Saturday, February 27, 2021
Revelation 10
We've A Story To Tell To The Nations That Will Turn Their Hearts To The Lord
Compare the appearance and purpose of the angel in this chapter with the popular conception of angels. How might your understanding of angels change as a result of this chapter?
What is the implication for us that John was forbidden to write down what the seven thunders spoke?
How can you "feed on" the Word of God? Why are the words of Scripture bittersweet?
Though John's commission is specific to him, it is similar to the Great Commission given to all of God's people. Where and how has God called you to speak the good news of the gospel to those who currently reject Him?
When have you experienced some of the bitter times of gospel ministry? Do these times necessarily indicate failure?
When have you experienced some of the sweet times of gospel ministry?
For older videos in this series on Revelation try Steve's zoom channel
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCNs0iOkWo_sL2u7vLPOCQ2Q
Zoom Online Bible Study Meeting Tuesday evening at 7:30 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2402286476
1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down." 5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, "Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, "Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, "You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings."
A scene from John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress deeply moved me. It was the picture God put before me that moved me to be a preacher of the Gospel. Later at a hard time in my life at theological college, when the liberalism of the lecturers was overwhelming, God used this passage to reignite in my heart something of that passion that has lasted me to today and kept me on track. I remember weaping in the college library as I reread this passage. Let me read it to you.
Interpreter commanded the servant to light a candle, and bid Christian to follow them. So they proceeded to a private room, and opened the door. Inside the room, Christian saw a picture of a very serious man hanging on the wall. (Editor's note: Bunyan portrays the man in the portrait, as an emblem of a godly pastor.)
The man in the picture had his eyes lifted up to Heaven, the best of books in his hand, the law of truth written upon his lips, and the world behind his back! He stood as if he pleaded with men—and a crown of gold hung over his head.
Then Christian said, "What does this picture mean?"
Interpreter explained, "The man depicted in this picture is one in a thousand! He can beget children—and nurse them himself when they are born! And as you see him with his eyes lifted up to Heaven, with the best of books in his hand, and the law of truth written on his lips—this is to show you that his work is to understand and unfold difficult things.
"Similarly, just as you see him stand as if he pleaded with men, and also notice that the world is cast behind his back, and that a crown hangs over his head—this is to show you that he lightly values the things of the present world—because of his love and devotion to his Master's service. Such a one is sure to have eternal glory for his reward in the world to come.
"I show you this picture first, because the man whom it portrays is one who the Lord of the Celestial City provides to be your guide in the difficult situations that you may encounter along the way. Therefore pay attention to what I have shown you, lest, in your journey, you meet with some who pretend to lead you along the right path—while in reality their way leads to death!"
When we come to Revelation 10, in this new vision, John is recommissioned to prophesy. His task is twofold. He is to prophesy about the persevering witness of Christians which brings them suffering, and about the destiny of those who react antagonistically to their witness.
He is to preach the word, no matter whether the world accept or reject it. He is to preach the gospel because it is God's Gospel. He is to preach the good news of Christ. Because it is the ONLY good news! He is to preach it because God still works through the preaching of the gospel to powerfully change others lives.
In 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 the apostle Paul speaks of the Christian ministry of the gospel as a ministry of life and a ministry of death. He writes in verses 14-16,
But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display in Christ and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life.
The ministry of the Word is a ministry of life and death, or as the apostle John records in Revelation 10:9-10, it is bitter and sweet. It is a bittersweet message we are commanded to proclaim again among the nations (10:11).
Paul wrote, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place" (II Corinthians 2:14).
Paul had in mind the Roman Triumph. The picture is the triumphal entry of a military hero into the city of Rome. In a Triumph procession, the victorious generals marched in a certain order through the streets of Rome to the Capitol. First came the city magistrates, state officials, followed by the Roman senate, and then the trumpeters. These were followed by soldiers who carried their spoils from the conquered land. Next pictures and models of the conquered citadels and ships were carried along in the parade. The white bull for the sacrifice followed, and then the captive rulers, their leaders and captured generals in chains who would be executed before the day was over at the sacrifice. Following them came the musicians and priests swinging their censers with a sweet-smelling incense burning in them. To the conquered victims the incense has the stench of death lingering all about them. To the victorious army the fragrance has the sweet aroma of victory. Finally, the conquering general rode in a chariot drawn by four white horses. His family and his army followed wearing their decorations and shouting lo triumphe! Lo triumphe!
