The Blood Speaks from the Horns of the Golden Altar

Note: This article covers Revelation 9:12-21

“One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.” ~ Revelation 9:12

The first of three woes (the 5th Trumpet) has past. That first woe was hurtful, but though many suffered, many of them did not spiritually die. And as always, there are true people of God who respond to the warnings of the gospel trumpet, and receive help.

But now the spiritual death (not physical death) of many will occur in the next woe: the sounding of the 6th Trumpet.

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

It is the blood that is speaking from the horns, because in the Old Testament temple worship, the horns of the Golden Altar were anointed with the blood of the sacrifice for sins. The blood on the horns of the Golden Altar is intended to show the interceding power in the mercy, shown to us through the sacrifice that was made for sin. The Golden Altar was where incense was burned, while intercessory prayer for mercy was made before the Lord.

“Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” ~ Psalm 141:2
“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.” ~ Revelation 8:3

Horns represent power. So the original intention of the blood on the horns of the Golden Altar speaks of the powerful mercy that God shows when true prayers are made in behalf of lost souls.

“And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” ~ Hebrews 12:24

So this scripture shows us the original intention of Christ’s blood: to speak mercy to the one who turns away from sinning. But to the ones who continue in sin, the blood speaks of their blood guiltiness! Just as the blood of Abel spoke of Cain’s guiltiness, and judged him.

Remember that it was our sins that caused Jesus to have to be sacrificed. So if we continue in sin, we are blood guilty, rather than blood washed.

When Cain slew his brother Abel, God heard Abel’s blood speaking, so judgement came upon Cain.

“And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;” ~ Genesis 4:10-11

The woe of a curse came upon Cain; especially because he was still pretending to be innocent before God.

And so in Revelation, this voice from the four horns of Golden Altar is speaking of a curse that comes upon those who continue in sin, and yet still pretend to be a child of God. In particular, if there is a ministry that does not clearly show people their need to completely turn away from sin, that minister will be blood guilty.

“When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” ~ Ezekiel 33:8

One of the principal reasons that required the blood to be applied to the horns of the Golden Altar, was because of the sin of the anointed priest.

“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… …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…” ~ Leviticus 4:3 & 7

Many commentators make it clear that the reason the blood was needed on the horns of the intercessory golden incense/prayer altar, was because the sin of the spiritual leader, and how that sin influenced the common people to also sin.

From the commentary on this scripture by Gill:

“to make the people guilty”; as the margin reads; to which agrees the Septuagint version, “so that the people sin”; and the Vulgate Latin version, “making the people to sin”; either by his doctrine or example, and both through ignorance, heedlessness, and inadvertency: the Targum of Jonathan is,”when he offers the offering of sin for the people, not according to its manner or rite; as if his sin lay in erring while he was offering; but be it in which way it may, whether by any unadvised inadvertent action of his own, or ignorant instruction of the people, so causing them to err, or any ignorance or mistake in offering the sacrifices of the people:

From another commentary on this scripture by Ellicott:

According to the marginal reading, to make the people guilty, or more literally, to the guilt of the people, which is equally admissible, the meaning of the passage is, that he by committing a sin causes the people to transgress, inasmuch as his example is followed by them; or that, in virtue of the intimate connection which subsisted between the representative of the nation and the people, the sin of the one was the sin of the other.

From a commentary on this scripture by Benson:

According to the sin of the people — In the same manner as any of the people do; which implies that God expected more circumspection from him than from the people. But the words may be rendered, to the sin or guilt of the people, which may be mentioned as an aggravation of his sin, that by it he commonly brings sin, and guilt, and punishment upon the people, who are infected or scandalized by his example. A young bullock — The same sacrifice which was offered for all the people, to show how much his sin was aggravated by his quality. Sin-offering — Hebrew, sin, which word is often taken in that sense.

The effect of the sin of the anointed spiritual leader has caused terrible harm to the church throughout the ages!

Now when people determine that they will to continue in sin, but yet still want to be recognized as a Christian, they will seek to themselves a sinful anointed leader, rather than a holy one. So God will give these type of people over to the influence of a false minister, so that they will believe a lie and be lost. This judgement is promised from God’s Word.

“Even him , whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

So when this sinful ministry determines to preach their hypocrisy interpretation of the gospel, they set forth an example that will cause the people to feel good with the same hypocrisy. Because of the continence of sin in their lives, they all spiritually die and become blood guilty! They are blood guilty because they continue in sin and still claim the same blood for their justification. So they put that same blood to an open shame.

