Revelation 10:8-11

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8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.” ~ Revelation 10:8-11

We return today to Revelation 10 where we find ourselves between the blowing of the sixth trumpet and the seventh trumpet. Revelation 10-11 provide an interlude where God gives explanation for the things that have happened and the things that are yet to happen. 

In v.8-9 we read, "8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."

It is no small thing that the Apostle John is involved in this vision. He actually takes the scroll or book, and he eats it, because it’s going to provide a very graphic way of illustrating a proper response to what is going on. The symbolism of eating the word is a way of indicating that the truth written in the scroll has become personal. This is what happens when we eat food, and this is what should happen when we read the word of God. That which we eat becomes us.

When John eats the book, at first, the prophecy within was sweet. Yet, as the Apostle eats it, it begins to turn sour. There are times when we read the Bible, we feel excited beyond description. Yet, there are times when we read the Bible, and we feel squeamish because through it God is dealing with something in our lives that needs changing. He confronts our fears, attitudes, biases and bigotries that are in us. This is the pain of self-involvement. There are times when the word of God leads into the dark night of our souls. This is due to the fact that we are still fallen even though we have been forgiven.

God loves us just the way we are, but He loves us too much to allow us to remain as we are. He reminds us that His word is as sharp as a double-edged sword. This is so because He is reconstructing us so that we can be more effective in the ministry He has called us to. In order to get us to this point, He has to cut us. Sometimes His cuts are deep. His purpose in cutting to the innermost parts of our hearts is to bring us healing, not to leave us wounded. Sin left untreated in our hearts will be fatal. If we aren’t convicted by Scripture, how will we know where we need to be changed? We must be very careful to listen as we read Scripture. 

God changes us not to make us acceptable to Him. This is why the Lord Jesus came and died on the cross, to make us acceptable before God. God changes us to make us more effective in connecting with people. He does this in hopes that we will be able to share the truth with them and that they may come to Him.

In v.11 we read, "Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."

After the Apostle John ate the scroll, it was sweet in his mouth but turned sour in his stomach. Then he was given a new assignment. The principle illustrated here is: after we have personally entered into the meaning of judgment, God has judged us as well as others, and we have felt the hand of God upon us, then, are we are prepared to speak to someone else about God and what He is doing in this world. 

The Apostle John is given here the privilege of ministering again to nations and peoples and languages and kings. This new ministry is described in Revelation 11-14. We are going to find a pronounced change of scene in Revelation at this point. John, as it were, is sent back over the terrible scenes of judgment to highlight, to zoom in, as it were, on certain characters and personalities, and to tell us more detail about them. It will involve, as it says, "peoples and nations and languages and kings." That is going to be the theme of the next chapters of Revelation. It is all yet to come, but it was only as he entered personally into the plan of God that John was prepared to speak with impact to others.

Revelation 10:5-7

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5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! 7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.” ~ Revelation 10:5-7

We return to Revelation 10 where the mighty Angel who has one foot on the sea and one foot on the land raises his right hand to heaven. Here in America, when we take an oath in a court and swear to tell the truth, we raise our right hand and place our left hand on the Bible and we take the oath. This is where that ritual originated. The raising of the hand is a sign that a solemn oath is about to be taken. His hand is lifted toward heaven because heaven is where God dwells.

The right foot, even as the right hand, symbolizes authority. The angel placed his right foot, the foot of authority, on the sea, and the sea symbolizes the multitudes that do not know God. Although they don't know it, they are under an authority that declares they too will receive the message that is in the open book!

His left foot was on the land which represents the Jews who will still be living on the earth at that time. In this vision the mighty angel proclaims that the promise made by God to them will be fulfilled. To Abraham God said, "Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you." At that time the land was inhabited by various nations, but God told Abraham that it was his. He was to possess it, and walk in it wherever he pleased, for it belonged to him. God's promise to Abraham declared that his people, Israel, will possess the land. All of it!

