Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. Revelation 1:3 NIV
Welcome, welcome, I’m so glad you’re here. This is our ninth week of studying Revelation.
We’re back in the AMP today just because of its additional information. You can find it here. But this time I’m going to leave it in here so you can remain here for it.
This chapter has two of the last three trumpets to be blown in it and all of this horribleness will occur to those who are not sealed by the Spirit. If you are sealed, you belong to Jesus, and in belonging to Jesus you will be spared the horrible things in the things in these three trumpets. Yet we must see this so that we will know what is happening when it does happen. Kind of like when Jesus tells the disciples, “And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.”
Before we begin, let’s pray.
Lord I praise You for judgment coming. I praise You for answered prayers. I praise you for the Kingdom You’ve promised those who believe. Lord, You are all I need. Always longing to bring You glory in all I do. Lead me, Lord. Amen
Revelation 8:13 AMP
Then I looked, and I heard a solitary eagle flying in midheaven [for all to see], saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe [great wrath is coming] to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpets which the three angels are about to sound [announcing ever greater judgments]!”
Please read Revelation 9:1-6
The Fifth Trumpet—the Bottomless Pit
1 Then the fifth angel sounded [his trumpet], and I saw a star (angelic being) that had fallen from heaven to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit (abyss) was given to him (the star-angel). 2 He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke like the smoke of a great furnace flowed out of the pit; and the sun and the atmosphere were darkened by the smoke from the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power [to hurt] was given to them, like the power which the earth’s scorpions have. 4 They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but [to hurt] only the people who do not have the seal (mark of ownership, protection) of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment and cause them extreme pain for five months; and their torment was like the torment from a scorpion when it stings a man. 6 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it; and they will long to die [to escape the pain], but [will discover that] death evades them.
Here’s a question for you. When it says ‘death evades them’ do you think that means even those who try to kill themselves will not succeed?
Those who want to stay away from God will get their wish. Those who refuse to believe despite all the evidence will see Him and mourn when He returns. It’s awful the judgement that is coming. Yet even now, the chance remains for them to turn. Righteous is He, though and all I can do is beg you, draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
Please read Revelation 9:7-11
7 The locusts resembled horses prepared and equipped for battle; and on their heads appeared to be [something like] golden crowns, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9 They had breastplates (scales) like breastplates made of iron; and the [whirring] noise of their wings was like the [thunderous] noise of countless horse-drawn chariots charging [at full speed] into battle. 10 They have tails like scorpions, and stingers; and in their tails is their power to hurt people for five months. 11 They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss (the bottomless pit); in Hebrew his name is Abaddon (destruction), and in Greek he is called Apollyon (destroyer-king).
Five months of fearsome creatures seeking out those who aren’t sealed by the Spirit. Oh Lord, thank You for being our ever present protection.
Please read Revelation 9:12
12 The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.
Woe, that is what these trumpets are – judgment is coming.
Judgment is coming. Praise His Name!
Please read Revelation 9:13-19
The Sixth Trumpet—Army from the East
13 Then the sixth angel sounded [his trumpet], and I heard a solitary voice from the four horns of the golden altar which stands before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the [appointed] hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the troops of cavalry was twice ten thousand times ten thousand (two hundred million); I heard the number of them. 17 And this is how I saw the horses and their riders in my vision: the riders had breastplates [the color] of fire and of hyacinth (sapphire blue) and of brimstone (yellow); and the heads of the horses looked like the heads of lions; and from out of their mouths came fire and smoke and brimstone (burning sulfur). 18 A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone that came from the mouths of the horses. 19 For the power of the horses [to do harm] is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and it is with them that they do harm.
A third of humanity. Does that make you feel like God’s people are fewer than you thought? There are roughly 7.9 billion people alive on Earth. That means 1.9 billion people will be killed by this woe. Maybe it would help you if I wrote it like this: 1,973,025,000. So back in chapter six a fourth of the people were killed. So the math goes like this… 1/4 of 7.9 is 1,975,000,000. All together? 3,948,025,000. That leaves 3,651,975,000. Still, a lot of people, but nothing like what there are today. And no, those that remain are not all believers. Another woe remains.
What I find even more horrible about this is there is no time limit given for how long this the judgment will take. My guess is not all that long, but it will be a horrible time for those not in God.
And now we’ll read the worst news yet. I have seen these type of words in lots of places, but it never fails to hurt my heart.
Please read Revelation 9:20-21
20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, [a]did not repent even then of the works of their hands, so as to cease worshiping and paying homage to the demons and the idols of gold and of silver and of bronze and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; 21 and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries (drugs, intoxications) nor of their [sexual] immorality nor of their thefts.
Footnotes
- Revelation 9:20 The wickedness of idolatry is so deep and deceptive that idolaters refuse to repent in spite of the overwhelming evidence of God’s displeasure with them (Ps 115:8; 135:18).
Please, pray that God will give you faith and draw near to Him, for He loves you and does not want you to be a part of those suffering all these woes. In Him we are already justified and freed, and marked as His. Bless His holy Name.