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” ~ Hebrews 6:4-6

Consequently, because of this blood guiltiness, this voice of Jesus Christ comes from the four horns of the Golden Altar. His blood, (that has been put to an open shame), commands that a false ministry be released to accomplish the woe of complete spiritual death upon those who take pleasure in hypocrisy!

So the voice from the four horns speaks:

“Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 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.” ~ Revelation 9:14-15

Note: Notice that earlier in Revelation, from the sixth seal (the scripture shown next below), that four angel messengers were commanded at that time to not hurt: earth, sea, and trees (representing people in various spiritual conditions, see: Revelation 17:15 & Isaiah 61:3). They were commanded to do no harm for a certain period of time: until the righteous were sealed.

Here is the previous scripture from the sixth seal:

“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. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” (Rev. 7:1-3).

This marking of the true people of God with a seal, has a similar pattern elsewhere. In the Old Testament, the following sealing was accomplished prior to a great spiritual and physical slaughter upon the hypocrites among God’s people:

“And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side; And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.” ~ Ezekiel 9:3-4

God always has recognized those who are grieved because of ungodliness and hypocrisy around them. And he has, and still will execute judgement upon hypocrisy, just as he did then.

“And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem? Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not. And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head. And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.” ~ Ezekiel 9:8-11

Also notice from Ezekiel, that following the great slaughter, there was an anointing placed upon the remaining true people of God. It was shown by the symbol of coals of fire poured out, representing the anointing of the Holy Ghost! This fire would spiritually burn up the hypocrisy (Read Ezekiel chapter 10.)

So Revelation 9:13-21 is showing us a pattern whereby people of hypocrisy are sacrificed to the “hateful bird” spirits of false preachers. This pattern is reflected in other places: in particular in Ezekiel 39 and also Revelation the 19th chapter. It is clear that God truly has ordained severe judgement and wrath upon hypocrisy!

So we see that our Lord is warning us that we must be sealed with the anointing of the Holy Ghost to keep from being hurt by the judgements to come. Other scriptures make it clear that this seal comes from the Holy Spirit.

“Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” ~ 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” ~ Ephesians 1:13

A false message does not minister grace to the believers. But rather it grieves the Holy Spirit; the very Spirit that seals us against hurtful messages.

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” ~ Ephesians 4:29-30

So again, listen to what the “blood guilty” judgments from the Lord have to say:

These angels were prepared for a specific time (why it states “an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year”) to execute judgement against a third part of people.

A more accurate translation of the verse is:

“And the four angels were released, those having been made ready for the hour and day and month and year that they should kill the third of men.”

They were prepared, or “made ready”, at the river Euphrates, the strength of the city of Babylon. In the Old Testament, Euphrates flowed into Babylon and watered everything in that city.

True spiritual Jerusalem has waters that flow out, starting at the temple and then flowing clear out to the desert and the sea, to bring life to others. (See Ezekiel 47)

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given ; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” ~ John 7:37-39

A river is described in scripture as the flow of God’s love: the only thing that can fully satisfy the hearts of people.

“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” ~ Psalm 42:1-2
“There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.” ~ Psalm 46:4

But the Euphrates river, where this killing ministry was prepared, flowed into Babylon. And these ministers have a bitter affect upon spiritual waters (see Revelation 8:10-11). Spiritual Babylon represents unfaithful “Christianity.” Babylon represents a backslidden spiritual harlot church condition. (See Revelation 16, 17 & 18)

Even a false ministry can be used as part of God’s plan for executing judgement upon those with evil desires. And often these same false ministers once knew the truth, but fell from righteousness. Therefore they are bound in the chains of Euphrates darkness until the appointed time of God’s final judgments.

“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” ~ Jude 1:6

The word angel in the original means messenger. A preacher who is supposed to get their message from God, and deliver it to the people.

Now the great day of God’s judgement is not just the final judgement, but also a time appointed on earth when he judges the evil in the hearts of people, by the gospel. Even as we have already spoken to, as is noted earlier in Revelation:

“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” ~ Revelation 6:17

A clear and true gospel message is the mercy of God to awaken people to true righteousness. But to those who want to continue to take pleasure in the hypocrisy of unrighteousness, God ordains false preachers to deceive them. So again:

“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12

Note: in scripture, the Euphrates River is associated with a coming judgement upon God’s backslidden people (see Jeremiah 13:1-14).

