The Locusts from the Bottomless Pit - 25

Well, it is passages like we're looking at tonight that I think has intimidated many, many Christians and caused them to shy away from the book of the Revelation with the thought, well, you must need a code book or something to decipher this. I can't make any sense.

It's like we're reading science fiction. And I can understand that. I've had that sense in my earlier days as I've read various portions of the book and read it as part of my reading through the scriptures. But I trust tonight that our approach will demystify that and set your mind at ease and maybe instill some confidence in you that this book is not for some super professor with a code book to help you understand it. I think you'll see, well, that makes sense.

That's not as mysterious as it first appears. We're in the middle of looking at the trumpet judgments that are recorded here in chapters 8, 9, and onward. And chapter 8 verses 7 through 13 gave a rendering of the first four trumpet judgments. So in a matter of one, two, three, four, five, six, seven verses, we covered four trumpet judgments. Now John is slowing down and we're going to look at the fifth trumpet judgment and he gives a lot of attention to that.

Verses 1 through 12 cover just the fifth trumpet judgment. Let me remind you that John is recording visions that he is privileged to have received and he's recording those. They're part of sacred text. It's inspired text. But John gives the vision, describes it for us, and more often than not without commentary.

He doesn't say, well this, I saw this and it means this or it's that. So we're left to try and discern and to rely upon other scripture for accurate interpretation. When we came to the end of our study the last time, verse 13 was a bit of an additional thought that prepared us for the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpet judgments. Let me remind in verse 13 these words, and I looked and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven saying with a loud voice, woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound. And that alerts us to the fact that there is woe associated with these last three trumpet judgments. There is an intensification of God's judgment that's coming upon the earth. And chapter 5 contains one of the woes, I mean the fifth trumpet contains one of the woes, the sixth trumpet, the second woe, and then the third woe is covered in the seventh trumpet. When you see that, and I looked and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven saying with a loud voice, woe, woe, it's to arrest our attention. It's to bring a seriousness to our thinking.

This is sober. This is arresting. So tonight as we're going to look at this fifth trumpet, I want to draw your attention to the locus of the bottomless pit. That's the heading in my Bible, the fifth trumpet, the locus from the bottomless pit.

And we will look at three points tonight, the description of the locust, the identity of the locust, and the activity of the locust, those three points. But let's begin. It says, then the fifth angel sounded and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. And I don't know if your mind works like mine, but when I'm reading and I see star, I begin to think of heavenly luminaries, stars in the sky. But if you start there, you're going to get confused very, very quickly because that's not what this is about. This is not about the stars in the heavens.

And we're alerted very quickly that we need to be thinking in a different direction. It says, and I saw a star falling from heaven to the earth to him. The star is associated with a masculine pronoun.

To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. John sees a star and notice it says, I saw a star fallen from heaven. At the sounding of this fifth trumpet, he sees a star fallen from heaven, not falling from heaven as in conjunction with the trumpet blast, it's falling. You know, it's something that's happened.

It's past tense. I saw a star fallen from heaven. He mentions a place where it has fallen from.

He mentions a place where it had fallen, namely the earth. I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. At one time, this star had occupied a place in heaven, but is now on the earth. This star receives a key.

Notice what it says. I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.

This star receives a key with which it opens the bottomless pit, the abyss. This star is given the characteristics of will and intellect, and thus we're bound to interpret this symbolically and not figuratively or literally. Now, we need to be careful with our hermeneutic. If we have a hermeneutic that says we've got to interpret the book of the Revelation literally, well, it's okay to start there, but when you come to a passage of scripture like this, you very quickly, when you impose a literal hermeneutic on that, you say, no, wait a minute, this is not working. This has to be understood other than literally.

It has to be understood symbolically. Now, let me remind you of a couple of verses of scripture that will unlock and reveal the identity of this angel, or this star that's fallen. Remember what Jesus said in Luke chapter 10 in verse 18. It's there that he said, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. John, the author of the book of the Revelation and his gospel says this in chapter 12 in verse 9, that Satan was hurled to the earth and his angels with him.

So, who is this star? Well, it's none other than Satan himself. The abyss or the bottomless pit that's referred to is the abode of the evil spirits. Seven times in the book of the Revelation, there is a reference to this abyss, this bottomless pit. It is the place where Satan and his followers remain. Now, let me clarify something here because your mind may be going, wait a minute, I remember some verses that talk about spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.

So, you're telling me that they inhabit the bottomless pit. There are two locations that the scriptures speak of demonic forces. Paul is talking about the armor of God and he says in Ephesians 6, Finally, brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. So, there are demonic forces in the heavenly places.

They are part of what we wrestle against in the spiritual realm. But, there are a host of angels that fell when Satan fell and we read in just one place here, I just turned back a couple of pages in my Bible to Jude verse 6. It says, And the angels who did not keep their proper domain but left their own abode, he, that is God, has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. So, there are fallen angels that God has left in their own abode.

