The Fifth And Sixth Trumpets Series

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