Join Dr. Paula McDonald as she continues her in-depth study of Revelation, in this current series of Exhale Bible Discovery. Each week Dr, Paula goes verse by verse, line by line to unpack the truth in God’s word with followers like you from all parts of the world. The last episode closed with Chapter Eight, sounding the first of the three woes. In Chapter Nine, Dr. Paula continues on in looking at the sounds of the fifth and 6 trumpet blasts.

Transcript

Welcome to Exhale Bible Discovery. Each week we'll take a deep dive into the Bible, going line by line and chapter by chapter to discover the truths that God has for us in his word.

Hello everyone. This is Dr. Paula McDonald, and we are in our Exhale Bible Discovery. We're in lesson twelve, which is Revelation chapter nine. So let's go back and look a little bit at chapter eight, where we learned about the first four trumpets and the disasters that accompanied each. And there is no way around the fact that God means business and he has the right and the authority to administer his justice to a fallen world. The end of chapter eight sounded the first of the three woes, and the Eagle or the bird sounds the warning to pay attention to all who have ears to hear. And there is a woe for each of the remaining three trumpets. And tonight we're going to study the fifth and the 6th trumpet blasts. The first four trumpets were blows to the Earth and the environment. And these final woes or warnings are directed specifically at mankind and reference Hell itself. So we're going to divide chapter nine into our two main divisions, the fifth angel and trumpet, which is Revelation nine one through twelve, and then the 6th angel and trumpet, which is Revelation 13 through 21. So a quick review of the first four trumpets were the burning, the blood, the bitterness, and the blackness. And the last two that we're going to talk about in this lesson are the fifth trumpet brings on the beasts, and the 6th trumpet brings on the battle like we've never seen before. Here we go. So chapter nine wastes no time in getting right to the point with verse one, which opens with the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the Earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. In this description, we see another star falling from the sky. And this time the narrative speaks directly of Hell itself. And most theologians believe this description of a star represents Satan himself. And we know from the Scriptures that Satan is a fallen angel. In Isaiah 1412, the verse says, How You have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, sun of the dawn, you have been cut down to the Earth, you who have weakened the nations. And during this time in our history, Satan has been given the key to hell and permission to wreak havoc on the Earth and its inhabitants. Luke 1018 we find and he said unto them, I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. This is Jesus direct account of the fall of Satan. Satan fell as a result of being in direct rebellion with God. And this shows that Satan made a choice. He was once in the heavenly realm with God Almighty, and because of his choices to be in opposition with God, he fell from heaven. And the part of the verse saying he was given the keys to the shaft of the abyss refers to the fact that Satan has been given permission to be loosed upon the Earth for a time. And as we know, there are many people right now who hold their allegiance to Satan. And therefore, during these last warning trumpet blasts, those who have chosen Satan over God will experience the wrath of these woes. In the abyss. It means hell, and in the Latin form, the word Abyssis literally means a bottomless pit, A means without and bosus means bottom. So bottomless refers to no end or never ending. And just as heaven is without limits, the same is true about hell. There will be no out for those who ended up there. It is forever, like heaven is forever for us. Hell is forever for those who end up there, sobering for sure. Verse two, when he opened the abyss, smoke rose from it like smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the abyss, and smoke is often associated with the forces of demonic beings. Christ's light is being dimmed due to the smoke, the demonic forces, and the stench of words in opposition to Christ and the disgusting evil acts that mankind engages in when they are without Christ. As we read about the glory and the light in the throne room in chapter four, this image is in complete contrast to that so in verse three. And out of the smoke, locust came down on Earth and were given power like that of Scorpions of the Earth. Now this image is strange for sure. And remember, John is doing his best to interpret these visions, having to describe what he is seeing in a manner that's consistent with his own limited earthly experiences. And most believe that this description is referring to a figurative reference of Satan's influence on the world after he is unleashed. Now imagine the light and goodness of the Earth have now been removed, and the plague of darkness, sin, filth, death, destruction, and anything evil feels the Earth like a dark smoke. And remember when the angel of death plague came upon Egypt in Exodus 1021? Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt. Darkness that can be felt. Wow, that's a lot like smoke. So verse three also says they were given power like that of the Scorpions of the Earth. The phrase like that points to a figurative narrative. The plague of false idols, sinful ways, every kind of imaginable evil would result in terrible pain. And nonetheless, this description of locust clearly points to a hellish and demonic force that affects mankind. They were told not to harm the grass of the Earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads so these demonic forces are given very specific instructions to only attack people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And I find this so interesting that the seal of God is depicted on the forehead right where the pineal gland is. And I don't have time to go into this whole pineal gland expository, but I have a bonus chapter on this topic. It's on my website@drpalamcdonald.com. You just go to my books and I believe it's right there. Download bonus chapter. But the pineal gland is directly behind the forehead in the middle of the brain, and it is known as a center of higher consciousness. However, this precious gland, it can become calcified due to poor eating habits, fluoride and other toxins. We need our pineal gland to be uncalcified and fully activated for many reasons, for our health, but also for our connection to God. So check out this chapter. I think it's just interesting that the seal they were looking for it on the forehead. The instructions for the demonic locusts are being told they cannot harm the environment, but only those with God sealed. So specifically, those who continue to oppose God and deny him will be the target of these beasts. And we know as we take Christians take the seal of God, there are those who take the seal of Satan. Not a good thing. All right, let's go into verse five. They were not allowed to kill them, but only torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of a sting of a Scorpion when it strikes. And here the narrative expands about the result of these demonic things being unleashed upon mankind. And again, the reference was like that of the sting of a Scorpion. Means these demons have the ability to inflict pain and agony upon those without the seal of God. Yet through all of this torment, our merciful God places a limit on the pain. If you've ever experienced torment of any kind, you can truly understand this verse. Severe physical or mental suffering is the definition of torment. You absolutely desire for the torment to end and many to the point of wanting to die. And this verse tells us that the torment does not kill them. Rather they will wish they were dead, as the pain and agony will be horrific. And verse six, during those days, people will seek death, but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will elude them. And here the narrative continues with those who are going through unbelievable hell on Earth and wish themselves to die. I cannot even imagine and there's no way out for them. So torture is what those who follow Satan will go through as God continues in his justified wrath. There will be no relief for these people. It's difficult to comprehend. Yet God has warned everyone what the consequences are when you continue to choose to live life without him. In verse seven. The locusts look like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold and their faces resembled human faces. And again we see that the word says they looked like something they wore something like. And their faces resembled once again the narrative of what these creatures were like. Obviously it's something very different from anything John had witnessed in his own lifetime. So let's break this one down just a bit further. The reference to horses prepared for battle tells us these demonic beings are at war with man and they are prepared to inflict pain and punishment. This is their job and their mission. And then they wore something like crowns of gold. Shows how these demons think they are all powerful and in control, but they were like gold. So this reference is that they are false and fake. So just like so many here on Earth who believe that they have earthly riches and they can act and do as they please, they have all the power. They think they are misled believing who really is in control and who really is the King of Kings. Verse eight. Their hair was like women's hair and their teeth like lion's teeth. And can't you just see these wild eyed creatures with their long stringy hair and to have large teeth like that of a lion clearly depicts these are demons that's not normal to Earth and these creatures are most definitely different and meant to be horrifyingly scary. Verse nine. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. The breastplates again show that they are demonic warriors intent on inflicting harm. Having wings, thundering like many horses shows us that there are lots of them. Whatever these things are, there's lots of them and they are let loose on the Earth. Verse ten. They had tails with Stingers like Scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. And these tales could be whips or lashes used to inflict pain on people. And we know, Interestingly that Christ was lashed prior to his death on the cross. John 19 one then piloted Jesus and had him flogged. And just as God's own son was whipped almost to the point of death, Satan is now allowed to whip those on Earth to a point where they wish they were dead. Flogging or scourging in Jesus'day involved a whip with sharp iron parts tied to leather straps. And the intent was to Flay open the bare skin to inflict as much pain as possible to the victim. Can you imagine this going on for five months? Oh, the sting of death. Verse eleven. They had a King over