Commentary by Ron Beckham
Verse 1. “Then the
fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to
the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.”
The fifth angel in this group of seven now
sounded his trumpet, and in relation to that event, John saw a “star”
which had plummeted from heaven to the earth. This “star”
may well be a fallen angel (see Revelation 1:20), and it may refer to
Satan himself. Note that it “had”
fallen, as though this is about a previous event, now seen from a
different perspective. This “fallen”
star” may point us back to Revelation 8:10, where we see a “great
star” that “fell from heaven,”
damaging much of the earth’s drinking water.
Since the earth has a “bottom” (a center), this “bottomless
pit” is interesting. The pit must be an entrance into
something of the supernatural realm, for things are finite here in the
physical realm, not without end; unlike the place described in this
verse. Also note that the “key”
denotes delegated authority. The one who fell had “ceased
to be an ambassador of Christ, and now became an antichrist”
(as suggested by Matthew Henry), assigned as the “turnkey”
who would “release the powers of hell
against the world.”
Verse 2. “He opened the
bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a
great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of
the pit.”
Again, it seems doubtful that this “bottomless
pit” is a place on earth, because this is a finite place (our
planet), and “bottomless” suggests a
realm that is infinite in scope. Certainly it is an actual place, for
the “world” behind our world is at least as real as this one. The
EFFECT will be FELT on earth. The atmosphere will experience
heightened pollutants, and there will be less available light than
before. But the great cause and effect is in eternity.
Jesus referred to “hell” as a place where “their
worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44),
which is a transliteration of Isaiah 66:24. It’s interesting that
medical textbooks of that time contained references to psychological
problems and treatments. The ancient Greeks, for example, used
electric eels to perform shock treatments on mentally disturbed
patients. The phrase “worm does not die and
the fire is not quenched” was a medical phrase of the time,
referring to mental disturbances. Those in the “pit”
may be physically burned, but they will also be in an emotional hell –
forever!
Verse 3. “Then out of
the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as
the scorpions of the earth have power.”
Out of the smoke from the “bottomless
pit,” a place not of this earth (see comment on Revelation
9:1), “locusts” came forth. We will
see in the next verses that these “locusts”
or grasshoppers are like nothing on earth. In the Old Testament, the
locust is seen as a symbol of destruction (God’s judgment). Writers
in nations that were near Israel wrote of locusts: They are “of
exceptional size, and they also fly with such a noise of wings that
they are believed to be birds, and they obscure the sun, making the
nations gaze upward in anxiety lest they should settle over all their
lands” (Pliny).
Natural locusts (not the supernatural ones of
these verses) invade farmlands looking for food. They work in columns
that may be 100 feet wide and up to four miles long, and they are
capable of leaving the land stripped of all vegetation. The “locusts”
here are somewhat similar, but we shall see in the next verses that
they attack MEN not vegetation, and are therefore likely to be demonic
entities rather than true locusts. Remember that John, the writer of
these verses, had been taken to the place behind the scenes of this
world, where supernatural events are REVEALED, instead of being hidden
as they are now.
Verse 4. “They were
told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any
tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their
foreheads.”
Locusts exist to devour green things. Leafy
plants are their food and they have voracious appetites for them. But
these creatures are specifically barred from behaving in such a
manner. Why, we ask? The answer is found in the next verses. These
creatures LOOK something like “locusts,” but John is simply comparing
them to creatures within his experience. In reality, these are tiny,
supernatural monsters from “hell,” released at a point in time when
most on earth have refused faith in God.
And that is the point of all suffering on earth,
which has two purposes: 1) to drive us into the arms of God through
faith, for as a people, we tend to have faith in Him only reluctantly,
usually when the “heat is turned up” in our lives, and, 2) to give us
true understanding, compassion and empathy for others who are
experiencing suffering similar to ours (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). During
the Tribulation, the “heat” will indeed be “turned up,” for God will
allow circumstances that will bring people to the purpose for which
humanity was created: 1) To trust in Him, and 2) to comfort others by
bringing them to Him.
