Participants: Ranko Stefanovic
Series Code: RCK
Program Code: RCK000013
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00:23 Welcome again to our program,
00:27 "Revelation of the Coming King." 00:30 I'm so much excited, especially now as we are going through, 00:35 according to many scholars, the most difficult section 00:40 of the Book of Revelation, very, very difficult. 00:43 And we are doing our best with help of the Holy Spirit 00:47 to find what it's about. 00:49 Yeah, some details probably we still have to do research, 00:53 we still have to make effort, but what we are trying here 00:57 is that we find the general picture, 01:00 what the trumpets are all about. 01:02 I believe this is the most important that we understand 01:04 really the context of the Book of Revelation 01:07 and what the Book of Revelation is all about. 01:09 Let me introduce myself once again. 01:12 I am Ranko Stefanovich, 01:13 professor of the New Testament in the Seventh-day Advenist 01:17 Theological Seminary, Andrews University. 01:20 I'm a ordained Seventh-day Adventist minister 01:23 with 18 years pastoral experience. 01:27 And when people ask me, "What are you?" 01:30 I'm a pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 01:34 And I'm so glad for that because we have the message, 01:36 we are all pastors, we all have ministry 01:39 and we have that message to proclaim. 01:43 And since we are dealing 01:45 with very difficult section 01:46 of the book of Revelation, trying to understand 01:49 what the seven trumpets are all about, 01:51 we really have to ask God for special assistance 01:54 and special help and guidance in studying this subject. 01:57 So please I'd like to ask you to bow your heads for prayer. 02:01 Our heavenly father, here we're again. 02:06 And we are asking for a special wisdom for a special help 02:10 that we can understand this difficult, difficult 02:12 section of the book of Revelation. 02:14 Please open our minds. 02:16 Give us sober thoughts and give us Your Holy Spirit 02:20 to guide us--investigation, Father, of this subject, 02:23 understanding of this great message sent to our hearts. 02:28 Thank You for Your goodness. 02:30 Thank You for the promises. 02:32 And we pray all of this in the precious name 02:35 of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. 02:42 Let me remind you once again 02:46 that actually the purpose of this presentations 02:49 is not to give us the answers to all questions 02:52 that we have or to cover the entire subject, all details. 02:56 Actually, I just told my audiences-- 02:59 I just mentioned here and there some Old Testament backgrounds. 03:04 But if you go and search for yourself, 03:07 you can see just for one background 03:09 that we refer to here you can find 10 and more backgrounds. 03:15 So we are not just dealing here with an accidental reference 03:19 or one just a text, sporadic text. 03:21 We are dealing such with 03:23 overwhelming scriptural evidences 03:25 and tools for the understanding of this difficult text. 03:29 But, you know, sometimes for us we do not have time. 03:32 We are busy people. 03:33 We have to provide for our living. 03:35 And we don't have time to go and to be engaged 03:39 in detailed biblical studies. 03:41 So sometimes we need some tools. 03:43 I need tools. 03:44 I have thousand of books there in my library. 03:46 I have to consult there. 03:48 But I would like to suggest to you one tool which is actually 03:52 "Revelation of Jesus Christ." 03:55 It's a commentary written by me. 03:57 And everything what we are studying here actually 04:02 you can find everything here and much, much more. 04:05 So I'd like to encourage you once this presentation 04:08 is over that you turn to the pages 04:10 that I will always indicate and that you can continue 04:13 to study and to study in much deeper sense, 04:16 in much deeper way. 04:18 So our topic today, our presentation today, 04:22 our study today is based on the pages from 298 04:28 on until the very end of the chapter. 04:30 So from page 298 and on, okay. 04:39 Let us one more time remind ourselves 04:42 what we have been talking so far. 04:46 We are dealing with seven trumpets 04:50 of the Book of Revelation. 04:53 And we saw in our last presentations 04:57 that actually before the trumpets are blown 05:00 by the angels-- you remember that? 05:02 That in chapter 8 we have an interlude 05:07 inserted between verses 2 and 6. 05:13 Interlude in the Book of Revelation is usually 05:18 for the purpose to provide some explanation, 05:24 some additional information on the vision that follows. 05:29 You'll find it very often. 05:30 Let me remind you that before we studied the seven seals, 05:35 we saw the interlude of chapters 4 and 5. 05:38 Finally, we realize what the seals 05:40 are all about after understanding chapter 5. 05:44 And as we go through the Book of Revelation, 05:47 we will always come in need those interludes. 05:51 So that interlude that we studied told us 05:58 that actually the seven trumpets 06:00 somehow are associated with the prayers of God's people. 06:05 On the base of book of Numbers chapter 10:8-10, 06:11 we saw the Old Testament background telling us 06:13 that the trumpets in ancient Israel were associated 06:17 with people to remind God of His covenant promises 06:20 given to His people. 06:22 So that interlude is telling us that actually the trumpets, 06:29 okay, are blown and those events associated 06:32 with the trumpets were actually God's response 06:35 to the prayers of His people against the enemies 06:40 those who harm them, persecuted them, 06:42 and oppress them, those who are enemies 06:45 of God of His people and the gospel. 