When Hell is Loosed on Earth, pt. 2
What in the World is Going on? • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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The fifth angel introduced the first woe, with the unleashing a demonic:horde from the bottomless pit and ended with this phrase: Revelation 9:12
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
We are looking at a time when all the power of hell will be loosed on earth. My friends, only one word can describe this future time: Frightening.
As we said last week, there are demons that are today free and roaming the earth causing havoc, but there are some that are so wicked, they are bound. Some in the bottomless pit, innumerable and indescribable, and there are these angels, bound in (near, by) the Euphrates river that are easily numbered: Four.
Four. That’s a small number. How bad could these four demons be?
In the closing verses of chapter nine we see that these demons usher in a time of...
Unprecedented Evil 12-14
Unprecedented Evil 12-14
Notice the:
Specific command v.14
“loose the four angels”
Demons, we know at one point were angels
Angels are now divided into two main categories
Holy angels - those who remained faithful to God during Lucifer’s rebellion
Evil angels - those who followed Lucifer in his rebellion
That these four angels are evil angels (demons) is evident in that they are bound
Bound = lit. tied up.
They were not just imprisoned, as were the creatures from the pit, they were imprisoned and bound..
Why were they bound?
That is a good question is it not?
Here is the best answer: We don’t know.
I have heard and read many possible explanations for their being bound
The Bible doesn’t say why, it just says they were
I’ll not spend any time on speculation today. I will just say what the Word says - these were so evil, God did not just cast them from His presence, He bound them and incarcerated them.
Notice also the...
Specific location n. 14
The Euphrates river
Notice the phrase “bound in the great river Euphrates”
The word “in”, could be interpreted as “in” or inside, or upon, or near, or by as in “close to”
The best way to understand this phrase is these angels were bound in the region, quite possibly literally in or underneath this river.
The importance of the Euphrates
It was one of the boundaries of the Garden of Eden
It was also promised to Abraham to the east boundary of the Promised land
Consider the important events that occured near this river:
Sin entered the earth near this river (in the garden of Eden)
The first murder was committed near this river
The tower of babel was constructed here - first organized rebellion against God
The first civilization was built here (Babylon)
It would be in the region that idolatry would be born
It would be in this region the Isaraelites would be taken into captivity
And it will be in this area that man’s sin will find its culmination
Babylon, the region around the Euphrates river, will once again stand as the cultural, religious, and economic center of the world as the Antichrist rises to power
Let it be known that while these trumpet judgments are being carried out, the antichrist has been on the scene for nearly three and a half years as Israel’s protector. As we cross that halfway mark in the tribulation he will become their chiefest persecutor.
That this region is prominent in Scripture is no secret. That there are four demonic prisoners in it and around it should help us understand the full potential of evil in this region, and perhaps explain why so much evil has happened here in the past.
Definitely, when these creatures are unleashed it will explain why such evil will occur here in the future, why the antichrist can no longer hide his true intentions, and why there will be death and destruction as never before, this will be a time of unprecedented evil, and...
Unspeakable Events 15-19
Unspeakable Events 15-19
When these angels are loosed they will...
Kill 1/3 of the already decimated population
The demons of the fifth trumpet were allowed only to torment men to the point they desired to die, but could not
The sixth trumpet, however, will give the next wave of demonic forces the ability to kill 1/3 of the population
Bear in mind, the fourth seal judgment in Revelation 6 saw the death of 1/4 of the population
The population had already been shrank by the rapture of the church
Now we see 1/3 of the earth’s population is to be bee killed…this means in just a few short years the earth could see up to one half of its population reduced
Bill Gates would probably support the effort of these demons.
Verse 15 declares that these four angels were “prepared” for this very purpose
It also reveals that their killing will be limited in time
Not only will it be limited in time, but in scope as well
They will target, just as the “locusts” before them, those who are not sealed by God
Those who are saved during the tribulation will be safe, but they will still have to bear witness to this evil day
How will these four angels carry out the destruction of 1/3 of the earth’s population? They will...
