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200 Million Demon-Possessed Horses and Riders
RV141-01© Berean Memorial Church of Irving, Texas, Inc. (1993)
Please open your Bibles to Revelation 8:7 through Revelation 9:21. Our subject tonight is "The Trumpets of Doom." This is segment number seven.
The Tribulation Period
The time of this particular passage is dealing with the latter part of the seven-year tribulation era, which is in the future, following the
rapture of the church. God has revealed to the apostle John through a vision this very fascinating but very frightful bit of human world history.
It is going to be a time of divine judgments upon mankind for its rejection of the Bible with its revelation concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
These judgments of God rain death and destruction on rebellious mankind who are pledging their allegiance to the antichrist. The antichrist is
the head of a world government which has been created by political liberalism; by international banker power; and, by multinational corporations,
all of which are operational today, and all of which are systematically and deliberately moving toward bringing the world together into a united
government on an economic base for socialism. The forces in motion in the world today will by then have created that kind of a world government
under a world ruler who indeed will be esteemed because, finally, he will bring peace to mankind.
The Status of Israel
I do not have to explain to you that anything that you are hearing in the news currently is clearly indicating that the world is in great turmoil.
I am absolutely fascinated and awed by what is happening to the Jew – the Jew, of all people now in the Middle East, our great ally, standing
firm and strong, is under the gun, and the Jew is on the ropes because world opinion is swinging against the Jewish people. World opinion is swinging
against Israel. World opinion is demanding that the Jews hand over part of the country they now control back to the Palestinians from whom they
secured it, who were squatters for many centuries. This land, which the Jew has secured again as the result of anticipating, because of good
intelligence service, that the Arabs were about to launch a major attack upon the nation of Israel. Israel jumped the gun and, lo and behold,
wonder of wonders, they captured all of Jerusalem and all of the West Bank. And after some 19 years when no Jew was ever permitted to set foot
within the precincts of the Wailing Wall of Jerusalem, one of the most sacred sites of the Jewish people, the Jewish soldiers came storming into
that great square. And in awe, they walked up and touched all that remains of Solomon's Temple.
The world is saying, "Give it back. The Arabs didn't really mean to start a surprise attack upon you to drive you into the sea. It was all a big
misunderstanding." The Jew cannot survive that kind of world opinion without somebody to support them. Even the United States is having second
thoughts about that. While this condition exists, there will be turmoil in the Middle East and, because of terrorism, every place else in the
world. The world needs somebody to set up a system of law and order. Enter, from stage right, the antichrist, who will promise and who will
perform just exactly that.
The Seven Trumpets
We have been looking at the second series of divine judgments that will be poured out upon the tribulation world. The second series followed the
first series of the seven seals. The second series is turned loose by the sounding of seven trumpets. These trumpet judgments, we have seen thus
far, have destroyed vegetation on the earth; have turned the saltwater seas into blood; have poisoned the freshwater drinking sources; have
decreased the light span of the heavenly bodies; and, have attacked mankind physically with demons released from the pit of the abyss.
The Sixth Trumpet
We have now heard the six trumpet sound, and that trumpet has released four demon angels which were held in restraint up to this time on the
Euphrates River, a very important spot on the face of the earth. With the release of these four angels, they are dispatched to kill one-third
of mankind that still remains upon the face of the earth. Under the fourth seal judgment, 25% of humanity was destroyed. Under the sixth trumpet,
one-third of what is left will be destroyed. That means that 50% of the human race will have been killed by the point just past the middle of the
tribulation period – 50% of what was in existence at the beginning of the tribulation.
So, we have about six billion people in the world today. Three billion will be gone by the middle of the tribulation era. We remind you that God
is systematically removing unbelievers in these judgments from the earth in preparation for the millennial kingdom, which will begin with only
born-again people alive on the earth. So, God is giving people a chance to change your minds and to trust in Christ as Savior. He is warning them
through these deaths that He means business, and systematically, the earth is being cleared of these unbelievers. The job will not be completely
finished until the Lord Himself returns, and then He sends the angels out to sweep out the rest of the unbelievers that are left on the face of
the earth. So, then the millennial kingdom begins with a kingdom completely made up a born again humanity. Each judgment is, in fact then, a
warning from God for people to repent and trust in Christ for redemption from hell.
