Rev 9:13-16 – Part 1 – The Sixth Seal – Loosing The Four Angels Bound In The Euphrates
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Rev 9:13-16 – Part 1 – The Sixth Seal – Loosing The Four Angels Bound In The Euphrates
[Study Aired Aug 23, 2024]
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.
Introduction
This sixth trump is also given the name “The second woe”. The last three trumpets of this revelation of Jesus Christ within us are called “three woes”. This is what we were told immediately following the fourth trumpet.
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!
So these three woes are directed specifically to “the inhabiters of the earth”. We have seen from many verses of scripture that “the inhabiters of the earth” are all men who are or have been “in Adam” and in a relationship with God. In other words, these words really are for you and me to “read, hear and keep… every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” and out of the mouth of Christ, who happens to be the author of this entire book of the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [ it] by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:3 Blessed [ is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [ is] at hand.
So whatever this sixth trumpet is, we can know and be assured that it has been happening in the lives of all who are in Christ since the day these words were first penned, and if we are in Christ, then the words of this sixth trumpet, which is also called the second “woe” is to be read, heard and kept by those who are given to read, hear and keep the things written in this sixth trumpet which says “woe, to the inhabiters of the earth.”
Rev 9:12 One woe is past; [ and], behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
We are God’s people and this trumpet is for us for our good:
Isa 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
If we are blessed of the Lord to acknowledge that these words must first be lived out and experienced in our own lives then, and only then, can the Lord use us as His mouthpiece to show others what has been loosed on earth and in heaven and what has been bound on earth and in heaven:
Mat 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
Mat 16:14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Here is a much more accurate translation of verse 19 from the CLV:
Mat 16:19 I will be giving you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatsoever you should be binding on the earth shall be those things having been bound in the heavens, and whatsoever you should be loosing on the earth, shall be those having been loosed in the heavens. (CLV)
The fact that this blessing is for all who are in Christ is made clear when it is repeated in reference to all Christ’s apostles in Matthew 18:
Mat 18:15 Now, if ever your brother should be sinning [the ‘brother’ of anyone in the church of God], go and expose him between you and him alone. If ever he should be hearing you, you gain your brother.
Mat 18:16 Yet if ever he should not be hearing, take still one or two others along with you, that at the mouth of two witnesses, or of three, every declaration may be made to stand.
Mat 18:17 Now, if ever he should be disobeying them, tell it to the ecclesia. Now, if ever he should be disobeying the ecclesia also, let him be to you even as the man of the nations, and the tribute collector.
Mat 18:18 Verily, I am saying to you, Whatsoever you should be binding on the earth shall be those things having been bound in the heavens, and whatsoever you should be loosing on the earth shall be those loose in heaven.
Just as Pharaoh could trust Joseph to do nothing which was not in the Pharaoh’s interest and for the Pharaoh’s benefit, typifying how Christ did nothing His Father did not want, and how we will do nothing Christ does not want, Christ has also bestowed the proper use of His powerful Words upon us:
Jer 1:9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
Jer 1:10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
Jer 1:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
Jer 1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it. [The almond is the earliest blooming of all fruit trees]Jer 1:16 And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
Jer 1:17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I
Jer 1:18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
Jer 1:19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
Six of the symbols of the sixth trumpet which is the second woe
The symbols of this trumpet total eight, but today we will cover only the six which are in the three verses of today’s study. 1) the four horns of the golden altar, 2) four angels which are 3) bound in the river Euphrates, 4) which angels are commissioned to be loosed, 5) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, 6) for to slay the third part of men. So…
What are the four horns of the golden altar?
The number four signifies ‘the whole’ as we have already demonstrated. Throughout scripture horns are a symbol of strength and power. It is through the strength and power of the voice that issues from these four horns of the golden altar, that the ensuing events take place.
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,
The four horns of the golden altar symbolize both the spiritual strength and the wholehearted dedication of those to whom it is granted to “die daily” and to “keep the things which are written therein.”
Psa 119:2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
Psa 119:34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Jer 24:7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
The function of the golden altar with its “four horns” was to burn incense upon it. That incense signifies the prayers of the saints:
Exo 30:1 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.
Exo 30:2 A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.
Exo 30:3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.Rev 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Rev 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
Our strength and power certainly is not of ourselves. It is only in the demonstration of a life of “praying without ceasing”, which means that we live by the Words of our Lord.
Exo 15:2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Psa 118:14 The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.
