Revelation 9:1-21

 Revelation 9:1-12.

The worst is yet to come

 

          Do you believe in the existence of angels? Surveys show that most people do, but did you know that those same surveys also show that most people do not believe in the existence of demons! If you believe in angels, you MUST also believe in FALLEN ANGELS! Alias demons.

          When Jesus walked this earth, He dealt with demons on many occasions. “Well, I do not believe in all that.” Jesus did! Jesus not only believed in them, but He often confronted them, at times He dealt with one individual who was at that time possessed with literally hundreds of demons.

        If you watch the news at all, if you ever leave the house, you have to agree, that the world we live in is controlled and influenced mainly by Satan and His mighty army of fallen angels = demons. The Bible calls Satan the Prince of this world, the Prince of the power of the air.

          Ephesians 6 says Satan has a great army of evil spirits that assist him in his work, they are divided into 4 groups: principalities/powers/rulers of darkness/spiritual wickedness in high places.

        Many Bible scholars believe this to mean there is a grading involved here, not just a bunch of bad guys with a leader, but that they are highly organized in their work, using a command structure, delegating orders, organizing wickedness.

          E.G. Rapists, not just of women, of children, and even toddlers of 2 or 3 years, or the elderly in their 80’s. Now that is depravity which must be inspired by demons!

Child abusers, even parents, defiling their own children in ways so horrible that they defy imagination. That is depravity which must be inspired by demons! Or a mother or father that would kill their own children, that is not natural, only a demon could accomplish that!

Murderers, not just killing their victims, but brutalizing them, and in many cases, cannibalizing them, that is depravity which must be inspired by demons!

There are those people with an agenda so warped and a mind so brainwashed, they are the very embodiment of evil, which is depravity which must be inspired by demons!

Suicide bombers have blown themselves up hundreds of times example Palestinians against Jews. They have killed thousands in those attempts and averaged only 3.5 killed by each bomber! What kind of person is willing to do so much with so little result? A person who is possessed and controlled and inspired by demons!

Satanism is on the rise. And the Satanists are not just the heavy metal rockers that we think of, or the members of the church of Satan which sacrifice cows and goats and drink the blood. 

Satanists are also in other forms, like lost people who allow Satan in, they allow him in by the “ears” when they listen to the aforementioned rubbish. By the “eyes” when they burn themselves from inside-out with pornography, or role play with today’s mutilating video games, etc.

Through the throat by means of a bottle or through their nose or veins, to get a high. Etc. The goal is not to depress you today, so here is the point: We all know the world is in bad shape, because Satan and his demons are  behind it.

But did you know: that as bad as things are today, as much influence and power as demons have today, do you realize that the worst of Satan’s demons have never been loosed upon this earth? That is right! 

The worst of the worst are held in chains today. There are demons that are so evil, so sinister, so destructive, that God, in mercy, has kept them incarcerated ever since they followed Lucifer, and fell like stars from heaven with him.

        During the tribulation period, those demons will be liberated from the bottomless pit, the abyss for a period of five months, for the purpose of tormenting mankind in a judgment that defies description. It is literally an “Invasion from Hell.”

I do not like even studying these chapters of Revelation, but someone must warn the people who reject the salvation offered by God. This is a “hell fire preaching message,” because in the Great Tribulation hell with be on the earth. People have said “this is a hell of a job.” Well, this is truly hell, when the Devil and his deacons seek out men and women on the earth.

          After the Rapture ushers out the born-again Christians. We studied the 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse, who rode to the earth, ushering in the tribulation, then the antichrist led the way bringing his dominion, division, depravation, and death, and wars and wholesale starvation leads to the deaths of 1/4^th of the world’s population, by today’s numbers, well over 1 billion people!

          But as bad as that sounds, the worst is yet to come! We looked at the first 4 trumpet judgments in chapter 8, where 1/3^rd of the earth’s vegetation is thrashed /marine life killed/ocean waters turned to blood/freshwater poisoned/sunlight diminished, and the results include more famine, drought, floods, mudslides, almost unbreathable air.

Yet, as horrible as those realities were, as we finished chapter 8, we were reminded that the worst is yet to come!

