WOE, WOE Revelation 9:1-12
There can be little doubt that the Book of Revelation contains some of the most frightening images in the entire Bible.
We are in the midst of the seven trumpet judgments. The first four trumpets have been sounded and they brought forth horrible scenes of death and destruction. The earth’s environment has been shattered and mankind is writhing under the awful judgments of a holy God. Chapter 8 closes with an angel flying through Heaven pronouncing three “woes” upon the “inhabiters of the earth”. This angel knows that the plagues unleashed by the sounding of the last three trumpets will be far more horrible than anything we have witnessed yet.
Why does the Lord give us these graphic descriptions of what the world will face during the Tribulation? Why write about such tragedy, death and suffering? I think there are three very good reasons why these things are dealt with in the book of Revelation.
a. These things are mentioned so the church will know what we have been saved from and to know that God will deliver His people from this kind of judgment.
b. He extends this glimpse of the future as a warning to those who have not trusted Jesus as their Savior.
c. They are given so that those of us who know the truth might be motivated to share the Gospel with the lost.
I. v. 1 A DREADFUL SENCE
After the fifth angel sounds his trumpet, we are introduced to a horrible personality. It is my opinion that we are given a description of the Devil himself in this verse. Look at how he is described.
A. He Is A Notorious Personality – He is called a “star”. I believe that “star” is a comet while this star is a literal person.
When we think of stars, we often think of celebrities; of those who are famous in this world. There is a sense in which this person is famous. In fact, he is known in three worlds. He is known in Heaven; he is known on earth and he is known under the earth. He is a notorious personality.
Of course, the Devil has a name. His name is “Lucifer”, Isa. 14:12. The name “Lucifer” means “Brilliant star; Light-bearer or Shining one”. So, we are introduced to Lucifer, a famous personality.
B. He Is A Fallen Personality – The word “fall” is a perfect tense verb. That means it refers to something that took place in the past which still has present results. In other words, the sense of that word is “fallen”. We are dealing with a fallen personality.
Satan’s fall took place sometime in the past, Luke 10:18. As you know, Satan or Lucifer was a highly exalted archangel, but he was not content to be what the Lord created him to be. He wanted to be God, Isa. 14:12-17; Eze. 28:11-19. Pride was found in Lucifer and he was cast out of Heaven. He still has access to the presence of God where he accuses the brethren, Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7. In fact, he is the “prince of the power of the air”, Eph. 2:2. But, there will come a day when Satan will be eternally cast down to the earth, Rev. 12:10. So, here we see Satan, cast out of Heaven and forced to confine his activities to the earth.
The thing that brought Satan down is the same thing that causes mankind his worst problems: Pride! Pride will cause you to think you are good enough without God. “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall,” Pro. 16:18.
C. He Is A Fearsome Personality – This notorious, fallen figure is given a key to the bottomless pit. He is given the authority to unlock a terrible prison and unleash a horrific plague upon the world. We were told in Rev. 1:18 that Jesus has the keys of “death and of Hell”. For a short time, the power over a host of demonic spirits imprisoned in Hell is given to Satan.
While we are on the subject of the devil, allow me to make a few statements about him. First, Satan is a real personality. He exists in this universe and his power is very real. He is not a myth; there is a very real Devil.
Second, Satan has never been in Hell. He is not there today and he never wants to go there. He will be sent there one day, Rev. 20:10, lake of fire. When he goes, he will go as a victim and not as a ruler. He hates the thought of Hell, but he will be punished there throughout eternity!
Third, Satan is one of the great mysteries of the Bible. Why would God allow a being like him to have the power that he does? Satan does have power! That is why we are told to be aware of him and of what he is doing, 1 Pet. 5:8. He has more power than you or I have, but praise the Lord, God is far more powerful than Satan will ever be!
A Dreadful Personality
II. A DREADFUL PLACE v. 2
In this verse, Satan takes the key he has been given and he uses it to open the door to Hell. This verse tells us just how close men are to Hell. One turn of the key and Hell is unleashed upon the earth. This verse has some things to say about that place called Hell.
A. It Is A Deep Place – it is called a “bottomless pit”. The word “bottomless” gives us our word “abyss”. It refers to a very deep chasm. The word literally means “well”. When Satan turns his key and opens the pit, he is literally opening the shaft that leads into Hell itself.
Science denies it; lost men deny it; human reason denies it; but there is a place under this earth called Hell. The souls of lost people suffer in the fires of Hell. It is clear from the verses that follow in this chapter that certain demons are being held in Hell awaiting their liberty, 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6.
B. It Is A Dark Place – We are told that smoke ascends out of this pit and the smoke is so great that it obliterates the light of the sun. There is an old saying that goes, “Where there is smoke, there is fire.” The same is true in this case.
Hell is a place of fire, Luke 16:19-31; Rev. 14:10-11; 2 Thes. 1:8-9. Yet, it is a place of darkness; and it is a place of anguish and torment Matt. 8:12. It is a place that no one should ever want to go. It is a place no one has to go!
