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March 12, 2023 |
| Euphrates - Dried Up | ||
This study is the second of 2 separate studies where the Euphrates River is mentioned in Revelation. This mention of the river is literal.
This event happens after the Seventh Trumpet is sounded, which begins when Jesus returns to meet us in the sky, where we stay with him while the seven vial events unfold. This event is the 6th of those.
The last 3 of the 7 trumpets are also called "woes," so the 7th Trumpet is also the 3rd woe. They are called woes because bad things happen to the people of Earth - bad from their perspective. This trumpet triggers the vial events, which are the woe for that trumpet. This vial is a bad thing in its own right, but it is also setting the scene for what happens after the vial events, when Jesus descends to Earth (and us with him).
In this event, the Euphrates River dries up to the point where there are only tiny streams that remain. The time period for the vial events is quite short, so the drying must happen abnormally quickly. The cause is likely the 4th vial's event.
And the fourth Angel poured his vessel over the Sun, and it was given him to scorch people with fire. 9 And the children of men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has authority over these plagues, and they did not repent to give him glory. (Revelation 16:9-10)
This sounds like the sun starts putting out a lot more energy. So much so that only little streams remain from the Euphrates River.
The event we are studying is not about the Euphrates though. It's about the people who become able to cross it wearing only their sandals because the Euphrates is drying up.
Tucked into the parable of the Ten Minas, there is a reference to the Second Coming, but most don't recognize it.
A certain man, a son of great descent, went to a distant region to receive a Kingdom and to return. 14 But the citizens of the city hated him and they sent envoys after him and they were saying, "We do not want this man to reign over us." 15 And when he had received the Kingdom and returned, […] 26 He said to them, […] 27 "those, my enemies, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them and kill them in front of me." (Luke 19:12,14-15,26-27)
"citizens of the city" - likely referring to Jerusalem, which is then ruled by the Beast
"and they sent envoys after him" - unneeded words, but prophetic about the unwelcoming party, "We do not want this man to reign over us."
"bring them and kill them in front of me" - prophetic description of Satan bringing them together so Jesus can destroy them when he descends to Earth.
Revelation isn't the only place where these events are mentioned. There are Old Testament verses that talk about aspects of it.
The LORD will devote to destruction the gulf of the Sea of Egypt; with a scorching wind He will sweep His hand over the Euphrates. He will split it into seven streams for men to cross with dry sandals. (Isaiah 11:15)
The Gulf of Suez, as we know it, is south of Israel; the Euphrates River is north. We've already seen that the Euphrates dries up, so people can easily cross anywhere they want. Here we see that something happens to the Gulf of Suez, though it isn't clear what.
"Destruction" – This word means "severely reduced, no longer functioning." It doesn't mean annihilation.
Who has aroused one from the east and called him to his feet in righteousness? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow. (Isaiah 41:2)
"one from the east" - the temple faced east for the arrival of God at the Golden Gate, so "the one" is God, specifically Jesus.
"called to his feet in righteousness" - Jesus has been called to act as judge.
"He hands nations over to him" - the "He" is Jesus, "him" is the Father. Jesus conquers the nations and kings and turns the kingdom he creates over to the Father. Other places in the Bible support this as the goal of Jesus' return.
This background will fit into the study later on.
We have finally arrived at the verses for this study.
And the sixth Angel poured his vessel over the great river Euphrates, and its waters dried up that the way of the kings from the East may be prepared. 13 And I saw from the mouth of the Dragon and from the mouth of the Beast and from the mouth of the False Prophet, three foul spirits like frogs, 14 For they are the spirits of demons who perform signs, which go into the kings of the habitable Earth, to gather them to the war of that great day of God Almighty. (Revelation 16:12-14)
The Euphrates will dry up. It isn't only a sign, but it's also purposeful. It will be possible for them to be gathered together for the battle.
Notice how the spirits of demons call the kings to war. The verse compares them to frogs. In what way are they like frogs? Are they shaped like frogs? No. Are they green like frogs? No. Do they hop like frogs? Yes, but spiritually, from person to person.
The verse calls these people "kings." What kind of kings need the Euphrates to be almost dry so they can get across while wearing sandals? No kings that we know of. In what way are they kings? They are kings of themselves. They have not submitted themselves to God and are therefore enemy kings.
Also notice that the verse uses the word habitable. It tells us nothing about what is going on with the frog demons and the gathering. It is included to show us that these kings are failures. They have ruled over the earth so successfully that part of it is no longer habitable. It is God mocking them.
This reference to "habitable" links back to the first use of Euphrates, which we covered in the previous study. By linking back to the Euphrates breakout, it tells us a little bit more about that breakout. The Beast was involved in causing it.
The name "Har Megiddo" has become Armageddon in English. It means something like "The hill of invasion." It overlooks a flat plain that has been the location of countless ancient battles. With our modern weapons, it is too small for a military battle and would be a kill-zone.
And I saw Heaven opened and behold, a white horse, and he who sat upon it is called trustworthy and true, and in righteousness he judges and he makes war. 19 And I saw the Beast and its armies and the kings of Earth and their soldiers who gathered to make war with him who sat upon the horse, and with his soldiers. 20 And the Beast was captured and the False Prophet with it, who did signs before it by which he seduced those who received the mark of the Beast, and those who worshiped its image; and both went down and were cast into the Lake of Fire that burns also with brimstone. 21 But the rest were killed with the sword of him who sat upon the horse, by that which proceeded from his mouth, and all the birds of prey were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:11,19-21)
Most people see the battle of Har Megiddo as a physical battle, but it isn't. It's a spiritual battle. These kings will not be armed with God-seeking missiles or spiritual artillery. This will be a battle of words, using words like "I am the king of me," and "I will do whatever I want to do."
Jesus will fight with other words, "the sword […] which proceeded from his mouth." The Beasts' army swings back with, "We do not want this man to rule over us."
The words of Jesus are stronger. The Beast and False Prophet are thrown directly into the Lake of Fire. Their "armies" are slaughtered.
The Beast and False Prophet symbolize both an organization and its leader. Therefore when the verse says they are thrown into the Lake of Fire, it is likely more than two people.
These kings of the habitable earth are called to this battle by Satan … for what purpose? He understands scripture better than we do. He knows what the outcome will be. He does it because he knows the end is upon him. Jesus has returned. So he is doing it so that they can be slaughtered. He never cared for them. He hates all people. If he is going down, he is taking as many with him as he can. So, they are thrown under the bus.
With prophecy, we need to be careful not to focus on one sign. The Euphrates is currently drying up. Does that mean the time is near? No, the Euphrates has dried up in the past. It could flow again now and dry up again in that time.
Many people have been tripped up by this and made false predictions. In 1981, Chuck Smith (Jesus Movement, Calvary Chapel) said that generation was the fig tree generation, meaning they were the people who would see all the signs that Jesus described. There are many others.
We must look at all of the prophecies that refer to this event. Then we'll see that there are many other things that must come first:
There are still at least 50 years before Jesus returns, possibly as many as 90.
Looking forward from our point in time, the first big, unmistakable sign is the collapse of the current world order, leading to a world order with 10 divisions and 10 representatives at a governing organization.