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Trumpet 6 (Revelation 9)
19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths, and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads, and with them they harm.
20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn't repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn't worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk. 21 They didn't repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts.
the power of the horses is in their mouths, and in their tails
In the last verse we considered again what the meaning might be of the one third and how that might affect how we think about them being killed. After more thought on this subject it has come to my attention that what we may be seeing in this prophecy is actually a rerun of what transpired at the very beginning of the rebellion in heaven and how Satan secured the fall of one third of the angels who had previously been devoted followers of God.
Here it is made clear that the power of these horses is both in their mouths and in their tails. What comes out of mouths in prophecy is all about beliefs, teachings, assertions and in this case delusions and lies designed to destroy spiritual connection and dependence on God. This is in sharp contrast to what comes out of the mouth of Jesus portrayed as a sharp sword.
He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest. (Revelation 1:16)
Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword, that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. (Revelation 19:15)
The only thing that comes out of the mouth of Jesus as well as God is truth; truth that saves, that liberates, that empowers and brings life and salvation to all who are willing to accept and believe it.
By contrast, the father of lies has been a liar from the very beginning of his rebellion in heaven and has relied on what comes out of his mouth to distort truth and convince as many as possible to embrace his spirit and perspectives in order to manipulate and exploit others for self-advancement. This is the very nature of his kingdom and is why it is so foreign to the atmosphere of heaven where truth, love and freedom are the foundations of God's government.
The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail. (Isaiah 9:15)
I offer the following narrative, not as proof positive but as evidence of repeating patterns in the ways Satan works to achieve his goals. By becoming familiar with his tactics and schemes we can become more alert and be enabled to detect and avoid being sucked into them when they come around to us.
Now I also forgive whomever you forgive anything. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes. (2 Corinthians 2:10-11)
While we need not become experts in satanic logic, I believe Paul advises us to also not be ignorant of the patterns that make up his schemes that he recycles over and over with great success. With that note, let me share Ellen White's description of how the original deception came about. We can then see how it parallels the pattern seen here in this 6th trumpet. Keep in mind while reading this, the effective power that deceiving insinuations and words can have that come out of the mouth of the father of lies whose power is in his mouth, and in his tail that represents all those who prophecy or claim to speak for God according to the accuser's way of viewing Him. What we discover here may provide important insights to help us unwrap the deeper meaning of this prophecy.
Taking advantage of the loving, loyal trust reposed in him by the holy beings under his command, he [Lucifer] had so artfully instilled into their minds his own distrust and discontent that his agency was not discerned. Lucifer had presented the purposes of God in a false light—misconstruing and distorting them to excite dissent and dissatisfaction. He cunningly drew his hearers on to give utterance to their feelings; then these expressions were repeated by him when it would serve his purpose, as evidence that the angels were not fully in harmony with the government of God. While claiming for himself perfect loyalty to God, he urged that changes in the order and laws of heaven were necessary for the stability of the divine government. Thus while working to excite opposition to the law of God and to instill his own discontent into the minds of the angels under him, he was ostensibly seeking to remove dissatisfaction and to reconcile disaffected angels to the order of heaven. While secretly fomenting discord and rebellion, he with consummate craft caused it to appear as his sole purpose to promote loyalty and to preserve harmony and peace....
A compassionate Creator, in yearning pity for Lucifer and his followers, was seeking to draw them back from the abyss of ruin into which they were about to plunge. But His mercy was misinterpreted. Lucifer pointed to the long-suffering of God as an evidence of his own superiority, an indication that the King of the universe would yet accede to his terms. If the angels would stand firmly with him, he declared, they could yet gain all that they desired. He persistently defended his own course, and fully committed himself to the great controversy against his Maker. Thus it was that Lucifer, “the light bearer,” the sharer of God's glory, the attendant of His throne, by transgression became Satan, “the adversary” of God and holy beings and the destroyer of those whom Heaven had committed to his guidance and guardianship.
Rejecting with disdain the arguments and entreaties of the loyal angels, he denounced them as deluded slaves. The preference shown to Christ he declared an act of injustice both to himself and to all the heavenly host, and announced that he would no longer submit to this invasion of his rights and theirs. He would never again acknowledge the supremacy of Christ. He had determined to claim the honor which should have been given him, and take command of all who would become his followers; and he promised those who would enter his ranks a new and better government, under which all would enjoy freedom. Great numbers of the angels signified their purpose to accept him as their leader. Flattered by the favor with which his advances were received, he hoped to win all the angels to his side, to become equal with God Himself, and to be obeyed by the entire host of heaven.
