The fifth trumpet, also the first woe, is the opening of the abyss to allow imprisoned demons out to afflict people on earth. It says that they sting them like a scorpion, but they don't sting anything but people who don't have the seal of God on their foreheads. Some have thought they might be weapons of modern warfare described by a person from the first century. But this makes little sense because warfare kills and it is indiscriminate. This is not fatal. It may even be speaking of spiritual affliction.
The sixth trumpet is very complicated. The sixth trumpet is sounded in Revelation 9:13, but is not said to be over until Revelation 11:15! A voice from the horns of the golden altar commands that the four angels that have been bound at the Euphrates River be turned loose. Good angels? Bad angels? They have been prepared for a year, a month, a day, and an hour to kill one third of mankind. How would you do that even if you wanted to? Without explanation, the text says the number of the horsemen is two hundred million. What horsemen? Oh, then John explains that he saw horses and riders. The riders had breastplates of fire, jacinth and brimstone, and the horses had lion's heads and fire, smoke, and brimstone came out of their mouths. It was by the fire, smoke and brimstones that came out of their mouths that they killed one third of mankind. Besides having dangerous mouths, the horses had dangerous tails like serpents.
Is this the battle of Armageddon? No, Armageddon is spoken of in Chapter 16, verse 16, during the sixth vial of the Six Vials judgments. It also involves drying up the Euphrates so the kings of the east, or "the rising sun" can cross with their armies.
Is the sixth trumpet related to the sixth vial? It looks like it is to me. Is it the same event? No one seems to think so, but this is one of those areas that I've heard a lot of talking about and mixing of the judgment details together. I've heard people say that the battle of Armageddon will be waged with armies of two hundred million. But that isn't mentioned in the sixth vial judgment, it's back in the sixth trumpet judgment.
Are the horses in the sixth trumpet signifying modern warfare? Some people believe the horses are spoken of literally. I don't believe that. Almost everything seems to be symbolic and figurative in this vision. The horses represent aspects of an event. Then a lot of people conclude because of the number of deaths that it must be nuclear war. But that doesn't take two hundred million horsemen. Some say the horses are tanks, but how would a third of humanity be killed with tanks?
So, all I've come up with is maybe some sort of warfare. Maybe the horses represent weapons of war. It still needs work.
But wait. Is that the end of the sixth trumpet? No, for one thing, the two hundred million horses and riders were supposed to convince humanity to repent. Repent of what? Number one, they did not repent of worshipping idols. The list of sins parallels the 10 commandments list in Exodus 20 in the same order. It is paramount to God that people do not have any gods before Him. Worshipping other gods is the number one thing offends God. That seems easy enough. Hardly anyone worships idols, do they? Oh, they think they don't. However, a lot of things are idol worship that people don't realize are idol worship. For example astrology. How is astrology idol worship? Because one puts faith in the stars and planets. How are tarot cards, ouija boards, communicating with the dead, fortune telling, witchcraft, seances, and all sorts of other occult things worshipping demons? Because they all involve forming a pact with demons, which are the power behind them. I would say this even extends to all games of chance because one is unwittingly relying on Satan to make things go one's way. It goes all the way to seemingly innocent things, like wishing on stars, birthday candles, wishing wells. Who are you asking to grant you favors? To protect you? One other thing that I've heard more of lately is having a spirit animal. Someone told me their spirit animal was a dolphin. Their spirit animal is a demon! Next on the list, and in the ten commandments, is murder. Then sorceries are mentioned. Oh, wait. Where is that in the ten commandments? I would put it back under worshipping false gods. It includes witchcraft and also mind altering substances. Why is that? Because when one is unable to control one's mental faculties, Satan is enabled to gain control of them. Obviously, inhibitions are lowered, sexually for one. But to the degree one relinquishes control of his spirit, he opens the control to Satan. I've noticed in stories that I've heard of demon possession and also strange phenomena like poltergeists that the person involved was off base morally with sex, and/or had either drug or alcohol problems to a severe degree. These things set the stage for demonic activity and are part of what people did in old times and modern times to worship false gods. So I think way too little attention is given to staying away from the occult. Do I feel this means no glass of wine? No, the problem reminds me of a little girl at a dog training class I was in once. She kept bothering my dog. I said, "You stay on that side of the yard, and we'll stay on this side of the yard." "OK." She started walking in circles, little circles, bigger circles, until finally she was over on my side of the yard. So a glass of wine is not crossing the line, but I'd say the line is crossed after two or three glasses. Fornication? Yes, that's still a sin. Theft also.
Is this finally the end of the sixth trumpet? No, apparently not. Two witnesses are introduced and they prophesy for a thousand two hundred and threescore days (1260). This is also three and a half years, or forty two months. The period of the Great Tribulation. They are spoken of only in Chapter 11, even though they prophesy for three and a half years. But not until they depart is the sixth trumpet, the second woe over, and the seventh trumpet sounds.
Next: The Seven Thunders
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