Verse 5. “And they were
not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and
their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a
man.”
Scorpions kill people. Thousands of years ago,
Pliny observed that “the poisonous wound of
a scorpion is a slow, torturous death and (is)
almost always fatal to women and children…”
That was the understanding of the time, and John would recognize that
the creatures described in these verses, though similar to locusts in
appearance, and to scorpions in what they do, are not truly like
either creature. They look something like locusts and sting somewhat
like scorpions, but they are neither one; and are like nothing of this
earth at all.
The “five months” of this verse would be a long
time for those in pain, and the people of these verses will be
continually experiencing pain similar to the sting of a scorpion. The
Book of Job, Chapter One, is an interesting look at suffering in
relation to the supernatural causes behind outward events. The being
Satan was ALLOWED to torment the man Job, but only within restricted
limits, as permitted by God. Note in this verse that “they
were not permitted to kill anyone.” Satan causes much
suffering, but only within limits, for God has GOOD purposes in all
that happens – even that which seems “negative” at the time.
Verse 6. “And in those
days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die,
and death flees from them.”
This verse is not a surprise, for we see
self-destructiveness all around us, hidden within various forms. A
“sinner” is a person who does not want to be controlled by God - Frank
Sinatra sang, “I want to do it MY way,”
and that is the cry of mankind. The heart of humanity contains an
actual HATRED toward God, for all know that He’ll lead them, if only
they would open the door of their hearts. People cannot harm God
directly, and so, as individuals and as groups of individuals, they
try to destroy themselves – the creation of God.
Attempts at suicide, the usage of dangerous drugs
such as heroin, cocaine, “crack” and alcohol, indulgence in
pornography and promiscuity, are simply acts of self-destruction in
its various forms. The suicidal person really thinks very highly of
themselves, but is dissatisfied by the limitations on their lives.
They may not be as good looking as they think they should be; or as
rich as they wish and so on – and so they do things that lead to
self-destruction. In this verse we see a time of attempted suicidal
acts on a massive scale, and as it is for the person who attempts to
kill themselves and fails, death will elude them.
Verse 7. “The
appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on
their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like
the faces of men.”
These are not locusts of this present world, but
their readiness to do harm on earth will result in much trouble on
this planet, because of the aggression of these locust-type
creatures. The “crowns” are symbolic of the authority given them.
And their “FACES were like the faces of men.”
This by itself would be like nothing mankind has ever seen, but the
incredible differences between these creatures and locusts we have
seen historically, only become more pronounced, as the following
verses unfold.
The “locusts” don’t seem dependent on oxygen
(air) for life, for as we saw in verse three, they actually came OUT
of the smoke of the great pit. Note that these creatures exist
today. Whatever this “bottomless pit” is (verse 2), it is (and these
“locusts” are) kept waiting for a time when faith in God will
remarkably disappear from this earth. Right now there are many who
turn to Christ each day, but there will come a time (and that time is
already coming to pass) when honest faith will be more rare than
gold. Unbelief will bring God’s judgment.
Verse 8. “They had hair
like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions.”
“Locusts” don’t have hair of any kind, let alone
“hair like the hair of women.”
Locusts don’t have teeth as we understand them, and especially they
don’t have teeth “like the teeth of lions.”
These are fierce supernatural beings that will be released and sent to
the people of earth, at a time when men and women will turn from God
and only trust in themselves.
People will be terrified of these creatures, as
we saw in verses 5 and 6. We are “seeing” these “locusts,” but it is
not clear whether the people who are alive during the great
tribulation will see them. They will experience the EFFECTS of them,
but supernatural creatures are not normally seen by mankind. These
are terrible monsters, vaguely similar in appearance to locusts, but
incredibly different, all at the same time.
Verse 9. “They had
breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings
was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.”