06:49 So one more time let's keep in mind as we are dealing 06:52 with trumpets, that the trumpets are God's judgments 06:59 on those who are rebellious against God. 07:02 And I know, we as Christians, we are hesitant 07:05 to talk about the judgment. 07:07 But please, let's not forget, 07:10 that the judgment in the Book of Revelation 07:12 is a part of the gospel. 07:17 In order for God to save His people from their enemies, 07:24 He first has to deal with the enemies of His people. 07:29 That was in the Old Testament. 07:31 It was the case in the New Testament. 07:33 And this is what we have here in the Book of Revelation. 07:36 So I want to remind you what we mentioned before, 07:40 that actually trumpets there run in pairs. 07:45 So the first two trumpets, we saw that they herald 07:52 the judgment against those 07:56 who crucify Christ and who were responsible 08:00 for the persecution of the early church. 08:03 So we're dealing with the leaders 08:05 of the Jewish nation and the Roman Empire. 08:08 Now, we're going to the 3rd trumpet. 08:11 And I'd like to ask you to open your Bibles 08:15 and let us read the verse 10, actually verses 10 and 11, 08:23 yeah, Revelation 8:10, 11. 08:29 "The third angel sounded. 08:32 And a great star fell from heaven. 08:36 Burning like a torch. 08:39 And it fell on the third of the rivers 08:43 and on the springs of waters." 08:46 Can I stop here for a while? 08:49 You'll notice, starting with the first trumpet 08:51 and second trumpet the third trumpet going all up 08:54 to the sixth trumpet, that it always affects 08:59 one-third of the earth and humanity. 09:04 One-third in the Book of Revelation, 09:07 it's a part of Satan's kingdom. 09:10 When we come to the end of the Book of Revelation, 09:14 we will see the end time power called Babylon. 09:17 Babylon consists of 3 parts of the dragon, 09:21 of the first beast, and the second beast. 09:24 When they're united we have a Babylon. 09:26 Then we come to the end of Revelation chapter 16 09:30 where we have the fall of Babylon and it says, 09:33 "And the Babylon split into 3 parts." 09:37 What does it mean? 09:39 Babylon is made of 3 parts, that's what makes Babylon. 09:42 When Babylon is split into 3 parts what does it mean? 09:45 There is no Babylon any longer. 09:48 So one-third is always part of Satan's kingdom. 09:52 And notice that all the trumpets they affect one-third. 09:55 By the way, when we go the seals, seals always deal 10:01 with one-fourth because one-fourth 10:04 is a part allotted to God's people. 10:07 So we have to keep in mind that symbolism 10:09 as I told you there are so many details 10:11 that sometimes skip from my mind to mention it. 10:14 But I know as you go deeper into study of the word of God 10:17 with tools available to you, you'll find all those details. 10:21 But just to mention it. Okay. 10:22 So he said "The third of the angels sounded. 10:25 And a great star fell from heaven. 10:27 Burning like a torch. 10:29 And it fell on the third of the rivers 10:31 and on the springs of waters. 10:34 The name of the star is called Wormwood. 10:38 And a third of the waters became Wormwood. 10:41 And many men died from the waters 10:46 because they were made bitter." 10:51 Oh, boy, we have now here a very strange symbolism. 10:56 What do we have here in the scene of the third trumpet? 11:01 We have here a great star. Okay. 11:06 One more time let's--I'm sorry I skipped. Okay. 11:11 Let's back one more time to chapter 8. 11:14 We have here a great star that fell from heaven. 11:21 It's very interesting concept is because a third of the waters 11:26 becomes bitter causing people to die. 11:31 By the way, if we go both to the Old and New Testament, 11:35 and I have here many references for that. 11:38 We'll find always the stars they symbolize angels. 11:44 For instance we read in the book of Job chapter 38:7 11:48 that when God created the earth, 11:51 all the stars of heaven were rejoicing. 11:54 If you take any commentators every body agrees 11:57 that it actually it's a reference 11:58 to the heavenly angels there. 12:00 So now the question is, we're not dealing here 12:03 with ordinary star, ordinary angel. 12:08 We are dealing here with--let's go back, a great star. 12:12 So it's telling us that this is not just an ordinary angel. 12:17 Okay, it's a great star falling from heaven. 12:20 But may I ask you something, 12:21 when you read about the great star falling from heaven 12:26 what does suddenly come to our mind? 12:27 Of course, you cannot miss. 12:30 It's actually, Isaiah chapter 14. 12:35 Okay, verse 12 to 15. 12:37 By using this expression John assumed 12:39 that his readers use the Old Testament. 12:41 And you cannot skip it from mind. 12:43 Let's read Isaiah chapter 14:12-15. 12:48 "How you have fallen from heaven O star of the morning. 12:52 Son of dawn, you have been cut down to the earth. 12:56 You who have weakened the nations. 12:59 But you said in your heart. 13:02 'I will ascend to heaven, I will raise my thrown 13:05 above the stars of God. 13:08 And I will sit on the mount of Assembly 13:13 in the recesses of the north. 13:15 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. 13:19 I will make myself like the most high.' 13:23 Nevertheless, you will be thrust down 13:26 to sheol to the recesses of pit." 13:30 So we have evidently the solution of one symbol 13:35 that some people find difficult to understand. 