THE SIXTH TRUMPET

The Sixth of the Trumpets of Judgment  9:12-21

"One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter." "And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God," "Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates." "And 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." "And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them." "And 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." "By 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." "For 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." "And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:" "Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts."

2nd Woe 12

The Origination of the Infernal Horsemen  12-15

"One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter." "And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God," "Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates." "And 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."

 

The Ultimate Source of the Judgment is the Voice From the Horns of the Golden Altar 13

"And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,"

This voice is in response to the prayers of the saints and based upon the efficacy of the work of Christ. The horns signify the power to answer. The same voice that was meant to call for mercy instead calls for judgment.

The Mediate Source of the Judgment is the Sixth Angel  14

This angel is to loose the four angels bound in the great river Euphrates.
This is the place where evil began upon earth and the place it will end (Zech. 5:8-11).

"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." "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." "Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?" "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."

This is Babylon in the land of Shinar on the Euphrates. This is where false religion began (cf. Rev. 17-18).

The Immediate Source of the Judgment is the Four Angels and Their Army 15-16

"And 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." "And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them."

These angels have been prepared for some time to slay the third part of men. But they have been restricted. When they do go forth, they marshal an army of considerable proportions. (See verse 16).

The Description of the Infernal Horsemen  vss. 16-17

"And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them." "And 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."

 

The army numbers 200 thousand thousand.

While it is possible that these may refer to men and mechanical horses, it seems unlikely. This is 200,000,000. However, compare Chap. 16:12ff.

The Appearance of the Horses and Horsemen is Terrifying  vs. 17

Breastplates of fire and jacinth and brimstone.
This is yet the language of appearance.

The Intention of These Infernal Horsemen  vss. 18-19

"By 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." "For 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."

They kill the third part of men with the fire, smoke, and brimstone which issues out of their mouths. vs. 18
They hurt with mouths, heads, and tails many others who do not suffer death. vs. 19

The Explanation of These Locusts and Horsemen vss. 20-21

These plagues referred to are the 5th and 6th trumpets.
These are woes of a more dreadful kind than in the earlier trumpets (cf. 8:13 with 9:12).
These result in the death of many and the torment of many others (9:5 with 15, 18, 20).

The Response of the Living to the Plagues Explains Them

The living continue to worship as they have worshipped. cf. vs. 21
The works of their hands is the making and use of images. Idolatry is connected with pagan worship (1 Cor. 8:4-5).

"As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one." "For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)"

 

They worship demons as they have previously done. The word is "demons" in the RV. These are the spirits behind the images. All Gentile pagan worship is demonic (1 Cor. 10:20-21).

"But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils." "Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils."

 

The Living Continue in Wickedness Associ­ated With Idolatry 21

Killing is associated with paganism because of the low value placed on life.
Sorceries and witchcraft have always been associated with pagan worship.
Fornication or sexual sin has also been associated with pagan worship.
Thievery has also been associated with paganism because of the low value placed on personal property.

NOTES

In the end time there will be an outbreak of demonic worship which may become well-nigh universal. 1 Tim. 4:1-3

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" "Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;" "Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."

Satan will sponsor this among those who have rejected the truth and they shall be led along in delusion. 2 Thess. 2:1-3; 2 Tim. 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:9-12

"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him," "That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand." "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;"

"Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders," "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:" "That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Since men have preferred to reject the truth and follow demons, God will grant to them their own gods. They shall learn how utterly impure and malignant are their gods. This will settle the matter about the goodness of the pagan "isms."

But the response of men will be rebellious­ness and the refusal to repent, even though they have had first-hand experience of their gods. This shows that they are incorrigible and that the time for the harvest is ripe.
For such men, there is only one thing that can be done and that is to confine them in prison for judgment and punishment. They have gone beyond the place where they can change.