““Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels, who had been prepared…, were released to kill a third of mankind.” Revelation 9:14-15

The Holy Angels of God are not restrained and go about in Heaven and Earth doing the good will of the Lord God. But these four angels in Revelation 9:14-15 have been bound along the river Euphrates in the Middle East. These are obviously four fallen angels who followed after the destructive ways of Satan, and as demons had been bound or restrained from doing their evil work of death. Then this prophecy in Revelation tells they are released at the great river Euphrates and they unleash themselves as demons of death going about their deathly work.

The Euphrates is now a river bounded by Islam. There are four Islamic countries whose land is at the River Euphrates; they are Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. And as prophesied these four demons of death will work their demonic will with these four countries.

Iraq is the land of ancient Babylon with the Euphrates River running through it. In the Book of Jeremiah it is foretold that for the iniquity of Babylon, the land would become a land of ruin forever. As described in Chapter 51, Jeremiah wrote in the book all the evil that would come upon Babylon. Then had the words of the book read in Babylon and after reading had the book thrown into the Euphrates while saying, “…‘Thus Babylon shall sink and not rise from the catastrophe that I will bring upon her. And they shall be weary.’”

To this day, the inhabitants of this Islamic land are weary with the ruin befallen it. A recent study by university researchers from the United States, Canada, and Iraq states a half-million people have died there in Iraq since its last invasion. But the body count and destruction in the country of Iraq continues to mount in the chaos left there as a mix of countries continue to fight with the rise of the demon of death unleashed and working today in this Islamic country on the Euphrates River.

Syria is a country whose capital is Damascus, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, and Syria like Iraq has the river Euphrates running through it. And in the Books of Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49 they declare that Damascus, which represents Syria, “…will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap.” And also, “Against Damascus. Hamath and Arpad are shamed, For they have heard bad news. They are fainthearted; There is trouble on the sea; It cannot be quiet. Damascus has grown feeble; She turns to flee, And fear has seized her…. Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day,” says the Lord of hosts.”

And scriptural fulfillment continues to happen with Syria being ruined as it has disintegrated and descended into a hellish civil war with the demon of death; with thus far over a quarter million dead and more than eleven million forced from their homes; with approximately four million of those leaving the country in the largest refugee exodus in recent history. And, again, this demon of death is working effectively today in this Islamic country with a continuing free-for-all conflict of attacks and fighting in Syria by such as Russia, Iran, Turkey, United States, Britain, France, and a host of Islamic state countries, rebels, and terrorists.

Turkey, also known as ancient lands of Togarmah and Tubal in Scriptural history, is the Islamic country where the Euphrates River originates before it flows through Syria and Iraq. Just as the land of Turkey unleashes the power of the Euphrates River, this Islamic country with the power of one of the ten largest militaries in the world and second largest in NATO after the United States, could have just triggered unleashing an escalation of the demon of death in the Euphrates area. They already had their military active in both Iraq and Syria with troops and aircraft involved in either fighting with or supporting Syrian rebels to overthrow the Syrian government. Then Turkey escalated when they unilaterally without NATO consultation shot down a Russian fighter jet at its border with Syria. This has brought Turkey and Russia head-to-head with serious threats and economic retaliations. It has even broader more serious implications for the future since Russia and Turkey are both after the same goal of influence and control in the Middle East with their Syrian intervention.

This catalyst can cause both of their armies to increase the power of the demon of death with military escalations at the Euphrates River area. This including not only just military advice and assistance for their proxies there, but also such as Turkey and Russia increasing direct attacks until invading south into Syria and Iraq, then even more. Ezekiel 38 foretells “Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal… the house of Togarmah…and all its troops… In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel…You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops… says the Lord God, that My fury will show in My face… And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed… Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” This is foretelling that ultimately Turkey and Russia will invade south into the Middle East toward Israel but will be defeated as said by the Lord God.

Iran, also known as Persia in Scriptural history, is the country where the flow of the Euphrates River ends as it empties itself into the Gulf of Persia. Iran has joined with Iraq in fighting in that country, and also is now in Syria fighting along with the Russians. But Iran is also the Islamic country that wants to end the country of Israel evidenced with their leaders and people constantly chanting for their death and to wipe them off the face of the earth. They also are obtaining the means to try to accomplish that with the demon of death pushing them to

A new Iranian precision-guided ballistic missile is launched as it is tested at an undisclosed location October 11, 2015. REUTERS/farsnews.com/Handout via Reuters

continue their development of nuclear material and ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. They continue such development while flaunting it in the face of United States and United Nations agreements. They will not be deterred.

In Ezekiel 38 it says, “Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh… and prophesy against him… Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them… In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel…You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops… says the Lord God, that My fury will show in My face… And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed… Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” This is foretelling that Persia or Iran will also be the partner of Russia as they bring together an alliance of death in the future in a Middle East World War, but the Lord God will also cause their defeat.

The World is experiencing increasing death from these four demons at the Euphrates River as well. At this Islamic center point these demons of death have killed many and will kill more, but they don’t only do their evil work in these four Islamic countries; but from there emanate out into the world radiating death to country after country.

Paris Terror Attack, CBS News, 11-14-2015

Recent outbreaks of death come to mind in Paris, France with 130 people killed and close to 400 wounded by Islamists, the deadliest attacks on France since World War II; and another recent outbreak of death in San Bernardino, California, USA, with 14 killed and 22 wounded by Islamists. As these demons of death infiltrate into the world out from the Islamic epicenter of the Euphrates River they have spread death with many hundreds of deathly attacks and tens of thousands wounded or killed already. But these demons of death will continue their evil work ultimately drawing the world to the Islamic ground zero at the Euphrates River with a Middle Eastern World War including an army of two hundred million and their work results in a third of mankind dead. As Revelation 9 describes, “So the four angels, who had been prepared…, were released… Now the number of the army… was two hundred million… a third of mankind was killed….”

The Signs of the Last Days™ are happening before us as we watch prophesies of the Revelation being fulfilled. At the end of the Revelation it says, “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”

Learn more in our Prophecy Study “Understanding the Signs of the Last Days™”.