13:37 This star is actually nobody else 13:41 but Satan himself, okay, this great star. 13:48 But you will notice that the falling of this star, okay, 13:55 on the rivers and the springs of water 13:59 makes the waters bitter. 14:01 Did you notice it? 14:04 And because of that John names these star how? 14:09 Wormwood. "And a third of the waters 14:11 became Wormwood and many men died 14:15 from the waters because they were made bitter." 14:20 So the star is named as a wormwood, 14:22 a herb notorious for its bitterness 14:25 and poisonous qualities in the Old Testament. 14:27 If you want for your studies you can read 14:30 about that for instance in Deuteronomy chapter 29:18. 14:35 You see the worm star-- the wormwood star turns 14:39 the waters bitters causing many to die. 14:43 At this moment we have to turn to one text. 14:46 It's in the book of Jeremiah where Jeremiah 14:50 talks about the people of Israel. 14:52 It's very important text 14:54 is the background for the third trumpet. 14:58 When Israel turned away from God and spun the covenant. 15:02 They were given wormwood to eat and poison water to drink. 15:06 Let us read this text. 15:08 Let us read this text. 15:09 Jeremiah 9:13-15. "The Lord said, 15:14 'Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them 15:19 and have not obeyed my voice nor walked according to it. 15:25 But have walked after the stubbornness 15:27 of their heart and after the Baals. 15:30 And their Father, taught them.' 15:34 Therefore thus save the Lord of hosts. 15:35 The God of Israel. 15:37 'Behold I will feed them, this people, 15:40 with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.'" 15:45 You can see strong parallels between 15:48 this prophecy of Jeremiah and the scene 15:52 of the third trumpets. 15:55 Okay, let's go little further. 15:58 The rivers and the springs of water 16:01 symbolize spiritual nourishment, the word of God, 16:06 the salvation for spiritually thirsty people. 16:11 Both in the Old and the New Testament 16:13 you will find how many times water symbolizes 16:16 the spiritual nourishment. 16:18 By the way, Jesus made that call 16:20 in gospel of John chapter 7, okay, 16:25 "who is thirsty let him come to me. 16:28 And drinks and who drinks out the death water out 16:31 of his belly the water of life will run out." 16:36 In the book of Revelation, at the very end 16:38 of the book of Revelation, we get a call come and drink 16:42 from that water of life. 16:44 However, what we have here is that Satan term 16:49 the spiritual nourishment of the salvation 16:52 that God gives to people, he turned into wormwood 16:56 from using false teachings and the traditions of man. 17:00 The scene of the third trumpet shows Satan polluting 17:04 the springs of streams of truth and salvation 17:07 with human teaching causing them 17:09 to have a poisonous and deadly effect. 17:15 So how can we apply the third trumpet? 17:19 There is only one way that. 17:21 Evidently the second trumpet concerned 17:25 the collapse of the Roman Empire. Okay. 17:29 So the third trumpet comes after the second trumpet. 17:33 So it has to come after the collapse of the Roman Empire. 17:37 And the what a better picture 17:41 to describe the dark middle ages 17:44 that followed the collapse of the Roman Empire 17:47 and what happened in the Christian church 17:50 when Christianity replaced those--that running water 17:55 of salvation turn it into something else, 18:01 polluted that water with the apostasy, 18:05 false teachers, perverted gospel, 18:09 introducing the false teaching in the church? 18:12 By the way, this is exactly the language that Paul 18:16 used in the Book of Acts chapter 20:26-41 to tell the Ephesians 18:23 how one day in their midst they will those false teachers 18:29 who will pervert the clear teaching of the gospel. 18:32 In 2 Timothy 4:3, 4 Paul is using the language-- 18:37 the same language there. 18:39 In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Paul predicted about 18:45 the great apostasy that will come into the Christian church, 18:49 that will spread and last throw 18:51 the history of the Christian Church. 18:52 And actually this apostasy will be brought to the end 18:55 by the second coming of Christ. 18:59 See after the collapse of the Roman Empire, 19:02 the world was plunged into the period of the dark middle ages. 19:09 During this period, mainstream Christianity departed 19:13 from the apostolic gospel and perverted 19:16 the teaching of the gospel. 19:18 Let me remind you that this period is portrayed 19:21 in the messages of seven churches 19:22 as the period of the church of that era. 19:26 You remember that? 19:27 Actually, it s also reflected in the fourth seal. 19:31 You remember that? 19:32 You see how all this visions they have something in common 19:37 when they are talking about the same period. 19:41 It was during that time that corrupted doctrines crept 19:45 into the Christian church replacing 19:48 the Bible simply with tradition. 19:52 The Bible was not consulted, simply the tradition 19:55 and also the scholastic arguments and teachings. 19:59 The gospel truth was polluted and perverted 20:03 into system of dogmas, believe me, 20:06 with the devastating effects. 20:08 The institutional church promoted sinful practices 20:13 that are contrary to the Bible. 20:16 And I just want to tell you today 20:18 if you want to be politically correct, 20:20 you're not supposed to talk about that. 20:23 But I'm sorry, my friends, I want to tell our viewers 20:27 we cannot cover the truth what happened. 