Before you read chapter 9 of the book of Revelation I want to show you that the bible shows us who is locked away in the Earth until Jesus is ready to release them to fulfill prophecy.
Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
2 Peter 2:44 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
We know who is locked up and we know when those that are locked up will be released to carry out the words of Jesus found in Revelation chapter 9.
Revelation Chapter 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Pay close attention to verse 4-11 because it is here the Christians will know they have to be gone from the Earth before this next event takes place.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
In the book of Revelation, there are very real creatures lurking in an abyss. At the appointed time, they will be released to terrorize and kill unbelievers around the world.
We are introduced to some of these creatures in Revelation 9, which describes the first and sixth trumpet judgments—the first and second woes.
- The Fifth Trumpet (First Woe): Demonic Tormentors (Revelation 9:1-12)
Revelation 9 opens with the blowing of the fifth trumpet—the pronouncement of the first woe—a demonic angel from heaven.
At the sounding of the fifth trumpet, John saw a heavenly “star” that had “fallen to earth” (Revelation 9:1). As we’ll see, this “star” is not a literal star or meteor as in previous judgments, but it is an intelligent being—an angel—not a literal star in outer space.
I think it’s best to interpret and view this “fallen” angel as demonic—either Satan or another evil angel. Because he is given the “key of the bottomless pit,” is permitted to open the pit. When he does, “smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit” (Revelation 9:2).
Although this is not the same place as Hades—the temporary destination of the unsaved where there is weeping, and gnashing of teeth, and agonizing suffering in flames of torment—it is a horrible place like Hades and ultimately the Lake of Fire.
Mingled with the smoke belching from the pit, John saw something truly frightening (Revelation 9:3-6) – locusts. But these aren’t like any locusts John (or anyone) had ever seen before. They are given “power…as the scorpions of the earth have power” (Revelation 9:3), meaning they are able to hurt people in the same way a scorpion’s sting inflicts pain.
Ordered by God or the satanic angel “not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree,” the swarm of these demonic locusts was only to hurt “the men [and women] who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads” for five months (Revelation 9:4-5). It will become so terrible people “will seek death,” but “will not find it; they will long to die,” but “death flees from them” (Revelation 9:6). We know at this point the Christians had to be raptured away from Earth. God’s wrath does not fall on those who believed in Him. Look at what 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 says, “9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” Notice that God spares only those who have God’s seal on their foreheads. So who are the ones with God’s seal? Are they all the Christians? No! In Revelation Chapter 7 we are told exactly who the people are which have the seal of God. They are 144,000 men from the 12 tribes of Israel. In Revelation chapter 14 were are given more information about these 144,000.3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
So, we know these there are only 144,000 virgins men from Israel who are still on the Earth with the seal of God on their foreheads. Since Christians were not appoint to God’s wrath they had to be taken out of the way. These 144,000 men are left behind to preach Jesus during the reign of the Antichrist. God is not going to keep all the Christians of the Earth to be stung by one of these demon locust to suffer for 5 months. The pain will be so bad people will try to kill themselves but death will not come. If anyone tells you that the Christians will be on Earth for the entire tribulation ask them to show you anywhere else in the bible where God has sealed all the Christians on their foreheads from this demon locust attack. There is no other place in the word of God that seals more than the 144,000 men. If you are a Christian, when this locust attack takes place you will be in heaven not on Earth! If your not a Christian you will be left behind and you will be stung and suffer for 5 months just as Jesus has warned you.
As I stated these locusts are demonic and march in battle array under the order of their king. Regular locusts are not smart and can’t take orders. Try giving orders to a regular swarm of locusts and see if they listen to you? I know I am stressing my point a little but I want to show you these are not regular locusts. For sure, these are locusts you do not want to be around when they are released. Keep in mind, if you did not receive Jesus as Lord you will face these locusts!
- The Sixth Trumpet (Second Woe): A Demonic Army (Revelation 9:13-19)
With the sounding of the sixth trumpet—the second woe—a voice commanded the sixth angel to set the judgment in motion—“Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates” (Revelation 9:14).
For however long these four demonic angels have been in chains, they have been kept ready for this specific purpose. At the appropriate time during the great tribulation they will be released because they have “been prepared for the hour and the day and month and year” to fulfill God’s purpose for them (Revelation 9:15).
Nothing really needs to be said concerning Rev. 9:15 other than Jesus has a set date to fulfill verse 15!
In Revelation 9:5 we saw those locust were not able to kill anyone but only make them suffer for 5 months. the release of these four demonic angels are to “kill a third of mankind” (Revelation 9:15), namely unbelieving earth-dwellers (Revelation 8:13). As you can see from Rev. 9:5 to Rev. 9:15 things in the tribulation have definitely worse. When this part of the tribulation take place the result will be the extinction of half of the world’s population that had been alive at the beginning of the tribulation. Question for you. Do you still want to deny Jesus as your Lord? God I hope not!!!
These four demons will accomplish their deadly mission through the means of an army 200 million strong (Revelation 9:16-19). It could be these are humans under the influence of the four demon commanders, but more likely this army is made up other evil angels, making the number of 200 million even more literal. Like the demonic locusts, the description of the horses argues for a demonic cavalry. According to Revelation 9:17 these demonic horsemen are split into three divisions, identified by the color of their breastplates, which cover both rider and steed: red (“fire”), blue (“hyacinth”), and yellow (“brimstone”).
Normal horses don’t breathe “fire and smoke and brimstone” (9:17)—the same colors as their breastplates—but that doesn’t mean these demonic horses are unable to do so. What is to be taken literally is the result of this sixth trumpet: “A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of [the horses’] mouths” (Revelation 9:18). Now on the other hand could it be John saw modern day warfare tanks that when they shoot the fire comes out that John called fire and smoke and brimstone? You will find out if your on Earth when this part of the wrath takes place.
You would think by this time during the tribulation the people left on Earth would give in to Jesus and bow to Him but the word of God shows us that is not the case. Look at Rev. 9:20-2120 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
What you read here today is only a small part of the wrath that is to be pouring down on the people who have rejected Jesus work on the cross. Isn’t it time to give your life over to Jesus now before the Revelation begins? Please, for your own eternal life ask Jesus into your life today.
Here we go again. More news concerning the Temple Mount. Over these many years I have told you what to expect based on what Jesus has told us concerning the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple. I have stated we would see news showing us little by little the Jews would go up to the Temple Mount and pray even though the Arabs would try to stop them by starting to riot. What I warned you has shown up in the news. The new Israeli Prime Minister has allowed the Jews to go up to the Mount and pray. Of course the Arabs reacted as if the world was coming to an end by doing what they always do riot. As a result Yair Lapid the alternate prime minister stepped in and got Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to back down from allowing the Jews to pray on the Mount. So once again we saw one step forward and one step back again. However, in the end we know that something major is going to take place which will give full access to the Jews to not only pray on the Mount but to build their Third Temple on the Mount. Stay tuned everyone because you will see more news in the very near future which will point to the status quo from changing on the Mount. No one can stop the prophecy concerning building the Third Temple from being fulfilled. Riot all you want on the Mount but it is not going to stop God’s word from coming to pass.