The Sounding of the sixth trumpet
The Sounding of the sixth trumpet announced the period of Satan’s concerted efforts to eliminate the people of Judah, through whom the Messiah would come. The sixth trumpet covers the period of the four successive kingdoms Satan employed to, if possible, prevent the birth of the Messiah. “Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a single voice coming from the horns on the golden altar that is before God, saying to the sixth angel, the one holding the trumpet, Set free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates! Revelation 9:13 – 14, NET. The four angels at the river Euphrates are the kingdoms of Babylonia, Medes-Persians, Greece, and Rome. These successive kingdoms occupied the Nation of Judah continuously.
The period of four earthly kingdoms was the most critical for the people of Judah. After the Babylonian exile, Judah’s people resolved to worship one God only: the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Judah’s people’s resolve did not please Satan because he knew the Messiah would come when an angel sounded the seventh trumpet. Therefore, Satan intensified his efforts to disrupt God’s plan. Accordingly, the people of Judah experienced constant pursuit by the Enemy of God, Satan. The Egyptian and Assyrian kingdoms oppressed Israel also. However, Israel had periods of freedom during these two kingdoms. Under the four successive kingdoms, the nation of Judah was never fully independent.
The nation of Judah suffered much under the Greek kingdoms of Seleucids and Ptolemies. These two kingdoms did much to eliminate the nation of Judah. During these kingdoms, there were corrupt priests in Jerusalem. These cooperated with the occupying kingdoms to Hellenize the people of Judah. The then-high priest favored the Hellenization of the people of Judah. Accordingly, the people through whom the Messiah was to come were in great danger from within and without. However, God helped the Remnant in Judah to persevere as the people loyal to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Continued in the next blog.
