v12 Each of the last 3 trumpets are spoke of as a “Woe”. Because of the number 3 being a number of truth or witness, when woes were given in 3’s they were the truest, the most condemning. Here we have a Woe, woe, woe situation.
v14-18 The 4 angels are as we will discover in a few verses very similar to the army that Satan unleashes in the first part of the chapter with a couple of important differences. 1. These are to slay and to lead the 200,000,000 men. They have 3 weapons and “by these three was the third part of men killed” namely “by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For reference to why 1/3 part is so important please see the post for Revelation 8:1-3.
v20-21 We see now the reason for the Lord to let these armies loose on the people. “The rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands” We go on to read that these men were worshiping devils, and idols, committing murders, sorceries, fornication, and thefts. This is a bad list to have your name on. It is critical to realize that this is why the 4 angels and the army were allowed to wreak havoc among the children of men. Our Father does not want us to be slaughtered for no reason, but he must purge the wicked from the earth if it is to be inherited by the righteous during the 1000 years of peace that is to come.
Application from this section
Many People I know find it frequently difficult to apply some verses to them selves. These are some of those verses. I’m going to share some personal application I can find from these verses.
1. Matt 6:24 “ye cannot serve God and Mammon” I will not continue to worship Idols by wanting a new Toyota Tundra. (I’m sure some of you own this Truck, no offense meant, I’ve wanted one for some time now and although I don’t put candles in front of a picture of it, I think my desires are to be cool/popular rather than build the kingdom) What matters most here are my desires, I’ll change them so I don’t end up the 1/3 part that gets fired for real. After I change my desires so that I don’t love/worship this Idol I’m convinced it wouldn’t be bad for me to have it. The evil exists in the needing of it and the why I need it.
2. Fornication, although I don’t fornicate, I frequent some movies or watch shows where people who aren’t married sleep together. Next time I see that on TV, or in a theater, I will turn off the movie, and not watch it again.
Revelation 9:12-21
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