & Magog, but these don’t know that, their unbelievers, God is gathering these armies together in order to destroy them.
We have always heard this referred too as “the battle of Armageddon”, which is not a term used in the Bible.
This will be the most one sided battle that has ever been known, the participates are the worlds forces against ONE MAN, the God Man JESUS CHRIST, He will simple speak His Word and they’ll drop like flies.
The church doesn’t lift one finger, what a SAVIOUR WE HAVE bless His Name. The army of the kings of the east and the “kings of the earth” in 16:12-14 will attempt to do battle against God (19:19-21).
We’ll read and talk about Armageddon in more detail when we get to chapter 19:
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The sixth bowl involves the Euphrates River, as does the sixth trumpet (9:14), except the forces in chapter 9: are demonic.
The army of 200 million demons in (9:16) will kill a third of all humankind.
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Ø In chapter 9: we read about the Great Euphrates River and these demon monstrosities when we get to the 14th verse, listen as I read it to you, and remember the reason were going over these again is because of the Euphrates, it’s a most important River all through out the Bible.
I’ll read verses 1-12 first so we can get a better idea of what these demons from hell will look like, but let me say, that we’re not told that these demons here in verses 1-12 come from the Euphrates river as we are told that when we get to the 2nd group of demons in this chapter.
But I wanted to read you these verses, as I believe both groups of these demons will be here at the same time.
Ø Listen chapter 9:1-12.
1And the fifth angel sounded,**{5th trumpet judgment} and I saw a star** fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him** was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Angels are referred to as stars in Rev.12:4 and also in Job 38:7.
This star is referred to here in verse 1 as {him} Some think that this angel is Satan but it is unlikely that God would entrust the key of the bottomless pit to Satan or to any fallen angel. Apparently, the Lord Jesus Christ gave one of His angels the key.
2And he opened the bottomless pit; {the abyss, a holding place for a certain group or groups of wicked angels, demons.} and there arose a smoke**{most of the time in the Bible is a reference to judgment} out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
The smoke blocks the sun and the air (like smog or forest fires now in our day and time, only this smoke that has covered the earth is full of these demonic creatures.
We find the words {as} and {like} more in this chapter than any other place in the Bible. John was having a time describing what he is seeing in this chapter.
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3And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
They don’t harm the vegetation, as ordinary locusts would, but only men who don’t belong to God. They are not allowed to kill anyone at this point. They only torment unbelievers for five months. The pain will be like that of a scorpion. The “torment” will be so great that they will desire to die. But part of the judgment will be that men cannot die to escape it.
Ø Listen; here is what they’ll look like.
7And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
The earth dwellers will be able to see and to hear their wings as they go from one person to the next, every place one looks they’ll be there, people will be screaming in unimaginable agony and pain, men will see their lost wives and children wallowing in pain while these demons are busy stinging them, and there’s nothing he can do, he is also receiving the same torment as they are, what a horrible site and a hopeless situation.
The description of the locusts indicates that they are demons that are given physical forms in order to manifest their destruction and torment.
Horses show their warlike character.
Their crowns depict them as conquerors.
Human faces show intelligence.
Their feminine hair perhaps makes them seductive and some how attractive.
The teeth of lions show them to be destructive and hurtful.
Breastplates of iron make them indestructible.
Wings symbolize swiftness.
The stings in their tails give them the power to hurt; their period of torment is limited to five months.
Ø But the next judgment is even worse.
11And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
These are demons that are in submission to a king—“the angel of the abyss” who is called “Abaddon” and “Apollyon” both meaning “destruction.”
This angel is not Satan, this fallen angel is confined to the Abyss (until he is released by the star angel in verse 1 ) while Satan and a certain number of his demons, his fallen angels are roaming free in the earth seeking whom they can devour.
12One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
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Revelation 9:13-19 And the sixth angel sounded,**{notice, this is a trumpet judgment here, there’s 3 sets of judgments, each with 7 applications-SEALS-TRUMPETS-BOWLS}
13-And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. ****
In 9:14, this angel says to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “‘Release the four angels who are bound in the great river Euphrates.’” These are evidently four angels that John had not seen before. They must be fallen angels since good angels are not bound. Since these leaders are four fallen angels, it makes sense that the troops they are leading are also demons.
15And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
{Notice- a particular hour & day & month & year, be sure and realize that God has every thing planned out a head of time, He does nothing by happen stance, He’s already got the rapture day mark on His Prophetic calendar also, we don’t know but He does, He’s not going to get out of bed one morning so to speak and step out on the portals of glory and say: “ well this looks like a good day for the rapture,” oh no, He is a God of order.
Isaiah 46:9-11 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
11Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: {a reference to Cyrus of Persia almost 200 years before Cyrus was born God calls him by name.} yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
Acts 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
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16And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. {2 hundred million, John didn’t count them, but he was told their number}
17And 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.
18By 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.
19For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
“So that they might kill a third of mankind.” This states their purpose in the plan of God.
They do it through an army of 200,000,000. Earlier one-fourth of the earth’s population is killed in the fourth seal.
Now one-third of the remaining population of mankind is wiped out. This means the earth’s total population is reduced by one-half by these two judgments alone, and these judgments don’t account for all the deaths that will occur. The other judgments also will result in widespread destruction of human life.
The mission of these angels was to put one-third of those who dwell on the earth to death. This figure accounts for more than the accumulated deaths of all the wars of the 20th century put together.
In today’s numbers, this accounts for over two billion dead.
Keep in mind; this will result in approximately half the population of the earth that were alive at the beginning of the tribulation, now dead at the end of this judgment.
One-fourth died under the fourth seal judgment and many more died as martyrs and for other reasons, listen, it is only the earth-dwellers; those in rebellion against God, who suffer death as a result of this woe.
