Revelation 9:13-14, “Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice speaking from the four horns of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God. And the voice spoke to the sixth angel who held the trumpet: "Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River."
The four angels are bound indicates first of all that they are demons (20;2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) since holy angels are without sin and demonic angels are not. This shows that the demonic angels were bound in the past and were in a state or condition of bondage until God’s proper time when they were to be released to execute their function as an instrument of divine wrath. The site of their imprisonment we all know-the great river Euphrates River (Deut 1:7; Joshua 1:4)
Rising from the sources near Mount Ararat in Turkey the Euphrates flows more than seventeen-hundred miles before emptying into the Persian Gulf. It is the longest and most important river in the Middle East, and figures prominently in the Old Testament. It was one of the four rivers into which the river that flowed out of the Garden of Eden divided (Gen 2;14). It was near the Euphrates that sin began, the first lie was told, the first murder was committed, and the tower of Babel (the origin of an entire complex of false religions that spread across the world) was built. The Euphrates was the eastern boundary of the Promised Land (Gen 15:18; Ex 23:31; Deut 11:24), and Israel’s influence extended to the Euphrates during the reign of David *1 Chron 18:3) and Solomon *2 Chron 9:26). The region near the Euphrates was the central location of three world powers that oppressed Israel: Assyria, Babylon, and Medo-Persia. It was on the banks of the Euphrates that Israel endured seventy long, bitter, wearisome years of captivity (Psalm 137:1-4). It is the river over which the enemies of God will cross to engage in the b battle of Armageddon (16:12-16).
In context here we see that the prayers of the saints in 8:3-5 could also be the answer to those prayers. The how long of their prayer has been answered. God’s justice and wrath will be poured out upon a sinful mankind who refuses to repent despite the Lord’s kindness. Here we are confronted with something that a lot of people struggle with. Why would a loving God judge mankind? The reason is simple but complex all at the same time. The purpose of judgment is not to overwhelm people but to show them clearly that the purpose of their lives here on earth is not to worship false things such as idols or false religions, but to enter into heaven’s gates through accepting Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. Only through that sacrifice can any person regardless of their race, skin color enter into the Kingdom of heaven and have any part of His everlasting Kingdom. Have you made that decision today to enter into the gates of glory? And if not why?
The altar of mercy now becomes an altar of judgment as the voice speaking from the four horns of the golden altar now speaks. The Lord will not strive with man forever (Gen 6:3). The time for mercy will have passed, and those who wish to continue in their wickedness there request will be honored and there hearts forever hardened against Christ and His Gospel. Finally they will be characterized by Hebrews 10:28-31, “Anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Think how much more terrible the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God and have treated the blood of the covenant as if it were common and unholy. Such people have insulted and enraged the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to his people. For we know the one who said, "I will take vengeance. I will repay those who deserve it." He also said, "The Lord will judge his own people."It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Revelation 9:15, “And the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth.”
This clearly shows us that in the midst of this chaos that God is still a sovereign God. Only He knows the days, the hours and the years in which everything will occur. He has a beginning and an end to everything both in our lives and throughout history. He is the History Maker the very rule of God itself is to say that history is being revealed and shown to us for that which was once hidden is now revealed in due course by the One who created us for His divine purposes. Under the four seal a fourth part of the human race was put to death (6:8) however, now a third are to be killed by the demonic cavalry as it sweeps across the land. As in the previous Woe, so also here, believers are to be spared (9:4, 20-21).
Revelation 9:16, “They led an army of 200 million mounted troops--I heard an announcement of how many there were.”
This does not refer to the armies of Armageddon where there will be legions and legions of forces from the eastern kings that arise to the Antichrist’s please for support. The reality though is that we can best see this as a split. The four demonic angels will each be generals of sorts leading their evil hosts to accomplish divine execution. This can best be seen as a literal 200 million because as in 5:11 and 7:9 these exact same numbers were used in a literal sense themselves. That John heard an announcement of how many there were adds the strength to this argument itself.