Also Jeremiah 46 shows judgement coming from the area of Euphrates against Egypt, (and Egypt also represents an evil spiritual condition, even in Revelation. See Revelation 11:8)

“For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord God of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.” ~ Jeremiah 46:10

And finally, Babylon herself will be thrown down as a stone is thrown down, into the river Euphrates. (See Jeremiah 51:60-64)

Revelation later makes it clear that nothing good comes out of a love (heart flow) for Babylon. And so it spiritually exposes this by placing judgement upon Euphrates, to dry it up. (Note: history records that ancient Babylon was destroyed when King Cyrus and his army rerouted the river Euphrates, so that it quit flowing into Babylon. His army marched into Babylon, through the walls, by the dried up river.)

King Cyrus defeating Babylon entering by the river Euphrates — King Cyrus defeating Babylon, entering by the dried up river Euphrates

And so later in Revelation, when spiritual Euphrates is dried up, we are clearly able to see what false ministers really look like, when they are prepared in the river Euphrates. We see that they really operate under the influence of devils!

“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” ~ Revelation 16:12-16

And so we are getting some “early” insights into the purpose of Revelation: to expose and destroy the spiritual influence of Babylon, by drying up the flow of people’s love toward her! But in Revelation chapter 9, what we are being shown is what happens to people who still determine to have a heart flow for the hypocrisy of Babylon.

In the history of the Jews, Armageddon represents a place of many battles between God’s people and their enemies. These frog-like spirits work through a false ministry to gather together those with hypocritical spots in their spiritual garments. The purpose for gathering them together: so that they will come against God’s true people. But God’s people are not to worry, nor are they supposed to carnally hurt anyone. But rather, to simply preach the truth and show kindness. This is because God himself will execute his final judgments upon the hypocrites, in his own time!

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” ~ Romans 12:19

So like in Ezekiel, God has determined a spiritual slaughter of the hypocritical ungodly.

“And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.” ~ Ezekiel 39:17 (Note: Revelation 19:17-21 uses the same language.)

So we see here, in Revelation 9:13-21, the same spiritual slaughter, but described from a different view point.

“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. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.” ~ Revelation 9:15-16

So the army has been numbered, and the numbers of the slaughtered have been identified. And these numbers are extremely large! What could they represent?

The third part of men slain represent those who claim Christ, but who do not fully obey him.

“As of 2010, Christianity was by far the world’s largest religion, with an estimated 2.2 billion adherents, nearly a third (31 percent) of all 6.9 billion people on Earth,” ~ Pew Report see: https://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/religions/christians

This estimate of one third of the earth being “Christian” has been about the same, for around 100+ years now. And for the same time, most in this number regularly practice some kind of sin in their lives. They are part of the unfaithful spiritual harlot by the way they believe and practice their faith.

But who do these “four angels” represent, that are prepared at the spiritual river Euphrates? These that are numbered at “two hundred thousand, thousand” or 200 million?

They represent the spiritual leadership of the “third part of men” that were slain.

In the previous trumpet “woe” warning, people could still survive the “hurtful” ministry. But now in this “woe” warning of the sixth trumpet, the people are all spiritually dying at the hands of those who minister to them!

If the third part of the world is “Christian” equaling roughly two billion, then approximately ten percent of that represents the number that have some level of ministerial role (teaching, leading, pastoring, oversight, elder, etc.) among them. Hence we come to the 200 million.

But why does our Lord also represent this killing ministry by “four angels” prepared in the false flow of the Euphrates? Why did he chose four angels, and not three or five, etc.?

These four angels represent a false ministry who’s birth comes from the four church ages (previously described in Revelation) of: Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, and Sardis. A false ministry that was born during the times of history when there was no clear vision for a stand out holy people:

In the Smyrna church age – it was a ministry described as “the synagogue of Satan” that sneaked in among God’s true people.
In the Pergamos church age – it was a ministry who became powerful and began to persecute God’s true people.
In the Thyatira church age – it was a ministry that went further into evil by dividing God’s true people up.
In the Sardis church age – it was a ministry that nearly completely killed all remaining spiritual life.

In addition, four of the previous Revelation trumpets that were sounded, also reveal the same four periods of time in history, when a fallen ministry did their “dirty work”:

A ministry that quenches the burning love of the Holy spirit (as revealed by the second trumpet angel).
A corrupt, power-selling ministry that produces bitterness in the hearts of people (as revealed by the third trumpet angel).
A ministry that divides, further confuses, and darkens the light of gospel truth (as revealed by the fourth trumpet angel).
A ministry that torments people with the fear of the sting of sin, without showing people how to die out completely to sin so they could live holy (as revealed by the fifth trumpet angel).

Everything a false minister needs to be able to kill every good spiritual influence, was prepared during these four periods of time in history (represented but these four Revelation churches and these four Revelation trumpets.)

