What is your greatest motivator? The Trumpets: What is your greatest motivator? Text: Rev. 6:9-17

What does God as Judge imply? The Trumpets: What does God as Judge imply?

“This passage teaches us that God’s judgment is painful and terrifying and that only those whom God seals will be protected from His judgment. You can not keep the judgment of God from falling. You cannot protect yourself from it. You are not stronger than the scorpion sting of those locusts, and they are more scary to you than you are to them.” James Hamilton Jr., Revelation: The Spirit Speaks to the Churches

5th Trumpet Star Fallen – Key to the Shaft of the Abyss Chapter 9: 5th Trumpet Star Fallen – Key to the Shaft of the Abyss From Shaft – Smoke From Shaft - Locusts Star Fallen Star = angel (1:20) Good angel or evil? Evil Argument: Demon or Satan himself – fallen from sky (12:7-9; Luke 10:18), fallen always seems to represent fallen angel in OT & Jewish writing Good Argument: Only place where evil angel used to execute will (different than allowed to torment); Would a fallen angel be entrusted with key to his own prison?; Fallen and descending are not far off and could parallel 20:1 or even be same angel. Given – Again – God’s Sovereignty Shaft Part of the bottomless pit = greek = abyss. Part that leads to the prison itself In NT – Rom.10:7; Luke 8:31 Who is in control? Christ – 3:7 Smoke Show of God’s wrath and coming destruction Connected to Gehenna – Lake of Fire So dense – darkness results – like 4th trumpet Joel 2:10,30 Joel 2 – major passage connected to imagery Locusts Plague – 8th – Ex.10:1-20 OT – locusts were also used as a warning - Amos 4:9

5th Trumpet - Locusts Locusts = Demonic power Power like Scorpion Chapter 9: 5th Trumpet - Locusts Locusts = Demonic power Power like Scorpion Told not to destroy vegetation Torment only those w/o Seal! Torment = 5 months Demonic Power Ascend from the Abyss = like the beast = 11:7; 17:8 NOT JUST INSECTS Given Power! – Divine Passive Theme – God’s control – even demonic do as directed God – using locusts to achieve bigger plan… God does not command them to do anything – only allows them their evil to express itself. – COME BACK TO THIS THOUGHT Power = Scorpion Scorpion = Metaphor for terrible punishment – 1 Kings 12:11,14 Purpose? – Intimidate, demoralize (swarms), and terrorize the earth dwellers Not to destroy vegetation Told – Divine Passive Egyptian Plague – vegetation is focus – here = not normal locusts Judgment on vegetation – 1st trumpet – Now – humanity who have rejected God. Judgment on those without seal 7:2,3 People of God = Safe! Same as Egyptian plagues – Ex. 8:22-23; 9:4,6 Emphasis = God’s mercy belongs to His people! – Rejected – face the wrath Thus – Demonic powers attacking those who have relished in sin – what the demonic offers. Sin does not pay off! James 1:13-15 Evil is expressing itelf! – Rom.1 Torment Not kill – only torment for 5 months God’s control Torment – for rejection of God and treatment of His people (martyrs) 5 Months = Possibly – Life span of locusts, or period when they would appear – between early and latter rain. Limit on torture = chance to repent? Torment – harbinger to the pain in eternal torment – 20:10 (same word used) Despair Seek death – can’t find it Further – Desire death Description – 7-11 Similar to Joel 2 Crowns – “like” – not the same as seen elsewhere, but imitation conquerors Human faces – most likely – desire to usurp and take image of God away from man (Demonic) Purpose – To hurt. – Not figurative but deliberate.

“The message for John’s day and for our day is clear “The message for John’s day and for our day is clear. We must help believer and unbeliever alike to realize what is at stake. Idolatry in our society is not so obvious but is just as real as it was in John’s day. By definition idolatry is turning an earthly thing into a god and worshipping it rather than the God of creation. Whatever we place ahead of God in our lives is our idol. Therefore, the modern world is replete with idols: money, possessions, power, pleasure, sex, success, fame, drugs. These are all tools of Satan, and there are countless stories in which these very things have tortured and killed those who pursue them. We must warn people of the cosmic powers in control of this secular world and call them to God.” Grant Osborne, Revelation * Terrible Judgment – Call to repent!

Be broken before God and not broken by God! Takeaway Thought. Psalm 51:17