Group Discussion Questions for 4/24/13 Revelation 9

Read chapters 8 and 9 prior to answering the questions, without referring to notes or commentaries. Remind yourself of what you read last week in Exodus about the plagues. Also, look at Joel 1 and 2 for an Old Testament prophecy concerning God's judgment by means of locusts.

1. The last verse of chapter 8 indicates that the effects of trumpets 5-7 are different in some way from the effects of trumpets 1-4. How would you characterize this difference? See in particular 9:4, 5, and 15.

2. Does John see the star fall? Who gets the key, the star or the angel? Concerning the star, consider Isaiah 14:12 and Luke 10:18.

3. What are the characteristics of the abyss or pit? See also Matt 8:28-32, Mark 5:1-11, and Jude 1:6.

4. The locusts are told (!) that they must not harm those who are sealed. Look again at 7:1- 3 and Ezekiel 9, as well as Ex 11 on the Passover. What purpose do the locusts serve? How is this similar or dissimilar to what we find in Exodus and Ezekiel? What is the purpose of the seal?

5. Try to picture the locusts according to the description in verses 7-10. What do you come up with? What might be symbolized by the details of this description? Make sure your interpretation of the symbols is consistent with the purpose of the locusts.

6. "Abaddan" and "Apollyon" mean "Destroyer." See Job 26:6, Ps 88:11, and Pr 15:11 for use of the Hebrew word. Who is this? Is your interpretation consistent with the purpose of the locusts?

7. For verse 13, look again at 6:9-11 and 8:3-5, immediately preceding the sounding of the trumpets. What is this voice responding to?

8. Verse 15 is in passive voice. These angels had been prepared for this very hour by whom? What is the significance of this prior preparation? What does this tell you about the one who did the planning?

9. On brimstone see Gen 19:24, Ps 11:6, and Isa 30:33. Also note Hebrews 2:3. Does all this pain and destruction have an impact on the people suffering through it? Consider verses 20 and 21.

10. What should be our response to this passage? What is likely to be the response from those who are described in 6:9-11? Should ours be the same? What impact should this passage have on the way we conduct our lives? The Fifth Trumpet: Locusts, 9:1-12 The fifth trumpet blast sets in motion a horrific army of locusts, energized by demonic sources (9:1-2). The imagery derives from Exodus 10:13-15 and from Joel 2:1-11, where a literal locust plague foreshadows even more devastating judgment coming from a divinely commissioned army (Joel 2:11). Their terrorizing powers compare only to those of the Beast (13:1-10). These infernal monsters attack only the wicked, not the saints (9:4).

The wicked sometimes suffer even in this life in a way that presages their final punishment (20:11-15). The vision depicts the self-defeating and tormenting nature of wickedness in the human soul. This general principle has multiple fulfillments (Introduction: Interpretation). Within the Roman Empire, it represents how people giving themselves to the worship of idols and the worship of the Emperor suffer torments of soul. In addition, as God brings the structures of the Empire under judgment, people may experience suffering through social, political, and military failures as well. In the future, just before the Second Coming, judgments of God against the wicked will intensify. The general principle applies to the entire period of the church age. Wickedness brings suffering rather than the hoped-for success (cf. Prov. 10:6, 7, 9, 11, etc.). Like Proverbs, Revelation delineates a general pattern. But it is also honest about the fact that the saints may for a time suffer grievously (6:9-10). Within this world order, justice does not always triumph quickly.

The locusts operate for five months (v. 5). A normal locust swarm would move on after a few days. This demonic swarm stays for the whole period during which locusts might be seen, emphasizing the severity of this judgment. The leader is Apollyon. Both Apollyon and Abaddon mean destroyer. There may be an ironic allusion to Nero or Domitian, both of whom saw themselves as imitators of the Greek god Apollo.

The Sixth Trumpet: The Conquering Army, 9:13-21 The Roman Empire feared an attack of the Parthians from beyond the Euphrates (9:14), the eastern border of the Empire. But all such fears are dwarfed by what Revelation pictures. Outside threats experienced by the Roman Empire presage the final day of battle of cosmic proportions (16:14). 9:13-21 is similar to 16:14, but the consequences are less severe, still leaving time for repentance (9:18-21). Nations as well as individuals who give themselves to idols or to the worship of power and militancy may find themselves overwhelmed in a military judgment brought against them. It happened to ancient Babylon, to Greece, to Rome, to Hitler’s Third Reich, and to the Soviet Union.