If you thought the first 4 trumpet judgments were bad, hold on, because the worst is yet to come! You see, the first 4 of the 7 trumpet judgments were aimed at the earth itself, but the last 3 trumpet judgments are directed at man, himself.

 

 

 

 

Verse 1.

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” Revelation 9:1 (NKJV).

 

This is not just a star, but a “him”! This is Satan himself, granted permission from God Almighty to take the key to the bottomless pit, where demonic forces, perhaps more vicious than even him, are reserved in chains of darkness!  (Incidentally, this is the very place where Satan himself will eventually end up for all eternity.)

          Well, during the tribulation period, hell has a holiday. At this point in the Tribulation, the Lord Jesus Christ, the One Who holds the keys of death and hell, gives the key to Satan for a period of 5 months. Satan opens the doors of hell, and for 5 long months, demons of the worst kind infest the world!

          Obviously, demons are at work in the world today, but these demons, incarcerated for ages of time, are so vile, and filthy wicked, that they have been confined for thousands of years in the pit of the abyss. I do not think they will be in a good mood. They will be looked upon this earth, and they will unleash their malice in ways unimaginable.

          Remember in Matthew 8, when Jesus confronted the demon-possessed maniac of Gadara? The demons begged and pleaded with Jesus, that He would not cast them into the abyss. Why were they afraid that He would send them there? Because they had friends in low places, that do not get out much, that are crazy mad! 

And so, they begged for mercy, and asked to be cast instead into the swine.  And Jesus sent them into the pigs, and they went crazy, ran into the sea, and drowned. Their friends, the demons now held in chains in the pit of the abyss, the bottomless pit, are loosed upon the earth, hell has a holiday, it is literally, an invasion from hell!

          Let us look at the Bible description of these demons, and we are done. Here is 7 words to describe them:

 

1. Infernal. Verse 2.

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” Revelation 9:2 (NKJV).

 

When the pit is opened, smoke pours out, so much so that the sun is darkened. This once again repeats the point, the point made countless other times in scripture, that Hell is a literal furnace of fire!

Jesus spoke of Hell twice as much as Heaven! I do not like to preach about it or think about it, I would not want to imagine my worst enemy going to that literal furnace of fire which Jesus Himself spoke of in Matthew 13.

⁴² and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” Matthew 13:42 (NKJV).

Jesus believed, and so do I, and if I care for people at all then I will preach it, even if it is not politically correct! I am commanded to preach the WHOLE counsel of God, and by God’s grace I will.

        When I face the Lord someday, I would rather Him say to me, “You took my Word too literally” than “You explained it away too easily, to make people feel better.”

It is a place of literal fire, as proven by the rich man in Luke 16:

²³ And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
²⁴ Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame” Luke 16:23-24 (NKJV).

That is the literal furnace of fire of hell, out of which these demons ascend…they are infernal!

 

Verses 3-4.

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.
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” Revelation 9:3-4 (NKJV).

 

These demons are described by John “as” locusts, not literal locusts, this is symbolism. Why does John use the term locusts to describe these demons?

        It refers to the unbelievable number of them that are loosed. In the Middle East, locusts are known to swarm, not by the hundreds, thousands, millions, but by the billions, and they are known to be so large at times that they have actually darkened the skies. 

The Bible says that Satan was thrown out of heaven when he rebelled, along w/ 1/3 of the angels (fallen angels). Back in Revelation 5 we saw that just the angel choir alone in heaven is over 100 million strong! And that is just the choir!! 

          And 1/3^rd of them fell, and the most of them, the worst of them, will be looked upon the earth for the first time, and will on that day pour out like a dark cloud of bats from a cave, to terrorize the earth. They are hellish, demonic, brutal, they are direct from hell, they are infernal!

 

2. Intolerable. Verses 4-6.

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.
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.
⁶ In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them” Revelation 9:4-6 (NKJV).

 

For 5 months of the Tribulation Satan and his demons will have free reign to do what they so want to do to everyone, torment them with pain and suffering, physical torment, emotional and psychological torment! And Satan, that crafty Devil, tempts us with sin which looks so attractive and so inviting, when he knows full well the end of that sin will bring grief and sorrow, pain, and torment to our lives!

