The Second Woe of the Apocalypse

Please turn in your Bible to Revelation 9:13-21 as we look at The Second Woe of the Apocalypse.

In this present age the Universal Church has a restraining power on the spiritual forces of wickedness, and the evil of mankind. But when the Church is raptured from the earth, that restraint will be removed. At some point after the rapture, it could be days, weeks, or even months, the Man of Lawlessness will be revealed. Some say that the seven-year tribulation will begin the moment that this wicked man, who presents himself as a man of peace, will sign a treaty with the nation of Israel. Three and a half years later he will break this treaty, and what Jesus referred to as the Great Tribulation will begin.

My belief is that the majority of the seal judgments will take place during the first half of this seven-year span. And the trumpet and bowl judgments will take place during the last half of this seven-year span.

With the restraining influence of the Church removed from the earth wickedness will increase exponentially. I get the impression that the basic moral principles which have been in common in most cultures may no longer be the norm. Idolatry will increase. Murders will increase. Addictive drug use will increase, and the laws which restrain such may be abolished. Rampant sexual immorality will increase. And the theft of personal property will increase. Mankind, as a whole, will become more wicked in their actions then ever before.

The sad truth is that the inhabitants of earth will be aware of God’s wrath, and they just will not care. They will be aware that the seal and trumpet judgments will be sent from God. But they will not care. Satan will blind their eyes to the truth, and they will be, for a time, so enamored with the Man of Lawlessness — also known as the Antichrist, that they will follow him blindly like children following the Pied Piper.

Even in this present age Satan has blinded the eyes of the majority of the inhabitants of the earth to the truth. It takes an act of the Holy Spirit to remove the blinders so that people can perceive the truth of the gospel, and embrace it and be saved from the wrath to come.

Our text for today records the sixth of the seven trumpet judgments, which is the second woe. There will be a gap (or at least a parenthesis in the text) until we reach the seventh trumpet judgment which is written about at the end of chapter 11.

As we go through our text we will look at the voice, river, preparation, army, result, and response.

Let’s read our passage together.

Revelation 9:13–21 NASB 95

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.

Let’s begin by looking at

The Voice

How many of you watch the musical show called the Voice, which airs on NBC? I don’t usually watch shows like this. My belief, as one who has been involved with choir music for decades, both as a singer and a director, is that shows such as this or American Idol have lead to the dissolution of many choirs.

But this year I have started watching. That is because one of my former music students is the piano player for a trio, called 323, which has been selected to be on The Voice. My student is not a part of the show since they have their own studio band for this program. But still, I am thrilled to have a music student who has gone this far in his pursuit of music.

Our text, however, has nothing to do with this TV show.

Note that,

The Voice from the Altar Commanded that Four Inmates be Released from Prison

Notice that the voice from the altar gives the sixth chair trumpeter a command to release four angelic beings from their present captivity.

Look at verses 13-14.

Revelation 9:13–14 NASB 95

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.”

Who is this voice which gave this command? Some believe it to be the God the Father. Some believe it to be Christ. Some believe it to be the angel who threw the contents of the golden censer to the earth. The truth is that the text does not indicate who it is.

Who are the four angels who are bound? As you might expect, commentators differ on who these angels are. Paige Patterson, one of the commentators I have been using for this study, sees these as being unfallen angels who are being used for a very specific purpose. All of the other commentators that I am using see these as being fallen angels, otherwise known as demons. There is no place in Scripture in which unfallen angels are kept in bounds. And since these beings are sinless there is no need for them to be in bounds. But we do know that at least certain demons have been held in bounds and imprisoned.

MacArthur noted, “The perfect tense of the participle translated bound implies that these four angels were bound in the past with continuing results; they were in a state or condition of bondage until God’s determined time came for them to be released to execute their function as instruments of divine judgment.” (John F. MacArthur Jr., Revelation 1–11, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 268.)

Let’s move on to consider

The River

Note that,

The Euphrates River Has an Important Role to Play in the Biblical Narrative

Look again at verse 14.

