Revelation 9:1-12
[6/19/11]
Review:
Revelation 8:7) (GW) When the first angel blew his trumpet, hail and fire were mixed with blood, and were thrown on the earth. One-third of the earth was burned up, one-third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
Regarding “all the green grass,”
“a ‘court’ or ‘garden’, that is, (by implication of pasture) herbage or vegetation” [Strong].
Concerning “all the green grass,”
Some commentators believe this to mean all the green grass in the third area of the earth that is affected. Others believe it to mean all the green grass on earth.
NOTE: I tend to think that it refers to all the green plant life in the third part of the world that is affected by this judgment. Why? This is a judgment upon the third part of the earth.
8) (GW) When the second angel blew his trumpet, something like a huge mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. One-third of the sea turned into blood,
9) (GW) one-third of the creatures that were living in the sea died, and one-third of the ships were destroyed.
QUESTION: What was the 2nd Trumpet judgment of God?
ANSWER: A giant meteorite, asteroid, or comet will strike earth and land in the ocean.
NOTE: This will increase the food shortage. Sea food will be cut by a third. Ships that deliver sea food, and other foods, will be destroyed.
10) (GW) When the third angel blew his trumpet, a huge star flaming like a torch fell from the sky. It fell on one-third of the rivers and on the springs.
11) (GW) That star was named Wormwood. One-third of the water turned into wormwood, and many people died from this water because it had turned bitter.
QUESTION: What was the 3rd Trumpet judgment of God?
ANSWER: A smaller meteorite shower will strike the earth. It appears that God will cause these meteorites to strike the rivers and springs on earth. One third of the drinking water will be contaminated. Many will die drinking bad water.
NOTE: The first 2 Trumpet Judgments greatly decrease the supply of food. This one greatly decrease the supply of safe drinking water.
12) (GW) When the fourth angel blew his trumpet, one-third of the sun, one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars were struck so that one-third of them turned dark. There was no light for one-third of the day and one-third of the night.
QUESTION: What was the 4th Trumpet judgment of God?
ANSWER: Just as God turned out the lights in the middle of the day during the crucifixion, He will turn out the lights for a third of the daytime and a third of the nighttime.
NOTE: Strange darkness in the middle of chaos will heighten the fears of the survivors to epic proportions.
13) (GW) I saw an eagle flying overhead, and I heard it say in a loud voice, “Catastrophe, catastrophe, catastrophe for those living on earth, because of the remaining trumpet blasts which the three angels are about to blow.”
Other Translations of “Catastrophe, catastrophe, catastrophe”
(KJV) Woe, woe, woe,
(BBE) (CEV) Trouble, trouble, trouble,
(GNB) O horror! horror! How horrible
(MSG) Doom! Doom! Doom
(NLT) Terror, terror, terror
QUESTION: What ominous warning follows the 4th Trumpet Judgment?
ANSWER: As bad as it has been, it’s about to get worse.
NOTE: 1/3 of vegetation; 1/3 of sea food and merchant ships; 1/3 of drinking water; and 1/3 of daylight and nightlight were affected in the first 4 Trumpet Judgments. They were the 1/3 Judgments.
On To This Week’s Lesson:
Death Takes A Holiday:
Revelation 9:1-12) (GW) When the fifth angel blew his trumpet, I saw a star that had fallen to earth from the sky. The star was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.
QUESTION: What, or who, is this “star that had fallen to earth”?
ANSWER: Notice the following passage:
Luke 10:18) Jesus said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning.”
Revelation 12:7-9) (GW) Then a war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels had to fight a war with the serpent. The serpent and its angels fought.
8) (GW) But it was not strong enough, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
9) (GW) The huge serpent was thrown down. That ancient snake, named Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, was thrown down to earth. Its angels were thrown down with it.
QUESTION: What, or who is this “star that had fallen to earth”?
ANSWER: It appears that the “star” represents an angel, a fallen angel, named Satan.
NOTE: Other ideas include it might be a good angel, or Jesus Himself. The thinking there is that this is a judgment from God; therefore God is doing these things, not Satan.
2) (GW) It opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and smoke came out of the shaft like the smoke from a large furnace. The smoke darkened the sun and the air.
3) (GW) Locusts came out of the smoke onto the earth, and they were given power like the power of earthly scorpions.
4) (GW) They were told not to harm any grass, green plant, or tree on the earth. They could harm only the people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
QUESTION: What happened when the “star” creature “opened the shaft of the bottomless pit”?
ANSWER: Thick smoke and locust like creatures came out of the pit.
QUESTION: What were the locusts given power to do?
ANSWER: There power was similar to the sting of scorpions. After the first Trumpet Judgment destroyed 1/3 of all vegetation on earth, these scorpion like creatures were forbidden to harm the vegetation any further. There power was to hurt people. All those who were not sealed by God were affected by this Judgment.
5) (GW) They were not allowed to kill them. They were only allowed to torture them for five months. Their torture was like the pain of a scorpion’s sting.
6) (GW) At that time people will look for death and never find it. They will long to die, but death will escape them.
QUESTION: How did they hurt all those who were not sealed by God?
ANSWER: Their “sting” caused intense pain. Those affected were in such pain they longed to die. They will seek it, but not find it. DEATH TAKES A 5 MONTH HOLIDAY!
7) (GW) The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. They seemed to have crowns that looked like gold on their heads. Their faces were like human faces.
8) (GW) They had hair like women’s hair and teeth like lions’ teeth.
9) (GW) They had breastplates like iron. The noise from their wings was like the roar of chariots with many horses rushing into battle.
10) (GW) They had tails and stingers like scorpions. They had the power to hurt people with their tails for five months.
QUESTION: What will these “locusts” look like?
ANSWER: They look like: horsed prepared for battle wearing gold crowns; they have human faces; they have women’s hair and lion’s teeth; they have breastplates like iron; they will have “tails and stingers like scorpions.” The sound they make will be like the sound of many chariots rushing into battle.
QUESTION: What are they?
ANSWER: Some ideas include: demons, special creations from God for this occasion, or helicopters.
NOTE: We can disagree as to what they will literally be, but the main point is that they will cause intense pain upon all who are not sealed by God. THEY WILL ONLY HARM HUMANS.
11) (GW) The king who ruled them was the angel from the bottomless pit. In Hebrew he is called Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.
QUESTION: Who is in control of these locust like creatures?
ANSWER: He is “the angel from the bottomless pit.” His Hebrew name, “Abaddon,” means “a destroying angel,” and his Greek name, “Apollyon” means “a destroyer” according to Strong. I personally believe it to be Satan.
NOTE: If these are demonic creatures, or special creations for this event, it’s easy to see how their king would be Satan.
QUESTION: What if they’re helicopters?
ANSWER: If they were helicopters then the Anti-Christ would be their commander; and his commander is Satan.
QUESTION: Is there a problem with that possibility?
ANSWER: I’m wondering why the Anti-Christ would order helicopters to torture his followers.
NOTE: The Anti-Christ would want to torture believers, but God has sealed His followers.
12) (GW) The first catastrophe is over. After these things there are two more catastrophes yet to come.
QUESTION: After the first 4 Trumpet Judgments it was announced that three “woes” were to come upon mankind. What is announced after the 5th Trumpet Judgment?
ANSWER: There are still 2 “woes” to come.
NOTE: It might be bad, but it keeps getting worse.