20:30 We believe that even during those times God 20:33 God has his people and some prominent church leaders 20:38 even during the time they tried to ask the question 20:41 what is going with my church. 20:44 But we cannot cover it in order to be politically correct. 20:47 Therefore, the third trumpet 20:49 describes the medieval apostasy and its consequences. 20:54 The spiritual death of many drank 20:57 from its polluted and poisonous water. 21:00 You see what people do there are consequences. 21:05 And this is what the third trumpet is all about. 21:11 But keep in mind we mentioned 21:12 that the trumpets they run in pairs. 21:15 So let us go to the fourth trumpet 21:17 because the fourth trumpet actually builds 21:18 on the third and says-- verse 12 21:22 and 13 of chapter 8 of the Book of Revelation. 21:25 "The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun 21:28 and a third of the moon and a third of the stars 21:31 were struck, so that a third of them 21:34 would be darkened and day would not shine for a third of it." 21:38 Do you see one third constantly? 21:41 "And the night in the same way and then I looked. 21:44 And I heard and eagle flying in midheaven, 21:47 saying with a loud voice." 21:49 If this is terrible. 21:50 "'Woe. Woe. Woe. 21:52 To those who dwell on the earth 21:53 because of the remaining blasts of trumpets 21:56 of the three angels who are about to sound.'" 21:58 The fourth trumpet is not too much difficult to interpret. 22:02 Because we already dealt with terminology 22:06 and the symbolism that is actually found here. 22:10 What do you have here is the plague 22:12 of the four trumpets strikes a third of the sun, moon, 22:16 and stars causing darkness on the third of the earth. 22:20 And of course, this scene evokes the ninth plague in Egypt 22:24 which brought darkness up on the land. 22:28 Actually, I would like to refer to several passages 22:32 that show how actually darkness 22:35 is the symbol of the divine judgment 22:37 and we read in Isaiah 13:9-12 where it says, 22:42 "Behold the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, 22:45 with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation. 22:49 And he will exterminate its sinners from it. 22:53 For the stars of heaven and their constellations 22:56 will not flash forth their light. 22:58 The sun will be dark when it rises 23:01 and the moon will not shed its light. 23:03 Thus I will punish the world for its evil 23:06 and the wicked for their iniquity. 23:09 I will also put an end to the arrogance 23:11 of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. 23:15 I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold 23:19 and mankind than the gold of Ophir." 23:23 Okay, we see here how actually, 23:25 how the darkness symbolizes God's judgment 23:28 when people depart from God, 23:31 when they rebel against God, 23:32 when they wanted to teach God the consequences. 23:35 And this consequences portrayed in terms of darkness. 23:40 By the way, darkness is the symbol 23:42 of judgment and apostasy-- I would like to read 23:45 another text Micah 3:6. 23:48 "Therefore, it will be the night for you, 23:50 without vision, and darkness for you without divination. 23:55 The sun will go down on the prophets and the day 23:59 will become dark over them." 24:01 Do you see that here how darkness is used 24:04 symbolically for the shortage of God's revelation, 24:08 for the shortage of the word of God of God to the people. 24:13 So it's actually used symbolically. 24:15 In Colossians 1:13, Paul talks about the light 24:21 because light is opposite of darkness. 24:24 He said "For he rescued us from the domain of darkness 24:27 and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son." 24:31 When we turned from darkness to God 24:34 then we pass from that dark to the light, 24:38 to the light of the gospel. 24:39 John 8:12, "Then Jesus again spoke to them saying, 24:45 "I'm the light of the world. 24:47 He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, 24:51 but will have the light of life." 24:54 And then again John 12:46, 24:58 "I have come as light to the world so that everyone 25:02 who believes in me will not remain in darkness." 25:05 I believe I can stop at this moment. 25:07 What is the fourth trumpet about? 25:13 We saw in the third trumpet what people did? 25:16 They rejected those fresh waters of the gospel. 25:20 What happened? 25:22 They received wormwood to drink--that bitter. 25:27 The fourth trumpet you remember 25:29 that trumpets run in pairs? 25:31 Actually, it really describes the deepening condition 25:36 in the Christian world after the middle ages. 25:41 Okay, when people reject light, what happens? 25:45 The dark comes. 25:48 It's God's judgment. 25:49 This is exactly what Jesus states in gospel of John 3:19. 25:55 "This is the judgment that the light has come into the world. 26:00 And men loved the darkness rather than the light 26:03 for their deeds where evil." 26:09 So we see actually what the fourth trumpet is all about. 26:14 So if you talk about the period history 26:18 that follows the dark Middle Ages, 26:21 what period of history are we talking about? 26:23 What is the light that people rejected 26:28 so the dark embraced them? 26:30 By the way, after the dark Middle Ages, 26:32 the reformation came. 26:36 The pure gospel message was discovered. 