Revelation 9:14 (NASB 95)

“Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

The Euphrates River was one of the four rivers which flowed out of the Garden of Eden. It is a very long river, running from near Mt. Ararat in modern day Turkey, to the Persian gulf. It is nearly 1800 miles in length. The western bank of the river is the boundary which God set for the eastern boundary of the Promised Land. Geographically speaking, this river is the dividing point between the Near East and the Far East.

The Euphrates River became a symbol of exile for both the northern and southern tribes of Israel since they were lead away into captivity across the river to Assyria and Babylon.

In the NT times the Romans saw the Euphrates as the border which held chaos and barbarism at bay. The only mention of this river in the NT is our passage and then again it is mentioned in chapter 16 as a part of the sixth bowl judgment in which God dried up the river to allow for the kings from the east to pass over it with their armies.

MacArthur pointed out that, “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 (Gen. 15:18; Ex. 23:31; Deut. 11:24), and Israel’s influence extended to the Euphrates during the reigns of David (1 Chron. 18:3) and Solomon (2 Chron. 9:26). The region near the Euphrates was the central location of three world powers that oppressed Israel: Assyria, Babylon, and Medo-Persia. It was on the banks of the Euphrates that Israel endured seventy long, bitter, wearisome years of captivity (cf. Ps. 137:1–4). It is the river over which the enemies of God will cross to engage in the battle of Armageddon (16:12–16).” (John F. MacArthur Jr., Revelation 1–11, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 269.)

In our text it is the place where these four demons are bound awaiting the time of their release. I wonder if that implies that the Abyss is near the Euphrates river?

Let’s move on to consider

The Preparation

Note that,

God Preordained that Judgment Would Come at a Specific Time

Look at the first part of verse 15.

Revelation 9:15 (NASB 95)

And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released,

It would appear from the text the only reason these four demons had been created was for the purpose of being used in the judgment. Don’t let anyone persuade you with the notion that everything came into being by chance. God is the Creator of this world. And He is not a chaotic Creator. He is not a God of confusion.

The intricacies with which this world was created are visible for all to see, even though they choose to not see it. God has pre-planned everything down to the smallest of details.

Paige Patterson wrote, “The cogent reminder here is that an omniscient God is not taken by surprise by any event of history, nor does anything proceed other than at his own choice of time. In no sense does this eliminate the freedom of human action, but it does underscore the purposes and providences of God in such a way as to comfort those who have entrusted themselves to Christ and his safekeeping through the ages.” (Paige Patterson, Revelation, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, vol. 39, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: B&H, 2012), 224.)

What an awesome God we serve!

Notice for what exact purpose God has prepared these demons. Look at verse 15 again.

Revelation 9:15 NASB 95

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.

We will circle back to this gruesome detail in a few moments.

For now, let’s move on to consider

The Army

Note that,

This Humongous Army was Made up of the Spiritual Forces of Wickedness

Look at verse 16.

Revelation 9:16 NASB 95

The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.

First notice the plural for armies. Apparently this group was made up of multiple armies. Most believe that it was four armies, each to be lead by one of the recently released captive demons.

Notice next that these were not infantry soldiers but they were cavalry — they were horsemen.

Finally notice the very exact number that was given. Two hundred million. Some take this as being symbolic of an uncountable number. But if that were the case John would have used similar language to what he had used in the past, as in when he referred to an amount that no man can number. Anticipating that people would question this number, John doubled down on his statement by saying that he had heard the number of them.

Critics of Biblical inerrancy will often say that no army has ever been that large in all of human history. But it wasn’t all that long ago that China boasted of an army of two hundred million soldiers. Second, I will contend that this was not a human army. Rather, it was an army of demons.

Robert L. Thomas wrote, “The fact that the horses rather than the riders are the destructive agents and that they and their riders wear brightly colored breastplates matching the destructive forces proceeding from their mouths suggests that the combination of horse and rider is of superhuman origin. The determining aspect in favor of these being demons is the description of the horses that differs so greatly from any ordinary horse that these horses must be of another order.” (Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1995), 46.)

