Have you ever heard someone say, “It went from bad to worse”? That’s exactly what happens when the sixth trumpet sounds in Revelation 9. Things get really serious. But don’t worry—God doesn’t just show us what’s going wrong. He also shows us how to identify the tricks of the enemy.
“By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.” -Revelation 9:18-19
Yikes! A third of the people on earth are killed by fire, smoke, and brimstone—terrible things coming from the mouths of strange creatures with tails like snakes. It’s a vivid and scary picture, but it’s also full of symbols. And one of the biggest clues is this: their power is in their mouths and in their tails.
That sounds strange, doesn’t it? Mouths and tails? It doesn’t say the power is in their weapons of iron or enormous battleships. What kind of battle is this?!
Mouths
Let’s start with the mouth. Throughout Revelation, mouths show up a lot—and they’re not just for eating or talking about the weather. They speak lies, blasphemies, and evil ideas. The serpent (Satan) spews water from his mouth to try and sweep away God’s people. The beast is given a mouth to speak proud words. And later on, three unclean spirits come right out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet (Revelation 12:15, 13:4-5, 16:13-14). The mouth is powerful and it can be dangerous.
Why? Because Satan’s main weapon is deceit. Read what Jesus said below.
“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” -John 8:44
Jesus said that the devil is “the father of lies.” He’s been lying since the beginning. He twists the truth and tries to confuse people. In the above passage, Jesus was talking to the pharisees. Unfortunately Satan even works through spiritual leaders to spread his lies. It’s a battle for the mind, and the enemy is sneaky.
Tails
And what about the tails? The power is in both their mouths and their tails.
Is there a passage of scripture where people have turned away from God and tails are used as symbols? Amazingly, yes!
Israel was in trouble (again) because of their pride and arrogance. God sent a message through his prophet Isaiah of their coming judgment. It gives some details about who led them astray.
Listen for who the “tails” symbolize.
For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts. Therefore the Lord will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day. The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and those who are led by them are destroyed. -Isaiah:13-16
In this passage the “tail” represents false prophets teaching lies. The leaders are causing people to go the wrong way – a way that leads to destruction. The prophets and leaders were supposed to guide people toward God and the truth, but instead, they led them into darkness. That’s what’s happening in the sixth trumpet as well. Leaders who seem spiritual are actually leading people away from the truth and into paths that lead to destruction.
So how do we figure out who’s telling the truth? How do we know who to trust?
The Ultimate Lie Detector
Thankfully God gives us the ultimate lie detector tool called His Word.
Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).
That means we need to open our Bibles and read God’s Word – every day. Jesus (Yeshua) is the truth (John 14:6). He sends the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth (John 16:13).
There is a lot of deception out there – in movies, in popular music, in books and even in the church. You are never to young to begin testing what you hear with what the Bible says. Jesus gives us His Word to help us know what’s true and what’s not.
Start here:
- Test everything you hear with the Bible (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
- Light your path using God’s Word as your guide (Psalm 119:105).
- Pray daily for the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth (John 16:13).
- Decide to follow Jesus wherever He leads —the Truth will set you free.
We’re not in a battle of bullets or explosions. We’re in a battle of ideas, where lies sound sweet, and truth can be hard to hear. But don’t give up. Keep learning. Keep testing everything with the Bible. God through his word will never let you down or lead you astray!
The sixth trumpet is a warning—but it’s also a wake-up call. God is reminding us to stay alert. He has provide a weapon for this battle. Will you use it?
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. -Ephesians 6:17
Download the Truth and Lies Exercise below to practice testing some common lies with the truth in God’s Word. This is a great exercise for kids to do on their own to start learning how to test what they hear with what God says in the Bible.
