Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: I now can sing Since I've been redeemed I'm on the everlasting Everlasting rock I faith in Christ my redeemer king I'm on the everlasting everlasting rock Then Ro Ro Pillows row Rise, glorious conqueror Rise into thy mighty skies Assume I rise and where in manifold the clouds are backward road Pass through those gates of golden raining light.
Victor or death and hell Cherubing legions swell the radiation praises all heaven's fiery changes Sweeps his heart and clasps.
Enter in carnage, God.
Blow the full trumpets Blow wider yon portal's throat say your triumphant go and take thy crown.
Lion up to the hill and there's thy name Prepare from age to age Lord of the rolling years Claim for thine own but with thy blood and tears thy merits.
[00:02:12] Speaker B: Welcome to the Voice of Hope, a Bible teaching program produced by Heralds of Hope.
I'm your host, Anthony High.
In this episode, we continue our journey through the Book of Revelation.
We've seen the first four trumpet judgments unleash devastation all over the earth.
Now with the fifth trumpet, the focus moves from the physical world to the spiritual realm.
In this realm, the true character of Satan is laid bare.
John calls it what it hell on earth.
Today's teacher, J. Mark Horst, will walk us through Revelation, chapter 9, verses 1 through 12.
So let's open the Scripture together at heralds of hope.
[00:03:01] Speaker C: Article 8 of our statement of faith reads like we believe there is a personal devil who is the arch enemy of God and all good, that he is seeking to deceive all people and take them to eternal ruin.
As we read in the book of Genesis, Satan launched his first attack in the Garden of Eden, where he successfully tempted our first parents, Adam and Eve, to be disobedient to God.
And the disastrous consequences of that were that sin entered the world and death through sin and so death spread to all men because all have sinned.
That's how Paul explained it in Romans 5, verse 12.
And then later, Satan tormented the righteous Job. He revealed his hatred for the godly. He tried to destroy Job's faith. He tried to take him from God's kingdom and lure him back into his kingdom, the kingdom of darkness.
So Job's experience gives us a glimpse of the spirit world and of that unseen cosmic battle that is raging around us day and night.
From Job's experience, we learn that with God's permission, Satan destroyed his possessions, killed his children, and ruined his health. And yet Job remained steadfast and faithful.
In the end, God was vindicated and Satan's attempt to destroy Job's faith failed completely. And just as he did with Job, Satan continually accuses believers today before God's throne.
In the future, Satan will serve God's purpose by being permitted to launch another deadly assault against the human race. That attack will come at the sounding of the fifth trumpet, during the time of God's judgment, during the Great Tribulation.
Now, each of the first four trumpet judgments that we examined in the previous episode affected the physical universe. But with this fifth trumpet, the focus shifts to the realm of the spirit.
The traumatic events that are associated with this fifth trumpet unfold for us in four scenes revealing a taste of hell on earth. They are the unlocked pit, the unleashed power, the unveiled appearance, and the unmasked prince.
Listen carefully now as I read the text. Revelation chapter 9 and verses 1 12.
Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven to earth.
To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. 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.
Then out of the smoke, locusts came upon the earth, and to them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have power.
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.
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.
In those days, men will seek death and will not find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them.
The shape of the locusts the 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 and there were stings in their tails.
Their power was to hurt men. Five months and they had as a king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.
One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.
As we look at these scenes from the sounding of the fifth trumpet, it should do two things for reinforce the reality of God's judgment on the wicked and give us courage for bolder witness to the lost.
The first scene is the unlocked pit.
Now we have observed this rising crescendo of judgments on the earth, and now we're introduced to the first woe.
It's a dramatic event described by John in the first 12 verses of this chapter.
So as his visions continue, he hears and sees the fifth angel sounding his trumpet. And as he's watching, he sees a star fall from heaven to earth.
But this is not an ordinary star, because in verse two, the star is referred to as he.
Now, From Revelation chapter one, in verse 20, we learn that stars are used symbolically of angels.
So I think it's safe to conclude that this star also represents an angel.
But I would say, based on what follows, this is a fallen angel or an evil angel. In fact, it may be Satan himself.
