Revelation 9:20-21

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20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts. ~ Revelation 9:20-21

We come back to conclude our study of Revelation 9. As we have already discovered, the sixth angel has sounded his trumpet and a third of mankind was killed by three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of the mouths of the four angels who had been bound at the Euphrates river.

Even after the plagues that will be unleashed, the people will yet resist turning to God to worship Him. And, notice the first thing they do not stop worshipping are demons. Here are people who have been totally deceived and have chosen to believed the age old lie that we can make it without our Creator. 

In 2 Thessalonians 2 the Apostle Paul referred to this as "a strong delusion" from the devil. They will believed this, and therefore they will be rendered unable to repent. Their worship of demons will lead them to this inescapable and never ending trap.

The worship of demons, John tells us in v.20, finds its expression in idol worship. In a humorous moment, John writes, "idols that cannot see or hear or walk." These things do nothing good for the people. They only open people up to the possibility of demonic influence in their lives. This superstitious submission to strange teaching is characteristic of the last days. These people will not change their lifestyles even under these terrible judgments. 

According to v.20, they continue their murders, (which undoubtedly includes abortion). Have you noticed that in America for the past fifteen or twenty years the hardening of peoples heart with reference to abortion? Even after being shown through the test tube that the baby knows and feels what is going on during the procedure. Abortion is a big money making business throughout the world, and the worship of the idol of money fuels it on. 

In addition, these who will be left on the earth, will also continue their "magic arts." The Greek word used here for "magic arts" is pharmakeia, the word from which we get our word "pharmacy." It really means drugs. This explains the awful drug traffic and use of today. 

According to v.21, "their sexual immorality" will also continue. The Greek word used here by the Apostle for "sexual immorality" is porneia, from which we get our English word pornography. Indulging in pornography is immediately pleasurable, but that pleasure is fleeting. It leaves one feeling empty, unsatisfied, and yearning for more. This is why it is always associated with other evils like murder, drug addiction and theft.

The last evil that is accentuated here is "theft."  Those who are addicted to drugs always are thieves. Consequently, they lose the trust of their friends and they lose the influence of their friend's love. No wonder they go so far under the influence as they do. Addiction is an inability to stop using a substance or engaging in a behavior even though it is causing psychological and physical harm.

This is why Luke 24:47 informs us that repentance is to be preached to all nations. In order for the addict to be freed from his bondage, he has to come to the place where he turns his back on the drugs. Most often, in order for him to be convinced of this, something very tragic must happen. This is where the judgment of God comes in and why it is an expression of His grace. Nothing else has turned these people away from that which is destroying them. And, in some cases, His judgment has been effectual at producing change. We have read about  the millions that will repent in Revelation 7:9 due to God's judgment. 

God's judgment make us listen to His grace. It makes us take seriously what He is offering as the way of escape. But, it is not when judgment threatens that we turn to God. It is when we see a suffering love that gives itself for us, that bears the hurt and agony and pain. This is what breaks and melts our proud hearts, silences our excuses and opens the door to our salvation. To reject that kind of grace is to render the heart unassailable and to make repentance impossible.

Here is a great number that judgment has not impacted. Judgment does not make them listen because their hearts are hardened. They are unable to believe. They are no longer able to heed because they have refused the grace of God. This is what produces this kind of hardness of heart.

Revelation 9:13-19

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13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number. 17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury. ~ Revelation 9:13-19

Today, we return to our study of Revelation 9. In today's text, the sixth angel sounds the sixth trumpet. As a result, the Apostle John hears a voice that comes from the horns of the golden altar. This altar was seen in Revelation 8. There, we saw the altar of incense on which was offered before God the prayers of believers who were then on the earth. An angel took the fire from the altar and threw it back on earth and fire and judgment followed. What happens now under the sixth trumpet is an answer to the prayers of those believers of that day.

In v.14-15 we read, "14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind."

This second woe is God's specific answer to the prayer for God to judge evil. Notice the answer takes the form of releasing four powerful fallen angels who have been bound for centuries at the Euphrates river. Incredible is the sovereign control of God. This event is a precisely-timed event according to His will, as are all things. They are released at the very "hour and day and month and year" that God had long ago predetermined. 

This is all linked with the Euphrates river, once the ancient boundary between the East and the West. The Euphrates flows out of the mountains of Armenia down through Iraq and Iran and on to the Persian Gulf. In the ancient world it formed the eastern boundary of the Roman Empire. The Romans lived in constant fear of the Parthian hordes who lived on the other side of the river. Earlier, Israel had also lived in fear of invasion from across the Euphrates because Assyria and Babylonia both had sent their armies down from the north across the river and into Israel.

In v.16 we read, "The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number."

