Author: Charlie Garrett

Sunday, 17 January 2021

So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Revelation 9:15

The words here are in response to the voice from the horns of the golden altar commanding the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates to be released. That response is now noted by John, saying, “So the four angels, who had been prepared.” As seen in the previous commentary, these four angels are representative of the great army that will come against Israel. They have been restrained and now are to be released. With that stated, John continues recording the voice he has heard. It says, “for the hour and day and month and year.”

The translation is correct, improving upon the failed KJV which says, “an hour and day and month and year.” By neglecting to translate the definite article, the KJV makes the thought cumulative. Rather, the words speak of a set and particular time that was predetermined all along. Some translations make it even clearer by using the word “this.” In essence, “they are prepared for this particular day out of all others in recorded history.”

If this is referring to the battle of Gog/Magog of Ezekiel 38/39 (this is only speculation), then the precise timing of John’s words can be matched with the precise wording of Ezekiel –

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them?’” Ezekiel 38:17

The prophets who prophesied did so because the future is determined. Thus, what they anticipated is set, sure, and will come to pass. This is exactly as they had spoken. The thoughts of verses coincide, calling out for the moment John is carefully describing.

John then finishes by noting that they “were released to kill a third of mankind.” The aorist verb “were released” defines the thought of the set date. Though John wrote the words of Revelation over 2000 years ago, he wrote it as if the battle has already been waged. In his vision, the angels were released at the set moment and they have been released to kill one-third of the people.

The set number, “a third of mankind,” must be viewed as an unknown at this point. Is it speaking of one-third of all humanity on the planet? Probably not. Is it speaking of one-third of the people of Israel? It is possible. Zechariah, prophesying of the future tribulation period, says –

“‘And it shall come to pass in all the land,’
Says the Lord,
‘That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
But one-third shall be left in it:’” Zechariah 13:8

If this is one-third of the people of Israel, then it would mean a portion of that two-thirds is realized in this battle. Or it could be that it is speaking of one-third of all in the battle – on both sides. If this is the case, then it could be that far fewer of Israel will be killed in this particular passage.

In other words, if this is the same battle as mentioned in Ezekiel 38/39 (a possibility), it says there that almost the entire invading army will be completely destroyed (see Ezekiel 38:18-23 and Ezekiel 39:1-5). Thus, if one-third of all dies in the battle, and almost all the invading enemy is destroyed, it would mean a much smaller portion of the people of Israel would be killed.

Until the events actually come to pass, it is hard to be dogmatic. However, the words of Revelation 9:20, 21 would be easily explained by such a lopsided win. Little Israel, destroying such a vast invading army, would naturally feel superior and in no need of turning from their wickedness. Repentance comes through humility, and humility comes through defeat, not victory.

Life application: No matter how the numbers are divided, the statement “a third of mankind” means that the number of dead will be immense. In Ecclesiastes 3:1, we read these words –

 “To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven.”

And in Acts 1:7 when asked about the coming kingdom, Jesus told His disciples –

“It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”

God has everything under His control, and this includes the resulting destruction of the great battles that lay ahead. These four angels have been prepared, and “they were released.” It is done in God’s mind. There is a logical progression to all things, and God knew before He created anything what that progression would be. All things are according to His purposes and we are merely participants in His great unfolding plan for the ages. We need not get concerned about the things that are ahead because God is completely in control of them.

And for those who have called on Him, His promises hold fast. No matter what comes, be it in life or death or in trials or ease, nothing can remove us from His powerful grasp. So, if the events of Revelation seem terrifying, just trust that God already knows His good plans and purposes for you. If you have called out to God through the gospel of Jesus Christ, there is the anticipation of eternal joy in His presence. Whatever evils come in this lifetime are fleeting in comparison. Be sure to accept the gospel by trusting in what God has done through the giving of JESUS!

Heavenly Father, when we see that You already know the future, it gives us great comfort. Even if things are troublesome in our own lives, we can be certain that these things will never spin out of Your control. And we can certainly know that all of our trials are being worked out for our good and for Your glory. Because of this, we can shout “Hallelujah!” Amen.

