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The Fifth Angel Sounds Revelation 9:1-21

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The Fifth Angel Sounds Revelation 9:1-21 The Fifth Angel Sounds Revelation 9:1-21 NKJV Notes by Pastor Mike Sasso Introduction In chapter eight we saw the seventh seal of the great scroll in heaven opened by Jesus Christ. As the seventh seal was opened we saw seven angels standing before God, preparing to blow the seven trumpets. We discovered that these trumpets are the battle charges of heaven. With each trumpet sound God is declaring war on the God-hating inhabitants of earth. With each trumpet sound God is releasing more of His wrath upon the earth. This is a picture of indescribable wrath and judgment. Hell itself is seen in chapter nine as the bottomless pit is opened and every imaginable evil is released on the earth. Keep in mind as you continue your study of these chapters that even scholars from the same theological camps will disagree upon the exact meanings of some of the things we are studying. Many scholars consider chapter nine to be the most difficult chapter of the entire book. May God give you a heart to receive what the Spirit has specially for you. We know that all scripture is inspired by God and profitable (2 Tim. 3:16-17). So pray that you will profit according to the will of God as you study these verses together. TRUTH APPLIED: 1. Before you begin your study of chapter nine, review as a group the seven seals and their meaning. (Revelation chapters 6-8) 2. What exactly does all this mean? What is the point of this difficult text? 3. Where is the Christian Church and what are they doing at this time? Before proceeding on to these study notes take the time to read this entire chapter aloud with your group. STUDY NOTES: verse 1 v. 1 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. – The context of this verse reveals that this “star” that had fallen from heaven is a person, a “him.” Theories of who this star is vary greatly. This star has been supposed to mean everyone from Jesus to Satan, from Martin Luther to the Pope. I believe this star is none other that Satan himself. Notice this star had already fallen from heaven to earth. John is describing one already fallen. Compare this text with what God says to Satan in Isaiah 14:12. Read Isaiah 14:12 in context (at least v. 12-17) in a few different translations. Particularly interesting is the way this verse is translated in the NASB translation - ““How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!” Isaiah 14:12, NAS95. For further study, also compare Ezekiel 28:17 & Luke 10:18 with this text. Notice also that this “star” was “given” a key. Satan has no power other than that which is given to him by God. And when God gives anything to Satan, it is ultimately to fulfill His own purposes and plans, not Satan’s; i.e. the story of Job (Job 1:12, 2:6). Some believe that this is the same star mentioned in 8:10. TRUTH APPLIED: 1. Many find it disturbing that Satan would be given a key (v. 1). But it is important to keep in mind that God can use anyone, even Satan, to accomplish His will. Often, God has used the wicked to bring about judgment. Can you think of some biblical examples of this? STUDY NOTES: verse 2 v. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. – The bottomless pit or “abyssos” is a sort of prison for demons (see Luke 8:31, 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude 6). It seems God is using Satan to release hell on earth. Most likely, Satan is attempting to accomplish his own will and not God’s as he releases all these evil forces from their prison. Always remember that our Almighty God has a way of using the actions of Satan and his forces to, at the end of the day, accomplish His plan. The atmospheric condition here is a description made often in scripture of what the Great Tribulation will be like. See Isaiah 13:9-10; Joel 3:14-15; Matthew 24:29-31; Mark 13:19-27. TRUTH APPLIED: 2. Many have the false idea that Satan rules in hell. We know from Rev. 20:10 that Satan will actually be a victim of hell, not a ruler. How then do we explain Satan having the key to the bottomless pit here in verse one? STUDY NOTES: verses 3-12 v. 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. – Again the context of this text dictates that these are not literal locusts but demonic forces. And again we see that these evil forces are “given power” in order to ultimately accomplish God’s judgment. v. 4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. – Locusts can be a terrible havoc. But they do not usually attack men, but the green things of the earth. Here we see the opposite is true. God’s elect 144,000 have been sealed with a seal on their foreheads in 7:3. Now we see that this was a mark of protection from this demonic horde. v. 5 And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. – Once more the commentators offer up varied and wild explanations of this event. Some propose that these locusts will be some sort of modern-day weaponry such as Cobra helicopters releasing toxin gases from their tails. But it seems more likely from the context that these are in fact demons released from the bottomless pit to torture godless mankind. v. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. – How can this be? Here is a description of a condition of life where the misery of living is so tormenting that death is preferable. Because of his extreme pain and torment, man has become suicidal. But for some reason he cannot find death. Some explain this condition as a result of advanced, modern medicine or technology that keeps man alive. But you would think that even in that case, man could destroy himself if he really wanted to. I believe that all explanations fall short here unless we are observing a powerful sort of demonic possession of mankind. In this case the demon is in full control of the man and will not allow him to take his own life. This prospect makes the horror movies of Hollywood look like children’s bedtime stories. The irony here is that when the righteous sought life they were not allowed to live, and here the wicked seek death but are not allowed to die. In 6:16 these hardened sinners were begging the mountains and rocks to fall on them. v. 7-10 The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. – Rather than grope for some figurative or allegorical meaning behind this strange description of the locusts, it is probably best to take this description at face value. If John did indeed see an army of demons coming out of the bottomless pit, then this is simply John’s description of what the demons looked like. Why the power of these scorpions sting lasts five months is not explained. v. 11 And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon. – Proverbs 30:27 tells us that the locusts of the earth have no king. So here we have more evidence that this is no ordinary locust army. Aboddon means “destruction.” Apollyon means “destroyer.” Again, this “angel” who is their “king” is called a “he.” This person is either a high-ranking demon or Satan himself. What an accurate picture of Satan and his mission! ““The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy….” John 10:10a, NKJV. v. 12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things. – A “woe” is an exclamation of great grief. One might suppose that we have just experienced all three “woes” of 8:13. But we now discover that we are only one third through the worst of the worst. It is now clear that each woe of 8:13 corresponds with one of the last three trumpet blasts of the seven angels who stand before God’s throne.
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