This army is entirely composed of soldiers from the Eastern nations: probably China, India and Japan. The reference to the Euphrates river indicates that a barrier is being removed so the Eastern armies can come into the west. In Revelation 16 we find the Euphrates river appearing again and this time it is linked with the Mount of Megiddo in Israel, or Armageddon. This is the first glimpse we have in Revelation of the great armies of earth that will eventually come from all directions, east, south, north and west, and gather in the plain of Megiddo in the land of Israel for the great battle of the last days. 

In v.17 we read, "The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur."

This is modern warfare described in military terms of John's day. "Breastplates" of various colors suggest armored chariots which will likely be tanks, missile launchers, and other vehicles of war, that are camouflaged. "Lion's mouths" that are spouting fire and belching smoke suggest cannons and mortars, perhaps even nuclear missiles, killing with fire, radiation, and poisonous gases. 

In v.18-19 we read, "18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury."

Tails like snakes that do injury perhaps describe modern helicopters, gunships, which have a rotor at the tail where also machine-guns and missile launchers are located. This may even depict weapons not yet invented. Here we have a great military campaign, which results in monstrous slaughter of an enormous scope. We are gradually being informed of what is about to happen, and we will see other pictures of these same events as the book continues to unfold. 

Here, in the blowing of the sixth trumpet, the people of earth have ignored all of God's powerful warnings, all of His calls of mercy and offers of grace. It is at this point that these will see death come upon them as never before. Judgment, fierce and indestructible will not have their proper effect on mankind. So deceived will the people on the earth be, they will refuse to repent, thinking God is to blame for their demise. The appeals of hell will totally drown out God's merciful cry to provide help. In fact, they will curse the God of heaven. They will make their choice to become the companions of Satan forever. And that is what the remainder of this chapter is all about. We will consider its conclusion tomorrow.

Revelation 9:7-12

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7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer). 12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come. ~ Revelation 9:7-12

The fifth trumpet judgment describes the releasing of locust-like demons from hell upon the earth. and, at this point, their deceptive powers will be enormous. The truth is the devil only has as much influence on people as we give him permission. And, with this fifth trumpet, he will have a dramatic effect on the minds of those who reject the truth of God.

In v.7 we read, "The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces."

The "crowns of gold" here speak of the authority these demons will appear to have. As people hear their teachings, the lost will be so impressed by their great authority that they will listen and they will be drawn into the devil's web of deceit.

The "human faces" here speak of their perceived intelligence. Their teaching will appear reasonable and will seem intelligent, making the appeal to their already deceived minds very appealing and strong. 

In v.8 we read,"Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth."

The "women's hair" here describes that which is attractive. Many will believe the propaganda of the dark side because it will appear to offer much personal advantage. But, the effect will be like "lions' teeth," penetrating, cruel and frightening. This is what will happen as those who follow the teaching of the devil succumb to his deception. 

In v.9 we read, "They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle."

These "iron breastplates" speak of the hardness of the heart that has been deceived. The demonic powers will be heartless and without mercy. Once their torment begins, no appeal to stop it will be able to relieve it. Those who will be deceived will have no way of escape. And it will come with an overpowering sound. That speaks of something which is widely popular. There will be tremendous peer pressure to believe this teaching, so much so that it seems irresistible and overpowering. 

In v.10 we read, "They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months."

The "stingers" speak of the terrible aftermath, the mental torment that will follow this awful teaching. The number 5 is mentioned in the Bible a total of 318 times. This number is directly linked to God’s grace, mercy, and favor. The grace of God is His unmerited favor that comes as a result of His love. 

The 5th book in the Bible is Deuteronomy and it contains strict laws that were meant to keep the children of Israel from offending God. When we ignore God's truth, we are in danger of removing ourselves from God's protection. Man’s helplessness is the reason for God’s grace and favor. Man has no power of his own and cannot prosper except when God has willed it. This is the significance of the number five mentioned in connection to the sting of these deceivers. God allows it all to happen as a means of His grace. In hopes that the people will turn to Him.

In v.11-12 we read, "11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer). 12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come."

The Apostle Paul warns in 1 Timothy 4:1, "In the latter days some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." How someone can know the truth and choose the lie, I can not understand. I do understand how someone could know the truth and stupidly choose the lie. But, I do that every day. The difference here is the believer in Christ has been born again and the Holy Spirit lives in Him, and, the unbeliever does not have the Holy Spirit to aid him in discerning the truth from the lie. The unbeliever can be deceived to Hell, but the believer can not be deceived to the point that he loses his salvation.

