Book of Revelation Chapter 9 Opening of the Fifth and Sixth Seals
Book of Revelation Week Date Topic 1 11 Mar 15 Introduction 2 18 Mar 15 Prologue, Greetings, Doxology, and Vision: Chapter 1 3 25 Mar 15 To the Seven Churches: Chapter 2 4 01 Apr 15 To the Seven Churches: Chapter 3 5 08 Apr 15 The Throne In Heaven: Chapter 4 6 15 Apr 15 The Scroll and The Lamb: Chapter 5 7 22 Apr 15 The Seals: Chapter 6 8 29 Apr 15 144,000 Sealed: Chapter 7 9 06 May 15 The Seventh Seal and Trumpets: Chapter 8 10 13 May 15 Senior Blessing 11 20 May 15 The Seventh Seal and Trumpets: Chapter 9 12 27 May 15 The Angel and the Little Scroll: Chapter 10 13 03 Jun 15 Start of Summer Series
In our previous class Chapter 8 We discovered symbolism that ties back to Old Testament (and New Testament) ceremonies and scriptures --Golden Censer, Atonement, Cleansing The chapter began with the Lamb (Christ) opening the seventh seal, followed by silence, then prayers of the saints Seven angels sounded the first of four trumpets announcing the judgment that will impact the earth in the near future much of this parallels the writings of the historian Josephus, who lived during this time Each sound ushered in a different calamity upon the earth The remaining trumpets we ll find in Chapter 9
This week s study Chapter 9 We learn about the fifth an sixth trumpets This chapter builds upon chapter 8 and has elements of chapter 6 The sounding of the fifth trumpet mentions a fallen star thought to be Satan The sounding of the sixth trumpet announces the release of four angels of the Euphrates They arrive in the form of horses with riders, mostly likely describing the Roman Army Even though they were directed to kill one third of mankind, the rest still did not repent of their sins
Year of the four emperors 69 A.D. Nero ruled from 54-68 A.D. Most of Rome is destroyed by a fire in 64 A.D. Christians confessed to the crime, but it is not known whether these confessions were induced by torture Began the first Roman-Jewish War in 66 A.D. In 67, Nero dispatched Vespasian to restore order Nero committed suicide in 68 A.D. A civil war followed Nero s death The social, military, and political upheavals of the period had empire-wide impacts Four emperors ruled in succession Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian in 69 A.D. Galba s Praetorian Guard killed him in the Forum Otho committed suicide Vespasian s loyalists tracked down and killed Vitellius The first Roman-Jewish war ends in 70 A.D. with the Temples destruction
The Fifth Angel Sounds (9:1-6) The fifth angel sounded his trumpet (9:1-2) A star had fell from the earth (Satan/evil) Given a key to the shaft of the Abyss Smoke rises from the Abyss, darkening the sun and sky Locusts (a force/demons) came down from heaven (9:3-6) Out of the smoke created from the Abyss They were given instructions Not to harm the grass of the earth, any plant, or tree Only harm those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads Only allowed to torture, but not kill them, for five months Agony the un-godly suffered was like that of scorpion sting, they would beg to die, but death would elude them Christ mentions demons would return to Israel (Mt 12:38)
Josephus writings Jewish Wars Along all the roads also vast numbers of dead bodies lay in heaps, and even many of those that were so zealous in deserting, at length chose rather to perish within the city; for the hopes of burial made death in their own city appear, of the two, less terrible to them. Truly, the terror was so very great, that he who survived called them that were first dead happy, as being at rest already; as did those that were under torture in the prisons, declare, that, upon this comparison, those that lay unburied were the happiest.
Locusts Described (9:7-11) Like they were prepared for battle Form described Name in Hebrew was Abaddon, Greek - Apollyon Names means ruin or destruction / destroyer Abyss is only mentioned in Luke 8, other than Revelation Isaiah 14:4 tells us that Isaiah was prophesying against the king of Babylon Revelation uses similar imagery in Revelation 12:7-9 shows Satan and his angels being thrown down to the earth In Luke 10:17-18 we see Jesus using the same imagery also. The angel of the Abyss was king over them (Satan)
The First Woe is Past (9:12) The first woe is past; the other two woes are yet to come meaning? Many, many interpretations, depending upon how you approach Revelation (rise of Islam, World Wars, etc.) From an historical perspective: The first woe is the siege of Jerusalem representing pestilence (sin brings a shambles to life) (Ch 9:1-12) The second woe was possibly the destruction of Jerusalem representing conquest (torture/torment) (Ch 9:13-21) The third woe was to be announced with the seventh trumpet, God s plans and people would triumph (Ch 11) The Bible mention that the second woe is passed in 11:14 It is interesting that in 8:13, the eagle declares, Woe, woe, woe
The Sixth Angel Sounds (9:13-19) At the trumpets sound, a voice comes from the four horns of the golden alter (Ex 30:1-10) Voice tells the sixth angle to release the four angles who are bound at the Euphrates The four angles were released Mission was to kill a third of mankind Mounted troops numbered 100,000,000 Appearance Breast plates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow Head of horses were like lions, from which fire spew Tails of horses were like snakes which would inflict injury They emit plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur kill a third of mankind
The Rest of Mankind (9:20-21) The rest of mankind not killed by the plagues did not repent of the work of their hands Sins of the heart (internal) They did not stop worshiping demons They did not stop worshiping idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood Sins of the flesh (external) They did not repent of murders They did not repent of the magic arts They did not repent of their sexual immorality They did not repent of their thefts
Summary of Chapter 9 We learned about the fifth an sixth trumpets This chapter builds upon chapter 8 and has elements of chapter six The sounding of the fifth trumpet mentions a fallen star thought to be Satan The sounding of the sixth trumpet announces the release of four angels of the Euphrates They arrive in the form of horses with riders, mostly likely describing the Roman Army Even though they were directed to kill one third of mankind, the rest still did not repent of their sins