We cannot begin to imagine the physical pain that these demons will bring upon people. “torment” = the strongest word we have for torturous pain.

        The strongest human instinct we have is self-preservation, but verse 6 says those on earth will desire to die, and will attempt suicide, and will be unable to do so, unable to escape the torment. 

So many people say we are living in the tribulation now, so untrue! Revelation speaks of a Great Tribulation” that comes upon the earth, like as never been seen before. Yes, just read these chapters in the Book of Revelation, and then tell me you are going through hell at work, etc.

The Devil and his forces have always desired to torment people, which is their primary goal, to do evil! But why is it that so many people have the mistaken idea that Satan is their “friend” and God is their enemy?

Listen reader, the Satan will tempt you to do wrong, and he will make it look so appealing, and so promising, but when you are lying face down in your own vomit, or staring at a hospital ceiling, or worse, if your life is snuffed out, do not expect any sympathy from the devil.

His desire is to bring pain, for he knows that sin bringeth forth death, the soul that sins, it shall die, for the wages of sin is death. Satan knows that lust, when conceived, brings forth sin, and death.

 

3. Irresistible. Verses 7, 9.

⁷ 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” Revelation 9:7 (NKJV).
⁹ 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” Revelation 9:9 (NKJV).

 

They will be irresistible in the sense of “unstoppable,” like charging steeds, conquering everyone in their path. Resistance will be futile! There will be no escape!

 

4. Invincible. Verse 7.

⁷ 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” Revelation 9:7 (NKJV).

 

“Crowns,” this shows that they are in full control, they are ruling the world, just like they have always wanted, the very reason they were thrown out of the kingdom of God! They are like gods, the kings of this world! Evil men and women will have their chance to follow their kings, the only problem is, they will quickly learn that their king’s desire all along was their destruction.

          And all of those crowds just mentioned are basically saying the same thing right now: “if we could just get rid of those Christians, get rid of the fundamentalists out of power, Bible literalists, the world would be a better place.” Not so, it will only get worse.

          Those of us (Bible believing Christians) who have been saved will be ushered out, and this Great Tribulation of horrors we are reading about will be ushered in upon them! We love all men (women) everywhere to be saved and avoid the wrath to come! But reader/unbeliever the choice is yours to make.

              “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”
John 3:16 (NKJV). Salvation comes by God’s love and grace. He can only hold back judgement for a time (Over 2,000 years so far), so how much time do you want?

“For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NKJV).

 

But for those who do not believe, there will be an invasion from hell that will be infernal, intolerable, irresistible, and invincible.

 

5. Intelligent. Verse 7.

⁷ 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” Revelation 9:7 (NKJV).

 

“Faces of men” this speaks of intelligence, they are highly organized, extremely intelligent beings. They are not just wild animals, but will have the gift of reason, and intelligence above our own!

 

6. Insidious. Verse 8.

⁸ They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth.”
Revelation 9:8 (NKJV).

 

“Hair of women” = represents beauty. They may appear at first glance to be alluring and attractive. The Bible talks about “seducing spirits,” referring to demons! But if you are not saved, and you are left behind at the Rapture, when you see this long-haired beauty coming your way, you will better look beyond the mascara and the curls.

For the end of verse 8 says they have “teeth as lions”! Their real desire is not to please you, but to attack and devour you! That is just how crafty these demons are, and that’s how Satan is today. TV and billboards glamorize sin, but do not show you the end of that road, which is misery!

Satan is disguised as an angel of light, but he truly is the demon of darkness, a roaming lion seeking to devour, and the end is death!

So, they are insidious…

 

Verses 9-10.

⁹ 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.
¹⁰ They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months” Revelation 9:9-10 (NKJV).

 

          This sounds like modern warfare with the sound of tanks, guns and the terror of an evil army attacking the land.

7. Indivisible. Verse 11.

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”
Revelation 9:11 (NKJV).

 

This is not the devil; this is a demon leader, a chief demon who leads the invasion from hell on earth. Both terms mean “destruction.” This general leads the rank and file in an organized destruction of those left behind in the tribulation.

