Section Navigation (click to expand)
Scroll to current section
Scroll to current section

6th Trumpet

 

If you recall, the 6th Trumpet is the second of three woes that were foretold by the flying angel of Revelation 8:13. At the sounding of the 5th Trumpet we observed the clarifying components of prophecy regarding the selfsame trumpeted event(s), only this time through a shift in dimension for the unveiling of the Celestial Army of Spiritual Babylon. The woefulness of the prophetic situation did radically increase with the additional details of the 5th Trumpet, in respect to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Trumpets standing alone, because herein we observed that the war which is to take place is waged by none other than Babylon! Hence, the awful situation herein depicted as the trumpeted event(s) got worse from the 4th to the 5th Trumpet; and, if you can believe it, the plot of woefulness thickens from the 5th to the 6th Trumpet. How?

200,000,000 Fire-Breathing Manslaying Angels

Fundamentally speaking, the plot of woefulness grows in that the power of Hell’s Army is permitted to grow from the ability to hurt to the ability to kill. These two abilities can be contrasted by observing Revelation 9:4-6 and Revelation 9:18-19 side by side. Firstly, however, let’s observe the 6th Trumpet in full.

And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 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. And the number of the Army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 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. 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. 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.” – Rev. 9:13-19

In all the former trumpets except one, the quantified volume of destruction and death was a third. What befell the trees, the seas, the fresh waters, and the sky must also befall mankind because they are “the inhabiters of the earth” (Rev. 8:13). Right? Attesting to an increasingly clarified woefulness in the trumpeted event(s), “the third part of men” are killed at the 6th Trumpet (Rev. 9:15, 18). Moreover, there are additional details of dreadful significance that need to be compounded with the observations made in The Description of the Celestial Army of Babylon provided by the 5th Trumpet; the utmost priority of the number being: the angelic power to kill instead of hurt. Granted, other details are important, but they are categorically different. For example, we will observe the significance of the four angels and the actual geographic location, “the great river Euphrates” (Rev. 9:14-15), and other such like things, but an army of two-hundred million fire-breathing angels killing a third of mankind is the woeful part of the prophecy (Rev. 9:16-19)! Do you agree?

Tragically (and I say this soberly!), most if not all Popular Commentators don’t grasp what is being communicated in the 5th and 6th Trumpets because they fail to identify that the actual beings in description are the angels of Hell’s Army or the Celestial Army of Spiritual Babylon, also known as the Beast (Spiritual Babylon: Rev. 14:8, 16:19, 17:5, 18:2, 10, 21; the Beast: Rev. 9:1-2, 11, 11:7, 13:1-10, 15-18, 14:9, 16:2, 10, 17:3-5, 8). Given the description of the Celestial Army of Babylon provided by the 5th Trumpet (…there we see the Army’s swiftness in flight and it’s running stride in appearance, its jaw and teeth in likeness, its invasion and advancement in sound, its power to hurt and kill in analogous doctrine, and its insubordination to man and subordination to God in metaphor!), we can be sure that this army isn’t human. As a testament of God’s Majesty in glory, no earthly army could meet the caricature that divine prophecy brings into view.

According to the prophet Joel (who beheld the same army as the apostle John), the Angel Army that has power to hurt is the same Angel Army that has power to kill, only in Joel we observe one cohesive description that combines the caricature of both Trumpets. Most importantly, we observe the killing mechanism: FIRE.

O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the FIRE hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the FLAME hath burned all the trees of the field. The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the FIRE hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.” – Joel 1:19-20

A FIRE devoureth before them; and behind them a FLAME burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.” – Joel 2:3

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.” – Joel 2:5

What angelic mechanism killed a third of mankind according to John’s prophetic vision? FIRE. Strikingly, this is the same dreadful mechanism that Joel foresaw in the passages cited above. The totality of destruction wrought by the FIRE, emphasized in Joel 1:19-20, is clearly attributed to the presence of the Army in description, in that, “a FIRE devoureth before them; and behind them a FLAME burneth” (Joel 2:3), and we know exactly how this fire will proceed forth from the Army in that it was written, “out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone” (Rev. 8:17). Obviously, as it was comprehensively proven in the 5th Trumpet, the “them” and “they” of Joel 2:3 & 2:5 is a reference to the assemblage of Hell’s Army. Seeing that no spawning of any new or ulterior angelic army transpired in the 6th Trumpet, like in the 5th Trumpet, but only the loosing of an already existing angelic army, it is observable that the same army is being brought into view in both Trumpets.

