Saturday June 05, 2004 09:00:45 PM -0400
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CHAPTER 9 1. Where is Satan’s fall described? 2. What is the bottomless pit? 3. What happens when the smoke from the pit of the Abyss is released? 4. How does the seal of God on man’s forehead protect them during earth’s most terrible hour? 5. Why will men long for death during the tribulation hour? 6. When are the convicts of the ages released and who is their leader? 7. Who is Abaddon and Apollyon? 8. Why are so many of God’s judgments linked with his program of redemption? 9. What part will Iraq play in the future? 10. Where is the location of the greatest war in history? 11. How large are the armies assembled for Armageddon? 12. How prolific do drugs become just before Christ’s returns to the earth? Chapter 9 contains the lengthy portions of scripture covering Trumpet Judgment #5 and #6. Verse 1 “ and the fifth angel…This star that John sees is of male personage and is without a doubt the devil. Isaiah describes this fall similarly in Isaiah chapter 14 verse 12-14 “how art thou fallen….” Satan’s fall came through pride, he wanted to be co-equal with God. Jesus in eternity past beheld this fall and said to his disciples in Luke 10 v 18. This fallen one is presented with a key from the bottomless pit and he uses it, verse 2. The term bottomless pit refers to the pit of the Abyss. This term is found 9 times in the New Testament. It is a place to restrain or hold certain beings which have come under the judgment of God. For instance when Christ went into the country of the Gerasenes (a Gentile region) he met a man with a legions of demons, these legions within the man asked the Lord not to command them to go out into the pit of the Abyss. Luke 8 v 31. Their dread and terror of the pit of the Abyss was so great that they would rather become incarnated in swines. The pit of the Abyss must be a terrible place. How frightful then is the hour when the prison house of fallen angels in this pit is finally opened. The smoke alone coming from the pit darkens the sun and the air. Verse 3 “then came out of the smoke locus upon the earth… These are not ordinary locus, their powers are too great, these are fallen angels who had been restrained and imprisoned in the bottomless bit since their fall as described in Genesis 6. These wicked beings chained and in darkness for all these centuries 2nd Peter 2 v 4 can hardly wait to begin their acts of evil upon the world. They are told what they can and cannot do, verse 4 “and it was commanded them not to hurt…” In chapter 7 we saw multitudes of people sealed, the locus or fallen angels are not allowed to touch those who are sealed, only the unsealed, those who have worshipped the Beast, and accepted his number 666. Notice that the locus are NOT allowed the KILL the unsealed only to TORTURE them. Verse 5, what an agonizing time that will be. Verse 6 “and in those days men will seek death and shall not find it”. The next four verses gives us a vivid picture of those locus or fallen angels, verse 7-10. Their characteristics are strength, speed, royalty (picturing conquest) intelligence, attractiveness, cruelty, invincibility and calamity. These facts gives us a glimpse of the gruesome portraits of life upon the earth as the pit of the Abyss is opened. The next verse tells us about the fallen star who is the leader of these perverted angels chapter 9 verse 11 This leader is named in both Hebrew and Greek, Abaddon is Hebrew, and Apollyon Greek. This term is found only once in our English bible, but 6 times in the Hebrew bible. Job 26 v 6; 28 v 32; 31 v 12; Proverbs 15 v 1; Proverbs 27 v 20; Psalm 88 v 11. The Greek word APOLLYON means Destroyer. This term describes Satan. Verse 12, one woe! is passed, two remains verse 13 & 14. As the 6th angel sounds, John hears a voice from the four horns of the golden alter in the presence of God. It is interesting that many of the judgments are directly linked with God’s program of atonement. Perhaps this is because so many have rejected the message of the altar which speaks of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Paul warned the human race of the danger of rejecting this teaching, see Hebrews 10 verses 28-29. The rejection of God’s word always brings severe consequences. Before us is a scene with the altar, the only place where sin can be forgiven, and the horrors of the altar actually touched by the blood, unitedly cries out to God for judgment. Now because of rejecting the message, the voices from the altar tells the 6th angel to loose the 4 angels which are being bound in the great River Euphrates. The fact that they are bound proves that they are fallen angels who rebelled and fell with Lucifer at the time of his revolt. Isaiah 14 verse 