INTRODUCTION 1. We now move to the second half of the trumpets. The first four focused on warnings to Christians who might, under persecution or false teaching, abandon their faithfulness. 2. The next three trumpets sound warnings that only affect those who are followers of Satan. All that Christi... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 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._ A. At the sounding of the fifth trumpet, a star falls from heaven to earth. Who, or what, is this star? B. Jesus speaks of Satan as falling like lightening from heav... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 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._ A. The smoke must represent the pain and anguish which is located there. It is called the “smoke of their torment” in Revela... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 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._ A. Out of the smoke come locusts. Common in the summer time, great swarms of locust would literally march across acres, destroying all plants in their path. B. There power... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ A. The power of these locusts was limited. 1. They were not after plants and grass. 2. They were after men. 3. Only men who were not... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 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._ A. The locusts were forbidden from killing men. They were allowed to torment them. B. The period of torment is described as 5 months. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them._ A. The pain will be so severe that some will seek death as a relief from the intense pain. B. Some have tried to make this say “suicide”. However, the next phrase shows that death i... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 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._ A. Now we will focus on the shape of the locusts. They are like horses ready for war. B. Satan is ready for war. Satan is alive and acti... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth._ A. The symbolism here is not clear. Some have suggested that the long hair like a woman represents the practice of all kinds of sexual sins. Others have suggested that this picture is a man - looking in some ways like a w... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 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._ A. The breastplates of iron show that they have strong protection and defense. B. The sound of their wings was like an army of horses heading... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months._ A. Similar to verse 5, we are reminded again of a couple of points. 1. They are locusts, but they sting like a scorpion. This is repeated in verse 19. 2. Their power is limited in d... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 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._ A. Now the focus turns to the leader of this army, Satan himself. Their king, leader, and captain of the army, is identified. B.“Abaddon” is the Hebrew name... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things._ A. These last three trumpets are also called “The Three Woes” because woes are pronounced before they begin and between each one. B. One is past. Two more to go. Things are bad and they will get worse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,_ A. Here we begin the sixth trumpet, the second woe. Now we are going to see God unleashing the powerful forces that will destroy the spiritual part of man. B. While the fifth and si... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”_ A. The voice comes from the throne of God, from the golden altar. This is real gold, not the fake gold of the locusts. B. The voice instructs the angel to release the four ang... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind._ A. The angels were released to kill a third of mankind. Here, again, is the fraction of one third. Thus, what is described is not the death of physical men, but the dea... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them._ A. The army is numbered at 200 million. Remember “2” is the number of strength and courage. B. Here is a picture of an army strong and complete. This army is very able to do the task God has given... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone._ A. The description of the horses and riders are si... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed-by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths._ A. Today, there are many in our world that totally and completely rejects God, the Bible, Jesus, or anything spiritual. They have turned so completely away from the... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm._ A. Again, like the fifth trumpet, the tails carry the sting. The real harm, the pain, the agony is in the tail. After one has followed Satan and his teachings, af... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk._ A. Remember the fraction shows that this is not complete... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts._ A. They did not repent. Remember, God gave them time. He gave them opportunity and encouraged them to make the changes needed. They refused. B. NOTE: All church discipline involves not jus... [ Continue Reading ]