Are these the four angels who were holding back the four winds, restraining violent storms/hurricanes who were not allowed to take action until the ‘hundred and forty-four thousand’ servants of God from Israel had been sealed?1 Are these storms that they bring upon the whole earth just like the four angels for the four points of the compass, called for from the four horns of the altar? Whatever the case may be, they have been prepared and kept ready for this moment, for this hour, this day, in this month, in this year. These things take place precisely on time, on God’s time—not a moment earlier or later.
At God’s command, they will release these tremendously numerous armies to wage war against each other. The number of soldiers run into the millions. These armies to wage war are unleashed by God’s angels, but led by demonic powers. At His time. The apocryphal book 4 Ezra 4:36–37 says: ‘He has weighed the world in the balance. He has measured the times by measure; and numbered the times by number; and He does not move nor stir them, until the measure is fulfilled.’ The measure is full now, and the four angels are released. The sixth angel, who is blowing the trumpet, unleashes these four angels that are tied up, and thus the demonic powers are released. The Lord uses these ‘dark’ angels in His plan too. The evil spirit that takes hold of Saul is a spirit from God.2 The lying spirit that comes into the mouth of all the prophets, is given by God.3
The angels are tied up near the River Euphrates, probably the northern part of it. This one-day in the future will form the border of the Promised Land.4 This river is also called the Great River.5 And it was once one of the rivers at the edge of Paradise.6 It is not mentioned with the new territory in Ezekiel 47.7 On ‘the other side of the Euphrates’ (from Israel’s point of view, of course) were the enemies, i.e. Assyria, and ‘the River’ is thus a symbol of Israel’s and God’s enemies.8 The enemies ‘flooded’ from Assyria into Israel.9 Assyria is named in the list of Israel’s enemies in Psalm 83, where enmity and hatred against Israel and the Jewish people is considered to be enmity and hatred against the God of Israel. Besides other nations also Assyria is mentioned among the enemy nations around Israel.10 The ten tribes of Israel were carried away to exile by the Assyrians, to the other side of the Euphrates.11 There, in that territory on the other side of the river, lay Babel, founded by Nimrod, in the land of Shinar.12 That is where the Tower of Babel was built.13 There the ‘new religion’ was started by Nimrod to worship Creation instead of the Creator. That was where Nebuchadnezzar exiled Judah, the kingdom of two tribes, and took away the golden vessels and utensils from the Temple, after he had destroyed in Jerusalem and the Temple.14
So there is not a lot of good to be expected for Israel from ‘the other side’ of the Euphrates. Israel has discovered as much several times in its recent history being flooded by enemies coming from surrounding Arab nations. Yet the prophet says about the Jewish people and Israel: “They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbours who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.”15
• At the present level of the population of the world a third of mankind would mean over two billion people. The ‘Third World War’ will reach unimaginable proportions because of the weapons developed by modern technology, and/or what will hit the earth coming from outer space.
Bible References:
1.Revelation 7:1–3 2.1 Samuel 16:14 3.1 Kings 22:18–23 4.Genesis 15:18 5.Deuteronomy 1:7; Joshua 1:4 6.Genesis 2:10-14 7.See also Exodus 23:31 and Isaiah 27:12 8.Isaiah 7:20, 8:7: Jeremiah 46:10 9.Isaiah 8:5-8 10.Psalm 83:1–9 11.2 Kings 17:7–23, 18:11 12.Genesis 10:8–11 13.Genesis 11:1–9 14.2 Chronicles 36:11–21 15.Ezekiel 28:26
