Worship God Alone
With the 5th trumpet, God’s judgment is carried out by the supernatural, demonic locust army. They torture the earth-dwellers so much so that people long for death. God’s judgment now continues with the sixth trumpet (second woe). In both cases, God pours out his wrath on the unbelieving world in response to the cries of the martyrs (6:9-10) and the prayers of all God’s people for justice and vindication (8:2–6). These two trumpet plagues use a similar pattern: God gives permission to release the demonic agents of judgment, and the agents are given instructions with limitations. They are described in grotesque detail. The sixth trumpet intensifies the fifth as the demonic army moves from torturing to killing. In the end, rebellious humans who have experienced these judgments refuse to repent. They prefer instead to hold on to idolatry and immorality, even when it brings suffering and death (9:20–21). Because of their hardened hearts, all the warnings have fallen on deaf ears. They deserve God’s final judgment.
1. Destructive Forces Unleashed
John hears a voice from the altar. The speaker of the voice is not identified, but it indicates that God himself is giving instructions through angels for carrying out his will. It shows us God’s sovereign presence and control behind these commands. The voice from the altar provides a strong link with the prayers of the saints (6:10) and the angel presenting the prayers of God’s people at the golden altar (8:3-5). This judgment is also God’s response to the prayers of his people.
Through the voice, God instructs the 6th angel to release the four angels who are bound at the Euphrates. They are not the four angels of 7:1 holding back the four winds. They are bound, suggesting that they are demonic and fallen angels. They are the four destructive winds themselves. These destructive forces are now unleashed against the unsealed. We see again God’s sovereign control. He bounded them and kept them ready. He prepared them for this hour, day, month, and year. They are released according to His sovereign timetable. Historically, the river Euphrates marked the boundary between Israel and its enemies (Assyria, Babylonia) and later between Rome and its enemies (the Parthians). Thus, it became a symbol of enemy invasion. This also anticipates the sixth bowl judgment of 16:12–16.
The torture of the previous trumpet now gives way to death. Whereas the fourth seal brought death to a fourth of the earth (6:8), these four angels are released to kill a third of humanity. In today’s terms — 2.6 billion people, 110.6 million of the US population. Blows the mind. Shocking and terrifying. How will they do that? The four angels lead an immense army of demonic mounted cavalry. They kill by means of these ungodly spiritual forces.
2. The Demonic Cavalry
John hears the number of the demonic cavalry — 10,000 x 10,000 x 2 = 200 million. Ten thousand times ten thousand communicate an indefinite number of incalculable immensity. Multiplying it by two intensifies the immense, uncountable number of this army. An exact, literal number is not intended, but the aim is to shock and awe John’s audience. Like chariots, cavalry was greatly feared and terrifying instruments of war at that time. This unbelievably huge and terrifying demonic cavalry will be an unstoppable force. Only God controls them and keeps the number of the dead to only a third of humankind. (Read Jeremiah 46 for some of the OT background for this army.)
It’s striking to realize how small the army of God’s people, 144,000 (Rev 7:4-6), seems by comparison. The Lord always does his most powerful work through human weakness. This is consistent with the rest of the Bible’s message and the example of Jesus. God’s power is made perfect in our weaknesses. This is the message of Revelation — God’s purpose is accomplished through our enduring faithful witness. His final judgment and the final battle will be accomplished not by human powers or weapons but by his power. In the meantime, during these end-times before the final end, God works not through strong human leaders, powers, or governments but through the humble, loving witness and suffering of his people, even through death, which becomes our powerful witness in this world.
John’s vision describes the terrifying nature of this demonic cavalry. Both the horses and their riders have breastplates that are fiery red, dark blue like smoke, and sulphurlike yellow. These colors correspond to the fire, smoke, and sulfur that come out of their mouths. These are the three plagues that kill the people. These colors and plagues show that these monsters are truly from the pits of hell.
The fire-breathing sea monster Leviathan may be the background for John’s imagery — Job 41:19-21. Fire, smoke & sulfur are often used in the OT to describe God’s judgment (Gen 19:24,28; Ps 11:6; Ezek. 38:22-23; Lk 17:29; Jude 7). In Revelation, “fire and sulfur” is used for the final judgment of ungodly idolaters (14:10; 21:8) and of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet (19:20; 20:10). There is some irony here. The demonic forces are breathing out the same fire, smoke, and sulfur that will become their own judgment and eternal torment.
God now sends this judgment through the demonic armies, the instruments of his wrath. Out of their mouths pour the destructive forces, the three plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur. Thus, their mouths make the actual killing while their tails only torture the people. Their tails are like snakes with heads. This is another strong image that indicates the demonic nature of these attacks. Satan is called the ancient serpent in Rev. 12:9,14,15; 20:2. In Gen. 3, the crafty serpent deceived Eve. These beings are like serpents who harm people with the poison in their mouths. They harm and torment through deception and lies.