The method of executing half of the world's population, however, does strike terror in the hearts of the citizens of the antichrist. People are going
to learn the hard way that there is a Holy Creator God out there; that He is on the throne of His universal authority; and, that He is fully in
charge of His creation.
John, in his heavenly vision, now gets to see how the four angels bring death to one-third of mankind.
A 200 Million-Man Army
So, we begin in Revelation 9:16. We read: "And the number of the army." The word "army" is actually the Greek word for "soldiers." It is
"strateuma." This army is particularly made up of "hippikos." "Hippikos" means "cavalry." This comes from the scientific technical word "hippos,"
which is the word for "horse." The "hippikos" here are cavalry troops. John sees a massive number of mounted troops. We read: "And the number of
the army of the horsemen were 200 thousand thousands, and I heard a number of them." John sees this vast number of cavalryman. He cannot count
them because there are so many. But he does hear the number stated – that it's 200 million – 200 million troopers under the control
of these four demon angels. An army of 200 million is about four-fifths of the whole population of the United States today, just to give you some
idea of what a huge army that is. In John's day, remember, there were not 200 million people on the whole surface of the earth. So, this was an
impressive number to John. It was an enormous army such as was inconceivable in ancient times.
There is no indication in Scripture that these riders on these horses are not human. So, again, we take the literal approach – that these
are called "soldiers," and the word that is used to describe is the normal word for human soldiers. So, we take it that these are human beings.
Communist China today claims that it can field an army of 200 million soldiers. I find that very interesting, because this vast cavalry is
preparing to cross the Euphrates River from the Orient in order to attack the antichrist in Israel. If you'll jump ahead to Revelation 16:12,
we will eventually come to that, when the sixth bowl of God's wrath is poured out upon humanity, which is very near the end of the tribulation
seven-year period. Revelation 16:12 says, "And the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the Great River Euphrates, and its water was dried up,
that the way of the kings of the East might be prepared."
So, this tells us that these four angels are preparing a large army (cavalrymen) in preparation for the drying up of this natural barrier from
Babylon to crossover from the Orient into the land of Palestine to attack the antichrist. There has never been a great invasion of Western nations
by the Oriental nations. There will be such, for the first time in the tribulation. Satan's primary area of influence has historically been east
of the Euphrates River. It has been in all those countries where you have the worst kind of paganism where Satan has been dominant. It is, of
course, out of Babylon, east of the Euphrates, where the mystery religions (the counterfeit religions) began that have multiplied in various
directions to this day.
The Eastern Religions
There has been little response to the gospel in territories east of the Euphrates River. Those areas are dominated by Hinduism, Buddhism,
Confucianism, and Islam. Eastern religions turned toward the deification of man, and toward the total rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ as the
Son of God and the Savior of mankind. Yet, that is where the vast populations of the world are to be found. It is another indication that indeed,
when the Lord Jesus Christ told us that the gate into salvation is small, and that the path that leads to eternal life is very narrow, and that
there are only going to be a few people that will find that entrance and that road, He was really telling the truth. The great mass of humanity is
going to find the broad road and the wide gate that leads into the flame of the eternal death of the lake of fire. These eastern religions have not
responded to the gospel. Satan does, and has done, a great job of restricting understanding of the truth from them.
Demon-Possessed Horses
These horses are a type of horse that the world has never seen before. Verse 17: "And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on
them having breastplates of fire." These horses which John sees are very strange. They have an unnatural appearance never seen before on earth.
They do have an appearance which is designed by God to strike terror in the minds of people. These horses are, in fact, demon-possessed. Thus,
they have a frightful appearance and special powers, as we shall see, to inflict damage over the earth. These are not ordinary horses. These are
creatures that are demon-possessed. As you know, demons are just as happy to indwell animals as they are to indwell human beings. When Jesus took
the legion of demons out of the madman at Gadara, they plead with Him, "Please don't send us into the abyss." They were afraid that Jesus, before
their time, was going to restrict them in the pit of the abyss. Instead, they said, "Please send us into those pigs." There were 2,000 pigs there,
and He sent them into the pigs, but when the demons got into them, the pigs went crazy, and ran over the cliff and drowned themselves in the ocean,
which served the pig herders right, because they were violating the Mosaic Law by raising pig meat to begin with.