He is described in the Hebrew text of Isaiah 14:12 as Helel, the Shining one, or Helel Ben Shakar, Shining One, Son of the dawn.
And then In Luke chapter 10 and verse 18, Jesus said, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
This angel is given the key to open the pit of the abyss.
According to Luke 8:31, in their confrontation with Jesus, the demons begged him not to send them into the abyss. That is the place where demonic spirits dwell.
It seems that if Jesus had sent them there, then they would have been confined and no longer free to pursue their hellish tasks.
Incidentally, Satan will be bound and confined to the same pit that during the millennial reign of Christ. We read about that in Revelation chapter 20 and verses 1 and 3.
Scripture teaches us that God has sovereignly chosen to incarcerate certain demons in that pit of punishment.
2 Peter 2, 4 says this God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness reserved for judgment.
Now, regarding the key given to the angel, let's remember the words of Jesus in Revelation chapter 1 and verse 18, I am he who lives and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and death.
And Jesus also told Peter in Matthew 16:19, Behold, I give to you the keys of the kingdom.
Keys are a symbol of authority. They decide who has access and who doesn't.
So this angel, we said it's possibly Satan was given authority to open a shaft leading to the bottomless pit, the netherworld or the underworld. The world below is thought to increase in size the further it extends from the surface of the Earth. And so it might resemble a cistern with a narrow opening that continues to widen as you go down.
At any rate, when the angel used his key to open the shaft of the bottomless pit, smoke, like the smoke of a great furnace, rolled out of the opening. It reminded me of Genesis 19:28. Then Abraham looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the plain, and he saw, and behold the smoke of the land, which went up like the smoke of a furnace.
Now, once again, this was not ordinary smoke. It was so dense that the air and the sunlight were darkened by it.
Remember, as a result of the fourth trumpet, a third of the heavenly bodies were already darkened. And darkness is the realm of Satan and demonic oppression.
The smoke polluting the sky symbolizes the corruption of hell as it belched forth from the abyss to pollute the world.
But you know, it is not the blackout of the sun that makes the fifth trumpet the first woe judgment.
It's what comes next, because the unlocked pit leads to the unfolding of the next scene, which is the unleashed power.
This smoke John saw ascending out of the bottomless pit was filled with locusts.
Remember, locusts were the eighth plague on the Egyptians. And in Joel chapter two, the prophet describes the horrors of a natural locust plague in language that is apocalyptic.
They're like an unstoppable army devouring everything in their path. He describes how before them the earth is lush and green, and behind them it's barren and desolate.
Even though these locust like creatures here in our text are forbidden to destroy the vegetation, their description is far worse than Joel's description. And the fact that these locusts could be forbidden to do some things and and commanded to do others tells me they have the power of intellect.
So what John saw were not normal locusts.
The description reveals to us that they are demonic.
Normal locusts would destroy all the remaining green vegetation. Now remember, the first trumpet had already damaged a significant portion of everything that was green on the earth, but this demonic variety was forbidden to do that.
However, they do have a unique characteristic that's introduced in verse three. It says, and to them was given power as the scorpions of the Earth have power three times. In this short section of 12 verses, the power to inflict the pain of scorpions is highlighted. It's in verse 3, verse 5 and verse 10.
Instead of normal locust behavior, these demonic creatures were commanded to torment people, but only those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
Revelation, chapter 7, verses 1 to 3 reveals the sealing of the servants of God in their foreheads. Now, specifically this must Refer to the 144,000 Jewish evangelists and then by extension, or all those tribulation saints who have believed in Jesus for their salvation.
The seal marks them as personally belonging to God.
And as those sealed, they are protected from these demonic forces from the pit.
Ezekiel, chapter 9 and verses 4 through 6 illustrate that God protects his people even in the midst of judgment.
There, God commanded an angel to go through Jerusalem and mark those who were redeemed.
Those who did not have that mark were subject to death when the city fell to the Babylonians, Jesus also had a promise for the faithful members of the church in Philadelphia. He said, he who overcomes I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will not go out from it any more. And I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God and my new name.
