Revelation Study Series 14a - God’s Mysterious Plan Fulfilled Chapter 9a
01.30.22
Message…
Worst Year Ever - 356 AD
In Europe, "It was the beginning of one of the worst periods to be alive, if not the worst year," says McCormick, a historian and archeologist who chairs the Harvard University Initiative for the Science of the Human Past.
A mysterious fog plunged Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia into darkness, day and night—for 18 months. "For the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during the whole year," wrote Byzantine historian Procopius. Temperatures in the summer of 536 fell 1.5°C to 2.5°C [36.5 F], initiating the coldest decade in the past 2300 years. Snow fell that summer in China; crops failed; people starved. The Irish chronicles record "a failure of bread from the years 536–539." Then, in 541, bubonic plague struck the Roman port of Pelusium, in Egypt. What came to be called the Plague of Justinian spread rapidly, wiping out one-third to one-half of the population of the eastern Roman Empire and hastening its collapse, McCormick says.
https://www.science.org/content/article/why-536-was-worst-year-be-alive#:~:text=Temperatures%20in%20the%20summer%20of,port%20of%20Pelusium%2C%20in%20Egypt.
After what we will discuss today…536 AD will seem like Spring Break!
*(LW Recap) In ch. 8, the Lamb, the only One worthy to take the seven sealed scroll from the One on the throne. He broke the seventh seal. With the breaking of that seventh seal came seven angels with seven trumpets. These trumpets represent seven judgments.
Trumpet 1…
Rev. 8:7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. One-third of the earth was set on fire, one-third of the trees were burned, and all the green grass was burned.
Trumpet 2…
Rev. 8:8 Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. One-third of the water in the sea became blood, 9 one-third of all things living in the sea died, and one-third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed.
Trumpet 3…
Rev. 8:10 Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch. It fell on one-third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star was Bitterness. It made one-third of the water bitter, and many people died from drinking the bitter water.
Trumpet 4…
Rev. 8:12 Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and one-third of the sun was struck, and one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars, and they became dark. And one-third of the day was dark, and also one-third of the night.
And, if all that weren’t bad enough…the worst has not even begun!
Rev. 8:13 Then I looked, and I heard a single eagle crying loudly as it flew through the air, “Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world because of what will happen when the last three angels blow their trumpets.”
356 AD, the Civil War years, years of WW1/WW2, Vietnam War years, 2020-Present…you could throw all of this together and none of it will be anything like what is coming!
Revelation 9:1-2
1 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen to earth from the sky, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.
2 When he opened it, smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air turned dark from the smoke.
“...a star that had fallen to earth…”
This star is clearly a created being. There is debate as to if this is satan, some other fallen angel, or just an angel.
I believe it is satan. With the description that “...a star that had fallen to earth…”
This indicates that the “fall” had already taken place as John is seeing this.
Ezekiel 28:12-15
12 “Son of man, sing this funeral song for the king of Tyre. Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD: “You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone—red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone, blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper, blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald—all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created.
14 I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire.
15 “You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you.
Isaiah 14:12-14
12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world.
13 For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north.
14 I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’
Jesus told several followers…
Luke 10:18 “Yes,” He told them, “I saw satan fall from heaven like lightning!
“...he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.”
he didn’t possess the key. he doesn’t have the authority or ownership of the key. he is only allowed to use the key.
This “bottomless pit” is an actual place. It is mentioned several times in the book of Revelation.
2 Peter 2:4
For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment.
Jude 1:6-7
And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment.
During the Great Tribulation the anti-Christ will ascend up from out of this bottomless pit. (Rev. 17:8)
And, during the 1,000 yr/Millennial Reign, satan will be bound and confined to this bottomless pit. (Rev. 20:3)
So, this created being…probably satan, is given the key to the bottomless pit.
“...smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air turned dark from the smoke.”
(Rev. 8:2)
Revelation 9:3-5
3 Then locusts came from the smoke and descended on the earth, and they were given power to sting like scorpions.
4 They were told not to harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
From the pit comes a swarm of locusts...but, obviously not locusts like man has ever seen. They will not consume vegetation, but will torment mankind. (Unrepentant mankind)
5 They were told not to kill them but to torture them for five months with pain like the pain of a scorpion sting.
?It is reported that the life cycle of a locust is five months usually, from May to September. –JMSB
In 1915 locusts destroyed almost all of the vegetation around Palestine in the Middle East.
