The Seventh Seal; the Trumpet Judgments

Book of Revelation Chapters 8 and 9

In our last lesson there had been a small break between the sixth seal and the seventh seal and 144,000 Evangelist from the children of Israel, 12,000 from each tribe had been selected and sealed in the name of the Lord.

We next see that a number of people had accepted the truth of Jesus Christ. This number was a very large number of people, but we see them in Heaven which meant that they did not live very long after their salvation experience.

The earth was in total turmoil as it was the last three and a half years of the Tribulation which is called the Great Tribulation.

Things were terrible, and very terrible for anyone who rejected the Antichrist.

We will see in a later lesson that all of those 144,000 did live until these things were over.

Now we will see that God’s “Judgment” will begin upon all those who rejected the Lamb of God.

The Saints of God were washed in the Blood of the Lamb.

With the seventh seal which contained the seven trumpets, those who remain, besides those 144,000, would see more blood than they could ever have imagined, but it would be their own blood that had no power except to cleanse the earth of wickedness.

There had been singing and rejoicing in Heaven for those who had come home, but now all singing and rejoicing would stop and there was a great silence.

Heaven is not a silent place it is a place of rejoicing but not for this moment.

Zec 2:13 Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

Heaven is never in joy over the “Judgment of God”!

All the signs of the Lord’s Second Coming are being fulfilled.

*Rev 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
Rev 8:2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

These angels did not have these trumpets, these seven trumpets were given to seven angels and they took up their positions.

Whenever God calls us to His service, He will provide the tools we need for that service, just as He did these seven angels!

The trumpets of the Jews had many meanings.

1) The call to war
2) The call to worship
3) The call to convocation (Political and legal matters were settled)
4) The call to proclaim the festivals.

Amo 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
Amo 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

What were these seven trumpets about?

Zep 1:14 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
Zep 1:15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
Zep 1:16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
Zep 1:17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: “and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung”.

It will be a terrible time for those who remain upon this earth. Those who die and those who will live through it.

Now, there was silence in Heaven for about a thirty-minute time as on the earth. There is no time in Heaven. Heaven is a place of eternity and endless life.

John still lived in his own time.

*Rev 8:6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
Rev 8:7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

We see that once we are called and God provides the tools for the work He has given us to do, then there must be a time of preparation.

These angels had to prepare themselves for the “Trumpet Judgments”.

Yes, the “Trumpet Judgments” are the judgments contained in the “Seventh Seal”!

Before we go further, we had better realize that we must take these things just as they are written.

There was no confusion on John’s part, and we must not spiritualize these Scriptures!

There is proof upon this earth that these things have happened before on a smaller scale.

We had better not doubt the God of truth, but even in all these things we will still see God’s “Mercy”!

Joe 2:30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
Joe 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

You see, the Lord will return to this earth so He only took a third part of the trees and a third part of the grasses and yes these would the edible fruits and wheat and grasses for those who will live through these things.

The Lord means business and there is a lesson here for the Church, not for the lost.

The Bible was not written for the lost! The Bible is written for the saved!

Those who are lost cannot understand the Word of God because of the need of the Holy Spirit, so the Word of God can speak to us and do not make some big deal out of this, it is just the truth!

The first trumpet brought hail and fire mingled with blood.

This means hail with lightening so terrible that they bring destruction and death.

We have an example:

Exo 9:23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
Exo 9:24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

At this time of Moses, God did not bring the death that will come in this time of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

God said we would see these things again and God never lies!

Jer 23:7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
Jer 23:8 But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

The seven years of Tribulation is the “judgment” of non-believers, but it is also to get the Jews to see the truth of the Power of Jehovah and the Coming of the Messiah.

So there will be great destruction and there will be great death! There will be blood, blood, and more blood.

This world does not believe in the salvation power of the blood of Jesus, so they will see blood!

The second trumpet sounds.

*Rev 8:8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
Rev 8:9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

As the first trumpet when it sounded it affected the land, the second trumpet sounding affects the Sea!

This great mountain could be a volcano and probably is.

In his 100-year lifetime, we would think John had seen a volcano somewhere in his travels. It is a volcano but then it blasted apart as it exploded like none that he had ever seen.

Some suggest that it is possibly a huge meteor, ablaze with fire as it burnt through the earth’s orbit and blasted into a mountain near the Sea.

Some people do not believe in waters turning to blood, but this is a regular occurrence in Australia that is said to be caused by a red, algae.

It happens also in the waters near Florida.

Blood red waters have appeared on the coast of China which was blamed on illegal dumping and there are other places where the waters of the Seas have turned blood red but not on the scale as it will be when this trumpet sounds.

