CHURCH VICTORIOUS! CHAPTER S 8-11 (LUKE 18:7) In this section of Chapter s, we again return to the First Coming of Christ. The Seals [of persecution] bring Trumpets [warning of Judgment] which bring Bowls [of judgment poured out]. Chapter 8 is God's pledge of destruction on unbelievers. It shows Go... [ Continue Reading ]
I SAW A STAR. The star is Satan (Luke 10:18_ "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.")._ WHICH HAD FALLEN. The Devil rebelled against God, lost his holiness, his position in heaven, and his glory. WAS GIVEN THE KEY. _In the vision_ John sees the authority to release the forces of evil given to... [ Continue Reading ]
OPENED THE ABYSS. This is "hell" before the Judgment. After Judgment hell is the "lake of fire" (Revelation 20:14-15). WERE MADE DARK BY THE SMOKE. Satan opens the abyss and fills the world with demons and evil influence. The society of men is "darkened" by the moral and spiritual wickedness created... [ Continue Reading ]
LOCUSTS CAME DOWN. Compare Joel 1:7-12. Locusts look like a giant grasshopper. A swarm of locusts drops down out of the sky, like smoke, darkening the sun-light, falling on the farmer's fields and quickly stripping every leaf off the growing plants. Locusts, then, symbolize destruction, grief, hopel... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT ALLOWED TO KILL THESE MEN. God has placed a limitation on these evil spirits who operate in the hearts and lives of evil men and women. They are destructive, horribly so, yet they can torture, but not kill. THE PAIN CAUSED BY THEIR TORTURE. The scorpion has a poisonous sting in its tail, and its... [ Continue Reading ]
DURING THE FIVE MONTHS. Revelation 9:6-10 give a symbolic picture of these "locusts from the abyss." Do not try to "pick apart" the symbol of the locusts [what is the _separate_ meaning of the hair, teeth, breastplates, etc.], We look at these verses as a "whole" - a symbolic picture giving one cent... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY HAVE A KING. Their king is the angel in charge of the abyss. His name is given in Hebrew and Greek - meaning "the Destroyer." This entire symbolic picture shows one central idea: terror-panic-destruction! That is Satan's work, [In view of this, think about what Paul wrote: _"He rescued us from... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIRST HONOR IS OVER. It is over in John's vision. See Revelation 9:20-21.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE SIXTH ANGEL BLEW HIS TRUMPET. As this angel blows, a voice is heard _coming from the corners of the gold altar standing before God._ In Revelation 8:3-4, we saw the incense and the prayers of God's people go up from the altar to the Throne of God. Here, the answer to those prayers is spoken... [ Continue Reading ]
RELEASE THE FOUR ANGELS. These are evil angels. Note they have been BOUND at the great river. [The four angels _of_ Revelation 7:1 are good angels, who "stand at the four corners of the earth."] As these evil angels are released, the same powers of evil that do the work of destruction in the hearts... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FOUR ANGELS WERE RELEASED. War is in God's decree (even though it is Satan who actually brings it); and the hour, day, month, and year are fixed. These angels are allowed to kill one third of all mankind - horrible, yet limited. John sees _in the vision_ the armies on the battlefield. There are... [ Continue Reading ]
THE REST OF MANKIND. From this we see that the general meaning of these six Trumpets is clear. During the period of time which began with Christ's first Coming, and extends all the way to his Second Coming, our Lord Jesus Christ who is ruling all things as he is authorized by the Scroll of God's Dec... [ Continue Reading ]