The Abyss Unlocked - Revelation 9:1-21

In the world will know fully the truth of their former spirit guides.

These demons will take it off your masks of love and concern.

There will be no more. We love you and we want your best hate humanity by the truth about the demonic worlds hatred and bloodlust and destructive intent is now unveiled of the truth will now be out in the open. The fallen demons, especially things human and those who are influenced by that they have your best interest at heart that's online.

Stephen mentioned a moment ago. The day is coming when that will be evident. Imagine walking a lion in a pit for a month without feeding and then letting them out. You wouldn't want to be anywhere near that pit when he comes springing out of it. In Revelation 9 God opens a pit where Satan had been bound for a thousand years. Today, Stephen describes what happens when he comes out.

This is wisdom for the heart.

Today Stephen Daley has a lesson for you, entitled the abyss unlocked here Stephen with today's lesson we join our study, there in Revelation chapter 9 will cover this entire chapter verse one and the fifth angel sounded, I saw a star from heaven, which had fallen to the earth in the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. He was given friends literally. The key is this trumpet sounded this fifth trumpet of the seven key to the opening of the bottomless pit is the word abuse since it is to be transliterated abyss.

It's a bottomless pit. In other words, it refers to the fact that mankind cannot fathom its depth. The apostle John will use words to describe it as a deep cavern connected to the Earth's surface by a shaft with a lid on it that no one but God has the key to open. This is led some to speculate that hell is in the center of the earth. This is in talking about hell this is talking about the abyss were millions of demons evidently are incarcerated, being held by God at the point of their incarceration. We can't be sure but millions are awaiting this hour of torment. While evidently other demons are allowed to roam under his divine permission. Remember when the demons left the demonized man, they begged the Lord to send them into the swine nearby. Instead of sending them where to the abyss. Luke 831 same word.

Now there are a lot of questions are going to come out of the study that I will answer just to let you know you have to go home and study yourself but I will try to answer some of them and one question that I want to answer is this one. Who is this star that was given a key to open the abyss. Notice the phrase in verse 20 and I saw a star from heaven, which had fallen to the earth the perfect tense of the verb translated had fallen informs us that John did not see the star fall. It had already fallen sometime in the past and was already on earth. When John saw him and I say him on purpose because this is not an asteroid. This is not a meteor. This is not a chunk of rock costar. This is a him is a person of personality.

In fact, look there. It says I I say him. Note the key was given to him.

In verse two he opened the bottomless pit. This one that had fallen in sometime path I believe is Satan who is not given the key to open the abyss poly on the destroyer will come out of that abyss. It is Satan it's a leader of these underworld demons waiting to be let loose and he will lead them to bring terror to the earth, but the star that has fallen finds agreement with other texts where verses in Isaiah we find the language fitting perfectly with what he said when he writes of the fall of Satan through his rebellion how you have fallen from heaven knows star of the morning is a 1412 Jesus Christ said plainly. Luke 1018, I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning Job referred to the Angels prior to the fall of Satan as morning stars. Evidently the angelic host were created prior to much of the University can watch it occurring and they rejoice together. They sing for joy.

They shouted for joy as a singular Job 37 so the one who is known as Satan is now given the key to open the abyss. We know the giver of the key is our Lord, who was introduced to us in Revelation chapter 1 is having the key of the underworld. He has the authority over the underworld and so now he gives this key with some semblance of ceremony to Satan, who now and who now goes over and at some point not given on the planet opens the gate literally of this abyss and these demons come forward. Notice first to reopen the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace and the son of the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit that a smoking locus upon the earth. And power was given to them as the scorpions of the earth have power.

They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, or any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. The rest of the foliage or much of it now is going to be burned was already destroyed in the early trumpet judgment.

These demons are only allowed to attack you notice humans are not sealed by God as his own. This could either be a reference to the 144,000 Jewish evangelists who were sealed or perhaps at this point in the tribulation, as many believe. I would probably throw my head as well.