Just as God had prohibited Satan from taking Job's life, these demonic locusts are forbidden to take human life. But as we're going to see, that is not a blessing.
Instead, these creatures are commanded to torment people for five months.
And incidentally, the life cycle of a normal locust is five months.
The means of their torment is like the sting of a scorpion, which is extremely painful.
Furthermore, the pain will be long lasting. Normally, the pain from a scorpion's sting might last a couple of days, but this will last for months.
And that five month period will be one of intense spiritual and physical suffering inflicted on unbelievers by the judgment of God. Through these demonic hordes.
And during this awful time, people will desperately wish for death. They'll even try to take their own lives, but they won't be able to do it. They won't be able to end their misery.
The original wording uses a strong double negative to indicate the impossibility of death.
There will be no death with dignity or assisted suicide that will happen during this time.
And so, for those suffering these torments, all hope is gone. There will be no tomorrow.
The earth that people have loved and worshipped will be utterly devastated. The land will be ravaged by earthquakes and fires and volcanoes. The sea is filled with the putrefying bodies of billions of dead creatures, and much of the fresh water supply has been turned into a bitter poison.
The atmosphere has been polluted with gases and showers of heavenly debris.
And then, worst of all, comes this foul smoke from the pit of hell. As the Demons are released to physically and spiritually torment the wicked.
The dream of a worldwide utopia under the leadership of the Antichrist will have died.
Now, most likely during this time of intense suffering, the unbelieving inhabitants of the world will continue to hear the preaching of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, as well as the two witnesses and many other believers.
For many people, this may be the last opportunity to repent and believe the gospel before they die.
Unfortunately, many of them are going to be permanently hardened. They're going to persist in their unbelief.
The power of these unleashed demons is dramatically illustrated in the next scene that we look at.
It is the unveiled appearance.
Verses 7 to 10 unveil the appearance of these demonic locusts ten times. In these few verses, John uses the term like in his attempt to describe the hideous characteristics as they bring this massive, devastating, rapid judgment from God.
And so, to describe the supernatural demon horde, John uses natural analogies, things that would have been familiar to his original readers.
Now we know that demons do not normally have physical shape, so what John is seeing must symbolize demonic possession.
John sees these creatures as horses equipped for battle, much like the description in Joel, chapter two and verse four.
Try to imagine a locust the size of a horse.
One commentator put it this the likeness of the locust to a horse, especially to a horse equipped with armor, is so striking that the insect is named in German huiphir or hay horse. And in Italian it's called cavalet, which means a little horse.
These demonic creatures appeared to be wearing gold crowns and their faces looked like human faces.
Think about that. Human like faces on these demonic locusts add terror because they suggest the intelligence and reasoning capacity of man.
John continues with his frightening description. He adds that these creatures had hair like women's hair and teeth like lions.
This awesome combination of the qualities of beasts and men depicts the utterly fearful character of these instruments that God will use for divine judgment.
The book of Revelation unmasks the true nature of Satan and evil.
These locust like creatures are also described as wearing iron breastplates.
That implies they're immune to destruction.
They are also equipped with wings that produce the sound of many chariots going to battle.
Joel 2, 4 also describes them that way. It implies speed and the impossibility of evading their attack.
And then again, particular attention is given to their tails. They are compared to those of scorpions, and by these they have the power to hurt men.
For five months their tails were like scorpions, containing the means of stinging.
The word is used of the spur of a rooster or the quill of a porcupine, the sting of an insect or a goad that's used to prod oxen.
You know, it would be difficult to describe a more fearful spectacle than these instruments of design justice. They are utterly wicked in themselves and released from the pit of the abyss to accomplish this terrifying judgment.
The fact that they have the power to hurt men for five months is repeated in verse 10. It's as if God wanted to call special attention to the length of their torment.
The unveiled appearance of these demonic locusts leads us to the final scene. And that is the unmasked prince.
You know, Proverbs 30, 27 describes normal locusts, like the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in ranks.
But this locust army is different. These are demonic locusts, and they're pictured as marching in unbroken ranks and, and they're led by a king, the angel of the bottomless pit. In Hebrew, his name is Abaddon, and that's defined for us in Psalm 88, 11 as destruction.