So verse 17 tells us that here are horses in the vision that John sees, and they that sat on them had breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and
of brimstone. The people who are sitting on these horses have a very special kind of garments upon them so that the colors that reflect are colors
of the red of fire; bluish smoke of jacinth; and, the yellow appearance of the brimstone (the sulfur).
The heads of these horses, we're told, are like the heads of lions. This is a very distinct kind of appearance: "And out of their mouths issued
fire and smoke and brimstone." Out of the mouths of these creatures, that are being ridden by the cavalrymen, come fire, smoke, and brimstone.
These indicate, of course, associations with hell, and through the indwelling demons. It is what is coming out of the mouths of these strange
creatures that identifies to us that something is in dwelling these animals that is unusual. What is in dwelling them is that which is associated
with fire and smoke and brimstone. Those are the characteristics of hell. Those are the characteristics of what is associated with demons.
You may match that against Revelation 14:10, Revelation 19:20, and Revelation 21:8.
The means of death from the horses may refer to modern weapons of war, which it would be impossible for John to be acquainted with. We don't know.
But we simply know that here are horses that are being ridden by human beings. These creatures are indwelt by demons, so they are a special kind
of horse, and they have special characteristics.
One of the things that this should remind us of is that they are now about to create an enormous slaughter. Where the army of 200 million
cavalrymen are going when they cross the Euphrates is to the battle of Armageddon, which will be fought in the territory of Israel on the
plane of Megiddo, and over a vast territory. And it is a vast territory. I have stood on the mount above the plain of Megiddo. Napoleon said
of that plane, "This is the most magnificent battlefield in the world." Here, the armies of the world will gather with one another against
the antichrist. Before they finally wipe themselves off the face of the earth, suddenly out of outer space, they will see Jesus Christ coming
in all of His glory, and we with Him (the body of Christ coming back with Him). Then all the nations of the world immediately stop fighting each
other, and they join in alliance to fight Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He will, of course, completely destroy them.
Disarmament
However, the point of all this is that that you see the disarmament which has been taking place on the earth before this; which is taking place
in our day; and, which will continue to take place, does not stop warfare. Whatever disarmament treaties may be signed, there will be enough
weapons left, as a matter of fact, to threaten the elimination of all mankind. Communist countries always retain a great advantage in disarmament
treaties over naive Western nations.
The communists of Russia, in the new INF Treaty, are no doubt raising their vodka glasses in congratulations in the Kremlin, because they have
pulled another one on the United States. And of all things, under a president who used to be known as a staunch anti-communist. The Russians were
very clever when they started building their missiles, because they made them interchangeable. It was like when the invention of a rifle was made
with individual parts. They had all the same parts, so that you could put a whole rifle together no matter what the parts were. You just had to
have them in stock, and they would all go together, and you would have a weapon.
Suddenly, mass production became easy. The United States does not
build ballistic missiles that way. When we say we are going to destroy missiles, that means that they are gone. We cannot replace them. The cost
is enormous, and the time is very long. When you hear that we are destroying our immediate land-based missiles, be sure that you understand that
you are also seeing something that is the first step, I suspect, for the elimination of the United States in end-time events. That is because they
will not be able to replace those missiles.
However, the Russians, when they take down their missiles, they just take them someplace else, because all
the pieces fit other things, and they just fit in with their other missiles. They don't pitch anything overboard. They don't melt anything down.
They don't destroy it. They just take it apart, and they say, "We're going to remove it," and they remove it, but they put it someplace else. They
put it in their other missile system, and all the pieces are still there. When they need them, they can pull them back out and put them back
together.
So, disarmament isn't going to change the picture. The slaughter is going to be so great that the Bible is very clear that God has to shorten the
tribulation period, or there's not going to be a living human being left on the face of the earth. So, Satan's prime countries that he governs are
still capable of great destruction – the destruction primarily of Christian Western civilization.
The riders on these horses are human beings. They too are under demon control. They wear breastplates. They are colorful riders in appearance.