These are those who come to place their faith in Christ. Now sealed, probably no more coming to trust him as Lord and Savior, and these have still survived this far in the tribulation. Demons are not allowed to torment them actually even those who do not believe in Christ are going to be spared death. Look at verse five and they were not permitted these demons to kill anyone, but to torment for five months to specific time that Telus can last in their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stayed a man, and in those days men will seek death and will not find it, they will long to die, and death, then this judgment will be so terrifying and painful.

The people will try to kill themselves. They might be tempted to think was only last five months with five months are up.

These demons are evidently commanded back into the abyss where they will wait until called once again my thing is only five months. Listen five months is a long time for you to wait for something exciting to happen so long time, but five months is an eternity. If you're waiting for something terrible to end their waiting for Duan to the human race is gives you like this will never end. So they will try to lend their lives seek death rather than continue in this, but it will flee from them, were not told exactly how the interludes that that the pistol won't fire of the knife will break the poison will take invisible forces will keep them from jumping off tall buildings, orderlies, landing hurt themselves of the flood with alien of the water and survive any method of suicide will be ineffective. They will all die, but they will not be allowed to little wonder they will try. John will describe these these terrors from the abyss and I get your pencil ready is 10 times. John will resort to using the word like and appeared to be elders again talk about things that are literal and yet is to try to describe them, and because human language can do it easy to use similes and say well it's like this.

These are like that follow along to see how he does it. Verse seven the appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. Those are big locusts.

By the way, and on their heads appear to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of man-hours. These demons have have taken a form and it isn't just a strange animal, or some freak of nature, something the state fair would put in a booth in for a couple hours you look at that these were creatures who have human faces which reveals the shocking truth to the humans.

They torment that they have intelligence and emotion. Their eyes will track with human eyes will know that their intent is to hurt and torment and all their organization in order and tension in all the rationale will be to inflict pain. The ability of demons. By the way, to assume material form is further illustrated in chapter 16 were demons will take on the appearance of frogs we have no doubt in believing they taken these particular forms. Here John writes further in verse eight they had hair like the hair of women.

In other words, longhair for the most part, this probably looked at John, much like the Parthian warriors of ancient times who grew their hair long, not out of an attempt to be feminine or some effeminacy, but intimidation. It was startling.

Historians tell us, because it was unusual longhair made them appear even more fierce and intimidating as they galloped in the battle is for Sadie and their teeth were like the teeth of a lion's they had a long canine.

They breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots of many horses rushing to battle their tails like scorpions staying in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. This is no science fiction movie, though some have tried to lessen the strangeness of this judgment by interpreting these as you know helicopters with the sound of metal, the whirling of blades spitting you know missiles. The stinging of bullets. Although would be kind of odd because nobody's dying is a good hit with bullets, but they don't, they are killed.

Listen, there isn't any reason to interpret this any other way than plainly at face value, understanding, literal interpretation of Scripture allows for simile and metaphor which John clearly does here with no reason for not believing talking about something he literally sees yet, difficulty in describing it so uses simile. These demons will assume the form of a terrifying, painfully destructive creature and will be given.

God delegated high to chase to literally corner to terrorize human race in the world will know fully the truth of their former spirit guides. These demons will take it off your masks of love and concern. There will be no tomorrow.

We love you and we want your best. The truth about the demonic world's hatred and bloodlust and destructive intent is now unveiled and the truth will now be out in the open that day. The fallen demons, especially human hate humanity.

This is God's highest creation, the one that can commune with him spirit to spirit alone so loved by him that he sent his son to die for and how they hate human be in the deception will be over, but no missed the fact that demons are only operating under divine permission for divine purposes.

They are the puppet servants of God is given back in verse one. The key was given to him. He didn't have the key. He couldn't get the key. You can wrestle it out of some angels and it had to be given to and it was given. Verse three power was given to them delegated temporary power that is sourced in God.

