The Hot Breath of Judgment

Two sisters had spent almost 2 years hiding in an upstairs bedroom. They had been separated from their parents, as well as an older sister. Their mother had already died at the hospital. From what they knew, their father and sister were also hiding at different locations.

Then suddenly, it happened! The very people from whom they had been hiding, suddenly came to the house of their host farm family. They quickly scampered into the closet, slipping into a hiding place under a shelf which the farm family enclosed in the wall. The loud boots clomped up the stairs. The two girls dared not breathe too loudly, lest they be discovered. Loud voices bellowed in the room. The men began banging on the walls, hoping to find any hiding places. Panic rose in the hearts of the two sisters. Yet, they remained still and silent. Suddenly, the fearsome men left the house. Those men were soldiers under Hitler's orders, seeking to hurt and destroy any who were Jewish. Hitler had set himself up as a judge against the Jews.

Mrs. Johanna Reiss, who married into some of my relatives who chose to stay in Germany, recounts several years of her childhood as a Dutch Jewish girl in the book, The Upstairs Bedroom. What I just shared was an excerpt from that book. Eventually, her whole family was reunited when the war ended. They were some of the few who had escaped the wrath of Hitler's judgment.

As we read in the Bible, there is coming a day when the Lord of the universe, who judges righteously, will enact judgment where there is no hiding place. His judgment is not arbitrary because of any personal preference or bias. His judgment is against those who have rejected Jesus Christ and whoever has chosen to rebel against him.

As believers, I would like to think that we could be like that farm family, willing to offer a hiding place. Yet we should not be trying to hide unbelievers from Christ, but rather point them to Christ.

Believers should be pointing the unsaved to Christ Who offers eternal protection.

Revelation 9:13–21 (NASB95)

Then 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, “Release the four angels who are 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 would kill a third of mankind. 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. 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 of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.

Christ Offers a Safe Haven.

As the sixth angel is introducing the next woe, John hears one specific voice. The location of this voice is quite interesting. It is a voice of judgment coming from the horns of the altar. We don’t know with absolute certainty, but it seems this voice could possible be Christ’s voice. What I find fascinating about the location is that the horns of the altar would be the very location a person could go to for safety when they were fleeing judgment. Now, of course, John hears the voice of judgment come from the location of the place of refuge. In other words, there is no longer any place to go in order to be safe from God's perfect judgment. The symbolism seems clear that this altar which formerly represented a place of mercy, has now become a place of judgment.

As Christians, we must remind the unsaved that it does not matter how good they may think they are; there is no one who can claim righteousness. Even if a person has not done anything "really bad," judgment will come. There will come a day when mercy will no longer be available.

As believers, you and I should present the fact that Jesus Christ offers a safe haven. We can share with them that whenever they are attacked by Satan and the world, if they have given their life to Jesus Christ, He has promised that He would never leave nor forsake them. We need to present the fact that no matter what their past has been, the blood of Jesus Christ allows God to forgive the past and allow us to live in the present and the future, as a child of God; if only a person will confess, repent, and turn their lives over to Jesus Christ. No matter how young or old, Jesus desires that we would accept him in childlike faith, and He will give eternal life. Whatever the gravity of our sin, Christ’s blood is all that is needed to pay the penalty for those sins.

Christ Offers Supernatural Protection.

This voice which John hears, give some very specific instructions. Four angels were to be released. We can assume that because they were bound, they were demons. Their purpose was to kill a third of humanity. One might wonder how these four angels were going to accomplish this. It seems from the immediate context that this will be done by their calling out 200 million mounted troops. These seem to be the instruments of death. Some commentators would try to dismiss this number as simply a term to show an incredibly large number. However, if that were the case, why would John make a comment stating, "I heard their number."? Consider the need for such a large number, as over a billion people are going to be killed.

It's also interesting to note that these troops will come from the Euphrates river, showing that this incredible army will come from an eastern direction. It is also significant that the Euphrates is known for so many things in the Old Testament. John MacArthur points out: It was near the Euphrates that sin began, the first lie was told, the first murder was committed, and the tower of Babel (the origin of an entire complex of false religions that spread across the world) was built. The Euphrates was the eastern boundary of the Promised Land. The region near the Euphrates was the central location of three world powers that conquered Israel: Assyria, Babylon, and Medo-Persia. It was on the banks of the Euphrates that Israel endured seventy long, bitter, wearisome years of captivity. It is the river over which the enemies of God will cross to engage in the battle of Armageddon.

