Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

In 1917, an American Army officer, Charles Stanton, stood in for General Pershing at a ceremony in Paris.

The occasion, being July 4th, was America’s Independence celebration.

But this particular celebratory ceremony was not in America; it was in France, 1917, in a city and a country torn by the First World War.

The location in Paris was a cemetery, specifically the tomb of the Marquis de Lafayette.

Lafayette, you might know, was a French soldier who had come to America a century and half earlier and had played a crucial role in helping the early colonies gain their freedom.

Now, at Lafayette’s tomb, in Lafayette’s devastated land, the sons of his American achievement had arrived to push back the forces of tyranny.

Stanton, as spokesman for the American Expeditionary Force, drew back his shoulders, saluted the general’s tomb, and announced, "Lafayette, we are here."

What did he mean?

Lafayette had helped us, back in history; we are here now to do what we can do for his country.

Lafayette, you did something for us; it inspires us now, at his tomb, to do something for him, for his people.

"Lafayette, we are here."

I wasn’t there, you were not ether, but we are here.

In a much deeper way, were we there when they crucified our Messiah?

No, but, for the Christ, Jesus, we are here, to be like Him and to carry on His work and word.

We are here, to die to us and to live for Christ.

Jesus, we are here for such a time as this.

Transition:

The title might remind you of the Book of Esther where her Uncle Mordecai says to her, “...And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

However, we are not going to examine Esther this morning.

We are going to continue in the book of Revelation Chapter 9 at the sixth trumpet.

The judgment that began with the fifth trumpet (the first woe) now continues with the sixth trumpet (the second woe).

In both cases, YHWH pours out his wrath on rebellious humanity in response to the cries of His people for justice ().

Scripture Reading:

The fifth and sixth trumpet judgments use a similar pattern: YHWH gives permission to release the demonic agents of judgment, and the agents are given instructions/limitations before being described in grotesque detail.

My outline this morning follows this pattern.

The sixth trumpet intensifies the fifth as the demonic army moves from torturing to killing.

In the end of this chapter, rebellious humans who have experienced these judgments refuse to repent, which is a foretaste of the attitudes of those at the end of the tribulation - preferring instead to hold on to idolatry and immorality, even when it brings suffering and sure death.

Before the seventh and final trumpet judgment (11:14–19), there is the second, more extensive interlude in chapters 10:1–11:13.

Transition:

There are at least three aspects of this trumpet judgment that John is communicating to us.

First is:

I. Releasing The Angels (vv.13–15)

Although the exact speaker of this voice John hears here is not specifically identified, it is possible it is the angel who presented the saints’ prayers to God at the golden altar in 8:3–5.

If so, this would then serve as a good reminder of how YHWH’s judgments come in response to the prayers of His people.

The voice comes from the four horns of the one heavenly altar.

As we’ll see again in Chapter 14:18 and in Chapter 16:7, YHWH uses other heavenly beings to give instructions for carrying out His will— perhaps similar to Him choosing us to build His kingdom here right now on Earth.

The voice from the altar now gives divine authorization for the sixth angel to release four other angels who are currently “bound.”

Likely, these four are fallen angels—the need to be bound suggests their demonic character.

Unlike the four angels of 7:1 who hold back the four winds, these four angels appear to be evil in character.

The four angels appear to lead the demonic horsemen described in the following verses, much like the angel of the Abyss leads the army of demonic locusts in last week’s fifth trumpet judgment.

Historically, the river Euphrates marked the boundary between Israel and its enemies (e.g., Assyria, Babylonia) and later between Rome and its enemies (e.g., the Parthians).

As a result, the Euphrates became a symbol of enemy invasion and anticipates the sixth bowl judgment of 16:12–16.

The four angels appear to lead the demonic horsemen described in 9:16–19, much like the angel of the Abyss leads the army of demonic locusts in the fifth trumpet judgment.

Historically, the river Euphrates marked the boundary between Israel and its enemies (e.g., Assyria, Babylonia) and later between Rome and its enemies (e.g., the Parthians).

As a result, the Euphrates became a symbol of enemy invasion and anticipates the sixth bowl judgment of 16:12–16.

