Revelation 9:13-21
And It Gets Worse Yet
The horror of the tribulation continues.
Perhaps it would do us some good to review some of what we have seen
happening in those events:
Hundreds of thousands of people mysteriously disappeared.
(Rev 4)
1/4 of the world’s population die of war and famine. (Rev 6)
There a major world-wide catastrophes such as earthquakes which
have shook every mountain range and moved islands. (Rev 6)
Weather, atmospheric conditions, and cosmic condition are
chaotic. (Rev 6 and 8)
1/3 of the land suitable for growing vegetation is burnt.
(Rev 8)
1/3 of the oceans become uninhabitable. (Rev 8)
The shipping industry is crippled. (Rev 8)
1/3 of the world’s drinking water has been contaminated and is a
premium price. (Rev 8)
Some kind of demonic locust/scorpions torture mankind with
their stinger. (Rev 9)
Imagine:
Society has become structureless - communications and travel are
impossible.
Civic and financial order are all gone!
National and international government is devastated.
People are scared, desperate, and panicked.
\\#Rev 8:13\\ Probably unknown to the world, an angel pronounced
three woes upon the world. The second woe is about to begin.
At this point, we begin to read about the second woe which begins
when the sixth trumpet sounds, but this judgments includes more than
one event. This judgment starts at \\#Rev 9:13\\ and goes to
\\#Rev 11:14\\. It includes:
1. More demons and pain for the world
2. Seven un-named Thunders
3. Several heavenly events
4. The ministry of the two witnesses
5. The third earthquake mentioned in Revelation
\\#Rev 6:12, 8:5, 11:13, 11:19, 16:18\\
Again, we do not know for certain how far into the tribulation we
are. Some would say well into the last half. I would say that we are
getting close to the middle by now.
Today, we will talk about the first element in the Second Woe, the
Sixth Trumpet.
I. \\#Rev 9:13-15\\ Four angels are loosed from the River Euphrates.
A. There are some new beings.
1. These angels are also likely demons.
2. We have mentioned that some angels being used in the
judgments of this book are good angels serving God and
that some are probably demons being used by God.
3. The fact that these angels are "BOUND" indicates they are
demons.
B. There is a specific location.
1. They come from the Euphrates River.
2. This is one the great rivers of the world. It flows
through modern-day Iraq and Syria. That is ancient
Babylon.
3. This river is where both secular and Christian historians
believe man originated.
a. Although the land has changed dramatically, we suppose
the Garden of Eden was near the Euphrates River.
Gen 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water
the garden; and from thence it was parted, and
became into four heads.
14 …And the fourth river is Euphrates.
b. Secular historians call that area the Cradle of
Civilization.
4. This land in general is know by several names: Babel,
Babylon, Shinar.
a. We best know Babylon as the land God used to punish
the southern kingdom (Judah) for seventy years
\\#2Kings 24:10\\.
b. However, Babylon has both a history and future of
extreme wickedness.
(1) Babel is where false religion was born.
\\#Ge 11:1-9\\
(2) It is also a place where wickedness is prophesied
to establish itself.
Zechariah 5:5 Then the angel that talked with me
went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine
eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an
ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This
is their resemblance through all the earth.
7 And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of
lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the
midst of the ephah.
8 And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it
into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the
weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
9 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and,
behold, there came out two women, and the wind
was in their wings; for they had wings like the
wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah
between the earth and the heaven.
10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me,
Whither do these bear the ephah?
11 And he said unto me, To build it an house in
the land of Shinar: and it shall be established,
and set there upon her own base.
(3) We will see the ultimate in wicked religion and
politics and economy referred to by the name
Babylon. (Rev 17-18)
(4) If Satan is to have an end-time earthly
headquarters, it is likely in or near the river
Euphrates. (Although Pergamos is no where near
Babylon, perhaps that is where Satan’s seat
WAS.)
Rev 2:12 And to the angel of the church in
Pergamos write; These things saith he which
hath the sharp sword with two edges;
13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest,
even where Satan’s seat is….
C. \\#15\\ A specific time is mentioned. (391 days and 1 hour)
1. The most likely meaning is that these demons will have
this long to accomplish their work, but why such a
strange time?
2. Many have guessed at what this time stands for but no one
today knows.
a. It is too specific to have no meaning and yet we have
no clue.
b. I take that to mean that at this time, we are just too
far out to know what this is to mean.
3. God will reveal and fulfill it in His time.
II. \\#Rev 9:16-19\\ These demons appear to be in charge of a large
army.
A. Where the army comes from or what kind of army this actually
is, we are not told.
