Chapter 51 Sixth Trumpet
The penultimate Trumpet, the sixth, is the last Trumpet designed to settle the masses on Earth in their decision on destiny. The last Trumpet is the seal on our choices – the Close of Probation. The Scripture that describes the 6th Trumpet in Rev 9 follows:
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Several points require our attention:
1) Let us Compare the appearances of these weird creatures of the 5th and the 6th Trumpet (chapter 49): The 5th were locusts with lion’s teeth and scorpion stings for tails. The 6th are horses with lion heads and venomous serpents for tails. The lion heads issue fire, brimstone and smoke. Both these creatures can do damage to people with their mouths and their tails. Both are plagues to mankind. The locusts have breastplates of iron and the horseman (not the horses) have breastplates of fire (dazzling), hyacinth (orange-red to purple) and brimstone (sulphurous yellow).
2) The locusts of the fifth Trumpet are not numbered, but there are 200 million horseman in the sixth Trumpet. With the current world population of 8 billion, that gives one horseman for every 40 people.
3) The locusts of the fifth Trumpet were given liberties to plague man but could only torment the unsealed. They were not allowed to kill anyone. Now during the sixth Trumpet they are given more liberties. They may kill. A third part of mankind succumb to the scourge of fire, smoke and brimstone that issue from their mouths. It seems like their venomous tails only hurt. The symbolism of greater liberty is the four angels being loosed in the river Euphrates. The angels were held in check among the people (represented by the river Euphrates), but at the sixth Trumpet they are given more liberties, and they kill a third of the people. One third is a theme in the first four Trumpets, and here in the sixth as well. The one-third is an indication of diluted plagues. These plagues are mingled with God’s mercy, but the seven Last Plagues are undiluted. They carry the full weight of God’s wrath, because Probation has then Closed. The third Angel’s Message indicates that God’s wrath is undiluted:
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
4) As mentioned in the study on the fifth Trumpet, the fifth and sixth Trumpets are more symbolic. The angels that cause these plagues were in the river Euphrates and were let loose. Just as an angel unlocked the abyss in the fifth Trumpet, likewise these angels are let loose. These simply symbolise greater freedoms given to Satan and his angels to torment man. The horses and horsemen represent Satan and his angels. Even the number of these creatures may be symbolic. I believe there are more evil angels than 200 million. However, there are scholars that once again believe these weird horses will be aliens that will be visible on Earth.
5) Like all the other Trumpets, this Trumpet turns what God created on the sixth day into a curse. God made all the creeping things on the sixth day, and man. This plague is horses and humans. On the seventh day of creation God rested the Sabbath day. He sealed His complete creation and called it very good. The seventh Trumpet, the Close of Probation, seals all of mankind in their decisions on destiny, particularly those that reject God are sealed for damnation.
6) The time of this Trumpet seems to be for a year, a month, a day and an hour. Adventists apply the year-day principle to this Trumpet: A year is 360 years, a month 30 years, a day is one year, and an hour 15 days. The total time for this plague then is 391 years and 15 days. The Ottoman Empire is believed to have begun on July 27, 1299. When the 150 years of the fifth Trumpet is added to the 391 years and 15 days of the sixth Trumpet, we arrive at the date: August 11, 1840. While William Miller was preaching the Second Advent of Christ to be in 1843 (later 1844), Josiah Litch, a Methodist preacher, predicted the fall of the Ottoman Empire in August 1840. Days before August that year he pinpointed the date as August 11. The World waited for the fall of the Ottoman Empire on that date, and when that date came, a not-so significant event occurred: The Ottoman ambassadors accepted a treatise where the Empire would resort under the protection of European nations. The final end of the Ottoman Empire was in 1922/3 when the Empire was replaced with a democracy, now Turkey. Litch himself had many doubts for the rest of his life about the significance of Aug 11, 1840 because the event was not the fall of the Empire. Adventist pioneers held onto this date as the end of the sixth Trumpet. Many people came to believe in the prediction of the Second Advent on October 22, 1844. Then the Great Disappointment when Christ did not come on that date.
Other problems with this fulfilment of the sixth Trumpet in day-years is with the conversion of the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. In 1582 10 days were cut out of October to realign the calendar with the seasons. The calendar for October went straight from 4th to the 15th. In a prophecy that is so accurate that date to the day is indicated, the lost 10 days of October 1582 should be included. They weren’t, yet the prophecy was fulfilled on Aug 11, 1840. I had someone tell me that it works if you use the Hebrew Calendar. I checked that out and found a discrepancy of 14 days (besides the 15 days of the hour of prophecy), so this argument does not hold to justify the loss of the 10 days due to the calendar change-over.