They have a defensive armor that protects them against death from any attackers. They proceed to attack mankind. Remember that these creatures
have been released by the order that comes from the altar of incense to the four demonic angels who have been controlling this force at the
Euphrates River, and their mission is to destroy one-third of humanity.
So, they proceed to attack. One-third of remaining humanity is killed. They are killed by what is described here as fire, smoke, and sulfur from
the mouths of these horses. The exhalation of the roaring, lion-like mouths of these creatures is a lethal exhalation. What they exhale is flame
and smoke and sulfur fumes. It is an enormous case of halitosis that knocks people over permanently – one shot, and you've had it. Men are
consumed by the flames; men are asphyxiated by the smoke; and, men are poisoned by the sulfurous gases. This is a real case of trench mouth, if
there ever was one.
Again, panic breaks out in the tribulation world of the antichrist, as people now seek to escape death from this invasion. You remember that they
had barely been released from five months of the demon locust suffering, and the terror that those creatures formed when they were released from
the pit of the abyss. The problem was that nobody could die. The suffering was so intense that people wanted to die, but they couldn't die. Now,
people can hardly escape dying, because these creatures are slaughtering people on all sides. People will fight back in trying to kill these
invading animals, and they will. The riders themselves are protected, but this will result in an enormous carnage.
These demons who have invaded these horses will leave the dead horses as their bodies are strewn across the countryside. The nature of death from
the horses is again a visual lesson on the nature of eternal hell that these victims are about to enter: smoke; flames; and, sulfur. Humanity, in
the midst of confidently seeking world peace through disarmament, sadly will find that there is no such thing as peace through disarmament.
I should remind you that history has gone a long time. And it is interesting to observe that never, in the history of the world, has peace been
secured by nations disarming. Peace has always been secured when nations were so armed that a tyrant did not dare attack a nation that was
prepared for him. So, disarmament has never brought peace. You wonder why the politicians haven't caught on to that fact, but they never seem to.
In any case, we have another example that it doesn't work.
This humanity will find that its peace is gone. It will be the worst reign of death through war that has ever been seen on earth. The world,
seeking peace by the worship of the antichrist, will find that there is no peace without Jesus Christ whom they despise.
The Horses' Tails
As if that isn't enough, these horses have some very peculiar tales. Verse 19: "Their power is in their mouth and in their tails, for their tails
were like serpents and had heads, and with them they do hurt." The tails of these horses were actually the tails of serpents. So, here you have a
strange looking horse-like creature. He has a mouth that looks like the mouth of a lion. He has things coming out of his mouth that are lethal.
The horses indwelt by a demon creature, and now he has, furthermore, a tail that is serpent-like which can bite. We're told that, with this tail,
they do hurt. That is the Greek word "adikeo." The word "adikeo" old means to inflict a wound and to cause suffering. These horses' tails have a
bite and a sting like that of a serpent. They may have fangs that sink in.
It's interesting that Satan used a serpent to bring sin and death to Adam and Eve and to all of mankind. Obviously we have never seen such an animal
as is described here. We do not know of a horse-like creature who has colorful markings on him; with a mouth that is like a lion, and out of which
comes lethal fire, smoke, and sulfur; and, which has a tail that has a serpent's head at the end, and with which he can bite and cause further
suffering. But there will be such a creature in the tribulation.
People, of course, will be aware that God is behind the attack of this oriental army of Twilight Zone creatures. The increased level of suffering
is another attempt, of course, to bring unbelievers to their senses – to abandon the antichrist and to trust in Jesus Christ.
Well, what's the result going to be? Verse 20 and 21 give us the response of the survivors. What would you do if you were in the place of these
people? What would you do if you were seeing this sort of thing taking place all around you – death and suffering, and you knew that it was
coming from someone out there that was greater than all mankind?
Well, verse 20 says, "And the rest of men." The word "men" is the Greek word "anthropos," meaning "mankind." We're talking about men and women; and,
boys and girls. "The rest" refers to those who have not been killed by this invading army. These are: "The rest of the men were not killed. The word
"killed" here refers to a physical action. The Greek word is "apokteino." "Apokteino" is the word that's used in the Greek Bible for putting the body
to death. This refers to death, which is the result of this sixth trumpet judgment. It starts when this army of two million demon-possessed horses
are turned loose with their riders. It is passive voice. It is done by God Himself, and people can't do anything about it. It's a statement of fact.
