Revelation 9
Notes
Transcript
The 5th Trumpet
The 5th Trumpet
Good morning my friends.
I hope and trust you have been blessed with good days over the course of this past week.
And today is the first day of the week, and today we have the joy to gather, to study the word, to worship, later today our youth will do some of the same..
I say all that to remind us, we were blessed because the Lord walked with us this past week and He will walk with you this weeks as well.
The month of August is gone, just a few more days left.
Think about over these past few weeks, and ask yourself, did I do my best for Jesus? Each day moves quickly, before each day is gone, do your best for the Lord.
Soon, our time will be up and we will then have to give an account…I desire to be found faithful, to hear those words, well done good and faithful servant. Don’t you....
Today we come back to the 9th chapter of the book of Revelation.
The chapter will open with the 5th trumpet being sounded and we will see what the Lord say as we walk through the text....
So lets begin this morning with this thought...
1. 5th Trumpet Sounds...
As we open the text today we see the 5th of 7 angels that are in heaven, and this one blows his trumpet.
Lets look at the first two verses here in chapter 9.
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.
As the angels sounds the trumpet, John makes the declaration that he saw a star fall from heaven to the earth.
This star is different than the one that fell in chapter 8, verse 10. That star was more like a meteor.. but this star, it is a person.
We know this from the text of verse one, the star fell and he was given a key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.
So what does all this tell us… the star represents an angel, one of those who did not keep their positions of authority… Jude 6.
Just as the stars fall at times, angels fell, in their revolt of their natural places, they fell …one of which is Satan.
We can identify the star as Satan from what Jesus tells us in Luke 10:18
18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
And Peter reminds us of Satan’s fall along with other angels as we see in 2 Peter 2:4
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;
Now there is an important word I want you to see from verse 1, Rev 9:1 John says “...I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth,...
Fallen, is important here, in the Greek is indicates not only a past action, but one that also has continuing results.
The fall of Satan is seen as a event in the past but it has a continuing effect on this world. He will remain fallen, and a key to hell, the abyss, it is presented to him.
The key is to the holding place where demons who have already been judged are being held in captivity until their final judgement.
Now look back at verse 2.... Rev 9:2
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.
So the one with the key, the devil opens the abyss, the bottomless pit.... and smoke arises and it darkens the air, and the sun. It was like the smoke of a huge furnace.
The one who opens hell is the same one who will ultimately be condemned to that place, the ole devil.
This vision that John witnesses is going to show us something important, during this time without the church, without His grace here there will be an increase of demonic activity upon the earth at this time.
Secondly today, a Woe is Unleashed on the land.
2. A Woe is Unleashed....
And as you look at verse 3, smoke isn’t the only thing coming from the pit... The devil, the destroyer brings something else upon the world.
Lets look at verse 3-4… Rev 9:3-4
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.
Out of the smoke came locusts, locusts that flee the pit . Can you imagine the scene that John witnesses this day, as the smoke arose, we see the smoke is mingled with locusts, who themselves are so thick in number they are just as dark as smoke and they fill the earth.
Now we know that locusts, like some of the earlier judgments we saw in Egypt, they brought destruction upon the land. In Exodus chapter 10, we see those locusts stripped the land of Egypt of food until the point Pharoah asked Moses to remove that plague from the land.
So this is happening in John’s vision, it’s a nod perhaps to the plagues that fell upon Egypt as the children of Israel were being afflicted by the Egyptians
Now consider.....Locusts are devastating, devouring, swarms that leave nothing behind when they come upon grain fields or other types of vegetation. They strip every green thing leaving only bear branches.
But these locusts are different, they are given the power of a scorpions, Wow. Now we know or recognize what a scorpion is, they are those creatures with the long stinging tail that we find out west and on other countries around the world.
They hurt their prey by holding them with their claws and stinging them with their tails. And here these locusts are given the ability to sting men.
Now jump down for a minute to verses 7-10, we are given a greater example of their appearance. Lets look at that passage...
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.
Can you just imagine this with me… They appear like horses, with crowns on their heads, the hair of a woman and teeth like a lion, breast plates of iron and they were given tails like that of a scorpion.
So we have a wild vivid image of these creatures… Powerful like horses with a crown upon their heads, this indicates they are victorious over those unbelievers during the tribulation period.
The hair reminds us they are fierce, human faces tell us of their intelligence and those teeth, well they have a hunger to devour mankind, and they march toward man like a giant army.
They will bring torment upon those who are not the Lord’s own… but while they will harm man for 5 months, remember not every person, just those who do not have the mark of God upon their heads.
