Apocalypse 9: two trumpets Judgement of the 5th Trumpet: v 1-12
1. Introduction:
After the fourth trumpet, the eagle that had appeared in the sky had warned that if the punishment had reached humanity hitherto were terrible, the three that would follow would be even more: Rev. 8.13. The plagues that had fallen so far on earth had affected the environment of man, his environment. With the fifth trumpet, it is men themselves who are directly affected in their bodies and their souls suffering occasioned by the evil released by the sound of the trumpet.
The adverse effects of destructive forces and evil, freed by divine authority against men, following the course and the test procedure that gripped Job, exposed to the same source of torment that the mankind will be in the period described here. After the devil has been authorized by God to destroy the environment in which Job lived, the environment was the testimony of God's blessing and prosperity, his attacks marked a break. The Evil that God has received permission to attack Job's property, not his person: Job 1.12. For this step, it must necessarily consent, a new mandate: Jo b 2.4 to 6. So Satan comes back to God, asking permission to go further than it was in affliction he wanted to bring to Job. God, wishing to give proof of the correctness of his confidence in the faith and piety of Job against the insinuations of the evil, he gives his consent while imposing a new limit: 2.6 Job: Job suffers in his body, but shall not die.
The same scenario for other reasons, is followed here. The first 4 trumpets that produced their destructive effect on the environment, a break is given. Without doubt, God expect it and hopefully it from the men, a return to themselves, like the prodigal son lived exposed to misery and starvation: cf Luke 15.17-19 . If calamities that befall men are a sign of God's justice is, says Jesus, not the human suffering that God is through them, but repentance: Luke 13.1 to 5. The end of Chapter 9 also shows us that it is clear that He is here: v 20-21. When she did not occur, God gives Satan permission to go further. After shooting what was the source of happiness and prosperity of mankind, his course of life, men who do not repent and therefore not marked with the seal of God, the devil will attack. As will be to Job in his time, their suffering will be such at the time they sigh after death. But death will not come: v 8.
2. Nature of Judgement
It is difficult, from the only story of the vision of John, give us a precise idea of the type of material scourge which he refers here. However, we are not without indication:
a. the beam is triggered by the collapse of a star from heaven to earth :
This fall can be one of Satan's final eviction of the celestial sphere, which we eviction is reported in Rev. 12, 7-9 . Already at the time when He was on earth, Jesus lives, following the missionary mandate of the first disciples, Satan fall like lightning from heaven to earth Luke 10,18. Under the figure of the king of Babylon, prophesied in Isaiah's time the fall of Lucifer, the adversary of God proud and ambitious Isaiah 14.12 to 15. The fall of the Star described here, the more terrible qu'Absinthe fell before it: Rev. 8.10 to 11, could be included that of Satan. It is therefore understandable that, having more than the earth as a sphere of activity, the fate of all humanity is seriously affected.
b. the star has the key of the abyss and opens
The abyss is the place where evil spirits are afraid of being thrown by excellence: Luke 8.31. This is the place where are kept chained in the awaiting trial, some infernal powers who have sinned before the time of Noah 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 5-6 (allusion is made here in heaven who joined the women and gave birth to a race of giants: Genesis 6.1 to 5). It is also the place where the devil be cast for 1000 years after his false christ and false prophet who used to be vanquished by Christ: Rev. 19.20 to 20.3. The trial described here would therefore release myriads of evil spirits who once chained in the abyss, would be released to torment one last time for a limited time (5 months) of mankind.
c. The spirits dropped like crickets and their power is like the scorpions
invasions of locusts (or grasshoppers) are always described in the Bible as one means by which the judgments of God takes place. This was the case in Egypt in the time of Moses: Exodus 10.12 to 14, but also later in Israel: 2 Chr 7.13; Amos 7.1; 1 Kings 8.37; Joel 1.4 . What characterizes the scourge of this invasion is both the character of countless insects in the cloud: see Joel 2.25 and their destructive effect on vegetation passages: Exodus 10.15. For example, South Africa since 1784 keeps the memory of the biggest swarm of locusts ever recorded. This covered nearly 3000 square kilometers and swallowed each day the equivalent of 600,000 tons of food.
Locusts we speak of the Apocalypse Chapter 9 differ from the insects that carry the same name on at least 3 points:
- the first is that their legion is led by a leader, unlike to those of animals: Prov 30.27; Rev. 9.11
- the second is that they do not address the vegetation, which are only insects, but to men: Rev. 9.4 to 5
- the third is that they are provided with a tail and a sting in which they cause suffering felt by those who are bitten: Rev. 9.10.
