The Bottomless Pit

Have your Bibles with you turn with me if you would Revelation chapter 9 will be looking at the whole chapter, David, I'm just going start with the first three verses and will look the other verses as we go through Revelation 9 starting verse one, the fifth angel blew his trumpet less All-Star fallen from heaven to earth. He was given the keys, the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace in the sun and air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft, then from the smoke came locust on the earth.

They were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth is pray. Heavenly father we bound your presence to day to praise you and thank you for being our great God, Lord, what a privilege it is that we might come into this house of worship we would be able to lift up your name and pray Sunday after Sunday after Sunday heavenly father.

Now we are studying a book that is extremely difficult book and yet a book that is filled with such admonition and expectation to the Christian to look to you for our everything in admonition to Christians to praise you because you are worthy of our worship.

A book that teaches us Lord that you are going to judge this world in a very powerful way and lowered it so easy to read the passages like we are looking at today passage that deal with terrible judgment that's coming on this earth because of the wickedness of this world and become discouraged, helpless heavenly father that we might not be filled with fear and anxiety Lord. Instead, we might be able to focus upon your grace and Lord, that we might see that you are a God who deeply loves his people that we might be dependent upon the shed blood of Jesus more than ever and the father we might realize that you have great plans for us and and plans, Lord, for not only what we do here on earth but plans for our eternity is going to be greater than we could ever begin to imagine helpless heavenly father's we look at these judgments that we might realize that our world is is dying and is headed to an internal hail helpless heavenly father that we might be a witness to that world that our hearts might be feel with concern for the lost.

We love you today. Jesus, thank you for loving us, guide us and direct us to the passage in this in Jesus name we pray. Amen. You may be seated.

John Calvin wrote a commentary on every book of the Bible except the book of Revelation, and as he was approaching death. A friend of he is asking the questions that John Wiley and you write a commentary on the book of Revelation and John Calvin said only God can figure out that one. As I read Revelation chapter 9 I understand John Calvin's dilemma. This is a passage that is filled with visions and symbols and pictures and images that are not just confusing but are downright scary to daddy. We are going to take a look at the's the fifth and the six trumpet judgment now. The seventh trumpet judgment. The last trumpet will not be blown or sounded until the end of the 11 chapter when we get to that. We will see the great great return of the Lord Jesus Christ to this earth to destroy sin and wickedness forever and ever. But today were looking at the the fifth and six trumpet judgment.

Why is it that we see God through out all these passages pouring out all these woes in these judgments upon the earth. And here's the answer because sin idolatry and and wickedness has got to be punished. It has got to be dealt with and puts the world is is reaping right now and will continue to reap it until Christ returns. We are reaping what we have sun in Galatians chapter 6 verse seven, Paul said be not deceived for God is not mocked.

For whatsoever a man so with that shall he also reap also share last week with you that we have to be very careful when you're dealing with a passage like we are dealing with here and in Revelation chapter 9 not not to deal with it lightly or are not to pick up the newspaper in one hand and the Bible in the other and try to interpret the Scripture see what the newspaper has to share with us today that can be extremely dangerous. It can lead you down some very, very wrong paths. So what we need to do. We need to go back into the Old Testament and look at the Scriptures in which John is taking these passages from and then explain Scripture with Scripture which we need to understand that the book of Revelation was not just written for for the last generation of Christians that will live on this earth. Preceding the second coming of Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation was written for John's generation. It was written for Calvin's generation. It was written for Spurgeon's generation and it was written for our generation and Hal Lindsay's best-selling book, the late great planet Earth. The right back in the early 70s. Haley dogmatically stated that the fifth trumpet describes attack helicopters that will be deployed by the Chinese army. Where did you get that from. Let me read you verses seven through 10 in appearance. The locusts were like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were what looked like crowns of gold. Their faces were like human faces. Their hair like women's hair and their teeth white lines teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle they have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails how Lindsay read those words and then he said that looks like a Chinese helicopter brothers and sisters that's dangerous to do and I believe that he was wrong. Why do I believe that he was wrong to go back to the first verses of that we read just a moment ago and in Revelation chapter 9, you will find out something very interesting that these beings that are being released are being released from an abyss a bottomless pit where demons live Chinese helicopters are not released from a bottomless pit where demons dwell, we need to understand this you have any Old Testament references that we can go back to that might give us some help. Absolutely we do in Exodus chapter 10 verse 13 through 15. We have a passage there that is much help. It tells us about the plague of locusts that came on this earth for what purpose to judge in Egypt, for what purpose that Egypt might understand that Jehovah God is God and he is the only God.