For example, when I was young, I loved irritating my sisters. I love it until they had had enough of my foolishness and they ran me down and let me have it. The beating that ensued was never what I wanted. There were times when I would run to the safe haven of the bathroom because it had a lock on the door. But, Lord help me if one of my sisters got her foot wedged between the door and the door frame. When one of them would get that foothold, I was doomed. This is illustrative of the believer who gives the enemy a foothold in his life.

Even as believers in Christ, when we give the devil a foothold in our lives, he takes a stronghold. If we allow Satan or his cohorts control of one little part of our lives, he will soon take over the whole thing. He is the ultimate opportunist who will always turn these invitations into strongholds.

Satan gets a foothold by taking advantage in a weak area of our lives and he tempts us to go the opposite of God's way. And, before we know it, we are snared in his web of deceit. For example, the Apostle Paul writes, “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” 

But, our text today is not addressing the foothold the enemy at times gets in the life of the believer. You see, these who will suffer under the deceptive schemes of these demons will not have the aid of the Holy Spirit in their lives. So, the fight for them will be much more difficult as it is for the believer who has the benefit of the protective power of the Holy Spirit. 

Since it will be so hard on those who reject the truth of God during the Great Tribulation, let us be ardent now in praying for the lost daily. In addition, we must be determined to share the gospel with those who are willing to listen before it becomes too late for them.

Revelation 9:1-6

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1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. ~ Revelation 9:1-6

As we enter into Revelation 9 we find ourselves arriving in a period of time yet to come, a future time called the great tribulation. More particularly we are not only in the great tribulation, a three and a half period of God’s judgment, but we are seeing the very events that take place in the last part of the great tribulation known as the day of the Lord. This will be the day when the Lord comes to destroy the ungodly and the work of Satan. Then, He will set up His Kingdom and He will reign on the earth for a thousand years. That is followed by the new heavens and the new earth which is the eternal state. And, then sin and pain and problems will be a thing of the past.

Revelation 9 presents the judgments of the fifth and sixth of the seven trumpets which were introduced in Revelation 8. These two trumpets are also identified as the first and second of three great "woes" that will come upon the earth. Today, we will only consider the fifth trumpet. 

Now, in heaven there is no time, there is no sense of past or future. Everything is present now! That is why it is so difficult in this book to tell exactly when events occur when they are brought into time. What is emphasized here, then, is not chronology but degrees of intensity. It is as though God keeps ratcheting down His wrath on stubborn man. The judgments of the seven seals gave us a quick trip through this seven-year period. The trumpets, however, return as it were to a section of the last week and turns the camera, so to speak, to give us a different angle on God's judgment during the end. 

Later, when we get to the bowls of the wrath of God we will see still greater depths of earth's agony, but just how to fit it all into a time sequence is difficult. This is made even more confusing by the parenthetical passages which focus on events of special interest. We have already seen one of these in Revelation 7 and we will discover others as we go through this book. 

Now, in today's text, we arrive at the fifth trumpet, presented in the v.1-6. In v.1 we read, "The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth."

Our text begins with the falling of another star, not into the sea this time, as during the third trumpet, but onto the earth. Again, this probably speaks of something literal. It is perhaps a great meteor falling from the skies. Many times in history such meteors have fallen to earth and created some degree of havoc and chaos. 

This second falling star is not just a literal star, it is also symbolic. It pictures an individual who is given a key by which he opens up the gateway of hell, the Abyss. In Mark 5, demons begged the Lord Jesus, "Do not send us into the Abyss , but allow us to go into the great herd of pigs that are feeding on the hillside." The Lord Jesus permitted them to enter pigs that happened to be there at the time. After that the possessed pigs ran over a cliff and plunged into the sea and died. That story describes the fear of demons of the great Abyss.

In v.2-3 we read, "When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth."

In the book of Jude we read, "(Certain demons are) kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day." Apparently, in our study of Revelation, we have come to that Day for as the Abyss is opened, out of it comes a great cloud of locusts looking like smoke that fills the sky. Once again we are being presented with something literal and symbolic at the same time.

Along with this literal visitation of locusts, invisible demons are also released from hell into the earth. This seems very much like that which we saw under the third trumpet when the other great star fell. That star was identifiable as the Antichrist who at that time was a powerful political leader who would change his policy in the middle of the week. If that was a political leader who thus "fell" then here we have a Jewish religious leader who turns apostate, and, by that means, introduces demonic forces upon the earth.

In v.4 we read, "They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads."

I believe this star, this fallen one is Jewish because these demons were told not to harm "the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads." Clearly grass, trees and plants represent people, as we have already seen in Revelation 7, and they specifically symbolize Israel. Yet, there is a certain group of them, 144,000, that were sealed of God who are guarded and protected from this demonic control of human thought. The other people are not allowed to be destroyed but only tormented for a period of five months. 