Indeed, minor and insignificant differences exist between the two armies in description, but this is a testament to the authenticity of the vision beheld. A careful eye can discern that any diversity only adds to the clarity of the description, as is needed when describing something inhuman, otherworldly, and celestial. Meaning, it is not enough to say that the flying entities are locusts, merely, because they are locusts with the shape and appearance of horses (Rev. 9:3, 7). It is not enough to say they have breastplates of iron, but they have breastplates “as it were breastplates of iron” (Rev. 9:9) because the thing in description isn’t iron in actuality! Also, they had hair “as the hair of women” (Rev. 9:8), something that could look like the mane of male lions and such like things. Even so, instead of a scorpion’s tail (Rev. 9:10) we read that “their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt” (Rev. 9:19); instead of having teeth “as the teeth of lions” (Rev. 9:8) we read that “the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions” (Rev. 9:17); instead of having breastplates described in the likeness (“as it were”) of iron (Rev. 9:9), we read of them “having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone” (Rev. 9:17); and instead the locusts being described as having the shapes of “horses prepared unto battle” (Rev. 9:7), we read that there are horses and “them that sat on them” (Rev. 9:17), as is usually the case with a battle-ready assemblage of warriors even in the angelic realm of things!

The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.” – Ps. 68:17

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.” – 2 Kings 2:11-12

And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” – 2 Kings 6:17

Note: the Horsemen of the Apocalypse according to Zechariah (as they are commonly called) are angels riding on horses / chariots, and likewise we read of an altered and renewed manifestation of them in the first 4 Seals of Revelation (Zech. 1:7-11, 6:1-8, Rev. 6:1-8), which is further confirmation of how angels do indeed ride horses.

Here we observe warrior angels with both horses and chariots, called both “the chariots of God” and “the chariot of Israel”, depending on how you look at them (Ps. 68:17, 2 Kings 2:11-12), while in Revelation 9:1-21 we observe the likeness thereof pertaining to Hell’s Army. In the above citations there are horses and chariots, but they are angelic and celestial in glory (“…the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another” – 1 Cor. 15:40). Speaking of this, the angelic assemblage was called “horses and chariots of fire” (2 Kings 6:17), a celestial kind of fire like that described in the psalms, a flame of fire (Ps. 104:4, Heb. 1:7). Even so, should we be surprised that Hell’s Army has breastplates with an assortment of battle-ready adornments (Rev. 9:9, 17), but like the otherworldly glories of holy angels, it was written, they had “breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone” (Rev. 9:17). Not only so, but these are the fire-breathing angels which Joel beheld and prophesied of that are the real power behind the terrestrial armies of the future kingdom of Babylon (formerly proven at length in the 5th Trumpet), the same which came out of the Bottomless Pit.

This point is made by the apostle John himself within the body of prophecy when the powers to hurt and kill are attributed to the Angel Army in description within both the 5th and 6th Trumpets, even though the timeframe for the powers of hurting were exclusive to the 5th Trumpet while the timeframe for the powers of killing are exclusive to the 6th Trumpet. In the same way it could be likewise said that the power of venom was exclusive to the 5th Trumpet while the power of fire is exclusive to the 6th Trumpet, but both powers are two different mechanisms on the selfsame angels in description: a sting from the tail and fire from the mouth. The prophecy clarifies this, in the saying,

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. 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.” – Rev. 9:18-19

In seeing the use of the word, “their”, it is apparent that both powers are mechanisms of hurting and killing from two different body parts on the same angels of Hell’s Army. Hence, the primary increase in woefulness is the transition from mere hurting to killing, and with this the location of “the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates” finds significance and meaning (Rev. 9:14).

The Four Angels Bound in Euphrates

It says that the four angels were “bound” and then were “loosed” (Rev. 9:14-15), and then the two-hundred million army of fallen angels, the Celestial Army of Babylon, marches forth to slay a third of mankind by war and conquest! So, what is the significance of the status, being “bound”, in contrast with the status, being “loosed”, as it relates to the happening of World War III whereby Babylon takes worldwide dominance by force?