In Greek he is apollyon. That's a proper name that means destroyer.
These describe the characteristics of Satan and those who affiliate with him as wicked or fallen angels.
And this angel of the bottomless pit seems to be a high ranking demon in Satan's hierarchy.
In today's world, Satan often appears as an angel of light. He masquerades as something good, something religious. But here that mask is stripped away and evil is seen in its true character.
Satan and his demons are the destroyers of men's souls. They only bring affliction.
And so when divine restraint is released, as it is in this instance, the. The true character of the evil one is immediately apparent.
And then in the midst of this tremendous suffering comes this ominous announcement.
The one woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.
As we noted in our previous episode, the word woe refers in Scripture to some great calamity, usually a judgment from God, like the one Jesus pronounced upon Chorazin and Bethsaida in Matthew 11:21.
The situation of those who do not know Christ in these tragic hours preceding his return to judge the wicked world will be truly perilous.
Having described the first woe, John cautions that God's wrath has not run its course.
Two more woes are coming.
The sixth trumpet and then the seventh trumpet, which includes all of the bowl judgments.
There will be nothing more than a brief sigh of relief before still more fearful judgments follow. These in the great tribulation and especially in the time of the fifth trumpet, with the release of these confined demons, the full character of Satan will be clearly demonstrated.
For the first time in history, all those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior will come under demonic possession and affliction.
What is true in that hour is also true in some measure for today.
For there is no deliverance from the power of Satan, nor from his affliction, apart from salvation in Christ and the delivering power of the Holy Spirit.
That, my friend, is the imperative of this teaching. Accept the mercy of Christ today or face this judgment in the future.
I close with words from the Apostle Paul but let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
[00:24:09] Speaker A: Let the heaven light shine on me Let the heaven light shine on me for lo is the way to the ever bright world Let the heaven light shine on me oh O brother, you must bow so low O brother, you must bow so low for low is the way to the upper bright world Let the heaven light shine on me Let the heaven light shine on me Let the heaven light shine on me for lo is the way to the ever bright world Let the heaven light shine on me O Deacon, you must bow so low O Deacon, you must bow so low for low is the way to the upper bright world Let the heaven light shine on me O preacher, you must bow so low Preacher, you must bow so low for low is the way to the upper bright Let the heaven light shine on me Let the Let the heaven light shine on me Let the heaven light shine on me on me for glory to the upper bright world Let the heaven light shine on me
[00:26:05] Speaker B: the fifth trumpet is a sobering picture of what awaits those who reject Christ. Yet there is mercy available today as we anticipate that coming time.
If this episode stirred something within you, we'd encourage you to open Revelation 9 for yourself and ask honestly, have I accepted the mercy of Christ or am I still putting it off?
Before we close, consider this sobering reality. One in three people around the world lack access to Bible resources.
Pastors, ministry leaders, and seekers are often left without the tools that they need and to grow or to disciple others.
At Heralds of Hope. We believe that everyone deserves access to Bible teaching and discipleship resources in their own language.
One way we're responding to this need is through Hope for Today, a Bible teaching program that's now available in nearly 50 languages.
Here's what one of our listeners in Africa says Thank you for today's message on faith. It has taught me to put my trust completely in Jesus Christ alone. The teachings on the radio continue to encourage and strengthen me spiritually every day. I am truly blessed by the programs. If today's teaching has encouraged you, we'd love to hear from you. Your stories and responses mean so much to us.
Reach us at heraldsofhope.org you can email us at hope heraldsofhope.org or by phone at 866-960-0292.
To explore more Bible teaching and encouragement, visit heraldsofhope.org programs. You can also listen to and share the Voice of Hope wherever you get podcasts. Join us the next time as we continue our journey through Scripture.
Until then, may God's Word strengthen your faith and remind you that his work in the world is far from finished.
Thank you for listening to the Voice of Hope.
[00:28:28] Speaker A: Let the light shine Shine on me Let the heaven shine on me Shine on me Glow is the way to the upper bright world Let the sunlight shine on me Let the heaven light shine on me.