The Apostle Paul refers to this person in 2 Thessalonian as "The Man of Sin" who sits in the temple as God and claims the worship of Israel, and of the whole earth. The Antichrist's propaganda is described for us here under the figure of a "scorpion's sting." That will be the effect of his teaching upon those who believe what he will say. A scorpion's sting produces great agony when it stings. In fact, the one stung suffers incredible anguish for 24 hours. Nothing can relieved the pain. The scorpion's sting is used here to picture a terrible mental torment the Antichrist will level on the deceived.

In v.5-6 we read, "5 They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them."

According to v.5, these demons will be limited by God in what they will be able to do. They will not be permitted to kill anyone.  This is yet again a display of God's mercy because during this five months of torment, people will be given more opportunities to turn to God. Those tormented will wish they were dead but they won’t be able to die. 

Five months is the normal life of a locust. They live from May to September. By the way, that’s the very duration of the rising flood waters in the day of Noah. God is going to give them five months to repent. The pain these demons inflict will also be spiritual. The demons will unleash all the filth and vileness within people. And it will be so bad that the people will seek death and will not find it. During those five months people will attempt suicide but they won’t die.

I am so relieved that the Rapture will take place before all of this goes down. I am so glad that I have trusted the Lord Jesus as my savior and I will not have to endure all of this junk. I trust, my friend, that you are prepared to be snatched away by the Lord Jesus in the Rapture which could happen right now.

Revelation 8:12-13

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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!” ~ Revelation 8:12-13

We return to the Trumpet judgments of God. Having already considered the first three trumpets which impacted the land, the salt water, the fresh water, today, we consider the fourth trumpet. 

In v.12 of our text we read, "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."

The fourth trumpet produces a partial eclipse that strikes the sun, the moon and the stars. With the sounding of this trumpet, attention will be directed away from the earth. We can only imagine the panic on earth as people are in ecological seminars all over the globe trying to figure out how to deal with these catastrophes.  And, in the process of all of this, before they can even address the problem, another calamity hits.  

In Luke 21:25-26 we read, "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken."

This clearly is a reference to this same event under the fourth trumpet. And, not only is it literal: the sun and the moon and the stars are darkened and fail to give their light, the catastrophe has symbolism. The sun, moon and stars are used in various places in Scripture to typify earthly authorities. The highest, of course, is the king or president. He would be portrayed as the sun, and those under him would be as the moon and the stars. They symbolize a hierarchy of authority. And, this trumpet pictures light being withdrawn from the authorities of earth. Yet, by the grace of God, this darkening is still limited to one-third. 

In v.13, we read, "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!" 

An angel declares that there are three great disasters remaining, and these "woe" judgments are to fall upon the "inhabitants of the earth." A better translation of this phrase is "those who make their home on earth." These judgments will fall upon those who live for the earth and its advantages, those who are merely concerned for this life and care nothing about the life to come. They believe this world is the totality of reality.

We have considered four trumpets that have sounded. Now, we get deeper insight in the last three trumpet judgments. We will have the same division of four and three with the Bowl judgments that are to follow in Revelation 16. 

These series seem to reflect the three common degrees of comparison. There are three ways to indicate increasing value or meaning. There is "big," "bigger," and "biggest." With reference to evil, there is "bad," "worse," and "worst." This is what we have in these series: a climaxing of judgment, a crescendo that ends with the pouring out of the bowls of the wrath of God, the worst of all.

The judgment of God arouses fear in us. And, because it terrifies us, judgment also sobers us. C.S. Lewis once said, "God's judgment is His megaphone to arouse a deaf world." As a result, God's judgment strips away our illusions. It restores us to reality. We begin to think accurately, clearly, as He thinks. 

God's judgment is an expression of His grace. In Psalm 103:8 we read, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy." It is the love of God that makes Him judge! God must judge in order to eliminate evil once for all from this world that He created and Satan tainted. 

Having trusted in the Lord Jesus as our Savior, how wonderful is it that God has spared us, protected us and watched over us. He judged His Son so that we wouldn't have to be. The Lord Jesus embraced the disgusting part of us and God judged it in His body as He hung on the cross. Is this the place where you found hope for a blessed future? I trust you have!

Revelation 8:10-11

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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. ~ Revelation 8:10-11

We return to our study of the seven trumpet judgments in the book of the Revelation. And, today we are looking at the third trumpet in particular. This judgment from God addresses man's worship of the earth, as did the first two trumpet judgments. Much like God's judgment of the Egyptians through the ten plagues, God desires to turn man away from a lesser god and that man should discover the one true God.

In Romans 1:18-21 we read, “18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

And, all of this led and will lead to "22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things."