Christ is the universal conqueror marching in triumph down through the corridors of time throughout the conquered world. He is in the lead, and we, His chosen warriors march behind Him enjoying the benefits of His conquest.
1. No matter what, Nothing can stop the Lordship of Christ.
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, (II Corinthians 2:14).
Isaiah 55: 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Chapter 10 revolves around a mighty angel, a little scroll, and a recommissioning for John to "prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings" (10:11). The idea of prophecy, proclamation of the word given by God, concludes the argument of this passage.
The Book of Revelation here moves from the terrible woes of chapter 9, of a demonic plague and of a 200 million man army destroying all before it, to something greater. The greatness of the gospel and the greatness of gospel proclamation.
Now we see a word of encouragement for believers. God's hidden plan will be completed (10:8). You can trust Him to finish things in His time and in His way. You can be confident in His purposes, so keep on proclaiming the gospel among "many peoples, nations, languages, and kings" (10:11). There will be a price to pay (11:1-10), but God will honor and vindicate His people (11:11-19).
It will be worth it.
John says, "Then I saw," an important and recurring phrase in Revelation (4:1; 7:1,9; 15:5; 18:1; 19:1,11,17,19; 20:1,4,11; 21:1). Here he saw "another mighty angel." Angels are mentioned more than 60 times in Revelation, mighty or strong angels three times (5:2; 10:1; 18:21). The angel, coming down from heaven, is described as "mighty," perhaps because he is both majestic (10:1) and mammoth (10:2,5,8). Demons ascend out of the abyss in chapter 9, but this angel, as God's servant, descends from above. He comes to earth with great authority as God's ambassador.
A better identification is made by comparing this angel with Gabriel, who also stands in the very presence of God (Luke 1:19). The mighty angel of Revelation 10 (especially vv. 5-6) is very similar to Gabriel as described in Daniel 12:7: "[Gabriel], who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed."
Thus, the similarity to Daniel 12:7 and the connection of Gabriel with the presence of God suggests that in Revelation 10 we have Gabriel himself. If so, John is the fourth and final human to whom Gabriel gave a divine message in the Bible: Daniel (Dan. 8:16; 9:21); Zechariah (Luke 1:19); the virgin Mary (Luke 1:26); and now John.
Seven seals have afflicted the earth. Six of seven trumpets have blown in cataclysmic judgment. Seven thunders are now ready to vent their judgment as well. They have already sounded. They are ready to act; John is ready to write. Then something amazing occurs: John hears a voice from heaven, which I believe is the voice of our God. John is told, "Seal up what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down!"
John is being told to affirm God's sovereign control over the judgments proclaimed in the thunders and then is prohibited from revealing the contents to his readers. The major message is one of sovereignty. God is in control, and the saints do not need to know all the details. (Revelation, 397)
We will trust in the plans of our sovereign God and marvel at His mysterious ways. After all, He is God and we are not
Trust God to Confirm His Word (10:5-6)
Trust God to Complete His Work (10:6-7)
The message of God's servant angel is twofold: First, "there would be no delay" (ESV), literally, "there will no longer be a period of time." God will not stop or delay the remaining judgments. Evil will now run its course quickly as antichrist rises from the abyss (11:7) and emerges as a world ruler (see 2 Thess 2:3-12; Rev 13:1-18). God and evil, the Lamb and the dragon, are headed for cosmic conflict, a global showdown. And from chapter 11 onwards we are told that it will happen soon.
What Does God Require of us today?
Take the Word (10:8)
John approaches the angel and requests the scroll. The angel responds by telling him to "take" it and to "eat it." Both verbs are imperatives. John is to take the scroll and devour it, to completely eat it up. The Old Testament background is plainly Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found and I ate them,
And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts. and Ezekiel 2:9–3:3.