When he talks about "the rest who are not killed," he's referring to the two-thirds of mankind who have now survived these night riders in the sky.
These who are not killed, it says, "By the plagues;" namely, all of these things that God has been turning loose through the seals, and now through
the judgments of the trumpets.
I remind you that these judgments on humanity express the very justice of God. This is not the expression of an unloving God, but one whose love
is indeed there, but His love is governed by his justice, which protects His holiness. God is expressing His love, but His love must conform to
His own justice, because His justice protects His holiness.
Repentance
So, here is a loving God pouring forth these plagues, and the Bible makes it clear what the object is in His doing this. The rest of the men who
were not killed by these terrible plagues still did not repent. Here's the Greek word: "metanoeo." The word "metanoeo" means "to change your mind."
When we say that you must repent and believe the gospel to be saved, as the Bible does say, by "repent," we mean "believe." It's the same thing.
"Repent" means to change your mind about Jesus Christ; to change your mind about His claims; and, to believe His gospel offer. You cannot believe
the gospel without repentance.
So, here God is doing these things so that these people will change their mind. He wants them to repent of all of the things that they have been
doing. What will be the reaction of these suffering survivors? Well, the Bible says, "They won't change their minds." That, to me, is really hard
to believe – that after all this suffering, these who still survive are not going to change their minds about the Bible or about the claims
of Jesus Christ. At any point, their personal volition will be negative. So, in spite of the terror and the suffering and the death of the sixth
trumpet plague, those who survive are not going to change your minds about their rejection of Jesus Christ. There is no question, of course, in
the minds of any of these people that God is out there in His creation, and that He is the one who is sending in these plagues.
We have seen earlier, in Revelation 6:16-17, the statement that they knew who was doing this. These people who are suffering "said to the mountains
and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath
is come, and who shall be able to stand.'" Instead of turning in repentance, they call on the mountains to hide them from the God who is exercising
His wrathful judgment.
So, none of the Bibles that we leave behind, as Christians; none of the Christian literature that's left behind; and, none of all the good
doctrinal tapes that are left behind at the rapture – none of that is going to effect the tribulation unbeliever, by and large. He will
not repent so that he may be saved. These unbelievers are so hardened that they have actually lost all rationality, and they are now absolutely
unreachable with the truth. That is a frightening thing that indeed, in dealing with the truth, you can resist it just so long. Then, in Romans 1,
concerning homosexuality and lesbianism, God said, "OK, go." And God gives people over to their determined evil practices. They then are beyond
the point of return.
Romans 9:22 says, "What if God, willing to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted
to destruction?" Paul says, "What if God has been so gracious, and He has been so patient with the very people that have been headed for destruction?"
He has been patient to give them an understanding in order that He could make the riches of His glory known. Well, these people now have resisted;
they refused to change their mind; and, they are on a course from which there is no return.
So, the rest of these human beings who were not killed by this plague, of the demon-possessed horses and their riders, refused to change their
mind about the works of their hands. They refused to change their mind about the things they were doing. These unrepentant sinners were devoted
to objects (of all things) which they had made with their own hands instead of to the Creator who made them. What he is talking about here, when
he says, "The works of their hands," is the gods which they created for them.
Idols
I don't know how to explain to you that here are people who are dying by the carloads, and who know that there's a God out there who is causing
all this, and they're still making their own gods. They're still making idols, and they're still praying and worshiping those idols. That's how
absolutely mad these people have become. They refuse to change their mind about the works of their hands: "That they should not worship." The
word "worship" is the Greek word "proskuneo." "Proskuneo" literally means "to kiss toward." It is an act of obeisance. It is an act of bowing
down. It is an act of homage before deity. This is in the future tense in the Greek Bible, indicating that at no time in the future will these
people turn around and repent of the idols that they are making for themselves. This is their personal choice. Does this mean that they would
stop worshiping the idols? No. More specifically, it is to stop worshiping what is behind the idol, where the real power of the idol lies:
the "daimonion" (the "demon"). The "daimonion" are angels which have chosen to cast their lot with Satan. They are in rebellion against God.