These are literal beings, capable in some manner
of contact with mankind. If they are actually seen by men, they will
be like nothing ever seen before. These “locusts” are encircled
around their bodies by a protective outer covering which looked like
metal (iron) to John. And they were loud. He related their sound to
something he had heard all of his life – Roman chariots and horses
racing through village and city streets! Many have compared these
“locusts” to helicopters because of the loud sound, but machines are
not being depicted in these verses.
Here again is another “test” for us as to whether
these little monsters which resembled “locusts” to John, will be
actual creatures of this earth, or supernatural (behind the scenes)
beings that will be invisible to mankind. Certainly, whatever they
may be, they are very real. True locusts are indeed very loud (they
sound like a driving rain), but they are just insects and are not
metallic in nature. Something about them WILL be perceived by
mankind, and all who encounter them will be VERY afraid.
Verse 10. “They have
tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to
hurt men for five months.”
Here’s another way that these creatures are
unlike the “locusts” they vaguely resemble – They have “tails
like scorpions” with stingers that cause great suffering to
those who are “stung” by them. And in the suffering of those who are
“stung” by these creatures, we perceive something of the heart of
God. He seems angry (He IS angry), but He is also “love”
(1 John 4:8). He has gently been communicating His love to us since
the beginning of mankind, but He has also allowed trouble into our
lives – for a purpose that is based in His love.
The effect of all this, His anger and His love
working together in relation to us, is that many have reached out to
Him in their need. The creatures of these verses will have fearsome
power and they will hurt men for a limited time. But the purpose in
all trouble, all pain, is that we, our parents, siblings, children,
spouse, those around us, will be turned to God. Trouble comes and we
try to ESCAPE, turn to others, anything! And then SOME will trust in
the Son of God. We were designed to trust in Him, and our hearts will
not be at rest in any other way.
Verse 11. “They have as
king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in
Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has
the name Apollyon.”
Here’s yet another reason why the creatures we
have been reading about are not true locusts – they have a “king.”
Locusts don’t have a leader on this earth; instead, they swarm as a
unit. If they are led by anything, it is hunger – they are
instinctively drawn by the food they are about to eat. “Instinct,” by
the way, is a response to the forces placed within them by God. These
creatures have a direct leader, a king, and you have to wonder, is
their “king” from the forces of the
enemy? According to this verse, that’s precisely who and what he is.
The names “Abaddon”
and “Apollyon” suggest he is (or is
from) the enemy of God and all mankind. The Hebrew word “Abaddon”
is literally “destruction” and was
used to refer to death or to the abode of the dead. The Greek word “Apollyon”
means “destroyer,” reflecting that
the enemy is the destroyer of the hopes and dreams of mankind. Jesus
refers to the enemy as “a murderer
(destroyer of life) from the beginning” (John 8:44).
Verse 12. “The first
woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.”
“Woe” is the Greek word, “ouai,” an idiomatic
phrase which denoted pain or displeasure, not unlike the old English
“alas.” There are terrible woes in this world right now, but it is
certainly true about the AIDs epidemic and all our other woes: The
worst is yet to come. The Great Tribulation, which will signal the
end of this age, will be incredibly worse than anything this world has
ever known.
Ultimately, though, the outcome for many in the
human race can be favorable, for to place our trust in the Lord Jesus
Christ, is to assure that our personal outcome will be wonderful
indeed. At the moment of this verse, all seems lost for mankind, but
glance over into Revelation Chapter 21 – This Book has a happy
ending! All is indeed lost for those who reject the Lord, but all is
NEVER lost for those who trust in Him.
Verse 13. “Then the
sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four
horns of the golden altar which is before
God,”
There was a “brazen” altar in the Book of Exodus
that had similarities to this one, in that it had four horns. It was
made of acacia wood, overlaid with bronze (brass). This one is made
of gold. There was another horned-altar in the Book of Exodus that is
more like this one – the altar of incense, which was also of acacia
wood, but was overlaid with pure gold, as described in Exodus
30:1-10. It was right in front of the veil before the Most Holy Place
in the Temple (Exodus 40:26), just as this one is right before the
Throne of God.
