Revelation 9: 1 – 21
Satan’s Assistant
1 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. 2 And 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. 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. 7 The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 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. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 11 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. 12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things. 13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm. 20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
In today’s study we are going to learn the name of the fallen angel who possesses the Satan’s partner. It is his number one assistant fallen angel. This one is so bad that he has to be bound in prison. Once he is set free, look out people on earth.
We are now specifically in the realm of the supernatural. The four winds of earth are doing their work and now the further elements of the spiritual world will also be called on to intervene. What follows is not to be seen visually by mankind, who will only know of it by its effects, although it is seen by John because he is in vision. It is often assumed that such dreadful events have not yet occurred, but such an idea is without foundation. The invisible activity of the powers of evil have occurred right from the beginning. Within limits placed by God Satan has constantly attacked both the world and the church. These descriptions put his attacks in vivid and pictorial terms. Because we are cushioned from them we should not think that they have not happened. And the first began around the time of John and has continued through the centuries.
1 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.
We have learned that ‘stars’ are supernatural beings or angels. Please notice the statement, ‘which had fallen to the earth.’ If you look at this portion again you will note that John has seen the angel as having already ‘fallen’ When the bible refers to angels as ‘fallen’ we are talking about those who have rebelled against our Wonderful Holy Adoni Yahweh, Father God.
Isaiah foresaw this development in exactly the same manner described by John. In chapter 14 v.12 we read, "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations!" This may suggest that he has in mind the words of our Lord recorded in Luke 10.18, ‘I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven’. It would indicate that the fallen star may be Satan himself. John will identify later on Satan as the dragon. So, some suggest that if this angel was Satan is would stand to reason that John would identify Satan now and not later. I also believe that John at this point might not know it is Satan. Would you? In fact when we are told after we are resurrected and actually see Satan we will be somewhat confused. We read in the book of Isaiah chapter 14, 12“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ 15Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. 16“Those who see you will gaze at you, and consider you, saying: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, 17 Who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities, who did not open the house of his prisoners?’
The custodian of the keys are in our Lord Jesus’ control. Look again at verse 18 of chapter 1 and we read, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
What John sees as happening at this point in time is the consequent giving of the key. It is possible from viewing the future occurrences that he comes to find out that this angel is in fact Satan.
Our Lord Jesus gave Satan the keys so that he could carry out this punishment on the earth and those who dwell on it. Just as Satan had to have permission of God to afflict Job, Satan brings all of these terrible things on the earth and to people only by permission of God.
The bottomless pit is also referred to as ‘The abyss’. It includes the abode of evil spirits, a place which they seek to avoid at all costs as Luke points out in chapter 8.31. It is therefore a general term for the world of the dead and of spirits. Furthermore the key of the abyss would only be given to someone very important. During this age Satan is given a certain amount of license by God to carry out his evil intent on the world.
2 And 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. 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.
The shaft of the abyss is opened. Since this pit is the imprisoning chamber of evil vicious spirits can you imagine the hurt they will do once released. The smoke going upwards like the smoke of a furnace parallels Genesis 19.28 where the same description is given of the smoke going up from Sodom and Gomorrah after God’s judgment has come upon them, and we are justified in seeing in it an impending warning.
The rising of a great cloud of locusts was often seen and described in such fashion. Vast amounts of smoke are seen to rise and are then discerned to be a huge cloud of locust like creatures. Often in the Middle East people have thought there was a great fire as a result of seeing thick smoke in the distance, only for it to turn out to be a vast cloud of locusts. Such a sight struck terror in men’s hearts as they considered the effects.
Satan is permitted by God (‘was given the key’) to release evil spirits on the world, although the people of God will have special protection from them (9.4). So God tells John that soon (from his point of view) there is to be a release of powers of evil on the world.
‘The sun and the air were darkened as a result of the smoke of the pit’. The darkness is clearly ominous, warning of the dreadful things about to happen. The rulers of the darkness of this world are emerging. Huge clouds of locusts which blotted out the sun regularly brought fear into the hearts of men. In vision John recognizes here a greater threat.
There are many people who love to watch sci-fi movies. They love the possibilities of having aliens attack our planet. Well happy birthday Sci-fi fans. The locusts are not of this earth. The idea is simply that as part of the judgment of the great tribulation, God will allow demonic hordes, previously imprisoned, to descend upon the earth like a swarm of destructive locusts.
So a question we all should be asking is how come God would call them locusts if they are not literal locusts, but demonic spirits who swarm and destroy like locusts? It is because locusts are agents of God's judgment. So are these demons under God’s direction.
