Angels, Armies and Their Assault

Revelation chapter 9. Revelation chapter 9. Angels, armies, and their ass. It's going to be a powerful time together this evening. But unless we were able to understand the scriptures, we would have a very difficult time comprehending what takes place in Revelation chapter 9. And that is that God is going to use demons to assault mankind. He's going to use demons to destroy man. We are discussing the sixth trumpet this evening. We are at the latter half of the tribulational period. And when you get to the latter half of the tribulational period, you get to the time of Jacob's trouble.

After you get through the first four trumpets, you realize that the last three trumpets are considered woes, curses.

And so you understand that when you describe the fifth trumpet, it goes into greater detail. The first four trumpets are not given to us in great description, but the fifth trumpet is.

The sixth trumpet is, and the seventh trumpet is, because those are called woes. One is past, two are still coming. And the sixth is the first of the last two.

And that's what we want to discuss tonight. Let's read it together and see what the word of the Lord says. Verse number 13 of Revelation chapter 9. And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which is before God. One saying to the sixth angel, who had the trumpet, released the four angels who were bound at the great river Euphrates. And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, and day, and month, and year, were released. so that they might kill a third of mankind.

And the number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million. I heard the number of them, and this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them. The riders had breastplates the color of fire, and of hyacinth and of brimstone. And the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions. And out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths.

For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm. And the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons. And the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders, nor their sorceries, nor their immorality, nor of their theft. Now you read that and you think that that's some kind of science fiction movie right out of Hollywood.

All these horses with heads like lions and Tales that sting and and kill and and you try to figure out what this means and and you read the different commentators and I tell you, it's a It's very interesting to read what some of these people come up with as to what Revelation 9 is all about. Our goal tonight is to help you understand these angels. Their armies and their assault upon mankind as the sixth trumpet blows. Let's look first of all at the angels.

Three things: their pronounce. Number two, Their place, and number three, their purpose. First of all, the pronouncement.

The text says, And the six angels sounded, and I heard a voice, a singular voice. Now, which voice is it? Well, we don't know. Well, why is it you don't know? Well, because the Bible doesn't tell us which voice it is. The voice coming from the area gave a command: release the four angels who are bound. Very significant. Why? This tells us that they are not holy angels, because holy angels are not bound. They always are free to do the will of the Father. They always do what pleases the Father, right?

So, because these angels are bound, we know they're not holy angels, they are fallen angels. They are demons. Follow me? So far? So good. All right? This also tells us that God has complete control. Over the demonic world and over Satan, doesn't it? Because they are bound. And now these four angels. Are released. Let's look at port number two, the place, the great river, the Euphrates.

Now, that's a very significant river. If you know anything about your Old Testament, you know that the Euphrates was the eastern boundary of the Promised Land. And Israel's influence extended to the Euphrates during the reigns of King David and King Solomon. The region near the Euphrates was the central location of three world powers that oppressed Israel: Assyria, Babylon, and Medo-Pers. It was on the banks of the Euphrates that Israel endured 70 long, bitter, wearisome years of captivity. And it's this river in which the enemies of God will cross.

To engage in the Battle of Armageddon in Revelation chapter 16. All that to say this: the place is very significant. Because here there are four angels that have been bound, I believe, since the fall of man. And they have been bound and are ready to go at point number three to fulfill the purposes that God has designed.

The pronouncement, the place, and the purposes. These angels are prepared. Look what it says: verse number 15. And the four angels who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year. Can God get any more specific than that? He can't, can he? There is an hour. There is a day. There's a month. And there's a year. In which I will release these four angels. Boy, let me tell you something: this gives us an assurance that God is in complete control of everything.

God is never out of control. They are bound for a purpose. They are bound so that there's a certain time which God will release them. As you recall over in Matthew chapter 24. When the disciples asked Christ when the day and the hour was of his return, he said, No man knows the day or the hour except my Father who is in heaven. God knows because there is a prescribed time, a day in which God's purpose Will be fulfilled, and his purpose is that a third of mankind will be killed.

That's what it says. They were released. So that they might kill a third of mankind. As you recall, the fifth trumpet, when the demons were released from the abyss. They could sting man, but they couldn't kill man because God would not allow man to die. So, for five months, man, whichever man is stung by these demons. And wraths in pain and wishes to die, seeks to throw himself off of mountains and cliffs, is unable to do so. Wants to shoot himself but can't. Wants to kill himself with a knife, but he can't because God will not permit them to die.

They will suffer for five months. That's what the text says. But these, these four angels are released so that they might kill a third of mankind.

Now God's going to let them kill somebody. A third of mankind. Let's move from the angels to their armies, verses 16 and 17. And look at their number and their nature.