Saturday, 16 January 2021

saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”  Revelation 9:14

The words now come from the “voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,” as was presented in the previous verse. The sixth angel just sounded, and now that voice speaks “to the sixth angel who had the trumpet.” As noted in a previous commentary, the word angel signifies a messenger. Of the various views concerning who these angels are, one is that they represent the “seven Spirits of God” seen in Revelation 1:4, 3:1, and 4:5. If so, this is the Lord speaking as the Mediator of God’s people now relaying the directive.

If such is the case, this doesn’t mean the Lord has multiple personalities. Rather, it would simply be the word revealing the many roles of the Lord in a way that we can understand. Regardless of this, the words say, “Release the four angels.”

The number four, though already explained, should again be defined here –

“Now the number four is made up of three and one (3+1=4), and it denotes, therefore, and marks that which follows the revelation of God, namely, His creative works. He is known by the things that are seen. Hence the written revelation commences with the words, ‘In-the-beginning God CREATED.’ Creation is therefore the next thing—the fourth thing, and the number four always has reference to all that is created. It is emphatically the number of Creation; of man in his relation to the world as created; while six is the number of man in his opposition to and independence of God. It is the number of things that have a beginning, of things that are made, of material things, and matter itself. It is the number of material completeness. Hence it is the world number, and especially the ‘city’ number.” EW Bullinger

The main aspect of focus here is the thought, “of man in relation to the world as created.” The world as created, and as it is being revealed now in Revelation, is focused on Israel. They are being brought through the tribulation to the point where they will call out to Christ. This is the purpose of their final seven years under the law. It is to bring them from the Mosaic Covenant to the New Covenant (as defined in Daniel 9:24-27). Understanding this, these angels are representative of the forces of man. They are to be released, allowing the great army to come against Israel. John says they are those “who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

One must understand the biblical significance of the Euphrates in order to understand why it is even mentioned. It is the outermost point of the land promised to Abraham –

“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— ¹⁹ the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, ²⁰ the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, ²¹ the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” Genesis 15:18-21

It is the outermost point of the land held during the reign of Solomon (called “the River”), typical of the ideal that is anticipated in the millennial reign of Christ –

“Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing. ²¹ So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.” 1 Kings 4:20, 21

Beyond this river, and since the earliest times, this area has been in a state of war – physically and spiritually – against the forces of goodness.

The boundaries began at the time of Cain when he dwelt “in the land east of Eden.” The two highlighted cites of the Bible are Jerusalem – the city of peace and the place where God dwells, and Babylon – the city of confusion and where wickedness dwells. In Genesis 14, the four kings of the area around the Euphrates come against five kings dwelling in the land of Canaan.

Later in the Bible, the king of Assyria is called the “rod” of God’s anger (Isaiah 10:5) and is used as God’s judgment against the northern tribes of Israel, carrying them away captive in 722 B.C. After that, the king of Babylon is used as God’s judgment against the southern land of Judah, carrying them away in 586 B.C. In Jeremiah, Babylon is called “the hammer of all the earth.” Jeremiah, writing in Habakkuk asks the question –

Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,
And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours
A person more righteous than he? Habakkuk 1:13

For a further analysis of this border, Vincent’s Word Studies says –

“The Euphrates was known as the great River, the River, the Flood. It rises in the mountains of Armenia, breaks through the Taurus range and runs south and southeast until it joins the Tigris in lower Babylonia[.] Its total length is from 1,600 to 1,800 miles, and it is navigable for small craft twelve hundred miles from its mouth. It was the boundary-line of Israel on the northeast (Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 1:7; Joshua 1:4. Compare 2 Samuel 8:3-8; 1 Kings 4:21). It thus formed the natural defense of the chosen people against the armies of Assyria. The melting of the mountain snows causes an annual flood, beginning in March and increasing until May. These floods became an emblem of the judgments inflicted by God upon Israel by means of Babylon and Assyria. The brook of Shiloah which flowed past Zion and Moriah was a type of the temple and of its mighty and gracious Lord; and the refusal of allegiance to God by the chosen people is represented as their rejection of the waters of Shiloah which flows softly, and their punishment therefor by the bringing in of the waters of the mighty and great river (Isaiah 8:5-8; compare Jeremiah 17:13). To the prophets the Euphrates was the symbol of all that was disastrous in the divine judgments.”

