The Book of Revelation (part 19)

The Day of the Lord

Revelation 9

7.29.2020

Review

Ephesians 1:9-10 (PHILLIPS)

For God had allowed us to know the secret of his plan, and it is this: he purposes in his sovereign will that all human history shall be consummated in Christ, that everything that exists in Heaven or earth shall find its perfection and fulfilment in him.

We should be living our now in the light of our future. How are you doing with that?

We are going through the book of Revelation verse by verse on Wednesday nights. Our world is changing. Jesus’ return is soon! I want you to be informed as to what the scriptures have to say about His Second coming and what we should be doing to prepare for that day!

The word Revelation in Greek is – Apocalypsis – an unveiling…God is unveiling the future for us.

The book of Revelation is God coming to repossess the earth that rightfully belongs to Him by judging nations, men, and the demonic hosts of hell that work with Lucifer to hold the earth in bondage to darkness and rebellion. The book of Revelation is God cleansing the earth of all contamination resulting from the fall of man and bringing it back to its pristine condition enjoyed before Adam’s sin.

Revelation 4 shows God as the creator, owner, and sustainer of all things. The Sovereign. The Almighty. He alone is worthy to bring fair judgments and justice into a fallen world.

Revelation 5 shows God with a scroll in His right hand, the hand of authority. The scroll is God’s title deed to the earth. He is the earth’s rightful owner and is preparing to take it back from His enemy Satan, who took the authority over it from Adam and Eve when they sinned.

In Revelation 6, we looked at the opening of 6 of the 7 seals on the scroll in God’s right hand.

Revelation 7 is a parenthesis between the 6th and 7th seals, showing God’s protection of Jews and the raptured saints in heaven.

The rapture of the church occurs after the 6th seal is opened and the cosmic disturbances happen. The rapture ends this period of severe terror by antiChrist, and prepares the way for the 7th seal to be opened and the Day of the Lord to begin.

Revelation 8 is the beginning of the Day of the Lord, which is when the wrath of God is being poured out.

Understand that there is a clear pattern or sequence of events that are transpiring in Revelation.

The scroll in God’s right hand has been unsealed. The church of the Lord Jesus will be here for the breaking of the first 6 seals on the scroll, as mentioned in Revelation 6.

But the church is taken out before the 7th seal is broken. The 7th seal opens the scroll in God’s hand. The obvious contents of the scroll are 7 trumpets, which begin the wrath of God unleashed on those without Christ who follow Satan’s plans. After the 7 trumpets are 7 bowls containing the final outpouring of the wrath of God.

Look at the chart again:

In Revelation 8:

First Trumpet: Vegetation Affected

(7) The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

Earth has 57 million miles of land – 140 million miles of oceans.

30% of earth land mass is in Asia; South America and Africa make up 32%; all other continents 38%. No trees or grass would scorch the earth, creating terrible erosion. Look for landslides and flooding and a great breakdown of nature and its processes.

Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck: salt water affected

(8) Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. (9) And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

Looks like a huge meteor hits the earth, oceans equivalent to all of the landmass on earth (57 million miles), are polluted, and ⅓ of all aquatic life die. The stench would be incredible over a vast portion of the earth.

Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck: fresh water affected

(10) Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. (11)The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.

We can only live three days without water, so lots of people will die from this. If wormwood fell in an area concentrated with human life, then as much as a third of humans could die from lack of water, with parched tongues and dehydration.

Fourth Trumpet: the heavens struck

(12) Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.

(13) And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

Perhaps creating the effecting of limiting electricity and light sources. So, 12 hours of daylight, and 12 hours of night. ⅓ is darkened. You are left with 8 hours of daylight, and 8 hours for moon and starlight. Not much time to get your business done!

Now we come to Revelation 9:

Verse 1

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.

Revelation 12 mentions Satan falling like lightning from heaven. Some believe this is Lucifer..

Others think this was the demonic angel Appolyon mentioned in verse 11.

Yet others think it was the angel mentioned in Revelation 20:1

Revelation 20:1 (NKJV)

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

This is probably the same angel.

Verses 2-3:

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. 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

This locust invasion reminds us of the 8th plague against Egypt by Moses:

Exodus 10:12-15 (NKJV)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land—all that the hail has left.” 13 So Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. 14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt. They were very severe; previously there had been no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such after them. 15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. So there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt.

It also reminds us of what Joel mentions about locusts:

Joel 1:2-4 (NKJV)

Hear this, you elders, and give ear, all you inhabitants of the land! Has anything like this happened in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? 3 Tell your children about it, Let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. 4 What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.

Joel 2:25 (NKJV)

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.

Verses 4-9

4 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. 5 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. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. 7 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. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 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. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months.

These locusts originate in the bottomless pit, so they are obviously demonic. Their description leads to that belief as well.

They do not harm the 144,000 Jews who were sealed in Revelation 7. They only bring harm to the population of unbelievers who are on earth.

Some think that the 5 months length of time is due to the 5-month lifespan of a locust. Others think the 5 months has to do with the time of year, perhaps from early spring to late summer.

We do not know what keeps these people that are bitten from dying.

Verse 11:

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.

Abbadon and Apollyon both mean destruction.

The same demons that these people have worshipped are the very demons that harm them!

Verse 12

One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.

Revelation 8:13 mentions 3 woes that will occur when the next 2 angels blow their trumpets. The locusts are the first woe.

Revelation 8:13 (NKJV)

And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

The Sixth Trumpet Brings the Second Terror:

Verse 13:

Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

There was authority here since the voice came from the altar before God’s throne. This seems to indicate that this was the Lamb speaking.

Remember that Jesus is the Lamb that will open the seals on the scroll in Revelation 5, and Jesus is carrying out the contents of the scroll in God’s right hand. The scroll contains The Trumpet and Seals Judgments, which prepare the earth for Jesus to come and reign.

Verses 14-16:

…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 and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.

The angels here that are released are demonic beings with authority over a demonic army that will attack mankind.

The Euphrates river runs from modern day Turkey to the Persion Gulf. It’s over 1800 miles in length. This river was surrounded by Mesopotamia in Bible days and was the cradle of civilization.

This demonic army from the underworld has been held back until God allowed it to rise up.

Some think this 200 million man army is human, but it is most likely demonic, just like the locusts are most probably demonic.

Before this terrible slaughter, no one could die under the assault of the locusts.

It is large enough to kill ⅓ of mankind.

Verses 17-19:

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. 18 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. 19 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.

These again are demonic creatures and, like the locusts, they have power in their tails. Their heads, like the locusts, are similar to lions. These are not the same creatures as the locusts.

The term plagues is used and reminds us of the plagues issued against the Egyptian gods in Moses’ day.

Remember that John is seeing in the spirit realm, and there are angels and demons in the spirit world that affect physical life on earth.

Verses 20-21:

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. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

The people are so engrossed in their sinful idolatry with sex, money, and pleasure that their hearts are hard, and they refuse to repent.

Today, the world is changing, and so many refuse to acknowledge that life will not continue on and on as we have been living. The sinful heart and the normalcy bias that we all have to deal with is strong during this time.

Remind yourself that Christians are not here for this!

Be aware that Christians will not be on earth at this time! This is God’s wrath, and we have been delivered from it!

Reading about these terrible things should cause us to want to put Jesus first place in life right now, and should move us to pray for those we know that are without Christ!

Action Points:

1. Get close to the Lord. Be involved in daily Bible reading, prayer, and in regular attendance in a local church.

2. Pray for your family and friends to come to know Jesus as Lord.

3. Encourage others with the hope of Jesus’ return!