The altar of incense is the one in this verse.
This altar was referred to (without being specifically named) in
Revelation 8:3, and forward. The incense of the altar is figurative
of the prayers of God’s people. Whether or not you feel that your
prayers have been heard, those requests are continually before God,
and He will answer at just the right time. “The
four horns” represent power – there is power in the prayers of
God’s people, because God makes it so. And now, in direct relation to
those prayers, the sixth angel sounds his trumpet, which causes a “voice”
to come from the altar of incense.
Verse 14. “one saying
to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels who
are bound at the great river Euphrates.’”
Those of ancient Israel regarded the River
Euphrates as a place from which their enemies came. God intended a
lot of territory for His people, as seen in places like Deuteronomy
11:24, where God said, “Every place on which
the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and
Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the Western Sea,
shall be your territory.” They never took all of those areas,
but God has all of it in mind for them, to this very day.
The center of the Book of Revelation is the
Throne of God. That is, we are looking at earth from a place outside
of space and time as we know it. Beings and events are being
presented that are really beyond our experience. There is also an
earthly perspective in this Book – everything on earth is seen from
the nation Israel. The “four angels,”
whoever they are, have been assigned the task of protecting Israel
from the east, probably from before the beginning of that nation.
Their enemies will now be unleashed.
Verse 15. “And the four
angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year,
were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind.”
God has always had an hour, day, month, year, and
undoubtedly a split-second in mind, as to when events of the earth
will occur, such as the torrent of death seen in this verse. Much of
the history of this world has seemed chaotic, especially to those who
suffer during times of trouble. The amount of death described in this
verse is unprecedented – literally billions of people will be killed,
in a very short, bloody series of events.
Note that the troubles in your life could be much
worse. “How could this be happening to me?”
is the cry of many, but for every difficulty that comes, there is a
Restraining Hand that stops the angels who have charge over you. Much
like the medicine that tastes bitter in your mouth, but will heal your
body, the difficulties in life are carefully designed and LIMITED, not
so that they will destroy you, but that you will see your need and
finally TRUST in the Lord your God.
Verse 16. “The number
of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the
number of them.”
God has incredible resources. The Apostle John,
the human writer of this Book, was shocked at the number of beings he
was now seeing, and he had no idea how many were in front of him.
Someone now told him there were “two hundred
million” of the “armies of the
horsemen” in his line of vision. “Two
hundred million” was one of several Greek phrases denoting an
indefinite number, signifying an innumerable multitude.
The one from whom he “heard
the number” is possibly the “elder” who had previously
instructed him, in places like Revelation 7:13 and context. God
intends, by the way, to reveal EVERYTHING you need. You don’t even
need to ask Him, though He is pleased when you do. The fact that you
are reading these verses, right now, indicates that He wants you to
understand. His Holy Word, combined with His Holy Spirit, will tell
you all you need, for this life – and for the next.
Verse 17. “And this is
how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the
riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of
brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions;
and out of their mouths proceed fire
and smoke and brimstone.”
There are “two hundred
million” of these things (verse 16), which may be a literal
count, or it might be symbolic of an extremely large number. But the
question in relation to these beings: Are they literal humans astride
horses, or are they demonic creatures like nothing we have ever seen?
If they ride actual horses, these events would likely be occurring at
a time when OIL (to run motor vehicles) has become limited or
unavailable. Machines would not be usable and armies are again seen
on horseback.
But the heads of these “horses”
are like “the heads of lions,” and “fire,
smoke and brimstone” comes out of their mouths. These are not
horses; they are just things that vaguely resembled horses to the
Apostle John. If we lived in his time and saw these things, our
imagery would be much the same. If they are not demonic beings,
another possibility is that they are MACHINES of the present or near
future time. Motorcycle-type devices that fire some kind of weapon
might fit, but I think not. A chief aim of the Book of Revelation is
to take us behind the scenes, enabling us to see causes BEHIND outward
events. These are not horses, and they are not machines, either.