1 Corinthians 10:19 teaches us a very important thing about idols. You and I say that worshiping idols is awfully dumb. A dead idol cannot speak; he
cannot hear; he cannot walk; and, he has no hands to do anything. Why would anybody worship him? I'll tell you why people worship idols. It's
because they get results. When you worship an idol as an unbeliever, and you tie in to the power of the demon spirit, which is behind every idol,
you have great power at your disposal. The idol is nothing in itself, but what the idol represents of Satan's dominion, and the power that Satan
releases through that idol is something very big. There is a demon behind every idol creature.
In 1 Corinthians 10:19, Paul says, "What do I say then? That the idol itself is anything, or that which is offered in sacrificed to idols is
anything? But I say that the things which the gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. And I would not that you should have
fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and the table of
demons." What is behind the idols is a demon. And when you worship an idol, you are worshiping a demon. Indeed, that demon will come through, and
give you great power.
I have told you before that when I was touring Peking, China, on one occasion with another Marine officer, we came into a temple, and our guide
said, "This is the temple of long life." When I walked in, I thought there were two huge pillars in front of me. It was kind of dim. Then, as my
eyes got accustomed, I looked up, and I realized that this was a huge standing Buddha. And here in front of it was a pure Roman Catholic altar
with all those little cups and the lights burning. It was just regular Roman Catholic home grown stuff. The guide said, "If you will light a
candle here, before the Buddha of long life, you will have long life." And he handed it to my friend who was a Roman Catholic. He took it, and
he lit it. I knew enough to know that to light that candle was an act of worship, and was an act of esteem and obeisance before this idol god,
who was dumb and nothing, but that behind that god was a demon. I wonder what that officer is today. I wonder if he's still alive with long life.
That would be curious. Needless to say, when he handed me the taper, I refused to light it because of the implications. An idol is a serious
business, because behind it is a demon character.
So, at this point in the tribulation, vast numbers of people will be openly Satan worshipers, and their idols will have great power which will
attract them. Satan and demons believe that they have come into being as a result of evolution, and that that is moving them toward godhood.
Isaiah 14:12-14 talk about Satan's desire to be like God. Genesis 3:5 promises Eve that she can be like God. And Satan and his demons believe
that they are the products of evolution. The difference, they think, between themselves and God, is that God has been around evolving longer,
and therefore He's higher up on the evolutionary scale. So, they too expect that they will evolve to God's level of capacity. But evolve from
what? That they will evolve from an eternal self-existing universe of matter and energy.
The pagan scientists today (all the smart boys today), who reject the Word of God, do believe that there was something in the beginning. You
could ask Carl Sagan, "Where did it all come from?" Sagan would say to you, "In the beginning was hydrogen, and it all came together from that.
From that, everything else began." But the Bible says, "In the beginning was God, and God created the whole thing." That is the big difference.
So, Satan and the demons really think that they are on something that is going to carry them if they can hang on long enough to the position
where they will be as powerful and as great as God, and they'll be in a position to challenge God's authority. God is simply viewed as someone
who is ahead of them on the scale of evolution. So, they still hope indeed to be able to defeat God's revelation.
Revelation 13:4 says, "And they (mankind) worshiped the dragon who gave power unto the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like
the beast? Who is able to make war with him?'" The very beast that they are worshiping, the antichrist, is empowered by Satan. So, people feel
free under this condition to do as they please. They're all evolving. There is no Creator. There is nobody to put restraints upon them.
What these people refuse to stop worshiping are the idols that they have made. These idols are made of various materials. They're made out of
what God created, of all things. What kind of an idol you have depends upon how rich you are. Some are made of gold; some of silver; some of
bronze; some of stone; and, some of wood. All of these are unable to see; to hear; or, to walk. But that's not important. They all have power
from the demon that is behind them. Idols are lifeless nothings, yet they are worshiped because of the power that's elicited from the demon.
Evolutionary humanism of Western civilization has actually now prepared people to accept this kind of supernatural power of the demons, and to
accept it as divine. This is already true in Asia and Africa, where pantheism and spiritism are common ways of belief. The tribulation will have
been preceded by years of acclimation in Western nations to a supernaturalism through Eastern mysticism; through occultism; through astrology;
through spiritism; and, through visualization, which has even entered Christian circles. The demonic influence and the teachings are going to
prepare people to accept idol worship.