1. The army is comprised of some kind of horse and rider.
2. The number of the army is 200 million!
3. Question:
a. Is this a literal army of men or something else?
b. Answer: It is hard to know.
c. We do start to see the words "as" and "like" again
which probably means these creatures do not look like
their description but are being compared to them.
B. The details argue for a literal army.
1. We are told their number.
2. We are told their duration.
3. We are even told what the riders of the horse-like
creatures will be wearing.
4. However, to my knowledge, no human army has ever totaled
200 million.
a. I have heard the rumor that China has an army of 200
million but I have yet to verify it from a reliable
source.
b. Even if they have one now, it is hard to image it
still being that strong at this point in the
tribulation.
c. More than likely, if this is a human army, it is a
army gathered from many nations—an international
army.
d. The number 4 in the Bible speaks of the world (i.e. 4
corners of the earth).
C. There is a lot we just don’t know.
1. I am leaning more toward a physical, human army.
2. I think that area of the world will be the anti-Christ’s
headquarters during the last half of the tribulation.
3. China, India, the Pacific islands, and Europe are the
heaviest populated areas in the world.
a. Such an army could be formed in that region.
b. Such an army could then kill 1/3 of the world’s
population all while traveling on foot.
D. \\#17\\ The army consists of both horse-like creatures and
riders.
1. The riders are only detailed as having armor which is
colored with the colors of hell.
a. fire - Red, orange
b. jacinth - Jacinth is a dark-colored rock, some say the
color of smoke.
c. brimstone - Sulfur-like yellow color
2. The horse-like creatures are the ones who are credited
with carrying out the judgment.
a. They are not horses for they have lion-like heads.
b. Their mouth spew out fire, smoke, and sulfur.
c. \\#19\\ They also have serpent-like tails which
probably sting or bite.
d. These creatures are compared to three animals:
(1) Horse - speed
(2) Lion - strength
(3) Serpent - deadliness
e. \\#18\\ It is the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur from
their mouth that is responsible for killing 1/3 of
those alive on earth.
3. How could this be a human army riding on deadly creatures
like this?
a. Perhaps this is a new killing machine that man either
has created or will create.
b. Perhaps the reason the strange time is given is
because these weaponized drones or rovers only have
stockpiles of fuel to last the army for that long.
4. Two thing seems certain.
a. Regardless of whether it is an army of men or of
creatures, it will be under the influence of demons.
b. A lot of people will die from it.
(1) We again see the number 1/3 to demonstrate to the
world that God’s judgments are not coincidence.
(2) 1/4 of the world died from the effects of the
earlier war \\#Rev 6:8\\. Now, 1/3 die from
these creatures.
(3) From these two judgments alone, 1/2 of the
pre-tribulation world population is killed.
E. My belief is that this plague will still be going on as the
world enters the last half of the tribulation.
III. \\#Rev 9:20-21\\ Despite what the world experiences, their
hearts are hard spiritually.
A. Some do come to Christ.
B. However, most will not.
1. The Bible is clear that grace rejected can become grace
denied. That is, if you reject God long enough, He will
reject you.
a. Noah’s day
Genesis 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall
not always strive with man, for that he also
is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and
twenty years.
b. Israel coming out of Egypt
Is 63:10 But they rebelled, and vexed his holy
Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their
enemy, and he fought against them.
c. Israel in the days of kings.
Hosea 4:17 Ephraim is joined to idols: let him
alone.
d. In the days of Jesus
John 12:37 But though he had done so many
miracles before them, yet they believed not on
him:
John 12:39 Therefore they could not believe,
because that Esaias said again,
40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened
their heart; that they should not see with
their eyes, nor understand with their heart,
and be converted, and I should heal them.
2. At some point after the rapture, God will send a
strong delusion upon those who have refused to accept
the truth.
2Thess 2:11 And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should believe
a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed
not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness.
a. I am not so certain that this has not already begun
to happen.
b. The danger is that grace rejected can become grace
denied.
c. God can quit showing and convicting concerning wrong.
d. God can even harden your heart to hasten and increase
your demise. \\#Ex 7:13, Deut 2:30\\
B. Instead of repenting, humanity will continue in their sins.
1. \\#20\\ False worship (While this may not be a Christian
age, it is definitely a religious age.)
2. \\#21\\ Murder and violence
3. \\#21\\ Sorceries - This is our word for pharmacy. The
hallucinogenic drugs were and are used in false
religions.
4. \\#21\\ Fornication - Sexual sins
5. \\#21\\ Theft
C. Don’t let this be YOU!
If the plaque of the 5th Trumpet was torment, the plague of the 6th
is death, but this is just the first element in the 2nd Woe. It will
continue to destroy this sinful world.
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