Where else did John get his information is he telling us about this fifth trumpet. He went all the way back to the book of of Joel and in the book of Joel, there is very similar wording me read this to you this is Joel to blow a trumpet in Zion sounds an alarm on my holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord is coming. It is near their appearance is like the appearance of horses and like warhorses they run as with the rumbling of chariots. They leap on the tops of the mountains like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle before then.

People are in anguish.

All faces go pale white warriors. They charge like soldiers. They scale the wall. They march each on his way. They do not swerve from their pious Richard Phillips gave some great insight here and I just wanted take a moment and share with you what he said.

Revelation's demonic invasion adds gruesome features to Joel's vision, John compares the locus to warhorses. I work crowns of gold and possess human faces. The crowns foretell victory of the human faces showed that they are guided by rational, cunning, John adds that their hair is like women's hair their teeth white lines teeth. The pleasing looking female hair suggest is suggest the seductive powers that, in reality, bring death.

Moreover, the locusts had breastplates like breastplates of iron in the noise of their wings was like noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. The breastplates speak of invulnerability and the sound of wings depicts the speed of their assault.

Finally, they have tails and stings like scorpions in their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails HB sweet comments the scorpions take its place with the snake and other creatures in and with them symbolizes the forces of spiritual evil which are active in the world. We know that John is not describing liberal features because he uses the word like eight times their analogies, presenting a frightful and horrible and true picture of the operation of the powers of darkness in the souls of the wicked is three points that I want to with you in this chapter today. The first one is demonic activity. Look with me if you would verses nine through 6 1/5 angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth. He was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit, the other in the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace in the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft engine. The smoke came locust on the earth. They were given power like the power scorpions on the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green plan or any tree, but only those people we do not have the seal of God and therefore is they were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone in those days people will seek death and will not find it, they will long to die, but death will flee from it. The first one says that we was a star that was fallen from heaven in Revelation 1 we are told that the stars symbolize angels. Has there been an angel that fail from heaven.

Jesus spoke of the Archangel Satan.

In Luke chapter 10 verse 18 when he said I saw Satan falling from heaven. In Revelation chapter 12 the Scripture says this, that the great Dragon Satan is thrown down to the earth. Most scholars believe that this fallen angel here is none other than Satan himself. He is called Avedon in the Hebrew in a polygon in the Greek both mean the same thing. A main destroyer of the word.

A polygon is an extended form of the of the name of the Greek god Apollo is very interesting that the Emperor during that time who was the Emperor. While John was was exiled on the island of Patmos very very wicked man who is killing Christians, having them killed right and left, described himself as the incarnation of Apollo, and I wonder if I'm using the term up pop Jan is maybe also a way to, stick it to the Emperor as they say, and you want to find you want to see what Satan is really like and take a look at the Emperor and you get a good idea.

Will the term BS here or bottomless pit is used throughout the Bible to tell us about the dark prison were some demons were hailed until their final judgment you member of the demon possessed man that we read about in in Luke chapter 8 Jesus cast the demons out of this man. There were so many that he actually called him a legion of demons and they were cast out of this man, and that the demon spoke to Jesus and they begged him not to send him to the abyss. They begged him not to.

The demon said instead send us into the herd of pigs and and Jesus did and the demons went into the herd of pigs that the pig started running. They ran all the way over to a cliff.

