Revelation 9:13-21

1. the nature of this judgment – 9:13-19
1. a voice is heard from the horns of the golden alter – 13-14
1. the earthly temple, which was fashioned like the heavenly temple, had two alters: brazen alter and the golden alter
1. the brazen altar was the altar of sacrifice
2. incense was burned on the golden altar in the Holy Place
3. "the golden altar" was a figure of the intercession of Christ; for on this altar incense was burnt, which was a symbol of the prayers of the saints
2. the days of mercy and intercession by Christ are over
1. a voice was heard calling for the judgment to begin
2. the implication is that God's appointed way of forgiveness has been set aside
1. the divine system of gracious atonement and salvation has been rejected and despised
2. the great high priest and only Mediator between God and man has been disowned
3. the wickedness of earth has risen so high that even the altar itself, which otherwise cries only for mercy, is forced into a cry for vengeance
3. the voice came from the four horns of the alter and not the alter itself
1. four is the number for something that is universal
2. the judgment of the sixth trumpet is universal [four angels were loosed]
4. four angels presently bound in the Euphrates River are to be let loose- 14
1. they were bound in mercy to our race, and here they are let loose in wrath and judgment
2. they are not loosed for salvation, but loosed from their restraint to inflict death
2. they have an appointed time and purpose set by God – 15 [prepared for]
1. this particular time
2. this particular judgment
3. the number in the army that will be led by the four angels – 16
1. the four angels will lead TWO HUNDRED MILLION troops against the earth
2. It is said the largest army ever to go into the field of battle was under Xerxes when he invaded Greece, he led one and a half million
3. during World War II, at the height of the conflict, America had 12,000,000 men in arms
4. a description of this demonic army – 17
1. it was the cavalry from hell [saw the horses]
2. the riders of the horses had breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone
3. the riders will be super-human, and demented
4. the riders are mounted upon horses that cannot be stopped, and cannot be conquered
5. out of the mouths of the horses issue fire, smoke and brimstone
5. the power of this demonic army – 18-19
1. the power to kill – 18
1. they kill men by the fire, smoke and brimstone
2. the fire would scorch and burn people to death
3. the smoke and the brimstone (sulfur) would suffocate and choke them
4. something similar took place in Sodom and Gomorrah
5. to meet one of these 200 million hellish horses face to face, is certain death
2. the power to hurt – 19
1. the serpentine tails: nothing is said of power to kill, but only of power to injure, or hurt
2. used by them as instruments of mischief, by which great suffering is inflicted
3. by these one third of mankind is killed
4. this plague will last longer than the previous one, it will last thirteen months, one day and one hour–15
5. the mere contemplation of these facts makes one's flesh chill with horror
6. some people would say that this is to hard to understand
1. the problem with men who come to Revelation and say it is to hard to understand is that they do not believe it
2. if we read it and believe it, it scarcely needs any comment
7. in wrath God remembers mercy
1. He suffers only one-third of the race to fall a prey to this tremendous woe, and two-thirds He spares
2. not because they deserve to be spared
3. so that by their awful circumstances they might be led to repent of their sins, and lay hold of salvation before it is clean gone forever
4. the Lord is good and gracious, even in the severest of his visitations
5. He delights not in the death of the wicked, but desires them to turn from their evil ways and live
2. man’s response to this great woe – 9:20-21
1. the people not killed by these plagues only harden themselves against God and continue in demon and idol worship - 20
1. they continued their senseless attachment to dumb idols
2. Paul tells us that "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived"
3. by this time they have become so hardened that they are unreachable
4. they had become so hardened against God, that by now they had become open Satanist
5. they knew that the judgments were from God, but decided to cast their lot with Satan
2. the idols that they worshipped were nothing but inanimate material - 20
1. instead of fearing, loving, and trusting in God above all things, people will bestow their loving confidence upon unclean spirits, calling upon them for guidance
2. it is absurd to believe that such things as these can meet the personal needs of its followers
3. nations everywhere have practiced idol worship since the dawn of history
4. how can it be that intelligent man, created in the image of God, can put their faith in lifeless matter
5. God will send them strong delusion, that they may believe a lie, and be visited with the damnation their perverseness deserves
3. not only do they have a pagan religion, but also pagan morals – 21
1. murder will be a common of crime
1. selfish passion will make sad havoc of human life
2. there will be no serious thought about it on the part of the leaders
3. infanticide, homicide, and all forms of sin against human life, will be tolerated as if no great harm were done
4. ever since the second seal was opened, and the red horse rode forth, there had been violence and anarchy on earth
2. sorceries will be a predominate vice in those days
1. our English word "pharmacy" comes from the Greek work for "sorceries"
2. the word includes tampering with one's own or another's health, by means of drugs, potions, or intoxicants; and often with magical incantations
3. with all moral restraint removed, drugs will no longer be a controlled substance
4. drugs will play large part in the lives of the unsaved, and will serve several purposes
1. drugs will enable them to bear the judgment of the Great Tribulation Period (escapism)
2. drugs will help dull any pangs of conscience that they might have
3. drugs will enable Satan to deceive the whole world
4. by these drugs, Satan will insert his deceptions into the minds of many
3. there will be a general subversion of marriage and its laws
1. the Apostle uses the word "fornication" alone
2. it embraces all forms of lewdness,
3. it suggest that marriage will then be hardly recognized anymore
4. last in the catalogue sins is that of general and abounding dishonesty
1. the disregard of other's rights
2. the practice of fraud, theft, and deceit wherever it is possible