Man worships Mother Nature, the earth. Man has failed to honor the God of the Bible, failed to recognize God. Man rejects God's manifest glory in the creation and worships the creature and the creation, rather than the Creator. And, Man does this to his demise.

This is where environmental atheism leads. You see, we were created to be defined by God and when we are not, we do not work according to His specifications. And so God has to destroy this false god. Men have made a god out of the earth and animals and even themselves. 

In v.10 of today's text we read, "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."

With the sounding of the Trumpets, heaven will collapse in on the earth. This great star burns like a torch, and apparently as it comes through the atmosphere it disintegrates and spreads all over the globe and falls on the rivers and the springs of waters everywhere. It could be a comet, we really do not know. At this point this is happening because men has rejected the gospel being preached. It’s being preached during this time as it is today, and they’re rejecting it. Some are believing and will survive and go on into God's kingdom. But the rest of the world rejects the free gift and the longer they wait, the harder their hearts will become.

In v.11 we read, "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."

With this third Trumpet, a third of the world is judged, a third of the rivers, a third of the springs, and many people are going to die. Man can live without sea water and we can live for a while without the crops, but we can’t live without drinking water.

The name of the star is Wormwood. The Greek word apsinthos is used which is the deadly liquor substance. The term “wormwood” is also used several times in the Old Testament. It’s translated in one text as hemlock which is a poison. The result of all of this is that many will die from the poisoned waters. The rivers will still run but they run with a deadly poison in them. The wells will be full but they will be full of death. The lakes will be rippling with lethal water.

In John 4 the Lord Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you give me a drink, you would have asked and He would have given you living water.” It is far better to drink the living water than the lethal water. And, for those who have trusted Christ as our Savior, there will be in eternity what Revelation 21:6 calls the spring of the water of life. It will be ours for eternity.

Revelation 8:8-9

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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. ~ Revelation 8:8-9

We return to our study of the trumpet judgments upon the rebellion of mankind on the earth. As all of the trumpets are sounded, they make up the unavoidable, inevitable, and terrifying day of the Lord which is coming when the Lord takes over and establishes the Kingdom of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. But before the establishing of that Kingdom is the destruction of the domain of Satan and rebellious man.

In v.8 we read, "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."

While the first trumpet judgment impacts the earth, the second trumpet judgment will impact the sea. A great blazing mountain is seen falling into the sea. Perhaps this describes a volcanic eruption. Or, perhaps, it is a meteor falling out of space into the ocean. At any rate, the sea literally becomes blood red. 

Once again, this is not unknown to us. Every now and then we hear of the "red tide" which appears in the sea and turns large areas of the ocean blood red. A tiny marine organism, red in color, multiplies at such an enormous rate that it makes the water look like blood. This plague will impact a third of the sea and many of the living creatures in the sea will die and the commerce of the ocean will be, as a result, reduced by a third.

This makes sense to interpret this verse literally, but there is also a figurative meaning here. The symbol of a great mountain blazing with fire is that of a kingdom aflame with revolution. In Jeremiah 51:24-26, Babylon is described as a "blazing mountain" which is the destroyer of the earth. Most scholars believe this pictures the rise of what is popularly called "the revived Roman Empire," the coalition of ten Western Europe allied nations under the Antichrist, which conquers the other nations of the earth. As we have said before, the sea is used frequently as a picture of the Gentile nations of earth.

In v.9 we read, "And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed."

Notice the repetition of the phrase "a third." All through the series of trumpet judgments we see this phrase. Under the seal judgments the limitation was one-fourth of the earth. Four is the biblical number for human government, and under the seal judgments God uses human government to limit the onslaught of the four terrible horsemen of Revelation 6. Human government still retains some vestige of restraining power during those days. But here, even that is gone, and under the trumpet judgments only God himself restrains. Three is one of God's numbers and it announces that only God's mercy and God's grace limits these awful judgments to one-third of the earth. 

Due to the fact that this blazing mountain will take some time to get to earth, everybody on the earth is going to see it on TV. All kinds of predictions are going to be made about where it will impact the earth. And when it makes impact, but it will hit the sea and immediately a third of the sea will become like blood.

According to Joel 2, the moon will become dark and the sun will look like blood. The fiery explosions that are going on, the gases around it are going to set off a smoke which blankets the sun and the moon with a reddish color that makes everything look like blood.

Then, “a third of the living creatures in the sea will die, and a third of the ships will be destroyed” because the "blazing mountain" will create a tsunami, a tidal wave like the world has never seen. 

A third of the sea is going to kill a third of its population from minute organisms to the large whales. The food chain will be terribly disrupted. Whatever the poisonous effect might be, equally as dramatic is going to be this tidal wave that is going to destroy a third of the ships in the world. The mad disruption of commerce that this will cause will be striking. No fishing, no ships, no transport.

