Revelation 9
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. The great divide between the earth and its inhabitants and hell and its inhabitants has always remained a mystery. Upper Sheol in the First Testament was the abode of the righteous dead and Lower Sheol and Hell fire was the abode of the wicked dead. Even between these two separate locations, there was an impossible gap. Abraham plainly told the rich man in Hell that none could pass between the two abodes. "And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence." Luke 16:26. Jesus told this great story to teach the truth of man's eternal destiny. The gulf between the two abodes was very narrow compared to the gulf between the Earth and Hell. In fact, man is forbidden to ever consider communication with the dead across that gulf. Scripture teaches us clearly that the abode of this wicked is in the heart of the earth. Upper Sheol no longer exists because Jesus Christ led the captives out of their captivity and they ascended with Him to dwell in His presence. They are awaiting the resurrection of their body. The righteous dead in the Old Testament could not escape death and its bondage until Jesus Christ was crucified and arose from the dead. Now, the gulf is only between Lower Sheol and the Earth. No one should attempt any contact with the location of Hell or the people that are damned. Those in Hell are awaiting the White Throne Judgment, where they will appear to give account to the rejected Creator of this universe.
Hell is not just a place of wicked men and women, but also a place where fallen angels are already being judged. Jude spoke of this when warning the church about wicked men. " 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. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like-manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." Jude 1:6-7. The apostle Peter also reminded us of the judgments of angels that had already begun. "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." II Peter 2:4. When the Son of God met demon-possessed individuals, the demons would beg not to be dismissed into the deep, clearly referring to Hell or the bottomless pit. I believe humans can become so wicked that they are demons as surely as fallen angels are demons. Jude gave reference to humans that had become beasts. "Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core." Jude 1:8,10, 11. Calling humans "brute beast" certainly suggests a dark state of character. Hell is inhabited with the darkest of all fallen angels, and the godless and wicked throughout more than six thousand years of human history. They have festered in their vileness and grow increasingly wicked by the day. Our Father and the Lamb are going to unleash a multitude of this wicked crowd right onto the earth.
Joel, an Old Testament prophet gave a preview of this ninth chapter of Revelation. "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march everyone on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded." Joel 2:1-8. There is no possible interpretation of this passage but the truth before us. Joel's army is clearly paranormal, wicked, and set to destroy the exact character of demons. All future judgment and End Time prophecies find their perfect fulfillment in this masterpiece of literature. Revelation 9 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. The chasm between Hell and the bottomless pit at the deepest extreme of Hell is about to be bridged to the earth for the Great Tribulation. Satan and the Father will use every wicked resource: Satan will use them to work havoc and the Father will use them to judge and destroy their own kind. The devil's history is full of the destruction of his followers. The demon-possessed write of their own war with each other and the dangers, as a demon-possessed individual tried to climb the ladder of priesthood in their dark realm. There is no doubt that Satan's kingdom is in the realm of darkness and every aspect of their character is darkness and destruction. "And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit." Revelation 9:1-2 The darkest place in God's universe is about to open onto the earth. Remember that Jesus Christ the Lamb opened the seventh seal; out from that seal appeared seven angels with seven trumpets. This is the fifth of those angels sounding their trumpets. And another angel, one of the seven Cherubim assigned to His churches, descended quickly from heaven. Remember, an individual angel or cherubim was assigned to each church during the Church Dispensation. The seven stars were the angels of the seven churches, which are now established in Heaven since the Rapture. They are the defenders of righteousness in the earth and that includes redemption and judgment. This great star or Cherubim has a key to the bottomless pit. No one, demon or human that has ever been assigned to that pit was ever let out before. The gate has never been unlocked on the exit side of this dark chasm. Everything and everyone inside the bottomless pit is as wicked as they could possibly be. They are corrupt with corrupting personalities and have longed for an opportunity to vent their fury. If this crowd had not been held in captivity, this earth would have descended into an even darker and deeper vileness. Their captivity has been part of God's restrictive plan until the fated hour should arrive. When the great gate was opened, the smoke of this furnace quickly darkened the universe. The sun and moon, plus the atmosphere are covered and filled with the very spirit and darkness of this frightful abyss. No doubt the smoke is but a conveyor of a stench and presence that darkens the mind of every soul it touches. There will be no pure light until this open door to Hell is closed, and it will not be closed until this seal is finished. "And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." Revelation 9:3-6 These creatures are nothing less than demons with dark powers that Satan has trained and mobilized for his honor. Hell and the bottomless pit is indeed a place of fire and brimstone, but it cannot devour spirits or souls. It can only torment and create an atmosphere of misery. In this abyss the spirits and souls will scheme, plan, and anticipate the day when they can spread their misery. That day has come in this text. Like locusts, hungry to devour, they have power like scorpions and inflict pain that will seem unbearable. They will be commanded to hurt nothing of nature, but only the wicked that have rejected the God of Righteousness and do not have the seal of the Father and His Lamb in their forehead. They cannot kill these wicked souls but are commanded to torment them. The torment lasts for five months with a pain that goes to the depth of human captivity. The wicked have killed and maimed the righteous and God-honoring; now, the tide has turned. This great multitude will seek to die and will make every effort to take their own life, but death will be beyond their reach. Revelation 9 12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. 