Title: The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets
1The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets
2Outline of Revelation
- Publication of the Prophecy Its Future
Expectation (41 225) - Opening of the Seven-Sealed Scroll (41 81)
- The Source of the Scroll (41-514)
- The First Six Seals, The Beginning of Birth
Pangs (61-17) - The Slaves of God (71-17)
- The Seventh Seal The Seven Trumpets Awaited
(81) - The Sounding of the Seven Trumpets (82 1119)
- The First Four Trumpets (82-13)
- The Fifth and Sixth Trumpet (91-21)
3The Fifth Trumpet Demonic Locust Plague (91-12)
- The Impact of the Locusts (91-6)
- The star that has fallen from heaven must be
something other than a literal star, since he
takes a key and opens the the shaft of the
abyss. What does the star represent? - The abyss is a cavern under the earth, connected
to the earths surface by a shaft whose opening
has a secured lid of some type.
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5The Fifth Trumpet Demonic Locust Plague (91-12)
- The Impact of the Locusts (91-6)
- The star that has fallen from heaven must be
something other than a literal star, since he
takes a key and opens the the shaft of the
abyss. What does the star represent? - The abyss is a cavern under the earth, connected
to the earths surface by a shaft whose opening
has a secured lid of some type. - The angel opens the lid to the abyss, and a great
cloud of dark smoke arises out of it, darkening
the sky and the air. - Such smoke is a usual symbol of divine judgment
(cf. Gen 1928 Rev 189, 18). - Out of the cloud comes a great swarm of locusts
another parallel to the Egyptian plagues (Exo
1012-20) and a well known picture of destruction
from the OT (Deut 2838 2 Chr 713 Joel 225).
6The Fifth Trumpet Demonic Locust Plague (91-12)
- The Impact of the Locusts (91-6)
- But these are a very different kind of locusts!
- They are given power as the power of scorpions.
- They are told not to harm the vegetation of the
earth (the normal food of locusts), but only men
who did not have the seal of God on their
foreheads. - For a period of 5 months (the same period of time
that normal locusts cause destruction) they
torment men on the earth, not killing but
stinging them with stings like that of a
scorpion. - This torment is so bad that men will prefer
death, but will not be able to find it.
7The Fifth Trumpet Demonic Locust Plague (91-12)
- The Characteristics of the Locusts (97-12)
- These locusts are prepared to make war on men
(cf. Joel 1-2). Their crowns signify victory in
their mission. - Faces like men indicate intelligence beyond that
of insects. Other unusual features long hair
like that of a woman, and teeth like those of a
lion. The sound of their wings is like the sound
of chariots, producing great fear in the hearts
of their opponents. - As terrifying as this picture is, the real power
of these locusts is in their tails, with their
ability to sting like scorpions and torment men. - Unlike real locusts, these have a leader whose
name is !ADba (Hebrew) and VApollu,wn (Greek).
Both names mean destroyer. - Thus these are demons who take a locust-like form
and torment men under the fifth trumpet judgment.
8With the completion of the fifth trumpet, the
first woe is passed (912) two more remain, the
sixth and seventh trumpets.
9The Sixth Trumpet Death to a Third of Earths
Inhabitants (913-21)
- The Deadly Attack (913-19)
- When the sixth trumpet sounds, a voice from the
altar that stands before God (probably that of
the same angel we met at 83) and commands the
angel to release the four angels bound at the
Great River, i.e. the Euphrates River. - The Euphrates was one of the well known
boundaries of the land promised to Abraham (Gen
1518). - These four are fallen angels, who still do the
bidding of Almighty God. They have been prepared
by God for this very moment in time, and are
released for the purpose of killing 1/3 of
mankind.
10The Sixth Trumpet Death to a Third of Earths
Inhabitants (913-21)
- The Deadly Attack (913-19)
- The 4 angels, once they are set free, become a
massive army of mounted cavalry. John heard the
number of them from someone as 200,000,000. - These clearly are not ordinary soldiers. In
fact, it is not the riders that kill, but the
horses, who are themselves girded for war with
breastplates the color of fire and smoke and
brimstone. - These horses have heads like lions and the
ability to bring destruction by breathing out
fire and smoke and brimstone from their mouths.
The also have tails like serpents, with heads
that are also able to inflict harm. - Once again, these are fallen angels (demons) who
take on the form of a supernatural cavalry and
are used by God to punish men on the earth.
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12The Sixth Trumpet Death to a Third of Earths
Inhabitants (913-21)
- The Response of the Survivors (920-21)
- In spite of the manifestation of Gods wrath all
around them, the survivors of this judgment do
not repent. - Instead, they continue to worship man-made idols
and the demons that are associated with idol
worship. - Ironically, it is these very demons that are
bringing death to 1/3 of mankind! But the
earth-dwellers do not change their rebellious
ways, and continue in their sins of murder,
sorcery, immorality, and theft. - Those who practice these same sins are excluded
from the New Jerusalem, according to Rev 218 and
2215.
13Next Week Johns Recommissioning and the End of
Delay (Rev 101-11)