They kill a third of the people. They kill the whole person, both physically and spiritually. They cause the physical death of the idolaters, unbelievers, compromisers, and persecutors of the church. And in the final judgment, they will appear before God’s throne and be thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This will be the second death (Rev 21:8) when they will experience the eternal torment of the eternal spiritual death. These judgments are a final warning to all unbelievers and to all in the church who are dabbling with compromise and idolatry — repent and turn back to God. Repent before it’s too late, and there is no turning back.
3. Repent and Worship God Alone
Repent, turn away from idols, and worship God alone. Idols deceive and destroy life. The Bible calls idolatry demon worship (Deut 32:16-17; Ps 106:37; 1 Cor 8:4; 10:20). Idols are lifeless and at no time do they have the power of life (v.20; Ps 115:4-7). However, behind the idols are evil forces with frightening power. They are the minions, the agents of the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4), “the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Eph. 2:2), namely, Satan. Faith in idols is in vain because there is nothing behind the idols except the demons who use the idols to deceive people.
Idol worship is followed by the list of sins and vices in v.21. This is the first of three vice lists in Revelation — 21:8 describes those who will experience the second death, and 22:15 explains who will be excluded from the new Jerusalem. These show the deception of the idols and the utter depravity of the humans who do not repent.
Revelation sounds a serious warning against idols, as we have seen in the letters to the seven churches and in the rest of the book. As I said before, idols are an ongoing danger. An idol is anything that takes God’s place in our lives—money, power, sex, entertainment, power, politics. Anything that causes me not to love God with all of my being and not to love my fellow human beings as I love myself. Anything we put our trust in instead of the one true God.
What are you passionate about? The Lord and his kingdom work? What guides your choices and decision-making? What keeps you from church? What hinders you from obeying Jesus Christ, your Lord? Who or what actually rules your life? What keeps you from spending time with God? How much time do you spend on social media, the Internet, and on screens? Compare that with how much time you spend with or for God. Those things are most likely idols in our lives.
Even good and right things can become idols — church, ministry, family, work, and sports. When my church or ministry becomes my passion and focus and supersedes my passion for God and my love and compassion for others, it becomes my idol. When my politics causes me to disobey my Lord, to spew anger, hatred, and name-calling, and I so murder them and do not love them, then politics has become my idol. When claiming and standing on my rights so much so that I deny those same rights to others, do not love others, and take rights and life away from others, then I have not died to self, I disobey my Lord, and those rights have become my idols. Whatever consumes our passions, energy, and time so that we don’t have passion, energy, and time for the Lord, that is our idol. Whatever we set our minds on instead of setting them on Christ, that is our idol.
We should take these warnings and the call to repentance seriously. Repent is used 12 times in Revelation. Jesus exhorts the seven churches to repent (2:5, 5, 16, 22; 3:3, 19). He calls his people to turn away from lovelessness, false teachings, immorality, idolatry, spiritual lethargy (laziness & apathy), and a lukewarm commitment (complacency). In the rest of Revelation, the call to repent is directed to the unbelievers who stubbornly refuse to give up demon worship, idolatry, and all the related sins, which are the fruit of idolatry. Repentance involves a change of heart and mind, a rejection of wicked behavior, and a genuine, intentional redirection of future actions.
God is patient and long-suffering, desiring all people to repent and find life. His judgments are a call to repent as well as a serious warning. God is holy and righteous and will judge sin when people refuse to repent. Tragically, many people prefer idolatry and immorality to repentance. And the message is clear. God will pour out his wrath on all those who stubbornly refuse to repent. Therefore, in this grace period, this time before the final end, while God mercifully still limits his judgments, we have an urgent mission to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and call the unbelievers to repentance.
And we, as believers, should not be deceived by idols. They, and the demons behind them, promise happiness, the good life, safety, security, and freedom, but these are all lies. They cannot give true life and freedom. Instead, they bind and oppress us, make us slaves of sin, of Satan. Just look at how people are today. They are angry, fearful, hateful, disappointed, and hopeless. Addictions of all kinds abound. Families are destroyed. Suicides have increased at frightening rates. People look for life, freedom, and joy in all the wrong places. These idols give only temporary and superficial happiness, comfort, and release but it does not last because these idols are dead. They do not give life but take life and freedom away emotionally, physically, and eventually spiritually. And before we point fingers, we should look at ourselves. Idolatry, these sins, and problems are also in the church. Revelation is a warning to the believers, a call to repentance, and an encouragement to faithful witness and not to compromise with the culture and its idols.
Only Jesus Christ gives true life and real freedom. Therefore, we must examine our lives with brutal honesty. We must repent, turn back to God and worship God alone. We must die to self, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus. We must present our bodies and give our lives, all of our lives, as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. Following Jesus calls us to a life of undivided worship and devotion to Him. This requires that we detach, get rid of, and let go of all our attachments to everything of this world, to let go of our idols. To follow Jesus and worship God alone requires that we surrender our will to Him so that we can live in the freedom and the new life He has given us. And so we show the world that we worship God alone, come what may.