Revelation 9:17, “And in my vision, I saw the horses and the riders sitting on them. The riders wore armor that was fiery red and sky blue and yellow. The horses’ heads were like the heads of lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths.”
Fiery red and sky blue and yellow these are all colors whose images bring u burning flame and suffocating gas, and they are also the very colors and features of hell (14:10;18:20;29:10;21:8), and they paint a terrifying picture of God’s wrath poured out on the sinful world by these demons. These colors are reminiscent of the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah and the nearby cities (Gen 19:24-28).
Horses are frequently associated with warfare in Scripture (Ex 1:9; Deut 11:4; 20:1; Joshua 11:4; 1 Sam 13:5; 2 Sam 1:6; 8:4; Ps. 33:17; Prov 21:31; Isa 5:28; Jer 6:23; Ezek 23:23-24; 38:4, 15; Dan 11:40; Hos 1:7; Joel 2:4; Nah 3:2-3), but it is clear that these are not actual horses.
Revelation 9:18-19, “One-third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues--by the fire and the smoke and burning sulfur that came from the mouths of the horses. Their power was in their mouths, but also in their tails. For their tails had heads like snakes, with the power to injure people.”
The word plagues we will see throughout the remainder of our study in Revelation (11:6; 15:1, 6,8,16:9,21;18:4,8;21:9;22:18) as a term for the destructive final judgments. The result of these plagues can best be seen as three individual plagues that the horses and rider will carry out. Much like the scene with Sodom and Gomorrah the burning sulfur will kill people and once again death will be the case. The first Woe brought torment and the second brings death. The horse was anointed with war force, the lion with vicious, deadly power, the serpent with deadly venom. These images describe the supernatural deadliness of this demon force in terms that are commonly understood in the natural realm. Unlike the scorpion stings inflicted during the previous demonic assault (9:5) the snakebites inflicted by this host will be fatal.
Revelation 9:20-21, “But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to turn from their evil deeds. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood--idols that neither see nor hear nor walk! And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their immorality or their thefts.”
The death of all these people will be the worst disaster to strike the earth sine the Flood. Yet people will still refuse to repent as you can clearly see. They love the darkness and refuse to come to the very Light of Christ that would save them. It is hard to grasp this through the powerful preaching of the 144,000 Jewish evangelist (7:1-8), the two witnesses (11:1-14), an angel in the sky (14:6-7), and other believers (Matthew 24:14), the survivors will still refuse to repent. Much like those during Jesus ministry the people during this time and even today prefer to live in spiritual darkness rather than coming to the Light of Christ. It is only through entering into a relationship with Christ, accepting that which He accomplished on the Cross that you can come into a personal relationship with Christ. There is no other gate you can go through and no other philosophy that you can accept other than that Christ died on the Cross for your sins, He was buried, defeated death and life, rose from the grave, and ascended to the right hand of power. There is no other truth in the world that is as liberating or that gives eternal life as does that.
They will fulfill the words of Isaiah, “Lord who has believers our report? And whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this reason they could not believer for as Isaiah said again, “He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them” (John 12:38-40) Having failed to heed the Bible’s warning, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 4:7), they will perish (Revelation 16:9,11). Tragically they will choose to worship the dragon and the beast (Antichrist) instead of the Lamb (13:4-8).
They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood--idols that neither see nor hear nor walk! And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their immorality or their thefts (Deut 4:28; Pss 115:5-7; 135:16-17). Refused to turn from their evil deeds is used throughout Scripture to refer to idols (Deut 27:15; 31:29; 2 Kings 19:18; 22:17; 2 Chron 32:19; 34:25; Ps 135:15; Isa 2:8; 17:8;37:19; Jer 1:16;25:6,7,14;32:30;44:8;Hos 14:3; Mic 5:13;Hag 2:14; Acts 7:41) In ancient times and even today people worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood (Psalm 155:1=8; Isa 40:19-20;44:8-2-;Jer 10:3-5; Dan 5:23; Romans 1:18-32). But to worship any false deity is to worship demons (Deut 32:17; Psalm 106:37). When people worship these idols, gods that do not exist demons who do exist come and impersonate these gods and hold those idolaters captive to their demonic power and deception. False religions are not void of the supernatural; they are full of it-because they are the best opportunities for demons to capture souls. They are the fortresses of 2nd Corinthians 10:4-5 which must be assaulted with the truth if souls are to be delivered.