Ezekiel 2:9–3:4 | Revelation 10:2; 5:1;10:9, 10 |
2:9: "And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it." | 10:2: "He had a little scroll open in his hand." |
2:10: "And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe." | 5:1: "Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals." |
3:1: "And he said to me, 'Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.'" | 10:9: "So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, 'Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.'" |
3:2: "So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat." | 10:10a: "And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it." |
3:3: "And he said to me, 'Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.' Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey." | 10:10b: "It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter." |
3:4: "And he said to me, 'Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them.'" |
What a powerful image for how we should approach the Word of God! This book is honey (Ps 19:10; 119:103; Prov 24:13), better than bread (Matt 4:4), meat (1 Cor 3:1-2), and milk (1 Pet 2:2). Here is a diet for spiritual health and nourishment. However, we can expect a twofold reaction when eating and digesting this book. It will be sweet in our mouths, but it can be bitter to our stomachs (10:9-10). It is sweet in our mouths because it reveals the gospel—God's goodness and grace, His love and mercy, His plans and purposes, His will and His ways. It is bitter to our stomachs because it is a word of judgment to unbelievers and a word of persecution and suffering for believers (Beale, Revelation, 552–53; also Osborne, Revelation, 404, and Mounce, Revelation, 210). Oh how my heart has wept for those who reject God's Word, even in churches. How I agonise over those who for the sake of power, or for their "new gospel" they will break away from God's clear Word. Oh take His Word eat it consume it… it will break your heart as you see some who profess Christ move away from Christ. It will be sweet as honey, but it will make you bitter inside.
There is joy and sorrow, sweetness and bitterness, gladness and sadness when God's Word does its perfect saving and sanctifying work in our lives.
On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus warned his disciples of this very thing: "Remember what I told you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also" (John 15:20). And in his final letter, the apostle Paul reminded Timothy of this hard truth: "Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim. 3:12). In spite of the promised difficulties, God assures us of his constant presence, of spiritual protection, and of future rewards for our sacrifices.
Proclaim the Word (10:11)
God, by means of His angel, has a commission (or recommission) for John.
"You must" sounds a moral imperative, a moral and spiritual obligation. You must prophesy, preach, and proclaim again (see 1:11,19). He is to prophesy "about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings." Fourfold classifications are common in Revelation, occurring seven times. The inclusion of "kings" occurs only here. Osborne says, "This is probably added due to the presence of the 'kings of the earth' in 6:15; 16:14; 17:10-11 as rulers of the nations and persecutors of the saints" (Revelation, 405). Like the book itself, proclaiming God's Word to the nations is bittersweet. It is a positive word of redemption to those who believe, and it is a bitter word of judgment to those who refuse to repent (9:20-21) and who persecute God's people (11:1-14). Our assignment is to go. Our calling is to proclaim the good news of the gospel. In the midst of judgment, God is announcing through His prophets the good news of His grace revealed in the gospel of His Son.
Chuck Swindoll wrote:
Just like John, we have roles to play in God's ultimate plan. We can't call ourselves "apostles," and we don't receive literal visions and revelations from God. We're not required to swallow prophetic books to utter inspired words. But each of us has been given a crucial mission to share the good news of salvation with the world (Matt 28:19-20). Yet just like John, we must first internalize the message, allowing it to become a part of our own lives.
It's true that the gospel of Jesus Christ involves both bad news and good news—bad news about lost humans subject to divine judgment but good news about the righteous Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who paid the complete penalty for us and saves us when we simply trust in Him. As ambassadors for Christ in this age, we must not only understand and accept the gospel ourselves, but we must also be able to communicate that message to others.
Have you accepted God's commission on your life?
Or, like John, are you ready for a recommissioning from God? (Insights, 151)
Sources: Akin Christ centred Exposition of Revelation
Easley Revelation
Patterson (NAC) Revelation
Rogers Revelation Unveiling The End Times In Our Time
Thursday, February 25, 2021
A Peak Into Heaven
Revelation 7 A Peak Into Heaven
Alexander Maclaren "I have a strong conviction that the Christianity of this day suffers intellectually and practically, from its comparative neglect of the teaching of the New Testament as to the future life, we hear and think a great deal less about it than was once the case, and we are thereby deprived of a strong motive for action, and a sure comfort in sorrow. Some of us may, perhaps, be disposed to look with a little sense of lofty pity at the simple people who let the hope of heaven spur, or restrain, or console. But if there is a future life at all, and if the characteristic of it which most concerns us is that it is the reaping, in consequences, of the acts of the present, surely it cannot be such superior wisdom, as it sometimes pretends to be, to ignore it altogether; and perhaps the simplicity of the said people is more in accordance with the highest reason than is our attitude.
