Prophecy 8 – The Six Trumpets of Revelation

{2} As I looked toward Heaven, I saw the seven angels who stand before God. Each angel was given a golden trumpet.

Seven highly exalted angels stand before God. They are “on call” to carry out God’s will at a moment’s notice. These angels were given seven trumpets (in 1994 – see Appendix A) and are waiting for the signal to sound their trumpets. When Jesus gives the signal, each angel will sound his trumpet and a dreadful judgment will impact Earth. I believe the first four judgments will occur over a period of approximately sixty days and they will fall on notably wicked places. The last three trumpet judgments will fall on wicked people. The first four angels have been standing ready to do what the Lord asks of them since 1994. They are waiting for the 144,000 to be selected and sealed. This delay will end soon and when it does, God’s wrath will be released. The first four judgments will kill twenty-five percent of the world’s population. This means that one out of every four people will die.^[5] Words cannot describe the death, destruction, and chaos the first four trumpets will produce.

{3} My attention was directed toward the golden Altar of Incense located before God’s throne. I saw a highly exalted angel serving at the Altar of Incense. He had a golden censer in his hand.

Before we discuss the importance of this scene, some background information about temple services is required. Two different altars were used in the earthly temples built by Moses and Solomon. Services conducted at these two altars teach us that God does not forgive sin, instead He transfers the guilt of a repentant sinner to the horns of the Altar of Burnt Offering. This may be a new thought, so please consider the following illustration: When a sinner commits a sin, the penalty for sin (death) rests on the sinner’s head. The only way a sinner can escape this penalty is through faith in God’s grace.

Before Jesus died on the cross, repentant sinners in Israel had to go through a certain process to be set free of their guilt (condemnation). A sinner had to present a perfect lamb to a priest at the Altar of Burnt Offering. Standing at that altar, the sinner confessed his sins by putting his hands on the lamb’s head and declaring his sinful actions. After confession, the sacrificial lamb was placed on the altar and the sinner took its life by cutting the jugular vein. The priest captured some of the lamb’s blood in a cup and sprinkled the blood on the horns of the Altar of Burnt Offering as a record of this transaction. The sinner’s guilt was transferred to the horns of the altar via “sinless blood,” and the sinner came away from the altar free of condemnation (forgiven).

At the end of the religious year, the High Priest cleansed the Altar of Burnt Offering on the Day of Atonement. The accumulated guilt was transferred from the altar to the head of a scapegoat and the scapegoat was then taken out into the wilderness by a very strong man. The man was instructed to take the goat to a desolate place so it might die a protracted death. Two points stand out in this process. First, sin itself cannot be forgiven, but guilt can be transferred from the sinner to the temple’s altar via the blood of a perfect lamb. Second, a scapegoat was required to cleanse the temple of accumulated guilt. On the Day of Atonement, the guilt which had accumulated on the horns of the altars was placed on the scapegoat’s head and the scapegoat was led away to die.

The Old Testament ceremonial system demonstrates two truths. First, the blood of a perfect lamb (representing Jesus) was required to release a sinner from the penalty of sin. Second, the guilt of sin was put on the scapegoat. This point confuses many people. Jesus lived a perfect life so that He could provide the sinless blood required to transfer our guilt to the author of sin. Because sin cannot be forgiven, the author of sin must die for creating sin. Lucifer will die a protracted death. He must suffer and die for his own sins as well as the guilt of those who received Christ as their Savior.

Now that we have considered the daily service conducted at the bronze Altar of Burnt Offering, we need to turn our attention to the golden Altar of Incense and its daily service. Try to keep this thought in mind as you proceed: Daily services at the golden Altar of Incense provided “corporate atonement,” whereas daily services at the bronze Altar of Burnt Offering provided “individual atonement.”

Two levels of atonement (two altars) were required in the earthly temple because of timing. When God initiated temple services in the wilderness, the population of Israel exceeded two million people (and the nation became much larger later on). Therefore, an Israelite could not bring a sacrificial lamb to the Altar of Burnt Offering each time he sinned or at any time he desired. He had to wait for his turn. The Talmud indicates that the twelve tribes were assigned specific time periods when they could come to the temple for services at the Altar of Burnt Offering.^[6] For example, suppose the tribe of Judah was scheduled for services at the Altar of Burnt Offering during the month of Tishri (the seventh month of the year). Suppose also that during the year, all of the people belonging to the tribe of Judah sinned a few times each month. Because sinners cannot live in God’s presence, the Lord provided a way for the tribe of Judah to be “covered” from guilt until their turn came for the Altar of Burnt Offering. The grace extended through the whole year to the tribe of Judah came through daily services at the Altar of Incense. Here’s how:

A priest conducted a special service at the golden Altar of Incense each evening and morning. He took a perfect one year old lamb^[7] from the temple’s herd and sacrificed it on the Altar of Burnt Offering. Then, he carried the blood into the Holy Place of the temple and applied the lamb’s blood to the horns of the golden Altar of Incense. This process was conducted to benefit the whole camp. The guilt of the whole camp of Israel (not the guilt of a particular individual) was transferred to the horns of the Altar of Incense twice a day.^[8] This daily atonement allowed an all-consuming God to live among sinners without destroying them. The blood applied to the horns of the Altar of Incense kept God’s wrath away from the camp.

We know from Scripture that ceremonial services in the earthly temple are shadows of services that are conducted in Heaven’s temple.^[9] Because this parallel exists, we can determine the meaning of the service that John describes in Revelation 8:3-5. Here is a brief explanation:

Jesus began interceding for all mankind (corporate intercession) at the Altar of Incense on the day that Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus stood between the sudden death law^[10] and the guilty pair. Jesus explained His intercession to Adam and Eve when He covered them with animal skins.^[11] For 6,000 years, Jesus has protected the whole world from the sudden death law because He interceded for us daily at the Altar of Incense. Prior to the cross, God required individuals to show their faith in God’s plan of redemption by offering a perfect lamb on an altar of burnt offering. Abel showed His faith through obedience, Cain did not. After the cross, burnt offerings were terminated, but living by faith remains unchanged. God still requires each person to surrender his will to God’s will. He calls us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices.^[12]

The corporate intercession that began when Adam and Eve sinned will soon end. When it does, the censer at Heaven’s Altar of Incense will be cast down and God’s wrath (the seven trumpets) will break out. God will release the four angels at the four corners of Earth and His four deadly judgments will punish the world. His four deadly judgments are sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts.^[13] The seven trumpets contain these deadly judgments.