World events of war and conquest in respect to the ruling of nations and worldwide dominions has everything to do with unholy angels, as we have already observed in the 5th Trumpet. Remember, there are divinely set boundaries and limitations whereby God, through the warring of holy angels against unholy angels, does not allow terrestrial war to ensue whereby Babylon would rise to take worldwide dominance; but seeing that this must happen for the rising of the Beast, the boundaries will be removed! Remember, my reader, the Beast will arise from the Bottomless Pit and the sea (Rev. 11:7, 13:1), the former speaks of the celestial and the latter the terrestrial. Tracing the trumpeted event(s) up to the 6th Trumpet, the Beast has celestially risen from the bottomless pit, and that alone, but now it must act to influence earthly affairs so that the Beast will rise terrestrially or from “the sea” (Rev. 13:1). Remember, signifying the air-to-earth rulership of celestial principalities over earthly kings, we read that “on their heads were as it were crowns like gold” (Rev. 9:7). For the same reason, also, we read that fallen angels have been called Princes and Kings of earthly territories and governments, the ancient empires of Persia and Grecia (Dan. 10:13, 20); effectually, in this way, they were, are, and will be Principalities or Rulers of the Darkness of this World (Eph. 6:12).

Fallen angels exercise geographic and national dominions over peoples, governments, and terrestrial armies, but these angels cannot do whatever they want whenever they want in respect to waging war and extending the borders of dominance and rule for the rising of one nation above the other (“…the Heavens do Rule.” – Dan. 4:26). In other words, they are “bound”. The prophesied situation is unprecedented for two reasons: in usual cases of earth’s history, firstly, God wouldn’t release imprisoned angels from Hell; likewise, and secondarily, but speaking of the normally unconfined evil angels that are divinely allowed to rule the earth as Principalities and Rulers (Eph. 6:12), God wouldn’t normally allow them to go on a destructive rampage worldwide to the killing of a third of mankind for the successful making of a One World Government. This would mean the uniting of the world (Gen. 11:6-9) which God divided (“in his days was the earth divided” – Gen. 10:25), lest He is forced to destroy it (Isa. 24:20)! Speaking volumes by the sounding of Heaven’s Trumpets, that is exactly what is going to happen!

The fallen angels that are normally bound in territorial and national dominions and hindered from worldwide dominance are going to be released – and this signifies from a terrestrial perspective the outbreak of a war that will consume the whole earth in fulfillment of what Babylon is prophesied to accomplish to take world dominance (Dan. 7:7-8). God has released an unprecedented host of fallen angels for this cause, my reader! Thus, it could be understood that the “four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates” (Rev. 9:14) are the angels of four nations that have been engaged in a longstanding war thereabout (warring in the lands and territories around the Euphrates and going no further) long before and up to the appointed time when God has ruled that Babylon should rise (a time called, “an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year” – Rev. 9:15). This means that the stage for World War III has been set, observable by the nations at war in Syria, only its longtime confinement round about the Euphrates will be dissolved at this time (“an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year” – Rev. 9:15) and the warring nations will battle worldwide! This is the purpose for which Hell’s Army was spawned, and herein the location from which Spiritual Babylon will terrestrially rise has already been foretold! [Note: for more information on how the Euphrates River relates to the origin of Spiritual Babylon, see: The Gathering (6th Vial).]

Recent Past and Present-Day Manifestations

Without coincidence, the stage is already observably set in Syria as of November 2017. The land and territory around the great river Euphrates has been ravaged by war for a long time now.

 

Therein, to my understanding, many nations on four sides are at war (hot and cold, actual and proxy): Syria (Assad’s Forces) + Russia + Iran + Hezbollah, the USA (with the Rebel Forces of Assad’s regime), the Kurds, ISIS. The four angels bound in the Euphrates are fallen angels that are necessarily a part of Hell’s Army spawned from the Bottomless Pit. These four, evidently, in respect to the dimension of angels, are the on-location Principalities of the national regions or opposing sides that converge around the Great River for war, a war that has been contained thereabout and heretofore unloosed therefrom, hence the angels themselves are not permitted to war beyond that region to the slaying of mankind in World War III. It is a localized war and not a World War, in other words. However, at the rise of future Babylon the prophetic signal is an outbreak of war starting from this region and or the nations contained in the longstanding war therein.

