LEARNING DAILY

 

Revelation 9:13-15, Then 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 who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”  So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.

 

 Go ahead and read Revelation 9:13-21.  Don’t confuse the four angels here with good angels – good angels are not bound.  Therefore, we conclude these bound angels are bad or are demons.  They are told to lead a second demonic invasion upon the earth.  Remember the first invasion the demons were told to torment but not kill.  These four angels are released to kill one-third of the population left on earth.  The second “woe” is definitely worse than the first “woe”. 

 

These four angels will lead an army of two hundred million.  Bible authorities have taught this is an army that comes from China.  Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum does not agree.  He states this, “The speculation all rests on current events.  Communist China once declared that they can field an army of two hundred million.  Without even so much as questioning the truthfulness of this assertion, many have concluded that the two hundred million must involve a Chinese invasion of the Middle East.  The context just will not allow this.”  This force is demonic.  Read John’s description of this army in Revelation 9:17-19.  It should also be noted that one-third of the population is killed by fire, smoke, brimstone that comes from the mouths of this army; this is by supernatural and not natural means.

 

By reading the text, one also sees that the invasion begins at the Euphrates River; this river is always associated with God’s judgment (David Jeremiah Study Bible).  This is the area where sin was judged (Adam and Eve), the first murder occurred (Cain killed Abel), the Tower of Babel was judged, and where Babylon (the future headquarters of the Antichrist) is located.

 

This is all terrible, would you not agree?  Why does God do this?  His desire is for all mankind to fall on their knees and worship Him.  Revelation 9:20-21 show the result of the Seal and Trumpet judgments. “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, and wood, which can neither hear nor walk.  And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”  Even the judgments from God do not bring people to repent.  They refuse!  Instead, they continue to worship the demons that have tormented them for five months only to have the demons kill one-third of them (Fruchtenbaum).  This demonstrates the depth of human wickedness and evil - their love of pleasure.  The most prominent sis of the last days and the Tribulation are the worship of demons, the occult, murder (an absolute lack of concern for human life), sorceries (magic arts, which includes drugs witchcraft, and occult worship), sexual immorality (lust and pornography) and thefts and lawlessness. 

 

It is certainly not a time I want to be on earth.  I am so thankful for salvation through Jesus Christ.  His GRACE toward all His people leaves me in tremendous awe.  What a God we serve!

 

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