The result will be, as we see in Hosea 4:3, "Therefore the land will mourn; And everyone who dwells there will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea will be taken away." 

In Zephaniah 1:3 we read, “I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land, says the Lord.” 

All of this is frightening. And, it will happen because man has long rejected God's definition of things. And, even though God has reached out to man with the gospel, showing His great patience with man, one day the events predicted here in Revelation will have to come to pass.

Skip Heitzig tells a story that illustrates this point. "In San Jose, California there is a house called the Winchester Mystery House. It's an odd house because there are stairways going nowhere and there are doors that lead to nothing. Heitzig tells us, "Sarah Winchester who was married to the guy who started the Winchester Rifle company, moved to San Jose, California. She was a spiritist involved in spiritism with mediums. One day she was at a séance, and it was conveyed to her that if she would build a house as long as she continued to build the house, she'd never die. Fearing death she went to work. She spent five million dollars back then when the wage was fifty cents an hour for a guy building a house and she built this huge house that has 150 rooms, 13 bathrooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows. And then when she died. She left enough materials to go for another 80 years of building." 

What a picture of mankind on the earth. Man thinks this is his kingdom. And no matter how much we invest and build here, we will all leave this earth. The Lord Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away," and if all of our hope is in this earth, in this kingdom, in this house, what a sad day that will be. All of this, no doubt, was written as a warning for the people on earth to wake up and trust our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the answer that we are all looking for.

Revelation 8:6-7

Click here for the Revelation 8:6-7 PODCAST6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 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. ~ Revelation 8:6-7

We return to the first of the seven trumpets that are about to be sounded. This is very similar to the seventh plague that fell on Egypt during the ten plagues that God sent upon the Egyptians. Similar to to the seventh plague when hail and lightning came upon the whole land. Here, it is mingled with blood. 

In v.7 we read, "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."

This is not a new phenomenon. Scientists have recorded other times when red rain fell from the sky. They could never explain it fully, but it actually left great puddles of water that were as red as blood. In today's text, the same type of plague will hit the earth. It will bring terrible destruction upon the sons of men. 

Notice that the plagues of the first four trumpets all fall on creation. This is, in a sense, God's judgment upon a people who have been in the process of destroying the environment. He is saying, in effect, "You want a destroyed world, then you shall have it." This is fully in line with his methods of judgment.

But the destruction is not only literal, it is also symbolic. It is teaching something invisible to the eyes of men at that time. As we have already noted, the earth is used in Scripture as a picture of Israel, the intended model nation under God. Here is depicted a judgment upon Israel, both on its leaders (the trees), and upon its people (the grass).  

Back in v.3, you will remember, the angel is standing at the altar and he is holding a golden censer which would be on some kind of a rope or a chain, and much incense is given to him that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

In the tabernacle in Exodus, there were two altars, the bronze altar, and there was the altar of incense. The bronze altar was basically the altar used to fire the coals to burn the sacrifices for sin. It was made of bronze because bronze is always analogous of judgment in the Scriptures. And the altar of incense was where the priest poured the incense and the fragrance of the incense arose and was emblematic of the prayers of God's people. 

Typically, the priest would go to the bronze altar and he would take fiery coals out of it with tongs out of it, and he would put the coals in the censer which was just a little instrument by which he could transport the coals. And, he would then take the coals to the golden altar, which was the altar of incense. And he would put those coals with incense on the altar of incense and the incense would rise. The smell of the incense would successfully rise to the nostrils of God, as it were, symbolic of the prayers of God's people.

This angel, in today's text, is functioning like an Old Testament priest. This is the heavenly counterpart to the bronze altar where the fires of sacrifice for sin burned. Twice a day the high priest would do this, once in the morning and once in the evening, at the morning sacrifice and at the evening sacrifice. 

And so this powerful angel hurls this thing out of heaven and it crashes into the earth. This censer in the angel’s hand is inextricably linked to the prayers of God's people. This means that our prayers are powerful! It is in response to the prayers of God’s people that this judgment happens. God will hear the prayers of His people and His judgment will fall upon rebellious man. How amazing that believer's prayers become this fiery comet that strikes the earth.

It is sad beyond all description that many will reject the love of God as demonstrated through His Son on the cross of Calvary. They rejected Him when He came as they reject Him now, and they’ll reject Him when God's final judgment arrives. So needless, but this is how it will all go down. It will go down like this because the world loves sin.

When the Lord Jesus returns, He will judge those who have rejected Him. But that day has not come yet. So until then, we must persevere at loving the unsaved! True Christian love doesn’t come easy. It’s a sacrifice that the world will never understand.