As of April 2018, however, the State of ISIS has been overthrown (though the people and ideology remains alive) and the situation in Syria has been greatly altered. A new chapter is about to begin, so it would seem.

 

The US, who is allied to Saudi Arabia and Israel, is threatening to leave Syria. This would create a vacuum of power that Assad (Syria), Russia, Turkey, and Iran would be sure to capitalize upon. Much could be said concerning the alliance of these powers. I mean, much could be said about the public and private agendas for which these powers are becoming confederate. Iran (Shia Muslims), for example, covets Syria in hopes to bring war to the doorstep of Israel and has sworn to the annihilation of the Jewish State. Effectively, Russia has done likewise towards the growth of the US Empire. Turkey, though Sunni, is notoriously more democratic and, like Iran, isn’t afraid to threaten Israel with angry demands. Perhaps the above picture is a signal of what’s ahead (as of April 4th 2018), namely the breaking out of this conflict worldwide as the public and covert goals of these nations come to a boiling point. Russia, Turkey, and Iran, who are all unified with Assad (Syria), are now joining together in a newly forged coalition to resolve the situation in Syria that involves and directly provokes the alliance of the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. [Islamic Sectarian Rivalry: Iran (Shia), Iraq (Shia), Saudi Arabia (Sunni), Turkey (Sunni), Jordan (Sunni), & Egypt (Sunni)]

One thing is for sure, God has declared the end from the beginning. Where the United Nations failed, Mystery Babylon will succeed. The formal attempt of the UN to make Jerusalem an international territory (Corpus Separatum) in 1947 failed, but Babylon will succeed and exceed the former goal. “According to the plan the City would be placed under international regime, conferring it a special status due to its shared religious importance.” The international status of Jerusalem, as outlined in General Assembly Resolution 181, is but a precursor to it becoming the international Capital of the World in Babylon’s Empire. Even so, the voice of prophecy calls it “that Great City Babylon”, or, “that Great City, which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth” (Rev. 18:10, 17:18; for more information, see: Revelation 17).

Signs, Wonders, & Plagues Divinely Wrought by Earthly WAR

If indeed the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, & 6th Trumpets are singular in their message to wit they sound the alarm of World War III wherein Spiritual Babylon will rise to worldwide dominance through the death and destruction that comes by war and conquest, why is the summation of these event(s) called “plagues” in Revelation 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: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” – Rev. 9:20-21

My reader, it’s not what you think. One would expect that God’s use of earthly war wouldn’t be called “plagues”, right? What saith the Scripture? Well, seeing that the earthly plight of man’s suffering and death in reference was spawned in the form of a locust swarm (commonly called a locust plague), albeit of angels, this can be rightly called a plague! My reader, this interpretation is profoundly confirmed prophetically by the divine tutorial of old! When the book of Deuteronomy details the curses that will befall the people of God in their backslidings, the prophecies are strikingly prophetic of the Celestial Army of Spiritual Babylon which is a locust plague (“there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth” – Rev. 9:3) according to prophecy that unveils the angelic dimension of reality. Hence, in a verse-by-verse expounding of the suffering and death that the divine curses of the Covenant would bring, we read an account saturated with the effects of Babylon’s warring and meanwhile repeated references to the effect of locust Plagues! Is this a coincidence?