1 Timothy 4:1 and 2 Timothy 3:13 tell us that things are really going to get bad, and that people will be prepared to receive the influences
(the doctrines) of demons. Great centers that are now being built in the United States (of which there are several) for the promotion and the
worship of demonic powers. They don't call them demon powers. They call them those powers that are within man; those powers that are to be
released; or, the powers of the wise masters of wisdom that are out there ready for us to get in touch with. There are centers being built in
the United States to promote what is contact with the powers of the demonic world. Shirley MacLaine herself is building a great one for that very
purpose. When mankind has abandoned the Bible, then it enters a spiritual vacuum, which inevitably sucks in occult ideas.
Witchcraft
So, before the tribulation ever arrives, we see that the scene is going to be set. People are going to be prepared. And I'm talking about intelligent,
educated, attractive people who today are actually turning to the idolatry of the East. Witchcraft used to be something that people would recoil from.
Now, witchcraft is respected, and is considered innocent. Certainly, on the television "Bewitched," Samantha looks like an awfully nice lady. It's
just wonderful to think that you had powers like that. You may really watch that, and you may really believe Shirley MacLaine. She tells you that
she can release things like that, and that she has that kind of power. She tells you that she has found that if you sleep under a pyramid, then
great power will exude down to you that will be at your disposal. I have tried wiggling my nose the way Samantha does, and nothing happen. I got a
cramp, but nothing happened. I thought my nose would never straighten out. But it just doesn't work. But it does for some people. Witchcraft is now
very cutesy-pooh. It's not really viewed as the serious, terrible thing that it is, but it always has been a serious and a terrible thing with God.
It is followed by intelligent people who are trying to find some meaning and purpose in their life.
When people deliberately turn from the God of the Bible, they very naturally turn to the God of this world: Satan. Satan worship now is rampant in
the United States, and you should be aware of the fact that the worship of these supernatural powers that are beyond man, which in fact are the
occult powers of the demonic world, these have reached out to the highest levels of our society. The highest authorities and the highest
institutions are involved in it.
Rock-n-Roll Music
One of the areas that very heavily promotes the occult is, of course, heavy metal, rock-n-roll music and performers. They are prime transmitters
of devotion to Satan and to the occult. You fans of Ozzy Osborne, who plays with the Black Sabbath group, are aware of the fact that he has a way
of sending teenagers into hysteria by bloodletting as he performs. He does this by biting off the heads of birds and bats. And when he does that
on stage, the teenagers scream approval with ecstasy. What is more characteristic of Satan than bloodletting? And Ozzy Osborne thinks he just has
something which is a nice technique to catch your attention as he performs. But he is an agent of the occult world.
The AC/DC group promotes the occult world also. You know what AC/DC means, don't you? It means heterosexual/homosexual. It's in the top ten
bestsellers with its album "Highway to Hell." What does the album honor? If you listened to it, you would find that it is honors Satan.
The group Mötley Crüe has an album called "Shout at the Devil." It's an album on which there is depicted an upside down pentagram. If you know
what's going on, that's a sign of Satan. They're selling it to teenagers. That upside down pentagram is a sign of honoring Satan.
Every now and then, there is a teenager who is just out of it – who doesn't have natural spiritual discernment. He will ask you the question,
"What's wrong with rock-n-roll?" Well, I presume that the individual has never sat and listened to the lyrics. I presume that they have never
looked at the covers of the albums of these groups. I presume that they have never looked at the names that these people have. I presume if they
have never considered the lifestyle of the people who are getting rich over the fools who are buying their albums, and who are promoting their
occult exultation. The lyrics of rock-n-roll music are basically lewd, obscene, vulgar, and blasphemous, and yet, they're promoted as being artistic.
They are considered to simply be the expression of harmless, meaningless ideas. One of the groups likes to get its audiences chanting, "Natas,
Natas, Natas" ("Satan" spelled backwards) altogether, which is an exultation and honor to Satan.