While Satan is thrown forcibly from heaven to earth, we can assume that the release of evil spirits from the abyss, the sole purpose of tormenting humans is to depersonalize the point that they are all loans, the time came to accept without flinching domination of the Antichrist. All the torturers and dictators know: nothing like suffering to weaken the internal resistance of beings. Even a sinner, be human is the image of God. He waives his liberty under the pressure of three elements: love, coercion or manipulation. In 3 cases, pain plays a leading role:
- because Christ suffered for him, the Christian is ready to give up her freedom to enter into submission to his Lord: Mat 16, 24
- because suffering exerted by coercion and manipulation becomes intolerable, victims of torturers eventually capitulate and go to their will.
Speaking of suffering experienced by victims of the scourge of the fifth trumpet, John tells us that it is similar to that of the scorpion. Yet, it is evil spirits that Jesus identifies Himself in the Gospel the scorpion: Luke 10.19. For information, while not always fatal, the sting of the scorpion is one of the most painful that can be known. Aside from the pain it causes side effects amount of sweating, diarrhea, dizziness, cold hands and feet, numbness in the toe area, necrosis which may require surgery.
d. the name of their king was Abaddon (Hebrew) and Apollyon (Greek: the Destroyer
The fact that John mentions the name of the king who leads the armies of hellish abyss released in both languages in which was given the revelation (the Bible) is not unimportant. This statement may indicate that the plague hit, both among Jews than among non-Jews of the time, all those who do will not turned to Christ, that is to say that have not surrendered their freedom to submit to His royalty. Cited together, Jews and Greeks in the Bible are always synonymous with representation of all mankind: Rom 1.16; 2.9 to 11, 1 Cor 1.22 to 24 .
The ruling of the 6th Trumpet: v 13-19
is the golden altar which is before God, the heavenly tabernacle, which John hears the voice that directs implementation of the scourge of the 6th trumpet.
contrast to the brazen altar of burnt offering, which was in the court of the Tabernacle, the golden altar was located Within this: Exodus 40,5.26. If the brazen altar used for sacrifice, no blood was flowing ever on the golden altar. The golden altar was the place where the incense rose, symbol of the prayers of the saints: Rev. 8.3. As it was for the opening of the seventh seal, one might think that the misfortune of the 6th trumpet is directly linked to the vengeance of God in answer to the prayers of all the martyrs of faith asking Him to Justice: Rev. 6.10 .
While this was not the case so far, John is precisely the geographical origin of new trouble ahead: the East. Four angels bound at the great river Euphrates (2780 kms), are thin to allow an army of 2 million riders sweep to kill a third of humanity.
As River, it is not the first time that the Euphrates is mentioned in the Bible as a border between different worlds:
- Gen 2.14 : from its reference in the genesis, the Euphrates separates the garden of Eden from the World
- Gen 15,18; Deut 11:24; 1.4 Joshua: he separates the land promised by God to the Jews, Israel, the Gentiles
- Rev. 16.12 : it is the natural barrier between the peoples of the East (Iran, Iraq and, later, India and China ...) and those of the West (Europe, Israel, USA ...)
Considering the geographic reference given by John, we can therefore think that the scourge of the 6th trumpet describes a kind of war, from the East, four coalition anti-Christian spiritual powers (the 4 angels: Islam, Hinduism, Communism, Confucianism?) Against the West, steeped in the old values of Christianity. war which will see the death of one third of the inhabitants of the earth: a clash of civilizations that many predict, short or long term, as inevitable (Samuel P. Huntington: The Clash of Civilizations: Odile Jacob). Like Pilate and Herod, suddenly became friends in their opposition to Jesus: Luke 23.12 forces fundamentally opposed to Christianity will unite and agree to wipe out civilization which is the most mark. There is no doubt of the just judgments of God to punish the first people who first have received the Gospel and have not kept by those who long have been deprived of its light: cf 1 Pet 4.17; Isaiah 2.6 to 10
As is the scourge previous description of the armies from the East leaves no doubt about the diabolical origin of the attack. We find the double character of the devil, the lion and the serpent v 17-19, and his goal is for all men: the murder: John 8.44. What are his armies? Given the accuracy of their geographical origin, we can think that the vision of John here refers to the realities of military! The physicist Bernhard Philbert sees its share for the possible description of who shielded, at John's knowledge, could not be better portrayed than it did.
The big message we communicate in Chapter 9 of the first two misfortunes is that it will come a time when, to judge the earth, God will release spiritual forces of destruction unknown until today. Christ reminds us that Scripture is He upholds all things by His powerful word: Heb 1.3. It is also, as we shall shown with Job, He who keeps the Evil and also allows him to act within the limits it sets him!
Reactions of men after the passage of the first two misfortunes: v 20-21
Despite the carnage and suffering consequent to the passage of the first two misfortunes, John sees no change in attitude no movement of repentance in the heart of those that remain. Men continue to engage in idolatry and the occult. They do not change their practices or their behavior immoral and ungodly. How, then, the process of Judgement entered could stop?
I am coming soon!
