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The Book of Revelation
THE CONFLICT FROM THE WORLD SIDE
Unit 11
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THE SIXTH TRUMPET - THE SECOND WOE - Chapter 9:13-11:14 - THE SADISTIC WOE -
# Satan's war strategy/logisitcs: First the softening up then full frontal attack. Pleasant at the start. The sting is in the tail. Desensitised*
This second woe ends in chapter 11 verse 14.The second woe befalling mankind is more severe than the first and is also the logical outcome of the first. Initially people will resist blatant evils. So Satan first uses the "thin end of the wedge" to prepare the way for brash evils, half truths being used to delude the masses. For example Initially when suggestive dress is introduced the worldly retort to objections is "evil is in the eye of the beholder" and Satan's sages 'wisely' nod their heads in approval. Once such dress becomes commonplace, folk are, by then, reluctant to object to the blatantly lewd fashions that follow.
SIXTH ANGEL'S TRUMPET SOUNDS - ANNOUNCING THE SECOND WOE
9:13-21
THE WOES ARE WOES OF THOSE WHO ARE EVIL
THE IMAGERY IS TAKEN FROM THE BABYLONIAN ONSLAUGHTS (BEYOND THE FLOOD) TO DEPICT SATAN'S ONSLAUGHTS ON THE WORLD
THE "REMNANT" SPARED
NOT INFLUENCED BY PHILOSOPHY / PRESSURE
BUT MARGINALIZED / PERSECUTED
v.13
The sixth angel sounds his trumpet alerting us to the next phase in the onslaught on mankind.It is in response to the appeal of the saints [6:9,10] rising up from the altar of incense before Almighty God on his throne [8:3,4]
v.14
"the four angels which are bound"In chapter 7 verse 1 the four angels were not to release the four winds. When the trouble came it would be from every hand and side.
"the Euphrates" (cp 16:12) In the battles between Assyria and Egypt the Euphrates was regarded as the great divide. Abraham is refered to as beyond the flood, meaning the River Euphrates
The large river Euphrates was the major political and military divide between the Chaldeans and Israel [e.g. 2.Kings 23:29]. Imagery is taken from terrible Chaldean onslaughts, issuing forth from beyond the Euphrates, to depict Satan's war of sin. Babylon is the symbol of all that is worst in evil [e.g. Revelation 17:5]. Just like Sodom and Gomorrah became symbolic of the worst perversions [e.g. Isaiah 1:9-10].Euphrates [cp. 16:12].
vv.15-19 v.15
"the four angels were loosed""the hour and month and day and year" AT THE RIGHT TIME *
The four agents were prepared for release at a specific hour. Only when the public is primed and ready to accept it is the next strategy brought into play. Satan's war plan is: first the softening up and then the full vicious onslaught.
v.16
"200 million horsemen"Reminiscent of the hordes which descended on Jerusalem under the Assyrians then under the terrible and dreadful Chaldeans (beyond the Euphrates)..
Swamped by the agents of evil but the psalmist tells us that The LORD's agents are more numerous - [20 thousand million - 20,000,000,000]
Psalm 68:17,18 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, thousand, thousand [Hebrew dual] of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.These numbers are obviously not to be taken literally. Nevertheless indicate the overwhelming might of the foe and the far superior might of God.
vv.17-19
"heads of lions..." Head on conflict.The horses of the first woe were attractive from the front having reasoning seductive heads. The sting was in their tails, the sins being pleasant but the after effects being discomfort and despair [9:7-10]. Here both head and tail are viscous. Here we have head-on conflict and leaving a viscous trail of misery and devastation behind.
NOT JUST "STING IN TAIL" BUT WITH REASONING IN THE HEADS [9:7-10]
Headonistic sadism - gladiators fight to the death, victims torn by wild beasts, Euthenasia of the handicapt. Infanticide of inconvenient babes, children not considered human before birth or or even at birth until a month old. "The hour" [v.15] is when desensitised. Experimenting on the old, the infirm, the unborn.
UK television programmes "The terminator" and "Gladiators" glorify this type of ideal which is coming to the surface in western society.
"for their power is in their mouth, and in their tails"
People's sense of what is considered socially acceptable is revolted by sadistic sin, so Satan's initial assault is with sensual, seductive sins, gambling, alcohol, illicit sex. The first woe is to a degree hedonistic but "social graces" are sacrosanct. When milder sins no longer satisfy and folk are becoming desensitised to evil, then is "the hour, day , month, year", to release blatantly sadistic sins, euthanasia of those not considered to be able to have "quality of life" or are a drain on society, experiments on the disabled, "terminations", blood lust for gladiator sports, prisoners fed live to wild animals etc.
Psalm 36:1-3 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattered himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. He devises mischief upon his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he abhors not evil."out of their mouths" Note the nature of the battle.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
It is a psychological battle to enslave the mind, sowing confusion to make evil acceptable and the norm.
"the third part of humans are killed"
When the desensitised stage is reached ["the hour.."] a significant portion of those indulging in sensual sins are caught up in the onslaught of sadistic evil, Their moral sensitivities are totally deadened - "killed". They have blatent pleasure in heniousnes sins # (Compare Psalm 36:4)
1 Timothy 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
vv.20-21
"worship demons"1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of demons; Even those not indulging in these things are not shocked neither are they prompted to repent.Israel's sins deuteronomy 4:28, Psalm 106 34-40, Acts 7:41 (calf). Compare 1.Corinthians10:20 The Jews were the Sodom and Gomorah Isaiah 1:9-10. Covetous idolatry Colossians 3:5 ,Ephesians 5:5.
"yet ... the rest ... do not repent ..."
But the horror of what is happening does not cause the others to repent of their own evil lifestyle. The public conscience is not aroused. It even approves. and they persisted in their wicked lifestyle.
Both spiritual and physical depravity are covered in these two verses. Before we take a restricted legal view of the sins listed, as though these are definitive and all else is excluded, we should bear in mind that even covetousness is a form of idolatry.
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
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