Please notice that ‘power’ was given to them. What this means is that ‘authority’ has been granted to them to do the things further described.
Please note the phrase, ‘as the scorpions of the earth have power.’ As God has given the ability of a scorpion to hurt in extreme pain, so will the locust like creatures be given the same authority.
The description of then as ‘locusts’ connects with the plagues of Egypt as we read in the book of Exodus chapter 10 verse 12 but there the likeness ends. These are not here to devour fields and grain, but to attack men directly like flying scorpions. But the attack is only to be upon such men as are not sealed by God. Thus will men as a whole undergo great spiritual tribulation. They are spiritual foes and will not therefore be visible. Men may well be unaware that these evil spirits are involved in what happens to them.
4 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. 5 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. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.
When Satan opens the abyss, here come the demons in force to deceive and destroy. They have such a vicious nature that God had to bind them to keep the human race from being annihilated before the appointed time, but now the restrains are off.
Mankind has been deceived to pray to statues by false religions. We are going to be informed that when you do you are praying to a demon. So, if mankind has wanted these demons as their gods. Now they get to interact with the ones they have been praying to. They get to experience how much these gods like them.
Take a special notice of the term, ‘They were commanded’. ‘These creatures are under control even though things appear different. Our Great and Holy God Is in total control of all things. Praise the Lord at all times.
A question to ask is ‘why are these locusts told not to hurt anything green.’ This statement lets us know that we are not dealing with normal locusts for normal locusts go after green plants and trees. Real locusts would eat every green thing that they could find
Scorpion stings are rarely deadly but they are so excessively painful that men so affected wish that they could die. I see here the Mercy of our Holy Creator. There is a limit set by God on what these creatures can do (‘it was given to them’) and limits on their time of activity.
It is probable that the anguish is to be seen as spiritual rather than physical, torment in the mind and spirit rather than in the body, although such anguish often produces, or results from, physical consequences. ‘Like the torment of a scorpion’ describes piercing pain which makes a man writhe in anguish. As a result men will want to die, but they will be so ill that they will be unable to find that way out. People with certain illnesses, physical, mental and spiritual, have suffered such torments, and when this occurs on a large scale, as it has for example in the Plagues with their distressing mental and spiritual effects, it may well be seen in these terms. Modern man likes to think he ‘knows’ the causes of illnesses which at various times especially plague mankind, but John is saying there is more to some of them than that. And when spiritual darkness falls on a land the same may be the case.
As a Psychologist I see firsthand how bad things are. Today we have a lot of modern toys to play with and amuse ourselves. Yet, the number one issue in counseling is ‘Depression’. When you run into a person who is ‘Manic Depressed’ you are faced with a person who can get so low in their feelings towards life that they are high suicide candidates. What do you think people will be like when these evil creatures are released on mankind?
7 The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 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. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months.
The locusts are now described in more detail and it is clear they are such locusts as have never been, nor ever could be. The passage is heavy in symbolism and we must recognize that they are almost certainly not seen by those they attack. They are described from heaven’s viewpoint.
We see the same thing in the book of Daniel. Do you remember the vision of Nebuchadnezzar regarding the 4 empires on earth? Remember he saw the empires as a statue of valuable precious metals; gold, silver, bronze, and iron. This was an earthly view. Then later on Daniel sees the same kingdoms from heavens point of view. What did these kingdoms look like to the witnesses in Heaven – beasts?
Those on earth see nothing. They are just aware of their effects. They are spiritual beings, fallen creatures arising from the abyss where they have been imprisoned, and invisible to mortal eye. It is by their effects that they are known. But John sees them for he is in a visionary state.
The locusts, invisible to mankind, are a mixture of strength and false piety. The appearance of these locusts is both frightening and repulsive. The description of the locusts indicates that they are demons who are given physical forms in order to manifest their destruction and torment.
Describing them as horses indicated their warlike character. Their crowns depict them as conquerors. Their pseudo-golden crowns indicate the authority that has been given to them to cause significant hurt on all the earth dwellers. We need to stop for a second and realize that The devil, or his demons, cannot really hurt anyone covered in the blood of Jesus.
They have the characteristics of men and animals which I believe imitate the living creatures around the Throne of God. Human faces show intelligence and as you know was one of the Cherubim around the Throne of our Holy Jehovah Elyon – The Lord Most High.