them of the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is a Polyon, that is the Destroyer. Here we have another reference that these things are not literal insects as they had a King over them. This King had been put in charge of this army of demons and instructs them what to do. And then verse twelve, the first woe is past. Two other woes are yet to come. And this concludes the fifth trumpet or the first woe of destruction. And we are told God is not finished yet as there are two more that are going to happen. So your truth bomb for this section. God has sent us warnings throughout the Bible. He is not to be mocked, ignored, or denied. He is a God of vengeance and wrath. And so your call to action. What are you doing in light of these truths of revelation? Who are you telling about Christ so that they will not have to experience these woes? Now we're into the second section, the 6th angel and trumpet. This is 913 through 21. The second row is now going to sound as we continue with these last two trumpets. The 6th trumpet announces the battle. Verse 13. The 6th angel sounded his trumpet and I heard a voice coming from the floor horns of the golden altar that is before God. And remember, the altar is where the prayers of people are lifted up to God. And the four corners, as we've discussed, represent this is a warning ahead of a big event, an announcement that means pay attention. And this is actually the final appeal for those who have continued to ignore God and to finally turn to him and submit to him. And the mention of four horns, it's found many times in the Bible. The first is in Exodus 27, two when they are getting the instructions for building the altar of burnt offerings. And it says, you shall make its horns on its four corners. Its horns shall be of one piece with it and you shall overlay it with bronze. So these four horns represent the atoning power of the sin offering, and blood would be required to atone for sins. And remember, atonement is never free. It always costs something. Then in Daniel 822, the broken Horn and the four horns that arose in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power. And this verse in Daniel actually points to this verse in Revelation to represent all the nations of the Earth. Basically, no one will be exempt at this point, all four corners, all four nations and horns are represented. And then verse 14 continues, it said to the 6th angel who had the trumpet release, the four Angels who are bound at the great River Euphrates. The word release implies that something has previously been held back. And the wording here is the four Angels who are bound. So these are Angels that have been prepared and have been waiting for the signal for them to be loose. And we need to discuss at this point the importance of the Euphrates River because it's also mentioned again in chapter 16. And this river is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis Two, as it was one of the four Rivers flowing from the Garden of Eden and right where creation began, where mankind was formed, and where the fall of man occurred. Obviously, this is a very significant place and where God made his creation in the end times. He concludes his story here. So the final judgment upon those who have chosen to rebel against God will commence upon the same grounds where God so beautifully wove all of creation. He now makes his final stand of judgment in verse 15. And the four Angels who had been kept ready for this very hour, day, month, year, were released to kill a third of mankind. We see the mention of the four Angels being ready for this hour, day, month and year. God is precise and he alone has set the exact time for these things to occur. And as much as we are, mankind desires to go ahead of God and try to know the exact moment in time when all of this is going to happen, we can't know it, only God knows. Therefore, we need to stop trying to pinpoint, project and predict when these things will happen. Our important thing is to stay, read up and prayed up. And so this last part of verse 15 says the four Angels who had been kept ready were released to kill a third of mankind. Once again, God does not allow complete, total destruction of man. And from this description of these Angels, they were created to be in charge of this horrific act. And it shows that God is still in control over Satan. He determines when and he dictates how many will die. Verse 16. The number of mounted troops was twice, 10,000, times 10,000. I heard their number. He heard their number. Meaning there's a lot of troops out there. 100 million is hard to even fathom. But as John is seeing this vision, it's clear that the number of mounted troops he sees is beyond his comprehension. Verse 17. The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this. Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, yellow and sulfur. Their heads resembled the heads of Lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. Now John is describing this incredible scene in the very best way he can in his own limited mindset. And there is no doubt that the description of these beasts is pointing to demonic beings. As man has tried his best to understand this image, the commentaries have changed over time. As now, one could easily see these beasts possibly being vehicles of modern warfare. However, despite our attempts to figure this out, the message of destruction is very clear. So verse 18. A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. Verse 17 described the colors of red, blue and yellow. So now here in 18 there's three plagues that are mentioned. Fire is obviously connected with the color red, blue, the smoke and yellow, the sulfur. The pit of hell is often described with these elements. There would be burning, choking, and a terrible stench. Verse 19, the power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails were like snakes having heads, which they inflict injury. And it's interesting that John writes about the power of the horses being in their mouths and tails. What we saw in verse ten, the reference to the stinging tails, and now the inclusion of power being in the mouths I find quite interesting. And so I kind of wanted to look at where we are right now in this world. And in these times we are witnessing more spewing of hatred for God, a rebelliousness towards anything of God, such as marriage, gender, sex, creation, etc. So much evil hatred continues to invade every aspect of our lives right now and we know there is power in words. And so here at the end, God has the final say. The power in these beings mouths will snuff out many who have boldly led with their hateful words and tongues and their vitriolic rhetoric. These proud intellectuals who believe they are more intelligent than God will find out that their words meant nothing at all. And they will see now that they have spent a lifetime wasted on false beliefs. How sad is that? All right, our final two verses 20 to 21, the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons, idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood, idols that cannot see, hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality, or their thefts. Wow, these two last verses stopped me in my tracks. Here we have been given the narrative of the horrific events that will take place. And yet in this verse we still see that many will still not repent. They will not stop worshiping demons or idols. How emboldened and brazen and stubborn mankind is toward God who has offered them numerous ways to repent. And the only answer to this is that at some point there is no turning back. And as we saw in the story of Pharaoh back in Exodus where Pharaoh's heart was hardened by his own choice, it says Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Then finally, the narrative says God hardened Pharaoh's heart. And much has been written about this as to why God would Harden Pharaoh's heart. And through all of my studying, I believe that there is a point of no return with God. And that is when someone turns their life over to Satan and they refuse to budge. This is an unforgivable sin. When you choose Satan willingly over God, it is a choice and then one that somebody has to willingly say yes to Satan and no to God. And when this decision is made, God can no longer be a part of that person as he cannot dwell inside of a person who has invited Satan into their lives. So just as Christians invite Christ into their lives and his spirit dwells within us, the opposite is true for those who invite Satan into their lives. It's a dangerous place to be. That's why there's so many verses about not messing with the occult and sorcery and all of that witchcraft, all of that stuff. We need to stay away from it. And there are people who are so steeped in their demonic ways that they will never relinquish their spirit to God. This is so difficult to believe, but I see more evidence of hardened evil now than I have in my lifetime. And we say to ourselves, how could people do this or that hurt children, do the horrible things well, when there is no light or Holy Spirit in that person, they are led by darkness. The light within us cannot comprehend the ways of the darkness. And thank goodness we don't think as they do, no matter how much God offers them a way out, they simply will not repent. And they are hell bent on hell. These people, these are the truly lost people. And so our prayer right now should be for those people who still have a chance, those who know in their hearts that they are doing wrong. But maybe they just need a little nudge from someone who cares. Do you know someone like this? Well, your truth bomb is this. There are still some people who are not completely hardened. And for some, there may be a glimmer of hope that they might turn to God. And so your call to action is God asking you to reach out to a specific person who is heading in the wrong direction. Perhaps your entire life has been been preparing you to be in this perfect place to lead that specific person to Christ. Will you be obedient and share his message? So in summary, you guys, two more sobering trumpets telling us what is going to happen. These awful beasts and horrific battles should get our attention. But sadly, as the Scriptures tell us, not all will repent and turn to God. There are some who will go to hell because of their stupid pride and their allegiance to Satan. Remember, it's all or nothing with God. You are either with him or you are against him. One must decide. Oh, you guys, God is in control. That's my subject sentence. He's in control and he desires for all to come to him. Let's close in prayer. Father God, these are hard truths, but we thank you that you love us. We thank you that you've shown us what's going to happen. And we thank you that you've sent Jesus. Jesus, who is our savior? We love you? And we honor you? And it's in his name? We pray? Amen? Be sure to visit my website Dr. Paulomcdonald.com click on podcast and then exhale Bible discovery for self study guides and resources to support you with each.