Still the loyal angels urged him and his sympathizers to submit to God; and they set before them the inevitable result should they refuse: He who had created them could overthrow their power and signally punish their rebellious daring. No angel could successfully oppose the law of God, which was as sacred as Himself. They warned all to close their ears against Lucifer's deceptive reasoning, and urged him and his followers to seek the presence of God without delay and confess the error of questioning His wisdom and authority.
Many were disposed to heed this counsel, to repent of their disaffection, and seek to be again received into favor with the Father and His Son. But Lucifer had another deception ready. The mighty revolter now declared that the angels who had united with him had gone too far to return; that he was acquainted with the divine law, and knew that God would not forgive. He declared that all who should submit to the authority of Heaven would be stripped of their honor, degraded from their position. For himself, he was determined never again to acknowledge the authority of Christ. The only course remaining for him and his followers, he said, was to assert their liberty, and gain by force the rights which had not been willingly accorded them.
So far as Satan himself was concerned, it was true that he had now gone too far to return. But not so with those who had been blinded by his deceptions. To them the counsel and entreaties of the loyal angels opened a door of hope; and had they heeded the warning, they might have broken away from the snare of Satan. But pride, love for their leader, and the desire for unrestricted freedom were permitted to bear sway, and the pleadings of divine love and mercy were finally rejected. {PP 38-41}
What is described here is the pattern that Satan used successfully in heaven to pull those on the fence fully over to his side by misrepresenting the mercy and kindness of God. In this way he hardened them to the point of inability to return to harmony with love, uniting themselves fully to his rebellion because they chose to believe his slanderous assertions rather than the truth as it is in Jesus. This is the power that comes from his mouth and the mouths of all who parrot his lies about God's disposition towards those who are at odds with Him. As I see this pattern I find it to be compelling evidence strengthening my growing view that this one third of mankind parallels what took place in heaven he used the same scheme to snare one third of the heavenly angels. In both cases the result of giving fear precedence over truth about God's character of unaffected love ultimately ends in spiritual death from which there is eventually no ability to recover.
and have heads, and with them they harm
The heads have already been clearly identified. They are the heads of lions, meaning their intent is reflective of the roaring lion Satan who is only seeking to devour. Devour means to consume all hope of reconciliation to God and restoration to gain a fitness to be able to thrive in the fire of His passionate love without torment. This is the nature of the harm mentioned here. It is spiritual harm which has far more deadly and lasting consequences than any amount of physical hurt anyone might ever encounter. Physical death is merely taking a nap compared to spiritual death which affects our eternal destiny. And spiritual death is always what Satan is seeking to achieve for as many as possible.
The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn't repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn't worship demons
Here is Strong's definition of this word translated plagues: a stroke; by implication, a wound; figuratively, a calamity
The lies that Satan has long relied on to keep others afraid, intimidated and unwilling to repent cause soul wounds that kill our spiritual vitality and capacity to be restored into living in God's favor. He knows these are not true, but he must maintain them in order to maintain control over all who come under the spell of believing them, for that is his only power and he clings to it tenaciously as his own life literally depends on this. What we saw in our study of the three things listed as coming out of these mouths all have to do with our beliefs about how God relates to the rebellious. That is why we must challenge our thinking about these things more than anything else, for it is here that the power of Satan seeks to steal, kill and destroy as many as possible from entering into the life and love of God.
But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
The only antidote to bring us back from the brink of spiritual death from such doctrines of demons is to learn and embrace fully the truth as it is in Jesus and exemplified by that same Lamb who is the hero of Revelation.
So, who is referred to here as the rest of mankind who were not killed by these wounds? This rest of mankind could be those who have not previously tasted and then turned away from the goodness of God like this 'one third' group had done. Yet they now choose to cling to the lie that their own works are the basis of their value and identity and as they look to demonic sources to provide for their needs, desires and direction. This does not mean they necessarily aware that demons are what they depend on, for demons can be very adept at disguising themselves. To worship means to look to a source from which to receive direction, guidance, identity and to supply protection and provide for our needs and wants. Whenever we look to any source more than to God, we are in effect worshiping demons, and in doing so we give them authority to influence our thinking and control our lives.
What is seen here are the two options offered to all who turn away from the truth about God's complete goodness, exchanging the truth for the lie. One manifestation of living according to the flesh is (1) to attempt to secure eternal life through affecting God's thinking about by working to be good enough to be accepted. The other option is (2) to simply give ourselves over to indulgence of our appetites and carnal lusts and cravings, to plunge into a life of pleasure and self-gratification with no regard for God. One may appear more pious than the other, yet Paul compares the latter group in the last half of Romans 1 to the more pious group in the first half of Romans 2 and classifies them both as in the same dilemma.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things.