C. It Is A Disturbing Place – Hell is disturbing to me simply because it even exists. I have to think about it, but it is a real place where people will go unless they are saved. So, as disturbing as it is, we must take the time to consider it. D. It Is A Demonic Place – Throughout the New Testament, Hell is associated with demonic activity. Luke 8:31 teaches us the truth that the demons fear being sent to the abyss. Rev. 11:7 tells us the Beast, the Antichrist, will ascend out of this place. As I have already mentioned, fallen angels are bound there and Satan himself will spend eternity in Hell.
A Dreadful Personality
A Dreadful Place
III. A DREADFUL PLAGUE v. 3-12
When the abyss is opened a demonic plague spews out onto the earth. The demons that have been “reserved unto judgment”, 2 Pet. 2:4, are released to carry out their infernal mission.
Imagine a world in which every prison door was suddenly opened. Murders, rapists, serial killers, the criminally insane, are all allowed to walk free. Can you imagine the chaos, the pain the suffering that would occur? Well, the prison doors of earth will not be opened, but Hell’s prison will be opened and emptied and a lost world will be thrown into a time of terrible judgment!
They are described as locusts. But, these are no insects. The description probably comes from the greatness of their numbers. One locust swarm reported in 1889 covered over 2,000 square miles. The image here is of an innumerable host of demons being allowed to ascend out of Hell onto the earth. There are a couple of reasons why I say that these are not real locusts.
1. v. 4 They do not harm plant life, but they torment humans.
2. v. 11 They have a king. Pro. 30:2 tells us that locusts in the insect world have no king.
A. v. 3-4 The Power They Possess – These demons are described as locusts, but unlike locusts they will not harm the vegetation. A literal locust swarm will leave a green landscape looking like a desert in a short time. Locusts devour the leaf, the grain and the stalk. These locusts do not come for the plant life but for human life.
They will have the power to sting like a scorpion. Scorpion stings are known to be very painful. They cause swelling and numbness, but they are rarely fatal in humans.
So, these demonic beings are allowed out of Hell, they have the power to cause great pain to people. But, their targets are limited. They will only sting those who reject the truth, believers are protected from the attacks of this great horde of Hell.
B. v. 5-6 The Pain They Produce – When this attack comes, people will not be killed, but they will be tormented for five months. Five months, May to September, is the typical lifespan of a locust. These hellish locusts will torment men for five months.
The pain inflicted upon men will be unimaginable. Every moment of every day that demon will be there, tormenting, stinging, causing pain and suffering. There will be no escape!
Men will seek every way they can to escape the torment of these demons, but nothing will help them. No pills, no potions, no poultices will work. Alcohol and drugs will not deaden the pain. For five long months they will suffer and they will find no relief from their suffering.
In our day, people flee death. They do everything they can to stave off his coming. Doctors are consulted, pills are consumed, and everything that can be done is done to extend life for a moment more. But in that day men will pursue death in an effort to be free from their pain. People will leap from buildings, crushing their bodies upon the ground and still not be able to die. People will drink deadly poisons and ravage their vital organs and not be able to escape. Others will place guns to their temples and attempt to kill themselves, but they will only succeed in adding more misery to their torment. People may try to kill their loved ones to help them escape, but to no avail. For five months there will be no funerals on earth. Death will take a holiday while men endure the pain and suffering inflicted on them by this demonic invasion.
C. v. 7-11 The Picture They Paint – Beginning in verse 6, these demons are described for us.
1. v. 7 Horses prepared to battle – They resemble mighty war horses, prepared for battle, straining at the bit.
2. v. 7 Golden crowns on their heads – They come to the earth as conquerors. No medicine or act of science that conquer them. For five long, awful months, these demons reign on the earth.
3. v. 7 Faces like those of men – This speaks of their intelligence. The human face is so expressive. It reveals the emotions buried beneath the surface. These beings are intelligent.
4. v. 8 Hair like a woman – They are attractive to people. It may be that they have some seductive charm by which they lure their victims to them. People have always been attracted to the occult.
5. v. 8 Teeth like a lion – Their bite is infectious and painful. A lion’s bite never really heals. There is so much infection and bacteria in the bite of a lion that the wound will rarely heal completely.
6. v. 9 Breastplates of iron – They are invulnerable to attack and they are insensitive to the sufferings of humans. Men will try to kill these demons, but that will be impossible. Men will scream in their pain and will beg for mercy, but their pleas will not touch the hearts of their tormenters.
7. v. 9 Wings that sound like chariots – This implies swiftness. They will be able to surround and capture their prey with ease. Men will attempt to run, but there can be no escape.
8. v. 10 Stings in their tails – We have already touched on their capability to inflict pain. It is mentioned here to emphasize the fact that the pain and torment of men is their sole objective.
9. v. 11 They have a king over them – They will be organized and united in their attacks upon humanity. The fact that this king’s name is given in Hebrew and Greek shows us that all unbelievers, both Jew and Gentile, will be targeted by this demonic invasion.
Conc: People hear this talk about demons and they laugh it off and say, “How old-fashioned! No one believes in demons anymore!” Oh really? It would seem from reading this passage that God does! Just because you can’t see them does not mean they are not real.
Victory Baptist Church 10 July 2019 victory palmetto.com