He's reserved in everlasting chains under darkness. So, here are these fallen angels in the bottomless pit, in the abyss that are being referred to here. Satan has been given a key to this bottomless pit, to this abyss and what does it tell us? Verse 2, He opened the bottomless pit and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace so the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. These demons, these fallen angels, they have a king over them.

And you remember at the end of the passage that I read, verse 11. And they, that is these fallen angels, they had a king over them. The angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon. Two names, one name in Hebrew, one name in Greek, both names mean destroyer. That's who he is. He's the destroyer.

He's Satan himself. Now, let's talk about the description, the description of these locusts. Verse 3, Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth and to them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth or any green thing or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads and they were not given authority to kill them but to torment them for five months.

Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. These scorpions, they've been given power. Notice verse 3. And to them, the last part of verse 3, and to them was given power. So a power is granted to them.

But they are, they're under authority. Notice it says, they were commanded. Somebody is commanding them.

Somebody is directing them. They were commanded, what, not to harm the grass of the earth or any green thing or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Again, when you think of locusts, you think of the locusts' plague on Egypt in Moses' time. You think of Joel and the locusts that came and devoured all the vegetation. But these are not insects.

These locusts are not insects because they don't do what locusts do. They're not to harm the grass of the earth or any green thing or any tree, but their focus is upon men and a particular type of men. There is a distinction that's being made. They're given authority, they're given power to harm men on the earth and only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads, verse 4.

Hmm, that's an interesting statement. I'm not going to make much of this, only to say there's an interpretation of the book of the Revelation that says that at this point in the book of Revelation, the church is not on the earth. The church has been raptured, the church is in heaven, and God is now pouring out his judgment upon the earth, void of his church.

The church has been raptured. But that verse seems to fly in the face of that argument. It says they are commanded not to harm the grass of the earth or any green thing or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And the seal of God, we've mentioned that over in chapter 6, we talked about that, and the seal of God is God's protection, God's ownership of those that belong to him, that they are protected, that they are sealed, that they are protected by the armor of God, by the word of God, by the spirit of God.

So, despite the fact that there is this power with authority to bring harm, it doesn't bring harm to those who have found refuge in God, who are resting in the safety of the salvation provided in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now notice this description that begins in verse 7. The shape of the locust was like the horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like lion's teeth, 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. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months.

The description of these locusts. They appear with human faces, which indicates that there's intelligence here involved. Discernment. They have to discern between those who have the seal of God and those who do not have the seal of God. John writes that they have hair like the hair of a woman. They have teeth like those of lions.

What are we to make of that? Well, Satan and his demonic forces seek to entice human beings and ultimately to destroy them. Women and their beautiful hair. It's a picture of enticement. They have hair like a woman. They have teeth that devour. So there's this enticement, then this enticement in order to harm and to destroy. They have breastplates like the breastplates of iron, it says there in verse 9.

What is that? Well, it's for those who think that they can combat these forces, you're up against an army with a breastplate. You're not going to win. They're not somebody you want to take on in battle. They're protected for a purpose. It points to their invincibility. No one on earth can rise up against these evil attacks that are designed to inflict untold harm on the human race. It talks about the sound of their wings in verse 9.

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. Now, again, you read that and you think, well, evidently this army, this is like an army of locusts. It's like this is military conflict. This must be making reference to some geopolitical nation that's engaged in warfare. I don't think so for a couple of reasons.

I'll mention that in a moment. Again, I don't think that this is an army of men. Let me give you two reasons why I don't think so. No army has, as one of their directives, to distinguish between the people of God and the people who are not the people of God. We're only going to attack. We're only going to do damage to those who are unbelievers, as opposed to we're not going to bring any harm to believers. No army has that. Every army, any army that's engaged in battle, believer and unbeliever alike, that distinction is not part of military strategy.

So I don't believe that that's the case. And that's not the way of God. God's not going to employ armies here. This is spiritual warfare. This is demonic activity. It's in the spiritual realm that this is going on. So there's that description. What is their identity?

Well, I've already talked about that. These locusts are an army of demons let loose by Satan for a certain definite purpose. They are going to bring harm and pain to unbelieving people, those who have rejected God and His truth. The question then is, why are they to be let loose?

And when are they to be let loose? Well, I believe again that the context here is God unleashing His judgment on an unbelieving world. And that manifestation of judgment will intensify and escalate as we move closer and closer to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ at His second coming as He comes to bring consummation and the rule of righteousness on this earth. So the world is ripening for judgment.

It reminds me of what God said would characterize things in our day as we move closer and closer to the second coming of our Savior. Romans chapter 1. Three times in this passage we're told, Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves. Verse 26, For this reason God gave them up to vile passions, for even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Verse 28, And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind to do those things which are not fitting. You know, as Christians, God gives us a foretaste of what heaven is like. And it creates longing in our hearts for our heavenly abode when we're free from sin and this world and its brokenness. I think what's being described here is God is giving unbelievers a taste of what hell will be like.