There was an outbreak in 2004 that covered the areas of West and North Africa.
It was reported that in the area around Morocco the swarm of locusts was so thick that it contained an estimated 69 billion of them.
Imagine the destruction that was caused. But, again they will not be here to eat...but to torment. Their torment will be like the sting of a scorpion.
While usually not lethal, the scorpion sting is the most agonizing. Aside from being sick, the victim can experience foaming at the mouth, and gut wrenching pain.
Again, they will torment man for five months and the pain they will inflict will cause people to want to die for relief...but their sting will not cause death.
They will not be allowed to hurt those that have the seal of God in their forehead. This would be the 144,000, and those that have not taken the mark of the beast. Those that are saved during the Great Tribulation.
Revelation 9:6-10
6 In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them!
7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. They had what looked like gold crowns on their heads, and their faces looked like human faces.
8 They had hair like women’s hair and teeth like the teeth of a lion.
9 They wore armor made of iron, and their wings roared like an army of chariots rushing into battle.
10 They had tails that stung like scorpions, and for five months they had the power to torment people.
The apostle John is seeing all this before him. The Lord is revealing it to him to record for us to know and understand what will take place during the Great Tribulation period.
John is very descriptive in trying to explain something that is almost unexplainable.
Like a horses prepared for battle, like a crown of gold on their head, the face as of a man, hair as a woman’s, teeth like a lion, armor made of iron, and the sound of their wings sound like a rushing chariots in battle...along with that tail of a scorpion.
Now, that doesn’t explain any locust I’ve ever seen, or want to see.
Some suggest that these locusts are fallen angels, demons. Demons that take on the form of locusts, and that is how you have the face of a man.
The other descriptions given suggest their ferociousness (teeth like a lion), and their indestructibility (armor like iron).
Whether demons in locust form, or literal locusts with these descriptive appearances and abilities...or something else…
Their image, presence, and the pain they will inflict is enough to frighten any individual!
We are also told that these locusts have a leader...
Revelation 9:11
11 Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon—the Destroyer.
Prov. 30:27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
These are obviously not normal locusts here in Revelation.
This vs. in Revelation would lead me to believe that these locusts are in fact fallen angels, demons.
They have a leader and their leader is specifically named…
“...Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon…”
Both names mean “Destroyer” (vs. 11)
Scripture says he is an angel...a fallen angel. This is not the same fallen created being (satan) that opened the pit who had been given the key. This is a fallen angel that was being held in the bottomless pit until this appointed time.
I have said that satan attempts to mimic/copy everything God does. he wants to be God, believes himself to be above God. he will demand to be worshiped as God.
God has Gabriel, who stands in His presence. God has Michael, who we know is an archangel. This could be satan’s attempt at a fallen archangel with some authority/rank among his own demonic force.
Revelation 9:12
12 The first terror is past, but look, two more terrors are coming!
These things may be hard to imagine or understand. However, they are going to happen! This terror/woe, judgment will take place!
This is heavy stuff. This is dark/demonic/dreadful stuff.
Let me encourage you today…
Life Application…
1 John 4:4
But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
“...He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” -NKJV
The Gospel of Luke tells us of a time when Jesus commissioned 72 disciples (other than the Twelve). These other disciples were to go in advance of Him in areas that He was going to come teach/preach…
Luke 10:16-20
16 Then He said to the disciples, “Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting Me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting Me. And anyone who rejects Me is rejecting God, who sent Me.”
17 When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to Him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use Your name!”
18 “Yes,” He told them, “I saw satan fall from heaven like lightning!
19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.
20 But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”
I tell you all the time that you were created on purpose for a purpose! “You were made for more!” is our church mission/slogan!
Let me add to that today…
You were created for victory! Victory over sin, death, this world, the judgements to come…all of that is victory for you who have placed your faith in the work of Jesus Christ death, burial, and resurrection!
These dark things we read of today are things for the condemned…not the redeemed!!!
“...the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”
Declare it! Receive it! Share it! Live it! Live in the victory that comes with being a child of the One and only Living God!