In v.5-6 we read, "5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay!"

The Angel swears by God, the One who created the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and everything in them. This Angel is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator who makes this oath by Himself.

The oath is that there will be no more delay, God will break His silence to the prayer of the Tribulation saints. His final judgment upon sin and evil has come. The last plagues of the day of the Lord are at hand, and there will be no more delay. This is the end; the last series of judgments is about to unfold. 

"Delay" was an appropriate response to the question of the fifth seal martyrs. God indicates that His eternal plan is suffering under a self imposed "delay" in punishing wickedness on the earth. We can conclude that the condition for God’s self- imposed "delay," the completion of the predestined number of martyrs, has been met. God is therefore free to begin the final phase of His judgment upon those who love evil on the earth.

Once this happens, God will begin His reign on the earth. Interestingly, God has never reigned on earth up to this point of time. He has been King over heaven and earth and the whole universe, but He has yet to reign on earth. He governs human events, bringing them into being and changing things, but He has done it, in a sense, remotely. He has never taken his great power and openly reigned upon the earth. But when the seventh angel sounds, then He will begin to reign.

In v.7 we read, "But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets."

The mystery of God will be accomplished. This word mystery, mustērion in the Greek, means “to shut” or “to close.” Throughout the New Testament the word “mystery” describes certain truths that only God knows. And He reveals them in His own time. Many of them were not revealed until the Lord Jesus Christ came. They are secrets kept from people in the past and revealed in the New Testament.

There are many mysteries in the Scriptures: the mystery of the kingdom in Matthew 13, the mystery of Israel’s blindness in Romans 11, the mystery of the rapture in 1 Corinthians 15, the mystery of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2, the mystery of Christ in Ephesians 3, the mystery of Christ in you in Colossians 1, the mystery of godliness in 1 Timothy 3, and the mystery of God’s will in Ephesians 1.

And here is the mystery of the summing up of all things in Christ, things in heaven, things in earth, the final consummation. This mystery was preached to His servants the prophets. The Old Testament prophets wrote about the promises regarding the final consummation, the final day of the Lord, the final coming of God in flaming fire and judgment, and salvation for His people.

In Amos 3:7 we read, "Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets."

God does not do things that He has not revealed. This means that there are messages from God that are released only by the mouth of the prophet. The ministry of the prophet is to speak the word of God without being presumptuous, or speaking their own mind. The secrets that are revealed are intended to instruct the people to seek God and His righteousness.

Old Testament prophets were feared and sometimes disliked because whatever they said came to pass. We see this in 1 Samuel 16:4-5 when Samuel went to Bethlehem. The elders of the town trembled at his coming. The elders were afraid because Samuel showed up and inevitably had a message from God. 

No human has the strength to resist the Lord. Yet because He has given us free will, He speaks through secrets by His servants that causes us to fall on our faces, as we recognize that He has surely spoken. 

The love of God for His children is so strong that He chases after us with His word. His word always leads us into His path of righteousness. His hidden mysteries are revealed to draw us nearer to Him. May we never despise the secrets that are revealed by the word of the LORD, even if they seem to be harsh in the moment. Be assured and know that all things work together for our good, because God loves us and we love Him and we are called according to His purpose.

Revelation 10:1-4

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1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.” ~ Revelation 10:1-4

In Revelation 10 we are introduced to several mysteries that have confused many over time. Evil seems to go unchecked and evil people seem to be increasing everywhere. Many in our world today wonder how people in very high places get away with their obvious disdain for what is right. Many are wondering, "Why do we live in a world like this?" "Why doesn't God do something about it?" These are the questions upon which Revelation 10-11 sheds light.

Revelation 10 and 11 provides a parenthesis that comes in between the judgments of the sixth and seventh trumpets. We have already noted that in these series of judgments (the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls) there is always a break between the sixth and the seventh. That is what we have come to in the trumpet series. Revelation 10 presents three mysteries: The mystery of the mighty angel whom John sees as the chapter opens; then the mystery of God which the angel proclaims; and, finally, the mystery of the little scroll that is held in the angel's hand. Today, we will give our attention to the first 4 verses of Revelation 10.