Rev 9:15 actually does not indicate a period of time of 391 years and 15 days (or 1 year, one month, one day and one hour if not applying the year-day principal), it says on that year, month, day and hour. It is a point in time that the sixth Trumpet is sounded, not a period of time. The sixth Trumpet is to be sounded in the future in its right position relative to the other Trumpets at a point in time. The angels in the Euphrates are prepared to loose the winds at a particular point in time.
It is amazing how God accommodated the understanding of prophecy with a not-so significant event to give impetus to the Advent Movement.
7) This Trumpet makes it very clear that the 3.5 years are expiring, and that most people have made their decisions with respect to worship and destiny. Quite clearly the Spirit of God has almost completely withdrawn from those that have rejected Him and salvation. They continue worshipping their idols (and the beast) and they continue with their crimes. They do not repent.
The seventh and final Trumpet is about to sound. The stage is set for the Close of Probation (chapter 12). We have studied the Close of Probation and have therefore completed the Seven Trumpets of Rev 8, 9 and 11:15-19.
It is clear from this Scripture that when God withdraws His Spirit, men do not repent. The good in us is not inherently us but is God within us. Without the Spirit of God we are evil. We need to make it a habit of treasuring the Spirit of God within us. This is the enmity He placed within us to overcome evil (Gen 3:15). Ask God today to never leave or forsake you. He will respond positively because it is more His desire to not leave you than yours to not have Him leave you.
The penultimate Trumpet, the sixth, is the last Trumpet designed to settle the masses on Earth in their decision on destiny. The last Trumpet is the seal on our choices – the Close of Probation. The Scripture that describes the 6th Trumpet in Rev 9 follows:
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Several points require our attention:
1) Let us Compare the appearances of these weird creatures of the 5th and the 6th Trumpet (chapter 49): The 5th were locusts with lion’s teeth and scorpion stings for tails. The 6th are horses with lion heads and venomous serpents for tails. The lion heads issue fire, brimstone and smoke. Both these creatures can do damage to people with their mouths and their tails. Both are plagues to mankind. The locusts have breastplates of iron and the horseman (not the horses) have breastplates of fire (dazzling), hyacinth (orange-red to purple) and brimstone (sulphurous yellow).
2) The locusts of the fifth Trumpet are not numbered, but there are 200 million horseman in the sixth Trumpet. With the current world population of 8 billion, that gives one horseman for every 40 people.
3) The locusts of the fifth Trumpet were given liberties to plague man but could only torment the unsealed. They were not allowed to kill anyone. Now during the sixth Trumpet they are given more liberties. They may kill. A third part of mankind succumb to the scourge of fire, smoke and brimstone that issue from their mouths. It seems like their venomous tails only hurt. The symbolism of greater liberty is the four angels being loosed in the river Euphrates. The angels were held in check among the people (represented by the river Euphrates), but at the sixth Trumpet they are given more liberties, and they kill a third of the people. One third is a theme in the first four Trumpets, and here in the sixth as well. The one-third is an indication of diluted plagues. These plagues are mingled with God’s mercy, but the seven Last Plagues are undiluted. They carry the full weight of God’s wrath, because Probation has then Closed. The third Angel’s Message indicates that God’s wrath is undiluted:
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
4) As mentioned in the study on the fifth Trumpet, the fifth and sixth Trumpets are more symbolic. The angels that cause these plagues were in the river Euphrates and were let loose. Just as an angel unlocked the abyss in the fifth Trumpet, likewise these angels are let loose. These simply symbolise greater freedoms given to Satan and his angels to torment man. The horses and horsemen represent Satan and his angels. Even the number of these creatures may be symbolic. I believe there are more evil angels than 200 million. However, there are scholars that once again believe these weird horses will be aliens that will be visible on Earth.
5) Like all the other Trumpets, this Trumpet turns what God created on the sixth day into a curse. God made all the creeping things on the sixth day, and man. This plague is horses and humans. On the seventh day of creation God rested the Sabbath day. He sealed His complete creation and called it very good. The seventh Trumpet, the Close of Probation, seals all of mankind in their decisions on destiny, particularly those that reject God are sealed for damnation.
