We have read about what happens when the fifth trumpet sounds. Humanity is under the grip of evil. We then read in verse 12, “One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.” After the fourth trumpet sounded, an angel flying in the midst of heaven spoke the solemn and warning words, “Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” (Revelation 8:13). The fifth trumpet was the first woe. The second woe begins now with the sounding of the sixth trumpet.
Verses 13 through 21 focus on the sixth trumpet. The first thing we notice is that this sixth trumpet responds to the prayers of the saints. As we see in verse 13: “And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God.” This refers to the altar of incense that stands before God and represents the prayers of the saints. God hears His people. We have already seen their cry twice. When the Lamb accepts the book containing God's plan, the prayers of the saints are offered to Him (Revelation 5:8). When the seventh seal is opened, the prayers of the saints are once again offered to the Lamb (Revelation 8:4). And now, at the sounding of the sixth trumpet, we hear a voice from the place where the prayers to God are heard.
The angel who sounds the sixth trumpet is told to release four angels. “Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.” (Revelation 9:14) These angels had been bound until that moment. The following reveals that they are angels of vengeance carrying out God's judgment as a warning on Earth. It appears to be about wars. The next verses describe how powerful armies clash, leading to terrible results, with a third of the people killed. Once again, God is above all. But note that this time, it is forces from above being released.
These avenging angels emerge from behind the Euphrates. That is the river high in the north. Time and again in Israel's history, powerful enemies have come from the north. Consider the Assyrians, Babylonians, Romans, and Greeks. Therefore, mentioning the Euphrates has a symbolic meaning.
War is also mentioned in the series of seals, specifically the 2nd seal. It refers to the battle that people cause and partake in because they refuse to repent. The war, combined with the famine that follows, kills a quarter of humanity. Now, in the trumpet series, war alone kills one-third of humanity, as seen in verse 15. We see an increasing severity as the end times approach.
And yet, we read in verse 20 that there is still no repentance. Time and again, we are reminded of the importance of being witnesses for Christ and recognizing the significance of preaching the gospel. How vital is the work of missions in this dying world!