6th Trumpet 1 - Loose The Ministry

(Rev 9:13-21 KJV) 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.

We have been studying the sounding of the trumpets from the Book of Revelation for several weeks now. We have found that the sounding of the trumpets is a series of warnings from God of impending dangers to our souls. From our text this morning we will study the subject Loose The Ministry. As in past messages there are many symbols in this lesson and we can not take time to study them all but will concentrate on the main meaning from this passage. In verse 14 the writer records the message: Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. John said in verse 13 that this voice came from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God.

So we see that the number four has some significance, the golden altar has some significance as well as the angels and the river Euphrates. We will review some references in the Bible to refresh your minds of what John is talking about so you can understand the warning. Why is John talking about four angels? What does he mean to loose them? How are they bound? How can they be bound in the river Euphrates? And why should you be concerned?

First let’s review the reference to four horns of the golden altar and four angels. The golden altar was in the tabernacle made by Moses and in the temple made by Solomon. It was a significant part of the regular worship services in the Old Testament.

(Exo 40:26 KJV) And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the veil:

(Num 4:11 KJV) And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:

(2 Chr 4:19 KJV) And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the showbread was set;

The golden altar had four horns.

(Ezek 43:15 KJV) So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns.

(Ezek 43:20 KJV) And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it.

So the golden altar with the four horns and four corners were part of the foundation of the true worship of God. Remember that the fifth trumpet angel warned us of those that build their lives on the bottomless pit without a foundation. If you are going to be a Christian, then you are required to build your life on the solid rock, Jesus Christ. Jesus taught us that He did not come to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill it. He taught us that we must live by every Word of God and that includes the Old Testament. So in doing that, we understand that the golden altar with four horns has some significance for us today. Remember also that John told us that the golden altar was before the throne when he introduced the trumpet angels in

(Rev 8:3-6 KJV) And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. {5} And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. {6} And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

There are two things that we need from the golden altar. One is the fire that changes lives and the other is the blood that is applied to the horns. It was the fire from the golden altar that prepared Isaiah to preach.

(Isa 6:6-8 KJV) Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: {7} And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. {8} Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

It was the fire from off the altar that caused the seven trumpet angels to prepare for their ministry. It is the same fire that fills every Christian through the Holy Ghost. Jesus came to baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

(Mat 3:1-12 KJV) In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, {2} And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. {3} For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. {4} And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. {5} Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, {6} And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. {7} But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? {8} Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: {9} And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. {10} And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. {11} I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: {12} Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

The blood of the sacrifice was used in the old Testament for the forgiveness of sins. It was applied to the horns of the altar.

(Lev 4:1-7 KJV) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, {2} Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them: {3} If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering. {4} And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before the LORD. {5} And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation: {6} And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the veil of the sanctuary. {7} And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

As the blood was used in the Old Testament to purge sin from the people so is the Blood of Christ used to purge you from sin.

(Heb 9:1-14 KJV) Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. {2} For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the sanctuary. {3} And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; {4} Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; {5} And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. {6} Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. {7} But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: {8} The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: {9} Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; {10} Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. {11} But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; {12} Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. {13} For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: {14} How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

(Heb 12:22-29 KJV) But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, {23} To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, {24} And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. {25} See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: {26} Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. {27} And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. {28} Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: {29} For our God is a consuming fire.

So we see that the blood of Christ was shed so that you could be purged from your sins. That blood has been applied to the golden altar which is before the throne of God for you. Do not refuse the message of the angel this morning. Hear what the Lord is saying to you. You must live by His Word, keep His commandments and serve Him if you want His redemption to be applied to you. All other methods of attempting to be a Christian are false. They come from binding the ministry with sin so that they will preach a powerless gospel. The Gospel of Jesus offers the power to forgive sin and to fill you with His baptism of the Holy Ghost so that you can live a righteous, holy life.

Now, why four corners and four horns? Well there are in this world four directions, North & South, East & West. And the devil will use all four directions to blow his false doctrines upon you to destroy your soul.

(Rev 7:1 KJV) And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

When we studied about these four angels some time back, we showed you how that represented the ministers of God that protect you from false doctrines by preaching and teaching the true sayings of God. Now John tells us that the four angels are bound and in the great river Euphrates. When the ministers of God are bound, then the devil has free access to fight against your soul. It is important to you that your Pastor be freed to preach the true sayings of God. The devil has many tactics to bind the Pastor to prevent him from declaring the pure Word of God.

(Dan 1:1-2 KJV) In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. {2} And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

In the book of Daniel we have an account of how the kingdom of Judah (God’s people) was captured by Nebuchadnezzar. The people of God were taken captive. They were bound and were prisoners in the kingdom of Babylon. Daniel was one of the prisoners and he was faithful to God. He wrote of his experience, how that he was cast into a den of lions and how God delivered him. God blessed Daniel with the ability to interpret dreams and through this gift Daniel rose in power and became one of the advisors to the king. Nevertheless the people of God remained prisoners in the kingdom of Babylon.

Babylon was a kingdom that worshiped the gods of gold, silver, brass, wood, iron and stone.

(Dan 5:4 KJV) They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

It was in this kingdom of Babylon that the people of God were bound. Daniel tells us how Babylon was captured and the people of God were loosed from its bondage. The great river Euphrates ran through the city of Babylon. Smith’s Bible dictionary tells us that the city had great walls around it that were 300 feet high and 75 feet thick. The city consisted of an area 15 miles square. The inhabitants of the city felt very safe and the king went on his way worshipping his false gods. He held a party and used the vessels that he had taken from the house of God when he captured Judah to drink wine in while he praised his false gods.

It was during that party that the army of the Medes and Persians captured the city. They dug a new channel to divert the river, the river bed dried up and the army marched in under the walls and captured the city.

Since that time Babylon has become a symbol of oppression to the people of God. The prophets and the Revelation use Babylon as a symbol in several places.

(Rev 17:1-5 KJV) And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: {2} With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. {3} So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. {4} And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: {5} And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

As literal Babylon held the people of God captive in her time, so does spiritual Babylon in our time. The kings of the earthy minded have so clouded the Gospel of Jesus that our people are living exceedingly sinful lives and believing that they are still going to heaven anyway. Most people of our time believe that they can pick and choose what portions of scripture to obey. Many of the Christians that I know of have such a small knowledge of the Bible that they could not begin to live by every word. The reason is that many preachers are bound up by the earthly man preaching to the physical man. It is getting so anymore that nothing is sin and if it is it really doesn’t matter as we are taught that God overlooks it.

What the angel is telling us this morning is to loose the minister and have him proclaim the true sayings of God. Let the judgement of God condemn sin. Let the fire of the Holy Ghost purge you from all sin. Let the blood of Jesus be the price of your redemption. The devil is blowing his false doctrines from all directions but God has angels preaching the true sayings of God to protect you. Is your pastor one of them? Do you give him the freedom and encourage him to preach to you all the Word of God? Or do you bind him for if he preaches something that you don’t like you will take your money and leave? The only way to capture spiritual Babylon is to dry up the river of false spirits and loose the ministry to declare the true sayings of God.