Alpha and Omega, Part 33, Revelation Part 10
The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets
Revelation 9:1-21
Introduction
- Been studying together, chapter by chapter, to understand God’s plan for creation
- Last week, we unpacked the announcement of the first four trumpets
-- These bring about what is referred to as the Wrath of the Lamb – Jesus does it
-- LESSON: Those who know the truth must stand ready to proclaim the Gospel
-- Why? To rescue others, to be found at the throne, to avoid this terrible time
- Today we will look at the effects of the fifth and sixth trumpets being sounded
-- The continued response to God’s judgment against the Earth is … horrifying
- Read Revelation 9:1-21 / Pray
- What is critical to see, is just like the great eagle proclaimed in Ch 8 …
-- There are more woes ahead – more times of punishment and judgment
-- RE: A woe is a time of extreme grief, distress, suffering, and calamity
-- Why? Because of the rebellion of man, God will not allow it to go on forever
Point 1 – The Fifth Trumpet and the First Terror
- These trumpets afflict those ON the earth, rather than just the Earth
-- For example, the affliction fell upon the waters and the land and the stars
-- Now, there is judgement directed specifically at unrepentant people
-- When the fifth angel blew its trumpet, John sees two key things (v1)
- First, John sees a star that is cast out, thrown from Heaven to the Earth
-- The exact identity is not given, however, a pronoun is given to describe it
-- It is the pronoun “he/him”, and from that we have several key facts given
- This was a star (GR: astér) that had fallen (GR: peptokota) from heaven
-- The word choice shows us that this was a star that had already fallen
-- It was not currently there, because the word use is past tense of “to fall”
-- But note this, it is now given a key to the bottomless pit, access to the depths
- FYI, Jesus described Satan as a fallen from Heaven also as a star
-- Context: After disciples returned telling him that demons were being cast out
-- Luke 10:18, “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!”
- The reason for that fall is clear: He wanted to be God, said that would be
-- So, God cast him out and removed him from his place of highest authority
-- Isaiah 14:12-15, “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. 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. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths.”
- Comparing scripture with scripture – John is seeing the results of Satan’s fall
- Second, he sees this star is given a keys the bottomless pit (v2)
-- The location of this is commonly referred to as the Abyss (GR: abussos)
-- And now, he is given authority to unleash what resides in the pit
- Let’s discuss the bottomless pit for a moment to understand this place
-- This is the place where all evil spirits and demons are kept
-- We know that the keys are given to the fallen star, to open its doors, and,
-- We know that their final doom will be Gehenna or the lake of fire (Rev 20:15)
- So when the pit was opened, the smoke was so sick that it blotted out the sun
-- However, the opening of this also unleashes all that reside within it
-- Consider: one or two demons can certainly do some damage …
-- But now, the doors are open all are free to come and go to afflict the Earth
• The darkness of the underworld takes over the daylight
• Horror upon horror is now able to move freely about the earth
- TR: Big Q: What resides in this bottomless pit?
Point 2 – The Demonic Locusts and Satan’s Revelation
- What is now unleashed upon this Earth is simply, unspeakable
-- Demonic entities, in the form of cruel locusts, are allowed to invade the Earth
-- Their focus is one thing: to punish the ungodly and afflict them terribly
- Might ask why they would be called locusts, or take that form?
-- A: Locusts symbolize God’s anger against an unrepentant civilization
-- RE: We’ve seen this in the plagues against Egypt; Pharoah refused to obey God
-- Exodus 10:13, “So Moses raised his staff over Egypt, and the Lord caused an east wind to blow over the land all that day and through the night. When morning arrived, the east wind had brought the locusts.”
- Their ability is far worse than what was experienced in Egypt:
• They will be given scorpion like power (v3)
• They will be restrained from damaging nature (v4)
• They are only to afflict those who do not have God’s seal (v4) (Re: Ch 7)
• They will not kill people, rather they’ll only torment them (v5)
• Their affects will cause people to beg for death, but they won’t die (v6)
- Their charge is simple: hurt the people with torment but don’t kill them
-- Imagine, begging for death because of the pain, yet death will not come
-- FACT: Mankind won’t even be able to muster the courage to take their lives
-- Truly, the judgment of God has come, and these people cannot escape it
- But what’s worse? This torment will last for five months! (v5)
-- This is not a one-time thing and it’s over like a bee sting – but it is repetitive
-- Consider – agonizing pain and torment from these creatures for months
-- The picture here is dreadful – and it’s only the FIRST horror (or “woe”)!