26:41 The reformation made the end of the church dominance 26:46 with the tradition and bringing 26:50 the people the light of the gospel. 26:55 Actually, the reformation brought to the end 26:58 that dark of the Middle Ages. 27:03 However, very soon as the reformers 27:08 disappeared from the scene, their followers 27:12 did not follow into the light of the gospel. 27:17 Instead of going deeper study of the gospel, 27:22 what did they do? 27:24 They started being involved in scholastic arguments, 27:29 into the fighting, religion became a more matter 27:34 of a membership than of studying the Bible 27:39 and the everything resulted into appearance 27:42 of so called the age of enlightenment 27:45 and the age of reason that finally ended the dominance 27:50 of the Christian faith in the western world. 27:55 You see, when people rejected the gospel, 27:57 did not stay with the gospel, 28:00 suddenly we have a new trend people decided 28:02 to break up with the Christian religion. 28:08 In such situation led to the rise of rationalism, 28:12 skepticism, humanism, liberalism that ultimately 28:20 gave the birth of secularism. 28:21 Please, I want to explain something. 28:24 Secularism has many positive elements. 28:28 Secularism made impact on science, 28:32 politics, religious liberty, education. 28:38 And we enjoy here in continent the result of secularism. 28:43 Are you still with me? 28:45 However, with its materialistic orientation, 28:49 denial of everything that is supernatural 28:53 and together with--in association 28:57 with skepticism towards faith of any kind, 29:01 Secularism replaces the authority 29:03 of the Bible and Christian faith with the human reason. 29:06 So the Bible is not norm any longer. 29:09 It's the matter of what I feel that it is good 29:12 and what I think that it is correct. 29:15 So the negative aspect of secularism 29:18 gradually eroded Christian faith. 29:22 The Christian faded and robbed 29:25 millions of people of the hope of salvation. 29:28 So the fourth trumpet might as be understood as describing 29:32 the darkening of the spiritual sources of the true light 29:36 under the prevailing influence of secularism. 29:40 And this effect of the fourth trumpet plague 29:43 is only partial in effect. Praise God. 29:46 It's not universal--because the salvation is still possible. 29:51 You see, together with all those isms that we mentioned 29:55 we have the establishment of the Bible society 29:57 making the Bible available to everybody 30:00 at a daily wage that people could buy it. 30:03 So praise God. 30:04 The darkening of the spiritual sources 30:06 of the fourth trumpet is just partial. 30:11 So the third and fourth trumpets, 30:13 they run in pairs. 30:15 Now you're coming to the fifth trumpet. 30:18 And I would like you now to turn to Revelation chapter 9. 30:25 And we are going to verse 1. Boy, it's a long passage. 30:31 Okay, I hope that you'll be able to read this text. 30:35 But keep in mind the introduction, 30:38 "Woe, woe to the inhabitants of the world. 30:41 What is now coming to this earth-- 30:43 so the fifth and sixth trumpets are very frightening? 30:47 So we read, "Then the fifth angels sounded, 30:50 and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth. 30:54 And the key of the bottomless pit was given to him." 31:00 Can I stop while? 31:02 Again, we've a star fallen from heaven. 31:08 So we're dealing with the same star of the third trumpet. 31:10 Are you still with me? 31:12 So we're not far from there-- we're dealing here with Satan. 31:15 And it says "The Satan was given the key 31:19 of the abyss or the bottomless pit. 31:23 And smoke went up out of the pit 31:26 like the smoke of a great furnace. 31:29 And the sun and the air where darkened 31:32 by the smoke of the pit. 31:34 Then out of the smoke came locusts up on the earth 31:37 and the power was given them as a scorpions 31:40 of the earth that they have a power. 31:43 They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth 31:48 nor any green thing nor any tree, 31:51 but only the men who do not have 31:55 the seal of God up on the foreheads." 32:00 Let me stop here at this point. 32:04 We saw already who and what the star is all about. 32:10 It's evidently Satan. 32:12 And here in the symbolic presentation, 32:14 Satan was given the key. 32:17 Okay, when I came here to 3ABN, I was given a key. 32:21 It means that I have right to unlock that room 32:25 when I want to enter there and lock when I want. 32:28 So it symbolizes actually 32:30 I am authorized to enter the room. 32:33 So with that key we have a symbolic reference 32:36 that Satan is now authorized to unlock 32:39 the abyss or the bottomless pit. 32:41 What are we talking here about? 32:46 Both in the Bible and the Jewish tradition, okay, 32:50 the abyss or the bottomless pit is the abode, the dwelling place 32:56 or the prison place of the demons, 32:59 those fallen angels who rebelled with Satan against God. 33:05 By the way, I would like you if you can turn with me 33:08 to Luke 10:17-21. 33:16 You know this event that "The seventy disciples 33:18 returned with joy to Jesus saying, 'Lord even the demons 33:23 are subject to us in your name.' And He said to them. 33:27 'I was watching Satan, 33:29 fall from heaven like lightening. 33:31 Behold I have given you authority 33:34 to tread on serpents and scorpions 33:37 and over all the power of the enemy. 