Teaching the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) Welcome to our service Please visit our website: www.livingstonesnewforest.org.uk

Revelation 9 – The unleashing of demonic forces Teaching the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) Revelation 9 – The unleashing of demonic forces Please visit our website: www.livingstonesnewforest.org.uk

The fifth trumpet So far we have seen in the first four trumpets: Vegetation struck – a third of trees and all green grass (crops) Seas struck – a third of life dies Rivers and drinkable water struck – a third of drinking water poisoned The heavens struck – a third reduction in light Now we have a shift heralded by the angel saying’ “Woe, woe, woe” Three woes to come, one with each of the next trumpets The shift is from difficulties with the environment to personal demonic attack.

The identity of the fallen star The star is referred to as ‘Him’, so is a personality not a lump of rock in space. In chapter 1 v 20 stars are identified as angels or messengers (though as we have previously discussed, these were probably human messengers to the churches) These stars are not, however, described as ‘fallen’ Isaiah 14 is a taunt against the King of Babylon Verse 12 speaks, though, of Lucifer’s fall. Lucifer – the shining one Son of the morning or of the dawn He wished to exalt himself above the stars of God

The identity of the fallen star However, verse 15 tells us his destination was hell and the sides of the pit. Ezekiel 28 speaks of The Prince of Tyre Verse 11 begins a similar lament over the King of Tyre This could not have been a human king because he had been in the Eden of God Clearly he was very senior – verses 13 and 14 But he fell – verse 15 And destruction became his destiny – verse 16 And being cast down – verse 17

The identity of the fallen star So! This fallen star could be Satan Or if not is ‘Satanic’ by nature Is given the key to the pit Note: he had no authority other than that granted to him His mission, to commit violence as described in Ezekiel 28 His method: to bring darkness and to attack from a cloud of darkness His forces came from the smoke of the pit. Jude verses 6 & 7 fallen angels reserved for a time of judgement.

The locusts Not normal locusts Told not to eat vegetation – the normal diet of a locust Proverbs 30 v 27 tell us that the locust has no king Locusts known for destroying crops but were not harmful to men. Perhaps there are (limited) types of this in the Old Testament Exodus 10 verse 4 – 6 and 14 & 15 - Locusts like no other Jeremiah 51 verses 14 and 27 likens locusts unto advancing armies Also Nahum 3 v 15 Joel 1 & 2 describes locusts and an enemy with the teeth of lions yet speaks of them as an army of God bringing judgement The reason for the attack? To provoke repentence!

The locusts Locusts given power as of scorpions Not to eat but to sting Those with the seal of God protected Not allowed to die, but to suffer torment Men craved relief from the torment and preferred death but could not die – suicide did not work. Why? Was God a sadist? Hell carries with it the concept of eternal and inescapable torment Here was a foretaste, probably designed to bring about repentance Both Job 3 v 21 and Jeremiah 8 v 3 speak of similar experiences

The Locusts What is next described is so unlike a locust that one wonders why John described them as such! Like war horses Crowns that looked like gold Faces like men Hair like women Lion’s teeth Breastplates like iron Great sound Stings in their tails Marshalled and driven with military precision Not helicopters, but living demonic beings from the pit. Commanded by Abaddon/Apollyon – the destroyer

The Locusts The thief comes but for to steal, kill and destroy No killing here, that comes next However, there is a foretaste of hell The next study deals with the promise at the end of this chapter that there are two woes yet to come. It is about to get worse Presumably the timing is approximately 5-months after these events and are heralded by the 6th trumpet.

Teaching the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) Welcome to our service Please visit our website: www.livingstonesnewforest.org.uk