The Beginning Of The Second Woe

Revelation 9:13-10:11

“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.” (Revelation 9:13-15)

When the sixth angel blew his trumpet, four angels (demons) were to be released from the Euphrates River.  For just over thirteen months, they will be allowed to attack mankind.  They will be supported by a huge army.

“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.” (Revelation 9:16-19)

The four angels unleash an army of two hundred million on the earth.  They are armored, so that they cannot be readily destroyed, spewing flame and smoke and brimstone, both from the front and the tail.  People will die from the flame directly, from breathing in the fumes, and from coming in contact with the molten materials they spew out.  Some teach that these descriptions are John’s efforts to describe modern military equipment in first century terms, and they may well be.

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.” (Revelation 9:20-21)

God is bringing all these horrible things on mankind in an effort to get then to think about what they are doing and change, but they refuse.  Rather than turning to God and asking for his help, they continue to worship the same old false gods they have made, that have no power of their own.  They continue to practice the acts of rebellion against God that brought his judgment in the first place, the murders, dabbling with satanic forces, sexual sin of all kinds, and stealing from each other.

“And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. ” (Revelation 10:1-4)

An angel then appeared, dressed in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head.  His face shone like the sun, and his legs were like columns of fire.   He took his place on the earth with one foot on the ocean and the other on land, holding a little book of judgment.  His voice is loud like a lion’s roar and when he speaks, seven voices like thunder describe what is about to happen, but John is forbidden to tell what the thunders said. 

“And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” (Revelation 10:5-7)

The angel announces that when the seventh trumpet sounds, all Gods secret plans that he has shared with the prophets will be finished and time will cease to exist.   

“And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” (Revelation 10:8-11)

John took the book from the angel and ate it as he was directed, and as foretold, it tasted sweet, but caused an upset stomach that wouldn’t allow him to relax.  John was then told he would prophesy again before many nations, peoples and rulers.