Imagine coming to this judgment, recognizing that they are doing the bidding of God mixed with their own hatred of humanity will be terrifying. Verse farther there told not to hurt foliage verse five are not permitted to kill anyone sovereign Lord is firmly in total control of even the demon even in total chaos. Jesus Christ is in total control and there is by the way, I think true theology expressed here the sovereignty of God was sung about and even as relates to demonic world, even as relates to those in tribulation. Certainly, the temporary nature of this will be encouraging to those believers who study revelation and that day, probably more than any other book in the Bible, but it's true for us even today, we can call our tribulation there tribulation. We know nothing of this tribulation, but we do have tribulation don't. The word is used of the believer in the trials and temptations that we face was good to just kinda stopped for a moment here and recognize this is true for us as well that God has determined the depth of your pain and the extent of its particular sting.

He has told your suffering to go only so far and no further even though your world right now might be unsettled. God is not in seat, even though it might be chaotic. He is in control of the chaos. Even now, although the world, with devils filled Luther wrote would threaten to undo us. We will not fear for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us, even the demons are in his hand control by his will will no sooner have the scorpion demons been recalled to the abyss and another even more terrifying army of demons prepared to gallop throughout the earth is the Euphrates demons wrenchingly verse 13 and the sixth angel sounded, I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates and the four angels which had been prepared for the hour.

The very day the very monster very dear were released so that they would kill 1/3 of mankind.

No more stinging now it's killing is happening here with these for the been down to the great river Euphrates.

It's interesting for you to do a little study reps on your own. One day of the Euphrates. It's prominent in Scriptures dividing line between East and West between the near East and Far East was one of the rivers that flowed out of the Garden of Eden was at the banks of the Euphrates were Adam and Eve were tempted and where they failed sin. It was near the Euphrates.

The first murder occurred in the first martyr for righteousness was slain able killed by cane. It was here on the banks of the Euphrates. The Jews lived out their bitter exile. It was here on Euphrates that Babylon was built in will be here, where the Antichrist will rebuild that kingdom and it is here where four powerful demons are unchained and released some would say these are good angels that fallen angels because they seem to be similar to the four angels at the corners of the earth. Back in chapter 7. You may remember, but however notice these angels are bound. This verb indicates, this has been their condition. They have been down when I told when to been when they fell besides that you never find in Scripture. Any reference to good angels ever being bound so we would know that these are fallen angels, or as we call them demons appointed by God for just this day, week, month and year to serve as agents of God's wrath that if you thought that locusts with human heads and longhair look like horses.

That was strange. Put on your seatbelt for these horsemen. Verse 16. The number of the armies of the horsemen was to hundred million negative thing okay that can't be true. John knew you'd think that and so we added and I heard the number of them see that he knew we had trouble grasping the fact that is 200 know you and the choices actually heard the number in reference to this army of demons and for John would be particularly difficult to imagine himself because of the vast number of these these old warriors.

By the way, this is not some foreign army from the East.

This is in China dismounted 200 million soldiers notice for 17 I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them. The riders had breastplates, the color of fire that is fiery red and of highest since that's deep blue and the brimstone which is from the word fire days, which happens to be yellow sulfur yellow and the heads of the horses are like the heads of Hawaiian pieces I've never seen an animal like this, but it kind of reminds me of a lion in their mouths proceed fire not like fire but fire literal fire, smoke and brimstone in the third of mankind was killed by these three plagues by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouth so here come these charging half stallion half lion head to look like lines but they also have the ability to breathe fire out of their mouths like dragons now long extinct but described with clarity in the book of Job. That's not all that is. Verse 18 for the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tail for their tails are like serpents living heads and with them they do much harm.

Somehow their tails having head like a serpent have the ability to bite you.

