Shepherds Bible Revelation Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

1. And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. # This is the first trumpet of woe to the earth. Underline the word earth, so there will he no mistake as to where Lucifer will fall. Revela-tion 12:9 states, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth. 2. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. #Refer to the commentary on Revelation 6:12. The smoke can he likened to the deception of the false christ. 3. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have po wer. 4. A nd it was commanded them that they should not hur t the grass of the earth, ne ither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. # We can assume from this that these are not locusts. These creatures are to torment men, whereas the literal locust is a torment to vegetation. We are dealing, instead, with the scorpions, which are the servants of Lucifer. The scorpion, b y the way, has a venomous sting a nd so we see a correlation between them and the wicked beast system. But, Jesus Christ is telling you something in this. He uses insects, water, wind, trees, animals, seasons, all of nature itself, to relate something to you because you can ide ntify with the things you can see. Isnt it wonde rful that he uses the things we see to explain a truth, yet gives us the faith to be- lieve in Him, whom we have not seen. 5. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the tor ment of a scorpion, when he strike th a man. # The Season dur ing which the common loc ust feeds upo n vegetation is gener-ally from May through September, which is a five month period. So Jesus Him- self has told us when the false christ appears, it will be in that season and at that time of the year. We are told here that Satan will loose locusts upo n us (these locusts being his henchmen or children), and we are told in the 24th chapter of Matthew that our time of tribulation will be shortened. Therefore, this passage gives us a clue to the length of time. Lucifer was supposed to have three and one half years to reign; however, Jesus says that has be en shor tened. He is telling you the season of the year to be on watch for Lucifers appearance. He is telling you that the time span has been shortened to five months. Praise God! He is good to His chosen. He has recorded it all and it is up to us to study and understand. 6. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. # Many will be seeking death because they will have been misled into thinking that they are entering eternal life, and they will not find it, because he isnt the true Christ. Only Jesus Christ can give eternal life.

7. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle, and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold and their faces were as the faces of men. # Horses symbolize strength. So we see the power of these false teachers (locusts) as they influence the Christ-ian world saying that Christ has re-turned! Just as Lucifer is counterfeit-ing the real Christ, these men (lo- custs) are counterfeiting Gods elect who will he given a crown. 8. A nd they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. # The hair of women gives them a gentle appearance, but their teachings and actions will have the same effect as a lion when it attacks. He doe snt just clamp off the blood supply thereby strangling his prey, he utterly rips and tears it to pieces. 9. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. # The breastplate is false too. Israels breastplate is made up of jewels. We see yet another counterfeit. 10. A nd they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings their tails: and their power was hurt men five months. #Note, the 31/2 years are shortened to five months. Praise His Name! 11. A nd they had a king o ver them which is the angel of the bo ttomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is A-bad-do n, but in the Greek tongue hath his name A-poply-on. # The word Abaddon in Hebrew mean a destroying angel. Apollyon, which is #623 in Greek, means a de-stroyer, Satan. Let there be no doubt who this king is. It is Satan come to earth to lead his army of false religious teachers to deceive, if pos-sible, even the elect. Do you have ears to bear? 12. One woe is past; and, behold there come two woes more hereafter. # The first woe is past. This means that the false christ has set up on earth his false kingdo m and religion. His reign now begins. 13. A nd the sixth angel sounded, a nd I heard a voice from the four horns of the golde n altar which is before God. 14. Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Eu-phra-t es. # The word Eu-phrates in the Hebrew tongue means to break forth (6578). Jeremiah 46: 410 shows the power of the prophecies when the river Eu-phra--tes is invo lved. Some translations call these four angels four mighty demons, fallen angels or demon angels. Be that as it may, it is obvious that they are the generals who lead Satans one world false reli- gious teachers. Take comfort in Christs words to the elect in Luke10:19: I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the ene my: and nothing s hall by any means hurt you. 15. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

# Hour, day, month, year. These are fixed points of time, not periods of duration. The four points of time being under one article and one prepo-sition show that the occasion is one particular moment appointed by God. The elect are to be wise and know the approximate time, but only God knows the instant. 16. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundr ed thousand, thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them. having breastplates of fire, and o f jacinth, a nd br imstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and o ut of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. # Note the fire issued from their mouths, which means lies poured forth saying their false christ is the true Messiah. Those who listen and are deceived by them await the lake of fire, smoke and br imstone. Do you have ears to hear? (Revelation 20 :10) 18. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. # By these three; the locusts, their king Lucifer, and the four angels, which are in reality demons, came the lies from their mouths that bring spir- itual death to a third of men. 19. For their power is in their mouth, arid in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. 20. A nd the rest of the men which were not killed b y these plagues yet repe nted not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver and brass, arid stone, and of wood : which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: # Other than the first third who is spiritually dead, there are still great multitudes which are swayed by the deception. There is no repe ntance without Christ. Their gods cannot help them. 21. Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their the fts.