I do hope this will help you with your studies of the book of Revelation. Revelation Chapter 9: 9:1-3. Chapter 9 describes the first two woes- trumpets five and six. The fifth trumpet brings a five-month period of torment on the unbelievers of the earth. The star is either an angel of God (cf. 1:20; 20:1) or Satan, the one who has authority over the pit (cf. v. 11; Is. 14:12; Luke 10:18). The bottomless pit is the Abyss, the abode of evil spirits or demons (cf. Luke. 8:31). The key represents authority. Smoke from the "pit" indicates fires below. Locust-like creatures come out of the smoke. That they are not literal locusts is indicated by their description which follows. In the Old Testament, locusts are symbols of destruction (cf. Ex. 10:1-20; Deut. 28:42; 1 Kin. 8:37; Ps. 78:46; Joel 1:2- 2:11). Considering the identity of their king (v. 11) and the Abyss from which they come, these locusts probably represent demons. Like scorpions, they can hurt people. 9:4-6. They do not harm the vegetation, as ordinary locusts would, but only men who do not belong to God. They are not allowed to kill anyone at this point. They only torment unbelievers for five months. The pain will be like that of a scorpion. The "torment" will be so great that they will desire to die. But part of the judgement will be that men cannot die to escape it. 9:7-10. The description of the locusts indicates that they are demons who are given physical forms in order to manifest their destruction and torment. Horses show their warlike character. Their crowns depict them as conquerors. Human faces show intelligence. Their feminine hair perhaps makes them seductive and attractive. The teeth. . . of lions shows them to be destructive and hurtful. Breastplates of iron make them indestructible. Wings symbolize swiftness. The stings in their tails give them the power to hurt. Fortunately for mankind, their period of torment is limited to five months. But the next judgement is even worse. 9:11, 12. The king over these demons is apparently Satan, who is given temporary authority over the Abyss. The name Abaddon is Hebrew for "Destruction" (cf. Job 28:22; Prov. 15:11; 27:20). Its Greek equivalent is Apollyon, meaning "Destroyer." Since the Roman emperor Domitian called himself Apollo incarnate, the mention of Satan as "Apollyon" (from the same root as Apollo) may be an intentional play on words. Two more woes are still coming. As the end approaches, the intensity and severity of the trumpet judgements increase dramatically. 9:13-15. The sixth trumpet results in the death of a third of the surviving unbelievers on the earth. The four bound angels are fallen angels or demons who have been temporarily bound by God. They are loosed for the purpose of killing a "third" of the population of the world. They appear to be in charge of the horde of demonic horsemen who will actually accomplish the massacre (vv. 16-19). The river Euphrates was the northeastern boundary of both the Roman Empire and the promised kingdom of Israel (cf. Gen. 15:18; Deut. 11:24; Josh. 1:4; Is. 8:5-8). 9:16-19. John heard the number of the horsemen: 200,000,000- literally, "two myriads of myriads"- although the majority of manuscripts reads "a myriad of myriads," or 100,000,000 (cf. 5:11; Ps. 68:17; Dan. 7:10). John had no time to count such a large army. The riders (and perhaps the horses) wore breastplates. An armored cavalry was always a most formidable opponent. Brimstone is yellow sulphur. The heads of lions symbolize cruelty and destruction. The fire, smoke, and brimstone are three separate plagues, which together kill a third of mankind. In light of their description, and the fact that they are ruled by four fallen angels, these horses and riders are probably demons as well. The demons of the fifth trumpet do not kill, but these demon riders do kill. Their power to kill is in their mouth, from which come the "fire," "smoke," and "brimstone." Their tails have heads like serpents, with the power to hurt people. This sixth trumpet, combined with the fourth seal (6:8), reduces the population of the earth to one-half its pre-Tribulation. 9:20, 21. By this point in the Tribulation period, most surviving unbelievers will have permanently made up their minds concerning Christ. They will refuse to repent, even under thus terrible judgement. Their religious activities will involve worship of idols and demons (devils), and sorceries or witchcraft, with the use of magic potions (Gr. pharmakon, from which English pharmacy derives). Idolatry is in the fact the worship of demons(cf. 1 Cor. 10:20). Three of the four sins in verse 21 are specifically prohibited in the Ten Commandments (cf. Ex. 20:3-17). For "sorceries," compare 18:23; 21:8; 22:15; and Galatians 5:20.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 20:47:20 +0000
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