You know the description here? They'll be harmed. People will be harmed. They'll want to die, but they cannot. In those days, men will seek death and will not find it.

They will desire to die and death will flee from them. This is the judgment of God unleashed. And it's the devil and his demons that are being used of God in this judgment. Do you notice with me how clearly that's given that we are being reminded of a sovereign God who is ruling in the heavens above and on the earth beneath?

Verse 1 says, I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given. To him was given. He didn't have the key to unleash the demons out of the bottomless pit. He was given a key. Well, who gave him the key? God Almighty gave him the key. It's time for judgment.

Time for an acceleration of judgment. So he's given a key. And with that key, he opens the bottomless pit, verse 2. Verse 3, out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth and to them what was given power. Who gave them power? They were given power as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded. Who's commanding these demons?

Well, I'm sure that the devil himself has given instructions, but I believe God himself is the one who is commanding and given instructions and set limits. They're commanded not to harm the grass of the earth or any green thing or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. God's restraining this evil. They were not given authority, verse 5, to kill them, but to torment them for five months. I don't think we're to make much of that reference twice in this passage to five months outside the fact that it's God who is restraining. God is setting the limits on their authority, on their power, on the duration of their activity for five months. Because unless those days be shortened, Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24, even the elect would fall away. These days are going to be shortened.

A period of time that they will be allowed to wreak their havoc. So God gives men over. They're like horses prepared for battle, these locusts. They wear crowns as of gold. They have teeth as the teeth of lions. They wear breastplates of iron. They have faces as the faces of men.

They have hair like the hair of women. And one commentator says this, in a word, these spirits represent all that attracts the wicked world, all that which the world of sin considers the source of bliss and salvation. They are the spirits who play on the passions of men. And it's as if God is saying, I'm removing the restraint.

I'm allowing Satan to have an increased amount of activity. And men, you pursue your passions with unrestraint and see where it leads you. Will it lead you to happiness and fulfillment and contentment?

No. It'll bring misery and heartache to a degree that you have no idea. You will come to the place you'll want to die, and you can't. That's what hell will be like, unrelenting torment that never ends. So there's this appeal that is made to the hearts of sinful men. And it's not as though the appeals do not have any effect on those who are believers, but we're protected.

We're sealed. We've got the armor of God. God is going to preserve us.

That's the good news. There's safety inside of Christ. There is hell outside of Christ. Torment and pain and misery. The torments of hell. Their power, verse 10, their power was to hurt men, again, five months. And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, both in Greek, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon. And then John concludes this vision with these words, One woe is past.

Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things. You see the kindness and goodness and mercy of God to warn us of what life is like in the pursuit of sin with no restraint. The devil is a liar. He's a deceiver. He says, throw off all restraint. Defy God's authority. And while he's saying that, his whole intent is to enslave you, to be your master. And where does that lead?

There are people who have believed a lie. If I could only get out from under the restraint of parents and authority and do what I want to do, then I'll be free, then I'll be happy, then I'll know contentment, then I'll... No. Here's a passage that is telling us where that leads. It's misery. It's heartache. It's mental anguish and agony. And rather than joy and satisfaction and happiness, you come to the place where life has no meaning.

You'd rather die than live. And the devil is killing people all around us. But in that day, this yet future, as we move closer and closer to the second coming of Christ, there will be an increased measure. I've been struck in these messages at how many times our consideration in the Book of Revelation has mirrored what we've heard on Sunday morning in 2 Thessalonians. We heard this morning, the coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteousness, deception among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved.

And for this reason, God will send them strong delusion that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. This notion that I'm going to live my life the way I want and at a convenient time, at my choosing, I will decide for Jesus. I'll quit living for myself. I'll quit living for the world.

I'll do the right thing. That is such a lie, as if you had the power to save yourself. Now, call upon the Lord while He is near.

Today is the day of salvation. And if God and His word has arrested your attention and helped you to see the deceitfulness of the evil one and his intent to ruin your life, why persist in disobedience? Why persist on a path that leads to destruction? You say, well, I'm having too much fun. Right.

Right. Where does that fun lead you? Where is that fun going to lead you? It is a dead end road. The broad way leads to destruction. So here's a passage for warning. Here's a passage for serious consideration.

And may God and His spirit use it to encourage us as Christians. I've echoed the words of others of you who have said you're concerned, not so much for yourself, but for your children and your grandchildren. Well, here's a passage that tells us that despite a day, even when God pulls back his restraining influence and allows the devil and his demons to wreak havoc in this world, those who are in Christ, who are sealed by the Spirit of God, will be protected. Our children will be protected. Our grandchildren will be protected. You will be protected. But the only place of protection is in Christ.

Outside is nothing but hellish fear and torment. So there's encouragement for us. But there's also a very strong warning here for any who are outside of Christ. Let's bow and pray. Father, thank You for Your word. Thank You for the admonitions, for the warnings. Thank You for the encouragements. Cause Your word to bear fruit in our lives for the good of our souls and for the honor and glory of Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.