In the book of Numbers 6 verse 5 we read about the Nasserites, who made a vow to Adoni Yahweh. Part of this vow was not to cut their hair. This long hair on men would be connected with the dedication to God of the Nasserites. Thus they represent the anti-Heaven and their dedication is to Satan.
The teeth of lions show them to be destructive and hurtful. Breastplates of iron make them indestructible. Wings symbolize swiftness. The stings in their tails give them the power to hurt. Fortunately for mankind, their period of torment is limited to five mouths.
Having been placed in an abyss since early times in history, these creatures want out and they are not happy campers. They want to cause some real hurt. Therefore they are like fearsome war horses, they have lions’ teeth, they wear breastplates as of iron, they sound like the rushing of chariots and they have the sting of scorpions. In other words they have great power, are belligerent and are damaging to man.
‘Like horses made ready for war --- like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to war’. This picture has in mind Joel 2.4-5, where Joel is speaking of a fearsome race, probably of locusts, who will invade Jerusalem. It is a symbol of fierce attack.
Another note on the term ‘As it were a breastplate of iron’, This description is a demonstration of strength and destruction, in contrast with the breastplate of righteousness as Paul teaches in the book of Ephesians chapter 6 14. They are hard, unloving creatures.
In short, they will be impossible to resist or to destroy. There will be no escaping their worldwide onslaught as there will be nowhere to run or hide from them. As these demons are compared to scorpions, it is clear that their mission is to hurt men. The very nature of this full scale demonic torment that drives men to seek death and not find it, or to pursue death and not catch it, is not described.
These demons are given the power to torment unbelievers for 5 full months with no relief for the tormented. This stresses God's sovereign power over the timing of their assault. Eventually God will return them to the abyss with their evil master, then send them to the lake of fire
They demonstrate that these creatures are not earthly. What they have is fading and unreal. But this does not mean that we can ignore the great danger they represent. We should thank God that His people are protected from them. In all this symbolism we are to see something fierce, and yet inadequate, strong, and yet held in restraint, vicious and without pity, but pitiful, attacking men’s minds and thoughts and bringing them to agony and despair.
Now the next verse helps us understand that these creatures are in fact demons who were so bad that they were put away under lock and key. Verse 20 clears this up for us by saying, ‘20But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons.’
11 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.
We will learn in chapter 11 and 17 that this beast or fallen angel leader is going to be the spiritual force behind the Antichrist. for he is the one who will kill the ‘Two Witnesses’ and persecutes the saints of God and overcomes them.
‘Abaddon, means ‘destruction’ or of Death. It is the ultimate destruction. Here it is used of the prince of Death.
The Greek means ‘the one who destroys’. Those who follow him go to destruction. It is the land of the dead, the land of emptiness. It includes the place in which the fallen angels are ‘bound’.
12One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.
As with the seals, while the first five are concurrent, the sixth leads up to the end of time. (The seventh is the end of time, the last trump). Thus while the first woe is concurrent with what goes before, the second and third ‘woe’ finalizes history. The awfulness of the first woe is brought out in this warning, and what more woeful than demonic activity? But there is further emphasis on the awfulness of the next two woes.
13Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”
The number six indicates man or mankind. "Horns" mean power and strength. The number four means worldwide. This "golden altar" is where God is. God is never associated with other metals.
At the blowing of the 6th trumpet, the 2nd woe is released: the release of "the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates" .These are not the same as any previously mentioned who held back the winds for they are ‘bound’ and need releasing. In all this we see that the powers of evil have been bound by our Holy Lord Jesus Christ as we understand from the Gospel of Mark chapter 3.27, “No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.” Their release is dependent on His will, and in accordance with His purpose.
The mention of the River Euphrates suggests the sphere of their operations which is the Mesopotamian region. I do not know if you ever heard of 40/10 window? Well, if you took a globe and went twenty degrees above the equator you would come to the Islamic territories which have had a lot of demonic activity throughout time. This is the area of Babylon where mankind wanted to throw off God’s Lordship and go their own way. This is where the false religion started.
When you go back to the letters of the seven churches’s you read an important description by our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. We read in chapter 2, “12“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13“I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
Please note the remark, ‘Where Satan’s Throne is’. You see when Babylon [the one in Iraq] was destroyed Satan’s followers moved to Pergamos, which is located in modern day Turkey. If you go to Iraq or Turkey and look at these spots all you will see are ruins. So, where do you think Satan moved his throne to? Take a look at where Peter wrote his second letter, We read in chapter 5, “She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark [The one who wrote the Gospel of Mark] my son.” Is Peter is literal Babylon? No, he is in Rome. This is where Satan moved his throne
Now we will see in chapter 11 verse 8 this statement, “And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” This poetic description of where the ‘Two Witnesses’ will be killed is Jerusalem. Jerusalem had become so sinful that spiritually it was likened to Sodom and Egypt. This is the same thing Peter did by saying that even though he was in physical Rome, he was in spiritual Babylon because this is where Satan has set up his throne.