- If this is not enough, take a look if you will at their appearance:
• Looked like horses prepared for battle – they’ll be poised and ready
• Heads that are crowned with gold – they have authority to afflict mankind
• Appear to have faces of men – they’ll be intelligent and think like men
• Have hair like women – may possess a beauty to trap and ensnare
• They have teeth like lions – able to rip an enemy apart; devour
• They’ll have breastplates of iron – they be indestructible and powerful
• Wings that sound like rushing chariots – man will not be able to stop them
• Stinging tails like scorpions – ability to inflict dreadful pain (repeatedly)
- Now, don’t miss who is in charge of these horrifying creatures … (v11)
-- He is an angel (GR: aggelos) – a creature of enormous beauty and strength
-- But, he is a fallen angel, once a servant of God, now an angel of underworld
-- His focus is to bring wickedness and sin to mankind, of all ungodliness possible
- He is a ruler, a leader, or someone with great authority (GR: basileus; king)
-- Just as we’ve seen different levels of authority in Heaven – the pit has them also
-- Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
- All in the bottomless pit are under his authority - which is God given
-- And, he has both a Hebrew and a Greek name (note the similarity here)
• Hebrew: Abaddón – means destruction
• Greek: Apolluón – means a destroyer
-- The ruler of all evil spiritual forces is who the bible calls, Satan
- FACT: You are deceiving yourself if you think you do not need Jesus Christ
-- Jesus is the only authority and salvation that can rescue you from Satan’s power
- Here, and in the following chapters – Satan’s power is unveiled like never before
-- We would be VERY wise to heed these words … and FLEE from sin!
-- Why? 1 Peter 5:8, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
- TR: It is incredible to consider that it will get worse … (two more coming, v12)
Point 3 – The Sixth Trumpet and the Second Terror
- John sees four angels being set loose on the world
-- Note: They are set loose by a command from the golden altar in Heaven
-- Remember the prayers under the altar? Here we see them being answered!
-- There are answered from the altar of God – to set out to vindicate the martyrs
- These four angles are shown as being bound (held at) at the Euphrates River
-- What we know about them is they are four angels, with specific duties
-- Now, why is the head of the Euphrates river important? Remember Genesis?
- Consider … this was the approximate location of the Garden of Eden
-- It was at the location where Satan tempted man – where sin ruined our life
- These four angels were previously held there (perhaps guards of Garden?)
-- They are now loosed and prepared to execute judgment upon the Earth
-- Their judgment will be to slay 1/3 of the remaining population
-- These are not those sealed by God – but those who belong to Satan
-- They are the unrepentant who deny God, who will not accept Jesus Christ
- Remember this: billions will follow the Antichrist in the end days
-- They will believe his nonsense, his lies, and his promises & fake miracles
-- But their allegiance will be their undoing – and now we see them being judged
- But note this fact and do NOT let it escape you:
-- God has set the time, specifically, for this judgment to occur (re-read v15)
-- Don’t miss: God has been preparing these angels for this specific time
-- Warning: John is specific, this is already set in stone … it is GOING to happen
- The army shown in v17 will be an avenging army, with God’s authority
• There will be 200 hundred million riders (FYI: USA military is 1.4M)
o Do the math: This army is ~20x the size of the US military
• Their breastplates will be fiery red and sapphire blue and sulfur yellow
o Signifies their indestructability, have shields prepared for battle
• The horses will be horrible in appearance (adds to the shock of the event)
o They’ll have heads like lions and mouths that spit fire to consume
- Note: The power of these is in the symbolism of their description:
• Head symbolizes intelligence – ability to think and outmaneuver
• Mouth symbolizes deceptive speech and a hunger to consume man
• Tail is like a serpent’s head, symbolizes the power to strike and injure
- SEE: The judgment they carry out has two very clear reasons:
1. The ungodly and evil survivors on this Earth will still not repent, and,
2. They are guilty of carrying out unspeakable sins in these final days
- So, what are these sins that are so offensive to God? There are five listed:
• Increase of idol worship (false idols that cannot do anything)
-- Clear guidance: Exodus 20:4, “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.”
• Increase in the sin of murder (remember the martyrs John saw in Ch 7)
-- Jesus also talked about this: Matthew 24:10, “And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other.” (brother will turn on brother)
• Increase in the sin of sorcery (GR: pharmakos – where we get pharmacy)
o We have the implication of creating spells & potions
o Note: This could also refer to the increased abuse of illicit drugs
-- Learn from Isaiah 8:19-20, “Someone may say to you, “Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.” But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.” (caution against sorceries that lead to comms with the dead)
• Increase in immorality (GR: porneia – get pornography; sexual sin)
-- Paul instructed on this clearly in 1 Corinthians 6:18, “Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.”
• Increase in theft (GR: klemma – where we get kleptomaniac; stealing)
-- Again, clear instruction from God in Exodus 20:15, “You must not steal.”
BIG IDEA
- For the sake of time and what we’ve unpacked, I’m going to stop right here
-- My challenge to you on this is simple … where will YOU spend eternity?
-- If Jesus returned right now, and you were not taken with Him, what then?
- A day is coming where mankind will answer for all of the evils we have done
-- Yes, Satan will be judged and receive what is his … but so will mankind
-- Our deception today is thinking that God will not hold us accountable
- What we have studied here today shows this to be a lie … mankind will suffer
-- The only way out is to know Jesus Christ and His redemption … do you?
- Pray