Notice the description of them in verse 17.

Revelation 9:17 (NASB 95)

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.

It is hard to tell from the Greek text if it was the riders, the horses, or both which had these colored breastplates for armor. While the NASB adds the words the riders to the text, it is not part of the Greek text. The ESV translates it more literally.

Revelation 9:17 (ESV)

And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths.

Next, notice that John once again uses a simile to describe what he saw. The heads of the horses were like lion’s heads. He is not saying that it literally was a lion, but that it was comparable to a lion.

Finally notice that these horses had dragon like qualities for fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths.

John has more to say about them in verse 19.

Revelation 9:19 (NASB 95)

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.

Again we see John using comparative language. The deadly impact of this two hundred million demon army is not in the riders but in the horses. And the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails.

Let’s move on to consider

The Result

Note that,

The Result of the Trumpet Judgment was Death by Plague

Remember that in the fifth trumpet judgment the spiritual forces of wickedness were allowed to torment and torture wicked mankind, but they were not allowed to bring death.

Look at verse 18.

Revelation 9:18 NASB 95

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.

One third of mankind who are still alive by this time will die during this judgment. Combining this judgment with the fourth seal judgment, one half of the world's population after the time of the rapture will have died. If the rapture were to occur today, with the earth’s population being around 7.5 billion people, by the end of this judgment the population would be down to under three and three quarter billion (this number does not take into account the drop in world population at the time of the rapture of the church).

Why would a good God allow for so many people to perish?

Remember that back in Noah’s day all of the inhabitants of the earth, except for the eight people in Noah’s household, died in the worldwide flood.

God has always warned about the consequences of rebellion against Him. The penalty for sin is death. R. C. Sproul used to say something to the effect of “don’t ask why a good God allows people to go to hell. Ask why a just God allows any to go to heaven.” We are all sinners. We are all deserving of death — that is eternal separation from God. We all deserve to spend eternity in hell.

Paul wrote,

Ephesians 2:1–7 NASB 95

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

How does one come to be a recipient of grace? The Catholic church wrongly teaches that a person receives grace through infant baptism, and holy communion, and holy matrimony, along with a whole bunch of other things which might be described as good works. But that is not what the Scriptures teach.

Paul went on to write,

Ephesians 2:8–9 NASB 95

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Thus, grace is a free gift. It is not something which we have to earn by doing good works. It is apart from works. Grace comes through faith in the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I firmly believe that faith is a part of that same gift. Why do I say that? Paul already stated that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. Dead people cannot exercise faith. But the moment that God makes a person alive in Christ, He gives them the gifts of grace and faith in the message of the gospel.

Though we are not saved by good works, we are saved for the purpose of doing good works! Paul wrote in the very next verse.

Ephesians 2:10 NASB 95

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

What is the gospel? You hear me mention it in some way almost every week. I wonder how many have memorized the four words I use to remind myself of the content of the gospel.

God

Man

Jesus

Response

God is the Creator of all. He is the ruler of all. He created everything in a perfect way. He looked back on His creation and stated that it was good.

Man was the highest point of all creation. He was made to be the image bearer of God. But man rebelled against God. Man preferred to do things his way instead of God’s way. Thus man was sentenced to death — spiritual death. But God made a way for man’s sins to be passed over until the right time. God provided a covering for the man and woman’s sin by sacrificing an animal, and using it’s skin as a covering for them. The blood of that animal made a temporary atonement for their sins. But the sacrifice had to be repeated over and over again.

At just the right time God sent His Son to be born as a Jewish man. Jesus, God’s Eternal Son, lived a perfect life, and He died a perfect death as the sin bearer for His people. Finally, He rose triumphantly from the dead and ascended into heaven. He is now actively making intercession for His people as He awaits the day of His return to earth to rule for a thousand years.

There are only two responses to this gospel message. Either one can respond by rejecting this message, or one can respond in faith to this message by embracing it as the only means of salvation.

Let’s move on to consider

The Response

Of the earth’s inhabitants to the judgment of God.