Who has the mark of God upon their heads, remember just a couple chapters ago, the 144.000 of the 12 tribes of Israel
And look at what else they are commands to not do…They are told to harm no green thing. No plants, trees or grass. The normal food staple of the locusts are off limits, they are to be left alone.
They are here only to torment man, So for 5 months the locusts are left to torment, but not kill those who do not bear the mark of God upon their foreheads.
Can you imagine how terrible this will be for those who are not the Lord’s…
My friends, what a little picture of hell we have here. It is a picture of a portion of what those without Jesus will suffer…It is a terrible, terrible thing.
They will suffer and not die, they will be in a place of torment that will not end, a fire that will not consume but yet torture.
How sad to see these days upon the land, these are so bad that people hope to experience death,
And they have a ruler, look at verse 11…Rev 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 Devil, Satan is their ruler spoken of here, Now he is called Adaddon in the Hebrew and Apollyon in the Greek.. yet both those wordsor names have one meaning…Destroyer...
He is the destroyer....
Does that sound familiar to you?
Jesus told us they thief, the devil comes to kill, steal and to destroy.... do you see that, he destroys… He takes away life while Jesus brings life and life abundantly.
Now just one last thought today...
3. The 6th Trumpet and the Second Woe...
As we walk into the second section of the chapter, we find the 6th angel blowing the 6th Trumpet.
Look at verses 12-15.... Rev 9:12-15
12 The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.
13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind.
So we are told in verse 12 that an announcement is given… the first of three woes has come to an end, but there are still two more woes to be pronounced upon the world.
And so the second woe begins with verse 13. A 6th angel is seen by John. And this angel is blowing its trumpet...
But there is a lot more happening… As this 6th angels blows the trumpet we are told a voice speaks from the golden 4 horned altar, the altar of incense, that lay in front of the curtain that divided the holy of holies from the holy place there in the temple.
And this voice calls for the angel to blow his trumpet and in doing so the call is for the 4 angels, that are bound at the Euphrates river to be released.
Wow, now when you think of angels, these are bound, Angels are not bound unless they are evil, demonic angles, not God’s angels.
I say that, why? Remember when Satan fell and rebelled against God? The Bible tells us that a 1/3 of the angels rebelled and were cast out as well.
But they (these 4 angels) have been kept in chains until this time, until this day… and they are allowed to be released and thus kill a 1/3 of mankind of those non believers who are alive during the tribulation.
Previously in chapter 6 a 1/4 of the earth had been killed and here it says a 1/3 of mankind would perish as well.
Death is a certain point of this world without the Holy Spirit and the church.
My friends, it is the events likes these that remind us just how important it is for the church to be a witness, to be a light in this world while there is still time.
Listen friends, there is still time, there is still the opportunity for people to chose life and not death. But the only way is for the church to be a witness. If we will be a witness, many will not face death or even the days of the Tribulation.
So how will these angles accomplish the task the have been prepared for and bring death to the world?
John says they will have a 2 hundred million member army at their disposal. The number of the armies of the horsemen were 2 hundred million.
Look at verses 16-19 Rev 9:16-19
16 The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.
Wow...
And look at the riders on those horses. The riders had breastplates the color of fire and sapphire, and the heads of the horses were like lions and three things come out of those horses mouths. Fire, Smoke and Sulfur or Brimstone...
And remember the horses tails are like serpents, and their head, like a lion poured out those three plagues, Fire, Smoke and Sulfur or Brimstone.
And this three fold plague (the fire, smoke and brimstone) from the armies and horses brought death to a 1/3 of the people on the earth.
So the evil destroyer, Satan has power over this army and directing them to torture and hurt the people of this world.
So my now, more than 1/2 of the worlds population have been killed by these various troubles that have been brought upon the earth during the Tribulation.
And with all this taking place, the saddest thing we see is the response of those who were not killed...
Look at verses 20-21 Rev 9:20-21
20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
It had no effect upon the hearts, seeing all that was taking place didn’t lead any to think on or consider who God is, nor man’s state before him.
it brought no repentance, it brought no change, they continued in their sins..
How sad my friends, To see the hard heartedness of mankind that the work of God has no effect upon the people.
Friends, let me encourage you today, we are the children of God, heirs of heaven that await us.
But you, God will use you to help love and care for the world around us.
We have the message, the words of hope, the words of life, we should do all we can to deliver the message that they might miss hell.
God will use you if you will allow Him too..
Now, let me ask you my friends,
Are you ready to enter heaven today?
Is there anything in your heart today that should not be there.
Confess it, and live right before God.