Understanding the symbolism of this great river, one could stop right here and exclaim, “Disaster is coming.” And indeed, the verses ahead will reflect just this. The nations are coming against Israel because Israel has not yet come to Christ.

Life application: God has used the unrighteous to bring about His purposes against His people and to bring about His plans in a way that demonstrates His sovereignty over all creation. Nothing happens apart from the sovereign decisions of God – including the great battle to come in the judgment of the sixth trumpet.

As you read your Bible, look to the geography of the lands and see how God is using real locations to make spiritual applications. By understanding these things, your knowledge of world events will certainly be increased. But more, in every such description, you will also better understand the ongoing redemptive narrative. It is a narrative laid out by God with the intent of bringing man back to Himself. And He is doing this through His Son, our Lord JESUS!

O God, Your word is beyond compare. It is beautiful in all it teaches. Every time we look into it, we can be more amazed at the complexity and beauty of how it is arranged. Every time we think we have a full understanding of all it contains, we will inevitably find ourselves realizing that it is far deeper and more glorious than we had previously imagined. Time and again, we realize what a treasure Your word is. Thank you for this precious and sacred word. Amen.

Friday, 15 January 2021

Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Revelation 9:13

John had just noted the sounding of the fifth trumpet and the subsequent first woe. The swarm of locusts and the destruction they brought must have been amazing for him to behold. But now his attention is redirected to the heavenly throne room again with the words, “Then the sixth angel sounded.”

With the sounding of the trumpet, John continues with, “And I heard a voice.” The Greek reads, “And I heard one voice.” It is specific. There is one Mediator between God and man, the God/Man Christ Jesus. The symbolism of the golden altar was seen in Chapter 8 –

“Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. ⁴ And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.” Revelation 8:3, 4

The golden altar is the altar of incense. The incense is the prayers of the saints directed through Jesus Christ. The one voice John hears is said to be “from the four horns of the golden altar.” It is a remarkable statement.

In the construction of the altar of incense recorded in Exodus, the number of horns is never explicitly mentioned. Though implied, and unlike the brazen altar (the altar of sacrifice), the number was noticeably left off of the description of the golden altar. It was a significant omission. As four is the number of creation, the brazen altar having four horns signified the judgment on sin throughout creation. However, because Christ’s intercessory work is in heaven, no number of horns was stated. Thus, it reflected a transcendence from the earthly to the heavenly.

Now, however, the number of horns is explicitly stated. This is because the altar pictures Christ in His intercessory role. It is He who speaks for all people on earth – from every corner of it, north, south, east, and west. He alone brings the prayers of the saints to the throne. As it says, this altar is “before God.”

Life application: The events to come are happening because God’s judgment is due on the world that has martyred His saints and rejected Him and His offer of peace through Christ Jesus. When Christ mediates on behalf of His people, an answer is certain to come: judgment. And that answer is to be one of judgment. Israel has rejected the Lord, the people of the world have rejected the Lord. The events of Revelation are prophesied in advance to show what will happen to both as the events of redemptive history continue to unfold.

God does hear the prayers of His people because His people are in Christ. He will no more reject their calls than He will reject His own Son. However, how He responds is solely up to Him. We may think that He doesn’t hear, but He does. And we may think He is unresponsive to our needs, but He is not. The plan must come to its fulfillment, and we must be patient in the process. But God does hear our prayers because our prayers are mediated through JESUS!

O Lord God, You have opened our eyes to future events while keeping some things hidden. In this, we can speculate on what those things mean. But no matter what our personal opinion about the hidden things may be, those things which have been revealed belong to us as a heritage and a means of understanding what is to come. Thank You for these insights. Amen.

Thursday, 14 January 2021

One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things. Revelation 9:12

John has seen the revealed trumpet judgment. This was most probably a judgment against Israel and which consisted of the locusts. They were jet fighters sent to soften up the land in order to make a land invasion easier. That is exactly what occurred in the Gulf War, and it was an effective way of preparing the field of battle. With that judgment complete, John says, “One woe is past.”

The Greek literally reads, Hē ouai hē mia, or “The woe, the one.” With the completion of the first woe noted, John next says, “Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.” This next woe will continue, with interesting inserts, until verse 11:14 where the third woe will then be ushered in.

