Revelation 9:1-12
SUBJECT: TRUMPET JUDGMENTS
THEME: The Fifth Trumpet Sounds Bringing a Demonic
Invasion on the Earth.
INTRODUCTION:
Though much can be learned from this passage, the things
that I find most striking are the awesome abilities of our great God to wield extraordinarily
sovereign power over the most powerful and wicked creatures and use them to
achieve his purposes. He is in complete control! Almighty God does confront and
punish sin; He will not be patient with iniquity forever. Because of this we see the demons are coming
like a massive army of men overrunning a nation. These developments will prepare people to
accept the rather worldwide influence of the Antichrist.
LESSION:
The Fifth Trumpet Sounds, Resulting in
the First Demonic Invasion (Rev. 9:1-12)
During the Fifth Trumpet, the demon locusts ascend from the
bottomless pit screaming forth from the darkness and smoke to multiply
suffering among the unrepentant of the world. This all begins with the blast of
the fifth trumpet and a falling star upon the earth. This fallen star unlocks the "bottomless pit," of the abyss releasing veracious
demons like locusts with an ability to sting like a scorpion.
A.
THE RELEASE OF THE LOCUST DEMONS (Rev 9:1-2):
Their abode is the smoke-filled bottomless pit.
1.
A Fallen Star. Vs. 1
A.
He is a Person. “him”
1. This fallen star is a person,
the king over the beings in the pit (Rev 9:11).
2. Not a Meteor it is unlike the
other stars that will have fallen (Rev. 6:13; 8:8).
3. This star will be an angelic
being (Rev. 9:2; 1:20;
12:4a; Job 38:7).
4. Even in modern terminology it
is customary to speak of an unusual athlete or performer as a star.
5. The “star” that fell “unto the earth” was
a person rather than a fragment of a star.
B.
He is Limited.
1. Because He is Fallen. Most
likely, this "star" is a fallen angel.
2. Because He Was Given This Key.
He does not have complete authority, for the key to the pit
had to be given to him before he could lose his army.
3. The one who gave him the key
to the shaft of the Abyss, is the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:18). Most importantly, this angel
is under God's control and authority.
C.
He is Satan.
1. This "star" is probably Satan and the army,
his demons.
Ephes. 6:11-12, Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [12] For we wrestle not
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places.
2. One of the names for Satan is
Lucifer, which means "brightness."
3. Satan is also compared to the "morning star".
Isaiah 14:12-14, How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,
son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the
nations! [13] For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I
will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of
the congregation, in the sides of the north: [14] I will ascend above the
heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
4. Jesus said to His disciples, "I beheld Satan as lightning
fall from heaven"
(Luke 10:18).
5. This star, probably
representing Satan cast out of heaven at the beginning of the Great
Tribulation. Rev. 12:9, And the great dragon was
cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the
whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with
him. Also Rev.12:7.
Often enough Satan comes around to cause havoc, but we need
not fear him, though we should respect him.
Ephes. 6:10,
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
1 Peter 5:8, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
2.
A Bottomless Abyss. Vs. 1-2
The demonic army of Satan will emerge from this chasm (Rev. 9:1-2).
A. The "bottomless pit" is literally "the shaft of the abyss."
In Revelation, it is always the prison where some of the
demonic hordes are incarcerated, the place of severest torment and isolation (Rev. 9:1,2,11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1,3)
B. Luke makes it clear that this "pit" is the abode of the demons.
Luke 8:31, And they besought him that he would not command
them to go out into the deep.
The “Abyss” is
the home of demons (Rev.
9:11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1, 3).
C. John states that Satan will be temporarily "jailed" there during our
Lord's reign on the earth (Rev 20:1-3).
D. The Antichrist ("the beast") will
ascend out of this pit (Rev 11:7; 17:8).
E. The Bottomless
Pit is not the Lake of Fire, for
that is the final "prison" for Satan and all who follow him (Rev 20:10), but part of that hidden
underworld under the Lord's authority. The "bottomless pit," mentioned twice in these verses,
will appear again in Rev.
11:7; 17:8; and 20:1-3. Some believe this abode of
demons is located in the heart of our planet.