We also see red in our own drinking water in many places. It is those pink stains in our sinks and drains and this is because of Iron Ferrous in our water supplies.

In this vision of John, the impact of this mountain destroyed a third of the ships and there was the blood of men spilled into the Seas and the lakes and the streams.

These ships could very well be ships involved in the war on Israel or at least in the war of the Antichrist upon mankind.

In this same occurrence that destroyed a third part of all sea creatures and their blood was also mingled in the water.

We should just believe the water will turn blood red and not doubt the Word of God!

This was a terrible thing and of course this also caused a loss of some of the world’s food supply.

There are blood red waters in the Bible and John was familiar with them.

Exo 7:17 Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.
Exo 7:18 And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.
Exo 7:19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.
Exo 7:20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.
Exo 7:21 And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

John was also familiar with the words from Jeremiah, where similar words were used of Babylon.

Jer 51:24 And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD.
Jer 51:25 Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.

Babylon, in the Book of Revelation, is the worldly systems put in place by the Antichrist.

The financial system and the religious system.

In either case, we as the Church will not be involved in any part of these things and we are certainly not to have any fear.

Psa 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psa 46:2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Psa 46:3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

It is just best to take the Word of God as it is written!

While we are on this subject of just believing the promises of the Lord, let me mention that a lot is being said about some shot or some injection what will heal this virus that is plaguing our world today. Some are comparing to the “mark of the Beast”.

Just so we understand. As true Christians, we cannot lose our salvation. Nothing and no one can remove us from the hand of the Lord, not even ourselves!

Joh 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
Joh 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.

So, if someone comes up with a working solution to end this plague in the form of a shot or injection or even a pill, we do not have to be afraid of it. In fact if it happens then the Lord allowed it and He would expect us to do whatever it takes to protect our families.

1Ti_5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

The Lord will never go back on His Word and we need the “faith” to accept all the Word of God!

Now after the Church is in Heaven these things could have an entirely different meaning!

The third trumpet sounds.

*Rev 8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
Rev 8:11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

We see shooting stars very often today. There are also Comets making their lonesome orbits through the galaxies and they are also wonderful to see.

On this day at least one of them did not miss this place called earth and will make deadly contact.

Wormwood in the Old Testament is a sign of bitter calamity and sorrow, and this certainly describes life in the time of the Great Tribulation!

Jer 9:13 And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;
Jer 9:14 But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:
Jer 9:15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.

Drinking water will be scarce in many places and much of the drinking water will be poisoned by the Antichrist in his attempt to control the population, and many will die for lack of water. The average persons can only go two or three days without water.

This is a reminder of what was offered to Jesus. Remember the Book of Revelation is about the reveling of Jesus Christ.

Why should we expect to be treated any better than the world has treated Jesus?

Mat 27:34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

Jesus would not drink poison when He was dying. Alcohol is poison!

Will you drink the waters laced with wormwood when you are dying during these days of the Great Tribulation?

I will not be here! This should also be your answer!

The fourth trumpet sounds.

*Rev 8:12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

We should understand that everyone who is living during the time of the Great Tribulation are there because they chose to be there!

They all had an opportunity to be in Heaven, but they rejected the Lord Jesus Christ, the only way to get into God’s Heaven.

They would not give up their sin!

What we should understand is that for a third part of the world, they could not see the sun, they could not see the moon, they could not even see the nighttime sky!

They were placed in total darkness!

We can only imagine the things going on around them that caused this thing to happen.

What had Jesus said?

Luk 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Luk 21:26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

This is also similar to the plague of Egypt.

Exo 10:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
Exo 10:22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
Exo 10:23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

Notice that just as in this day of Moses. God allowed the darkness to be only in a certain area and God’s people still had light.

Two thirds of the world would still have the light of the Sun and the Moon and the nighttime sky.

We should not doubt what people were in darkness and those who had light!

In fact we could say that this darkness will be so dark that it can be felt. The world of today is not aware of true darkness because of the lights that are on in darkness!

Exo_10:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

Then came the announcement that things were only going to get worse.

*Rev 8:13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

There are three “woes”, a woe for each of the trumpets that remain.

Things never get better during the “Great Tribulation”!

That word “Holocaust” has been used and certainly Hitler’s destruction of the Jews was a true holocaust. There are some things going on in Africa, and Syria, and maybe a few other places that might be called a holocaust by Christians, but none of these things will compare to those last three years of the “Great Tribulation”!

The Antichrist has assumed rule of this world and he is showing his true side!

He has demanded total allegiance!