...who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. (Romans 1:22-23,25; 2:1)
the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk
Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the nations, where Yahweh shall lead you away. There you shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. (Deuteronomy 4:27-28)
(for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed; and you have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them); (Deuteronomy 29:16-17)
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he has also rejected you from being king. (1 Samuel 15:23)
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they don't speak. They have eyes, but they don't see. They have ears, but they don't hear. They have noses, but they don't smell. They have hands, but they don't feel. They have feet, but they don't walk, neither do they speak through their throat. Those who make them will be like them; yes, everyone who trusts in them. (Psalms 115:4-8)
In that day, men shall cast away their idols of silver, and their idols of gold, which have been made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily. (Isaiah 2:20-21)
Those who trust in engraved images, who tell molten images, 'You are our gods' will be turned back. They will be utterly disappointed. "Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see.
(Isaiah 42:17-18)
To whom will you liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? Some pour out gold from the bag, and weigh silver in the balance. They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god. They fall down--yes, they worship. They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it, and set it in its place, and it stands, from its place it shall not move: yes, one may cry to it, yet it can not answer, nor save him out of his trouble. (Isaiah 46:5-7)
As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets; who tell a stock, You are my father; and to a stone, You have brought me forth: for they have turned their back to me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us. But where are your gods that you have made you? let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble: for according to the number of your cities are your gods, Judah. (Jeremiah 2:26-28)
Every man is become brutish and is without knowledge; every goldsmith is disappointed by his engraved image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, a work of delusion: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. (Jeremiah 10:14-15)
Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
(Daniel 5:3-4)
but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which don't see, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified. (Daniel 5:23)
They have set up kings, but not by me. They have made princes, and I didn't approve. Of their silver and their gold they have made themselves idols, that they may be cut off. (Hosea 8:4)
"What value does the engraved image have, that its maker has engraved it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he who fashions its form trusts in it, to make mute idols? Woe to him who says to the wood, 'Awake!' or to the mute stone, 'Arise!' Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. But Yahweh is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!" (Habakkuk 2:18-20)
'For in him we live, and move, and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.' Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man. (Acts 17:28-29)
They didn't repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts
To repent means to change the way we think. Repenting will involve a complete paradigm shift of how we perceive reality and who we will believe when it comes to what is valuable, what is true, who to trust and what methods and motives we will rely on in our lives.
This passage is referring to the rest of the world that has become completely settled into the lies of Satan, and this list gives a synopsis of what these lies entail. But these lies, these ways of living are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg as the main body of what they represent lurks beneath the obvious surface and run deep in the psyche of all who are captured in their wiles.
For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies. (Matthew 15:19)
You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, 'You shall not murder;' and 'Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.' But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna. (Matthew 5:21-22)
You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn't stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)
The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. (John 10:10)
Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers, backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.
Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God; (Romans 1:28 – 2:5)
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn't love his brother remains in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. (1 John 3:14-15)
The light of a lamp will shine no more at all in you. The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will be heard no more at all in you; for your merchants were the princes of the earth; for with your sorcery all the nations were deceived. In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth. (Revelation 18:23-24)
He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son. But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.
(Revelation 21:7-8)
Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22:14-15)
To summarize, let us meditate on the words of our hero, the violently slaughtered Lamb, the one who alone can lead us into the safety of God's sheepfold if we will follow Him wherever He leads us. The Lamb is the standard of measure for every true attitude, motive and method. The Lamb alone is the only trustworthy revelation of how God's heart relates to all of us.
Jesus therefore said to them again, "Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep's door. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.
The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn't own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them. The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn't care for the sheep. [Note the reason Jesus gives for the lack of genuine care for those he is supposed to care for and protect. It is because he is hired. This exposes the very foundation of Satan's entire system, the corrosive motivation of trading that perpetuates the spirit of selfishness. This motive undermines our caring about others whenever our own life or comfort is threatened. This is opposite the spirit of the Shepherd and all those who come to relate as He relates to others.]
I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I'm known by my own; even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd. Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father." (John 10:7-18)
The last summary of the 6th trumpet clearly displays an opposite spirit to what we see here in the words of Jesus. The attitude and disposition of the true Shepherd has effectively been killed in all those who have finally rejected the Lamb's version of God's attitude towards sinners. This happens as a result of choosing to embrace the dragon's views of God and accept his methods and motives that leads them toward eventual destruction.
