Revelation Chapter 9 Verse 13 to 14
13 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.
The angel from Chapter 8 once again shows us the altar where he previously ministered with incense. Since this altar is located within the Heavenly Sanctuary, the events of the first six trumpets will continue to take place there during the ministry. Another indication that priestly ministry still exists is the fact that the voice originated from the altar.
The sixth angel receives instructions to release the other four angels. It can be concluded from this that the four angels were prevented from carrying out their intended purpose.
There are four angels who control the powers that would bring God's judgments against the Roman Empire. They are keeping the powers in check and maintaining control. At this point, they have received the order to unleash their powers.
We have learned that the Lord God of heaven is also the Sovereign of earth. He governs men's affairs behind the scenes. Now, under the sixth trumpet, He wills the complete overthrow of what remained of the Roman Empire. "Loose the four angels bound in the great river Euphrates," a voice from the heavenly altar commands. The Muslim armies tormented the Eastern Empire for 150 years, right up to the gates of Constantinople. Now the conquest is complete. The four angels from the Euphrates may refer to the four Muslim provinces of Aleppo, Iconium, Damascus, and Baghdad.
The word “Euphrates” means to break forth or rushing.
In the Old Testament, this kind of image has been used to show an overwhelming power that wants to take over. When Mt. Ararat's snow melted, the Euphrates turned into a wild river that would often flood its banks. The next few lines compare those who oppose Israel, particularly Assyria, to a powerful river that overflows its banks. They also compare Assyria to the Euphrates River during periods of flooding.
Isaiah 17:12-13 - "12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind."
Isaiah 8:7-8 - "7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel."
Revelation Chapter 9 Verse 15
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.
The rapid, destructive invading power that is going to attack the Eastern Kingdom is set free to do its damage. This provides a comprehensive overview of the Turks residing in the Euphrates region under Spanish rule. This will become clearer as we go along.
It was only said on the fifth trumpet that they should hurt the Eastern Empire. It now states that they should either kill or destroy.
Here is another prophetic time prophecy that needs to be worked out.
The power of the Ottoman government was to rule for an hour, a day, a month, and a year. Once again, we will apply the day-for-year principle.
At the end of the 150 years of torment in 1449, another time period would mark the conquest of the Turks against the eastern Empire.
• One “year” is equal to 360 years in Bible prophecy.
• One “month” is 30 years.
• One “day” is 1 year.
• One “hour” is 1/24 of a day = 1/24 of a year = 1/24 of 360 days = 15 days.
Total = 391 years 15 days.
In exact fulfillment of this prophecy, the Emperor of Constantinople yielded the Empire’s independence to the Turks at the conclusion of 150 years of torment in 1449.
Then, the Ottoman Muslim Empire continued its reign for 391 years. Bible students in the 1800s deduced the prophecy from Gibbon's beginning date of July 27, 1299, which corresponded to a period of 150 years. Moving forward 150 years, they reached July 27, 1449.
Moving forward in time, another 391 years and 15 days brought them to August 11, 1840. They had expected to witness the fall of the Ottoman Empire here.
Just as they had figured, after a 391-year rule, on August 11, 1840, the Muslim Empire surrendered its independence to the European nations, just as the Eastern Roman Empire surrendered to its power 391 years earlier.
Revelation Chapter 9 Verse 16 to 19
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.
Chemists in China and Europe discovered, through incidental or elaborate experimentation, that a mixture of saltpetre, sulfur, and charcoal causes a massive explosion when ignited by a spark of fire. Soon, scientists discovered that compressing the expansion force in a sturdy tube could eject a ball of stone or iron with unstoppable and destructive force.
Small firearms had just been invented. As the horseman, leaning forward on the horse, discharged his weapon, it appeared as if the flame and smoke from the gunpowder were coming from the horse's mouth.
The army of horsemen brought to view in the sixth trumpet conducts their warfare with fire, smoke, and brimstone, which is sulfur. Muslim armies pioneered gunpowder and firearm warfare. It is likely that John was attempting to describe what he saw in his vision.
Further reading:
Wikipedia - Gunpowder empires - Link
Encyclopedia - Military Advances - Link
The tail is a reference to the prophet who teaches lies. And with it being like a serpent, we find that the serpent was used by Satan to deceive Eve in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3).
Their power also stemmed from the deceptive lies and teachings of the Quran and Muhammad.
Revelation Chapter 9 Verse 20 to 21
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.
Remember that the word “men” is a reference to the empire, not people individually. But what remains of the empire? The only part left that has not been destroyed is Catholicism, or the Catholic Church. (As Rome had given the Papacy its seat, power, and great authority to rule in the East).
We must realize that the trumpets are God's judgments on the apostate Church and the Roman Empire.
These incidents did not stop them from carrying out their bad activities and worshiping inanimate objects made of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood (idols of Christ, Mary, and the saints). Throughout the Catholic Church's history, there have been numerous cases of immorality, robbery, and alleged miracles performed by deceased saints. Men had endured awful suffering, but they did not feel regret.
Murders- Revelation 21:8; 22:15
Sorceries- Revelation 18:23
Fornication - Greek porneia, “prostitution,” “unchastity,” a general term denoting every imaginable kind of unlawful sexual intercourse
Further reading:
Publisher Owned by Catholic Church Reportedly Selling Porn Novels - Link
Publisher owned by the Catholic Church sells pornography - Link
Recommended Video from Third Party (View Terms of Use Page) - Fall Of Constantinople 1453 - Ottoman Wars