He will demand that all people focus on his government.

Never a government has ever existed that were as deceptive and as cruel as his government! Yet there are so many people today that just cannot wait till there is a One World government where the rights of people will be non-existent!

We can compare it somewhat to some of those “want to be” Antichrist that have come before him.

1Jn_2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Throughout the centuries there have been antichrist in place as rulers as the Caesars, Hitler just to name a couple.

With them came war and death and all the atrocities of war.

It will be much worse when this last but true Antichrist is on the scene and ruler of this world! The ruler of the One World government.

He was welcomed with open arms because of his deception but he can only be what he is, “the duplicate of the Devil”!

The first four trumpets brought devastation to the earth.

The last three trumpets will bring devastation to the people of the earth!

God will judge the ungodly and the evil and not those who trust in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Woe, Woe, Woe, to the inhabitants of the earth.

****Rev 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Rev 9:3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Rev 9:4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

As we read, we see that John saw a “star” fall to the earth, but it was not an actual star it was a being, it was a person, or it was an angel.

It is in fact an angelic being for no human being has this capability!

This angelic being has the key to the bottomless pit.

We would be foolish to believe that God would give any keys to Satan.

This same angel comes later to bind Satan.

Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

We here of a lot of things about Hell and the Burning Lake of Fire and how hot and horrible it is.

We read of the rich man from the Book of Luke is in Hell in torments and he would welcome just one drop of water from a beggar that he despised, just to cool his tongue for a moment.

Hell is a terrible place.

Here we read that Hell is a bottomless pit.

I do not know how many have ever had that dream of falling and then wake up knowing how terrible it was and is more than a dream but a nightmare.

I cannot imagine how terrible it would be to continuously be falling throughout eternity it takes be back to another place in the Scriptures.

Num 16:28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.
Num 16:29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.
Num 16:30 But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
Num 16:31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
Num 16:32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
Num 16:33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
Num 16:34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.

I can only imagine that these are still falling in this bottomless pit, which is very possible with the rotation of the earth.

You fall and fall and then you fall some more the bottom always being out of reach!

Another thing we see that when this pit is opened there was smoke as a furnace.

Does anyone believe this pit of Hell is not a fiery furnace just so miserably hot that it cooks and cooks and then, cooks some more.

It does not cause death because it is our Holy Father and His Son Jesus who by having life also hold the power of death!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Hell is a terrible place and then the Burning Lake of Fire and a Bottomless Pit.

Some say this bottomless pit is the home of the Fallen Angels or wicked and evil demons.

Not only does this place house those that have rejected the truth of God, but there are terrible things also in this pit.

Locusts with the power of a scorpion.

Locusts crave grass and all green things, but God will not allow them to eat these things. I do not think they will be very happy about it.

You can call this foolishness if you so choose, but locusts are real, and they destroy crops every year in many places upon this earth.

These are different in they will attack humans because they have no food, but not all humans. They will not attack those 144,000 Jews that have God’s seal of approval!

*Rev 9:5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
Rev 9:6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

The scorpion looks somewhat like a miniature lobster. They have a very active tail, with six joints which ends with a crooked point like a claw.

They are carnivorous in their habits. In that claw or stinger there is a gland which discharges a poisonous fluid and it makes a painful wound in humans and animals which can have fatal results in some species and in some people.

This scorpion mentioned here will not cause death, but it will cause a pain so terrible you will wish you were dead!

Locusts travel in swarms, so they are more likely to cause multiple stings upon each and every human and all the animals that remain.

These things will be so bad that the world will seek to die, but God holds the power of life and death and He will not allow them to die, but suffer through this terrible thing for five months which is about the life span of a grass hopper today.

What we can believe is that God will not allow anyone to die during this five-month period.

They will not even be able to commit suicide, though they may even try and make their own matters even worse.

These will be terrible looking things but let us look at another prophesy.

Joe 2:4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
Joe 2:5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
Joe 2:6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
Joe 2:7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
Joe 2:8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
Joe 2:9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.
Joe 2:10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

We know that horses cannot fly nor can they climb walls, but these creatures in this passage would be able to.

We also know this as the Day of the Lord in the Book of Revelation.

Joe 2:11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

These things have a king, which locusts, do not have.

Pro 30:27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

Nowhere in the Scriptures is Satan called Abaddon nor Apollyon so this king must not be Satan.

In reality those who are alive may now see the wicked demons who have been at work but never seen all these years!

These will be terrible days for all those who wear or carry the mark of the beast!

*Rev 9:12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
Rev 9:13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
Rev 9:14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
Rev 9:15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

As we can see, more “woes” lie ahead for all those who rejected the Lord Jesus Christ by their own choice.