{4} I saw a brilliant angel standing at the Altar of Incense. He served the Lord as a priest. Then, I saw all of God’s saints on Earth kneeling in prayer. They were fasting and praying, imploring God to do something quickly because it seemed that everyone on Earth was about to perish. World leaders were crying out for peace and safety.^[14] While the saints were earnestly praying, the angel was given much incense. He put the incense on the altar’s live coals and a cloud of sweet fragrance filled the temple. The sweet scent, along with the petition of the saints, was presented to Jesus. He saw the entirety of the situation on Earth and was moved. There was war on Earth, the saints were very anxious, and the timing was perfect. Jesus sat in deep thought for a few moments. I could see deep agony reflected on His face. Then, He spoke to the angel ministering at the altar. He said, “Stop the corporate atonement service, there will be no more delay.”^[15]

Since this scene occurs after 1798, Jesus is seated on the throne. He is not the priest at the Altar of Incense. It should not be surprising that angels serve God as priests because human beings will also serve God as priests.^[16] The angel-priest casts down the censer because Jesus gave Him the command to do so.

Why are all of the saints praying? What is the relationship between casting down the censer and the prayers of all the saints? The casting down of the censer and the termination of corporate intercession is the answer to the prayers of the saints. I assume one event which would move all of God’s saints to pray the same prayer at the same time would be a nuclear exchange. Paul makes it clear in 1 Thessalonians 5:3 that when people are saying “peace and safety,” God will send sudden destruction. When Revelation 8:3-5 occurs, the world will be on the edge of self-destruction and the saints will be praying for the Lord to intervene. World leaders will be demanding peace and safety and Jesus will respond. He will tell the angel who ministers at the Altar of Incense, “It is finished. The delay (that began in 1994) is over.” Corporate intercession for Earth will be terminated. The angel will respond by removing the fire from the altar and throwing it down on the Earth. This dramatic action indicates indignation. Corporate mercy has ended, the fourth seal will be broken open, and the appointed time of the end will now begin.

{5} The angel serving at the Altar of Incense removed the live coals on the altar and put them in a censer. Then he threw the censer to Earth. There came peals of deafening thunder that caused people to panic. There were voices coming out of the ground and huge bolts of angry lightning filled the sky. Then a great earthquake violently shook the whole world for several minutes^[17] and then the whole world came to a standstill.

When the censer is cast down, Jesus will immediately empower His servants who have been selected and sealed. The 1,260 days allotted for the Two Witnesses will begin. The 1,335 days allotted for the Great Tribulation will begin. The “end of days” begins when daily services conducted at the Altar of Incense cease.^[18] The appointed time of the end is a well-defined period of time.^[19] Everyone will see and feel God’s wrath. The Great Day of the Lord will be terrible.

It is my understanding that since 1994, four angels have been holding back God’s deadly judgments. There have been huge disasters on Earth, including earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, and fires, but these have not been God’s deadly judgments. They have been prophetic samples of events to come. The difference between a random act of violent nature and God’s wrath is a message of redemption. There are several instances recorded in the Old Testament where God’s wrath broke out and thousands perished.^[20] When these instances occurred, there was always a divine message. As we approach the day when the censer will be cast down, remember that perfect love drives out fear.^[21] If we abide in Jesus, there is nothing to fear. He has promised to be with us until the end of the world.^[22] Given the scope and scale of destruction presented in the book of Revelation, it seems almost impossible that anyone will survive God’s wrath. In fact, less than fifty percent of Earth’s present population will live to see the Second Coming; yet, amid all the coming devastation, remember that God is love. He has carefully and deliberately designed the Great Tribulation to save the largest number of people possible and the Bible says a numberless multitude will be redeemed! God has several objectives for the seven trumpets, and as we have discussed, one objective will be to shatter the religious beliefs of mankind. When religious people discover that their religious beliefs are false, the honest in heart will discard their worthless paradigms and embrace God’s truth as proclaimed by the 144,000 and they will be saved.

{7} Jesus gave the signal and the first angel blew his trumpet. Everyone in Heaven was watching, closely focused on this tiny planet. There came a meteoric hailstorm from the sky that was composed of burning rocks. The white-hot rocks were unquenchable, like burning sulphur. One-third of the land was burned up, one-third of the trees were burned up, and all of the green grass was burned up; men were powerless. They could not stop the falling rocks or quench the great fires. Millions lost their lives in the fires.

The first four trumpets will serve as “a surgical strike.” Jesus will destroy thousands of notably wicked places, like Sodom and Gomorrah, with precision. The Bible does not explicitly indicate this. I make this assertion for four reasons:

First, God’s judgments are always deliberate. They are not random acts of violent nature. When the censer is cast down, God’s response to rebellion and degeneracy will be plainly seen and felt. The 144,000 will direct everyone to the book of Revelation so that everyone will see that God’s wrath was clearly predicted.

Second, Jesus wants everyone on Earth to listen to His servants, the 144,000. There is no better way to open the ears of people than to destroy thousands of places around the world that are widely known for their wickedness. Jesus will use the destruction of wicked places to arrest mankind’s attention. He wants everyone to listen to His servants instead of their religious leaders. Getting people to listen to the 144,000 instead of their clergy will not be easy. To make this happen, Jesus will expose the ignorance of the clergy. Honest-hearted people will catch on quickly. They will soon realize that their religious leaders did not warn them of God’s coming wrath because they do not know God’s Word or His plans.

Third, Prophecy 11 states that Babylon (a coming global government) will form during the fourth trumpet because the leadership of the world will be convinced (when they see thousands of notably wicked places have been destroyed) that Almighty God is very angry. God’s wrath against wickedness will be unmistakable, based on the evidence of destruction. Notably wicked places will become non-existent. When world leaders see that 1.75 billion people have been obliterated, they will set aside their religious and political differences, and unite in an effort to appease God’s wrath.

Finally, the first four trumpets affect the land, sea, and trees (physical things and places). The last three trumpets are called woes (or curses) because they will directly impact wicked rebels. In other words, if destroying thousands of wicked places does not produce repentance and reformation, destroying defiant rebels is all that remains.

