I have not written for several days and hope that it has given you a chance to read and process what the book of Revelation which was written by John after being given this vision from God. I left you with three more trumpets to be sounded so let’s get back in the Word and see what God has to tell us today.
The next three trumpets to sound will be three woes which will be even more dreadful than the ones we have already looked at.
Revelation 9:1-11 “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 the sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. (3) And out of the smoke locusts came down upon 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 given power 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 a man. (6) During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
(7)The locust 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 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 and stings 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 Apollyon.
Wow, I don’t know about you but that all sounds pretty scary doesn’t it? Why do you think God revealed this to John? Why do you think we are reading it today? Does it make sense to you what is to come? What spoke to you the most?
I have some observations that I want to make concerning this passage. First of all it speaks of a star falling from the earth. How many of you have heard that there is some instability in space even today. There is talk that things are getting out of alignment and a threat that something catastrophic could happen. I heard the other day that a space station was coming down and they didn’t know where it would land. With so much junk in space today who knows what might come down. One day I was watching TV and a science fiction show was on and a huge meteorite was headed for the earth. Some astronauts were given the mission to go up in space and try to break it up before it hit the earth. I was scared the entire time because I know from the word of God that it is not fiction, someday this is going to happen and it will be only the beginning of catastrophes on this earth.
Secondly I noticed that God is in control. I want to jump back a few books, well several books, to the book of Job. Do you remember the story? Satan had been wandering the earth and God asked him if he had considered Job who served God faithfully. Satan responded that Job only served God because of all the good he had so God gave satan permission to bring strife upon him but with restrictions, Job 1:12 “The Lord said to Satan, ‘Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.’”
How does that tie to Revelation 9? I found it interesting that God allowed satan to bring strife upon Job with conditions and the same thing is going on in Revelation 9:4 “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”. God controls the angels, including satan. He is in control and He knows what is and is to come because He is what is and He is what is to come. Do you trust Him? I hope so.
What did you envision in verses 7-11? I always think of helicopters when I read those verses, when it talks about looking like scorpions and sounding like horses and chariots rushing in a battle. Now, I haven’t ever heard horses and chariots rush in a battle and John had never heard helicopters fly over so I am only imagining what that might sound like. I think helicopters kind of look like scorpions too. Have you ever seen a helicopter spay the fields or drop water on a fire? They have the power to pour down on this earth protective matter and they could also be used to harm. I am not saying that this is what these scorpions are but it is always the first thing that comes to my mind when I read those verses.
The chaos of this world today does not even pal to the chaos that is to come. So many times we get caught up in the everyday occurrences of this life we live and we forget that there is a life that is more abundant. When we remember that promised abundant life, we seem to skip over all that is to come and go directly to the bliss of Heaven. My hope for you is that this blog message is that you won’t be scared by the things that are to come but that you will be more motivated to make sure that your life reflects the One who can protect, provide, and save those who will call upon His name. That someday we can stand before the Lord and hear the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Serve Him today as you seek Him and find Him when you seek Him with all your heart.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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