F.
Today, the fearsome army described here is already incarcerated, waiting
for the hour of liberation.
Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate,
but left their own habitation, he hath
reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the
great day.
2 Peter 2:4, For if God spared not the
angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto
judgment;
Aren’t you glad to be saved and spared from this horror on
the earth and all eternity also. It’s a
blessing to know that when we believer die that we will be immediately with the
Lord.
2 Cor. 5:8, We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the
body, and to be present with the Lord.
Philip. 1:23, For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Rev. 5:8-11, And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and
twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and
golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. [9] And they sung
a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals
thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast
redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and
people, and nation; [10] And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and
we shall reign on the earth. [11] And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many
angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of
them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
3.
An Opened Abyss. Vs. 2
When the darkness was opened, smoke billows out emerging as
though the door of a furnace had been swung wide open.
A.
Like a Giant Fiery Furnace.
Jesus compared hell to a furnace of fire, an image that
ought to make people stop and think before they joke about it.
Matthew 13:42, And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:50, And shall cast them into the
furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
B.
More Darkness and Pollution.
The thick smoke polluted the atmosphere and darkened the
light of the sun, which was already murky because of the fourth trumpet blast. This
also reminds us of the plague of darkness that once overshadowed Egypt in Exodus 12:21-22.
B.
THE WARFARE OF THE LOCUST DEMONS (Rev. 9:3-12)
But it is what came out of the smoke that truly terrorized
mankind: an army of demons, compared to locusts. The eighth plague in Egypt was
a devastating swarm of locusts (Ex 10:1-20). People who have never encountered
these insects have little idea of the damage they can do. When God wanted to
judge His people, He would sometimes send locusts to devour the harvests (Deut
28:38,42; Joel 2:1).
1.
Their Descriptive Appearance (Rev. 9:3, 7-10 a)
Their description is designed to give the impression of
horror, conquest, and fierceness!
A.
They Look like Locusts (Rev. 9:3 a).
1. These are Not Ordinary Locust.
Locust plagues are
one of the severest plagues of mankind. The imagery of locusts, appearing like
armies, advancing like a cloud, darkening the heavens, and sounding like the
rattle of chariots, goes back to Joel's vision of the locust army that came on
Israel as a judgment from God (Joel 1:6; 2:4-10). But the locusts of the Apocalypse inflict agony like scorpion
stings (vv. 3, 5, 10). This, together with the fact that they do not eat grass (v. 4), shows that these locusts are
something other than ordinary earthly insects. Indeed, they have the special
task of inflicting a nonfatal injury only on the beast worshipers, who do not
have the seal of God on their foreheads (v. 4). This may imply that these locusts like creatures are not simply
instruments of a physical plague such as that in Moses' or Joel's day or under
the first four trumpets but are demonic forces out of the Abyss from whom the
true people of God are protected... –The Expositor’s
Bible Comm.
2. They are Hellish in Their Very
Nature!
3. In the prophetic Scriptures
locust are symbols of divine judgment (Deut 28:38, 42; Nah 3:15, 17; Amos 7:1-3).
B.
They Were like Battle Ready Armored Horses (Rev. 9:7).
1.
This most likely means that they were a conquering army of demons.
2. Horses are a symbol of war…even
successful power in war (Zech. 6:1-8; Rev. 6:1-8; 19:11-21).
C.
They Wore Symbolic Golden Crowns (Rev. 9:7).
1. The crowns signify that they
were authorized to rule in lost men’s lives.
2. The crowns might reflect prior
military exploits and power.
3. The crowns may also imply that
the locusts have high status among the demons but still rank below their king,
Abaddon or Apollyon (v.
11).
D.
They Have Faces Like Men (Rev. 9:7).
1. They were creatures of great
intelligence and rational capability and not merely driven by instincts (Ezek. 1:10).
2. That they symbolically had
human faces probably indicates that these were not mere insects but were
intelligent beings. These locusts were not just out for food but were sent to
make war against their own followers.
E.
They Symbolically Had Hair like a Women. Rev 9:8
1. This may mean they are
attractive and/or seductive. Deception will be their MO.
