![[20240501-RevelationHeader.jpg]] ![[Fifth Trumpet The Locusts from the Bottomless Pit#^4f11f2]] After the fifth angel sounded the trumpet a star falls from heaven. ***Was this star a celestial body or something else?*** This was not a star like our sun but something else, someone else. The star is referred to as a “him.” ***Who could this star be?*** To answer that, we will look at a few passages. > [!bible] **Luke 10:18 NKJV** > > And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. > [!bible] **Revelation 12:9 NKJV** > > So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. > [!bible] **Isaiah 14:12-15 NKJV** > > **12** “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! **13** For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; **14** I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ **15** Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit. Note: son of the morning can also be translated as “shining star” (NLT), daystar (AMP), “star of the morning” (NASB). > [!bible] **Ezekiel 28:12-17 NKJV** > > **12** “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. **13** You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. **14** “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. **15** You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. **16** “By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. **17** “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you. These passages speak of Satan (also called Lucifer and the Devil) cast down from God’s presence in heaven. It is very possible that Satan is the *star fallen from heaven to the earth*. We see that the star fallen from heaven was given the key to the bottomless pit. ***What does the key represent?*** It represents access or authority. The key was *given* to Satan. In other words, he had temporary authority not intrinsic authority. ***What is the bottomless pit (or abyss)?*** In the Greek this word is abbysos. It is separate from Gehenna and Hades. There are a couple of other passages that can help us understand what this place is. > [!bible] **Romans 10:7 NKJV** > > or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). The NLT translates this as “the place of the dead.” God asks Job about the “gates of death” and the “doors of the shadow of death” ([[Job 38.17|Job 38:17]]). > [!bible] **Luke 8:31 NKJV** > > And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. The demons who were in the man begged Jesus not to send them to this place. The devil once had the power of death but lost it to Jesus ([[Hebrews 2.14|Hebrews 2:14]]). Jesus has the keys of Hades and of Death ([[Revelation 1.18|Revelation 1:18]]). Later, we will see that Satan will be cast into the bottomless pit himself ([[Revelation 20.1-3|Revelation 20:1-3]]). Out of the pit comes smoke and locusts. ***What are the locusts? Are they the insects or something else?*** Based on the description given to the locusts, they are likely something else. Following our previous line of thought, it’s possible that the locusts are demons. If the fallen star is Satan and he was given the keys to the abyss and the demons did not want Jesus to send them to the abyss, it is possible that these are demons who were there into the abyss being let out to torment people. The angel of the bottomless pit is said to be their king ([[Revelation 9.11|v11]]) and Proverbs tells us that natural locusts have no king ([[Proverbs 30.27|Proverbs 30:27]]). Additionally, they do not harm vegetation but torment people (compare that with the locusts of the plague in Egypt). They are described with military imagery with iron breastplates and tails like scorpions (also see how lion’s teeth refers to a nation’s army in [[Joel 1.6|Joel 1:6]] and [[Joel 2.25|Joel 2:25]]). ***What does the five months of torment represent?*** Again, this is a limited or partial judgment. > [!todo]- For Further Study: Abaddon/Apollyon > What do the names Abaddon and Apollyon mean? How do they characterize the nature of the king of the locusts? How does this name have cultural or historical allusions to the time of John? (Hint: look up which Roman god that the Roman emperors claim descent from, and the *symbol* of that Roman god.). > [!important] Things to Consider > This passage offers us insight into how there are layers of meanings that can be applied. > 1. Spiritual: we see a demonic army carrying out judgment > 2. Historical: persecution by Roman emperors upon the church > 3. Apocalyptic: a description of end times This was just the first woe. There are still two more to follow (see [[Revelation 8.13|Revelation 8:13]]). ![[Sixth Trumpet The Angels From the Euphrates 9.13-21#^df7250]] The golden altar is referred to previously in the tabernacle and in [[Revelation Chapter 8#^d5d3fe|the previous chapter]]. ***What can we infer from the fact that the angel is by the gold altar sounding judgment?*** Biblically, horns often symbolized power, dominion, glory, and strength. They pointed to strength and honor both physically and spiritually. It is possible that we are seeing that the judgments are being released from a place of strength and power. The angel is in a position of power to exercise authority in judgment that the Lamb had given to him. The Euphrates river was one of the four rivers that came from the river that flowed in the Garden of Eden ([[Genesis 2.10-14|Genesis 2:10-14]]). It was also part of the border of the land that God promised to Abraham and his descendants ([[Genesis 15.18|Genesis 15:18]]). In the river, there were four angels who were bound. ***Who or what were the four angels?