seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 9:1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).
12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.
Oh, this is definitely calling for study guide back up! These thoughts are from the commentary.The first four seals and trumpets presented judgments directed against the earth. In the first four seals, these were the “four horsemen” bringing tyranny, war, famine, and death on the earth. In the first four trumpets, these were the ecological destruction of the vegetation, seas, fresh waters, and sky.
The last three seals focused upon heaven: the cry of the martyrs, cosmic disturbances, and the heavenly prelude to the seven trumpets. The last three trumpets will speak of hell, in terms of the demonic.
I saw a star fallen from heaven: The text clearly shows us that this star is a person (to him), not a literal star. The verb tense (fallen) indicates that he already had fallen.
To him was given the key to the bottomless pit: That this star is fallen makes us associate him with Satan, or another high-ranking evil angelic being. But the fact that he is given the key to the bottomless pit makes us not want to associate him with Satan. The idea that Satan is the master of hell is foreign to the rest of Scripture. He will be hell’s victim, not ruler.
At the same time, we notice that the key is given to this being, and that it is given at a specific time and for a specific purpose that furthers God’s plan. This angel — evil or good — serves God’s purpose, even if he does not intend to.
Out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth: These are obviously not natural locusts. They avoid plants and attack men like scorpions attack. They are “A visual representation of the hordes of demons loosed upon the earth.” (Walvoord)
The seal of God on their foreheads: Those who have the seal of God on their foreheads (the 144,000 and perhaps more) are protected, but none other are. This is an inescapable judgment of God.
In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them: Death will offer no escape from this prolonged torture. Their power is described like the power of scorpions, and the bite of a scorpion, though extremely painful, is rarely fatal.
Yesterday, Hubby and I bought a used car from one of the ladies who lives in our community. She lost her husband a few months ago, but she's been ok. She stays busy working at the Methodist Church down the road. She's the Missions leader. So, she stays busy. I haven't spent any time talking to this lady. She's always gone to church or to the other place where she works cooking for the homeless. So, when she told me what she does, I shared this Bible Study with her. I told her I'm in Revelation now. She said she doesn't know anything about this book of the Bible, because it's just too hard to understand.Then this morning... there it is... the very verses [7&8] that make people put the Book of Revelation aside. They shake their heads and say "locusts with humans faces, women's hair and lion's teeth! I don't have time for this". They put it down and that's that. Please note... I have not highlighted anything in those verses. Like I shared with my neighbor... I read the verses... but I don't rely on them... I don't get bogged down by them... I look at the whole picture.
This morning, I get to deal with the very verses my neighbor was talking about. I hope I make it easier to understand what's going on when the fifth angel gets to blow their horn.
In the Vision that John is transcribing, someone has been given the keys to open the gates of hell. Ugly flying bugs, with an appetite for only human blood and meat, fly out of the gate when it is opened. People will be bitten by this ugly critter...and they will wish they were dead!!!!
The fifth angel blows the trumpet and these bugs from hell get loose. The bugs will make humans wish they were dead!!!
Bug bites that make a body wish they were dead!!!!
This is about bug bites...
Not the bugs... the bites....
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