2. They may ensnare sinners with
an innocent and harmless appearance at first.
F.
They Had Teeth like a Lion (Rev. 9:7-8).
1. This points to the fact that
they will be ferocious and cruel in their attacks.
2. Their destructiveness is in
view; this image points to the fact that they will terrify that future society.
3. They are fierce, powerful, and
potentially deadly (Jer.
51:27).
4. They Feast on human pain and
suffering short of murder.
G.
They Are Protected by Iron Breastplates (Rev. 9:9).
1. They were difficult to attack
and destroy.
2. They seemed to be
invulnerable, for no force availed against them.
3. They are insensitive to the
suffering they cause–They know no mercy.
H.
They Have Stinging Tails like Scorpions (Rev. 9:3 b, 10 a).
1. They are able to torture the
victim physically and mentally.
2. Their torture produces the
most intolerable anguish and intense pain.
3. These are not literal locusts,
because locusts do not have scorpion-like stings in their tails.
Reading the
detailed description of these creatures, we realize that John is not writing
about ordinary locusts. Yet, despite its obvious symbolism, it aptly portrays a
powerful enemy armed for battle. With bodies like horses but faces like men,
the demons' heads are crowned and covered with long hair. They have teeth like
those of lions, and their skin is like a coat of mail. When they fly, the noise
is like an army of chariots rushing by. It is unnecessary to try to
"spiritualize" these symbols, or to interpret them in light of modern
means of warfare. John is heaping image upon image to force us to feel the
horror of this judgment. —W. W. Wiersbe
2.
Their Devilish Administrator (Rev. 9:11-12):
A. Their king is named “Abaddon” (in the Hebrew) and “Apollyon” (in the Greek), meaning "destroyer."
B. Real locusts do not have a king (Prov 30:27), but this army follows the rule
of Satan, the angel of the bottomless pit. Though he is the direct influencer,
they all are under God’s authority and plans.
C. His name is "Destroyer." "The thief [Satan] cometh not, but for to steal, and
to kill, and to destroy" (John
10:10). Real locusts
are pervasive destroyers, but this army only tortures those who do not belong
to the Lord. Satan’s ultimate aims are destructive, but again the Lord limits Satan’s
role.
3.
Their Duty Assignments. (Rev. 9:4-6, 10 b)
A.
Considered Negatively (Rev. 9:4 a):
1. They Are Not to Harm the Grass
or Trees.
A. These are the natural foods on
which they ordinarily prey. Therefore, not natural and ordinary locusts.
B. Their natural instinct is supernaturally
restrained to mark the judgment as altogether divine.
C. These creatures do not devour
the green vegetation; in fact, they are prohibited from doing so. This is
unlike Rev. 8:7.
2. They Are Not to Harm the
Sealed Jews. Rev. 9:4
Perhaps even everyone else on earth except the two groups
mentioned in chap. 7—the 144,000 Jewish evangelists
and their converts (Rev.7:3).
(Rev 7:1-8).
A. The seal of Jesus on the
foreheads of believers represents his ownership
and protecting authority.
B. The word "sealed" is significant elsewhere in the New Testament.
In Matt 27:65, Pilate applied his seal of
authority to the tomb of Jesus, so no one could steal the body.
C. In Eph 1:13, Paul used this word to describe
God's mark on a person who believes in Christ -- he or she is sealed with the
promised Spirit of God. Obviously, God's seal is more than a mark; it is the
Holy Spirit's presence in believers.
In Rev 5,
Christ alone demonstrated the power to break the seals that secure the account
of the end of history. He also reminded the Asian churches (chapters 2-3) that
his power to open or shut doors cannot be broken. The power to overcome and a
sense of spiritual security cannot flow from our ability to believe or our
success in obedience; our safety lies in the power of Jesus Christ. How much of
your security have you entrusted to him?
B.
Considered Positively (Rev. 9:4 b-6,10 b):
1. They are to torture (but not
kill) the unsaved for five months.
Demons do torment the unsaved person.
Mark 5:5, And
always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
Mark 5:15, And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed,
and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
This demonic army is given the assignment of tormenting all
who have not been protected by the seal of God.
