Revelation Revealed: Rev. 9:1–11, #15 | Pastor Jim Hammond
Recap
“Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth!” cried an angel flying through the heavens. In Pastor Jim’s 15th installment of his series, “Revelation Revealed,” he talked about the last three of the seven trumpet judgments to be administered during the end times. The last three trumpet judgments are what the angel was referring to when he cried “woe, woe, woe,” as the last three trumpets bring three “woes” to the inhabitants of the earth.
Dive Deeper
The angel flying through the heavens crying out, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of earth” are interpreted by some to be a literal eagle, some think it is the raptured church, while others think it is an angel. The angel was referring to the last three trumpet judgments which are the very worst judgments so far.
The fifth trumpet brought forth a star and to “him” was given a key to the bottomless pit. The star is not an actual star, but a being because it’s called “him” and was given a key.
He used the key to open the bottomless pit. Some commentators believe this “him” is Satan who opens the bottomless pit. The sun, moon, and stars losing their light believe this is the result of Satan being cast out of heaven.
One commentator says many scholars do not make the correct distinction between fallen angels and demons.
Pastor Jim talked about the bottomless pit being a part of hell, different from Hades.
Out of the pit came an army of locusts, which resembled horses, but with human heads having hair like a woman and teeth like a lion, wearing a crown. The locusts had tails like a scorpion which they used to sting anyone that did not have the seal of God on them. The length of their assignment to sting was five months.
There are those that believe what John was describing were modern-day helicopters. Pastor Jim believers, as do most commentators, that the locust army is made of up demons.
In addition to the army of locusts, a fallen angel named Apollyon came out of the pit and he was commander of the locust army. Apollyon’s name means destroyer.
Some commentators surmise that this fifth trumpet judgment, the first woe, takes place 37 months into the tribulation, five months before we get to the conclusion of the first half of the tribulation.
Read About It
Rev. 9:1–11, “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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. 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. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 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. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 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.
Rev. 8:12, “Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.”
1 Kings 11:22–23, “And the Lord said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ 22 The Lord said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ 23 Therefore look! The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”
Acts 4:23 –24, 31, “And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord… And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken.”
Discussion Questions
In learning about the trumpet judgments, in what ways would it cause you to live your life more circumspectly?
How could you share the events of Revelation with unbelievers in a way that would not frighten them?
What reasons should we share with others about the book of Revelation?