In a nutshell: Our hope is built on the fact that we are Citizens of heaven; Jesus is coming back for us; We will be transformed into someone who is fit for eternity; which will give us the courage to stand firm when life wants to beat us down.
Catacombs In the catacombs that wind their way under the city of Rome, are the graves of many 1st and 2nd century Christians. As people have explored these tunnels over the years, three common symbols have been found etched on the stone and earthen walls of these cave-like tunnels: the dove, the fish, and the anchor. -The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit. -The letters of the Greek word for "fish," ichthus, stand for the words Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior. -And the anchor came from the idea that as Christians were going through difficult, harrowing, and insecure times, their hope is what anchored their souls.
Goethe List More than two hundred years ago, the German philosopher, playwright and scientist, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote out what he felt were the nine prerequisites for contented living. According to him, these are the things that really matter in life: 1. Health enough to make work a pleasure: 2. Wealth enough to support your needs: 3. Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them: 4. Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them: 5. Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished: 6. Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor: 7. Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others: 8. Faith enough to make real the things of God: 9. Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.
Hope is a very important thing for human beings to have. And where we place our hope, and the trustworthiness of what we hope in, will either lead us to be confident or to be anxious regarding our futures.
God has set Eternity in our heart, and man's infinite capacity cannot be filled or satisfied with the things of time and sense. (F. B. Meyer)
Heaven Is A Place Prepared for Prepared People
The Sealed
Revelation 7: 1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3 saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." 4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
5 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
7 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
God still has a plan for Israel.
God has a plan for every person and nation under heaven. Ephesians 1:11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
But what about Israel? Has God just disposed of the Jews forever?
How odd of God to choose the Jews.
Oh no its not God knows what's what.
The Goyim annoy him.
Romans 11: 1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. 7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day."
11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
Romans 11: 25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery--so that you will not be wise in your own estimation--that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;26 and so all Israel will be saved; "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob"; 27 "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins."
28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
Jeremiah 31:35-37 "Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day, and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; the Lord of hosts is His name; "If this fixed order departs from before Me," declares the Lord, "Then the offspring of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever." Thus says the Lord, "If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done," declares the Lord."
Zechariah 12:7 And the LORD will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah. 8 On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the LORD, going before them. 9 And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. 11 On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land shall mourn, each family1 by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; 14 and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.
13:1 "On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.
Revelation 7
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen." 13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?" 14 I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Heaven Is a Place of Untold Wonder
A Sure Salvation
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
A Clear Revelation
11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen." 13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?" 14 I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
We shall see the King in His Beauty
The scars
The Strength
The Shepherd
Face to face with Christ my Saviour Face to face, what will it be?
When with rapture I behold Him Jesus Christ who died for me?
Face to face I shall behold Him Far beyond the starry sky
Face to face in all His glory I shall see Him by and by!
Only faintly now, I see Him With the darkling veil between
But a blessed day is coming When His glory shall be seen.
Face to face! O blissful moment! Face to face, to see and know
Face to face with my Redeemer Jesus Christ who loves me so.
A Close Communion.
15 "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
" To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne."— Rev. iii, 21.
"They shall sit with Me." Ah I There you touch the centre—" To depart and to be with Christ, which is far better;" " Absent from the body ; present with the Lord."
In 1660 with the death of Cromwell, the end of the Commonwealth, and the restoration of Charles II as king, Rutherford found himself at odds with the state church. He was removed from church office, charged with treason, and summoned to appear before the British Parliament. When the summons came, however, Rutherford was on his deathbed. He explains why he could not answer their summons—he had a more important call from his Lord! Rutherford died on March 30, 1661. It is recorded that his dying words were "Glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's Land." It was this quote that stirred the heart of Anne Ross Cousin almost two hundred years later to set the words of Rutherford into a hymn. The hymn is a marvelous testimony of treasuring Christ above all else in this life and the next.
The King there in His beauty, Without a veil is seen:
It were a well-spent journey Though seven deaths lay between:
The Lamb with His fair army, Doth on Mount Zion stand;
And glory—glory dwelleth In Immanuel's land.
Oh! Christ He is the fountain, The deep sweet well of Love!
The streams on earth I've tasted, More deep I'll drink above:
There, to an ocean fullness, His mercy doth expand,
And glory—glory dwelleth In Immanuel's land.