They fell off the playoff and they fail to their death below.

The pigs that the demons did not. Demons are spiritual beings and they went on to continue to do Satan's bidding throughout the world but wanted they wanted. They begged Jesus not to send them to the abyss.

They knew that the UBS was a plate of rubble torment and it was a place where many of the fallen angels.

Those angels that followed Satan in his rebellion had already gone to in this same story in Matthew chapter 8 when it's given the story.

There is demon possessed man. The. The demon said to Jesus, have you come to torment us before the time, what time is he talking about is talking about the time the second coming of Christ the time of the second coming of Christ when these medicaments are to be taken and Into the burning like a fire. So where is this bottomless pit.

In second Peter chapter 2 verse for the Scripture says this for if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hail and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness, to be kept until the judgment the word for hail in that verse is not the normal word for hail in the New Testament which is Gahanna. The word that is used there for hail is a Greek word Tartar us so only time in the Bible that that word is used where is to tars to tars is a part of hail. It is a section of hail that is only for these demonic billions that are awaiting their judgment.

The they is separated, sectioned off from the rest of the hail where unbelievers are, and it is a place of even worse and horrible, just terrible damning torment. A horrible place. I believe the Tartar us is the abyss that these demons in the end. In Luke chapter 8 were begging Jesus to send them to. I believe that this Tartar us is also the abyss or the bottomless pit that in Revelation chapter 9 that we are told.

The demons are going to be released from God Almighty is allowing Satan to release these wicked demons from the UBS in order that they might wreak absolute habit on this earth but we don't have time to deal with this fully today but I will share a little bit because I think it's important in Revelation chapter 20 we are told that Satan is bound for a thousand years.

He is bound for a thousand years that I do not believe that in Revelation chapter 20 that the thousand year period is a a future period of time that will take place after the return of Christ where it will be a golden age price will root will will reign on the throne in Jerusalem. I don't believe that's what is talking about. I believe that that that period of time that thousand year. Is a picture of the church age.

From the first coming of Christ to the second coming of Christ.

The Scripture says that during this time. Satan is bound for the thousand years. He is bound for the church age. So the question arises as Satan is bound for the church age, then how in the work did explain all the blatantly satanic things that are going on in our world today. How do you explain the Jewish Holocaust.

How do you explain the what's going on in China and has gone on for years now trying to annihilate the Christians. How do you explain the religion of Satanism, with its own satanic Bible. How do you explain two major world wars. How do you explain the legislation of the of infanticide that's taking place right here in different states in America explain all out attack on the family that is true. That's the sinful heart of man is responsible for much depravity and much wicked here on this earth but I want you to know brothers and sisters. If you look at on our world today, you can see the handprints of Satan all over it. So how can we say that Satan is bound when we see clearly his activity every day. The answer is in John's understanding of what it means to be found. I will read you from Revelation chapter 20 verses two and three and listen carefully to what he says about the binding of Satan and he sees the Dragon that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bounding for a thousand years and threw them into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. What is the purpose of Satan's body. He is in verse three that he might deceive the nations no longer in the Old Testament time in the Old Testament time the world was in complete darkness spiritual darkness except the nation of Israel. Israel had the law of God the Word of God. The blessings of God and the promise of the Messiah. The rest of the world outside of Israel was in spiritual darkness. Then Jesus came and when Jesus came he died on the cross he rose and the dead, and he gave his disciples a commission to carry out what was that commission go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father the son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And low I am with you even to the end of the age. In John chapter 12.

A voice from heaven and the crowd around Jesus heard the voice I didn't understand it. And so Jesus explained what the voice of the heavenly father had said Jesus answered this voice has come for your sake, not mine.

Now is the judgment of this world nail with a ruler of this world be cast out, that Satan and I when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die when Satan was bound at the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

He was not bound in a way that would make him totally in operative peace deal very very much active today. He was bound in his ability to deceive the nations first when Jesus came he came as a light to the world.