Revelation 8:1-5

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1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. ~ Revelation 8:1-5

Today, we transition into Revelation 8 and the scene is in heaven where one could hear a pen drop after the seventh seal is opened. When we are silent and waiting, something great inside us keeps on growing, and the silence communicates a much greater degree of anticipation. Silence is not simply the absence of noise because constructive silence creates interest and moves the suspence forward. Silence gives space for God to speak to our hearts. 

In Psalm 46 we read, “Be still, and know that I am God.” As those who live by faith in the Lord Jesus, we need the silence of heaven to see the God of the Bible with our hearts. It is in this context that God can best make Himself known to us. The climactic events that will follow this silence will end man’s control and Satan’s rule on the earth. This thirty minutes of silence will be all the more effective at giving those on the earth yet another opportunity to come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The first five seals introduced us to false peace, war, famine, death and vengeance as illustrated by the prayer of the martyrs. And by the time we have gone through the first five seals, hundreds of millions of people across the earth have been killed. Then, the sixth seal gives beginning to the day of the Lord which is the day of God's judgment upon the rebellion of all who oppose God.

Following the opening of the seventh seal there is silence in heaven for about half an hour. This silence comes as a dramatic contrast to the eruptive worship that has been going on in heaven up to this point. Millions of angels, hosts of redeemed humans, and other heavenly creatures have been crying out before the throne of God, and singing His praises. But now, suddenly everything stops, and there is total silence. It is the silence of mystery, the silence of intense anticipation of what is about to happen. 

This half hour of silence is the silence of expectancy, the silence of awe and wonder. The margin of suspenseful expectancy seems to us to be brief, but it will seem to be very long for those in heaven and on earth when it happens. Some have even suggested that it is a brief half hour for a few more on earth to repent before the next wave of judgment hits, a brief half hour of merciful suspense.

In v.2 we read, "And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them."

With the opening of the seventh seal, we are introduced to seven angels who have been given seven trumpets to sound. These seven angels, probably archangels, are given the task of sounding these trumpets. The trumpet was the most significant of all the musical instruments of Israel. It's used more in the Bible than any other musical instrument. Twice as many times as a harp and it played a role in the meetings of Israel. When these seven trumpets are sounded, they will result in God's judgment. 

In v.3 we read, "Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne."

Many identify this angel as the Lord Jesus Himself. The reason is that in the Old Testament, while Israel was traveling with God through the wilderness, they were led by a great angel called "the Angel of the LORD." Most Bible scholars feel that it was an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ, leading His people through the wilderness. Since Israel is in the forefront again in this book of the Revelation, it would make sense that the Angel of the LORD appears again in connection with the nation of Israel.

This merely underscores the great desire of God to reveal Himself to man. His heart is for us and His heart is only seen by the willing. God desires to connect deeply with each of us through the redemption of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. He pours out His unlimited mercy and compassion, not desiring anyone to perish. From the very moment we received the gift of the Lord Jesus, we received not only His forgiveness but also His perfect righteousness. The Lord Jesus makes us right with God, all at once and for eternity. This is the gospel.

In v.4 we read, "The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand."

Before the angels blow their trumpets another dramatic scene is recorded. Another angel presents the prayers of God's people. In the Scriptures, incense is analogous of the prayers of God's people. In Exodus, the tabernacle contained two altars, one in the outer court was the bronze altar where animals were sacrificed and offered to God for the forgiveness of man's sin. 

Then there was the golden altar, much smaller, in the holy place in front of the Holy of Holies. The priest would take a coal from the altar of sacrifice, put it in a little incense burner, a censer that had a little bowl attached to a rope or a chain, and he would walk from the outer court into the holy place where there was the altar of incense. He would put the coal on that altar, sprinkle incense on it, and the incense would rise up as a sweet aroma into the nostrils of God, as it were, a picture of the acceptable prayers of God's people. 

David used this idiom, "Let my prayer come before You as the offering and sweetness of incense." And here, it says it's mixed with the prayers of all the saints. Notice it says that they are the prayers of all the saints. All of the prayers past and present are wrapped up and are presented successfully to God who answers them all. There's no prayer uttered by a child of God that is not answered. 

There are times when it feels like God is cruel, deferring our hope while fulfilling everyone else’s. God is not in the business of ignoring our prayers. He is waiting to perform miracles in our lives. There are often other pieces which need to come into play for the miracle to come to fruition. And, the patience we display in these moments adds to the outcome of the miracle.