Further, it will come in conjunction with the sixth trumpet, and the third will come with the seventh trumpet. But the seventh trumpet will also be immediately followed by the seven “bowl” or “vial” judgments. These events are going through a progression and they are only going to get worse, not better.

Life application: Surely the people affected by these judgments will be thinking that each trial will be the end of sorrows and that an era of peace will be ushered in – by the actions of man and through the leadership of the anti-Christ. However, such is not the case. The world has said to God, “We can do it without you.” And God will allow them to try. But man is not inherently good.

Rather, the Bible teaches that we are fallen and that we are corrupt by nature. Because this is so, we can only botch things up and make it all worse. The good we do, such as inventing things, writing poetry, and helping out the homeless is inevitably short-lived and overshadowed by the bad we do.

Without the light of Christ in the human soul, there is only darkness and a desire to shun God for self and for selfishness. Let us remember this, and then let us lean wholly on our Creator God, and not on our own understanding. The Lord will be with those who call on Him and He will never forsake them. This is the promise of God found in Christ. It is the reason He sent forth His Son. This is the wonder of JESUS!

Heavenly Father, thank You for the forgiveness of sins that comes through the shed blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus. We know that we don’t deserve the favor You have lavished on us, but because of Your great love and mercy for the work of Your hands, You have looked upon us and been gracious to us. We will ever sing the praises of Your name. Amen.

Wednesday, 13 January 2021

And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon. Revelation 9:11

The description of the locusts (the jet fighters) is complete. But now we are given another insight concerning them. John now says, “And they had as king over them.” These words definitively show that the “locusts” are not actual locusts. Locusts don’t have stings, but they also don’t have a king over them, as Solomon says in the Proverbs –

“The locusts have no king,
Yet they all advance in ranks;” Proverbs 30:27

These locusts do though. What is of great interest is that the New Testament writers almost always follow the Greek translation of the Old Testament when making citations. Understanding this, a clue as to who this king is may be provided in the Greek translation of Amos 7:1 –

“Thus has the Lord God shewed me; and, behold, a swarm of locusts coming from the east; and, behold, one caterpillar, king Gog.” Brenton Septuagint Translation

This verse from Amos not only refers to locusts probably in a figurative sense, but the Greek translation notes that they are led by a king, Gog. Scholars find this as a mistranslation or a corrupt reading, but it appears to be exactly what John is referring to. If so, the army of locusts (meaning jet fighters) would be a part of the coalition of forces under Russia as described in Ezekiel 38, and the battle would be definitely referring to forces allied against Israel.

To add into the speculation even more, the Hebrew reading of Amos 7:1 says –

“Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, He formed locust swarms at the beginning of the late crop; indeed it was the late crop after the king’s mowings.”

This verse in the Hebrew text could possibly be referring to the rapture as it refers to the “king’s mowings.” In other words, the harvest of Christ at the rapture has passed, and now the “late crop” of the tribulation period is being referred to. If this is correct, and this can only be speculation, then two prominent truths can be discerned –

• The rapture is pretribulation (something completely supported elsewhere in Scripture), and
• The battle of Gog/Magog of Ezekiel 38 occurs after the rapture.

Of this king, John next says he is, “the angel of the bottomless pit.” This would then clearly define the king as a human being, even if under the power of the devil. Whether or not this king is the same as the angel referred to in verses 9:1 and 9:2 is debated, but it is certain he is a human here in verse 9:11. Of him, John continues by saying, “whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon.”

Both names to be given are to be taken as a personification of the person being described. The Hebrew word Abaddon here thus means Destruction. It is this king’s scriptural designation.

The word Abaddon is found five times in the Old Testament. The references are Job 26:6, 28:22 & 31:12; Psalm 88:11; and Proverbs 15:11. It must be noted that Abaddon is said to be under the full control and authority of the Lord in Job 26:6 and Proverbs 15:11. In other words, the Lord is in control of all of the events that take place, and nothing is “out of control” in regard to His plan and purposes.

John next finishes the verse with, “but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.” The word means “Destroyer.” It comes from a common word used over ninety times in the New Testament, apollumi. That means to destroy or perish. The word Apollyon is found only this once in the Bible.