Soon shall the cup of glory Wash down earth's bitterest woes,
Soon shall the desert brier Break into Eden's rose:
The curse shall change to blessing– The name on earth that's bann'd,
Be graven on the white stone In Immanuel's land.
4. A Continuing Contentment.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Heaven Will Be a Place of Glorious Rewards
Serve Him
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?" 14 I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple;
Solemn reverence
Sincere humility
Profound Gratitude
Intense Affection
Satisfied in Him
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Oh! I am my Beloved's, And my Beloved's mine!
He brings a poor vile sinner Into His "house of wine:"
I stand upon His merit, I know no other stand,
Not e'en where glory dwelleth In Immanuel's land.
I shall sleep sound in Jesus, Fill'd with His likeness rise,
To live and to adore Him, To see Him with these eyes:
'Tween me and resurrection But Paradise doth stand;
Then—then for glory dwelling In Immanuel's land!
The bride eyes not her garment, But her dear Bridegroom's face;
I will not gaze at glory, But on my King of Grace—
Not at the crown He giveth, But on His pierced hand:
The Lamb is all the glory Of Immanuel's land.
3. Sing to Him.
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
What rejoicing in His presence, When are banished grief and pain;
Death is swallowed up in vict'ry, And the dark things shall be plain.
Face to face I shall behold Him, Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by!
Stand For Him.
I've wrestled on towards Heaven, 'Ganst storm, and wind, and tide;—
Now, like a weary traveler, That leaneth on his guide,
Amid the shades of evening, While sinks life's ling'ring sand,
I hail the glory dawning From Immanuel's land.
Deep waters cross'd life's pathway, The hedge of thorns was sharp;
Now these lie all behind me,— Oh, for a well-tuned harp!
Oh, to join Hallelujah With yon triumphant band,
Who sing where glory dwelleth In Immanuel's land!
With mercy and with judgment My web of time He wove,
And aye the dews of sorrow Were lustered with His love!
I'll bless the hand that guided, I'll bless the heart that plann'd,
When throned where glory dwelleth In Immanuel's land.
I have borne scorn and hatred, I have borne wrong and shame,
Earth's proud ones have reproach'd me, For Christ's thrice blessed name:
Where God His seal set fairest They've stamp'd their foulest brand;
But judgment shines like noonday In Immanuel's land.
They've summoned me before them, But there I may not come,—
My Lord says, "Come up hither," My Lord says, "Welcome home!
My King now at His white throne, My presence doth command,
Where glory—glory dwelleth In Immanuel's land.
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Two of the Great Three Woes Revelation 9
Revelation 9 TWO WOES
When have you seen God use evil to accomplish His purposes?
How do you see God's authority over agents of evil in this passage?
What strikes you as most terrible about the description of the demonic locusts?
Why will people not repent, even after seeing the judgment of God?
"Idolatry is at the core of an unrepentant heart"? How would you explain this to someone who does not worship wood, metal, or stone idols?
How are idol worship and demon worship related?
Why does punishment spur sinful humanity toward greater rebellion?
Video: https://youtu.be/HGIG7CwHb-E
For older videos in this series on Revelation try Steve's zoom channel
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCNs0iOkWo_sL2u7vLPOCQ2Q
Zoom Online Bible Study Meeting Tuesday evening at 7:30 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2402286476
Sources: Akin Christ centred Exposition of Revelation
Easley Revelation
Patterson (NAC) Revelation
Rogers Revelation Unveiling The End Times In Our Time
1 And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. 2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. 3 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.
7 In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, 8 their hair like women's hair, and their teeth like lions' teeth; 9 they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. 10 They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.
12 The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.
13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar 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 hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.
20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
The great reformer Martin Luther is credited with saying, "The Devil is still God's Devil." His point is that clearly Satan is both evil and powerful, but he is still under the authority of the sovereign Lord. There is only one sovereign God, and the Devil is not that God. The important truth is this: Ultimately nothing happens apart from the sovereign determination of God. Nothing! And when it comes to evil and the wicked, destructive devices of Satan, demons, and even human persons, God is not the author of evil even as He, for His good purposes, allows evil (Jas 1:13).
Remember how Satan had to get permission from God to pursue Job?
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.7 The LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it."8 The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil."9 Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?10 Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.11 But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face."12 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.
Job 2: 1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD.2 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it."3 The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause."4 Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.5 However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face."6 So the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life." 7 Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
In Revelation 9, we even see our great God turning evil on itself. We see God using evil to judge evil, and He is rightly glorified in doing so.