{8} Jesus gave a signal and the second angel blew his trumpet. Immediately, a large asteroid came out of the sky at a terrific rate of speed and impacted an ocean. One-third of the ships were destroyed by the resulting impact, but the heaviest damage was caused by a towering wall of water that raced outward from the impact zone. It was several hundred feet high. The tsunami soon reached all of the coastal cities on the ocean’s rim within which resulted in total devastation. Huge waves of water raced back and forth across the ocean and thousands of coastal cities around the ocean were totally destroyed.^[27] Because of atmospheric friction, the asteroid was very hot at the time of the impact; so hot that it boiled the oxygen out of the water.
{9} As a result, one-third of the creatures living in the ocean either died from the shockwave, boiling water, or the loss of oxygen. Soon after the impact, the water turned red, like blood.

Red algae thrives in oxygen deficient water. When this toxic algae blooms, it causes water to look like blood. When sea creatures eat the blooms, a toxin in the algae kills the creatures. When birds and other creatures eat fish killed by the toxin, they also die.

Think about the consequences of this judgment: Thousands of cities, formerly located around the rim of the ocean, will be washed away. International trading will cease, shipping ports will no longer exist and the economies of the world will collapse.

The world will be in shock. First, there was a global earthquake. Then came unquenchable fire from Heaven and now, huge walls of destructive water. The 144,000 will tell the world that God’s wrath is proportionate to the wickedness that plagues Earth and that more judgments are coming. The next judgment will be poisoned drinking water. Many people will curse God, others will cry out that God is hateful and cruel. “How can a God of love do such things?”

The Bible declares that God is love.^[28] This means that God’s actions are always and forever consistent with principles of love. If we closely examine God’s behavior, we will find that the God who died on the cross for our sins is the same God who destroyed the world in Noah’s day and killed the firstborn in Egypt! Jesus willingly died on the cross because He “so loved the world”^[29] and because He loved us before we knew Him.^[30]

With a little effort, we can properly understand God’s love. Love is more than an emotion of good will and kindness. Love is the balance between justice and mercy. When we say that God is love, we are saying that God is committed to principles of righteousness, fairness, and selflessness. When we say that God has wrath, we are saying that God executes justice when righteousness, fairness, and selflessness are threatened. Consider the flood in Noah’s day. A “God of love” destroyed the whole world (men, women, and children) when a majority of the people became wicked, defiant, and violent.^[31]

God hates to see individuals and nations self-destruct through degeneracy, rebellion, and sexual immorality.^[32] God is patient and longsuffering, not willing that anyone should perish.^[33] We sometimes forget that God loves oncoming generations just as much as He loves the present generation. At times, God has destroyed decadent generations so that future generations can be free of the heavy yoke of suffering that sin imposes on subsequent generations. Remember, the burden of sin grows more extreme with each generation. The sins of the fathers are passed down to the third and fourth generation!^[34] Over time, the consequences of decadent behavior becomes exponential. Sin is like gravity. It creates a downward vortex that pulls everyone (including the innocent) into its grip of sorrow, suffering, sickness, and death. To stop the vicious vortex, God steps in with destruction. He cauterizes the cancer of sin so that future generations can have a chance to live without the accumulated baggage (addiction, ignorance, idolatry, poverty, and cruelty) passed down from the previous generation. When a majority of people become sexually immoral, defiant, and violent, a God of love notices and responds accordingly.

God’s people are sometimes destroyed along with degenerate people. His wrath against wickedness is not discriminating. For example, when God sent King Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem,^[35] the pagan king killed many of God’s people and he took some young men, like Ezekiel and Daniel, to Babylon as captives. When God destroyed the world in Noah’s day, thousands of innocent children perished. God’s wrath is like the indiscriminate destruction of an atomic bomb. This does not mean that everyone destroyed by God’s wrath is condemned forever! The cause of death is not important to God. What matters to Him is how well we conform to His two commandments: Love God with all your heart, mind and soul and your neighbor as yourself.^[36] Whether a person dies of illness, crime, accident, or during an expression of God’s wrath, the cause of death has nothing to do with one’s eternal destiny. In every situation, God will carefully and thoughtfully judge all people according to their actions.^[37]

The 144,000 will tell the world that God’s wrath is consistent with His love because in God’s heart, there is a perfect balance between justice and mercy. Most of the world will respond with ridicule and hatred. The 144,000 will also tell the world that God has witnessed our corporate behavior and His actions are commensurate with our wickedness and rebellion. This will shock many people! They will retort, “Are we really all that evil in God’s sight?” The 144,000 will encourage people to repent of their evil ways and to make peace with God. They will explain that Jesus demands worship because He is the Creator of life and our Redeemer. The 144,000 will declare that God is sovereign and He requires everyone to obey His commands. Unfortunately, the testimony of the 144,000 will offend many people and they will refuse God’s offer of salvation.

{10} Jesus gave a third signal and the third angel blew his trumpet. A great star, having a long tail like a comet, fell from the sky and impacted a continent. This asteroid impact released an amount of energy that exceeded ten million atomic bombs! It seemed that Earth itself would break into pieces because the impact was so great. Huge tectonic plates broke loose. Ground waves and huge aftershocks radiated from the impact zone at very high rates of speed. The ground waves broke underground aquifers, sheared water-wells, septic systems, and sewage leaching fields. Toxic waste, which was thought to be safely buried deep within the Earth, spilled from containers, seeped into the aquifers, and one-third of the rivers and springs of water became poisonous. Within a week, tens of thousands of people died from drinking bitter water.

Because the first four trumpets are surgical strikes directed at notably wicked places, I believe this asteroid will strike a continent or nation that God finds particularly offensive.

{11} People called this asteroid, “The star of death.” The name of the star is “Wormwood.” The word means poisonous water.^[38] Millions of people, facing an agonizing death because of dehydration, drank the water and died.

{12} Jesus gave a fourth signal and the fourth angel blew his trumpet. It seemed that every volcano surrounding the Pacific Rim erupted. This ring of fire spewed hundreds of millions of tons of ejecta and soot into the atmosphere. The amount of ash and soot was so great that sunlight could not penetrate the clouds. High speed winds (the jet stream) carried ash and soot all over the world. As a result, the middle one-third of Earth did not receive any light from the sun, moon, and stars. At first, the darkness was silent, eerie, and surreal. As the weeks went by, the survivors began to understand that crops would soon fail. Fears about what to eat became paramount as people realized that global famine had begun.