When Jesus came he died on the cross he rose the dead that Linda the light McGinnis spread across the world and what happened. The gospel began to to go out to people from every tribe, kindred tongue and nation and people heard the gospel. They understood the gospel like trusted the gospel in many and many were saved. Many were saved when people hear that Satan was bound for thousand years. They automatically think with these EEs kind of bound up in a prison that means he's inoperable.

That means he's not doing anything will let Mrs. the picture that's not the right pictures you have in your mind.

The picture that you should have in your mind is a picture of a dog on a leash dog on a leash is bounded me but you know you get around that dog you get within the where the steak is it holding the chain and end the day at the end of that change.

You get within that part and that dog free to bite you that dog free to Barclays free to scare you all, things can happen. Some bad things but when he comes to the end of that chain, then he is restrained and Satan is the has been restrained. All through the church age.

He has been bound in that he is not able to deceive the nations anymore. The gospel is going out. People are hearing from every tribe, kindred tongue and nation and people coming to Christ.

Then Revelation chapter 20 verse three. The Scripture says that Satan will be released for a little while. There is coming a time before Christ returns that Satan is going to be released to go and do what he did before and put the world and much darkness as a second coming of Christ draws near demonic activity is going to heighten and it's going to deepen greatly as end of history approaches demonic activity will deepen in second Thessalonians 2. Paul warns the church to of what to look for the church was really concerned about the second coming. There were many the in Paul's day that believe that Jesus should Artie come back and they'd missed it policy and under no, he was say. Let me share with you some things that are to take place. Some things to look for any shares what I'm to share with you in second Thessalonians 2 out you listen carefully for this.

Where Satan is going to be released for a short time. Second Thessalonians 212 12 concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ are being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed either by spirit or spoken word or letter seeming to be from us to the effect of the day of the Lord is come let no one deceive you in any way for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes in at word, rebellion is apostasy till great apostasy comes up on this earth and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things and you know what is restraining him now, so that he may be revealed in his time to the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way and then the lawless one will be revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and is to be saved. Therefore, listen to this. Therefore, God sends them a strong delusion so that they may believe what is false in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Look again at verse 11. God sends them a strong delusion so that they would believe that which is false.

Is that going on in our in our nation across our world today are people believing that which is false. I am absolutely amazed at the things that people's call good and right and think is best for them. It amazes me. But when the culture tells you you don't call your baby girl or boy when this born. Let them grow up. Then let them decide whether there girl or boy. I want you know that's not just confusion that is satanic delusion. When the culture tells killing a baby in the womb of up of of a woman is is is is a woman's right to do that and that's okay.

The baby has no rights but that's a satanic delusion.

When the culture tells us that pornography is just another artform. Just another artform to be enjoyed and embraced and is healthy and normal that's a satanic delusion. When our culture is telling us to be tolerant of every religion in the world except for Bible believing Christianity that is a satanic delusion in Isaiah 5 the Lord said woman to those who call good evil and evil good who put light for darkness and darkness for light, please don't read Revelation chapter 9 and tell me this is Chinese helicopters, Chinese helicopters may very well be dangerous, but they're not nearly as dangerous as satanic delusion, the locus that we read of in Revelation 9 are not literal locusts that strip the land of foliage and and bring about physical famine.

The locus represent demonic activity satanic delusion. How are the satanic delusions influencing and effecting of the culture of post-a post-Christian West right now. How are they doing that sexual promiscuity is a source of great evil, and is destroyed in marriages and families to adultery and through premarital sex is very unusual today to find the young couples get. Get ready to get married who come before you and say you know we saved our sale for marriage. We are we been sexually pure and were waiting to to bless our mate with the with this great gift. Pornography feels the hearts of young men and women was supported and twisted ideas about what sex really is racism still abounds in our day and time drugs and alcohol devastate the lives of Millie lead to divorce, poverty and devastation. What about believers. Do we have any hope to our own regional Richard Phillips said this was very helpful to me. He said these spiritual torments afflict only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. This shows that those are not physical woes that afflict all people, but spiritual torments by which God uses evil to judge those who are given over to sin.

