The Two Witnesses Part ll
Lesson 15
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Take a closer look at the fifth trumpet

This trumpet marks the appearance of Satan claiming to be Jesus.  He is the “angel king” of the Abyss.  Notice John’s description:

“The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth.  The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.  When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace.  The sun and sky darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.

And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.

They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

They were not given power to kill them, but only torture them for five months.  And the agony they suffered was like that of a sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man.  During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle.  On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lion’s teeth.  They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.

They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.  They had a king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.  The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.”  Revelation 9:1-12

The language of this trumpet is generally analogous.  John best describes the things he saw with analogies or the allusions to Old Testament references.  Actually, the meaning of this trumpet is better understood when it is compared to Joel 2, for Joel saw a very similar scene.  The difference between Joel and John is that John saw the coming of Satan (the angel king from the Abyss) while Joel saw the coming of the Lord! Notice Joel’s remarks:

“Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill.  Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming.  It is close at hand – a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness.

Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army (of locusts) comes, such as never was of old or ever will be in ages to come.  Before them a flame blazes…nothing escapes them.

They have the appearance of horses they gallop along like cavalry.  With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops…At the sight of them, nations are in anguish, every face turns pale…Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, and the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.

The Lord thunders at the head of his army; and his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command.  The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful.  Who can endure it?  Joel 2:1-11

Compare their views

Joel saw a great army of locusts that looked like horses.  John saw the same.

Joel saw the sun and moon darkened.  John saw the same.

Joel marveled at the power of the army.  John marveled at the same.

Joel saw the Lord at the head of His army.  John saw the angel king of the Abyss at the head of his army.

Two important connecting points are presented regarding the appearing of Satan:

1.      Satan is let out of the Abyss (spirit world) in Revelation 9 and is returned to the Abyss in Revelation 20.  “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.  He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, which is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.  He threw him into the Abyss and locked and sealed it over him… Revelation 20:1-3

2.      From the fifth trumpet we learn that Satan is allowed to come out of the Abyss and physically appear upon the earth during the fifth trumpet.  What will he do after he appears? They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.  They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months…” Revelation 9:4,5 It is interesting to note from these verses that Satan and his angels cannot harm the physical things on earth that have been already hurt during the first trumpet.

Why do Satan and his angels torment the wicked and not the saints? To make the world violently angry with the Two Witnesses and their followers!

Two Witnesses have great power

We will study the Two Witnesses in our next lesson.  For now, we need only to understand that they are God’s representatives upon the earth during the trumpets. They have great powers and the earth is afraid of them!  Notice what John says about them, “If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies.  This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.  These men have the power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have the power to turn the waters into blood and strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.”  Revelation 11:5,6

Satan, after appearing upon the earth torments the wicked beyond what the Two Witnesses have already done and lays the blame upon God’s representatives.  Thus the world becomes even more enraged with the Two Witnesses and their followers and concludes that they must be destroyed.

Who is the angel king, the beast from the Abyss?

Only once in Revelation’s story does an “angel king” come out of the Abyss.  Twice in Revelation, a “beast” ascends out of the Abyss.  Since Revelation 12:9 clearly tells us that the dragon-like beast is a fallen angel called Satan, we can safely say the “angel king” that ascends from the Abyss in chapter 9 is the devil.  When we compare Joel’s account of the second coming with the appearing of the angel king from the Abyss, we can be safe in concluding that Satan is the angel king.

What does the beast from the Abyss do?  Notice the following verses: “Now when (the Two Witnesses) have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.”

“The beast which you saw…will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction.  The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast…” Revelation 17:8

When Satan appears on earth claiming to be God, the world will be astonished.  He will deceive the entire world with his miracles and great supernatural powers. Satan will eventually “kill the effectiveness of God’s representatives by appearing to be so powerful and so much greater than those representing God’s cause. Each person will have to make a very hard decision: follow the teachings of the Bible and receive the wrath of Satan or follow the teachings of Satan (claiming to be God) and receive the wrath of God.

Revelation 17:8 clearly say that those whose names are not written in the book of life will be astonished at the appearing of Satan.  But the saints will be expecting him.  After all, the fifth trumpet clearly explains when he appears.  We’ll study Satan’s appearing and work more closely in a later lesson.  For now, understand that he appears during the fifth trumpet.