12-14. Once the church is safely in heaven, four demons are released from the Abyss to reek havoc upon earth. Earlier we saw four unfallen angels holding back the judgment in Chapter 7 v 1. Now four wicked angels are released. They are commanded to exercise their judgment in the region of the Euphrates River. This body of water runs between Iraq and Syria and will become the origination point of the battle of the ages in the future. This is also the part of the world where Satan performed his destructive work against our first parents Adam and Eve Genesis 2 v 10-14. Also the area where Cain killed his brother Abel, Genesis 4 v 8, same location where mankind made his first united move against God, Genesis 11 verses 1-4. Later God made his unconditional covenant with Abraham in this location Genesis 15 v 8. This area belongs to Israel and God will see that they get it. Proof-----read Exodus 23 v 31, also see Deut 11 v 24; Joshua 1 v 4. At one point in history, the Euphrates River became the boundary of the old Roman Empire, which is being restored and will fall under the rule of the Antichrist, chapter 13 v 1. This area will become the sore spot as history progresses for it serves as both the frontier of the promise land, and the boundary of the “ten toes the horn” Western Federation of nations that produces the Antichrist in Daniel 2 v 40-41; chapter 7 v 23-24; Rev 13 v 1. The destruction released upon earth by the four evil demons is described in the next verse – read verse 15. The earth’s population is currently about 5 billion souls. In our study we have seen so far ¼ of this number killed under the 4th rider or the PALE HORSE, in chapter 6 verse 8. At this point in time earth’s population is reduced to 3 billion 750 million. Following this an additional 1/3 or 1 billion 250 million perishes as these four fallen angels are released. These four executioners are undoubtedly waiting in the wings even now. They are preparing their scheduled timetable. Remember the Euphrates River is middle eastern territory. The location of present day Iraq and Syria. The world’s present and future tender box. This holocaust will also include the SOVIET UNION and their allies, poised against ISRAEL, Ezekiel 38 & 39. Ezekiel 38 v 15-16. Russia is north of Israel – see Joel 2 v 20. Geographically Russia alone meets this qualification of this text. As stated previously Israel is slated to be the battle field of the world on 18 occasions in Ezekiel 38 & 39. No doubt that the Holy Land becomes the site of the greatest war in all of history. Russia marches toward Israel in the middle of the tribulation hour, but is driven back to Siberia as seen in Ezekiel 39 v 1 & 2 and Joel 2 v 20. Russia then strengthens her forces and returns toward the land of Israel once again. The scope and intensity of the offences continues to increase until all nations become involved and are finally gathered together against Israel at Jerusalem- Zech 14 v 2. At that point the battle of Armageddon takes place Rev 16 v 16. This mid eastern war numbers the largest army in the history of mankind Rev 9 v 16 and the number of the army 200 million – ref Ezekiel 38 v 16. This army advances with the latest military equipment. (whether symbolic or literal Gog could be a person, or could be a symbol of all the evil in the world, or Gog could be a nation. However Gog seem to represent the aggregate military might of all the forces opposed to God Many bible scholars connect this army of 200 million with Red China and her Oriental allies by connecting this text concerning the Euphrates River together with chapter 16 v 12, Such an assembly of military presence is feasible considering China’s population of nearly 1 billion people, with 21 century military arsenals, some others believe that these are modern day air missiles and the latest technological military invention. Other bible scholars believe this army is a supernatural arm, in light of the three verses which follows v 17-19. Either way it will be a devastating period of time in the world’s history as the remaining ½ of the world are being destroyed by fire, smoke and brimstone which is a suffocating poisonous gas. There are several verses predicting a final war fire such as Isaiah 66 v 15-16, Psalm 97 v 3; Zeph 1 v 18; Joel 2 v 1- 3 the Russian army coming from the north. Then the Soviets are pushed back to Siberia. Joel 2 v 30, this sounds similar to what is mentioned in Malachi 2 v 1; “ 1/3 part of the trees were burnt and all green grass” whether it’s a natural or supernatural army of demonic beings, Rev 8 v 7 these events are catastrophic. It is possible that the armies could be both natural and supernatural, men as well as demons involved in the tribulation woes!!!.
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