In v.1 we read, "Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars."

This Angel always appears when Israel comes to the forefront of God's program. This great Angel comes "robed in a cloud." A cloud is characteristic again of the nation Israel. Remember that when Israel was marching through the desert they were preceded by a cloud by day and followed by a pillar of fire by night. 

Actually the same cloud came to the rear at night and was lighted from some kind of fire within so that it appeared as a glowing, brilliant pillar. Later, when the tabernacle was completed, and later still when the temple was built, this same cloud came down and filled the Holy of Holies. It was called the Shekinah, the cloud of glory, an indication of the presence of God. So right from the start we have a clue that identifies this Angel as the Lord Jesus, God the Son, appearing as the Angel of the LORD.

Then, notice that He has "a rainbow above his head." We last saw a rainbow in Revelation 4, around the throne of God. The Angel's face, we are told, was "like the sun," and "and his legs were like fiery pillars." These words take us back to Revelation 1 where John saw the vision of the Lord Jesus standing in the midst of the seven churches. John describes his face as shining like the sun and his feet were like burnished, glowing bronze.

So Revelation 10 is an interlude for John to get a grip on what is being revealed to him, and for us as well. Interestingly, this is the longest of the interludes in the book of the Revelation, the interlude between trumpets six and seven. And, before the blowing of the seventh and last trumpet, we are given this view of the Lord Himself.

Bronze is illustrative of judgment throughout the Scriptures. So, the rainbow along with this garment of judgment is to balance off judgment with covenant. There’s a certain sense in which this Angel comes representing judgment, but representing promise and hope by virtue of the rainbow to those who are the recipients of God’s mercy. God first gave the rainbow, you will  remember, after the flood as His covenant that He would never again destroy the world by water; the rainbow was His sign of the promise. And here is a promise rainbow, so that those who are seeing this vision of the coming judgment will know that God’s promise can be trusted.

In v.2-3 we read, "2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke."

In Revelation 5, the Lion from the tribe of Judah took the little scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. This is that little scroll. In it was the description of the judgments by which God would finally deal with evil.

To this point, Satan has controlled the earth, but now God puts His foot down. He puts His right foot on the sea, His left on the land because the earth and all that is in it belongs to the Lord. This action demonstrates sovereign authority in judgment over the whole earth; and it’s a symbolic anticipation of what will come in the seventh trumpet and the seven bowls.

Now, the first series of judgments, the seven seals, God judges one-fourth of the earth. Through the second series, the trumpets, God judges one-third of the earth. Now, we get the picture of the angel putting his foot on the sea and his foot on the land, and the judgment is going to be on the whole earth.

In v.3, the Lord Jesus roars like a lion. This reflects again the awesome authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. His form is massive, and He has the voice to match His form. It is quite interesting that a number of Old Testament prophets predicted such a cry would come in the time of His final judgment.

In Hosea 11:10 we read, "They will follow the Lord; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west." 

And, in Joel 3:16 we read, "The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel." 

Then in Amos 3:8 we read, "The lion has roared who will not fear? The Sovereign Lord has spoken who can but prophesy?" 

Finally in v.4 of today's text we read, "And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down."

There are times in our walk with the Lord that He pauses. During these moments, I have discovered that there is much more for me to understand in what He has given me to that point. And, as is the point in this passage, He is sovereign and He is truly in control no matter how bad things look or seem. Everything God causes and allows in our lives have their design. Through His silence, His pauses, the seemingly unanswered prayers, God is always working behind the scenes, writing an amazing turn of events story that is yet to be revealed. In fact, God does some of His best work in the “pauses” of our lives. And, His greatest work is the revealing of Himself to those who struggle to know Him.

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.