This is that ministry that has been prepared at Euphrates, to spiritually kill any kind of true righteousness within the so-called world-wide “Christian” community. They claim to be “spiritual leaders and evangelists”, but the result is complete spiritual darkness and bitterness; as people, through the evil desires of their own hearts, are spiritually “swindled” by this Euphrates/Babylon ministry.

Note: horses are a symbol of warfare. And true spiritual war horses follow Christ, because they are clean and white:

“And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.” ~ Revelation 19:14

But this army, prepared in the Euphrates, does not belong to Christ. Yet they still preach a deceptive judgement message, using the gospel for their own advantage.

“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.” ~ Revelation 9:17

They have power to pour out unrighteous judgement so that hypocrites can practice even greater hypocrisy, and so that everyone under their influence should believe a lie! They have heads as lions because spiritually they resemble their father, the destroying devil!

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” ~ John 8:44
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” ~ 1 Peter 5:8

And so we see the effect of a Satan inspired “gospel preacher”:

“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.” ~ Revelation 9:18

Fire, smoke, and brimstone represent a type of severe judgement. But this is one in which their is no hope, because the ones pouring it out do not show the true way to find mercy. So if people choose to stay under this deception of hypocrisy, it becomes like it was for Sodom and Gomorrah: a final deception judgement for which there is no mercy!

“The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.” ~ Psalm 11:5-7
“And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.” Ezekiel 38:22
“But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” ~ Luke 17:29-30

The Revelation, reveals Jesus Christ. And with Christ there is mercy for the sincere soul that wants out of sin. But for the one who wants to play along with the “Christian” hypocrisy game, Christ reveals severe judgement upon them! Even the judgement of deception upon them.

Although a true preacher may bring fire and brimstone judgement from the Word to wake up both the sinner and the hypocrite, they will also show the same people how to forsake their sins completely. True preaching shows people how to get free from sin, so that they can have the new life of Jesus Christ’s holiness. Without showing the new life, a judgement message just brings death. It kills the soul and leaves it dead.

“Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” ~ 2 Corinthians 3:6

And yet an even clearer description is shown us of this ministry prepared in the Euphrates:

“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.” ~ Revelation 9:19

The only place in the Bible where there is a “positive” use of the characteristics of a serpent is when Jesus said to “…be wise as serpents, but gentle as doves.” In Revelation 9:19 the serpent characteristic is not wise and gentle, but rather killing.

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” ~ Genesis 3:4-5

The serpent’s death bite is the lying message that says: you can partake of both good and evil, and you will become as God, being able to make your own choices of what is right and wrong!

But God is still today judging this serpent message, that comes from a lying ministry!

“In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.” ~ Isaiah 27:1

God is showing that from the beginning to the end, from the lion fire-breathing head to the serpent tail, there is nothing good in this so-called “Christian” ministry that is leading most people today!

“Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.” ~ Isaiah 9:14-16

And again, in type, Jeremiah also plainly warned the hypocrites of his day. He told of the destruction of a war horse and serpent ministry. So why should we expect today for anything good to come, from following the same false ministry?

“We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble! The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein. For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the Lord.” ~ Jeremiah 8:15-17

But God has always had a remnant of true ministers, that have stood separate from the majority that are hypocrites. They will tell you the truth, and show you the way of full repentance from sin, and how to consistently live holy. They will not let you be deceived by the serpent message.

“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” ~ 2 Corinthians 11:2-4

It is amazing that in these few scriptures in Revelation chapter 9, that God identifies the audience of almost everyone in the world! First he identifies where one third of the people in the world are spiritually: by showing that they are nothing more than hypocrites. Then he identifies everyone else, by summing up their spiritual condition in the final statements of the chapter:

“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: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” ~ Revelation 9:20-21

For God will gather all the nations, including the hypocrite ones, so that he can pour out his judgement and jealousy upon them!

“Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.” ~ Zephaniah 3:8

So to sum up Revelation the ninth chapter: what is the voice from the four horns of the Golden altar saying to you? Is Jesus’ blood speaking mercy and forgiveness because you are sincere and have (or want to) forsake all your sins?

Or is the blood witnessing against your soul because you want to continue in sin. Or worse, you enjoy being a “Christian” hypocrite!

Perhaps the ultimate question is: how will you respond to the voice from the four horns of the Golden Altar?

Next, in Revelation chapter 10, we’ll see that during the same time that this Euphrates ministry is released, that Jesus Christ himself opens understanding further in Revelation. And in mercy he anoints a true Holy Ghost led ministry, to shake and awaken those who still have an ear to hear.

Note: this diagram below shows where this sixth trumpet message is within the full Revelation message. To better understand a high level view of Revelation, you can also see the “Roadmap of Revelation.”