Talk about a weapon of mass destruction. This is it. And remember as well that when John saw this vision. There were not 200 million people living on the planet. This exceeded world population. Here is a demonic army of 200 million each one writing a strange creature and they gallop forward. A blazing fire out of their mouths, killing one third of the rest of the people on the planet who were still alive. And remember, already about 25% of the worlds population is died during the first four seals added at the millions who've already been martyred for their newfound faith in Christ. Still more died from drinking water. In a previous trumpet judgment. We study the writing and now one third of the remaining alive killed by demon at the numbers and you got about 50% of the worlds population died so far in just a matter of a few years incredible carnage everywhere. Notice the response which shocks me every time I've studied it, and every time I see in verse 20 and the rest those who are like the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of your hands. Imagine parts like pharaohs hardened after the plagues they this point hate God is much perhaps is the devil himself. John will point out five sins that they're going to cling to go through them quickly.

The first is idolatry the text, mankind will still cling to their idle Antichrist are starting to worship the demon world the natural world. Others stomped the water. Whatever the moon the thing they fashion with their hands out of rocker or would is unbelievable as it may seem. Men and women are to remain committed earth in nature rather than the creator. Cling to their idolatry, and John. Interestingly enough I am saying and then rush forward makes idolatry can amount to worshiping demon you look back in the text there worshiping the works of their hands, so as you not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and silver dollar. They are there, effectively equating what you create with the demon world. Imagine, and I have been the places around the world that I have seen shrines I've been to temples.

I stood outside courtyard where they sacrificed goats. I've seen it in you can you can literally sense and feel the demonic presence there. Worship is clearly equated by John as the worship of demon. The mask will come off idolatry. They can cling to hold onto it though.

Cling to murdering number two.

Gone is all the value of human life. Here they are surrounded by decaying corpses.

People stop bearing anybody and yet think nothing of adding to the number of the value of human life is going to be absolutely worthless as mankind plays out with the demons really did believe about them anyway in their hatred they viewed them as worthless sorceries number three. This comes from the word pharmacopeia figure cling to their farm. Aquila gives it that gives us our word pharmacy.

If your pharmacist don't sweat it in a like to quit your job. This is a reference to drugs in the in the illicit use of drugs. The word in fact has an elastic using can be used for incantations and spells and charms can even be used for séances and witchcraft and contacting mediums, amulets, blue crystals of people have faith in. These are all sorceries, people are getting cleaned. John also mentions people cling to immorality's word is poor Naya is this our word pornography general term for sexual relations of any kind outside of marriage. Imagine friends in the face of death. Having survived scorpion demons having survived fire breathing creatures. Even after that trumpet judgment is over mankind will still cling to sexual things. Pornography addiction's adulteries drug fixes and abuse as he abandons himself to do whatever he wants to do as he self-destructs.

Finally, John mentioned the people will be unwilling to give up their thieving. In other words, morality, and honesty is a thing of the past. No one will trust anybody. Everybody will live and operate by lying and you can only imagine with the scarce supplies of food and clothing, and shelter and water in medicine can be the law of the jungle stealing will become a way of life is a grim picture in the what about the believer. For today, I believe, a chapter like this can accomplish several responses.

The first can increase our appreciation for the sovereignty of God. He remains enthroned even in these incredibly dark and demonic days is will is being accomplished.

Secondly, it magnifies for us the mercy of God, and you think Stephen the where did you see that word will think about. He could easily move the wipe mankind from the face of the earth.

He didn't need seven trumpets and the need for sales, but all of this, there is the continuing mercy of God, to give even unbelieving mankind one more breath before they enter eternal giving us glimpses of his wrath showing people the terrors of the demonic world. He invites effectively invites you and me and our world to be rescued in a chapter like this. It says there is no hope in Christ, Ron, to Christ, finding him mercy in the life to come. Stephen just said there is no other way to respond than to run to Christ for mercy. If you've not done that today is the day I encourage you to put your faith in Jesus Christ and find the salvation you desperately need. If you haven't seen it yet.

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