Believers are not able to stop this plague. The locus invoked vulnerabilities showed by the iron breastplates, but they are free from these torments is a practice godly lifestyles in the power the Holy Spirit just as in the Exodus and the angel of death slew the firstborn in all of Egypt except in the home smart by the blood of the Lamb marking that look forward to faith in the cross of Christ, so also those who bear Christ seal of the Holy Spirit. Today are preserved from the judgment of the demonic plague of torment .2's the six trumpet look at verse 13 through 19 then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. Of the four angels who had been prepared for the hour, the day the month and the year released to kill 1/3 of mankind. The number of mounted troops was twice 10,000×10,000, I heard their number and this is how I saw the horses in my vision, and those who wrote them that they wore breastplates. The color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur in the heads of the horses were like lines heads and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their male by these three plagues 1/3 of mankind was killed by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their miles.

The power of the horses is in their miles and in their tails for their tails are like serpents with heads and by means of them.

They wound up and given how Lindsay pretty hard time about those Chinese helicopters. But this passage is explaining the horrors and in the top the hail of war.

It tells us of the nations who gonna rise up and are hell-bent on taking glory themselves for the greatness that they think is due them is why Paul tells us as Christians to remember our citizenship that our citizenship is in heaven, that this world is not our home that we are just passing through. I love our country. I pray for our country. I desire for our country to do whale to succeed, to prosper how desire for our country to experience revival. I would love for that to happen to America but I'm a take of this. I don't put my faith in America. I put my faith in another kingdom, and the king of that kingdom is Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ said his kingdom is not of this world. The third point is the futility of the world. Verse 20 through 21. The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. I have friends who are post-millennial in their eschatology and what that means is that they believe that things are getting better and better and better and that when Jesus finally does return. Things are going to have gotten so much better that the Christians are to hand over to Jesus a Christian society. I totally reject that in the six trumpet fifth trumpet in the six trumpet are are two of the great reasons that I don't believe that these judgments tell us that God will unleash plagues from the pits of hail to judge a rebellious world like the Roman Empire.

In John's day, the secular power of every age seek security and blessing. Not in the God who made them within the gods that they make them sales a close with her great commentary from Richard Phillips. There times when Christian influence is strong in a wholesome culture Mayflower in secular society.

But when a society turns away from God and rejects his word. God will respond by judging that idolatry with spiritual forces of evil, torment, Paul explained that when men turn from God to idolatry their foolish hearts become darkened and God gives them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity. Romans 121 to 24 the very scenes they have long for.

Become God's judgment on them. Revelation 9 shows that God not only gives the wicked over to their sins, but makes those sins of torment to them. The visions of Revelation chapter 9 therefore do not promote post-millennial confidence about the world's progress, but they remind us instead to put our confidence only in the Gospels power to save sinners out of the world that is destined for judgment as pray heavenly father.

That was a frightening chapter that we looked at the day and Lord I hope and I pray that what this chapter does to our hearts is to help us heavenly father that we might appreciate your grace in a deeper and sweeter way than we ever have that Lord is, we see the condition of the world and where the world is headed and what the world can expect in judgment that Lord we would just be so excited about what Jesus did for us on the cross that it would change is completely Lord we pray for our families. We are living in a culture now Lord, where our children are being attacked every day were living in a culture Lord, where we are being attacked to the media were great. We've been attacked in schools where were being attacked at work. Heavenly father, we we need your help.

We need you to give us strength. We need you, Lord, to serve Phyllis with the power of your spirit, that we might be a flaming witness in situation where there is great darkness. We love you Jesus, thank you for loving us.

Thank you for sending Jesus to die for us.

We didn't we didn't deserve that. But she loved her so much he gave it, and we deeply appreciate it and it's in Jesus name we pray. Amen