Month: January 2021

Friday, 15 January 2021

Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Revelation 9:13

John had just noted the sounding of the fifth trumpet and the subsequent first woe. The swarm of locusts and the destruction they brought must have been amazing for him to behold. But now his attention is redirected to the heavenly throne room again with the words, “Then the sixth angel sounded.”

With the sounding of the trumpet, John continues with, “And I heard a voice.” The Greek reads, “And I heard one voice.” It is specific. There is one Mediator between God and man, the God/Man Christ Jesus. The symbolism of the golden altar was seen in Chapter 8 –

“Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. ⁴ And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.” Revelation 8:3, 4

The golden altar is the altar of incense. The incense is the prayers of the saints directed through Jesus Christ. The one voice John hears is said to be “from the four horns of the golden altar.” It is a remarkable statement.

In the construction of the altar of incense recorded in Exodus, the number of horns is never explicitly mentioned. Though implied, and unlike the brazen altar (the altar of sacrifice), the number was noticeably left off of the description of the golden altar. It was a significant omission. As four is the number of creation, the brazen altar having four horns signified the judgment on sin throughout creation. However, because Christ’s intercessory work is in heaven, no number of horns was stated. Thus, it reflected a transcendence from the earthly to the heavenly.

Now, however, the number of horns is explicitly stated. This is because the altar pictures Christ in His intercessory role. It is He who speaks for all people on earth – from every corner of it, north, south, east, and west. He alone brings the prayers of the saints to the throne. As it says, this altar is “before God.”

Life application: The events to come are happening because God’s judgment is due on the world that has martyred His saints and rejected Him and His offer of peace through Christ Jesus. When Christ mediates on behalf of His people, an answer is certain to come: judgment. And that answer is to be one of judgment. Israel has rejected the Lord, the people of the world have rejected the Lord. The events of Revelation are prophesied in advance to show what will happen to both as the events of redemptive history continue to unfold.

God does hear the prayers of His people because His people are in Christ. He will no more reject their calls than He will reject His own Son. However, how He responds is solely up to Him. We may think that He doesn’t hear, but He does. And we may think He is unresponsive to our needs, but He is not. The plan must come to its fulfillment, and we must be patient in the process. But God does hear our prayers because our prayers are mediated through JESUS!

O Lord God, You have opened our eyes to future events while keeping some things hidden. In this, we can speculate on what those things mean. But no matter what our personal opinion about the hidden things may be, those things which have been revealed belong to us as a heritage and a means of understanding what is to come. Thank You for these insights. Amen.

Thursday, 14 January 2021

One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things. Revelation 9:12

John has seen the revealed trumpet judgment. This was most probably a judgment against Israel and which consisted of the locusts. They were jet fighters sent to soften up the land in order to make a land invasion easier. That is exactly what occurred in the Gulf War, and it was an effective way of preparing the field of battle. With that judgment complete, John says, “One woe is past.”

The Greek literally reads, Hē ouai hē mia, or “The woe, the one.” With the completion of the first woe noted, John next says, “Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.” This next woe will continue, with interesting inserts, until verse 11:14 where the third woe will then be ushered in.

Further, it will come in conjunction with the sixth trumpet, and the third will come with the seventh trumpet. But the seventh trumpet will also be immediately followed by the seven “bowl” or “vial” judgments. These events are going through a progression and they are only going to get worse, not better.

Life application: Surely the people affected by these judgments will be thinking that each trial will be the end of sorrows and that an era of peace will be ushered in – by the actions of man and through the leadership of the anti-Christ. However, such is not the case. The world has said to God, “We can do it without you.” And God will allow them to try. But man is not inherently good.

Rather, the Bible teaches that we are fallen and that we are corrupt by nature. Because this is so, we can only botch things up and make it all worse. The good we do, such as inventing things, writing poetry, and helping out the homeless is inevitably short-lived and overshadowed by the bad we do.

Without the light of Christ in the human soul, there is only darkness and a desire to shun God for self and for selfishness. Let us remember this, and then let us lean wholly on our Creator God, and not on our own understanding. The Lord will be with those who call on Him and He will never forsake them. This is the promise of God found in Christ. It is the reason He sent forth His Son. This is the wonder of JESUS!

Heavenly Father, thank You for the forgiveness of sins that comes through the shed blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus. We know that we don’t deserve the favor You have lavished on us, but because of Your great love and mercy for the work of Your hands, You have looked upon us and been gracious to us. We will ever sing the praises of Your name. Amen.