It says, And the number of the armies of the horsemen was two Hundred million, and I heard the number of them. Now, the result of the four angels being released is that they lead the greatest Army ever assimilated to assault mankind. 200 million strong. Now you're going ask me, do you really believe it's 200 million? The answer to that is, of course, I do. Because the text says 200 million. Now, it's important to note that in Revelation 5: and Revelation 7, verse number 9, God gave gener. Myriads and myriads of angels.

Thousands upon thousands, ten thousand upon ten thousand, a number so large you can't even count. But here a specific number is given. Two hundred Million. It also states that John heard the number of them. Now, listen, this is in addition to the demons that have already been released during the fifth trumpet out of the abyss. How many that is, we do not know. This is in addition to the demons that are already now on the earth, and this is. In addition to those that will be cast out of heaven with Satan, Revelation 12, during the tribulation.

So that he no longer has access to God's throne. That's a lot of demonic influence. Now, You're going to say, wait a minute. This is an army of men of 200 million. And I'll let you know that most commentators say that. They jump to Revelation 16. So jump to Revelation 16 with me for a moment. You guys stay with me? I hope you haven't lost you yet. I don't want to lose you. Stay with me. It gets better. I promise. There's a silver lining behind every cloud. Revelation 12, verse number 16, and the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river of the Euphrates.

Got the same river. Four angels at the great river of the Euphrates. Got the same ri And its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings from the east. And they say, okay, now they jump all the way to Revelation chapter 16. Something that is not hermeneutically correct, but that's what most commentators do. They jump all the way to Revel chapter 16 and say, okay, now.

The great river Euphrates is all dried up, and these are the armies of the East. Is it? Well, it might be, but the problem being is that the sixth trumpet is not the same as the sixth bowl. The sixth bull enacts the battle of Armageddon. You read that in verses 13 to following. As a result of the battle of Armageddon, Christ comes, sets up his kingdom, rules and reigns for a thousand years. We are still in the sixth trumpet. Christ has not come back and fight at the sixth trumpet again. I believe this is a demonic force.

Of 200 million something, possibly demons, or maybe people demon-possessed, because they are led by four key Demons that had been bound, I believe, since the time of the first sin.

Now note, if this army was a mile wide, it'd have to be a hundred miles de to number 200 million men. That 's a lot of people to move. Across the river the Euphrates, but some believe that's the case. Let's go from their number to their nature. It says this in verse number 17. And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them. Now remember, John's receiving a vision. And God's going to allow him to see this vision in some way that he can describe it to us, right? So he sees this vision and he says this.

The riders had breastplates the color of fire, and of hyacinth, and of brimstone, and the heads of the horses. Are like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brim. I don't believe, first of all, that these are actual horses.

Why? Because their horse's head is not like the head of a lion. But when he describes the horses, they have heads like lions. Horses, of course, are used frequently in Scripture to describe warfare. And what comes out of them is a devastating result. Smoke and brimstone, fire. These demon forces are like lions. Wh relentlessly and ferociously stalk to slaughter their en. But point number three, let's look at their assault, verses 18 and 19.

Their assault, point number three, two things I want you to notice. Number one, their plagues, and number two, their power.

Number one, their plagues. It says this in verse number 18. A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire, and the smoke, and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths.

So out of their mouths came some kind of smoke and brimstone of fire. Now, people are going to say, well, these are like big rocket launchers, man. There's two hundred million rocket launchers going, you know, and they're traveling around, and out come bullets, and fire, and smoke, and that's what John sees. I don't know. I got a problem with all that kind of stuff. We want to interpret it in our modern-day vern to come up with some kind of big assault by all these armies that come together. Well, if it was a sixth bowl, maybe that's the case, but it's not.

It's the sixth trumpet. And there are four angels that lead them. And the colors are definitely of hell. But the word plague is significant because it appears ten more times in the book of Revelation from here on out. To help you understand that plagues are going to be a great part of the end of the tribulational period. The fire, the smoke, the brimstone, which come out of their mouths, brings death. Could it be a military assault? It could be. Do I believe it is? No, I don't. I believe it's a satanic force of unbelievable proportions.

Number two, their power. Verse number 19. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents and have head, and with them they do harm. Whatever this force is, the power comes from their mouth and from their tails. Their tails are like the deadly, venomous serpents we talked about in the fifth trumpet. And these tails have head on them. The tails of the horses are not actual serpents because the horses, I don't believe, are actual horses. These are images that describe supernatural devastation up our world.

Now we read this, and some of you out there are probably saying, you know, I don't know, man. But remember what we said on Sunday about believing all that the scriptures say. Sometimes we want to take bits and pieces of the Word of God and say, you, I'm not so sure that's what it really says, or that's what it really means. All I know is that the text does tell us what it wants us to know. And that's very important for us to grasp. And what did Christ tell those two disciples on the road to Emma?