Christians who get on rock-n-roll music open themselves up to demonization – not to indwelling, but to demonization. Yes, if you want to get
yourself under strong demonic influence as a Christian, rock-n-roll music is a way for you to do it. It does that by the suggestiveness of the
lyrics and by the hypnotic rhythms of the music. That's one of the problems with rock-n-roll music. It is monotonous; it is repetitive; it is
designed to be hypnotic; and, it is the lowest kind of music. It is not quality music. A person may say, "Gee, what's wrong with rock-n-roll?"
That person is out of touch with what Satan is doing with this musical device that is so attractive to people everywhere.
When you suffer an accommodation to the evil occult, you will go spiritually insane. So, I realize that some of you listen to rock-n-roll, and
you don't care. The next time you get in your car, you're still going to put on the raucous hypnotic rhythms. You're still going to let the vile
words pour through the speakers. You're still going to listen to these famous people who are laughing at you as they take their money to the bank.
But I should remind you that, while this is going to come to a high level of fruition in the tribulation, way back in the time of the prophet
Jeremiah, God let it be known that He laughs at all these pathetic earthly creatures, and all those of you who choose to join forces with them,
at what they think they're getting away with.
Jeremiah 2:27-28: "Saying to a tree." Here is Jeremiah saying, "You people (you Jewish people) are walking around now, and you come up to a tree,
and you say to the tree, 'You are my father.'" You say, "That's crazy." Would you go up to a tree and say, "You are my father?" Would you go up to
a stone and say, "You are my father?" What's he talking about? You're making idols out of those things: "You have brought me forth." They're saying,
"This stone is where I came from. This tree is where I came from:" "For they have turned their back on Me, God said, and not their face. But in the
time of their trouble, they will say, 'Arise and save us.'" And how many people are going to be calling upon God in the tribulation, but because
they will not turn to Christ, He will not hear them. What is God's reaction going to be?
Jeremiah 2:28: God is going to say, "Where are your gods that you have made? Let them arise if they can save them in the time of your trouble.
For according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah." God is going to say to the Jews and to the gentiles: "Where all those gods
you made? You have as many gods in Israel as there are cities. All of you have your own god. Call upon your idol. Let them save your hides."
Necromancy
Isaiah 8:19 points this out also when Isaiah says, "And when they shall say unto you, 'Seek come to those who are mediums, and unto wizards,
that peep and that mutter: should not of people seek unto their God? Should they seek on behalf of the living to the dead?" The Bible condemns
necromancy. The Bible condemns trying to speak with the dead. You can't speak with the dead. But if you do try to speak with the dead, you'll
end up speaking with the demon spirit.
Bishop Pike
This is what was the problem with Bishop Pike of the Episcopalian church when His Son died, and he wanted to make contact with him on the other
side. Some of the bishops in the Episcopalian church warned Bishop Pike that that was condemned in the Old Testament. Trying to speak with the
dead would put you in contact with powers of the spirit world. Well, Bishop Pike had some fantastic experiences. I'm awed as I read about the
gradual catching of his attention, as he said, "If my son is speaking to me, and I'm convinced of it, and if he's trying to get my attention,
he's got it." And pretty soon he was communicating with a spirit being pretending to be his dead son, and telling the father how wonderful
everything was over on the other side where he was, and that all was well, and that his suicide hadn't changed or affected anything, and so on.
I think it's ironic that, in the Old Testament, we're told that if you are guilty of necromancy (of trying to speak to the dead in communication
with the demon spirit), it's a capital crime, and you are to be executed. I think it is interesting that Bishop Pike (a scholar and a student),
visiting in Israel, got into a vehicle; drove out into the desert to study something; lost his way; couldn't find where on earth he was; wandered
around; couldn't find the road; couldn't find his way back from where he came; and, he never gets back. Two days later, they find him sprawled
dead on the desert. What a terrible thing he discovered on the other side when he found that his son was not there. And indeed, who knows where
Bishop Pike himself is?
The demonic world is a powerful force, and it will not be more powerful than in the tribulation. But we are living in days now that are preparing
for people to accept the unbelievable. What they do is so terrible, that the end of our chapter deals with the four grossest kinds of immoralities
the human race is capable of. They're in full operation now. They will be with full abandon in the tribulation, and we'll look at those evils next
time.
Dr. John E. Danish, 1984
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