13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. Chapter eight started the period of God's revenge on the godless that mercy could not touch. They cannot blame the Father or the Lamb because mercy and forgiveness was held before this world for at least the first three and a half years. Even now, the door is open to repent, but this multitude wants no repentance. Now, the misery is too dark to see past. "And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months." Revelation 9:7-10 The appearance given to these spirits and souls was planned to create the very atmosphere of the bottomless pit. Misery loves misery; now, misery has invaded the world. Their appearance is like horses, crowned with gold and having faces like men. They have hair like women and teeth like lions. They wear breastplates of iron and they have wings like many chariots racing to destroy. Their tails are quick to inflict pain and torment. It's a scene of Hell on Earth for indeed hell has invaded the earth. These amazing creatures are servants of Satan and are venting his fury against his own worshippers. Satanism has never made sense because it is the opposite of a sane mind. God the Father actually uses Satan to punish himself and his followers and to show that the very nature of evil is to destroy. Evil does not have the ability to do good. This Seven Years of Tribulation will reveal all that is evil for a final display of its nature. "And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter." Revelation 9:11-12 Satan's kingdom is organized. The Book of Ephesians shows four levels of the hierarchy of Lucifer. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12. The organization of evil is off the radar of human sight and understanding. We fail to see how sinister it is in our normal world. The Book of Revelation actually pulls the cover off and we can begin to catch a better picture. This king over the bottomless pit is a destroyer. He is one of Hell's most powerful creatures. Revelation 9 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. Everything represented in every name one can find for Satan in Scripture shows that there is ano capacity for good even to their own. This king has prepared his army well, they do their job under his leadership, and their only reward is more of Hell. One woe is over, but two more are on the way. "And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates." Revelation 9:13-14 A voice rings out from the very altar of God. The sixth angel has blown his trumpet and the depth of judgment must be made manifest. Satan has always been on a leash. He can do only what he is allowed. These four angels have been bound because of previous deceptions and dark deeds. They are masterminds of evil and have, by necessity, been bound awaiting judgment here. Their location of dwelling is in the Babylonian vicinity, because this is Satan's stronghold. They must be loosed to finish the task that wickedness demands. It's fitting that during Satan's last rampages his powers will be concentrated out of his natural habitat. Babylon will be fully rebuilt and occupied. His Antichrist will rule from this city. Evil will develop right out of Babylon and will spread out over the whole earth. "And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurT." Revelation 9:15-19 Hell's fury will certainly arise from the center of the Beast's kingdom. There is certainly some connection between the first half of this chapter and this second horde of spirits. They both issue from the earth or beneath the earth. Their former dwelling place is Hell or the abyss. They all serve the devil and his principalities. Their period of destruction is one year, one month, one day and one hour. They will make use of every minute and one-third of earth's population will be slain. The size of this great demonic army is threatening to consider. Two hundred million trained, equipped, and vicious demonic spirits will go out from one geographical area to invade the earth. Two hundred million suicide bombers all dressed in explosives could not do the damage this multitude will do. John saw the vision and describes them. He called them "horseman" or half horse, half man with "breastplates of fire, jacinth and brimstone." Their heads are like lions and they breath out smoke, fire, and brimstone. The very sight of this army is enough to cause the world to seek death before they even arrive. Their power is both from their mouth and in the tail. They kill coming and going. This kind of creature is being portrayed in mythology and has been trivialized until Revelation seems a joke. When the national news shows this evil footage, the fun will disappear. Demons have previously taken on the appearance of holy angels or an angel of light, but that capacity is no longer available. When the angels of God cast Satan out of his second heavenly empire, he will be stripped of his powers to appear holy like holy angels. His only appearance must derive from his character and this vision is the results. What you are really seeing in this vision is Satan and his demons exactly as they are in their culture. Finally, Satan will look like the devil and all of his horde of spirits will look the same. "And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." Revelation 9:20-21 Unimaginably, there is still a multitude that will not repent. The call to repentance has not subsided. Angels are always flying through the Heavens calling men to repent. We will see that in future passages. The flesh loves its gods of self, devils, idols, and wealth. The sin of Adam was caused by the desire for things, especially things that touch the emotions. God must have known that if man fell, it would be because He gave Him that wonderful creative ability to be emotional, to feel things, and to have emotions of desire, success, and triumph. Man's most beautiful creativity is his emotions, but they are also his downfall when the heart is deceived. At this point, the world's population is almost totally given to the lust of unbridled emotions. Nothing can help a man when his emotions are unchecked and Satan will produce just that kind of world when God gives him free reign for the coming seven years of tribulation. CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS TYPE OF HELL ON EARTH. IF YOU BE SO UNFORTUNATE TO BE ALIVE ON THIS EARTH AT THAT TIME, YOU WILL \WISH TO DIE, BUT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO, BUT WILL ENDURE UNTOLD TORMENT. GOD FORBID. |
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