33:40 And nothing will injure you.'" 33:43 You will notice here that the falling Satan 33:46 from heaven is connected with the snake and scorpions 33:51 that are actually mentioned here in the text. 33:54 Please I would like to invite you 33:56 that we read further here in this text 34:00 that we just stopped the description of this trumpet. 34:04 And it says, in verse 4-- in verse 5. 34:09 "And they were not permitted to kill anyone 34:12 but to torment for five months. 34:14 And the torment was like the torment of a scorpion 34:18 when it stings a man. 34:19 In those days men will seek death 34:22 and will not find it. They will long to die. 34:25 And death will flee from them. 34:28 The appearance of the locusts 34:30 was like horses prepared for that battle. 34:33 And on their heads appear to be crowns like gold 34:37 and the faces were like the faces of men. 34:40 They had hair the hair of woman 34:44 and teeth were like the teeth of lions. 34:47 They had breastplates the breastplates of iron 34:51 and the sound of the wings was like the sound of chariots 34:55 of many horses rushing to battle. 34:58 They have tails like scorpion and stings 35:01 and the tails is the power to hurt man for five months. 35:06 They have a skin over them. 35:08 The angel of the abyss his name in Hebrew is Abaddon. 35:13 And then in the greek he has the name Apollyon. 35:17 The first woe is past. 35:20 Behold two woes are still coming after this things." 35:24 Boy, this is terrifying scene. 35:26 So what are you talking here about? 35:30 What do we have here? 35:33 Satan unlocks the abyss. 35:40 When he unlocks the abyss, what's the going on? 35:44 Suddenly a huge smoke-- did you notice-- 35:47 a huge smoke is coming out of the abyss. 35:51 But as John looks little bit closer 35:54 this is not really smoke. 35:57 This smoke is made of locusts coming out of the abyss. 36:04 What are you talking about? 36:06 Friends, this is not ordinary locusts. 36:09 We have here the demonic force that are unleashed. 36:12 How do you know that? 36:14 If you look to Luke 8:31-- you remember this event 36:20 when Jesus healed that demon possessed person. 36:24 "And Jesus asked that demon 'What is your name?' 36:27 And he said 'Legion.' For many demons had entered him. 36:33 And those demons were imploring Jesus 36:38 not to command to go away into the abyss." 36:46 Who is in the abyss? The demons. 36:48 In 2 Peter 2:4 36:51 we read "For if God did not spare angels 36:56 when they sinned. 36:58 But cast them into hell and committed them 37:01 to pits of darkness reserved for judgment." 37:06 We can see here actually, that those, fallen angels 37:09 who rebelled with God 37:11 they were cast down here to the earth 37:14 and the abyss the place 37:17 where those angels are imprisoned. 37:19 It means they cannot leave the planet earth 37:22 anymore to go there into the heavenly places. 37:27 So there is something here the same. 37:30 That Satan is given the authority 37:34 to unlock-- open the abyss 37:37 and to let those demonic horse the demonic forces to come out 37:44 and to harm the human beings. 37:48 And I want now to show to you 37:50 how in describing these demonic locusts 37:55 actually John utilizes the language 37:57 from the Old Testament, in particular, the prophecy 38:02 from the Book of Joel 2:2. 11. 38:07 You'll see this is a very long passage. 38:10 So please we will not read the entire passage 38:12 I hope you will read for yourself. 38:13 But let me just take few details from this texts 38:17 that you see how actually 38:20 the portrayal of this demonic locusts 38:22 is done after this prophecy from Joel. 38:25 First one, first aspect of death. 38:28 Joel says, "A day of darkness and gloom." 38:31 Keep in mind that the locusts invading Pastestine, 38:35 they created darkness there. 38:37 You see the same here in the fifth trumpet. 38:39 Say that "A day of clouds and thick darkness 38:43 as the dawn is spread over the mountains. 38:45 So there is great and mighty people 38:48 there has never been anything like it 38:51 nor will there be again after it 38:53 to the years of many generations. 38:55 A fire consumed before them. And behind them a flame burns. 39:00 The lamb is like the Garden of Eden before them. 39:03 But desolate wilderness behind them. 39:06 And nothing at all is escapes them." 39:09 Now look at this. 39:11 "The appearance is like the appearance of horses. 39:14 And like war horses, so they run. 39:17 With noise of chariots they leap on the top of the mountains." 39:21 Verse 6, "Before them then people are in anguish 39:24 or faces firm pale. 39:26 They run like a mighty man 39:27 they climb the wall like soldiers. 39:30 And they each march in line 39:32 nor do they deviate from their path." 39:35 Verse 9, "They rush on the city, they run on the walls." 39:39 Verse 10, "Before them the earth quakes. 39:42 The heavens tremble. 39:44 The sun and moon grow dark and stars loose the brightness." 39:48 You can see just in this text. 39:51 What the Joel does here he portrays 39:54 God's judgment of the land in terms of locusts. 39:58 Joel refers to the literal locusts 40:02 but he portrays them as people, as horses, 40:05 as an army destroying the land completely. 40:09 So John, the revelator 40:11 and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 40:14 he takes this portrayal of locusts in the Book of Joel 40:18 to describe this demonic locusts, 40:21 okay, in the scene of the fifth trumpet here 40:26 what we have there. 40:28 You will notice here that John is telling us something, 40:33 few things just to pay to pay attention. 40:35 That actually this locusts they harm people. 