Posted by Elana Janson on May 04, 2011 at 16:46:08:
A reader has asked the following question: Who are the “kings of the east” in Rev 16:12 and what is their purpose?
Rev 16:12 “And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
Because “kings of the east” appears only once in Revelation the meaning of “kings of the east” can be understood through the meaning of “king” and “kings” in all the chapters of Revelation. The meaning can further be grasped through the positioning and meaning of the word “east”. The meaning, I believe, can also be verified through what is being revealed to us at the present time.
“King” and “kings” in Revelation
Rev 1:5 and 6 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
Those whose sins have been washed in the blood of Christ are “kings and priests unto God”. I place great significance on the unity of state and Christian Church in my understanding of Revelation for Revelation refers to those kings or leaders of nations that have fallen under the influence of the beast as “kings of the earth”. “Kings of the earth” in some verses also refers to all the kings who reign over the nations.
Rev 6:15 “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;” They will hide themselves in the end time, when they realize the words of Revelation are being fulfilled.
Rev 16:13-14 “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”
The total influence of the dragon and the beast out of the earth will ultimately gather the leadership of the nations to the great battle. Note how Revelation makes a distinction between the “kings of the earth” and “of the whole world”
Rev 17:18 “The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” The leadership of the nations is controlled by the “great city”.
Rev18:3 “For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” The leadership of the nations has been deceived by the wealth and abundance brought about by the success of global trade. They have become immoral and they follow the directives that the “great city” dictates.
Rev18:9 “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her” When the “great city” is effected by war or natural disaster (“fire”), the misled leadership of the nations will mourn.
Rev 19:19: “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army”. This verse seems to include history and the end time. The beast and the kings of the earth are going to make war against “him that sat on the horse and his army”. The rider on the horse, in Rev 19 is the king or leader of the nations and symbolizes the unity of the Christian king and Christian army making war for Christianity. This was in the time of the Christian kings. “The rider” also includes the last three riders of the apocalypse which symbolize war through the last two millennia that under changed regimes (republics and democracies) waged war. Where the last three riders of the apocalypse no longer wear the crown it seems that Revelation is revealing through the word ”rider” all those nations where the Christian faith is preserved but no longer under a Christian head of state.
It seems therefore that the final battle will be between “the kings of the earth” and those who still make war for or in the name of Christianity.
The following verses are of the greatest importance in the total understanding of Revelation.
Rev 21:23 and 24 “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.”
In this verse “kings of the earth” include all kings and leaders of nations that believe that the “Lamb” died for the sins of mankind. In Rev 21:24 the words “kings of the earth” also includes those leaders that were under the influence of the beast but preserved their Christian faith or ultimately converted to the faith and were saved.
So therefore who are the “kings of the east”.
With the words “kings of the east” Revelation is indicating a leadership of nations in the end time that is ‘like’ the “kings of the earth”. The way I understand it is that they are from the East, they have experienced the beast out of the earth, but are kings and priests in Christ.
East
They have a special identity. They come from the east. The drying up of the Euphrates River is going to be a factor in their becoming kings in Christ.
They will enter the New Jerusalem and will receive the seal of God. How do we know this? We know this by the repetition of the word “east” that is used in Rev 7:2 “And I saw another angel ascending from the east having the seal of the living God.” and Rev 21:13 “On the east three gates”. These words indicate that those who are kings and priests in Christ can enter the New Jerusalem from the east.
By what is being revealed to us at the present time
Having said all of the above, it seems that the rebellion taking place in North Africa and the Middle East at the present time, is the final following of the beast by the entire earth (Rev 13:3) - also the nations of the east. The realization that the Euphrates River dried up at the end of the twentieth century (see the discussion of this elsewhere on this Forum) and according to my insight that we are living the fulfillment of the prophecy of Revelation at the present time – bring about an awareness of the Return of Jesus Christ.
Revelation makes reference to how the “beast out of the earth” will actually ultimately “help” the “woman” (the Christian faith and Church) in Rev 12:16: “And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.” This is an absolutely amazing verse. The enmity between believers (“dragon”) will ultimately through those that have made worldliness their priority and a media that equalizes faiths (what we know of the beast out of the earth) bring about reconciliation between the nations and believers. I think we are seeing this at the present time in the Middle East. All the nations of the world can fully understand the present rebellion for greater human rights and freedom.
All of the above are final factors in the conversion to Christianity (“the Lamb is the light thereof”) of some from the east (“that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared”).
Rev 17:17 “For God hath put it in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.” God preserves his Church even in the time that many are misled by the beast out of the earth.