Rev 9

The torment of the previous trumpet now gives way to death.

Whereas the fourth seal brought death to a fourth of the earth (6:8), the demonic army now kills a third of humanity.

Again the context suggests that only people hostile to God are vulnerable to attack (6:10; 8:13), while believers are protected by God’s seal (3:10; 7:1–8; 9:4).

The passive verb “had been prepared”, along with the hour-day-month-year reference, signals again God’s sovereignty over the specific timing of the coming judgment for “such a time as this.”

Illustration:

Transition:

So now we have the scene set for the slaughter.

John now moves to:

II.

Describing The Army (vv.16–19)

Just like when he moved to describing in detail the locusts at the beginning of this chapter, he describes this next demonic army in detail:

Rev

John hears that the demonic cavalry will number as other translations word it “two myriads of myriads,” this actually is double the number of angels worshiping around the Father’s throne in .

What would this number mean to the first century church?

The standing Roman army at the time he wrote this was numbered around 150,000 with an auxiliary army of roughly the same size upping the total to 300,000.

The demonic army would be almost 700 times larger than the world’s most powerful army at that time, and John’s first audience would have been shocked and overwhelmed by this number.

For today’s equivalent you would need to multiply the number of the world’s largest army by 700.

It’s shocking, really, to realize how small God’s army --144,000 from the twelve tribes-- seems by comparison.

The Lord seems to take pleasure to do His most powerful work through perceived weakness.

This is great news to us today!

We, here at Grace Baptist Church, are a very small portion of God’s current army.

We don’t need big numbers to do big things!

17

The colors—red (fire), blue (sapphire) and yellow (sulfur)—identify this particular demonic horde as they relate to the three plagues of fire, blue smoke and sulphur mentioned in the next verse:

The colors—red (fire), blue (sapphire) and yellow (sulfur)—identify this particular demonic horde as they relate to the three plagues of fire, blue smoke and sulphur mentioned in the next verse:

John now sees the demonic army he had just heard about.

The damage is done not by the riders but by their horses, which have heads like lions and tails like snakes..

These demonic creatures spew forth three separate plagues of “fire, smoke and sulfur,” similar to some divine judgments in the Old Testament (e.g., Sodom and Gomorrah in ).

“in their mouths”

John now sees the demonic army he had just heard about.

The damage is done not by the riders but by their horses, which have heads like lions and tails like snakes.

The fire-breathing sea monster Leviathan mentioned in the Old Testament may provide the background for John’s imagery (e.g., ).

These diabolical creatures spew forth three separate plagues of “fire, smoke and sulfur,” an image often depicting divine judgment in the Old Testament (e.g., Sodom and Gomorrah in , ; cf. ).

The spoken nature of these plagues may indicate a connection with false teaching and deception that encourages people to participate in idolatry and immorality.

Most importantly, the comparison to snakes indicates the demonic nature of their attacks that bring suffering and death.

The spoken nature of these plagues may indicate a connection with false teaching and deception that encourages people to participate in idolatry and immorality.

Most importantly, the comparison to snakes indicates the demonic nature of their attacks that bring suffering and death.

Illustration:

Transition:

So John has described the start, described the army, now we see results:

III.

Condemning The Unrepentant (vv.20–21)

The Judgment has now been administered and John now records the results:

Illustration:

The utter deception of sin occurs when unbelievers who are not killed by the demonic plagues continue to worship the forces that are trying to destroy them.

As Robert H. Mounce writes, “Once the heart is set in its hostility toward God not even the scourge of death will lead people to repentance.”

As archaeologists sift through the sands of the Holy Land, they can come across ancient settlement mounds, or “tells.”

These sites can hold the history of many thousands of years, town built upon town.

Diggers find clay jars, amulets, earrings, necklaces, and knives once used by ancient Israelites.

One striking feature of these finds is just how much Israel had in common with the nations around it.

Just like those nations, Israelites liked to wear “lucky charms” with the likeness of pagan gods.

They had their household statues, just like the people around them.

What stands out?

Simply this: God’s people can easily be led astray by the deceptive power of idolatry.