Wednesday, 13 January 2021

And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon. Revelation 9:11

The description of the locusts (the jet fighters) is complete. But now we are given another insight concerning them. John now says, “And they had as king over them.” These words definitively show that the “locusts” are not actual locusts. Locusts don’t have stings, but they also don’t have a king over them, as Solomon says in the Proverbs –

“The locusts have no king,
Yet they all advance in ranks;” Proverbs 30:27

These locusts do though. What is of great interest is that the New Testament writers almost always follow the Greek translation of the Old Testament when making citations. Understanding this, a clue as to who this king is may be provided in the Greek translation of Amos 7:1 –

“Thus has the Lord God shewed me; and, behold, a swarm of locusts coming from the east; and, behold, one caterpillar, king Gog.” Brenton Septuagint Translation

This verse from Amos not only refers to locusts probably in a figurative sense, but the Greek translation notes that they are led by a king, Gog. Scholars find this as a mistranslation or a corrupt reading, but it appears to be exactly what John is referring to. If so, the army of locusts (meaning jet fighters) would be a part of the coalition of forces under Russia as described in Ezekiel 38, and the battle would be definitely referring to forces allied against Israel.

To add into the speculation even more, the Hebrew reading of Amos 7:1 says –

“Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, He formed locust swarms at the beginning of the late crop; indeed it was the late crop after the king’s mowings.”

This verse in the Hebrew text could possibly be referring to the rapture as it refers to the “king’s mowings.” In other words, the harvest of Christ at the rapture has passed, and now the “late crop” of the tribulation period is being referred to. If this is correct, and this can only be speculation, then two prominent truths can be discerned –

• The rapture is pretribulation (something completely supported elsewhere in Scripture), and
• The battle of Gog/Magog of Ezekiel 38 occurs after the rapture.

Of this king, John next says he is, “the angel of the bottomless pit.” This would then clearly define the king as a human being, even if under the power of the devil. Whether or not this king is the same as the angel referred to in verses 9:1 and 9:2 is debated, but it is certain he is a human here in verse 9:11. Of him, John continues by saying, “whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon.”

Both names to be given are to be taken as a personification of the person being described. The Hebrew word Abaddon here thus means Destruction. It is this king’s scriptural designation.

The word Abaddon is found five times in the Old Testament. The references are Job 26:6, 28:22 & 31:12; Psalm 88:11; and Proverbs 15:11. It must be noted that Abaddon is said to be under the full control and authority of the Lord in Job 26:6 and Proverbs 15:11. In other words, the Lord is in control of all of the events that take place, and nothing is “out of control” in regard to His plan and purposes.

John next finishes the verse with, “but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.” The word means “Destroyer.” It comes from a common word used over ninety times in the New Testament, apollumi. That means to destroy or perish. The word Apollyon is found only this once in the Bible.

Giving the name in both the Hebrew and the Greek is a common writing tool of John in his gospel. This clearly identifies the fact that Revelation, like all of the New Testament, was written in Greek, while translating the Hebrew for the reader. In this, it solidifies the meaning of otherwise doubtful words and phrases. It also draws the Bible into one unified whole, regardless of the language used in the original writing.

As another linguistic note, John uses the term Hebraisti to describe the language that the word Abaddon was translated from. Saying “Hebrew” here is correct. However, the term Hebraisti is only used by John, and it is found in his writings seven times. Several of those times, however, it is not referring to Hebrew, but rather to Aramaic – such as in the words Gabbatha and Golgotha. Thus, the term does not mean solely “Hebrew.” Rather, it speaks of the Semitic tongues inclusive of both Hebrew and Aramaic (Chaldee).

It is the Aramaic or Chaldee that became the predominant tongue of the people after the Babylonian exile, as is evidenced elsewhere in the New Testament. This is true of both the written alphabet and the spoken language.

Life application: As was noted in a previous commentary, the attacks of these “locusts” is direct and targeted in an attempt to avoid destroying the people. It is a common trait among the forces of the western world today.

While other armies wage war without any regard for who is killed, the battles and wars waged by various armies in the recent past have showed immense restraint in their conduct. The opposing forces are first “softened up” and allowed a chance to surrender. After this, the armies come at their foe with fully unleashed power and with the intent of subduing them. This appears to be the pattern of this future army of “locusts.” As is seen in the above analysis, this is quite possibly the forces of Gog, meaning Russia. This would then align with the words of Ezekiel 38 –

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: ¹¹ You will say, “I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates”— ¹² to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. ¹³ Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, “Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?”’” Ezekiel 38:10-13

The intent of the coming battle is not to destroy the people, but to take the spoil without completely destroying the land in the process. Both Ezekiel and John are confirming this is what is to be expected.