Revelation 8:13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!"
Of all the tribulation horrors, this may be the worst. It is called the three Woes!
Revelation 9: 1 And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.
The star in this passage is not an inanimate star but an individual, a living "star."
Demons will be released from the bottomless pit upon the Earth.
The word translated "bottomless pit" is the Greek word for "abyss." Out of the abyss will come an invasion of demons upon the Earth.
These demons will be especially wicked, vile, hurtful, powerful and diabolical.
They are so vicious and destructive that God, in mercy, put them in a pit and locked them there. These are unlike other demons that still roam the Earth today. A special place has been prepared to hold these demons. And they are held there until this day of the first woe. A day that is yet to come. Enoch again mentions these demons held in these chains awaiting this day.
Luke 8:30-31 Remember when Jesus cast the demons out of the demoniac, they begged Him not to send them to the abyss.
There are certain fallen angels that are enchained. 2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;
Jude .6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.
2 Baruch 56 ≫For he 11 who was a danger to himself was also a danger to the angels. *For they possessed 12 freedom in that time in which they were created. #And some of them came down 13 and mingled themselves with women. ≪At that time they who acted like this were Gen 6:1-4 14 tormented in chains.0 ≫But the rest of the multitude of angels, who have no number, 15 restrained themselves. ≫And those living on earth perished together through the 16 waters of the flood.
1 Enoch 54:5,6 "For whom are these imprisonment chains0 being prepared?" • And he said unto me, "These are being prepared for the armies of Azaz'el, in order that they may take them and cast them into the abyss of complete condemnation, and as the Lord of the Spirits has commanded it, they shall cover their jaws with rocky stones.
The Watchers in 1 Enoch are consigned to a fiery abyss, and the sinners in the judgment share a like fate (e.g. lEn 90:23f.). Eternal fiery punishment of the wicked is a standard feature of the concept of the end-time of intertestamental Judaism.
They are doubly dangerous and are put into this penitentiary for evil spirits called the abyss.
The fallen star mentioned in Revelation 9:1 is Satan himself.
Lucifer, the star of the morning, son of the dawn (Isaiah 14:12), the anointed cherub (Ezekiel 28:14) was cast out of God's presence and heaven's glory when sin was found in his heart. Now as we move toward history's climax, he is allowed a diabolical freedom he was previously denied. The key (authority) to the bottomless pit (the abyss, mentioned 9 times in the New Testament), a prison house for demons (cf. Luke 8:31; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) and the abode of the dead (Romans 10:7) is given [by God; divine passive] to him. Immediately he opens it (verse 2) and smoke, dark and hot, fills the air and darkens the sun. The beast, the Antichrist, will arise from the Abyss (11:7). Satan will be imprisoned there for 1000 years following the 2nd coming of Jesus (20:1-3).
During the Great Tribulation, Satan is given permission by Almighty God to open the door of the bottomless pit.
The vile, malevolent spirits that are incarcerated there will be set free.
There are eleven things we need to know about these spirits:
i) They are degenerate spirits. Infernal
They are the vilest of the vile. Qumran material demonstrates that the role of the angel of the abyss is like that of Belial, mentioned 33 times in the Dead Sea Scrolls and described about 27 times in the Old Testament as a worthless, good-for-nothing, base counselor of ruin. He was the military leader of the forces of darkness, who was allowed to be "unleashed against" Israel.
ii) They are darkening spirits.
Revelation 9:2
2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft
Satan is the prince of darkness, and there will be a choking demon darkness that will blot out the light during the Great Tribulation.
iii) They are devouring spirits. Insatiable
Revelation 9: 3 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
These demons are described symbolically as locusts.
The Middle East has experienced swarms of locusts like great clouds that blot out the sun in the daytime and the moon at nighttime.
These locusts devour everything like an army.
Instead of feeding upon vegetation, these particular locusts will feed upon the hearts and souls of men.
They will inflict torment like a scorpion.
iv) They are debilitating spirits. Intolerable
Revelation 9:5 They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.
The torment will be so great that people who are alive at this time will want to die but will not be able to die.
v) They are dauntless demons. Irresistible.
Revelation 9:7 In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces
The Book of Joel, described Locusts that would invade the land of Judah.
