Trumpet 6 - Billions Killed
Trumpet six is the second Woe.
"13 Then 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 who had the trumpet, 'Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.' Rev 9:13,14
Babylon is the new worldwide kingdom that Satan and his angels set up during the fifth trumpet. It will be a kingdom on earth that will encompass all the cities and villages in the world. It will include everyone who hasn’t specifically chosen to worship God. Revelation gives all these people a symbolic name – the great river Euphrates. This is not referring to the literal Euphrates river. It is picturing the seething mass of people on earth as a giant river.
Revelation 17:15 says,
"The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues."
The Bible calls Babylon a harlot. Back in the time of the Old Testament there was a literal city called Babylon and a literal river called Euphrates that ran right through Babylon. This river provided water for the city. It supported life in Babylon.
Likewise, the people and nations on earth – the symbolic river Euphrates – will sustain life in the new kingdom of Babylon.
Four angels released
The four angels who are released are four of Satan’s leading angels. They have been bound in the sense that they have not been allowed to kill people. Satan and his angels have had to influence people to kill each other. But now Satan’s four leading angel’s are released from their bondage. They will be allowed to kill 1/3 of the people on earth.
God has four commanding angels who hold the four winds and then let the winds blow. These same four angels blow the first four trumpets. The purpose of these trumpets is the wake up the people on earth so they can choose to worship God while there is still opportunity. Their goal is to save people.
Satan has four commanding angels who will mobilize a huge army consisting of demons and people. Together they will kill 1/3 of the people on earth. Their goal is to destroy people.
"15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them." Rev 9:15,16
Satan’s four commanding angels will be released at a specific point in time. It is an appointment like Midnight on June 22, 2006. This is not the exact date and time the demons will be released because this is just an example. But they will be released at some specific date and time in the future to kill 1/3 of the people on earth. They will assemble a giant army of 200,000,000 people to cooperate in carrying out their terrible work. Satan, his army of angels and the huge human army will work together to exterminate anyone who hasn’t chosen to worship Satan.
Demonic and human army
"17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed -- by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm." Rev 9:17-19
The horses represent demons going to battle. The riders on the horses are the army of 200,000,000 people. They will wear uniforms made from red, blue and yellow. This will be a brand new army so they will have a new flag to fly and new uniforms to wear. Fire, smoke and brimstone will come out of the mouths of Satan’s angels and kill 1/3 of the people on earth. They will also have power like serpent’s to bite people. This is how they will kill the people who refuse to worship Satan. They will find and murder the people who worship God.
"20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts." Rev 9:20,21
The billions of people who live through this holocaust will refuse to repent and worship God. They continue to worship Satan and his angels. They continue to worship the idols that they have made out of gold, silver, brass, stone and wood. They have also been murdering God’s people and stealing their possessions. They refuse to repent of these things as well.
Third Angel's Message
"9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.'" Rev 14:9-11
God’s 144,000 servants will be giving the third angel’s message during the sounding of the fifth and sixth trumpets. Satan has arrived claiming to be Jesus and has set up Babylon, his worldwide kingdom. He is the beast. If anyone worships the beast (Satan), he will receive the wrath of God and be tormented with fire and brimstone.
The 144,000 are giving God’s message to the world. This message says, “Do not worship Satan and his image. Do not take his name or receive his mark on your forehead or on your hand. If you do you will receive the wrath of God. It will be poured out full strength and will not be mixed with mercy. You will be burned by fire and brimstone like Sodom was.”
Satan and his demons will be commanding people to worship Satan (who appears to be Jesus) and will kill people with fire and brimstone if they refuse.
Die now or forever
What a dilemma people will have. If they choose to worship Satan they will be allowed to live. But in a few years they will receive the full wrath of God. And then they must die eternally.
If they worship Jesus they will be killed now. But they will be raised from the dead in a few years and will live eternally. Then they will have infinite life, wealth, love and happiness.
Each person will have to choose whether to worship Jesus or the beast (Satan pretending to be Jesus).
"12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Rev 14:12
The people who worship Jesus will require patience to endure this fearful time. Those who choose to worship Jesus will be given His faith. And the faith of Jesus always keeps the ten commandments of God perfectly.
"13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, 'Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' 'Yes,' says the Spirit, 'that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.'" Rev 14:13
The Lord knows that this will be a very difficult time for His people. He pronounces a special blessing on His people who are killed during this time. They get to rest until Jesus awakes them from their sleep in a few days or months. The battle they have been fighting against Satan and his army is intense and resting in death will bring welcome relief. The Spirit has been empowering their words and actions and now He lets them rest. Their words, their worship of God, their works of keeping God’s ten commandments will continue to influence other people.
Read Trumpet 7 next.