Revelation 8:12-

The The fourth Trumpet Blast

If we allow for the Holy Spirit to help, we seldom have to rely on other sources of reference material for a right interpretation of what the Word of God is saying. John 16:13-15 makes this point very clear. The Spirit of God is placed in the believer to do several things, for example; He will tell you the things to come and in the process of telling us He will glorify the LORD Jesus. All authority is given by God the Father to God the Son and God the Holy Spirit will not speak on His own authority, thus when He speaks it will always be of or related to the things of Christ Jesus the LORD.

8:12 It is at this point in the Tribulation, near or at the end of the first three and one half years that the day is shortened to sixteen hour days. Our galaxy is struck with a severe wound by the fourth trumpet sound of this angel. Literal translation is that the day time light, had no light. One third of the stars, one third of the earth's moon and sun was darkened.

8:13 This is not the same angel that sounded the trumpet, This one is not an angel at all, but an eagle, but this may be an error on the part of translators who translated a version called the Revised Version (RV). Someone has suggested that the angel may have appeared as an eagle, but the truth is – how would this person know, so the proper translation from the (KJV) is “angel”

This angelic being is given the task to warn the inhabitants of the earth that the following trumpet blasts will be so traumatic that it will be hard to survive. For starters; the earth will be extremely hot and cold due to the atmospheric changes of the sun, daylight and darkness will completely change with drastic temperature changes and storms. This has nothing the do with the the remaining trumpet blasts. Remember, we are still in the fourth stage of God's wrath on sinful and willful disobedience.

Revelation 9: 1-12 Locust from the Bottomless Pit

We need each time we look into Revelation to remember where we are with the John the apostle. Revelation 4:2. From the Throne Room in the third heaven God is able to see the conditions of all of creation including the earth. Using the technology of today we can still only imagine how all of this could work.

9:1 The being that falls from heaven like a star is not named. In the use of personal pronouns we can determine that the individual does not qualify as “fit” to carry the name of angel being or a human being. Scholars have determined that the being is Satan since the word in Hebrew Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon mean destruction and Destroying in Revelation 9:11.

We know from previous study that Satan has access to the third heaven and at each time he shows up there is war. Revelation 12:7-9, Isaiah 14:12 and Luke 10:18. From these passages we can see that this is now the third or fourth time that Satan is ejected from heaven with permission to do harm to the people of the earth. Two times in the Book of Job Chapters one and two and once from the Isaiah passage and once from the Luke and Revelation passages.

9:2 In addition to the conditions of the earth's time cycles being shortened, there is an added torment. Smoke from the abyss is so dense that the sun is blocked.

9:3-6 Imagine being confronted with the conditions described in chapter 8:12-13 and now having to deal with the density of smoke and a new plague that torments people to want to die but cannot. We can think about this a little deeper. Today we have the plague of sin. Sin causes people to die and some even commit suicide to escape the grip of sin. But when this day comes the people of the earth go beyond the sting of the serpent. They are now experiencing the sting of the locust. This is the first woe and two are left. We know that God has delivered us from the sting of sin and death through the blood of Jesus Christ. In Christ we have the victory. 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. The people of this day in Revelation do have a chance for redemption – the 144,000 men who have the Name of God written on their forehead.

It is interesting to know that Satan had the authority through time to destroy human life through sin as the serpent of old. Now that authority is being taken away and he is allowed to torment. I believe this is much worse as mankind will look for ways to die but they will not be able to find death. It will be as if death is in hiding. There will of course be death, but it will now come as a judgment over the injustices practiced by the people of the earth and not as a condition of sin, but a condition of evil.

9:7-11 The shape of the locust, is a vivid description of destruction. Throughout the the Old Testament writings we have the description of locust and destruction. Especially in Joel we see the effects, but we all so see restoration in Joel 2:18-27 and then we see that after a season of destruction and restoration that God's Spirit is poured out people get saved, Joel 2:28-32. Locust have a life-span of five months, so in Revelation 9:10 we see that this season of life without death is for five months. To try and go beyond the text of Revelation 9 and say that these vessels of torment are weapons of warfare designed by mankind is wrong. We have no way to back this up in scripture. But as Satan represents the serpent of old, he now represents the locust or scorpion of the bottomless pit. Sin has survived for six thousand plus years of history and for a brief time, God will show the world that His grace made provision for redemption. When He pulls grace out of the world. Things get worse for the human. Man cannot live by bread alone, man can only survive by the Word of God.

God has His own 9:11. The effects of these torments will be painful, (v:10) If you have ever suffered nerve damage you know that the initial injury causes a severe burning sensation. The sting of a scorpion attacks the nerve system so that the entire body fells as though it is burning. This evil will be temporary, it will last 150 days, five months the lifespan of locust. (v:10). It will be personal, only those who do not belong to God will be affected (v:4). It will not cause death. (v:6).