{13} As I watched these horrifying scenes, I heard the fourth living creature who had the face of the flying eagle cry out. He shouted in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe! The remaining three judgments will be worse than the first four!” I became sick to my stomach. I could not bear to watch this any longer.

John heard the Holy Spirit announce three more woes. The last three trumpets are curses that are worse than the first four trumpets. The last three trumpets are curses directed at wicked people because Jesus steps up His efforts to get wicked people to repent of their evil ways. He wants everyone to embrace the testimony of the 144,000, honor and worship their Creator and receive eternal life!

{9:1} About twenty-seven months after the fourth trumpet, Jesus gave the signal and the fifth angel, who was located in Heaven’s temple, sounded his trumpet.

According to Daniel 12:12, the Great Tribulation will last 1,335 days. This number can be divided into three segments of 445 days. If Jesus spares mankind by keeping Lucifer in the abyss for two-thirds of the time allotted for the Great Tribulation, the devil would appear on the 891st day. Although the Bible does not indicate when the fifth trumpet will sound, we do know that one-third is used twelve times during the seven trumpets to indicate God’s mercy. Because the last three trumpets are curses (woes) on defiant rebels, it is reasonable to assume that the last three trumpets might be limited to the last third of the time allotted for the Great Tribulation. If so, the length of time between trumpets four and five would be approximately twenty seven months.

To appreciate the fifth trumpet judgment, some background information is necessary. When Jesus created the angels, Lucifer was the first, highest, and brightest angel created. He was a glorious being; very happy and content before he sinned. Over time, Lucifer became jealous of Michael/Jesus and he turned away from God’s love and authority. Lucifer coveted the prerogatives that belonged only to Michael/Jesus. (We will carefully examine this matter in Prophecy 12.) When it became clear that the Father would not grant Lucifer’s desires, Lucifer became bitter. As Lucifer’s anger and jealousy grew, he sought out sympathizers. One-third of the angels joined Lucifer and a revolt occurred in Heaven. This revolt caused God to cast Lucifer and his followers out of Heaven.^[39]

After God cast Lucifer out of Heaven, Jesus created Adam and Eve. Lucifer preyed on Eve in the Garden of Eden at the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and he cleverly led her into sin. Adam loved Eve and he purposely sinned because he did not want to be separated from Eve. Later, Cain, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, killed his brother Abel because of jealousy. This sequence of events reveals a profound truth. Sinners become predators when they cannot have what they want. Lucifer preyed on innocent angels. Lucifer preyed on innocent Eve. Cain preyed on innocent Abel. In fact, the predatory nature of sin grew to be so horrible that God had to destroy the whole world in Noah’s day. Sin is only controlled through death. This is why the penalty for sin is death. There is no other way to stop the predatory nature of sin. It is like a spreading cancer.

About 4,000 years after the world was created, Jesus was born and took human form. Lucifer’s hatred toward Jesus had not changed. This is why Lucifer did everything within his power to destroy baby Jesus at birth.^[40] Consider the sequence: Lucifer worked through King Herod in an attempt to destroy Jesus as an infant. When this failed, Lucifer worked through Jewish leaders to crucify Jesus and the devil did everything within his power to keep Jesus in the tomb. When Jesus ascended to the Father on Resurrection Sunday, Lucifer refused to yield his position to Jesus as prince of this world.^[41] There was another war in Heaven, and Lucifer and his angels were cast out of Heaven forever^[42] and thrown into Earth’s Abyss. (Note: In Bible times, the Abyss was thought to be the realm of spirits, a fiery region located under a flat Earth, the source of fire-breathing dragons and volcanos.) Since Resurrection Sunday, the devil and his demons have not been allowed to show themselves in Heaven or on Earth. Even though the devil and his demons have been confined to the spirit realm (the Abyss), they are free to go about their demonic mischief. Now and then, demons have been able to escape the Abyss by gaining control of a human being (demonic possession),^[43] but they cannot physically appear. The devil and his angels know how to gain control over a human being. They typically use mind-altering things as tools (alcohol, drugs, music, pornography, gluttony, sexual immorality, greed, or the love of money) with great success. These and other temptations are a doorway to demonic possession.

John saw an angel fly from Heaven to Earth when the fifth trumpet sounded. The angel went to the doorway of the Abyss and he gave Lucifer the key to his prison. The devil and his demons will be ecstatic when the fifth trumpet occurs, because they can escape the confinement of the spirit realm and physically appear before human beings. Jesus will release the devil and his angels from the Abyss for at least two reasons. First, Jesus wants the people of Earth to actually see the enemy of God and man.^[44] Second, Jesus wants the universe to experience a government created by a supernatural sinner who will exercise absolute authority and power. The enormous differences between Lucifer’s government and God’s government will be studied throughout eternity.

{2} When the devil unlocked the door to the Abyss, I saw a cloud rising from the Abyss that looked like smoke from a gigantic furnace. The devil and his demons were so numerous that from a distance, they
{3} looked like a giant swarm of locusts and they darkened the sky! Even though they had been physically released from the Abyss, Jesus limited their activities. For example, they could only torture people who had not received the seal of God.

The fifth trumpet will occur about two and a half years (891st day?) after the Great Tribulation begins. Prior to the fifth trumpet, the 144,000 will present the gospel of Jesus to the whole world. The gospel will polarize the people of Earth into three distinct groups of people: The saints, the religious wicked, and the non-religious wicked. Of course, the saints are people who will embrace the gospel of Christ. The religious wicked are people who will insist on remaining loyal to their religious heritage. The third group, the non-religious wicked, are people who will refuse to worship God or have any religious connection at all (atheists, agnostics, etc.).

When the devil physically appears before mankind, his eloquent masquerade and miracle working powers will easily deceive the religious wicked. Needing a Savior, but hating the gospel of Jesus, many of the religious wicked will embrace the devil as though He were Almighty God. To gain the respect of religious people, Lucifer will display all kinds of supernatural powers, doing things that only Almighty God can do! For example, he will call fire down from Heaven at will.^[45] On the basis of his glorious appearance and marvelous miracles, millions of religious wicked people will be deceived. They will embrace the devil as Almighty God and put their faith in him because “seeing is believing.”

Lucifer is not permitted to torture anyone having the seal of God (the 144,000 and the saints) during the fifth trumpet. Of course, he will not torture those who believe he is God (the religious wicked). The devil will target non-religious people because he wants to eliminate his opposition. Lucifer’s goal is global dominion within five months and this endeavor requires that he rapidly eliminate his opponents. Jesus will limit Lucifer’s assault for five months; he will not be allowed to kill anyone. However, Jesus will permit Lucifer’s demons to inflict indescribable pain on the non-religious wicked and this will force them (and their families) into making a decision. Some of the non-religious wicked will embrace the gospel, worship Jesus and be saved. Most, however, will capitulate and worship the devil as Almighty God.

{4} During the fifth trumpet, the devil and his demons were not allowed to harm the physical elements of Earth such as crops, plants, or trees. Otherwise, the devil would destroy all means of survival before the Second Coming. Further, the demons are not allowed to harm the 144,000 or anyone else who had received the seal of God.
{5} Lucifer’s demons were not allowed to kill anyone. They could torture people for five months, but they could not kill them. I watched as people suffered in agony from the torture. The pain can be compared to the searing pain of a scorpion’s sting when it strikes a man.
{6} Their agony was unbearable. Men longed to die, but death eluded them. They remained trapped in their agony until they made a decision.

This torment in the fifth trumpet is similar to the time when God released poisonous serpents upon a rebellious Israel in the wilderness. Healing came when dying people acknowledged their need of a Savior. By faith, when they gazed on the bronze serpent which Moses had put on the pole, they were cured of the venom that was killing them.^[46]

When the fifth trumpet occurs, almost everyone on Earth will have reached a decision (yes, no, or ignore) on the gospel of Jesus. To challenge the decision of the wicked, Jesus releases the devil from the abyss. The physical appearing of Lucifer will be a very strong and convincing delusion for those who said “no” to the gospel the 144,000 presented. Paul predicted “a strong delusion” would be sent to the wicked because they refused to love the truth and be saved.^[47] Because the wicked love darkness and lies, Jesus will release the king of darkness and lies and they will have to worship him.

Jesus will permit the devil to torture the non-religious wicked so that this group can be pushed into a final decision. At the Second Coming, there will be only two groups of people: Sheep and goats. Therefore, the non-religious group must be dissolved. Consider how demonic torment will put a non-religious person in the valley of decision. Whenever a demon “stings” a non-religious person, the pain will be excruciating. The demon will say, “Worship “God” (Lucifer) and your pain will be gone!” One of the 144,000 will say to the victim, “Repent of your rebellion and surrender your life to Jesus. Worship your Creator and your pain will be gone because Lucifer cannot hurt those who have the seal of God!” Pain will push the non-religious group into a decision for or against the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God is deliberate and purposeful in everything He does and the seven trumpets are no exception. Jesus will inform every person on Earth through the ministry of 144,000 servants that God’s two laws of love are not optional. Each person wishing to participate in His coming kingdom must love God with all his heart, mind, and soul and his neighbor as himself. When God informs a human being of His will and if that human being rejects the enlightenment, God can do nothing further for that person. For two and a half years, the 144,000 will faithfully present the gospel of Jesus (enlightenment from God). At the fifth trumpet, Lucifer and his demons will be released from the Abyss. The comparison between the ministry of the 144,000 and the efforts of the devil and his followers will be striking. Circumstances will force each human being into a decision. Each person will either choose to submit to the authority of his Creator or he will choose to submit to Lucifer. By the end of the seven trumpets, everyone will serve one of two masters.

{7} When Lucifer and his angels were released from the Abyss, they looked like a giant swarm of locusts coming down on the Earth. As they drew near, they looked like riders on horses prepared for battle. The devil appeared to be a great king, surrounded by a powerful angelic host. The look on their faces was intense, they were on a mission to take control of Earth. On their heads, the demons wore something that looked like crowns of gold. These crowns indicated they were superior to human beings, they had authority over mankind. Their faces resembled human faces and they were somewhat beautiful, but also fearful in appearance.
{8} Their hair was lovely – long and flowing like women’s hair but their teeth were shaped like lions’ teeth. When put together, this caricature means that Lucifer’s demons will be attractive, but deadly.
{9} They had breastplates that resembled the breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was powerful, like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.

These descriptions are telling. The devil and his angels have intelligence and powers far superior to mankind. Bullets cannot kill demons. Suicide bombers cannot stop them. The world will be helpless and vulnerable to the superior authority of Lucifer and his angels. The saints know their only hope of survival rests in Jesus.

{10} The demons that accompanied Lucifer were given power to hurt non-religious people. The demons had tails and stings like scorpions. This caricature indicated they had the power to inflict great pain on human beings. Of course, fallen angels do not actually have long tails like scorpions, but they were represented in this way so that I could understand their ability to inflict unbearable agony on a person. For five months, Lucifer’s demons went throughout the Earth subduing nations of non-religious people. Wishing to avoid further torture, most of the non-religious people acquiesced and worshiped the devil as though he was Almighty God.

Even though the devil’s demons will torture the non-religious wicked, the demons cannot hurt the 144,000 or those who have been sealed.

{11} During the five months allotted to the fifth trumpet, Lucifer gained control over the people of Earth. It was an appalling scene to watch. The angel king from the Abyss masqueraded as Almighty God and he conquered the world through deceit. In Hebrew, the devil’s title is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. Both titles mean the same thing: Lucifer is the ultimate destroyer. His title is stated in Hebrew and Greek so that the saints (like the Jews in the inner court) and the wicked (like the Gentiles in the outer court) both can understand who he truly is.