Murders or their witchcraft or their immorality or their thefts refers back to sixth, seventh and eight commandments in the Old Testament which also occur in the Nt in Romans 13:9 and Luke 18:20). But at this time in history, idolatry, mysticism, spiritism, Satanism and other forms of false religion emanating from the pit of hell will all be strong and prevalent among the people of this day; even as they are today amongst us for they will love their wickedness even to the point of craving to satisfy every whim and desire of their flesh (1st Timothy 4:1; 2nd Timothy 3:1-5,13). Witchcraft and the use of magic portions were all a part of heathen idolatry. It is listed by paul as one of the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:20), and then later in Revelation it proves to be the mtheod by which Rome deceives the nations (18:23). In revelation 22:15 those who practice magic arts are bracketed with the sexually immoral, murders, idolaters, and liars as having no part in the New Jersualem (21:8). When people turn from the knowledge of God, the path leads downward to idoltry and immorality (Romans 1:18-32). Although clearly and unmistakable warned by God, unbelievers persist in their error and sin.
It is interesting to note though that the word here used for witchcraft in the NKJV reads sorceries a Greek word from which the English words “pharmacy” and “pharmaceuticals” derive. Drugs were and still are believed to induce a higher religious sate of communion with deities. Pharmakon can also refer to posons, amulets, charms, séances, witchcraft, incantations, magic spells, contacting mediums or any object that is tied to pagan idolatry to elicit lust or to seduce. People will dive deeper into the satanic trappings of false religion.
The fourth sin here listed is immorality from which the greek word porneia or immorality is derived. Porneia is the root word of the English word “pornography”. It is a general term describing sexual sin of every variety, including fornication, adultery, rape and homosexuality.
Finally, people will refuse to repent of their thefts. Like morality, honesty will be nonexistent, as people compete for the increasingly scarce supplies of food, clothing, water, shelter, and medicines. Under the massive demon forces the world will descend into a morass of false religion, murder, sexual pervasion and crime unparalleled in human history. It is sobering to realize that the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him (Jude 15). In light of that coming judgment it is the responsibility of all believers to faithfully proclaim the gospel to unbelievers thereby “snatching them out of the fire.” (Jude 23)
Today we have seen many things. We have seen the effect of demonic religion on our world and upon our lives. The two demonic Woe’s of Chapter 9 are passed. God has done His business and punishment on those who do not bear the seal of God on their foreheads. It is important to remember that God’s own people are protected during this time from the plagues that fall on the rest of the human race (v.4). Believers will endure the tribulation that comes from a world controlled by a different set of values, but they will never be touched by the wrath of God. Their protection is not physical but spiritual. Locusts from the Abyss will be unable to harm t hem, and the life-destroying cavalry will sweep by, leaving them intact. This message that in the end God will vindicate hi cause and judge the enmies of righteousness would bring hope and encouragement to the Chrisian community, faced by the distressing prospect of impending persecution.
May our hope never wain in its focus and its purity. There is coming this time that we have described. Today there are many signs of many of the things that we have discussed. Yet with all honesty this time has not yet come but let us come with the understanding that we don’t have to fear this day. God is soverign in His fullness in His balance. Eternity is in the palm of His hand and our lives as well. We can trust in the Lord and in His kindness towards us.
Today I leave you with Ephesians 1:4-14 to mediate on, “Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.
So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God’s secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ, designed long ago according to his good pleasure. And this is his plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ--everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as he decided long ago. God’s purpose was that we who were the first to trust in Christ should praise our glorious God. And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.”
Pastor David
