Revelation Chapter 9 Lesson 22

The Trumpet Judgments

Review:

Trumpet #6 9:13-21 2nd Woe!

The scene is set/Conditions established in 9:13

- This takes us back to 8:3, the angel before the golden altar; the altar of incense, with the prayers of the saints;

- What is this angel to do? 9:14

- Who are these 4 angels?

Some pertinent info on angels: finite spirit beings; term means messenger

1. These supernatural beings are divided into 2 basic categories; those that belong to God and those that belong to Satan.

- of God Lk 15:10

- of Satan Rev 12:7,9; Mt 25:41

2. Satan's group is also divided into 2 groups; free and bound;

- noted the bound 2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6 (Gen 6)

- The free - Eph 6:12 description of the various ranks of Satan's operatives during the Church Age!

- These angels must be some of Satan's since no elect angel is ever said to be bound.

So we have 4 demon angels who are being released for a specific mission

9:15 See the first part or phase of this judgment the demon leadership;

9:16 In vs:16 we find the second part; the armies being used.

This is an area of many significant events throughout human history.

1. Since the garden of Eden was in this area somewhere; the fall of man and consequently the entrance of sin into the human race.

2. The first murder took place somewhere in the vicinity; Cain slew Able his brother.

3. It was in this area that great revolt against God occurred both before the flood, Noah's generation and after the flood at Babel, an attempt to relate to God on man's terms and not on the basis of God's.

4. In the Kingdom of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar there is the first truly world wide rule; he was totally sovereign over the people.

5. The Euphrates was always considered by the Greeks and the Romans to be the Eastern boundary of the Empire.

6. It is also the boundary of the land God will give to His people Israel in the Millennium; promised in Gen 15:18.

Notice in vs:15 the statement about these angels; they are prepared

"for the hour, and day and month and year"

The Armies: 9:16-19

What kind of army do we have here?

- The numbers in Revelation are all literal;

So this 200 million might actually be only a small part of what the Holy Spirit refers to in Eph 6:12 as "spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

- What about the view of those that hold to a human army?

Yes there will be an army march from the East through Mesopotamia.

- The armies marching toward Israel, Jerusalem in ch 16 are being brought together for the last great battle of Armageddon.

The Description of these hordes 9:17-19; Read!

- What is the focus?

- The emphasis here is NOT on the men but on the horses!

- What is pictured here in this passage certainly implies terrible destruction by an awesome invading force; and the picture drawn by John indicates the warlike, ferocious nature of the demons they represent.

9:20-21 Impact and response of Mankind to the 2nd Woe.

This is the end result or the culmination of what we already see today; the increasing apostasy; responding to the BD of demons, the occult.

This is a time when man reaches his max potential for rule apart from God; the cumulative climax of evil;

Here in 9:20-21 we see an evaluation of the time from God's viewpoint and why it necessitated such an intense judgment.

Vs:20 the emphasis is on idolatry; the total depravity and worthlessness of human religion.

- Demon worship is rampant in this time! Why?

- Ps 96:5 describes the divine vpt related to the gods of man.

** One's view of God determines his conduct in life.

- What is it that you see in vs:21? Crime oriented society! Result of idolatry perpetuated!

#1. murder - fo,noj (equiv to Heb. rasach) is found in every list where killing as murder is identified as a sin flowing out of man's evil and corrupt nature! (Mt 15:19; Mk 7:21; Rom 1:29; Gal 5:21)

#2. sorceries - fa,rmakon; indicates use of drugs; often translated as here (Gal 5:20) sorceries because the use of drugs in divination/occult is very common.

#3. immorality - pornei,a general word that refers to all kinds of sexual activity outside the boundaries established by God, that is within the parameters of marriage.

#4. thefts kle,mma stealing, theft

* As bad as things will become under these Trumpet judgments there is no repentance of the works of their hands (idolatry) therefore continual rejection of God and Christ, and the judgments will continue and increase in extent and severity.