The Seven Trumpets
Parts 7-9
(The Fifth Trumpet)

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Begin Text:

We have examined the first four trumpets in Revelation 8. Today we will study the fifth trumpet. Before we begin with Revelation 9, I want to highlight the last verse in chapter 8:

 

Revelation 8:13   As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

 

If I translated verse 13 into conversational English, I would write it this way: “The fourth living creature, the one having the face of an eagle, cried out: ‘Because most of the world has rejected God’s gracious offer of salvation, three horrible curses are coming upon the wicked. The next three trumpets shall be worse than the first four! God’s wrath will be imposed on everyone who rejects His offer of salvation, perhaps some will change their minds and be saved.”

 

Two points:

1.   The fifth trumpet does not occur until the advance of the gospel stalls.In other words, when the Two Witnesses, working through the 144,000 have done everything possible to get people to accept Jesus as Lord and Master of their lives, the gospel hits “a brick wall” in terms of progress. When the gospel of Jesus cannot overcome the control and persecution of Babylon and gain any more souls, the fifth trumpet sounds.  I’ll show you from Scripture later on.

 

2.   This may come as a surprise, but at any given time, there are three groups of people on Earth:

 

(1) The saints

(2) the religious wicked

(3) the non-religious wicked

 

Let’s discuss this:

 

(1) God has children in every nation, culture, religion and language. These people are sincere and honest-hearted toward God and man. The saints listen to the Holy Spirit and obey His directives and they live up to all they know and believe to be pleasing to God. Because God has saints in all religious groups, the saints don’t agree on very much at the present time. In a sentence, one could say that most of God’s saints are currently opposed to each other because of their religion, culture, language and racial differences.

 

(2) The term, religious wicked is self-explanatory. These people who are zealous and militant about their religion. They are self-righteous, self seeking and critical of those who do not understand God as they do. Although these people are religious, they have not been born again. Most of the Pharisees in Christ’s day belonged to this group.  (Even though Saul was a Pharisee, he didn’t belong to the religious wicked. Saul was a saint living among the religious wicked! This is why Jesus called him to be a disciple on the road to Damascus. Paul wrote, 1 Timothy 1:13   “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.” As a Pharisee, Saul’s heart was right and honest toward God, even though his head was totally wrong. At the present time, there are large numbers of people in every religion just like Saul.)

 

(3) The non-religious wicked group is also self-explanatory. These people have no use for religion or God. These people are spiritually dead. They are slaves to the carnal nature. Again, there are some saints living among this group too! They are honest in heart, but totally wrong in their heads!

 

One of the purposes of the Great tribulation is to rescue everyone in these three groups who will trust in God.

 

1. Saints

2. Religious wicked

3. Non-religious wicked

 

There’s a reason you need to know about these three groups of people. When the fifth trumpet sounds, Jesus begins a process that will eliminate the non-religious wicked from the Earth. By the time the seventh trumpet sounds, there will only be two groups of people left on Earth: Those worshiping the Lamb (Jesus) and those worshiping the lamblike (Lucifer). 

 

Lucifer and his angels will be permitted to exit the spirit realm (the abyss) where he presently lives. When the fifth trumpet sounds, a great horde of angles will suddenly darken the sky and a glorious Lucifer will descend upon Earth to address various nations in a rapid sequence of glorious appearances.

 

It is a gross understatement to say that the people of Earth will be shocked! The wicked will be stunned and speechless. Never has the world seen anything like the show of glory that Lucifer will put on. Attended by millions of hovering angels, and performing miracles at will, the wicked will be stunned and speechless. But, the saints will not be surprised nor curious to see the devil because they know who he really is.

 

Lucifer, illuminated with supernatural light, pretending to be Almighty God, and backing up his blasphemous claims by calling fire from Heaven, will tell the people of Earth that he has come to establish his kingdom on Earth and there will be a thousand years of peace as soon as the opposition is eliminated!

 

The religious wicked will think that Almighty God has come to live and reign among men when they behold this glorious being and many non-religious will be converted on the basis of Lucifer’s deceptions and they will join the religious wicked group!    

 

You already know that the fifth seal indicates there will be much martyrdom after Satan appears on Earth because the saints will not bow down and worship the devil. You already know that the Great Tribulation will begin with awesome judgments and spectacular displays of God’s wrath…. So thoughtfully consider the following statement.  I rarely say anything profound:

 

Nothing but the glory and power of Jesus at the Second Coming can eclipse the glorious and powerful release of Lucifer and millions of his angels from the spirit realm.

 

In other words, the arrival of the Antichrist will be a rapid sequence of glorious “road shows” designed to impress a suffering world that indeed, a magnificent Savior has just arrived. The appearing of the devil will make the religious wicked think that the Second Coming has taken place.

 

(Note: Lucifer’s appearing will be a series of “local road shows” because Jesus does not permit the devil to appear in the same manner as He will appear. Lucifer will have to travel about, presenting himself in different places at different times. This is why Jesus said:

 

Matthew 24:23   At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

 

Matthew 24:24   For false Christ’s and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect – if that were possible. 

 

Matthew 24:25   See, I have told you ahead of time.

 

Matthew 24:26   “So if anyone tells you, ‘there he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

 

Matthew 24:27   For as lightening that comes from the east is visible even in the west. So will the coming of the Son of Man.”

 

The coming of Jesus will be visible from east to west, from horizon to horizon. This is not the case for Lucifer.

 

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