John then describes the horses and their riders. The riders’ breast plates were a fiery red, dark blue, and as yellow as sulfur. The horses have heads which resembled lions heads. Their mouths produced fire, smoke, and sulfur. Interestingly, the horses’ power will be in their mouths and in their tails. The tails will actually cause injury and death to people. They will seem as snakes with heads, striking here and there with lightning speed.

Some would hold that these horses and riders are demonic forces. Others would suggest that this could be a literal human army which God uses in judgment. According to General William Harrison, who is an expert in military logistics, this size of an army could not be deployed like this. It would actually require supernatural ability. Because of the figurative wording used when describing the horses of this army, it seems to me that this could very well be a demonic group, especially since the four demons released them.

As Christians, you and I know that our battle is not against flesh and blood. I visited with a minister some time back, who shared with me the incredible power of the forces of Satan. Even the church family to whom he ministered had not truly grasped the battle as being against Satan. They were caught up in the trivial details and that which seemed logical to them from a worldly-wise perspective. They had become oblivious to the reality that they were actually battling Satan and his forces. Sadly they were losing; some were even joining. That pastor is no longer serving that church, because they were willingly or blindly coming under Satan's jurisdiction.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, listen carefully. We are in a spiritual battle. The battle today is just as real as the battle from the second woe. The only difference is that the second woe will obviously destroy a large amount of humanity in a physical sense. The similarity is that of Christians in battle between themselves, while ignoring the battle to which Christ has called us. Meanwhile, unsaved casualties will fall all around us. People will find themselves dying and being transported to Satan's kingdom. We should point them to Christ who offers eternal protection. Only in Christ, can they experience the supernatural protection from the onslaught of Satan and the world.

Christ Offers Someone Worthy of Worship.

The sad commentary which John shares in this section is that the remainder of the people still did not repent. So what did they do?

They continued worshiping that which was false, pursuing that which was evil. They continue to worship demons. These demons are idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood. They could not see, here, or walk. They will worship the dragon and the beast (Antichrist). The remainder of the people continue practicing murder, magic art, sexual immorality, and theft.

By the use of certain Greek words, we see the stage is continually being set, even today. Drugs are being used to attain another state of mind, along with charms, seances, witchcraft, contacting mediums, pursuing false religions.

Pornography, the word which covers all types of sexual sins: adultery, rape, homosexuality, any sexual perversion. And yes, if it is not in line with God’s Word and His plans and purposes, it is sin, regardless of what our enlightened society states. This world and its culture chooses to be tolerant of anything, except that which is of God.

And obviously, theft will be considered normal and acceptable. How has this taken place in our world today? Consider the rioting, looting, robbery, arson, etc., that was considered justified by many of our politicians in the name of BLM or protecting the earth, etc.

Take just a minute and play as if you were a mathematician, along with me. You will recall that in chapter 6.8, one judgment has already destroyed 1/4 of the worlds population. Now in 9.15, we see that this woe kills another third of the remaining people. This would lead to the conclusion, that by these two judgments, 1/2 of the world’s population is killed. This helps us to understand why Jesus remarked in Matthew 24.22, that unless the days of the end were cut short, no flesh would be saved.

You see, Christ allows us to choose whom or what we worship. However, there are consequences for our choices. There truly are no true agnostics in this world. That is simply a category designed to try to deny the reality of having to make a choice. There are not even atheists in this world. We say that, because we know that they have chosen to worship something else, even if it is their own intellect.

Unless one knows Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, they will experience judgment. All humanity worships something or someone. There is no middle ground. A person is either for Christ or against him. There are no other options.

Conclusion

Believers should be pointing the unsaved to Christ who offers eternal protection. I recognize that many in this world will not want to hear what we have to share. Still, the Bible calls upon us to present Christ. We are to be the watchman, crying out the warning. If we silently allow people to go their own way, we are guilty of their blood.

I reflect upon the book by Mrs. Johanna Reiss. That Gentile, Dutch, farm family, who took her into their home, acted upon their beliefs. They could have ignored and avoided the situation so as not to be involved. They could've protected themselves by suggesting that someone else should take care of them. They could've even arrogantly and hatefully turned these young women in to the German soldiers. Instead, they offered protection. They willingly risked their lives and their personal freedom to protect these innocent girls.

How much more should we as Christians, who are commanded to tell others of Christ, risk ourselves? No, we know the world is not innocent. No man or woman will be considered innocent because of innocence or naïveté. Christ will judge them. So what about our reputation being destroyed? Is it not worth it if even one comes to Christ as Savior? What if we are persecuted? Is it not of enough importance for someone to become a Christian, that we would be willing to endure suffering?

Please, make this your heartbeat. Do what is right. Believers should be pointing the unsaved to Christ Who offers eternal protection.