Because they didn't believe all that the Bible said. You 're foolish, you're slow of heart. It's important for us to believe this because this is going to come upon our world. Our world of fax machines and ATMs and airplanes and And all those goodies that we have, you know, in a world like ours where people have babies and people drive to work and have a great day, this is going to happen. It's going to take place, it's coming. It's nearer. Th we think. Which leads us to point number four: the aftermath.

What is the result of all this? What would you do? Well, outside of the fact of all being heels and elbows and running as fast as we could from whatever was on us, man, we'd be repenting and falling on our knees and asking God to do a great thing. But I want you to notice something.

The text says twice: they did not what? They did not repent. Can you imagine that? They did not repent. By the time you get here, They ain't never going to repent. They're unrepentant towards God. It says what? Revelation chapter 9, verse number 20. They did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons. And the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood, which can neither see, nor hear nor walk. Boy, the Spirit of God puts a big emphasis on that. Why?

Because man's idols can't do what God does. Read Psalm 115, 1 to 8, Jeremiah 10, 3 to 5, Romans 1, 18 to 32. The work of their hands is a phrase that refers to idols. These are idolaters. They have another God. It's not the God of heaven. Maybe it's them. Maybe they're their own God. Maybe they want to serve themselves. But they are idolaters. They will not denounce their sinful acts. They worship the Antichrist. You see, people who worship idols, people who worship things that cannot see, cannot hear, cannot speak.

God that do not exist. There are demons that do exist, and the demons who do exist will impersonate those gods and hold that idolater captive. To their demonic power and influence. That's powerful. And these people are unrepentant toward God. And number two, they are unchanging before man.

What does it say? Verse number twenty-. And they did not repent, there's that word again, of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their immorality, nor of their theft. The demons lead people from false religion to unrestrained wickedness. There's going to be murders. People are going to imitate the demons. People are going to kill Christians because Christians represent God and God is the cause of plagues. And they're going to go around murdering all that they can. And the Antichrist, the beast, is going to let them do it.

It's going to be a free-for-all on murder. There's going to be murders. There's going to be sorceries. There's going to be all kinds. Of decept. Sorceries, of course, is pharmake, where we get our word pharmaceuticals. While it refers to drugs specifically, it can also refer to se and witchcraft and magic spells and poison and charms. The point being is that men will be led deeper and deeper into Satanism, into spiritism, into the worship of idolatry. And there will be immoralities. Pornea is the word.

Sexual sins, fornication, adultery, bestiality, pedophilia. Unrestrained immorality, unlike the world has ever seen before. And there will be thefts. People will steal. People will want what others have because of a lack of water, because of a lack of food, and theft will, of course, be rampant. Satan will have a heyday. Unrepentant before God, unchanging before men. What a tragic picture of man's depravity. Turn with me to Jude 15 for a minute.

That's the book right before the book of Revel. So turn back four or five pages there. We 'll look up at verse number 14. And about these also Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold the Lord with many thousands of his holy ones. Oh, excuse me. Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment upon all. And to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

These are grumblers finding fault, following after their own lust. They speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. Enoch. Many, many years ago, prophesied of a time coming where the Lord would come with his holy angels and execute judgment upon all the ungodly. What's our response? Verse number 23. And having mercy, verse number 2, and have mercy on some who are doubting, save others, snatching them out of The fire and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

What's our response? Our response is to faithfully proclaim the truth of God so that man will be saved from all of this. We snatched them out of the fire. Listen to what Vance Hav said. He's long gone to be with the Lord now.

He was a great Southern Baptist preacher. He said this. The real test to how much we believe of prophetic truth is what we are doing to warn men to flee from the wrath to come. To believe the solemn truths of prophecy and then make our way complacency through a world of sin and shame is not merely unfortunate, it is criminal. End quote. Isn't that true? To know about this, to read it, to believe it. And to say we believe in the inspired word of God and all that's there, and to walk out those two doors and complacently drive home and go to work and continue as nothing is ever going to happen.

And everything will be just as it always has been, is not merely unfortunate. It's a crime. It's criminal. Because we know the truth, we need to be calling people to repentance that they might be snatched out of the fire, that they might follow God and turn from their sin and serve the living and true God. After Revelation chapter 9, all of us ought to be people who say, wait a minute, I know people who aren't saved. I know people who haven't repented of their sins. I know people who believe in God but are on the way to hell.

I know people who go to church but have not repented of their sins. I know people who live a good moral life but they have not turned from their sins and are serving God and following God. Taking up their cross, following him, denying themselves. Say, man, I got to tell him. I got to tell them about Revelation chapter 9. I got to tell them about the wrath to come. I got to tell them about what God says, if not.

It's criminal. What is your response? A world going to hell in a handbasket. And are we telling them about the truth of God's Holy Word? I hope we are. Let's pray together.