*** There are a couple of views on this. It could be demons. ***Why would we think that?*** Because they are bound. Some believe that these angels could connected to the sons of God who came in to the daughters of men and produced giants ([[Genesis 6.1-4|Genesis 6:1-4]]). In John’s day it could have been a reference to four nations. As we’ve seen previously with Apollyon, Apollo, locusts, and Roman emperors, the language could be pointing to something in the natural world. Regarding the end times, the extra-biblical text *The Book of Enoch*[^enoch] says: > [!quote] *1 Enoch 56:5* translated by R.H. Charles > And in those days the angels shall return And hurl themselves to the east upon the Parthians and Medes: They shall stir up the kings, so that a spirit of unrest shall come upon them, And they shall rouse them from their thrones, That they may break forth as lions from their lairs, And as hungry wolves among their flocks.  Despite this not being considered Scripture, some historical commentators believe that this “prophecy” in *Enoch* is referring to this moment in Revelation and it is possible that the original recipients of John’s revelation were aware of this text and understood John’s words to be a reference to it. Verse 15 tells us that the angels were prepared for a specific time to be released. This was a specific moment in time. ***What were they released to do at that time?*** Kill a third of the population. These commanded an army of horsemen. ***Is the number of the army of horsemen meant to be taken literally or figuratively?*** It is likely that this is a figurative number referring to an extremely large army. ***What stands out about the horses and the plagues?*** We see some parallels: fiery red breastplates and fire, hyacinth blue and smoke, sulfur yellow and brimstone. Color is associated with the type of plague that was brought. *Note: this is an intentional message based on repetition.* ***Could this possibly speak of advanced weaponry that applies to our time?*** Consider that it could be speaking of a tank that shoots “fire, smoke, and brimstone” out of its “mouth.” John was using language and speaking about what he saw in ways that would connect with what he knew. It may not be a tank, but it certainly is descriptive of something terrifying. There is power in their mouths. Throughout the Scripture we are told about the power of the tongue–Jesus had a sword that came from His mouth and satan uses words to deceive ([[Proverbs 18.21|Proverbs 18:21]], [[Revelation 1.16|Revelation 1:16]], [[Revelation 12.9|Revelation 12:9]]). ***What could it mean to say that there is power in their mouths?*** It can mean that their words and messaging can be part of their power to bring death and destruction. This is echoed in the statement that there is power in their tails, and their tails have heads are like *serpents*. ***What does this remind us of?*** When we think of serpents we often think of the temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden. The serpent deceived her and led her astray. > [!todo]- For Further Study: Leaders, Prophets and Destruction > Consider [[Isaiah 9.15-16|Isaiah 9:15-16]] and notice the descriptions of leaders and false prophets. Then, identify the outcome of their behaviors. ***What do they do and what affect does it have on people?*** ***How does the passage from Isaiah possibly inform our understanding on this one in Revelation?*** ***Also, are there any other places in Revelation where we see this dynamic in play?*** The remainder of humanity that were not killed refused to repent and turn to God for mercy. Instead, they continued in idolatry. ***What was behind the idols of gold, silver, brass, etc.?*** The text clearly says that these people worship *demons*. Additionally, they did not repent of murders, sorceries, or sexual immorality, or thefts. Interestingly, sorceries comes from a Greek word (*pharmakon*) that we get our English word for pharmacy. The connection is the idea of potions and medicines and mixing of these things were often connected to spells and sorcery. Sexual immorality in the Greek is *porneía*. The root of this word means to sell or be a “harlot for hire.” In modern times it is similar to prostitution or pornography where money is exchanged. The Biblical meaning also includes fornication and licentiousness and carries an idea of unfaithfulness to God. Finally, they continued in thefts. They continued robbing God and others. ***And what was the result of these things?*** Judgment. ***Is it shocking to you that despite seeing 1/3 of the world dying in judgment that the rest of mankind refused to repent?*** --- [[Studies]] | [[Revelation]] | [[Revelation Chapter 8]] | [[Revelation Chapter 10]] [^enoch]: R. H. Charles, ed., [_The Book of Enoch or 1 Enoch: Translation_](https://ref.ly/logosres/bkenochtrans?ref=Page.p+109&off=489&ctx=+against+Israel.%0a+5.~+And+in+those+days+t), trans. R. H. Charles (Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1912), 109–110.