Command an innumerable army
Two hundred thousand thousand would equal two hundred million
There is no army today that can boast this size
Even if they could claim to have this many “horsemen” today, consider that the world’s population is going to be decimated when these recorded events occur.
What if, John is describing a coalition in the Tribulation period.
A consolidation of all the unbelieving nations that remain coming together to kill 1/3 of the world’s population?
This is again highly unlikely, as those who would be doing the killing are also the ones marked for death
This passage is not describing an army of men, but of demonic force under the control of these four generals.
Consider their description
Wearing breastplates of fire and of jacinth and brimstone
These are connected
Jacinth is believed to have a blue tint, while brimstone is a sulforous yellow
From a distance they would appear to be on fire as the light from the sun glints off them
Heads as the heads of lions, issuing fire and smoke, and tails with serpent heads
Some have taken this to refer to modern war machines,
Attack helicopters, tanks, etc.
However, when you take in the surrounding context, there is no reason to believe this is anything other than a supernatural army on the move.
Consider the destruction
These creatures move out swiftly and decisively attacking and killing without warning.
1/3 of the earth’s population will be killed in the most unexplainable way
Are you ready for the worst part? “How could it get worse?” It does. Those people who are not killed by these demonic hordes, after five months of torment begging for death, when death finally comes it is worse than the torment of the locusts!
After months of watching those closest to them dying in such a terrible way, those who are left refuse to repent. When hell is loosed on earth there will be unprecedented evil, unexplainable events, and, unfortunately, there will be an...
Unrepentant End 20-21
Unrepentant End 20-21
The saddest part of this entire passage is found in the last two verses, Revelation 9:20-21
Revelation 9:20–21 (KJV 1900)
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
“And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues…” notice that word “rest”. It means “the remaining ones”. We could say the remnant, or the leftovers.
One would think that after witnessing such devastation there would be a mass repentance and a return to God, but that is not the case.
We’re not dealing here with just those who rejected the gospel before the rapture, but those also who had never heard it before the tribulation, those who could have been saved. They will continue in their sin, sins which include, involve, and revolve around the worship of devils.
Satanism, idolatry, paganism, etc. all include:
Murder
One of the key tenants of the worship of the god Molech was the sacrifice of children - today we call it choice.
Pagan societies, those that worship nature, have been known to sacrifice innocent humans in order to ward off natural disasters…much like those climate change experts who claim the world is overpopulated and promote the murder of innocent children in their mother’s womb.
Sorceries
The Geek word is “pharmakon” from which we get our word “Pharmacy”
The use of illicit, mind altering drugs, is prolific in the occult. Their use allows control and manipulation, people are willing to do anything to continue their usage.
Fornication
Unbridled sexual lust…friends, the 1960’s has nothing on the 2020’s.
The breakdown of the family has led to the breakdown of morality.
People are obsessed with sex and sexual orientation today, but they will be even more so in the tribulation period
Thefts
Drugs lead not only to promiscuity, but also to stealing
People will do anything to support their addiction.
Those who do not die during the sixth trumpet judgment will continue to go further into their sin and refuse to repent.
Conclusion:
Two woes are now behind us in our study!
What a terrible time this is going to be.
As frightening as this time will be, the good news is you do not have to go through it. You do not, for one second, have to wonder or worry about the torment and devastation. “How can I avoid this awful time?” you ask? By knowing Jesus as your Savior. Let’s bow our heads. As we close out this service I invite Todd and Gwen to come forward. PRAY
With heads bowed and eyes closed, how many can say for sure today that you know if the rapture happened today that you’d be in heaven? Would you raise your hand?
Maybe you’re not sure today that you are saved from sin and safe from the coming judgment of God. If that’s you, you’re here today and you’re not sure if you are saved, would you be honest, be bold, and raise your hand?