: The Strange Creatures from the Bottomless Pi

This is Truth Matters Daily Devotion with Dr. Cheryl Davis. Truth Matters is a ministry of the Truth Project whose mission is to empower men and women in the Christian faith to teach biblical truth in the culture and the marketplace of ideas using the Bible as a sacred trust of truth in sharing the message of Jesus. Learn more about the ministry of the Truth Project at www.projecttruthmatters.com. Today, here's your host to talk about the strange creatures from the bottomless pit.

Hi, I'm Dr. Cheryl Davis, and thank you for listening to Truth Matters. So let's talk about the demons from the pit. The demons had a number of unusual characteristics. So one, I would like to say that they are imperial creatures. If you're taking notes, I would write down these are imperial creatures, meaning that they were shaped like horses prepared for battle. And this really signifies their strength and fearlessness of horses in battle that we have mentioned previously.

Primarily today, horses are viewed just as a mode of transportation and for pleasure. But in biblical times, they were a strong tool of war. The demons are coming out prepared for battle. Second, these demons look to be invulnerable creatures. They have golden-like crowns on their head in verse seven.

They're going forth with the intent to win the battle. And they are intelligent creatures. And we know that because the Bible says that they have faces like men, which speak of their intelligence.

And they are highly organized, intelligent forces of evil. The locust hair is said to be like a woman's hair. And this speaks of seductiveness. In the ancient world, a woman's hair was a tool of seduction. The locust will have seductive skills in accomplishing their goals.

And what I mean by seductive skills is that they will be easy to influence those, to follow them, to judge them. And they are very cunning. They are inhuman creatures saying that they have lion-like teeth speak of their power, their ability to rip and destroy their prey, much like lions do. They have armor like iron, meaning they were indestructible. Demons are only vulnerable to the name and power of Jesus Christ.

They have been cooped up for thousands and thousands of years. But when the demons burst forth, they will swarm like pouring rain. You know, if you hear a thunderstorm and you're pouring rain and there's tin on your roof, it sounds like hell is hitting your house, but not always.

It's big drops of rain. Demons will pour out of the bottomless pit much like this. So these demons are going to do significant damage. Their damage will be painful. In verse 10, it talks about their sting will be like the sting of a scorpion.

And we know that the sting of a scorpion is one of the most painful experiences known to man. Their damage will be protracted. And what I mean by protracted is that it will continue to last. It will not stop.

In chapter 9, verses 5 and 10, it tells us that it will last five months. Their power is not to kill but to torment. Many will experience severe pain so much to the point that they will request death, but they cannot find death. Their damage will also be personal. First, I said it will be painful. Second, I said it would be protracted.

Third, it will be personal. And we know that in verse four, the attack upon those who are not the elect of God. If you got to remember the 144,000 Jewish evangelists are excluded, as are the Jews and Gentiles they have won to Christ. This attack will be personally to those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads, as it says in verse four, Revelation 22, verse four indicates that in the heavenly city, those who are the Lord's will have his name on their foreheads. And lastly, their damage will be perpetual. And Revelation chapter nine, verse six, man will seek death and will not find it.

They will desire to die, and death will flee from them. You've been listening to Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis. Truth Matters is a ministry of The Truth Project, a North Carolina based ministry dedicated to teaching biblical truth and sound theology to those inside and outside of the church. If you'd like to listen to these messages on demand, go to ProjectTruthMatters.com and click on the podcast link. Dr. Davis is also available to speak to your ministry group or church function. She can be reached by email at CherylDavis at ProjectTruthMatters.com. Or if you'd like to send a letter, the address is Project Truth Matters, Post Office Box 159, St. Paul's, North Carolina, 28384. You can hear Truth Matters weekdays on this radio station at 8.20 AM and 5.20 PM with a full length teaching program on Saturday afternoon at 12.30. Until next time, let's all work together to teach a biblical truth, to assist, equip, edify, and encourage one another, and bring the Gospel to the world, because truth matters.