          What would the world be like if every prison opened its doors, and released every single prisoner?  With no police force?! Worldwide estimates are astounding! What if at 8 p.m. today, every rapist, cut-throat, child molester, and thief were released? You would not leave your home; you would barricade yourself in and take up arms! 

And yet that is nothing like the Invasion from Hell which will occur during the tribulation. The demons of chapter 9 are not humans, they are super-humans! Or in-human!!

          You may say to me: “You are trying to scare me!” I would rather scare you into heaven than calmly lead you into hell! Fear of hell and judgment are not a bad reason to get saved at all!

If you are not saved, you should get saved!

If you are not saved, you ought to be scared!

The worst is yet to come, you do not want to be here, the good news is you do not have to be! 

“For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved”
Romans 10:13 (NKJV).

 

Verse 12.

¹² One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things” Revelation 9:12 (NKJV).

 

          Over the years I have avoided preaching and teaching on a number of the chapters of Revelation. I have preached many sermons of hope from chapters 1-3, and from the later chapters of Revelation. So, there is no joy for me in sharing these thoughts, other then a warning of things to come, for those unprepared!

          I will be back dear reader, if only to warn at least one person, not to give up hope, but to turn to the God of hope and love.

Mercy there was great, and grace was free
Pardon there was multiplied to me
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary

 

Revelation 9:12-21

Invasion from Hell

 

          The Great Tribulation has started, and the Lord’s church gone, but most of world is left behind to endure tribulation. “How can you say that?” Well, it all starts when we tell; our children, “Do not run, or you will fall and hurt yourself.” What do they do? You guessed it, they run and fall.

          From childhood to old age, we are often warned of the dangers around us that could lead to pain, danger or even death. So, we have learned to take note of those warnings. For over 2,000 years the Church of Christ, has warned of the dangers of not listening and not accepting the grace and mercy of God.

In Matthew 7, Jesus said: “wide is the gate…destruction.” Estimates say that 30-40% of people are saved. Do you see every church in your town or city full of Christians? I see many church buildings as carpet warehouses etc. Because so many people do not accept the message of salvation. I still have the scars on my knees for not listening to my parents. People will have to face this Great Tribulation because would not listen, now it is too late.

          Revelation deals in series of seven’s: The Lamb of God (Christ Jesus) rolled up scroll: the title deed to earth, given to Him. We have spoken of seven seals, seventh seal contained seven trumpets (alarm!). First four dealt with earth itself: 1/third of vegetation destroyed/sea creatures killed/ocean turned to blood/fresh water poisoned/natural light diminished, and then chapter 8:13 (3 woes).

          Last time we looked at the fifth trumpet (first woe), and we saw the worst of the worst of hell’s demons loosed for first time in thousands of years of imprisonment. They are so vile and filthy wicked; they have been reserved in chains of darkness since their fall from heaven.

        Satan was given the key to the abyss (hell), and he opened the doors, and it became an invasion from hell!

          Last time:

Infernal from pit of hell.

Intolerable/Irresistible no one will be able to run/withstand.

Invincible cannot be defeated.

Intelligent.

Insidious deceivingly beautiful, but ruthless, sinister, underhanded, etc.

Indivisible united in purpose to hurt humankind.

          Those that do not believe in the devil and demons, and hell, sadly will.

 

Now the sixth trumpet sounds (the second woe).

 

Verse 13.

¹³ Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice speaking from the four horns of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God.”

A.   Holy power is now involved in verse thirteen.

 

From the same altar as martyrs are under (verse 6), and prayers of incense (verse 8), but add detail: “four horns.” Horn represents power, sovereignty of God. Another reminder that God is in full control, all is happening according to God’s schedule/plan. (He holds the keys).

 

B. Spirit persons involved.

 

Verse 14.     

¹⁴ And the voice said to the sixth angel who held the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River.” 

 

Obviously, these are not God’s angels, but fallen angels (they are bound). These four are important because of where they are.

        The prominence of the Euphrates:

Garden of Eden (general vicinity of first sin, then first murder/first war fought in this area/tower of Babel: man’s first revolt vs. God.

It is the Middle East, the cradle of civilization, and the fountainhead of evil! It is the cradle and the grave of Satan’s kingdom.

Birthplace of demon worship/occult.

