Drugs--Sixth Trumpet Judgments--Revelation Part 3

Have you ever considered that drug abuse will play a major role in the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments of Revelation? In reality, chemical abuse plays a major role in the last part of the book of revelation. Let's look at how and why!

The Sixth Trumpet Sounds

In the ninth chapter of Revelation starting at verse 13, the sixth trumpet sounds. For a little bit, John hears a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar in heaven. Some may think it strange that judgment comes and is linked to God's system of atonement. The Golden Altar was cleansed by the blood of Jesus. I think the incident warns us that there's great danger in refusing the teachings of Jesus, C.F. Hebrews 10:28,29.

The voice from the golden altar says, "Release the four angels bound at the Euphrates River. These were fallen angels who fell with Satan, Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:12b-17a. They have been bound for the purpose of destruction which they will perform shortly.

Their purpose was to destroy one-third of humanity--over one-billion people at today's count and an estimated count of the destruction from the previous judgments! These four angels wreak havoc with the residents of the earth. God is reclaiming his earth and the country we know today as Israel.

Army Comes Against Israel

The sound of the sixth trumpet brings an army from all nations against Israel. The army is huge, two hundred million according to John's account 9:16. The world has always hated Israel. This army destroys everything in its path as it marches towards its destination.

It is interesting to note that the sixth angel poured out his vial on the Euphrates River to dry it up. The army from the east could use the river bed for a roadway to come against Israel (Revelation 16:12). We're talking about the same army and the same purpose--destroy the Jews.

John describes the horses of this vast army with "heads of lions with fire and smoke and brimstone coming out of their mouths." Could he be describing tanks? Remember, he is looking from a position of at least two-thousand years into the future. The only thing he knows that runs into battle that people ride on are horses. John also describes these horses as indestructible. It's hard to destroy a tank without proper weapons.

The destruction brought about by this vase army came from the three things that came from the mouths of the horses:
   fire
   smoke
   brimstone = gasses

The destruction is horrendous! One-third of the remaining human population destroyed!

Drugs

Even though all the destruction goes on, John writes that those who aren't killed do not repent of their evil deeds which John describes in verse 20:
    worship demons
    the ability to manufacture their goods
    idols of gold, silver, brass, stone and wood
    murders
    fornication = sexual orgies
    sorceries

In the face of near annihilation, the world population has been reduced from 7 billion to somewhere near one billion, those left have extremely hard hearts. They simply won't give up and repent.

One thing that helps those who remain keep their inabilities to repent is their use of drugs. The word "sorcery" used in verse 20 in Greek is pharmakia. Our English word, "pharmacy" comes from this Greek word. Therefore, one thing this generation won't repent of or give up is their enchantments brought on by the use, sale and manufacture (works of their hands) of drugs.

We know today that chemical abuse is rampant; however, there will be no comparison from today to then. If you look at the above lists of things the world was doing, all of them are related to enchantment with drug abuse, i.e. murder, idol worship, making drugs, murder, and sexual orgies.

What's the connection? Those who abuse chemicals:
    can't make quality decisions
    drug abuse keeps one away from the truth or reality
    loss of inhibitions

In Revelation 18:21:23 the question is asked how the religious, political and economic system of the Anti-christ called Babylon was able to deceive the whole world? The answer comes in verse 23, "For by their sorceries were all nations deceived."

The use of drugs to cause magic spells and enchantments kept the whole world deceived. Drugs, natural and manufactured, will help in the overtaking the world by the Anti-christ. The same will lead to the system's crash, too.

Putting It Together

Do you find it hard to imagine how chemical abuse plays right into the hands of one who seeks to rule the whole world. The Anti-christ whom we saw come onto the world scene in Chapter 5, rides into the world on a white horse looking like a conquering hero. He comes to make war. He has a bow but no arrows.

His weapon of choice turns out to be drugs. With his drugs and the enchantment of their properties, he is able to deceive the whole world into believing that his political, religious and economic system can save the world.

However his choices play into the hands of God and his plans of reclamation to the title deed of the earth.

The stage is set for the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet Judgment, which we will study in our next blog entry.

If you have questions or comments, I'm here to help. Leave yours below. I'll get back really soon.

Blessings,


Howard

PS: a complete study of Revelation is available. Email us.

PSS: my first novel, The Red-Haired Master Shepherd, is available on Amazon. Go to their books and search for it by name.


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