40:40 How do they inflict people? 40:42 It says with the tails because the tail is like of scorpion. 40:50 It's very interesting. 40:51 They're harming people with tails. 40:53 Keep in mind that 40:55 the Book of Revelation is the symbolic book. 40:57 And I would like to ask you 40:58 that you turn to the Book of Isaiah 9:14, 15 41:06 and they read something very interesting there. 41:09 So Isaiah 9:14, 15. 41:13 "So the lords cuts off head and tails from Israel. 41:17 Both palm branch and bulrush in single day. 41:23 The head is the elder and honorable man 41:27 and the prophet could teach us falsehood is the tail." 41:34 We have here the key 41:35 for the understanding of these tails. 41:37 It's associated with false prophets, 41:40 and their false teachings. 41:42 So what do these demonic locusts are doing? 41:49 What are they doing with the people? 41:51 You see we are dealing here with false teachings. 41:55 We are dealing something 41:56 that is contrary to the preaching of the gospel. 42:02 These demonic locusts of the fifth trumpet 42:05 they obliterate the light of the gospel. 42:08 They're replacing it with rationalism, human philosophies 42:13 that can become the ultimate stand of the truth. 42:15 We saw it in the fourth trumpet. 42:18 So with the fifth trumpet, 42:19 we actually have he deepening of the spiritual crisis 42:23 that came into the world 42:26 in the aftermath of the reformation 42:30 with the appearance of rationalism, secularism, 42:34 and all those human philosophies is here. 42:37 So now we have the consequences of that. 42:41 And the suffering of the people by this demonic locusts, 42:46 okay, in the western world some how 42:50 in the period of the 17, 18 and 19 centuries. 42:57 Okay, the period allotted to these demonic locusts 43:01 to torment people is five months, 150 days. 43:06 Unfortunately, the biblical interpreters, 43:09 they have hard time with these time elements. 43:13 And now I will leave this time element very open. 43:19 But I would like us one more time 43:22 that we go to the Old Testament. 43:25 And you will something notice that five months period 43:29 is found in the Book of Genesis 7:24, 43:35 telling us that this was the period of the flood 43:38 during which Noah and his family 43:41 were under the divine protection 43:43 and that flood waters could not harm them. 43:47 "As with Noah and his family 43:50 so will be with God's people 43:52 who will be protected during this period." 43:54 Did you notice here? 43:56 I would like you to pay special attention 43:58 to something that is very important. 44:01 It's verse 4, verse 4 is very significant. 44:05 Actually, let's read 3 and 4. 44:08 " Then out of the smoke came locusts up on the earth 44:11 and the power was given them as a scorpions of the earth 44:15 that they have a power. 44:17 They were told not to hurt 44:19 the grass of the earth nor any green thing." 44:23 Do you remember the grass green thing? 44:26 It's symbol of God's people. 44:27 But here in this texts John even explains to us telling us 44:33 what the symbol of the grass and thing--green thing is. 44:37 Verse 4 one more time. 44:39 "They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth 44:43 nor any green thing not any tree 44:47 but only the man who do not have 44:50 the seal of God on their foreheads." 44:54 Here we have the clue. 44:57 If they are harming the people 44:59 who do not have the seal of God on the foreheads, 45:02 but they cannot harm the grass 45:06 the tree and green things. 45:10 So this is the symbol of those 45:12 who have the seal of God up on their foreheads. 45:16 You can see here that God's people 45:18 during this time are protected, 45:21 protected from these demonic forces. 45:24 They cannot actually harm them. 45:27 Verse 5, "They were not permitted to kill any one 45:35 but only to torment them." 45:39 Friends, we are not dealing here with some military invasion 45:44 that some Christians they try to interpret this. 45:48 Some people try to apply it to Turkey 45:51 and to Arabic tribes who were killing Christians. 45:55 There is no killing here. 45:56 We are dealing about demonic forces. 46:00 They do not kill anybody. What are they doing? 46:03 They are simply tormenting people, 46:08 those who do not have the seal of God 46:12 because God's people are protected during those times. 46:17 So what better description 46:22 of the period in human history 46:25 following the age of enlightenment 46:29 which was characterized by the rise of rationalism, 46:33 skepticism, humanism, 46:37 relativism and liberalism. 46:41 This ultimately gave rise to secularism 46:45 and its negative effects on Christianity. 46:49 You see God-centered theology was replaced by atheistic 46:54 human-centered philosophy 46:57 which does not have any room for God. 47:00 This atheistic philosophy has alienated people from God 47:05 and alienated people from each other. 47:08 Okay, thus creating in them 47:10 the agony of emptiness and meaningless. 47:16 So keep in mind that according to Jesus-- 47:18 you remember, when demon leaves the human heart 47:22 if that heart is empty the demon will come back. 47:25 Keep in mind that human life's they cannot be empty. 47:28 The human beings are looking for something to fill that emptiness 47:33 and this gives the occasion to Satan 47:36 and to his demonic forces to fill that emptiness. 47:41 People do not believe into supernaturalism 47:45 but they turn to superstition. 47:49 Okay, even though people separated from God 47:52 they have a longing for the values 47:55 to fill that emptiness in their lives. 