REVELATION SIMPLIFIED

 

CHAPTER 9.2

Gleanings from the Book of Revelation:

A Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series

 

The

REVELATION TO JOHN

(The Apocalypse)

                                                                           

Chapter Nine

Judgment Resumed:

The Seven Trumpets

Trumpet Number 5: Woe Number 1

 

 

Introduction

As stated in the preface Revelation Simplified, I was deeply involved in the occult and its practices before becoming a Christian. I cannot stress enough the real and present danger that exists in the spiritual realm. The Apostle Paul stated it well when he discusses the preparation needed to fight daily spiritual battles with demonic forces. As each day begins, we need to gear up with the whole armor of God, especially when studying the subsequent chapters in Revelation. Paul writes:

Ephesians 6: 10-12 - My brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (trickeries, schemes, tactics, strategies) of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

 

While we may never experience, as believers, the horrors of Revelation 9, our awareness of this subject matter is paramount in witnessing to unbelievers the need for their repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, as we await the Trump of Jesus' call, let us study and be fully prepared for the daily warfare in the unseen world (the supernatural realm) so we can distinguish between what is spiritual and what is reality.

 

Though many publications and doctrinal treatises contain detailed information on this subject matter and extensive misinformation, for easy reading may I recommend: (Ingram, Chip. The Invisible War: What Every Believer Needs to Know about Satan, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2006).

 

It also may be a wise practice to avoid any curiosity about occultism and its involvement, no matter how enticing and innocent it may appear. Thus, biblical awareness of demonology and its activities is extremely essential.

 

The archenemy of Jesus Christ is Satan. His sole desire is to thwart God's redemptive plan of salvation, deceive anyone from the truth about Jesus Christ, and rob you of your rightful inheritance to everlasting life. His attacks on Christians, certainly in the last days, will intensify as a believer strives to obey and serve Christ by spreading the Gospel message and revealing Satan's demise. In Peter's warning, he writes about resistance:

1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober (discreet and watchful), be vigilant (keep awake); because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (literally, swallow up).

 

Hence, we need to be amply equipped for the spiritual battle that lies ahead. One such means is to engage in one of the many invaluable Bible studies available on the Armor of God as found in Ephesians 6.

 

 

(Verse 2)

 

And he opened the Bottomless Pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

 

In the prior study, the One who holds the keys to death and Hades (cf. Revelation 1:18) temporarily gives the keys of the Bottomless Pit to the fallen star (Satan) to unleash spiritual wrath and judgment upon mankind. The main key to understanding the horrible and terrifying drama taking place is that John, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is describing an unseen world to which we are unfamiliar. Everything is happening in another dimension, if you will, in the supernatural, a spiritual world or realm.

 

As Satan unlocks the Bottomless Pit, like a volcanic eruption, there arises not literal, but unnatural smoke from this prison abode of horrible fallen angels. The vision is almost as if the earth opens its mouth and unleashes a gigantic volcanic cloud of smoke upon the entire world.

 

There arose a smoke

Smoke in Scripture is generally a symbol of deception and is always associated with judgment. It is highly purported a satanic envoy will strongly delude the nations. Coinciding with his letter to the church at Thessalonica, Paul writes:

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 - And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 

As the smoke of a great furnace

This is symbolic language. Smoke belches out of the Bottomless Pit like the smoke of a great furnace. Subsequently, the furnace is not a new analogy. Three comparative events are as follows:

1.   When Jesus referred to it in describing Hell:

Matthew 13:42, 50 - And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

 

2. When God gave Moses the Law, something extraordinary happened at Mount Sinai:

Exodus 19:18 - And Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

 

3.  When mentioned after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah:

Genesis 19:28 - And he (Abraham) looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

 

 

And the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

Darkness

How frightful. When the prison house of fallen angels is unlocked, the literal soot of Hell billows out from the unseen pit, bleeds into our dimension, pollutes the atmosphere to such an intense degree, and causes the sun and air to become densely darkened like an eclipse.

 

This event is similarly likened to three other events in Scripture:

1. The ninth plague in Egypt

Exodus 10-22 - And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.

It is interesting to note that the darkness lasted three days locally in the land of Egypt.

 

2.  When Jesus gave up the Ghost

Luke 23:44-45 - And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

In this account, darkness only sustained for three hours, however, over the entire earth.

 

3.  During the sound of the fourth trumpet

Revelation 8:12 - And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

 

As a result of the fourth trumpet judgment, merely one-third of the day (eight hours) and one-third of the heavenly luminaries are darkened. It is unclear how long the darkness lingers, but it does precipitate a plague that extends for a term of five months (verse 5).

 

Since Satan is known as the Prince of the power of the air (cf. Ephesians 2:2), he is given control of the events on earth and satanic activities and agencies in the subsequent passages.

 

 

(Verse 3)

 

And there came out of the smoke locusts upon (into or unto) the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

 

Locusts

Out of this smoke from the pit appears a hellish demonic species of locusts that envelops the earth. Interestingly, the Greek word for locusts is akris and it is the same word used for John the Baptist's diet in the wilderness (cf. Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6). Also, during the Old Testament era, locusts were regarded as edible clean food (cf. Leviticus 11:22). Even today they are considered healthy delicacies, especially in many African, Asian, and Middle Eastern countries because of their protein content.

 

Many authors have attempted to equate these locusts with man-made objects that exist today (e.g., helicopters, etc.), however, in staying true to the text, what John is seeing, in reality, is demonic possession of created beings, not man-made objects.

For example, in the Garden of Eden the snake was originally a created being that stood upright and had communication skills:

Genesis 3:1 - Now the serpent was more subtil (cunning or crafty) than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

 

Genesis 3:14 - So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.

 

So, the postulation is that these locusts are demonically possessed as well. For an interesting project, research demonic possession in the Bible and discover the many occurrences not only in the Old Testament but the New as well, especially within the accounts in which Jesus cast out demons.

 

Unto them was given power

The above phrase is not an allegory. While Satan may rule these evil spirit beings, it underscores that the power given to the locusts is stringently under the control of God and not Satan. Recall - God is the one true and Creator God [Elohim (Genesis 1:1)].

Colossians 1:16 - For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him.

 

John 1:3 – All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.

 

Revelation 4:11 - Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.

 

And unto them (the locusts) was given power [by God], as (like) the scorpions of the earth have power.

 

Locusts and Scorpions of the Earth

Locusts are insects closely related to grasshoppers. While the grasshopper hops, the locust takes wing and travels great distances. Locusts potentially become destructive forces when they are en masse under certain conditions. The Romans termed them burners of the land. An interesting correlation may be made to the eighth plague of Egypt:

Exodus 10:14 - And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous (weighty, heavy) were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

 

Unlike the text of Revelation 9, however, these locusts were not demonic; but actual destructive locusts operating under God's authority.

 

Scorpions on the other hand are spiderlike creatures having a venomous sting at the end of their long narrow erect-tipped tail. Although its sting is not deadly, its infliction is severely painful. Their arms have lobster-like claws to clutch their prey. They are primarily found numerous in hot and arid wilderness areas, especially around Judea.

 

The locusts mentioned in the text are not normal locusts because they have scorpion-like stings on their tails. Consequently, in the following verses (during the next study), we will observe how God places limitations on the power given to them.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1.   What are some ways to avoid spiritual warfare?

2.   Who is given the keys to the Bottomless Pit?

3.   Why was the pit opened?

4.   Describe the scene when the pit is finally opened.

5.   What forces materialize under the fifth judgment?

6.   What is their main purpose?

7.   Who is in total control of these events?

 

 

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