We tend to treat our relationship with God how we treat our relationship with people. We think if we are in God’s good graces, He’ll answer our prayers with a "yes," but when we are not, the answer will be a resounding "no." Our performance-driven relationships can often shape our view of God. But He does not act like us, and His way of thinking is far beyond ours. Sometimes, God will answer our prayers in ways that are the complete opposite of what we had anticipated. This can devastate us, especially when we think our request is in alignment with scripture and His will. It’s difficult to think that His "no" is based on His loving-kindness and our eternal good. This is when we must wrestle and go deeper with Him to be at peace with the situation, but this does not mean that there is no blessing in response to our prayers. And, we must be careful not to mistake a "no" with a "not yet."

In v.5 we read, "Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake."

The seventh seal is God's answer to the prayers of His people for the termination of sin and death. The seventh seal contains all of God's final judgments, and this is described here by way of an earthquake when the angel throws the fiery censer to the earth. Wickedness is the target, and it will be destroyed, and the Lord Jesus Christ will be exalted. At this point, one of the greatest events since the fall of Adam will come to pass. It is so fitting that heaven stands in utter stillness, all of its praise is absolutely silent. The hour has finally come. Those who have long been persecuted will be vindicated, and Satan will be conquered.

Revelation 7:15-17

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15 Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 ‘Never again will they hunger;  never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” ~ Revelation 7:15-17

We return to the scene in heaven before the throne of God where those saved out of the great Tribulation are arriving in heaven. The curtain is being pulled back by God for us to see the activity of eternity for the redeemed. And, everyone in heaven is captivated by the One who laid down His life for His friends.

In v.15 we read, "Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence."

The word “serve” is a priestly word, and it describes the rendering of spiritual worship. These who are serving have been washed in the blood of the Lamb for the very reason that they may come before the throne of God: to worship Him day and night in His temple. In the Millennium, there will be a temple, the millennial temple. There will be a temple in heaven, also. There will be two temples, one in heaven and one on earth. 

A description of the Millennial throne is given in the prophecy of Micah 4:1-6. There the prophet describes the government of God as centered in Jerusalem. Justice will flow out from there to all the earth and the nations will bring their tribute to the Lord. Peace will reign and men will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks and will make war no more. Peace will come at last over all the earth. There will be one thousand years of peace. And, then, the end will come.

In Revelation 21:22 we read, "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple."  

At this point in the timeline, we are beyond the Millennium. This is in eternity and time is over. And, in eternity, there will not be a temple, per se. There will be no need for a Temple and God will be with man everywhere. 

During the Millennium there will be a temple, a place where God will dwell in an otherwise still-fallen universe, partially restored but not fully. In the eternal state, God doesn’t need a temple because there will be no evil in the universe and He will be the temple, the dwelling place of holiness. 

We are told that "they will serve the Lord day and night." As you know, there is no day or night in heaven. So, this is clearly an earthly scene. He who sits on the throne, the throne of David, will spread his "tabernacle" over them and never again will they hunger or thirst. This is a beautiful description of the blessings of that millennial day. 

At the end of v.15 we read, "he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence." God's very presence will become for all in heaven, protection. Never again will anyone harm these citizens of heaven, never again will there be suffering and pain.

In v.16 we read, "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat."

During the Tribulation, the tribulation saints will experience hunger and thirst. In fact, they will experience great hunger and great thirst because they will refuse to take the mark of the beast in Revelation 13. And, the intensity of their hunger and thirst will be magnified and intensified. But, this verse ensures that those days will come to an end. And, God says, "NEVER AGAIN." 

In v.17 we read, "For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

As we have seen, the question asked at the end of Revelation 6, "who is able to stand?," is answered in Revelation 7. First, the 144,000 Israelites who will be sealed on their foreheads with the seal of the living God, because of the presence of the Hoy Spirit in their lives, they will be able to stand during the revealing of the wrath of the Lamb. They will be sealed by the Holy Spirit as God’s possession and will be protected from the persecution of the Antichrist. In fact, they will be the greatest missionary force ever known as they go into all the world with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. People will come to the Lord in unprecedented numbers at that time.

The second group who will be able to stand during the unveiling of the wrath of the Lamb is that innumerable multitude. These are in heaven because of the witness of the 144,000. These will have been martyred for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They will refuse to get the mark of the beast, and they, therefore, will be unable to buy and sell anything during the second half of the Tribulation. They will be on the run as they are hunted down and murdered for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But, as we have seen, their story will end very well.

Finally, tears are a common theme throughout the Bible. In fact, the word "tear" appears 13 times, and the word "tears" appears 36 times. According to Psalm 56:8, God collects the tears of His people in His bottle. God is not unaware of our struggles. He is not apathetic to our pain. He understands, because He has felt the burdens we feel. He felt loneliness and He tasted abandonment while hanging on the cross. And, when it is all over, He will underscore Psalm 126:5 which reads, "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy."