Apart from the introduction (Rev. 1:1-8) and the conclusion (Rev. 22:6-21), the book of Revelation has three main sections. In 1:19 the Lord said to John, “Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which are about to take place after these things.” Thus, these three main sections are “the things seen” (1:9-20), “the things present” (2:1—3:22), and “the things to come” (4:1—22:5). In chapter one, there are the seven golden lampstands with Christ in their midst, which are “the things seen,” and in chapters two and three there are the seven churches, which are “the things present.” The section on “the things to come” begins with the scene in heaven in chapter four. As chapter five reveals, Christ comes into this scene as the unique One worthy to open the secret of God’s economy. As we have pointed out, the first four seals give a brief history of the world from Christ’s ascension until His coming back, portraying it as a four-horse race. Near to the end of this age, at the time of the fifth seal, the martyred saints will cry to God. The sixth seal will be God’s answer to their cry. He will shake the universe as a warning to those who dwell on the earth and as an introduction to the coming great tribulation. Following this, the seven trumpets will come in as the content of the seventh seal. The first four trumpets will be God’s judgment upon the earth, the sea, the rivers, and the heavenly host. Due to this judgment, the earth will no longer be a suitable place for man to dwell. Because the calamities of the sixth seal and the first four trumpets do not directly injure man, but only damage the earth, making it no longer suitable for man to live in, they are not a part of the great tribulation. As we pointed out in the last message, the fifth trumpet marks the beginning of the great tribulation. The great tribulation mentioned in Matt. 24:21 is composed of the three woes of the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpets.
In the fifth trumpet mankind will be directly tormented. At the sounding of the fifth trumpet, Satan will come down from heaven to earth and Antichrist will come up from the abyss, and together they will cause men to be tormented for five months. Unlike the foregoing calamities, the torment of the demon-possessed locusts will directly touch man’s being. As we have seen, at the beginning of the last three and one-half years, Antichrist will change his mind about the Israelites, will discontinue the worship of God, and will torment the man created by God for Himself. This will be the beginning of the great tribulation. This torment, as the first woe, will be so severe that no one will be able to bear it. Following this, there will be the second woe, which is the sixth trumpet.
The second woe is more complicated than the first. It is not as clear cut as the woe of the fifth trumpet, which is caused by the collaboration of Satan and Antichrist. Revelation 9:13 and 14 say, “And the sixth angel trumpeted, and I heard a voice out of the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound at the great river Euphrates.” The blood of the atonement was put upon the four horns of the golden altar, the incense altar, for atonement, that is, for redemption (Lev. 16:18). The voice which comes “out of the four horns of the golden altar” indicates that God’s judgment upon man is based on the redemption of Christ; it is because men do not believe in Christ’s redemption that God sends His judgment.
Verse 12 says, “The first woe is past; behold, two woes are yet to come after these things.” Since it is at the fifth trumpet that Satan falls from heaven to earth to damage the earth and persecute the people of God for three and one-half years (6, Rev. 12:10, 12-17) and that at the same time (the last three and one-half years — Rev. 13:5-7; 11:7), Antichrist comes up out of the abyss to collaborate with Satan to torment people, persecute the saints, and blaspheme God, and since it is also in the same last three and one-half years that the holy city Jerusalem is given to the Gentiles for destruction (Rev. 11:2), the woe of the fifth trumpet must be the beginning of the great tribulation (Matt. 24:21). The second woe of the sixth trumpet and the third woe of the seventh trumpet (Rev. 8:13; 9:12; 11:14) must also be parts of the great tribulation, which, probably with the damage caused by the sixth seal and the first four trumpets, will be the trial on all the earth’s dwellers (Rev. 3:10). The two woes spoken of in verse 12 are the sixth and seventh trumpets (Rev. 9:13-20; 11:14-15).
Undoubtedly, the four angels “which are bound at the great river Euphrates” are four evil, fallen, rebellious angels who followed Satan. The Bible does not indicate how long they have been bound there. Verse 15 says, “And the four angels were loosed who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they might kill the third part of men.” Many understand this word according to their natural concept, thinking that “the hour and day and month and year” refer to the specific year, month, day, and hour when the killing of the third part of men will take place. But this is not the meaning. “For the hour and day and month and year” means that the four angels have been prepared unto the hour, plus the day, plus the month, plus the year — altogether thirteen months, one day, and one hour — for the killing of men. The killing will firstly last one hour, then one day, then one month, and then one year. It will be so severe and terrifying that, firstly, people will not expect it to last more than an hour. When, after an hour, it has not ended, they will expect it to last only for a day. After that, they will expect that surely it will not be prolonged more than a month. After a month transpires, then people will think that it could only continue for a year. Altogether, the time of this horrible killing will be thirteen months, one day, and one hour.
During World War II many of us suffered. When that war broke out on July 7, 1937, I was traveling in China. The next morning I read an express edition of the newspaper which said that war had broken out the previous night. From that time on, we began to suffer the war, firstly for four years. Then came the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the United States entered the war. As our suffering continued, we expected the war to end at any time. The news came again and again that after a certain period of time the war would probably end, but it still dragged on and we kept counting the days. During the war, I was imprisoned by the invading army for thirty days. As I suffered there in prison, I not only counted the days but also the hours, expecting surely that the next hour would see my release. After thirty days I was released, but I still had no freedom, and we continued to count the days. From this experience we can understand the meaning of “the hour and day and month and year” in 9:15. When the dreadful killing mentioned in chapter nine comes upon man, people will expect the slaughter to cease in an hour, then in a day, then in a month, and then in a year. The four angels that are bound by the river Euphrates are prepared to kill man for such a long period of time — for an hour, a day, a month, and a year.
Verse 16 says, “And the number of the cavalry troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.” In order to kill the third part of men, the four angels will use two hundred million cavalry troops. The number of these horsemen is nearly that of the total population of the United States. The two hundred million horsemen will come from the rising of the sun (Rev. 16:12), that is, from the east. The place on earth that produces the most horses is Mongolia. The Western world has invented so many modern methods of transportation, but these cavalry from the east will not use them. Instead, they will use horses. Travel on horseback does not require modern roads or railways. Perhaps each horseman will bring an extra horse for food and drink. It would be easy for these cavalry troops to hide themselves or to scatter when some would attack them by bombs, and it would be quite difficult to trace them. These troops will move westward, killing as they go. The riders on these horses will have “breastplates of fire and of hyacinth and of sulphur” (v. 17), and the heads of the horses will be as the heads of lions, and out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulphur (v. 17). Verse 19 says, “For the authority of the horses was in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents having heads, and with them they injure.” The horses’ tails here, being like serpents, are more poisonous than the locusts’ tails, which are like scorpions (v. 10). The locusts will only torment men for five months (vv. 5, 10), whereas the horses will kill the third part of men (vv. 15, 18). This means that the woe of the sixth trumpet will be more severe than that of the fifth.
As we have seen, the four angels will be loosed to stir up the two hundred million cavalry troops. These troops will move from east to west and, passing through the Euphrates, will come to the richest region on earth — the Middle East. Rev. 9:14 says that the four angels were bound at the great river Euphrates, and Rev. 16:12 says, “And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river Euphrates; and its water was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared.” These two hundred million cavalry troops from “the rising of the sun” will join the war at Armageddon (Rev. 16:10-16; 19:17-18).
Revelation 16:13 and 14 say, “And I saw, out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, doing signs, which go forth to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them to the war of the great day of God Almighty.” As verse 16 of the same chapter says, “And they gathered them to the place which in Hebrew is called, Armageddon.” This drying up of the Euphrates will be the result of the pouring out of the sixth bowl. By the mention of the river Euphrates in chapters nine and sixteen, we see that the two hundred million cavalry troops of the sixth trumpet are related to the sixth bowl of the seventh trumpet for the gathering of the earthly armies to Armageddon. These two hundred million cavalry troops from the east and the armies from the north and the west will be gathered together there. God will assemble all the armies on earth to one place. This will be His wisdom. This will occur at the sixth bowl, which is a part of the woe of the seventh trumpet. At the same time, Satan will be doing His best to damage people, and Antichrist will be persecuting God’s people and even fighting against God, doing everything possible to corrupt the earth. Thus, God will send His judgments upon the earth. During the last three and one-half years, Satan and Antichrist will do their best to injure people, and God will judge the earth. What a dreadful place the world will be at that time!
After the Euphrates has been dried up, the eastern kings and their armies will cross over it on their way to Armageddon. Armageddon is quite close to Jerusalem. As we have seen, all the armies of the world will be gathered there to seize the riches that are in that region. Many of the nations in this area are rich because of the oil resources. But this is God’s divine arrangement, and it will be His way of gathering the grapes into the winepress (Rev. 14:17-20; 19:15). As Rev. 19:15 says, Christ will tread “the winepress of the wine of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.” In chapter fourteen, we firstly have the firstfruit (Rev. 14:1, 4), secondly, the harvest (Rev. 14:15, 16), and, thirdly, the treading of the winepress (Rev. 14:18, 19). Verse 20 says, “And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress up to the bridles of the horses for a thousand six hundred stadia.” (A stadion, the singular of stadia, was equal to about six hundred feet.) The assembling of the armies of the world at the place called Armageddon is likened to the gathering of grapes into a winepress. All the grapes will be gathered into the great winepress of God’s wrath. When Christ comes back to earth, He will destroy these evil fighters, treading the winepress of the fury of God. The result will be a river of blood as high as a horse’s bridle and approximately two hundred miles long.
We have seen that the thirteen months, the one day, and the one hour will probably be the traveling time of the two hundred million cavalry men from the “rising of the sun” to the Middle East. As they travel, they will kill the third part of men. This slaughter will be terrible. When these cavalry troops reach the Euphrates, immediately prior to the battle at Armageddon, the sixth bowl will be poured out. This record is most serious. It is an account of history written before it happens. The writers of this world are shortsighted, superficial, and ignorant. The Lord Himself has written this account of human history. I do not say this lightly.
I have been saved for more than fifty years. During the years since 1918 I have spent much time observing the world situation and studying the prophecies in the Bible. I can testify that no time has been closer to the fulfillment of the New Testament prophecy than today. Today’s world news is focused on the Middle East. Much of the daily news concerning the Middle East matches what is spoken in the Bible. This means that the Lord is keeping His word and that prophecies are now being fulfilled. Undoubtedly, we are very close to the time of the sixth seal, the main aspect of which is the great earthquake. In this life-study, however, we are not interested in merely satisfying our curiosity in knowing prophecy. The Lord is opening our eyes for the sake of His recovery. We are not blind, veiled, or covered. If there are any Christians who know the will of God and the economy of God, we must be they. What then should we do? We should simply say, “Amen, Lord. Amen to Your Word, Your doings, Your economy, and Your move. Lord, Amen to the secret You have shown us.”
As an elderly brother, let me say a word to the young people: You are much blessed to be brought into the Lord’s recovery in your youth. In your lifetime surely many things prophesied in the Bible will come to pass. Once we have considered all the matters covered in these life-study messages, none of us can say that he has not seen something, or that he does not know about the coming days. Young people, although fifty years ago I spent much time to study books on prophecy, I did not have the clear vision that you have today. Praise the Lord that the veils have been taken away, that God’s economy has been made manifest to us, and that we now have a clear view of what is coming. In these days the view, the light, and the vision are so clear. We know what will take place in the fifth seal, what will transpire at the sixth seal, and what will be the first four trumpets. We know that the fifth trumpet as the first woe will mark the beginning of the great tribulation and that the sixth trumpet as the second woe will be the continuation of the tribulation. We have seen that the sixth trumpet will be related to the sixth bowl. In brief, we have been given a clear view of the future. After the time of the sixth seal, there will be nothing good for us on the earth. Be prepared! The earth will be shaken, the sea will be damaged, the rivers will be made bitter, and the heavenly hosts will be darkened. Eventually, Satan and Antichrist will collaborate to torment people for five months. Following this, at the sounding of the sixth trumpet, the two hundred million horsemen will begin to ride through a great part of the earth, killing the third part of mankind as they gallop along their way. Finally, all the armies of the world will be gathered together at a place called Armageddon. Then the grapes, the armies of the world, will be trodden by Christ in the winepress of God’s wrath.
It has been made clear that the second woe of the sixth trumpet is a continuation of the great tribulation (Rev. 14:11:14). Verse 20 says, “And the rest of men, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons and idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders, nor of their witchcrafts, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” (Notice that verse 20 does not say that the idols here cannot speak, as in Psa. 115:5 and Psa. 135:16, because, according to Rev. 13:15, the image of the Antichrist will speak.) These verses indicate that the intention of God’s judgment is that men may repent. Although God intends that, through His judgment, men would repent, these verses show that they will not repent.