Giving the name in both the Hebrew and the Greek is a common writing tool of John in his gospel. This clearly identifies the fact that Revelation, like all of the New Testament, was written in Greek, while translating the Hebrew for the reader. In this, it solidifies the meaning of otherwise doubtful words and phrases. It also draws the Bible into one unified whole, regardless of the language used in the original writing.

As another linguistic note, John uses the term Hebraisti to describe the language that the word Abaddon was translated from. Saying “Hebrew” here is correct. However, the term Hebraisti is only used by John, and it is found in his writings seven times. Several of those times, however, it is not referring to Hebrew, but rather to Aramaic – such as in the words Gabbatha and Golgotha. Thus, the term does not mean solely “Hebrew.” Rather, it speaks of the Semitic tongues inclusive of both Hebrew and Aramaic (Chaldee).

It is the Aramaic or Chaldee that became the predominant tongue of the people after the Babylonian exile, as is evidenced elsewhere in the New Testament. This is true of both the written alphabet and the spoken language.

Life application: As was noted in a previous commentary, the attacks of these “locusts” is direct and targeted in an attempt to avoid destroying the people. It is a common trait among the forces of the western world today.

While other armies wage war without any regard for who is killed, the battles and wars waged by various armies in the recent past have showed immense restraint in their conduct. The opposing forces are first “softened up” and allowed a chance to surrender. After this, the armies come at their foe with fully unleashed power and with the intent of subduing them. This appears to be the pattern of this future army of “locusts.” As is seen in the above analysis, this is quite possibly the forces of Gog, meaning Russia. This would then align with the words of Ezekiel 38 –

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: ¹¹ You will say, “I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates”— ¹² to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. ¹³ Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, “Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?”’” Ezekiel 38:10-13

The intent of the coming battle is not to destroy the people, but to take the spoil without completely destroying the land in the process. Both Ezekiel and John are confirming this is what is to be expected.

As a special note for the student of the Bible is that, since 2020, the possibility of the events described here in Ezekiel 38 are now much more plausible than they were previously. The nations mentioned: Sheba, Dedan and (the merchants of) Tarshish are coming into focus in a new way.

Sheba and Dedan are both located in the area in and around Saudi Arabia. Sheba is believed to be the Kingdom of Saba in southern Arabia. Dedan was a city-state and oasis area of north-western Arabia mentioned at times in the Bible.

The location of Tarshish is highly debated. Some analysis say it is Lebanon, some Spain, and some even England (and other locations). Regardless of that location, the text doesn’t say “Tarshish,” but rather “the merchants of Tarshish,” implying trading partners. Further, the term “all their young lions” speaks of the surrounding city states. This would be inclusive of all of the small countries that border Saudi Arabia – Bahrain, Oman, the UAE, and etc.

Only since the presidency of Donald Trump have these nations began to (and some have) make treaties with Israel. Hence, they are said in Ezekiel to not be a part of the attacking forces coming against Israel. Instead of being allied with the invaders, these states will instead stand back and keep distance from the invading armies who come for the spoil. The world’s alignment of nations is matching up with the biblical narrative, even before our eyes.

As for the layout of the battle in the verse being analyzed, the coming verses will show that after the air war has softened up the people of the land (meaning of Israel), a great force – inclusive of a coalition of armies – will then come by land in an attempt to complete the task.

The point of this is that Israel is still not right with the Lord. They have been returned to the land, but they are as far from Him as the rest of the world. The tribulation period is intended to bring Israel to the point where the only option left is to forsake their own self-reliance and pride, and to finally turn to the Lord. The book is written, and the events will come to pass. And those areas of Scripture that are not debatable as to their true meaning will finally be understood perfectly by those who see the events unfold before their very eyes.

The prophetic word has the ultimate goal of revealing Christ to the nations and Messiah to Israel. The point of it all is JESUS.

Lord, we know You have sovereign authority over everything that occurs in the world. Even great battles are directed by You to accomplish Your purposes. Nothing is out of Your control, and so we can rest in this knowledge, trusting that the displeasing events around us do serve a good ultimate purpose. Help us to remember this when we look at the immorality and wickedness that permeates the world today. You will bring it all to a satisfactory end, and You will be glorified as You do. Thank You for this assurance. Amen.