The Trumpet Judgements 5-7 Woe, Woe, Woe
Notes
Transcript
These trumpet judgments are unique as the only judgments preceded by prophetic warnings of woe. The first four centered on the dismantling of creation, but these are cosmic in scope, centering on the demonic powers that turn on their own followers. Those were addressed to nature; these are directed at people.
This section begins slightly differently than the others, including both “I looked and heard” so as to stress the message of the bird. The emphasis on the eagle “flying in midair” shows the message is delivered all over the world from a point midway between heaven and earth.
The eagle’s message dominates chapter 9. The threefold “woe, woe, woe” is the obverse of the “holy, holy, holy” of 4:8—God’s ultimate holiness that defines his character must produce the ultimate terror of wicked humanity as they face his wrath.
The pattern of 3 & 4 or 3 then 4 = Mystery
Proverbs 30:18–19 “18 Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: 19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin.”
Amos 1:3–5 “3 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. 4 So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. 5 I will break the gate-bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven, and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir,” says the Lord.”
This phase is repeated 8X
Amos is prophesying the end of the age in 792 - 740 BC
The time of the Trumpet judgments?
Revelation 1:19 “19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.”
The trumpet judgments are released late in the 70th week, the final 7 years before the 2nd coming of Christ.
They bring the last days of cosmic battles which have been raging for years
Battles on earth that are the result of spiritual conflict from before the time of man.
Battles that will manifest from alliances and confederations that are being formed this very moment in time, in our time.
The book of Revelation is past, present and future as referenced in 1:19
The future events are comprised of the scroll with 7 seals, the millennial reign and judgments after the millennium
Think of each seal like the beginning of a chapter in a book. What occurs after each seal is broken are the contents of that chapter. We could think of the future events of Revelation as a book with 8 chapters. Inside the 7th chapter, after the 7th seal is opened, all trumpet and bowl judgments are released. The events described in Revelation 8:1 through 19:21 all occur in what we might call chapter 7 of the future events of the book Revelation.
Woe #1, Trumpet 5
Revelation 9:1–12 “1And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. 2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. 3 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. 7 In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, 8 their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; 9 they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. 10 They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon. 12 The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.”
Questions that need an answer
Who is the star that fell?
What is the abyss?
What is the locust army?
Who is the King of the locust army?
Who is the star that fell?
Revelation 9:1–2 “1 And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. 2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.”
John did not see the star fall, rather he saw that it had previously fallen. Who saw it fall?
Luke 10:18–19 “18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”
Isaiah 14:12–14 “12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”
Who else could it be?
Satan is given the key to open the abyss; this authority was not available to him before this judgment
Revelation 1:17–18 “17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
What is the abyss?
Luke 8:30–31 “30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.”
The abyss or abousso is a location where demons and fallen angles reside
Matthew 12:43 “43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none.”
Prior to the great flood, could demons and angles come on go from this location?
Notice as we proceed from here Satan is gaining power, mounting his forces for battle
The first visual from the was dark smoke - darkness is literally rising from the lowest, most awful place in creation
What is the locust army?
Revelation 9:3 “3 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth.”
In scripture locust are metaphoric for judgment
Based on their activity and appearance we can know these are not natural locust
Activity: Torment men and not harm the earth’s vegetation
Appearance: like battle horses; headdresses like golden crowns; human faces; women’s hair; teeth like a lion; breastplates of iron; tails & stings like scorpions.
Joel 1:1–4 “1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel: 2 Hear this, you elders; give ear, all inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers? 3 Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation. 4 What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten.”
4 locust armies are prophesied and they have a king
Who is the King of the locust army?
Proverbs 30:27 “27 the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;”
These locust have a king and this further communicated to us they are not natural
Revelation 9:11 “11 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.”
The greek name is Apollo from greek mythology - who claims to be the son of Zeus (God)
The meaning of this name is “destroyer”, “son of” and “mighty hunter”
Genesis 10:8–9 “8 Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.””
Why Hebrew & Greek?
Hebrew Translation
Amos 7:1–3 “1 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. 2 When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” 3 So the Lord relented. “This will not happen,” the Lord said.
Greek Translation
1 Thus has the Lord God shewed me; and, behold, a swarm of locusts coming from the east; and, behold, one caterpillar, king Gog.
Who is Gog? The locust king?
Ezekiel 38:1–2“1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him”
Who is Gog? Who is the locust king? A demonic spirit who leads the army against Israel
1 John 2:22–23“22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.”
Remember the 4 locust armies prophesied by Joel
They represent \ symbolize historical Empires opposing Israel
Daniel chapters 2 and 7 explain who they are
Head of Gold Lion Babylon 6th century BC
Chest of Silver Bear Persia 5th century BC
Belly of Bronze Leopard Greece 4th century BC
Legs of Iron Beast Rome 1st century BC \ AD
GAP - Roman Empire - Byzantine Empire - Ottoman Empire - British Empire - Israel
Feet of Iron\Clay Terrible beast Mixture Daniel’s 70th Week