Revelation Study Week 22: 9:12-21

Rev 9:12-21

12 The first woe has passed. There are still two woes to come.13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels were released, who had been held ready for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, to kill a third of humankind. 16 The number of the troops of cavalry was two hundred million; I heard their number. 17 And this was how I saw the horses in my vision: the riders wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur; the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of humankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they inflict harm.20 The rest of humankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands or give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their fornication or their thefts.

We are at the sixth trumpet which is the second woe…the previous trumpet/woe was the locust like creatures with scorpion tails that was allowed to torment those without the seal of God for 5 months.

Vs. 13-15 13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels were released, who had been held ready for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, to kill a third of humankind.

A voice... from the four horns of the golden altar God’s voice, Jesus, and would relate to Rev 6:10-11 and Rev 8:3-5. The prayer of the saints would be what brings about this judgement.

Release the four angles...

angles were bound - fallen angels for no other angles were in need to be restrained

at the great river Euphrates - location of the garden of eden and the boarder of the Roman empire

held ready for the hour, the day, the month, and the year - There was a specific time that God had determined for these angles to be released!

kill a third of all mankind - we can only assume that 1/3 is the same understanding as with the other 1/3 in the trumpets. If we believe the other 1/3 is local, so must we believe 1/3 is local also.

Vs. 16-17 16 The number of the troops of cavalry was two hundred million; I heard their number. 17 And this was how I saw the horses in my vision: the riders wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur; the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths.

200,000,000 - The Greek says, ““double myriad of myriads.” John heard what was said, but did it mean 200,000,000 or was it like the phrase...”gazillion?”

Horses - heads like lions and fire, smoke, sulfur came out of their mouths.

riders wore breastplates of fire and sulfur. “the color” not in the original Greek.

Vs. 18-19 18 By these three plagues a third of humankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they inflict harm.

The three plagues (fire, smoke and sulfur) was the power of the horses but also their tails that are like serpents…Heads - plural.

harm came from the tail but death from the plagues.

Vs. 20-21 20 The rest of humankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands or give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their fornication or their thefts.

The 2/3 that did not die did not repent.

What did they not repent of:

false worship

murders

sorceries

fornication

thefts