What the locust swarm has left, the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left, the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left, other locusts have eaten.
Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips.
A nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness. It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees.
It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white. Joel 1:4-7
Money cannot stop them, the military cannot stop them, no human ingenuity can stop them; they are dauntless.
vi) They are domineering spirits. Invincible.
Revelation 9: 7 In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, 12 The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.
Satan has always wanted to wear a crown.
The world has said to the Lord Jesus, "We will not have You to rule over us."
So the world will have Satan and his demons to rule over them.
vii) They are deceptive spirits. Intelligent
Revelation 9: 7 In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, 8 their hair like women's hair, and their teeth like lions' teeth;
In the Bible, the human face can be symbolic of intelligence.
This tells us that Satan is crafty, and he has a cunning plan. Satan is so subtle that when the antichrist comes upon the Earth, he will be able to make people think that up is down and down is up. People will gladly commit horrific crimes thinking that they are doing God a great service.
viii) They are defiling spirits. Insidious.
Revelation 9: 8 their hair like women's hair, and their teeth like lions' teeth; 9 they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle.
"The hair of women" may be speaking of seduction and defilement. In many ways, these demons will seem alluring. They will have hair like women, faces like men and teeth like lions to rip, shred and devour. 1 Peter 5:8 These evil spirits are hideously beautiful and brilliantly deceptive.
ix) They are defiant spirits. Inescapable
Revelation 9: 9 they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle.
The groans and cries of their victims will be meaningless to them. Perhaps like Jet engines in noise. They will not be moved from their course of action.
x) They are durable spirits. Injurious.
Revelation 9: 10 They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails.
Five months is the normal lifespan of a locust.
Five is also the number of completeness.
Until their deed is done, they cannot and will not be stopped.
Nothing but the hand of Almighty God will stop them.
xi) They are diabolical spirits. Indivisible.
Revelation 9: 11 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon. 12 The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.
Both the names "Abaddon" and "Apollyon" mean destroyer.
They are organized, and there is a mastermind named "Abaddon," "Apollyon."
They have an internal guidance system that is moving them.
The Second Woe
13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar 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 hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.
20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
SATAN IS SINISTER, BUT GOD IS SOVEREIGN (Revelation 9:14)
13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."
If Revelation teaches us anything it teaches us that God is in control. He is Lord, He is sovereign. History has a purpose and that purpose is God's. History is following a plan and that plan is God's. We should never focus our eyes on the enemy's power. Revelation 9:14
The voice that speaks comes from the altar. This means that it is coming as an answer to our prayers.
The Euphrates River is both the cradle and the grave of human civilization. Genesis 2:14
The Euphrates River flowed out of the Garden of Eden. It was there that the first sin was committed. It was there that the first murder was committed. It was there that the Tower of Babel was built. It was there that Nimrod, a type and illustration of the antichrist, built the Tower of Babel. It is this river that divides the near East and the far East.
There is only so much these demon spirits can do.
God has restrained them until He is ready in the fullness of time to release them.
Satan cannot do whatever he wants whenever he wants.
God allows Satan to do certain things.
Satan is still on a leash; he is, in some measure, restrained.
Satan is sinister, but God is sovereign.
WITH GOD, TIMING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN TIME (Revelation 9:15)
15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind.
In the original Greek, this Scripture reads, "prepared for the day, hour and year."
This pinpoints a specific day. God has a purpose, and everything is under God's control. Until that specific moment, it cannot happen.
"Release the 4 angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." These angels, I believe, are demons. Good angels are never said to be bound. The Euphrates marked to the east the boundary separating Israel from her primary enemies. Verse 15 reveals that God's plans are not accidental or willy-nilly. They had been prepared (perfect tense) for the 1) hour, 2) day, 3) month, and 4) year. This is a precise time. There is also a precise purpose. To kill 1/3 of mankind. Combined with Revelation 6:8, we discover that ½ of the earth's population will die as a result of the seal and trumpet judgments. The carnage is unfathomable. Verse 16 tells us there is a precise army 200,000,000 horsemen. John says, I heard the number. Some connect the army with the kings of the east in 16:12 and identify them with a human army.
Revelation 16:12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.
Armageddon 13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs;14 for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.15 ("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.")16 And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.