The Bible declares that God does not change.^[48] For six thousand years God has consistently followed a policy that limits the growth and malignancy of sin. I call this policy, “The Full Cup Principle.” When God sets up a nation,^[49] He gives that nation a measure of freedom and resources necessary to prosper. If the nation turns away from righteous principles, God’s love for the innocent and oncoming generations is aroused. He sends messengers and warning judgments. If these efforts fail to turn the nation around, God sends destruction. Sometimes, God Himself is the destroyer; God destroyed Pharaoh and the Egyptian army in the Red Sea. Sometimes, God sends an angel as a destroyer; an angel from God killed 185,000 Assyrians.^[50] Sometimes, God sends a man as a destroyer; God sent King Nebuchadnezzar to destroy Jerusalem^[51] and Titus to destroy Jerusalem again in A.D. 70. When a nation fills its cup of iniquity, destruction comes.^[52] This explains why the title “Destroyer” is given to Lucifer. Jesus will release Lucifer from the Abyss to be a destroyer. Jesus will permit Lucifer to do something that Lucifer wants to do! Jesus will allow Lucifer to destroy the world because the whole world has filled up its cup of iniquity and a majority of people will have refused to embrace righteousness (the gospel of Christ). Remember, the apostle Paul predicted that God will send a great delusion on the Earth during “a great rebellion” because the wicked refused to love the truth and be saved.^[53] This delusion will be Lucifer, masquerading as Almighty God.

During the fifth trumpet, the devil and his angels will rush around the world to conduct their deceptive work. Three telling characteristics about Lucifer’s carnal nature will unfold. First, the devil loves adulation and fame. He wants to be worshiped and exalted as God, but he is the epitome of self-centeredness and selfishness. He will use great miracle-working powers to advance his lies and evil schemes. He will appear to be gracious and benevolent because he will be on a mission to deceive people for five months, but he is evil incarnate, thoroughly cruel, and hateful. He is a demon having no compassion. Second, when Lucifer implements control over Earth (sixth trumpet), there will be no law or order except his own. The devil is petty, arbitrary, and manipulative. He can go into a fearful rage at the slightest provocation. The devil rules through manipulation, intimidation, and fear. He enjoys torturing people. He has no reservation about inflicting pain and suffering on his own followers when necessary! The devil remembers everything and forgives nothing. When it comes to committing shameful atrocities, he will make the actions of Hitler appear insignificant. Third, the devil will be a master at making right appear wrong. He will grossly distort the testimony of Jesus and the work of the 144,000. He will distort Bible truth so that righteousness appears evil. Remember, he is a highly intelligent being, a master at manipulation and deceit. No one will be able to stop him or overpower him. When a majority of people believe that he is God (by the close of the fifth trumpet), the devil will suddenly change character. He will impose himself on mankind and no one will be permitted to challenge or question his sovereign authority. It is no wonder that Paul called him, “The man of lawlessness (or man of sin, KJV).^[54]

{12} When the five months allotted for the fifth trumpet ended, I heard a voice from Heaven say, “The first curse has past; two greater curses are coming!” I wondered, “How can things get worse?” {13} Jesus gave the signal and the sixth angel blew his trumpet. I heard the voice of the mighty angel who stood at the golden Altar of Incense that is before God. {14} He said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four demons bound at the great river Euphrates.”

The fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpets are progressive in nature. They can be described as Phase 1, 2 and 3. Phase 1 (the fifth trumpet) describes the physical appearing of the devil with his demons. During this phase, Lucifer will put on a glorious show to deceive most of the world into believing that he is Almighty God. During this time, Jesus will allow Lucifer and his demons to torture non-religious people for five months. This torture will cause some people to embrace the gospel of Jesus and it will also go a long way toward eliminating all non-religious people from Earth. Remember, by the seventh trumpet, the people of Earth will either be sheep (worshiping Jesus) or goats (worshiping Lucifer).

Phase 2 (sixth trumpet) describes the establishment of Lucifer’s world government; a counterfeit theocracy. The devil will be permitted to eliminate all religions, all governments and his forces will kill a third of mankind (those who oppose him). For a short time, Lucifer will reign over the world as king of kings and lord of lords.

Phase 3 (seventh trumpet) marks the end of Christ’s intercession for mankind and His wrath on those who defied the two laws of love. The door to redemption closes just before the seventh trumpet sounds because everyone will have reached a firm decision regarding whom they will worship (Jesus or Lucifer). The seventh trumpet also marks the end of redemptive wrath and the beginning of destructive wrath.

The three “woes” (trumpets 5,6, and 7) are intimately connected to one another. The sixth trumpet builds upon developments that occurred during the fifth trumpet and the seventh trumpet builds on developments that occurred during the sixth trumpet.

The command to release the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates follows an important parallel. Remember in Revelation 7 that God’s four angels (having the first four trumpets) were told to wait until the 144,000 were sealed. Similarly, Lucifer’s four demons must wait until the appointed hour, day, month, and year arrives. Remember that when Jesus breaks open the fourth seal, twenty-five percent of the world’s population will be killed (twenty-five percent of seven billion equals 1.75 billion people). Similarly, when the sixth trumpet sounds, Lucifer will cause one-third of the world’s population to be killed (one-third of the remaining 5.25 billion also equals 1.75 billion people). The Lord and Lucifer will kill the same number of people. When both totals are added together, it is sobering to realize that half of the world’s population (3.5 billion) will die before the seventh trumpet occurs!

During Bible times, the Euphrates River was the northern boundary of Israel. The river was a natural barrier that protected Israel from the marauding kings of the north. In ancient times, predator kings would pounce on weaker nations each spring and take what possessions and loot they could carry off. However, Spring thaws in the mountains caused the great river Euphrates to flood each spring and this flooding kept the kings of the north from invading Israel. Sometimes, the Euphrates would flood excessively and this caused overwhelming destruction within Israel. Bible writers have compared the devastation caused by floods (a type of tsunami) with the devastation caused by war^[55] because the outcome looks very similar. When the sixth trumpet sounds, Jesus will remove the barrier that He imposed on Lucifer and his demons during the fifth trumpet. During the fifth trumpet, the devil and his demons are not permitted to kill anyone; however, this limitation will be removed in the sixth trumpet. The devil and his troops will be allowed to kill one-third of mankind.

The language used in the sixth trumpet uses Israel’s geography to illustrate a larger, but parallel concept. In Bible times, the ancients believed that divine destruction came out of the north.^[56] Because the Euphrates River was a natural barrier on Israel’s northern boundary, the release of the four demons bound at the river indicates the river will no longer be a barrier of protection. When released, Lucifer’s four demons will raise up an army of two hundred million troops to kill a third of mankind. This slaughter is associated with the Euphrates River because excessive flooding was totally destructive and in Bible times, divine judgment always came out of the north.^[57] These two features align with the fact that the devil’s title in Greek and Hebrew means “destroyer.” Lucifer is represented as the horn power out of the north in Daniel 8 and also the King of the North in Daniel 11^[58] for an important reason. Lucifer will be released from the Abyss to destroy. The torture of the non-religious during the fifth trumpet, the imposition of the mark of the beast, and the wholesale slaughter of saints and rebels during the sixth trumpet will produce a profound result. By the time the sixth trumpet is finished, all survivors will have made a firm decision regarding whom they will worship.