Now what is my point in all this? We will read in the next couple of chapters how the Euphrates river is going to dry up so the kings of the east can come across it. There will not be any Chinese armies coming on land to attack Israel. The Chinese can currently field an army of that size. However it is very doubtful this could be a human army due to the inability to equip, feed, transport, not to mention the water it would take to support that size contingent. What about the possibility of air strikes and missiles. The need for human forces therefore is not needed. Those things taken into consideration strongly suggest this will be a supernatural rather than a human force, especially as the four angels (demons) are commanding this force.
As we read this war involves demonic attacks. The old false religion that Satan created began in Babylon which sat next to the real Euphrates River. The false religious Babylonian system has moved from literal Iraq and now the Spiritual Babylon sits on the spiritual waters which are now Rome.
15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.
God’s timing is always exact. Here it is fixed with computer like precision, to the very hour, with the aim of releasing on the earth at that point in time four murderous angels who had been prepared for this very purpose. Their aim was the slaughter of ‘the third part of men’.
The end result of this demonic 200 million was that a third of the remaining mankind would be killed. Note that a quarter of mankind was killed during the seal judgments, leaving three quarters of the remaining population. As one third is now killed, 50% of mankind now has been killed. (one third of 75 that was remaining is 25%)
There is only one definite article with respect to ‘the hour and day and month and year’, stressing that the four elements of time must be seen together as indicating the defining moment, detailed step by step. They are to have their hour. The slaughter is to be considerable, ‘the third part of men’ in that region. We are not told how long they would be operating. The aim was rather to bring out the evil forces at work against the world, and to bring out that God had them under control, only allowing their release on His timing.
The four angels were clearly able to call on a multitude of assistant demons. They have been held back until the right time came. Like the previous horsemen these have tails which hurt. The point is that they were dangerous both in front and behind, and there were two hundred million of them. So these evil spirits, presumably from the abyss, are released under the four fallen angels. And their purpose, unlike that of the scorpion-locusts, is to cause wholesale bloodshed as well as spiritual distress. Once again we are not to see these evil spirits as being seen by men. Men will only be aware of their effects as they see the carnage and distress round about them, wrought by men under the influence of evil spirits. The problem before the Flood (widespread demon possession) is again raising its ugly head. Men alive at the time will see nothing of these creatures, but John is allowed to see the real cause of the bloodshed and distress. We notice that God does not carry out the carnage. Evil angels (and evil men whom they utilize) are sufficient cause.
There is a program coming out on TV that in a way covers this nightmare. People can have a day where there is no law. They are free to do whatever they want to do. They will be like animals that lie in prey to kill others. Awful!
‘Two hundred million’ (twice ten thousand times ten thousand) - John was aware of the vastness of the number. He assures his readers ‘I heard the number of them’ - to show the vast armies released. The evil warriors have ‘breastplates of fire and hyacinth (smoke) and brimstone’. This was the appearance of the breastplates in the vision, projecting the awfulness of these creatures. Fire and smoke is paralleled with brimstone partly to bring out the difference between the pure fire which speaks of God and the hellish fire in mind here. Brimstone is always a symbol of terrible judgment
The horses have ‘heads of lions’, this depicts their fierceness. They only purposes death. ‘From their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone’, probably from the mouths of the horses, paralleling the breastplates of their riders, underlining the hellish nature of the visitation.
From the mouths of these horses issues only destruction (verse 18), brought about by the fire, smoke and brimstone. They bring no hope for man. They are the opposite of the One from whose mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, which had a positive purpose and did offer hope as well as judgment (19.15). We must not take these pictures literally. No sharp-two edged sword will really come out of the mouth of the Son of Man It speaks of a spiritual reality. Thus the same principle applies here. The spiritual effect of these evil creatures will be destructive
‘Their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they hurt’. So like the scorpion locusts these creatures’ horses hurt viciously with their tails, suggesting the causing of spiritual distress and torment. Death proceeds from their mouths and great distress from their tails, as they incite mankind to evil. Their tails have heads of serpents which bite and bring misery. In other words the activity of these creatures is both deadly and spiritually distressing. They will be responsible for widespread slaughter.
