Trumpet 6, sounds off. Woe #2.
13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.
20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Revelation 9:13-21–ESV)
Another releasing, unbinding
So back in heaven the 6th trumpet sounds and God announces. This time the proclamation came from the horns of the altar of incense. We have seen this altar before. When the fifth seal was broken the martyrs were seen beneath it. After the seven angels were given their trumpets the eighth angel came to this alter, offered incense and then threw his golden censor to the earth. Here we are back again at the alter and this time the voice announces another unbinding.
The abyss was unbound with Woe #1 and God permitted Satan and his minions to go about their works, but only to the point of torment. In Woe #2 another releasing was done.
I terribly want to know specific details, events, facts, but exact things like that do not come from prophecy. What do I think we can say from this passage?
- A global human destruction happened
- A large physical carried this out
- It was not like Egypt waking the morning after the plague on the first born
- God foresaw and in some manner managed the timing
- There was some unrealized expectation of repentance
That is about as safe as I feel with my assessments. This visible conflict had a spiritual backdrop. Forces were arrayed against humanity on both the spiritual and physical levels. This force was 200 million strong and out on a global mission. The units may or may not have been human. In our early 21st Century world we do not have to think hard to conceive of a drone based event. We have seen that in our movies and with the capabilities of reasonably inexpensive consumer level drones it is not hard to imagine government level coordination on a large scale.
Don’t let imagination get the best of you
Speculation may be tantalizing, but we must carefully hold our thoughts. We must not be derailed in thinking of Star Wars like armies, but rather stay on track in recognizing the point of it all. God is God indeed and the forces that will seek to control and dominate man are as varied as our imaginations. Verse 15 is clear that God was engaged to these preparations. Again, don’t spend your mental energies trying to figure out specifics. They are not exposed to us, but remain a part of God’s own self-counsel.
We do so much better to let submission get the best of us. Cast your allegiance with God, and leave the unknowables to him.
Mankind does not love God, do you?
Even with the worldwide destruction and supernatural inter-connectivity of it all mankind does not alter course and head to God and the Lamb. They remain rooted to their own things, to demons, to the lust of their eyes and their flesh.
Heaven, a.k.a. a better place, is not the destiny of these people. They would not have heaven or its blessings, but prefer their perception of the independent life. The earth is the Lord’s and all in it. The endgame will be one of his making. Make sure you are in it!
Ashley Cozart says
I’m signed! I’m sealed! Praise Jesus I’ll be delivered to heaven! ?