{15} Long ago, the Father predetermined the very hour, day, month, and year appointed for the sixth trumpet. When the sixth trumpet sounded, Lucifer abruptly changed character because the devil and his forces were allowed to kill one-third of mankind.

After five months of convincing people that he is Almighty God, Lucifer will move in to make “the kill” when the sixth trumpet sounds. Perhaps the sixth trumpet will sound on the 1,039th day of the Great Tribulation.^[59] Lucifer will make outrageous demands and his forces will kill whoever stands in opposition. Remember, there is a definite limit to the number of saints that Lucifer can kill.^[60] To purify the world and establish his so-called “kingdom of God,” Lucifer will demand that everyone abandon his former religion and government and participate in his everlasting government, a new one-world-order, the devil’s one-world-church-state (theocracy). This demand will create confusion and a great deal of opposition. Therefore, killing a third of mankind will be necessary.

{16} Four of Lucifer’s mighty demons went throughout the world and raised an army of two hundred million troops to conduct holy jihad against all unbelievers.

(Note:  For the sake of comparison, in 2006 (the most recent year records were available), the number of active military personnel for all nations was about thirteen million.)

Remember, Lucifer will appear to be a wonderful, benevolent, and gracious God during the fifth trumpet. Billions of people will see him and marvel at his signs and wonders. He will imitate Jesus’ miracles and it is reasonable to assume that millions of starving people will eat “loaves and fishes” from his hands.^[61] When the sixth trumpet sounds, Lucifer will suddenly assert authority as Almighty God. He will suddenly speak as a ruthless dictator. The devil will make painful demands that people cannot escape. For example, Lucifer will declare that the time has come to establish the kingdom of God on Earth. There has to be one God, one faith, and one church on Earth – all others will be deemed false and forbidden. Think about Lucifer’s clever logic. If “God” dwells among men, religious diversity is impossible. When “God” lives among mankind, every religious system must be abandoned because there is no room for divergent opinions on or about God’s will or laws. Lucifer, masquerading as Almighty God, will impose himself on all mankind. He will declare his laws to be “the laws of Almighty God” and everyone will either obey them or be killed. (This will be an interesting implementation of “the sudden death law” which Lucifer originally used to mislead a third of God’s angels. See Prophecy 12.)

Lucifer will abolish the governments of the world and declare that all governments other than his will be considered adversaries to “the kingdom of God.” Think about this: When “God” (e.g., Lucifer masquerading as God) establishes his kingdom on Earth, he will establish a new order on Earth. The devil will create a counterfeit theocracy and consolidate the religious powers and civil powers of Earth into this theocracy. (Lucifer’s theocracy is described as “the image to the beast” in Revelation 13 and “the great whore” in Revelation 17.) Lucifer will rule over the whole world as king of kings (the state) and lord of lords (the church). After he has abolished the religions and governments of the world, the devil will divide the world into ten sectors and appoint ten “puppet kings” to oversee the purification of these sectors. These ten kings will report directly to Lucifer. Anyone caught refusing to obey his laws will be killed immediately.^[62]

Jesus will permit the devil to torment the non-religious wicked during the fifth trumpet so that He can save those few people who will repent and be saved. Jesus has the same objective during the sixth trumpet. He will allow the devil to abolish the religions and governments of the world during the sixth trumpet to save a few more people. Take a moment to consider the problem and the solution. Religion always exerts compelling power over people. Because of this fact, very few people (less than 5% of the world’s population) actually transition from one religious system to another. (This transition is not Christians changing churches. The transition refers to people moving from one religious system to another, such as a Muslim becoming a Catholic or a Catholic becoming a Hindu. Can you imagine a Jew becoming a Muslim or vice versa?) Many of the religious wicked will reject the true gospel of Jesus because they simply cannot bring themselves to abandon their religious heritage (the religious system into which they were born). It will come as a tremendous shock when the religious wicked are forced to abandon their religious heritage during the sixth trumpet. Jesus permits Lucifer to eliminate the religious systems of the world so that all people have to abandon their religious system prior to the Second Coming!

When confronted with Lucifer’s demand that everyone worship and join his theocracy and when forced to abandon their lifelong religious system, heritage and training, the religious wicked will have a critical decision to make. Will they grudgingly obey the laws of the devil and receive his mark to save themselves or will they embrace the two laws of love, embrace the gospel of Jesus and be saved from the curse of sin? Hopefully, more than a few of the religious wicked will come to their senses and embrace the gospel of Jesus during the sixth trumpet! Of course, there will be a great deal of opposition to Lucifer’s outrageous demands, but for now, can you imagine the impact on loyal Catholics when the Catholic faith is declared illegal? Can you imagine the impact on loyal Muslims when the Muslim faith is declared illegal? Can you imagine the impact on Jews, Hindus, Protestants, and Atheists when their faith is declared illegal? The devil knows that his demands will create strong opposition. The devil also knows that the only way to eliminate opposition is to kill everyone who will not obey his demands.

During the sixth trumpet, the devil will assert himself over all that is called God or that is worshiped as God.^[63] I believe the devil will declare that the kingdom of God is among men and Lucifer will impose, for logistical purposes, the ancient practice of dividing and organizing large numbers of people into groups of a thousand.^[64] By the time the sixth trumpet occurs, life on Earth will be primitive. Electricity, communication, banking, transportation, and healthcare will be largely non-existent. After the first four trumpets, the world will be in survival mode (extreme problems demand extreme solutions), and taking advantage of this desperate situation, the devil and his demons will quickly reorganize the whole world. He will use the justification that food rations and the necessities of life are best distributed when there is a high level of organization and control.