          It saw four diabolical kingdoms in history: all were prototypes of the kingdom of the antichrist.

Babylon/Persia/Greece/Rome.

        These were counterfeits/substitutes for the Kingdom of heaven. 

Where did each start? (geographical).

        General area of the Euphrates River!

The Euphrates (/ juːˈfreɪtiːz / (is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (the “Land Between the Rivers”).

Basin size: Approx. 500,000 km² (190,000 sq. mi)

Country: Turkey, Iraq, Syria

Length: Approx. 2,800 km (1,700 mi)

Mouth: Shatt al-Arab

Euphrates - Wikipedia.

 

Well, these four demons, (maybe), the princes (evil angels) of these four evil kingdoms from the past. (Babylon/Persia/Greece/Rome). Read Daniel 10 for more details. 

          Ephesians 6 calls these evil angels ruling over wicked evil nations “principalities” (spiritual warfare in the heavens, from the Prince of the Air, the Devil himself).

Persia = modern day Iran.

Babylon = Iraq.

Rome = worldwide church, largest, most dangerous, leading people by millions to false beliefs!

Greece = what about Prince of Greece? Quiet? Or preparing for something big in the future?

          You think the Middle East is a hot bed now, and has been for many years, but remember, the four chief demons have not yet been loosed yet!

 

C. Solemn purpose.

 

Verses 15-16.  

¹⁵ Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth. 

¹⁶ I heard the size of their army, which was two hundred million mounted troops.”

 

To kill 1/third of remaining population. (1/fourth was killed by one of the four housemen of chapter 6). How do they do this? By mobilizing a 200-million-man army! (Amazing to us even now, imagine in John’s Day when planet earth’s population did not even number that!) Could these be demons? Not.

          I just read online: “China today has the largest military on the planet, with two million active personnel in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). In April 1961, Chinese boasted that they had a standing army of two hundred million. Coincidence?

Many scholars believe it will be an Asian coalition of nations like the People’s Republic of China/India/North Korea (A communist army, plus Russian troops). Only the Lord God knows the true source of this great army of death and destruction. They are to kill 1/third of population of the earth.

          Revelation 16:12 says,

“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”

The word east could be translated “rising sun”! This is a clear reference to Asia, and China specifically. For all of history, there has never been a full-scale invasion of the west from the East, it is like the Euphrates has always been an invisible boundary line, restraining Asia from full-scale invasion of the west, until these four demons are loosed and assemble their army.

Please read the book of Revelation for yourself, and may the Lord enlighten you mind and spirit with answers to these questions.

 

Verses 17-19.

¹⁷ And in my vision, I saw the horses and the riders sitting on them. The riders wore armour that was fiery red and dark blue and yellow. The horses had heads like lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulphur billowed from their mouths. 

¹⁸ One-third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues—by the fire and smoke and burning sulphur that came from the mouths of the horses.

¹⁹ Their power was in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails had heads like snakes, with the power to injure people.”

 

John’s language described it as best it could, but we should recognize it all as the modern implements of war, with its emphasis on fire power! Reads more like a nuclear war! Remember that he who controls the oil reserves controls the world. 

          The stage is set, all the actors are in place, and I believe the curtain will rise at any moment! Here again reader, the warnings are truly clear, this is not the place to be, and now is not the time to reject the grace and mercy of God.

God opened a way out for the “whosoever” will come to Christ Jesus, and to accept Him as Saviour, Saviour from what? Here it is reader, He can become your Saviour from this Great Tribulation.

 

D. Stubborn pride.

 

Verses 20-21.

²⁰ But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! 

²¹ And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”

 

          What stands out here in these verses are the words: “they did not repent.” This is all a picture of hell.

        Do you think those in hell are repenting? /Praying? /Calling on His Name?

No, they are cursing God, weeping/wailing/gnashing their teeth (snarling like the demons themselves).

        God’s judgment causes the heart to become harder during the tribulation, do not think for a minute that you can reject Christ now and then be saved later.

          I cannot guarantee all these details, but I know I have the big picture right: Jesus is coming! Once for His own, and then again for those left behind, as their judge of all the earth.

 

          End of chapter nine.