A close look at the sixth trumpet

The second woe is a great war.  John says, “The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden alter that is before God.  It said to the sixth angel, who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’  And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year released to kill a third of mankind.

The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million.  I heard their number. The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur.  The heads of the horses resembled the heads of loins, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur.

A third of mankind was killed by the plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.  The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads which they inflict injury.  The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood; idols that cannot see or hear or walk.  Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts. The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.”  Revelation 9:13-21; 11:14

This trumpet describes a great war (the ultimate holy crusade) into which Satan leads his deceived followers.  Satan sets out to establish a one-world government and he succeeds for a short time.  Satan overcomes all political opposition and crushes the work of God upon earth.  He, Satan, as God, will sit on a throne as the King of kings of earth, and Lord of lords over the religious systems of earth.  He will rule the world through deception and force.  Daniel saw the conclusion of this Great War in his vision (Daniel 11:21-45). The outcome is that Satan appears to win.  The war under the sixth seal, like any other war, forces everyone to take sides.  At last the world stands in two camps: those obeying Satan, and those obeying Jesus!

A close look at the seventh and final trumpet

Now comes the close of mercy.  Everyone has made his decision.  John says, “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.’

And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped God, saying: ‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and begun to reign.  The nations were angry; and your wrath has come.  The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great; and for destroying those who destroy the earth.’

Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.  And there came flashes of lightening, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.”  Revelation 11:15-19

This trumpet announces the close of probation.  Mercy has been extended as long as possible.  Every person has made his decision for or against the gospel.  Those who sided with Satan carry the mark of Satan – a mark necessary to conduct business, a permit to buy and sell!  Those who sided with the gospel appear frail, weak and helpless against the dragon. They can’t buy or sell.  All forms of life-support are cut off.  Satan has eliminated every means of earthly survival for them.  In fact, the devil will lead the world in a united effort to exterminate these people as quickly as possible.

Jesus distracts the consolidated powers of Satan by sending the seven last plagues. This is the third woe or curse mentioned by the living creature. The awful and terrible plagues containing the fury of God’s wrath fall upon all who received the mark of the beast.

Trumpets parallel 7 last plagues

There are some obvious comparisons between the trumpets and the plagues.  Notice:

Seven trumpets

1.      Hail, fire, and blood upon 1/3 of earth

2.      One third of the sea turns to blood

3.      One third of the drinking water becomes bitter

4.      Sun, moon and stars affected (1/3 of heaven struck)

5.      Satan appears bringing affliction on the wicked

6.      Great war – millions killed

7.      Hailstorm, earthquake

Seven last plagues

1. Terrible sores upon all rebelling against God
2. Sea turns into blood – everything in it dies
3. Drinking water and river turn to blood
4. Sun scorches people with intense heat
5. Great affliction on the government of Antichrist
6. Final war upon saints – Armageddon
7. Great hailstorm, earthquake and final destruction of earth

The point is made that the trumpets (seven first plagues) are samples in many respects of the seven last plagues.  The main difference between these two groups of plagues is God’s mercy.

Those that keep the commandments of God and remain faithful (faithful means faith-full) to Jesus will live by this precious promise: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’  Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.  You will observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you make the Most High your dwelling – even the Lord, who is my refuge – then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.”  Psalms 91 1-10

Summary

The seven trumpets will soon come as horrible and devastating judgments upon earth. Yet, it is the very nature of these things that arrests the world’s attention to hear the everlasting gospel. Outside the context of such dramatic events, what credibility does the gospel have today among earth 6+ billion people?

The purpose of the trumpets is salvation, for the door to salvation remains open until the seventh trumpet sounds.  Revelation’s story will come into sharp focus when the trumpets begin because people all over the world will see things coming to pass right before their very eyes!  Thus the full gospel will go to the ends of the earth in a very short time period.

One final point, the trumpets are only “samples” of the wrath of God.  The seven last plagues are even worse.  If the trumpets are terrible, what will the effect of the seven last plagues?  The severity of these things should cause us to carefully consider the everlasting gospel for it contains a very specific warning!  This warning will be studied in the next lesson.

Quiz

1. What does the throwing down of the censer indicate?

2. What causes the destruction described in the first three trumpets?

3. What happens during the fifth trumpet?

4. What happens during the sixth trumpet?

5. What is the major difference between the trumpets and plagues?

Memory Verse: Psalm 91:1-10

Notes:

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