PICTURES OF TERROR

#598                                             PICTURES OF TERROR

Scripture Revelation 9:1-12 NIV                                                                                 Orig. 3/18/1973

                                                                                                                      Rewr. 1/1978; 6/4/1989

Passage: 9 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. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 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. 5 They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 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. 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.

Purpose: Continuing a study from Revelation, here describing the sounding of the fifth trumpet, the first woe.  The race to judgment proceeds.

Keywords:        Hell                 Judgment                    Tribulation

Timeline/Series:           Revelation

Introduction

            Saturday in Tiananmen Square began as many other days of the past month.  The students kept their vigil around the mock-up of the Statue of Liberty.  But terror came to the square before the day was over.  We’ve watched the news filmed secreted out.  We’ve heard the sounds of disbelief and grief from Chinese Americans, from students enrolled in schools here, and from the world’s free press.  Terror came in the form of guns, and tanks, and bullets.  A young woman was run over by a tank. A group of ten, by an armored personnel carrier.  Some 500 are said to be dead.

            This morning’s paper showed a picture of curious on-lookers who had gathered on the outskirts of the square.  It seems that there is an almost sadistic interest in the aftermath of terror.

            We had a ferry disaster near us in New Orleans.  Curious throngs lined both sides of the river awaiting the arrival of bodies brought up by the search team.  [About the same time], elevator across from Ochsner Foundation Hospital blew up, killing several.  One could watch the action through binoculars from the upper floors of the hospital.  Air traffic news reports a leaper on the New Orleans Mississippi River Bridge.  People leave their cars in traffic to get a view, and hopefully to see the plunge.  Some are angry if he doesn’t go.

            Whatever it is that makes us that way, the movie companies are capitalizing on it.  Films zero in on this sadistic interest in other people’s terror, and sell the rights to anyone who has the admission to the picture show.

            The last one I saw was the Poseidon Adventure, but there are dozens of others.  They are becoming more and more entrenched on television.

            John, the Revelator, used six verses to declare the first four trumpet plagues.  He will use all of chapter nine for the next two.  Then, it will take chapters 10 and 11 for the setting and climax of the seventh and final trumpet woe.

I.          The Drama Introduces the Star Angel.  V1 “And I saw a star fall (fallen) from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key . . . .”

            John uses the same root word in the previous chapter.  That star (Revelation 8:10) was a mass of molten material that contaminates fresh water.  Isaiah uses a similar theology (14:12).  The king of Babylon is described as “fallen from heaven” and is called “Lucifer,” and is pictured as “son of the morning”/star.  Jesus uses this word in Luke 10:18 “I beheld Satan as lightning” astrapen.  See Luke 10:19 scorpions.  This star is a person.  He is given a key and opens the abyss.

            Primitive people, including the Hebrews, perceived of the stars as celestial spirits possessing conscious personality.  Judges 5:20 (Deborah’s song)—“The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.”  Job 38:7 “The morning stars sang together.” 

            We need to try to identify this star-angel.  He was seen, not falling in the degraded sense, but as descending.  Some say it is Satan, or his agent as in Revelation 12:4 (great red dragon [whose tail swept] 1/3 of the stars).  It seems more reasonable that this is a divine agent. Revelation 8:2 the seven angels stood before God.  Thus his mission is of God.  Those under indictment were “men without the seal of God” (9:4).  Anthropos generic/aner—man.  God is not without power over Satan, but this divine, not Satanic agent.

II.         Next, the Star-Angel Uses His Key to Open the Abyss (Bottomless Pit).  V1 “To him was given the key of the bottomless pit” KJV.   Abyss/fathomless pit (Phillips).

            The word of designation is abyssos.  Luke 8:31 says the “devils” in the Gadarene demoniac ask to not be sent “into the deep”—this word.  Revelation 11:7 continues thought of bottomless pit.  Should compare 9:11a.  This is different from the pits of gloom. (II Peter 2:4/Jude 6).

            This pit is clearly a place where terror lurks.  More will be learned in chapters 11, 20.  The smoke out of the pit was smoke “like” that out of a furnace.  We have talked about comets—8:10; there has been talk of a volcano—8:8; we may add talk of atomic conflagration.  Whatever it was, it darkened the sun.  Similar darkness over Egypt.  Exodus 10:21 “that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.”

            The purpose seems to be exactly the same as that over Egypt.  The problem of spiritual apathy is an eternal one.  Such action prompts men to attention.  John 3:19 “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men lived in darkness rather than light because [their deeds were evil].”

III.       Suddenly, Out of This Smoke Were Seen Locusts.  V3 “And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth.”

            What broader ranging horror can confront any people than the loss of food?  Anguish of people in Civil War when soldiers took all food, mule, Sherman.  Locusts picture such loss.  This was an agricultural society.  Riots in Argentina stealing food.  Joel describes the locust plague, Joel 1:15 “The day of the Lord is at hand.”  A wife loses her husband; the priest loses sacrifice; farmer loses his crop.

            These locusts are not allowed to range over plants and trees (see v4).  They were to serve God’s purpose.  Again, what a similarity with the plagues upon Egypt.  Their purpose to break a selfish will.  The final three plagues were locusts, darkness, death.  There was a seal in blood over the door.  No doubt, the sign of the seal is still blood.  John 6:53  “Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink His blood.”       I John 1:7 “The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses [us from all sin].  Revelation 7:14 “These . . . have washed their robes.”

            A further inference of the locusts.  They are not literal: shape of war—horses, men’s faces, women’s hair, lions’ teeth, scorpions’ tails.  Their purpose is not to kill, but to torment.  Sin’s day is marked. Retribution will come.  II Thessalonians 1:6, “Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you.”  Interestingly, the period of tribulation is for five months.  The life cycle of locusts is 5 months.  It does no injustice to scripture to see this as a short term.

IV.       With These Locusts, and Out of This Pit, Came One Identified as Their King.  V11 And they had a king over them which is the angel of the bottomless pit.

            Again, there is a question of agency.  Perhaps, as the star-angel, an agent of God.  Some contend that this is Satan.  He delivers punishment without seal. Part of Satan’s punishment could not be seen as the betrayer.  Part of scoffing humanity’s burden may be recognition that they have allowed him to dupe them.

            His name is “destroyer.”  In Hebrew Abaddon—destruction.  In Greek Apollyon—same.  By now both Hebrew/Greek cultures are touched by the gospel.  Domitian, then on the throne, claimed to be the reincarnation of Apollo.  Beasley-Murray—John’s “last word about the 5th trumpet was master stroke of irony: The destructive host of hell had as its king the emperor of Rome.”1  

V.         We Close the Study with a Word about Tribulation.

            It can begin at any time.

            It will be endured by those believers who acknowledge Christ through the testimony of the preaching evangelists of chapter 7.

            There is nothing to keep this from  happening in our lifetime.

            The worst struggle for believers is what happens to unbelievers.

            A short period.

            Death will not be an allowable alternative (6:15f).

1Beasley-Murray, G.R. (1974).  The book of Revelation.  The New Century Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids: Marshall, Morgan & Scott (Publications) Ltd., 163.