When I watch the History Channel I am amazed how a few insane men in Germany were able to do the atrocities to fellow humans. The last century has seen slaughter on a massive scale, partly at the hands of the Nazi’s and a demon-possessed Hitler. This may well have been caused by these demons. A scary thing to remember is that during WWII we still have the ‘Restrained Version’. Wait till this is removed, look out!.
We can be certain of is that they cannot directly ‘hurt’ those who have the seal of God on their foreheads. They come from the very gates of Hades, but they will not prevail against those who belong to Christ, although no doubt they can produce conditions that result in the deaths of many of them. The seal saves from the wrath of God not the wrath of men. We are again reminded of our Lord Jesus words in the Gospel of Luke 10.19, ‘behold I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you’ . Spiritually God’s people are safe. But physically they will have to face tribulation.
20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
If you took the time to research you will see that idolatry, mysticism, spiritism, Satanism and all forms of false region are becoming the norm as demons lead people into more wicked and vicious behaviors. Violent crimes like murder are absolutely rampant. Without any sense of morality, the evil, unrepentant people will imitate the demon horde's murderous blood lust. Of course, believers in God will doubtlessly be their prime targets.
Once again, people will refuse to repent of their sins as the world of unrepentant people competes for the scarce supplies of food, clothing, water, shelter and medicines.
We will come upon a popular subject soon and that is ‘The Mark of The Beast’. A lot of questions and opinions run rampant. How can people be so dumb and take a mark on their forehead or hand? We at the time of this writing the State of New York has just mandated ID cards for every citizen of New York. Their reason for doing this is because of the Immigration problem. When faced in emergency situations people will easily be forced to do things.
Verse 21 lists the big 4 sins at the end of times. The significance of these sins is great in light of present trends in the world. It's no coincidence that the four major sins listed here are today four of the most serious problems facing law enforcement.
(1) The first of these characteristic sins is murder. For whatever reason, societal permissiveness, lack of punishment or lack of faith, there has been an alarming increase in murder throughout the US and the world. One factor is the rejection of absolute standards of right and wrong. When a judge who posts the Ten Commandments in his courtroom is sued, you know society has its priorities upside down. The murder of unborn children in our day is a stench in God's nostrils. Women and men should repent of these murders.
(2) The second prominent sin of the Tribulation era will be drug related occult activities. The word sorceries is used in verse 21. It comes from the Greek word meaning pharmacy, and refers here to the practice of the occult tied to the use of drugs.
The city of Philadelphia is the leading import area in the east coast. This city is perfect to move the drugs north, south, or west.
Another category of skyrocketing use is in so called designer drugs. There is a strong link between drug use and demon possession. As far back as 1971, the International Journal of Social Psychiatry dealt with the reality of demon possession and how to diagnose it.
(3) The third prominent sin of the Tribulation will be rampant immorality. "Porneia," the Greek word used in this verse, refers to all kinds of sexual activity Well, folks, as anyone can plainly see, we're there!
(4) The fourth characteristic of the Tribulation will be thievery of all kinds. Crime in all of its manifestations is on the upsurge today.
When a nation, founded as one nation under God, gives up its sovereignty under God in favor of "interdependence" on the world, you can see where the future lies. To be a friend of this future system in the sense of compromising God's viewpoint of life and letting the world squeeze you into its mold is to commit adultery, spiritually speaking.
Remember, also, that in a true relationship with God through Jesus Christ, believers are viewed as being the "Bride" of Christ (2 Cor. 11 v.2) that’s another reason that playing around with false religion is viewed throughout the Bible as spiritual adultery.
For the last 30 years, America has been engulfed in a culture war that threatens the nation's very foundation, its very survival. God's word tells us in Luke 12 v.48 that "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."
In the history of the world has any nation been more blessed than the US? Yet there is always a cost to immorality. And today we are beginning to pay it. In the past 30 years there has been a 560% increase in violent crime. Illegitimate births have increased 419%. Divorce rates have tripled. The number of children living in single parent homes has tripled. The teen suicide rate has increase 200%. Student Achievement Tests have plummeted 80 points.
A famous quote by Billy Graham rings truer today, He said that if God didn't judge America soon, he would have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. Our Great and Holy Creator never has to apologize for anything.
It's not just the US that is going down the toilet. The entire world is in a headlong plunge into the morality of Sodom and Gomorrah and unfortunately into the same judgment. Would you not agree with me that the time is now ripe for God’s harvest?