6) The time of this Trumpet seems to be for a year, a month, a day and an hour. Adventists apply the year-day principle to this Trumpet: A year is 360 years, a month 30 years, a day is one year, and an hour 15 days. The total time for this plague then is 391 years and 15 days. The Ottoman Empire is believed to have begun on July 27, 1299. When the 150 years of the fifth Trumpet is added to the 391 years and 15 days of the sixth Trumpet, we arrive at the date: August 11, 1840. While William Miller was preaching the Second Advent of Christ to be in 1843 (later 1844), Josiah Litch, a Methodist preacher, predicted the fall of the Ottoman Empire in August 1840. Days before August that year he pinpointed the date as August 11. The World waited for the fall of the Ottoman Empire on that date, and when that date came, a not-so significant event occurred: The Ottoman ambassadors accepted a treatise where the Empire would resort under the protection of European nations. The final end of the Ottoman Empire was in 1922/3 when the Empire was replaced with a democracy, now Turkey. Litch himself had many doubts for the rest of his life about the significance of Aug 11, 1840 because the event was not the fall of the Empire. Adventist pioneers held onto this date as the end of the sixth Trumpet. Many people came to believe in the prediction of the Second Advent on October 22, 1844. Then the Great Disappointment when Christ did not come on that date.
Other problems with this fulfilment of the sixth Trumpet in day-years is with the conversion of the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. In 1582 10 days were cut out of October to realign the calendar with the seasons. The calendar for October went straight from 4th to the 15th. In a prophecy that is so accurate that date to the day is indicated, the lost 10 days of October 1582 should be included. They weren’t, yet the prophecy was fulfilled on Aug 11, 1840. I had someone tell me that it works if you use the Hebrew Calendar. I checked that out and found a discrepancy of 14 days (besides the 15 days of the hour of prophecy), so this argument does not hold to justify the loss of the 10 days due to the calendar change-over.
Rev 9:15 actually does not indicate a period of time of 391 years and 15 days (or 1 year, one month, one day and one hour if not applying the year-day principal), it says on that year, month, day and hour. It is a point in time that the sixth Trumpet is sounded, not a period of time. The sixth Trumpet is to be sounded in the future in its right position relative to the other Trumpets at a point in time. The angels in the Euphrates are prepared to loose the winds at a particular point in time.
It is amazing how God accommodated the understanding of prophecy with a not-so significant event to give impetus to the Advent Movement.
7) This Trumpet makes it very clear that the 3.5 years are expiring, and that most people have made their decisions with respect to worship and destiny. Quite clearly the Spirit of God has almost completely withdrawn from those that have rejected Him and salvation. They continue worshipping their idols (and the beast) and they continue with their crimes. They do not repent.
The seventh and final Trumpet is about to sound. The stage is set for the Close of Probation (chapter 12). We have studied the Close of Probation and have therefore completed the Seven Trumpets of Rev 8, 9 and 11:15-19.
It is clear from this Scripture that when God withdraws His Spirit, men do not repent. The good in us is not inherently us but is God within us. Without the Spirit of God we are evil. We need to make it a habit of treasuring the Spirit of God within us. This is the enmity He placed within us to overcome evil (Gen 3:15). Ask God today to never leave or forsake you. He will respond positively because it is more His desire to not leave you than yours to not have Him leave you.
Chapter 51 Sixth Trumpet
The penultimate Trumpet, the sixth, is the last Trumpet designed to settle the masses on Earth in their decision on destiny. The last Trumpet is the seal on our choices – the Close of Probation. The Scripture that describes the 6th Trumpet in Rev 9 follows:
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Several points require our attention:
1) Let us Compare the appearances of these weird creatures of the 5th and the 6th Trumpet (chapter 49): The 5th were locusts with lion’s teeth and scorpion stings for tails. The 6th are horses with lion heads and venomous serpents for tails. The lion heads issue fire, brimstone and smoke. Both these creatures can do damage to people with their mouths and their tails. Both are plagues to mankind. The locusts have breastplates of iron and the horseman (not the horses) have breastplates of fire (dazzling), hyacinth (orange-red to purple) and brimstone (sulphurous yellow).
2) The locusts of the fifth Trumpet are not numbered, but there are 200 million horseman in the sixth Trumpet. With the current world population of 8 billion, that gives one horseman for every 40 people.