1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
“The Lord is our strength”, and we are God’s “habitation”. So the “voice from the four horns of the golden altar” is nothing less than the words of God, as they come into our lives and begin to open our eyes to see through the smoke that darkens our heavens and our air. That voice from the golden altar is the truth of what all these symbols mean. Understanding what the scriptures teach about each of these symbols begins to help us to see through the darkness and ignorance all around us. For example, if we have no idea where the golden altar is located within the tabernacle and in the temple, and what its function was, then this symbol will mean very little or nothing to us. On the other hand, if we realize that the golden altar was within the holy temple of God and was in the very center of the tabernacle and temple and that it was upon this golden altar where only the priests of God sprinkled the blood of the sacrifices and burned the finely crushed frankincense as a sweet savor to God, then we can begin to understand that, being that temple of God, the activities concerning this golden altar, which is in the center of the temple, right in front of the throne of God… all these activities are of necessity taking place within God’s elect who are His temple.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
The activities of this sixth angel with the sixth trumpet, which is also called ‘the second woe,’ which releases the four angels in the river Euphrates, for to kill a third part of men, is all taking place within the temple of God “which temple ye are.”
It is right here at this inward altar, this golden altar, of which we are told “those who serve the temple have no right to eat.”
Heb 13:10 We have an altar [the golden altar within the temple], whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.
Heb 13:11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.
Heb 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered [ was ‘burned’, and was purified] without the gate.
Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp [“Come out of her My people”, Rev 18:4], bearing his reproach.
Heb 13:14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Those “which serve the tabernacle” today are the masses of Christianity who come to God’s word with idols of their heart. That means you and me in our own time. These have no “eyes within,” and for many long years we saw no need to read, hear and keep the things written therein. Our goal at that time is to avoid keeping the things written therein. We want to somehow be raptured away from the things written therein. At this immature point of our walk, we actually believe and teach that “the things written therein” are for those who are not God’s elect, and we cannot see how God’s elect are the heirs of these things. We fail to notice that the suffering of Christ, the burning outside the camp, is accomplished by those who claim to believe in Him (Joh 8:30-49). In other words, they are accomplished by us when we did not believe this verse:
1Co 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
I remember well not appreciating the fact that that verse says “the world, and death are mine.” I was completely blinded to the truth of that verse. So those who have been blinded to the truth of God’s Word, think that the sixth seal with “the great day of His wrath,” is a “thing to come,” which certainly is not ours if we are in Christ. 1Th 5:9, which speaks of the salvation of all, is twisted by all of us, and by the entire Christian world, to deny that anything in this book which deals with God’s wrath upon all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men, is also upon the sins, unrighteousness, or ungodliness of God’s elect.
Ecc 9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
1Co 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
1Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
“Whether we wake or sleep”, whether we are believers or in unbelief, “all things come alike to all… there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked, we are not appointed to wrath [in the end] but to salvation. Comfort yourselves together…” These verses enhance and complement each other. They are not contradicting each other. “All things are ours”. That means that we too, were once unbelievers. It is only by God’s grace and His plan and purpose that we now believe while others do not. But there is a glorious purpose for this order of events, and that purpose is for the Lord to make of us ‘saviors’ as He Himself is:
Oba 1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.
Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
This second woe is proclaimed from within the temple of God, where the golden altar is located and where the prayers of the saints are offered. That means that this revelation is understood only within those who have acknowledged their blindness and who have been given “eyes within.” The masses of Christianity and each of us, in our time, have no “eyes within”. At that part of our walk these trumpets are all without, and are to be read, heard and kept by someone else, some “other man”, some blasphemous and evil “publican”.
Rev 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
But Christ knew the significance of having “eyes within”, and He tells us that our concerns and our chief enemies are not from without, but are from within:
Mat 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Mar 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
God’s elect, signified by the four beasts, are aware of this truth and “are full of eyes within.”
Rev 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Christ also tells us that our concerns are not with the future, but are with the present.
Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
What are the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates?
Rev 9:14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
Once again the number four is telling us that the whole of the message of these four angels is being delivered to us. In other words, these four angels bring to us the overall picture of what God is doing with all of mankind. It is these four angels who show us that it is God who has “shaped us in iniquity, conceived us in sin, marred us in the hand of the Potter and caused us to err”.
Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Isa 63:17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made [Hebrew, ‘is making’] it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Where have these angels with their message been bound? They have been bound “in the great river Euphrates” withholding the next step in the dying of our old man and our growth in the new man just as the man of sin withholds until the appointed time our acceptance of Christ and His purifying work in our lives:
Joh 3:30 He [Christ in us] must increase, but I [John the Baptist who typifies our old man] must decrease.
2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth [G2722, ‘katecho’, restrains] that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [G2722, ‘katecho’, restrains] will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
These ‘four angels’ have been bound by the lies and false doctrines that nourish and enrich Babylon.
These angels are four because it is they who show us the whole of the plan of God, and what they show us is that God’s plan involves both the first and the last Adam and all the warfare that is taking place between our Father Christ and our father the devil who are both, each in his appointed time, within us.
Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
Joh 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
Joh 8:47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye [our old man] are not of God.
We will pause at this point and continue this study asking, What is the spiritual significance of the great river Euphrates