The Euphrates marked the eastern boundary of the Roman empire in Asia Minor. On the other side of the river lay the Parthian empire which had inflicted humiliating defeats on the Roman legions in 53 B.C. and A.D. 62. So it is not surprising that the Romans were quite neurotic about the Parthian menace. 1 Enoch 56 envisions Parthians and Medes being stirred up by evil angels and invading Palestine like hungry wolves. John may allude to this widespread fear (cf. 6:2).. If you were part of the Roman Empire of the first century, you considered the Parthian Empire to be the evil empire. It perched on the east side of the Euphrates River, although its center of power lay much farther east of old Babylon and Persia, southeast of the Caspian Sea. The Parthian warriors were fearsome, regaining independence (after being defeated by Alexander the Great) in the third century B.C. They defeated the Roman generals Crassus (53 B.C.) and Mark Antony (36 B.C.), and were not subdued until the early second century A.D. The Roman people expected the Parthians to cross the Euphrates and attack Rome. In particular their bowmen in chariots were fierce, with the skill of shooting arrows both ahead and behind. Retreating from battle, their archers shot poisoned arrows over their shoulders causing the same effect as the poison of scorpion tails. According to some accounts Parthian warriors wore long flowing hair, but twisted the tails of their horses into snake-like ropes.
John explicitly noted that these four demonic angels had been held ready for the hour, the day, the month, and the year. Only when God's eschatological "hour" strikes, only then will they be released
God is strategically moving in the world at His own timing.
God is never ahead of time, and He is never late.
God is on time. With God, timing is more important than time.
WHEN RESTRAINT IS REMOVED, BATTLES BEGIN (Revelation 9:16-19)
16 The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.
When God takes the leash off an incredible battle begins. This is may not be the battle of Armageddon, but it is setting the stage for Armageddon.
The battle depicted in Revelation 9 speaks of an army of 200 million.
This passage mentions "armies" plural.
The war that is described appears like a symbolic description of modern warfare.
But besides this, the Bible uses the word armies. Now we see it in verse 16 of Revelation chapter 9, "And the number of the army of the horsemen." Actually, that's plural. The number of the armies and the war that is described here it seems like a symbolic description of modern war. They have breastplates of fire and of jacinth. Jacinth is the color of hot, blue flame like would come out of the mouth of a gun. These instruments of war shoot fire, and smoke, and brimstone. They have tails like the tails of serpents. It sounds very much like modern tanks, and helicopters, and rockets that we would see today. Of course, nobody knew anything about helicopters or airplanes; nobody knew anything about tanks. They knew something about horses, prepared to battle.
The beast, the antichrist, will come out of the old Roman empire.
This ruler will make a treaty with Israel.
This treaty will incite the Muslim world, which is stretched along the Euphrates River.
There will come a war centered along the Euphrates where 200 million people will march.
Ezekiel 37, 38 and 39. As this northern power comes down and makes an alliance with all of these others round about. Turkey and others will come against Israel. Who will win in that battle? Rosh will come down Russia perhaps.
Well, the Bible says there's going to come a great shaking in the land of Israel. Will it be an earthquake? Will it be an atomic war? We'll see. But out of that, the West will prevail, and there will be a geo-political vacuum, and in that geopolitical vacuum, ah, the beast will move. And now he will be ensconced as virtually the world leader. All the world will wonder after the beast. And we'll say, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against the beast?" All the world will wonder after the beast.
Then God will remove His restraining hand and let the four angels loose.
Man, who has wanted to live his own life in his own way, will now have his opportunity.
IF GOD'S LOVE DOESN'T BRING REPENTANCE, THEN GOD'S JUDGMENT BRINGS REBELLION (Revelation 9:20-21)
20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
One would think that, in light of all these events, people would be horrified; in actuality, people will be hardened.
People are not changed because of punishment.
To "gnash their teeth" means to snarl; they are gnashing their teeth against God.
They are not asking God for mercy.
Repentance. You and I live in an age where we can repent. Repentance is turning from our sins. We see the sinfulness of mankind in so many ways today. But the sinfulness of mankind is reflected in our own human hearts. We each need to turn from those sins that get a grip on our human hearts. Repentance is not only turning from our sins it is also turning to the Lord Jesus Christ who is our great God and Saviour who came to die for our sins to make us right with God.
You and I need a new heart, a new birth to know the living God. And we must be faithful in helping others to repent before there comes a time when people would rather die than repent.
