REVELATION LESSON 22

    We will begin this lesson in Revelation 9:12 "One woe is past;
[and], behold, there come two woes more hereafter."

    As if this is not terrible enough that we have been hearing about,
there are two more woes. The open warfare on the streets of Lebanon
and Israel remind us very much of the things we read about in the last
lesson. A mother in that area of the world has no idea when her family
leaves the house whether they will return alive or not.

    The descendents of Ishmael and Isaac (the flesh and the spirit)
are still in mortal combat after all the 1000's of years that have
passed.  Just as there is a spiritual battle of the flesh and the
spirit that we must face each day, there is a physical battle in
Israel between the Arab and the Jew.  Ishmael was told that his
descendents would live around the Jews and would be fighting
continously. The Bible is true.  A woe is a terrible calamity.

    Revelation 9:13 "And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice
from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,"

    The number six indicates man or mankind. "Horns" mean power and
strength. The number four means worldwide. This "...golden altar..."
is where God is. God is never associated with other metals.

    Of course we know the four beasts spiritually mean the four
gospels.  Certainly the gospels are powerful. The nearness to the
throne here could indicate, from the spiritual standpoint, the power
of the gospel which would go to the four corners of the world. They
did issue from God.  Whether spiritual or physical, they are carrying
a message from God to loose the four angels in the Euphrates River as
we read in the next verse.

    Revelation 9:14 "Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet,
Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates."

    As I said above, spiritually the Word of God, four gospels, went
out into all the world to convince mankind of their evil. God is
saying here, repent before it is too late. I really believe this, as
well, is speaking of war. In this particular scripture, I believe the
"...four angels which are bound in the river Euphrates." mean that
this battle which is about to take place involves the whole world
(four). I believe here that these armies that come into the land will
appear to come up out of the sea.  They will come in ships. As they
march into the land, it will appear that they came out of the sea.
The Euphrates symbolically was where Israel's enemies came from (they
thought).

    Revelation 9:15 "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."

    I believe this army had been restrained until it was the year,
month, day, and hour when God had planned for this invasion of Israel
to take place. I believe this is a literal war and that, through it,
God is trying to get his people to repent and be saved.  I believe the
whole world will be involved in this battle.

    Revelation 9:16 "And the number of the army of the horsemen [were]
two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them."

    This is a tremendous army of 200,000,000 men. In China today the
communist have a standing army of over 200,000,000. I really believe
that they will be attacking Israel and with them many other communist
nations.

    Revelation 9:17 "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."

    Here again, we are probably looking at tanks and every type of war
machine. Flame throwers, even bombs could be indicated here, as well.
This army will probably be in hand to hand combat. We will read
further in Revelation about the blood shed being so high it will be to
the horses' bridles, Rev.  14:20. Even 1/3 of 200,000,000 is a great
amount of bloodshed. This terrible massacre about to take place is on
those who have rejected Jesus as their Saviour. They are determined to
live in sin.

    Revelation 9:18 "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."

    This punishment has become more severe. God is allowing all of
this to happen, so men will repent and call out to Him. In V-18,
"...was the third part of men killed...".

    As I have said before, flame throwers issue flames out from their
mouths and kill whatever is near.  This is just a further description
of the war machines.

    Revelation 9:19 "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."

    Many of the tanks have guns in both the front and the rear. A man
in John's time might describe them as this above.

    Revelation 9:20 "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:"

    These "...men..." are not just males, but all of mankind.  Women
will have to answer for their own actions, as well as the men. What in
the world has to happen before they will repent?
    All of these things worshipped in V-20 describes our day.  These
are things of the world.  Trying to out do the neighbors with:
         a bigger house - "wood or stone"
         finer jewelry - "gold and silver"
         expensive ornaments -"brass"
         worship of the devil - "worship devils"

    All of these things listed are inanimate objects and have no power
to accomplish anything.

    Anything or anyone who does not elevate Jesus Christ to diety is
in error and worshipping the devil. Jesus said Himself that "He that
is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me
scattereth abroad." Matthew 12:30. We are either on the side of Jesus
or the devil. There is no middle ground. We are not to worship God's
creations. We are to worship the Creator.

