AM Bible Study Group; June 17, 2009

Revelation 9:1-12

Theme: This passage describes the sounding of the sixth trumpet, and the unleashing of the four bound angels upon the earth.

The last three of the seven trumpets were referred to by the angel as three dreadful ‘woes’ that sound upon the earth (8:13). The fifth trumpet announced the first of those three ‘woes’—a dreadful plague of flying scorpions from the bottomless pit (9:1-12). It gives us a picture of a judgment from God upon the unrepentant wickedness of man that will be horrible beyond imagination. And yet, as horrible as it will be, it will only be the first.

This morning, we come to the passage that describes the second of those three ‘woes’. And while in the first ‘woe’ we’re told that people will desire to die and that death will flee from them (v. 6), a staggering one-third of humanity will be slain in the second ‘woe’!

I. THE ANGELS (vv. 13-15).

A. The beginning scene of this second woe is set in the spiritual realms. We’re told that the sixth angel sounded; and that John then heard a voice coming from “the four horns of the golden altar which is before God” (v. 13). In the Old Testament, the altar was surrounded by four horn-like protrusions along its four corners; and on these four horns, the priests would smear the blood of the sacrifice (Leviticus 4:16-18). Also, the priests kept the fire of the altar burning (5:12-13). Thus, two features of the altar are the blood of atonement for sin and the fire of judgment for sin. And here, we see that those who reject the blood that is offered on the altar must suffer the fire of judgment from the same altar (see 8:3-5). The voice heard from the altar may be the voice of the Lord Himself who died for the sins of His people and now stands to their defense (see 6:9-11).

B. The voice from the altar now commands the sixth trumpeting angel, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates” (v. 14). This river was near the place where Satan first tempted man to fall (Gen. 2:10-14). It was near where the tower of Babel was built (Gen. 11:2). It is the location of Babylon of old. It’s a river that represents much of Satan’s ruinous activities against humanity. Apparently, four murderous angelic beings are “bound” at this place. And now, they are commanded to be released.

C. The command results in these four angels being released, “who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year” (v. 15). This may mean that they were kept for that specific time; or it may refer to the duration of their dreadful activities against humanity (i.e., a year + a month + a day + an hour = 13 months and a little over a day).

II. THE ARMIES (vv. 16-19).

A. Immediately, we’re told of what they did. A vast army of horsemen is seen by John in his vision—a staggering number of two-hundred million (v. 16). In the May 21, 1965 edition of Time Magazine (p. 35), China is reported to have boasted of an army of 200,000,000 (cited in John Walvoord, Daniel: The Key to Prophetic Revelation [Chicago: Moody Press, 1971], p. 280). Significantly, the sixth “plague” of 16:12-16 (which this study argues is parallel to the sixth trumpet) speaks of the Euphrates being dried-up to make way for “the kings from the east” (16:12). If that is truly a parallel, then these are not demonic beings. They are human horsemen; but they are demonically inspired human horsemen.

B. The horsemen are described as having breastplates of “fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow” (v. 17). The breastplates, of course, describe their relative indestructibility. But we’re also told that the plague they bring upon humanity is “fire” and “smoke” and “brimstone”—which may be taken to parallel their breastplates (red = fire, blue = smoke, yellow = brimstone).

C. The horses themselves are described as something beyond the realm of known creatures. They had heads like lions, and out of their mouths came the three plagues of fire, smoke and brimstone (v. 17). By these three plagues, a third of mankind is burned, or choked, or poisoned (v. 18). The horses also have tails; and their tails are like serpents “having heads” (v. 19). From their heads they have the power to do harm (v. 19). We have to take into account that, prior to this, much of the human population was killed in the first fourth seal (6:7-8). Imagine an army that literally eradicates multiplied millions—or perhaps as many as a billion people—from the face of the earth!

III. THE UNREPENTANT (vv. 20-21).

A. The most remarkable thing of all of this is the hardness of the heart of man. Though one third of humanity is put to death by this judgment from God, the survivors (we hope, at least, with a few exceptions) refuse to repent of the works of their hands (v. 20). How amazing man, in his hard-hearted sinfulness, is!

B. The nature of the works of their hands describes the character of those times. People will be worshipers of demons. They will not be ‘atheists’ or strict ‘materialists’ who deny the existence of God or of the spiritual realms, but will actually worship the evil spirits. They will also worship idols; which, no doubt, will be inspired by the demons (v. 20; see also Psalm 115:4-8). They also will not repent of their “murders or their sorceries [i.e., uses of drugs] or their sexual immorality or their thefts” (v. 21).

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If people are not motivated to make sure they are under the grace of God now, may the story of this dreadful ‘sixth trumpet’ give them such motivation! Truly, as the writer of Hebrews says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31)!