The Plagues

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The Fifth Trumpet

["Click here for Revelation 1-12"]

The fifth Angel sounded his trumpet and a "star" fell from heaven to earth. This "star" was Satan for he was given the key to the "bottomless" pit. Thus he became, what he always had been, the leader of the Anti-christ. So by dispensation from Christ, he became the "turnkey" to hell.

This is followed by the seven years of the tribulation. Satan lets loose the powers of hell against the Church of Christ. Satan is the prince of darkness as well as the prince of the air, so the first thing he does is release a great cloud of smoke which darkened the sun. Knowledge and light are now extinguished.

From the smoke came swarms of locust, like Egypt, demons that appeared like locusts. Their mission was to promote superstition, insight riots, promote idolatry, promote error, promote cruelty and by God's permission, "hurt" those who did not have the "seal" of God on their foreheads. The "seal" was given when the sixth seal was opened and the 144,000, plus all the multitude that knew the Lord, was called.

It was a terrible "hurt" that was allowed to be put upon these people. It was not a physical hurt it was a spiritual hurt. Nothing of nature could be touched, only their souls were affected. Their purity and peace was taken from them and though they wanted to die, this luxury was denied them. Fortunately, this "hurt" could only be applied for a season. (apocalyptically listed as 5 months)

Notice how these locusts were described:

1. They were equipped for work like horses.
2. They had faces like men.
3. They had the spirit of devils.
4. They had beauty to ensnare the minds of men, like a woman.
5. They had the teeth of a lion.
6. They were protected by breastplates of iron.
7. They flew about making a great noise.
8. At first they flattered and attracted men by their appearance, then they stung them like a scorpion.

Then the leader of this deceptive gang is described:

1. An angel, a "fallen angel". One of those that were cast out of heaven when Satan rebelled.
2. A prince or governor with the power of darkness under his rule. This, undoubtedly, was Satan himself.
3. His name was:
   • 1. Abaddon in the Hebrew.
     2. Apollyon in the Greek. This literally translates to mean a destroyer. This was his business, his design and his goal. He sent out his armies to destroy the souls of men.

   This ends the fifth trumpet that delivered a "spiritual" hurt, only their souls were affected.

   The Sixth Trumpet

   ["Click here for Revelation 13-21"]
   

   The sixth Angel sounded his trumpet and a voice from the "four horns" before God, began to speak. We are not sure who is speaking here. Two possibilities are here given.

   1. Some believe the voice was one of the four creatures which were between the throne and the 24 Elders.
   2. Some believe it was a "means" that was used to announce God's commands. The important thing was what the voice said.

   "Release the 4 Angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates". These, in this case, were to be the instruments of God's destruction.

   There are four interpretations we can make from this event:

   1. The power of the enemies of the church is restrained until God gives the command to turn them loose.
   2. When nations turn against God He will, in time, release His instruments of destruction upon them.
   3. The instruments that God may use may be near or far as indicated by the location of the Euphrates from Judah.
   4. These instruments may also be friends or enemies of the church, as indicated here, the four angels released here to bring destruction, are believed, by some, to be demons or fallen angels.

   Of what are these four instruments of destruction symbolic?

   1. They may be a very large military power that God has pre-ordained for this purpose with an army of 200 thousand or two million. Red China brags of an army of two million and Daniel prophesied that a large invasion would come from the east in the "end times".
   2. The elements of nature are often used by God to do His condemnation.

   Whatever means is used, it was prepared for that moment of time to destroy a third of mankind.

   Notice this army was mounted on horses that John describes as:

   1. Having the temperament of lions eager to rush into battle.
   2. Breathing fire, smoke and brimstone from their mouths with strings coming from their tails.

   This certainly was a good description of field pieces that are used by armies like cannon and large field guns using gunpowder and fuses and spouting smoke and fire.

   Certainly the application is applicable to every generation since the time of Christ, the destruction of Jerusalem, the destruction of Rome, the destruction of Greece, the destruction of Spain, the destruction of Europe in two world wars but ultimately this prophecy refers to the destruction at the "end times", one third of the world's population.

   Notice the gross indifference to God displayed by those who survived. They did not repent nor did they give up their worship of demons and idols of silver and gold. Nor did they repent of their murders, sorceries, immorality or thefts.

   When the fourth seal was removed, Chapter 6:7-8, and "death" reigned upon the earth, one fourth of the worlds population was killed. Here, one third of those that were left, were killed. Thus far that would account for one half of the World's population.

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