Verse 18. “A third of
mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke
and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths.”
Another third of mankind is to be killed, as
reflected in this verse. They will die “by
the fire and the smoke and the brimstone” which comes from the
“mouths” of the horse-like creatures
in these verses. The newspapers of the time (if any exist) will have
large headlines about war, pollution, disease, and/or whatever, but
the hidden causes are presented here, for us to understand that
reality is much larger than we have previously understood. Medical
science knows that if you have a certain virus you will likely develop
a specific disease, but this verse states that something deeper is the
cause of the “plagues” in these
verses.
The Greek word for “fire”
in this verse, is “puros,” which
means “fire” as we understand it,
but it also carries the secondary meaning of “a
fever.” “Smoke” (Greek “katnou”)
is simply what it seems to be, except that the word is also associated
with “torment” in Revelation 14:11.
“Brimstone” (Greek “theion”)
originally denoted fire from heaven (lightning) and the word is
connected with sulphur. Places touched by lightning were called “theia”
because lightning strikes leave a sulphurous smell. Sulphur was
burned in pagan ceremonies and the substance received the name, “theion.”
Whatever the outward effects caused by the creatures of these verses,
humans will FEEL as though they were struck by lightning, and many
will die.
Verse 19. “For the
power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their
tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm.”
Now John tells us more about these “things” that
will wreak havoc on humanity during the time of the Great
Tribulation. From the words of this verse, the “horses” could be some
kind of machines, with weapons that fire from both the front and back,
but machines don’t have “tails…
like serpents” (snakes) that “have heads.” It’s possible John is trying to utilize the language
of the day to describe machines that are thousands of years in the
future, but that is not likely.
We have no idea really, about the SCALE of these
“horses” in relation to mankind. That
is, they may be sub-microscopic in size; smaller than a virus, and
they may well be of supernatural origin, outside space and time as we
know it. What we do know is that they will “do
harm” to a great many people. The sad thing in the next two
verses is that, even though God has reluctantly sent vast plagues to
humanity in hopes they will at last reach out to Him, their Lifeline,
they “did not repent” (verse 20). The
time of God’s grace will soon be over. NOW is the time to trust in
the Son of God.
Verse 20. “The rest of
mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the
works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of
gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can
neither see nor hear nor walk;”
The purpose in trouble (such as “plagues”)
is to bring us to God. The curses on Adam and Eve (and through them,
on the rest of us) were carefully designed to correct a performance
malfunction in the human race – A lack of faith in God. Anything we
substitute for God is an “idol” in that it takes time which should be
spent with Him. Included are: Television, absorption with hobbies,
excessive interest in clothing, the “workaholic” mentality, cars,
etc.
An “idol” can be anything that takes the place of
God in our lives. We have been looking for our acceptance from the
people around us, when we should seek approval from God. Our
attention to other people can be idolatry. These judgments in the
Book of Revelation are a final attempt on the part of God to squeeze
another drop of faith from mankind. We can never maintain happiness
without Him – We were created to trust in our God.
Verse 21. “and they did
not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of
their immorality nor of their thefts.”
Now this is dangerous. That “they
did not repent” indicates a complete and final unwillingness to
turn away from selfishness and self-will. They would not trust in the
God who made them. The reason that human history has lasted such a
long time is because the Lord is “not willing
that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”
(2 Peter 3:9). As long as SOME are turning to God, He will allow this
MESS we call humanity to continue, for He LOVES you and me.
NOW is the time to “repent,”
and it is necessary for us all. First, we must confess to Him that we
are sinners, in need of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is preferable that
we confess specific sins, especially that we have previously rejected
Him. Second, we must receive Him. Third, we must change our ways:
Jesus, I am a sinner and I have rejected
You in the past – Please forgive me. I receive You now, Lord. Come
into me, that I may live the life You intend for me. Thank You,
Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
P.O. Box 92131
Long Beach, CA
90809-2131 USA
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