Working through his ten kings, the devil will follow Moses’ example and appoint one captain over each group of 1,000 people.^[65] This will leave 999 people in each group. When the devil announces the demise of all religions and governments, people and nations will rebel against Lucifer’s authority, but he will be prepared. The devil will issue a death decree that will put everyone in shock.^[66] The devil will demand that the “kingdom of God” must be purified. Therefore, one-third of each group of 1,000 people must be put to death.^[67] The ten kings will praise the devil for generously sparing two-thirds of mankind!^[68]

I believe Lucifer’s sixth trumpet death decree will include this announcement: The first 666 people in each group who are willing to receive a tattoo on the right hand showing the number, 666, will live. The remaining one-third, 333 people, must be killed, even if they are willing to wear the mark! This announcement will cause the wicked to move quickly to receive the mark of the beast. The devil will claim his decree is justified because there will be insufficient rations for everyone. Therefore, it is better to feed two-thirds of the people than have everyone die from starvation. By limiting survival to the first 666 people willing to receive the tattoo, the devil will eliminate the weak, the old, the sick, and all of the rebellious (including the saints and anyone else opposed to his authority). I am sure the devil will promise that the world will be a better place once all of the rebels are killed.

When 666 people in each group receive the mark of the beast, Lucifer’s demons will motivate many people within each group of 666 to hunt down the remaining 333 people who remain in opposition. Lucifer will be able to create a great army of two hundred million troops and only those people who wear the number 666 on their right hand will be spared from death. Everyone wearing the number 666 on their right hand will be permitted to buy and sell (to survive), but the rest of mankind (1.75 billion people) will be hunted and slaughtered like animals.
The sixth trumpet war will not be a war of one country against another. This war will occur within each group of 1,000 people.

Since 333 people within each group must be destroyed, the race to be among the first 666 will mean the difference between life and death. The wicked will be caught in a struggle against each other. The devil will be delighted because he knows that wicked people are selfish and they will do whatever it takes to survive. The saints, on the other hand, will be caught in a very different struggle. Their struggle will be to maintain patient endurance and faithfulness^[69] to the very end. The wicked will be focused on the “here and now,” but the saints will be focused on the hereafter; endless joy and eternal life with Jesus. The devil is cruel and heartless and his character will be clearly revealed during the sixth trumpet. He would kill 100% of the world’s population in an instant (even his own followers) if Jesus permitted it. However, Jesus limits the powers of the devil and his angels to 33% of the world’s population because there are several object lessons in the concluding drama of sin which the universe will observe and study throughout eternity.

When Lucifer issues his first death decree (there will be two death decrees, one during the sixth trumpet and one directed at the saints on the 1,290th day), he will boast that this holy war (jihad) will be the war that ends all wars. Of course, he will be lying because this war will neither be “holy” nor will it end all wars, for Armageddon still remains to be fought. Those who join with Lucifer in killing a third of mankind will think they are doing “God” a service.^[70] Murderers will be promised high positions in Lucifer’s government and the carnage that follows this death decree will be like the carnage that occurred in 1994 when Hutu militia in Rwanda slaughtered 800,000 Tutsies during a period of one hundred days. There was no compassion or justice – only the madness and insanity of demonic possession. Similarly, during the sixth trumpet, individuals possessed by demons will slaughter 333 people in their own group! However, Jesus will not allow the devil or his angels to directly murder a single human being. Instead, demon possessed people (like King Herod and Hitler) will carry out these atrocities. This scenario will prove that given enough time and power, all sinners will eventually mirror Lucifer’s behavior.

{17} The horses and riders in the sixth trumpet were different from the creatures that I saw in the fifth trumpet. The locusts described in the fifth trumpet consisted of demons released from the Abyss, but the army in the sixth trumpet is made up of human beings armed with weapons of war. This army wore colored breastplates which indicated their particular division. The colors were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow like sulfur.^[71] The heads of their horses (war machines) resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and sulfur.
{18} A third of mankind was killed by the plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur that came out of their war machines.
{19} The riders could shoot from the front or from the tails of their war horses. This was the bloodiest war ever fought on Earth. The cruelty that people inflicted on each other was unbelievable.

John’s report is not a description of modern weapons, it is a caricature of modern devices that will be used to kill a third of mankind. The wicked will use explosives to shoot each other (fire and smoke) and poisonous gas (clouds of sulfur) to kill millions of people. Lucifer will exalt these murderers. Everyone found not having the tattoo on his right hand is to be killed. This is the tragic end of a story that began 6,000 years ago, a story of one brother killing his brother over the issue of worship. This civil war will last several months.^[72] During this war, Jesus will send 144,000 prophets to the front lines. They will boldly deliver the fourth angel’s message without dilution.^[73] The 144,000 will proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. This will infuriate the wicked and they will kill most, if not all, of the 144,000.^[74] Jesus said His gospel will go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and then the end would come.^[75] During the sixth trumpet, Lucifer intends to kill his opposition and be worshiped and revered as Almighty God. To achieve this goal, he will subjugate the wicked to his evil desires. When Lucifer’s objective is reached, Jesus will close the door to redemption because by this time, everyone will have finalized their choice and the seven bowls will begin.

{20} I was amazed at the behavior of those who received the mark of the beast. Lucifer’s actions were disgusting and vile, but his followers would not repent of the work of their hands; they would not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood that could not see, hear, or walk.
{21} The devil’s followers would not repent of their murders, magic arts, sexual immorality, or thievery. They were a defiant and incorrigible body of people. They hated the 144,000, the saints, and the gospel of Christ!

The curse of sin is a dominating power that few people understand. It causes rational people to do stupid and irrational things. The curse of sin can be defined as “passion overpowering wisdom.” This explains why God will not allow sin to ever flourish again. During the sixth trumpet, all of the wicked will pass the point of return and commit the unpardonable sin.^[76] Every wicked person will become demon possessed. Passion will overpower wisdom and the wicked will behave much like the pigs that rushed into the water and drowned.^[77] When a person commits the unpardonable sin, he cannot change himself or be transformed into a better person because he has shut the door on the Holy Spirit. So, the wicked must be destroyed to remove the vestiges of sin.

In review, the first two woes will accomplish two great objectives: First, the non-religious wicked group will disappear and the religious wicked group will be purged when all people will have to abandon their religious heritage. Second, the gospel will be preached to every person on Earth. The people of Earth will be squeezed by circumstances to make a choice. At the end of the sixth trumpet, each person will have either the seal of God (and his carnal nature removed) or he will have committed the unpardonable sin and received the mark of the beast.