Although their
sting was not fatal, it inflicted torment that lasted for five months. It was so intense that men wanted to die, but
they could not. These locusts probably
represent demons which, when released from the pit, took possession of unsaved
men and women. This demon-possession
cause the most intense physical suffering and mental torture, as it did with
Legion in Mark 5:1-20.—W. MacDonald
God allowed demons to torment people (Rev. 9:3-6). These
demons were not created by Satan, because God is the Creator of all. Rather,
they are probably fallen angels who joined Satan in his rebellion. God limits
what they can do; they can do nothing without his permission. Their main
purpose on earth is to prevent, distort, or destroy people's relationship with
God. Whenever Jesus encountered a demon-possessed person, that person was being
tortured (see, for example, Mark 9:14-29 and Luke 8:26-29). Because demons are corrupt
and degenerate, their appearance reflects the distortion of their spirits.
While it is important to recognize their evil activities, so we can stay away
from them, we must avoid any curiosity about or involvement with demonic forces
or with the occult. Attempting to confront demons should be done under the
authority and protection of the church leaders.
2. The normal lifespan of the
locust is about five months (May to September), and this is the length of time
that the judgment will last.
3. These demons will sting people
and thus create such pain that their victims will actually want to die, but
death will flee from them.
Jeremiah 8:3, And death
shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of
this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them,
saith the Lord of hosts.
Job 3:20-21, Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto
the bitter in soul; [21] Which long for
death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;
A. The tormented will find no
relief.
B. Even their unimaginable
attempts to end their misery in suicide will be unsuccessful.
1) Every
Suicide Attempt will fail.
2) People
Will beg to Die
As God's people, we can be thankful that Jesus Christ holds
the keys of hell and death (Rev 1:18)
and exercises divine authority even over Satan. God has His timetable for all
these events, and nothing will happen too soon or too late (2 Thess 2:6; note also Rev 9:15). The following are helpful guiding principles to hang on to:
God is greater than
we can understand.
Job 36:26, Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither
can the number of his years be searched out.
One theme in the poetic literature of the Bible is that God
is incomprehensible; we cannot know him completely. We can have some knowledge
about him, for the Bible is full of details about who God is, how we can know
him, and how we can have an eternal relationship with him. But we can never
know enough to answer all of life's questions (Eccl 3:11), to predict our own
future, or to manipulate God for our own ends. Life always creates more
questions than we have answers, and we must constantly go to God for fresh
insights into life's dilemmas.
God's sovereignty
is completely awe inspiring.
Job 37:23, Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he
is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not
afflict.
Nothing can compare to God. His power and presence are
awesome, and when he speaks, we must listen. Too often we presume to speak for
God (as did Job's friends), to put words in his mouth, to take him for granted,
or to interpret his silence to mean that he is absent or unconcerned. But God
cares. He is in control, and he will speak. Be ready to hear his message -- in
the Bible, through the Holy Spirit, and through circumstances and
relationships.
God's sovereignty
is absolute. Elihu
stressed God's sovereignty over all of nature as a reminder of his sovereignty
over our life. God is in control -- he directs, preserves, and maintains his
created order. Although we can't see it, God is divinely governing the moral
and political affairs of people as well. By spending time observing the
majestic and intricate parts of God's creation, we can be reminded of his power
in every aspect of our life.
Almighty God is
totally in control always! This warrants our respect and solicits our awe of
Him. This truth should also comfort us greatly…especially when life does not
make sense. Beloved, even when we do not have the answers we feel we so desperately
need it is still our part to trust our situation to God. Trust is the correct
response…. In addition, God does and will confront and punish sin; He will not
be patient with iniquity forever. It is not our responsibility to make people
pay for personal wrongs towards us; God can handle it far better than we can.
Finally, Satan only appears to be having his way in this world. Yes, the
proliferation of sin and vice is disturbing, and we must do our part to be salt
and light in this world. We must vigorous propagate the Gospel of Jesus Christ
to the unsaved…. Still Satan cannot do anything God does not permit or
tolerate. Turbulent times are not occasions to question God's purpose or love, but to trust Him more completely.