Starting from Deuteronomy 28:29 and onward, for example, we read of oppression and spoiling (vs. 29), the robbery of wives, houses, and vineyards (vs. 30), the slaughtering of animals by Israelites enemies (vs. 31), the loss of sons and daughters to another people (vs. 32), the devouring of the fruit of the Land by a foreign nation (vs. 33), the madness that comes in the experience of the aforementioned (vs. 34), the sicknesses and diseases that come with the onslaught of war (vs. 35), a total captivity by a foreign nation unto the dissolving of national Israelite sovereignty (vs. 36), and the ill repute that comes therewith (vs. 37), and then… “the locust” (vs. 38), “the worms” (vs. 39), a “captivity” (vs. 41), “the locust” (vs. 42)! By this the invading strangers of Israelites peoples will be exalted and the Israelites will be brought low in servitude (Deut. 28:43-44)! Then, in a parenthetical summary, Holy Scripture declares that these are the “curses” of God ordained for Israelite destruction (Deut. 28:45); and speaking of the same curses, it was written, “they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder” (Deut. 28:46)! And at the end of the parenthetical after the reason for it all is clearly stated (Deut. 28:47), the survey of the curses resumes by describing the hunger, thirst, and nakedness (Deut. 28:48) that accompanies the warring of Babylon (Deut. 28:49-52) unto horrifying acts of human depravity (Deut. 28:53-57)!

All things considered, it is evident that the primary fulfillment of all the “curses (which are for “signs” and “wonders”) are within, amidst, and through war, the siege, the captivities, and the dispersion via the Babylonian Army that God will bring upon the Land (Deut. 28:22, 25-26, 29-37, 41, 43-57), the Locust Army (Deut. 28:38, 42)! A further summation, and more conclusively rendered, the holy text speaks of God making the “plagues wonderful”, “great plagues”, namely the great and wondrous plagues depicted in the 5th and 6th Trumpets, all resulting and culminating in even greater prosperity of destruction with “sore sicknesses” including “all the diseases of Egypt”, and also every unwritten “sickness” and “plague” that amasses the human suffering beyond all prior periods of tribulation to wit the people will be exceedingly “destroyed” (Deut. 28:58-62), and by who? The antichrist piloting the vehicle of Babylon will do all this in fulfillment of what was written, “And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people” (Dan. 8:24)!

Remember, the culmination of all the prophetic curses contained in the Law can only be fulfilled in the Last Generation (Rev. 10:7). For this reason, Jesus prophesied (speaking directly of the time when Mystery Babylon will rise by war and conquest worldwide), “Nation shall rise against Nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven” (Lk. 21:10-11), but all of this will happen before the Last Generation according to Matthew 24, Luke 21, & Mark 13. In other words, World War III (Nation rising against Nation) will take place and largely bring about the foretold earthquakes, famines, pestilences, fearful sights, and great signs that must come to pass before the Last Generation. In other words, the “sights” and “signs” of Luke 21:10-11 are categorically different from the “signs” and fearful looking” foretold in Luke 21:25-28 because the former was before the reign of the Antichrist and the latter is after. In the exact same way, the wonders of Joel 2:30-31 are categorically different from the wonders foretold in Joel 3:15-16. Can you believe it? In both cases, the former speaks of the Day of the LORD through Babylon and the latter speaks of the Day of the LORD upon Babylon. The former speaks of things going before and leading into the rule of the Antichrist, which marks the commencement of the 70th week of Daniel, and the latter speaks of things after the 70th week of Daniel is completed. In other words, the former speaks of what God will do through the Celestial Armies of Babylon and the latter speaks of what God will do with and through the Celestial Armies of Heaven. [Note: for more vital information on the signs and wonders of the Last Days resulting from warfare in the Day of the LORD through Babylon, see Wonders and Signs of the Last Days.]

After all, how else should we interpret the evil acts of “hurt” and killing that the Celestial Powers of Babylon will execute via the terrestrial forces of Babylon, I mean specifically what is referenced by Revelation 7:1-3, 9:3-6, 17-19? For, after all, what does it mean for the angels to “hurt”? In summation, when God sets His eyes upon nations or peoples for “evil and not for good” (Jer. 21:10), for “hurt” instead of “good” (Jer. 24:5-7, 8-10), all this “evil” was fulfilled in what God did through Babylon to the chosen people that He had determined to destroy (Jer. 29:16-19, 44:11, 27)! In other words, when the Land and people of Judah and Jerusalem were separated unto “evil” or “hurt” (Jer. 21:10, 24:8-10, 29:16-19, 44:11, 27, Ezek. 15:7, Amos 9:4), this meant a total desolation of the Land and a total dispersion of the people therefrom, and with respect to Jews dwelling in foreign Lands (like Egypt) this meant the total annihilation of the Jews therein. God have mercy (Ezek. 9:1-11)!