    Revelation 9:21 "Neither repented they of their murders, nor of
their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts."

    The murder of unborn children in our day is a stench in God's
nostrils. Women and men should repent of these murders. Murder with a
deadly weapon is not always with a gun or a knife.  One of the most
useless murders in our day is drunk drivers killing people with their
automobiles.  Some are drunk on alcohol and some on drugs.  All of
these are useless killings that do not accomplish anything.

    The "...sorceries..." mentioned in V-21 are drugs and
hallucinagens.  Sorceries can also be anything associated with the
occult: palm reading, horoscope, etc.

    We take God far too casually.  God is a jealous God and He will
not allow us to have false gods.  We allow our children to be involved
with several of the marshall arts such as karate, jujitsu and kung fu.
These are all associated with oriental religion. God is not pleased
with this.

    So many people in our society today are playing around with mind
control, transcendental meditation, and other false religions. All of
this type of activity is to undermine our belief in God.

    We read of "...fornication..." in V-21. This covers all sorts of
sex sin and pornography.  Even viewing Play Boy magazine is considered
by our God as fornication. Men and women regularly try to stimulate
their feelings by viewing naked or near naked bodies in these
magazines.  Jesus said to look upon a woman to lust is committing
adultery with her in your heart, Matthew 5:28. So you have actually
sinned. I believe AIDs is punishment for sex sin and drug abuse so
repugnant to God that He has fixed a special punishment here on earth
for those involved.

    Fornication covers living with someone before you are married.
Fornication covers being married and dating someone else. Fornication
covers all homosexual and lesbian acts.
     "...thefts..." are not just armed robberies either. When you
 deliberately cheat your neighbor, this is theft. Here again coveting
 is covered in theft, because if you desire in your heart something
 that belongs to someone else, you actually have stolen it in your
 heart.

    I know by this time nearly everyone is saying, who can be saved?
Remember the word repent at the beginning of this?  Repent and ask God
to help you not sin. Repent more than once if necessary. DO NOT BE
CAUGHT IN A SINFUL WAY OF LIFE WHEN THE LORD COMES BACK.  Repent and
walk holy before God.

    Scriptures in addition to study: Genesis 17:19-21 and Genesis
25:5.

    Memorize Matthew 12:30, Exodus 34:14, and Matthew 5:28.






































                      REVELATION QUESTIONS 22


1.  How many "...woes..." are there?
2.  Do they lessen with each woe, or get worse?
3.  Name two of Abraham's descendents that are still fighting today?
4.  What is a "...woe..."?
5.  Where did the voice come from in V-13?
6.  What means power or strength?
7.  Why are there four?
8.  The four beasts mean what spiritually?
9.  The nearness to the throne of the four could spiritually
    indicate what?
10. What were they to loose in the Euphrates?
11. What did the Israelites feel the Euphrates meant spiritually?
12. What were the four angels prepared for?
13. How many were in the army of the horsemen?
14. What communmist country has an army that large today?
15. Describe the horses.
16. There will be so much bloodshed, it will come to where on the
    horses?
17. How many are killed?
18. Where is their power?
19. What effect did this devestating war have on those left?
20. In Matthew 12:30, what did Jesus say?
21. What four things, besides worshipping false dieties must they
    repent of?
22. What is a stench in God's nostrils?
23. Besides with a gun or knife, what is murder?
24. What are two things usually not associated with sorcery that this
    means?
25. Name five things associated with sorcery.
26. Name three of the marshall arts.
27. What are they associated with?
28. Why is Satan throwing all this false religion at us today?
29. What are five things that are fornication?
30. What is coveting covered under?
31. What is the most important word in this lesson?
32. What does the author personally believe about AIDS?
33. Write Matthew 12: 30.
34. Write Exodus 34:14.
35. Write Matthew 5:28.
36. Why do you believe the Arabs and the Israelites are fighting
    today?  When will it stop?
37.  What is the most important lesson to be learned here?