As a special note for the student of the Bible is that, since 2020, the possibility of the events described here in Ezekiel 38 are now much more plausible than they were previously. The nations mentioned: Sheba, Dedan and (the merchants of) Tarshish are coming into focus in a new way.

Sheba and Dedan are both located in the area in and around Saudi Arabia. Sheba is believed to be the Kingdom of Saba in southern Arabia. Dedan was a city-state and oasis area of north-western Arabia mentioned at times in the Bible.

The location of Tarshish is highly debated. Some analysis say it is Lebanon, some Spain, and some even England (and other locations). Regardless of that location, the text doesn’t say “Tarshish,” but rather “the merchants of Tarshish,” implying trading partners. Further, the term “all their young lions” speaks of the surrounding city states. This would be inclusive of all of the small countries that border Saudi Arabia – Bahrain, Oman, the UAE, and etc.

Only since the presidency of Donald Trump have these nations began to (and some have) make treaties with Israel. Hence, they are said in Ezekiel to not be a part of the attacking forces coming against Israel. Instead of being allied with the invaders, these states will instead stand back and keep distance from the invading armies who come for the spoil. The world’s alignment of nations is matching up with the biblical narrative, even before our eyes.

As for the layout of the battle in the verse being analyzed, the coming verses will show that after the air war has softened up the people of the land (meaning of Israel), a great force – inclusive of a coalition of armies – will then come by land in an attempt to complete the task.

The point of this is that Israel is still not right with the Lord. They have been returned to the land, but they are as far from Him as the rest of the world. The tribulation period is intended to bring Israel to the point where the only option left is to forsake their own self-reliance and pride, and to finally turn to the Lord. The book is written, and the events will come to pass. And those areas of Scripture that are not debatable as to their true meaning will finally be understood perfectly by those who see the events unfold before their very eyes.

The prophetic word has the ultimate goal of revealing Christ to the nations and Messiah to Israel. The point of it all is JESUS.

Lord, we know You have sovereign authority over everything that occurs in the world. Even great battles are directed by You to accomplish Your purposes. Nothing is out of Your control, and so we can rest in this knowledge, trusting that the displeasing events around us do serve a good ultimate purpose. Help us to remember this when we look at the immorality and wickedness that permeates the world today. You will bring it all to a satisfactory end, and You will be glorified as You do. Thank You for this assurance. Amen.

Tuesday, 12 January 2021

They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. Revelation 9:10

Over the past few verses, John has been describing the vision of the locusts. It is certain that the general idea is that these are modern jet fighters and that they are using targeted attacks against an enemy foe. These fighters have been sent out, not to kill the enemy, but to cripple them without taking life.

Understanding this symbolism, John begins this verse with, “They had tails like scorpions.” Like his other descriptions, he is making a comparison to their function, not their appearance. The Pulpit Commentary, written before the age of jet fighters (19^th century), understood this, saying, “Not that their tails possessed the appearance of scorpions … but that their tails were like the tails of scorpions in respect of having stings in them.”

With this correct understanding, John next says, “and there were stings in their tails.” The sting of the scorpion is right at the end of the tail, and it is sharp and extremely painful. As the tail of a scorpion proceeds forward over the body of the insect, it is from the midpoint of the body, not from behind it. Likewise, a jet fighter will have its weapons under the wings, or under the main body, not at the head.

When shooting a missile, John would have seen it flying out from the body, rather than the front of the aircraft. He would probably have the idea of a scorpion in his mind. He is using a metaphor that best describes what he sees, both in the means of attack and in the effect the attack makes. From there, he then finishes the thought with, “Their power was to hurt men five months.”

The exact duration of this particular aerial campaign is given, and the effects of it are succinctly stated. The intent is to hurt but not to kill. Obviously, this doesn’t mean people won’t die in such a battle. There is normally collateral damage associated with any aerial bombardment. But the intent of targeted attacks is to harm but not kill. This is what John is seeing and conveying to the one seeking to understand this future prophecy.

This air war will last five months. When the campaign ends, things will move into another judgment. All of this could be avoided, but man has other intentions than to willfully submit to the sovereign authority of God. And so, the troubles will only increase.

Life application: For millennia, readers of the Bible have come to these words concerning the locusts, and their minds have strained to understand what is being conveyed. The most fanciful of descriptions have been given, attempting to align real living creatures with what John is writing about.

In other words, they have taken John’s words as absolute truth, but there has been no ability to appreciate them from a known perspective. And so, their analyses have ranged from describing actual mutant locusts to various creatures that have never existed, but which must supposedly be coming in the future. We no longer need to wonder about whether they are real living creatures or not. We can know, with high reliability, that John is describing modern jet fighters.

