Sermon - Revelation 9 - Trumpets Five and Six - Littleby Baptist Church - September 5, 2021

 1.     Two weeks ago we transitioned from the Seals to the Trumpets.

a.      Things seem to be picking up.

b.     First Trumpet – Hail, lightning, and blood hurled at the earth.

                                                    i.     Wipes out 1/3 of the trees and vegetation.

c.      Second Trumpet – A great mountain strikes the earth and turns the oceans to blood

                                                    i.     Wipes out 1/3 of the fish of the sea.

                                                  ii.     Tidal waves destroy 1/3 of the ships.

d.     Third Trumpet – Another large object, Wormwood, strikes the rivers and streams and takes out 1/3^rd of the fresh water.

                                                    i.     Which causes the death of many.

e.      Fourth Trumpet – 1/3^rd of the heavens are darkened.

                                                    i.     Sun, moon, and stars are only 2/3rds as bright as they were before.

                                                  ii.     Days are much shorter, and nights are much longer.

f.      These are judgements against all who are alive on the earth.

                                                    i.     Solidifies that the pre-Tribulation church will not be on the earth during these days.

g.     Chapter 8 ended with a warning.

                                                    i.     Three more trumpets are coming which trigger significant events that impact those who are left on the earth.

2.     Revelation 9:1 – The Fifth Trumpet

a.      The first of the final three Woes.

b.     If you notice the fallen star is referred to as him.

c.      Not some inanimate object, but Satan.

d.     He was given the key to the abyss.

e.      Luke 8:31 – Legion who begs Jesus to not banish them to the abyss.

f.      Satan was given the key to where all the demons have been banished to.

g.     Who could give him the key, Jesus… reminding us that even in the darkest of times God is in control.

3.     Revelation 9:2 – The abyss is opened.

a.      Smoke like that from a great furnace, so much smoke that the sun and air were darkened.

b.     Having lived in CA we would regularly have wildfires, like are going on now.

c.      We would have so much smoke that the color of the sky and the sun would be changed.

                                                    i.     Everything would seem darker.  

d.     What we read here is saying that the abyss will be opened and the air and the sun were darkened.

e.      This verse is likely telling us that a multitude of demons were escaping from the abyss.

f.      So many that the air and sun looked like they were being impacted by a huge fire.

g.     How many demons must be escaping to visually impact the world?

4.     Revelation 9:3-4

a.      The smoke comes out of the abyss and locusts come out of the smoke.

b.     Locust with the unnatural ability to sting people like scorpions would sting them.

c.      It is highly likely that these locusts are not some crazy evolution, they are demons released by Satan upon the world.

d.     They were told that they cannot harm vegetation like a normal locust.

e.      They were not allowed to hurt those who have God’s seal on them.

                                                    i.     Meaning they cannot hurt any of those faithful followers of Jesus alive during the Great Tribulation.

                                                  ii.     They cannot hurt the 144,000 Jewish believers or the multitude of the Saints standing up for the truth of Jesus.

                                                iii.     Even under this great Woe God is protecting His followers.

f.      Only those who have turned their back on Jesus will be impacted.

5.     Revelation 9:5-6

a.      Excruciating pain.

b.     Pain that will not quit for 5 months.

c.      Pain so bad that they will wish they could die.

d.     Yet, there is no relief in life or death.

6.     Revelation 9:7-10

a.      Wicked beasts.

b.     Demons with the power to inflict severe pain for 5 months.

7.     Revelation 9:11

a.      Abaddon and Apollyon both mean destroyer.

b.     While Satan may be portrayed as an angel of light.

                                                    i.     That might be where he started.

                                                  ii.     His charter, who he really is, is a destroyer of people.

c.      Matthew 24:21 – a time of great distress will fall on those who turned their back on Jesus.

8.     Revelation 9:12

a.      Moving on to the Sixth Trumpet and the Second Woe.

9.     Revelation 9:13-14 The Sixth Trumpet

a.      A voice… one of the martyrs below the altar, not sure. An angel who is standing in the presence of God, maybe.

b.     Unsure who, but the act that follows is a horrible judgement.

c.      These angels were bound, which points to them not being good angels.

d.     Most believe these are followers of Satan.

10.  Revelation 9:15

a.      These angels are given the authority to kill a third of the earth’s population.

b.     Fourth Seal took one forth, the Sixth Trumpet takes one third of what is left.

                                                    i.     Combined they take roughly half of 8 billion people in today’s numbers.

c.      For the hour, day, month, and year… they were released at the exact moment that God wanted them to carry out His will.

11.  Revelation 9:16-19

a.      A vast army.

b.     Some will tell you this is how John understood what he saw that was a current modern-day army.

c.      Lion like heads with fire, smoke, and sulfur coming out of them.

12.  Who is this army?

a.      Demons – One of the most common interpretations is that the army is 200 million demons who are led by the four fallen angels.

b.     Humans –It may be part of the army that comes out of the north and the east for the battle of Armageddon.

c.      Based on timing and linkage the fallen angels, it does not appear that this is the human army heading into Armageddon as they appear later in the Great Tribulation.

d.      Likely demons who end up carrying out the will of God as part of the Second Woe or the Sixth Trumpet.  

e.      Whether it is a depiction of modern-day tanks and guns or something more sinister, such as an army of 2 million demons.

f.      Those that stand in their way will face an overwhelming force that will wipe out a third of those left on earth.

13.  Revelation 9:20-21

a.      In spite of God’s awesome power, in spite of the judgements that people in these days are going to endure, those who are left continue to turn their back on God.

b.     I sometimes question how people cannot see God in beauty around us.

c.      It is even harder to imagine that people will not turn to God when seeing His awesome power and judgements firsthand.

14.  Even in the dark days ahead, we see that God uses all things to carry out His will.

a.      Satan was given the keys to the abyss, keys that Jesus had.

b.     Demonic locust bring pain to only those who are not marked by God.

c.      Followed by a vast, likely demonic, army who follow four fallen angels carrying out the judgement from the Sixth Trumpet.

d.     God is in control!  

15.  Deuteronomy 31:6

a.      Those who choose to follow Jesus can know that God is with them.

b.     Here in the darkest days before the coming of the Lord, we see that God is protecting His followers.

c.      Knowing that God will never leave us, can be a comfort we can hold on to every day of our lives.