3) The locusts of the fifth Trumpet were given liberties to plague man but could only torment the unsealed. They were not allowed to kill anyone. Now during the sixth Trumpet they are given more liberties. They may kill. A third part of mankind succumb to the scourge of fire, smoke and brimstone that issue from their mouths. It seems like their venomous tails only hurt. The symbolism of greater liberty is the four angels being loosed in the river Euphrates. The angels were held in check among the people (represented by the river Euphrates), but at the sixth Trumpet they are given more liberties, and they kill a third of the people. One third is a theme in the first four Trumpets, and here in the sixth as well. The one-third is an indication of diluted plagues. These plagues are mingled with God’s mercy, but the seven Last Plagues are undiluted. They carry the full weight of God’s wrath, because Probation has then Closed. The third Angel’s Message indicates that God’s wrath is undiluted:
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
4) As mentioned in the study on the fifth Trumpet, the fifth and sixth Trumpets are more symbolic. The angels that cause these plagues were in the river Euphrates and were let loose. Just as an angel unlocked the abyss in the fifth Trumpet, likewise these angels are let loose. These simply symbolise greater freedoms given to Satan and his angels to torment man. The horses and horsemen represent Satan and his angels. Even the number of these creatures may be symbolic. I believe there are more evil angels than 200 million. However, there are scholars that once again believe these weird horses will be aliens that will be visible on Earth.
5) Like all the other Trumpets, this Trumpet turns what God created on the sixth day into a curse. God made all the creeping things on the sixth day, and man. This plague is horses and humans. On the seventh day of creation God rested the Sabbath day. He sealed His complete creation and called it very good. The seventh Trumpet, the Close of Probation, seals all of mankind in their decisions on destiny, particularly those that reject God are sealed for damnation.
6) The time of this Trumpet seems to be for a year, a month, a day and an hour. Adventists apply the year-day principle to this Trumpet: A year is 360 years, a month 30 years, a day is one year, and an hour 15 days. The total time for this plague then is 391 years and 15 days. The Ottoman Empire is believed to have begun on July 27, 1299. When the 150 years of the fifth Trumpet is added to the 391 years and 15 days of the sixth Trumpet, we arrive at the date: August 11, 1840. While William Miller was preaching the Second Advent of Christ to be in 1843 (later 1844), Josiah Litch, a Methodist preacher, predicted the fall of the Ottoman Empire in August 1840. Days before August that year he pinpointed the date as August 11. The World waited for the fall of the Ottoman Empire on that date, and when that date came, a not-so significant event occurred: The Ottoman ambassadors accepted a treatise where the Empire would resort under the protection of European nations. The final end of the Ottoman Empire was in 1922/3 when the Empire was replaced with a democracy, now Turkey. Litch himself had many doubts for the rest of his life about the significance of Aug 11, 1840 because the event was not the fall of the Empire. Adventist pioneers held onto this date as the end of the sixth Trumpet. Many people came to believe in the prediction of the Second Advent on October 22, 1844. Then the Great Disappointment when Christ did not come on that date.
Other problems with this fulfilment of the sixth Trumpet in day-years is with the conversion of the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. In 1582 10 days were cut out of October to realign the calendar with the seasons. The calendar for October went straight from 4th to the 15th. In a prophecy that is so accurate that date to the day is indicated, the lost 10 days of October 1582 should be included. They weren’t, yet the prophecy was fulfilled on Aug 11, 1840. I had someone tell me that it works if you use the Hebrew Calendar. I checked that out and found a discrepancy of 14 days (besides the 15 days of the hour of prophecy), so this argument does not hold to justify the loss of the 10 days due to the calendar change-over.
Rev 9:15 actually does not indicate a period of time of 391 years and 15 days (or 1 year, one month, one day and one hour if not applying the year-day principal), it says on that year, month, day and hour. It is a point in time that the sixth Trumpet is sounded, not a period of time. The sixth Trumpet is to be sounded in the future in its right position relative to the other Trumpets at a point in time. The angels in the Euphrates are prepared to loose the winds at a particular point in time.
It is amazing how God accommodated the understanding of prophecy with a not-so significant event to give impetus to the Advent Movement.
7) This Trumpet makes it very clear that the 3.5 years are expiring, and that most people have made their decisions with respect to worship and destiny. Quite clearly the Spirit of God has almost completely withdrawn from those that have rejected Him and salvation. They continue worshipping their idols (and the beast) and they continue with their crimes. They do not repent.
The seventh and final Trumpet is about to sound. The stage is set for the Close of Probation (chapter 12). We have studied the Close of Probation and have therefore completed the Seven Trumpets of Rev 8, 9 and 11:15-19.
It is clear from this Scripture that when God withdraws His Spirit, men do not repent. The good in us is not inherently us but is God within us. Without the Spirit of God we are evil. We need to make it a habit of treasuring the Spirit of God within us. This is the enmity He placed within us to overcome evil (Gen 3:15). Ask God today to never leave or forsake you. He will respond positively because it is more His desire to not leave you than yours to not have Him leave you.
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