Chapter 9 brings about a change in the outcome of the trumpet blasts, but with no relief for / from humanity's unbelief. As GOD is in the undertaking of opening the eyes of those in resistance and rebellion of humanity. Who have been redeemed by the "'it's finished,'" work of the cross, whereon humanity received its due judgment in the flesh of humanity in the man, Jesus Christ, the promised Emmanuel in whom all these things were prophesied to be accomplished.
Revelation 9:1-6 "And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace[1]; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." (KJV)
Revelation 9:1-6 "And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace[1], and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them." (ESV)
Revelation 9:1-6 "When the [1]fifth Shepherd-Messenger blew his trumpet, I saw a [2]star that had fallen to earth from the sky. The star was given the key to the shaft into fathomless depths of the Abyss. (The [1]symbolic value of the number five is divine grace. Jesus is the bright [2]Morning Star in Rev. 2:28 and 22:16, 'I am Jesus. I sent my Shepherd-Messengers to be witnesses of these things to you before the churches; confirming to them that I am the Root and offspring of David, the radiant Morning Star!' Also 2Peter 1:19, "For us the appearing of the Jewish Messiah is no longer a future promise butt a fulfilled reality. Now it is our turn to have more than a second-hand, hearsay testimony. Take my word as one would take a lamp at night; the day is about to dawn for you in your understanding. When the Morning Star appears, in you, you no longer need the lamp; this will happen shortly on the horizon of your own hearts." (Psalm 19:7-9) In His death, Jesus conquered the underworld and He has the keys; no-one else does! Rev. 1:18. Look at Philippians 2:6-10, His being GOD'S equal in from and likeness was official; His Sonship did not steal the limelight fron his Father! Neither did His humanity distract from the Deity of GOD! His mission however, was not to prove His deity, but to embrace our humanity. Emptied of His reputation as GOD, He fully embraced our physical human form; born in our resemblance He identified Himself as a servant of the human race. His Agape enslaved Him to us!"
See notes on The Fallen Star is The Morning Star at the end of this chapter. ) He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and smoke came out of the shaft like the smoke from a large [1]furnace. The smoke darkened the sun and the atmosphere. (The smoke is evidence of the fire from the altar of worship which was lit by the coals from the brazen altar-the prophetic picture of the cross where the Lamb of GOD was slaughtered - Rev. 8:5. The word [1, G2575, from H3536 kibshân, a smelting furnace, from H3533 kâbash, to tread down] kaminos , is an old word for a smelting-furnace; Rev. 1:15, "His feet were like a brilliant bronze fashioned in a furnace!" In contrast to the feet of mingled iron and clay of the image Daniel saw in Dan. 2:38. The army of GOD is set to swallow up the consciousness of good and evil in people's minds!
The natural light was veiled and even the atmosphere was filled with smoke for the moment while the effects of Jesus' presence in our hell was released.
Notes on The bottomless pit at the end of this chapter.) And locusts with the sting of scorpions came out of the smoke. (OT imagery to remind of how GOD brought Israel out of slavery in Egypt to now take the slave-mindset of "Egypt" out of us! also Joel 2.Rev. 16 - the seven vessels line up with seven of the ten plagues.) They were not allowed to [1]disrupt the vegetation but only target the people whose foreheads were not marked - those whose thoughts were not synced with GOD'S thoughts about them. (To emphasize the symbolic meaning of these apparent locusts it is clearly stated that, unlike normal grasshoppers, these do not go for vegetation, their mission is to conquer the mindset of unbelief in the people - Num. 13:33 - "we were like grasshoppers in our own eyes!" This is a dangerous and destructive mindset! Although appearing to be locusts they were armed for battle. The "hurting" is the word (G91 from G94 which has two parts (G1) and (G1349), adikeo, which suggests a disruption - out of sync with the life of one's original design - so the "army" coming out of the abyss now enforces the victory of the Lamb upon those who couldn't see or believe it before. The word (G3359 from G3326) metopon - the space between the eyes; forehead - focus.) They were not to kill these, but would [1]harass and test them for five months with the annoying pain of a scorpion sting. (The word [1, G928 from G931 basanos, the same as G939 basis] pasanizo , is a old verb, to test metals from basis - to get to the bottom of a thing; to torment. The interval from the Passover to Tabernacles is five months. Where Passover is the graphic picture of total deliverance out of slavery, the Feast of Tabernacles is a reminder of a forty year, detour journey of unbelief in the wilderness where an entire generation died in unbelief by not possessing the promised land because their leaders taught them to believe a lie about themselves! See Numbers 13:33 and Joshua 2:11. Although they were rescued from slavery they remained slaves in their estimate of themselves - the typical grasshopper mentality! Now this mindset has turned on them and becomes their own worst nightmare! Acts 26:14, "And I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the prods!'") This would drive them so mad that they would wish to die but there would be no escape, death was nowhere to be found! (Their own death would not deliver them!) (The Mirror, with editing.)
Are we beginning to get the true and accurate picture of Revelation? May the LORD of All bring us around before the time.
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