Revelation Chapter 9‏‏‏‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome back! During this week’s fellowship time, we’ll continue our study of Revelation.

Revelation Chapter 9
 
This week we will investigate chapter 9 in our journey of the end times.

As we come to our next chapter in the book of Revelation, we find the increasing intensity of the prophetic Trumpet Judgments which will befall planet earth as part of the Seven Year Tribulation. Looking back at our last study in chapter eight, you’ll remember that the first four Trumpet Judgments were released upon planet earth and its inhabitants. We will now continue with the “woes” to follow found in chapter nine.
 
The next two judgments are often difficult to understand due to the "apocalyptic" literature that is being used in the passages. The Apostle John writes down what is revealed to him about these seemingly very strange judgments and the associated killing of one third of the earth’s population at that time in history – a very somber thought indeed.
 
There is obviously a lot going on here in these frightening passages! Let’s see if we can “unpack” them a bit to perhaps assist us in an understanding of what the Lord Jesus may want us to know about these particular judgments…
 
The 5^th Trumpet Judgment:

Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon. One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things – Revelation 9:1-12

Satan will be allowed to open the shaft and let all the demons out and sin is going to run its final course. The key doesn't belong to Satan. Who does it belong to? Jesus Christ says, "I am the One who lives forevermore and I have the keys of death and Hades" But Jesus will give this fallen angel, Satan, temporary authority to open the pit and let all the demons loose.
 
Imagine what the world would be like if we were to open the doors of all the penitentiaries of earth and set free the world's most vicious and violent criminals, giving them full reign to practice their infamies upon mankind. Something worse than that lies in store for the world. Satan cast out of heaven is now permitted to summon to his aid the most diabolical fiends in the abyss to act as his agents in bringing mankind to the footstool of the beast. That's why we refer to chapter 9 as hell on earth!
 
The appearance on the earth of "locusts" described here gives us this vivid description of them as follows:

The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months – Revelation 9:7-10

This passage may indeed be describing an actual locust infestation as taught by some Bible scholars. Or perhaps they represent war machines – such as Apache attack helicopters – that would be used during a future world war… These “locusts” will indeed be a destructive force of judgment.
 
Here’s a thought – Insect locusts feed on green things, but these are demons! They leave the grass alone and the two thirds of the trees that are left and they only go after the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And whatever they do to them is horrifyingly painful, the torment is terrorizing. Interestingly, Five months is the normal life of a locust – they live from May to September. They can devastate a land in minutes. These demon locusts are going to have the career duration of insect locusts – five months, 150 days. By the way, that's the very duration of the rising flood waters in the day of Noah. God is going to give the unbelieving suffering individuals five months to repent. But they can't touch people who have the seal of God on their foreheads who are marked out as His.
 
The 6^th Trumpet Judgment:

Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,  saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm. But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts – Revelation 9:13-21

During this terrible time of the Tribulation period, the Lord Jesus Christ will allow ”four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates” to release ”two hundred million horseman” to usher in judgment on the inhabitants of the earth for the purpose of bringing them under subjection:

Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them – Revelation 9:16

Perhaps this reference to the ”two hundred million” represents the actual physical human armies of the world and their great war machines which will make their way across the “dried up” Euphrates River to challenge the Most High God at the battle of Armageddon. Or perhaps these horseman are supernatural – unlike any living horses we’ve ever seen before:

And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone – Revelation 9:17

Although these challenging passages could indeed be speaking of actual nuclear war which will inevitably take place, it would seem this multitude is neither from the east nor human. To summarize why it appears these ”two hundred million” are demons and not the Chinese army as some scholars believe, four points can be noted: 

• They are led by four fallen angels
• The location of the army is stated to be the Euphrates, where Babylon is located – which will be the future headquarters of the counterfeit trinit
• The description given in the text seems to rule out this army as being human
• The kings of the east in chapter 16 are not connected with this event

 
Finally, we find the startling horrific deaths of one third of the earth’s population:

By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths – Revelation 9:18

In utilizing simple mathematics…
 
This means that with the one fourth of the recorded deaths as a result of the fourth Seal Judgment of chapter 6 combined with the recorded death of one third in verse 18 of chapter 9, we see that equates to approximately ONE HALF of the earth’s total population being killed up to this time during the Tribulation period! Think of this – using our present population statistics, that would equate to three and one half billion people left dead! And there are still several more judgments to follow – which will increase in their intensity!
 
This will indeed be a terrible time of judgment for the earth and its inhabitants!  The devastating destruction is unthinkable! But this is what awaits man who rejects Jesus Christ. However, from out of this “hell on earth” carnage, there is hope to come…
 
The 7^th Trumpet Judgment and is found later in chapter 11:

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” – Revelation 11:15

This terrible time of judgment represent the prophetic Word of God as ”profitable” for the Christian by warning us of these pending judgments:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

It is also "practical" in that it presses us to reach out to our lost friends and love-ones so that they might consider doing what is necessary to escape these literal judgments to come – by trusting on Jesus Christ ALONE for salvation – before it is eternally too late!

With this information as a foundation for your studies, please read through Chapter 9 of Revelation.

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s edition as we investigate chapter 10 of Revelation…

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
 

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

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