Note that,

The Refusal of the Inhabitants of the Earth to Repent Indicates the Depth of their Depravity

It really shouldn’t surprise us too much to learn that in the latter days wicked mankind will refuse to repent. It shouldn’t surprise us because that has been the way of the vast majority of humans throughout the history of the world. Paul sums it up in Romans 1:18 and following. God’s wrath is revealed from heaven because man has chosen to ignore what is evident about God. God’s creation shows evidence of Him, but most people reject that evidence. Because mankind as a whole rejected that evidence, and chose to worship created things (which are demonic in nature) rather than worshiping the Creator, God gave them over to sexual lusts so that their bodies would be dishonored. Still they chose to reject God, so He gave them over to degrading passions — homosexual passions. Still they refused to repent and embrace the truth. So God gave them over to depraved minds.

And this will be far greater during the seven-year Tribulation. Look at verse 20.

Revelation 9:20 NASB 95

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;

You would thing that those who survived these plagues would turn to God out of fear, and repent and embrace the truth of the gospel message. But they will not! What will they do instead? They will continue to worship demons.

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “People will worship the works of their own hands, which could well include the buildings they construct, the machines they make, and the cities they build, as well as their idols. Here are dead sinners worshiping dead gods! (see Ps. 115) Their gods will not be able to protect or deliver them, yet these people will continue to reject the true God and worship Satan and idols!” (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 596.)

While those who practice idolatry probably don’t realize this, to worship any idol or false god is to worship demons. Moses, at the end of his life prophesied that Israel would turn away from the Only True God to worship idols. He wrote,

Deuteronomy 32:16–17 (NASB 95)

“They made Him jealous with strange gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger. They sacrificed to demons who were not God, To gods whom they have not known, New gods who came lately, Whom your fathers did not dread.”

Whether the idol worship in the tribulation will be worshiping objects, or worshiping the Antichrist, who, as a false god would be an idol, is not clear. It may be both.

Look at verse 21.

Revelation 9:21 NASB 95

and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.

During this time murder will run rampant. Many will murder those who speak out against the Man of Lawlessness. I imagine that with the loss of food supplies as the result of the previous judgments, people will murder one another just to have their food (or have them for food).

Our text says that they did not repent of their sorceries. The Greek term translated sorceries is Pharmakōn, from which we get the English word pharmacy. MacArthur noted, “Drugs were and still are believed to induce a higher religious state of communion with deities. Pharmakōn can also refer to poisons, amulets, charms, séances, witchcraft, incantations, magic spells, contacting mediums, or any object that is tied to pagan idolatry to elicit lust or to seduce. People will dive deeper into the satanic trappings of false religion.” (John F. MacArthur Jr., Revelation 1–11, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 273–274.)

Immorality will also run rampant during this time. Immorality is already running rampant in our current day and age. The validity of the Word of God has been challenged so much that people do not feel the need of a marriage contract to enter into a sexual relationship with another. Whether it being an illicit one night stand — sex without strings, or simply living together outside of the bond of marriage, immorality is running high. It is shoved in our face by all forms of media. It has become the norm. But it will be so much worse during the tribulation.

Our text says that theft will run rampant as well.

What a sad testimony to the depravity of mankind.

How are we to respond to this text?

First of all, if you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, the best response is to embrace the message of the gospel and be delivered from the wrath to come.

If you are a believer, this should motivate you to share the gospel with others so that they will not have to face the wrath of the Lamb which will be poured out on mankind in the near future.

Let’s pray.

Father God,

I pray that Your Holy Spirit, who dwells within all who are believers in Jesus Christ, will embolden us to share the message of the gospel with those who so desperately need to hear it.

I pray for any here today who have not yet responded to Your call, that they would hear Your call to repentance, and not harden their hearts to Your truth. I pray that they would respond by embracing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

In Jesus Precious Name I pray. Amen.

Closing Song: #597

Verses 1-3

Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my moments and my days — Let them flow in ceaseless praise, let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love; Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee, sift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing always, only, for my King; Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee, filled with messages form Thee.