The patience of the Lord has reached its peak. He will no longer hold back “Judgment” on all unbelievers.

Eze 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

Eze 3:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

It is our Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ who stands at this golden altar.

He is our Legal Advocate. He is our Supreme Head of life.

This Golden Altar is in fact a “type of Calvary” where our Savior bled and died. Those horns represent the power of the blood!

Those who were about to die would shed their own blood because they rejected the power of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1Jn 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

It is those who kept not the commandment of the Lord who remain upon this earth, and most of them were about to die.

We cannot bypass Calvary in our search for life!
We cannot bypass the washing of water by the Word of God!
We cannot forego the Living Bread at the table of our Lord and Savior!
We cannot bypass our Intercessor as these that remain on earth are trying to do!

It is our Intercessor who cries out from the Golden Altar to the sixth angel!

These people had witnessed the Church.

Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Now they would witness the Judgment of the Lord.

There are many thoughts about these angels, and they were bound which seemed to make them fallen angels that Satan has prepared for this specific day.

Let us take another look.

They were bound near the River Euphrates which is the most probable location of the Garden of Eden.

This is the location of where Satan caused the first sin of man.

This is the place where because of sin, death came to all humans.

This is the place where God himself placed His Cherubim to protect the way to the tree of life.

Gen 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

It is my opinion that it is these angels who have been bound at this place all these years defending the way to the tree of life, and it is who they have been prepared for this specific day!

The number of them being four because of the four directions, North, South, East, and West.

When released, they will slay a third part of the men left upon this earth during the Great Tribulation. They will never be able to reach the tree of life!

Remember one fourth of those that remained had already been killed and that leaves three fourths.

This would mean that almost half of the population of this planet would already be dead!

Today there are near 8 billion (7.8 Billion) people upon this planet.

What was the number of those who would be slain?

*Rev 9:16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
Rev 9:17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
Rev 9:18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
Rev 9:19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

These four angels will use the Devil’s own cavalry, a vast invading army, to accomplish this task.

We can see that the great Tribulation is just one horror followed by an even worse horror, under the direction of Heaven but taking place by the Antichrist.

This army will appear indestructible and we can only describe them as John saw them.

What comes from them is fire and brimstone and fire is a great destructor which goes on until its fuel goes out and is accelerated by the winds of doom.

Psa 11:4 The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
Psa 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Psa 11:6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
Psa 11:7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

We know that John did his best to describe these evil army that I believe describes our modern warfare machinery, but it could still be in our future.

No doubt a horrible time will be this Great Tribulation where half of the world has already died.

Still let us listen to those who were not killed and notice who they are.

*Rev 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

These are the elite. These are the ones closest to the Antichrist. These are the ones who have allowed the others to be on the front lines.

With half of the world that remained they became even more angry at Jehovah, the Lord Jesus Christ, and more attached to the Antichrist.

They had so many gods, one for each of their miseries, but none seemed to be working, but they clanged to them hoping one would have some power to stop the Lion of the tribe of Juda, but He will prevail!

Notice there is no mention of any righteous because there are none at this time upon the earth, only the unrighteous remain!

There also no mentioned of any saved because we cannot be saved on our terms but only on the Lord’s terms.

This was the time to say, “Lord I give up” but the Lord would not have allowed that!

It is always a good time to repent but these still refused to repent!

Noticed they worshiped devils.
They worshiped gold.
They worshiped silver.
They worshiped brass.
They worshiped stone their great structures.
They worshiped wood their great homes.

None of these could see their problems.
None of these could hear their prayers.
None of these could walk over to help them even as they reached out to them for help.

You see you must be broken to receive the Lord. Your pride must be non-existent.

Broken soil produces crops.
Broken clouds give us rain.
Broken grain gives us bread.
Breaking the bread gives us strength.

It is a broken heart that the Lord can heal.
It is a bruised and broken soul that can be saved.

None of these could be broken!

They were still murderers even with murder going on all around them.
They still relished in their drugs. Yes sorceries are the use of drugs.

The English word “sorceries” comes from the Greek word “pharmakeia”

far-mak-i’-ah

From G5332 in the Strong’s dictionary of Greek and Hebrew words; medication (“pharmacy”),

They still rejected marriage and remained open to all infidelity and immorality.

They remained thieves, taking away from those who could not protect themselves.

It was like the wild west with no sheriff.

Everyone did just what they wanted to do regardless of the harm it caused others.

The Great Tribulation will be a horrible time to be upon this earth!

Each of them was the enemy of the one closest to them!

Amen