With this understanding, we can also know that the events of Revelation are coming, and that we are right on the doorstep of that coming Day of the Lord. This future battle, now being described, will be done with precision-guided munitions that are used by an air force that has great restraint. Based on past history, this brings the number of modern countries down to just a few. Most countries go in to completely destroy the enemy without regard to human life.

Whether these prophecies are soon to pass or in the distant future, this will be the general idea. This will be a nation or group of nations that is restrained in their assault with highly destructive weapons.

For the believer in Christ, and apart from the words of naysayers concerning the rapture, the timeline of the Bible tells us that believers who have called on Jesus will be taken out before these events begin. The rapture, including its timing, is defined by the Apostle Paul. It is he who received his instruction directly from the Lord (Galatians 1:2), and it is he who then conveyed that to us. The mercy of God is coming upon his people, and it is because His Son has already taken our judgment upon Himself at the cross. Thank God for the sure promises that are found in JESUS!

Lord God, we can look at the pages of future prophecy given in Scripture, and the world cannot say that it has not been warned. Terrible times are ahead for those who fail to accept Jesus now. Your offer of peace through Him has been given. You are in complete control and have all things worked out in a way that will bring You great glory and that will also show that You are just when You judge. Truly, You are great – merciful and also righteous! Be exalted among Your people, O God. Amen.

Monday, 11 January 2021

And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. Revelation 9:9

John is attempting to describe the “locusts” he sees in his vision. So far, he has seen…

They can be commanded.
They can target their enemies without hitting objects around them.
They are not given the authority to kill them, but only to torment them.
Their torment is painful and so horrifying that those targeted will seek death and not find it.
They are like “horses prepared for battle.”
They have “crowns of something like gold.”
They have the faces of men.
They have hair like women’s hair.
They have teeth like lion’s teeth.

In this, they have minutely described modern jet fighters and their ability to attack specific targets, destroying infrastructure while protecting human life. This is exactly what occurred during the Gulf War and other recent wars, such as in Israel’s skirmishes against those in Gaza and elsewhere. The descriptions are exactly as you would expect from a man 2000 years ago. John now continues, saying, “And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron.”

John, not having an understanding of modern metallurgy, describes a modern fighter as best as he could, saying “iron” instead of “titanium,” or “aluminum.” But the description is marvelously accurate other than the exact type of metal. To someone who had never seen a modern jet fighter, it would appear as a locust with a metal breastplate. And more, John next says, “and the sound of their wings.”

First, John identifies the sound as coming from the wings. That precisely identifies this as a jet fighter, not a helicopter, a supposed human/angel hybrid, or a rocket. Rather, John is seeing modern jet fighters whose wings are “like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle.”

The comparison is so precise that it is uncanny.

If one watches a movie like Ben Hur and listens closely to the sound as the horses come by, the comparison becomes obvious. This link will take you to a suitable time frame from the classic movie – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3QM0b3MqqQ

From there, you can go to any recorded flyby of a jet fighter, and the sound is practically identical. This link is set to the appropriate time – https://youtu.be/5GuSg8BHO4w?t=118

John used Roman-era sound that he was aware of to describe something that would not be known for two thousand years, and he did so exactingly. As you watch the jet fighter video, think on the other descriptions John has given concerning these “locusts.” They are uncanny in how beautifully John presented them as he wrote out the pages of Revelation on the exile island of Patmos.

Life application: John’s vision is a terrifying and tremendous comparison to a modern war waged with fighter jets that are specifically targeting infrastructure to weaken an enemy without killing people. The air force is using extreme restraint in their attacks. This is something one would expect from a nation not intent on destroying its enemies but only crippling their ability to retaliate.

One can see the future from John’s perspective, united with the reality of our modern-day, in what John is describing. This tells us that Jesus Christ, who relayed these prophetic visions to John, is the Master of time. He transcends it because He created it. He is not bound to it, and therefore He can present the future to us as if it has already come to pass. In Him is the spirit of prophecy because He is JESUS!

Lord God, it is amazing to read the descriptions of future events in Scripture and to see that they accurately and minutely describe visions that we can now properly interpret, such as the engagement of a modern battle with fully equipped jet fighters. We know that You are the Creator of time, and therefore You can and have revealed the future to us. We know that You are in complete control, and so we can trust in You to care for us, just as You have promised. Praises to You, O God, for confirming Your word through prophecy to give us a sure and blessed hope. Amen.