48:00 It will be the good occasion for Satan 48:03 for the demonic forces to come to try to fill that emptiness 48:09 that was created by the absence of the gospel. 48:14 At this point I'll just stop here 48:18 and go to one text in the Old Testament 48:21 to the Book of Amos. 48:23 Because if you really want to understand 48:25 the full effect of the fifth seal, 48:28 we have to go the sixth seal 48:30 because the sixth seal it's in continuation 48:33 and the deepening of that condition in the world 48:37 harmed by those demonic forces. 48:40 By the way, if we go to the Book of Amos 6:12, 48:45 you will see now how we have a great illustration 48:48 what is going on. 48:50 Amos, said, "When Israel turned justice into poison 48:57 and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood, 49:01 God brought swarms of locusts upon their land." 49:05 Are you still with me? 49:07 We saw in the fourth trumpet 49:10 that people rejected the truth turning it into wormwood into-- 49:16 those sweet water of the gospel they turn into the bitterness. 49:22 And now we have in the fifth trumpet 49:25 the demonic locusts are now coming to harm the humanity. 49:31 The only security for the humanity 49:34 is found in Christ and the gospel. 49:37 Any religion apart from Christ 49:39 including one that is based simply on the emotions 49:43 does not supply the needs of the world. 49:46 What secular people need today 49:49 is the clear understanding of the gospel 49:53 which alone can fill the emptiness in the lives 49:56 and protect them from the torment 49:58 caused by the supernatural forces. 50:01 But now John ends this scene. One war is over. 50:05 And if you think that it is terrible, 50:08 just wait to see what the next war will bring. 50:13 At this point we are now turning to the sixth trumpet, 50:17 okay, to the sixth trumpet. 50:19 And we read about this in verse 13. 50:23 So please I hope you will now join me 50:27 and to find out what is here. 50:30 John watches further. 50:32 Keep in mind the trumpets 50:34 they run in pairs you remember that? 50:38 Always the next one explains the previous one. 50:43 And it says, "Then the sixth angels sounded. 50:46 And I heard a voice 50:48 from the four horns of the golden altar 50:51 which is before God. 50:54 One saying to the sixth angel who has the trumpet. 50:57 'Release the four angels 51:00 who are bound at the great river Euphrates.' 51:04 And the four angels who have been prepared 51:06 for the hour and day and month and year were released 51:11 so that they would kill a third of mankind. 51:15 The number of the armies 51:16 of the horsemen was two hundred million. 51:20 And I heard the number." 51:22 I would like to stop here for a moment. 51:25 Please can you help me something? 51:27 The four angels, they're restraining 51:33 the forces to harm people. 51:37 Now they're given the order 51:40 release and go and harm the people. 51:44 And then suddenly John hears 51:49 the army that will go to harm people 51:52 and their number is-- how many are there? 51:56 Two hundred million. 51:58 And now there is an expression, 51:59 I heard their number. 52:02 Is there another text in the Book of Revelation 52:04 that suddenly come to your mind as we read this? 52:09 It's Revelation Chapter 7. 52:12 that's the reason we suggest that this sixth trumpets 52:19 and the Revelation 7 describes the same time period in history 52:27 because these angels here are related 52:29 to those four angels of chapter 7. 52:32 And keep in mind that only in Revelation 7 52:37 and here in Revelation 10:16, 52:41 John uses the expression and "I heard their number." 52:48 So while in Revelation Chapter 7 52:50 we have God's sealed people who are protected 52:57 as the church militant are ready to enter into that final war, 53:04 here Satan is marking and sealing his own army 53:10 and their number is great here, two hundred millions. 53:17 So we are dealing here really with the preparation 53:21 for the battle of Armageddon. 53:24 I would like to point here 53:25 something that is very significant. 53:28 You will notice here that these angels 53:30 are seen at the river Euphrates. 53:34 Do you see it? Do you see that? 53:36 By the way, we will come later in the Book of Revelation 16 53:44 and we will see that the river Euphrates 53:46 is associated there with the battle of Armageddon. 53:50 So when you study this text here, 53:54 and when you see those connections in chapter 7 53:58 and now when you see 54:00 the connections with Revelations 16 54:03 then we get much clear picture what this is all about? 54:08 The sixth trumpet actually builds on the fifth trumpet. 54:13 So we have the extensive 54:17 and intensive activities of the demonic forces. 54:21 Human beings are unhappy. 54:24 They are lost. There is a vacuum. 54:25 There is emptiness in their hearts. You can read. 54:30 You can watch many religious programs 54:35 and they say, you know, 54:38 that the modern man and the woman 54:42 does not believe in supernatural. 54:44 These are the consequences of age of enlightenment. 54:47 But they say the time is coming. 54:49 I listen some of the programs, 54:51 the time is coming that one day 54:54 there will be in the world supernatural things to happen. 54:58 And this is how those people who deny supernatural things 55:03 finally will be brought to the conclusion 55:10 that there are supernatural things 55:12 to take place in the world. 55:14 And according to the Book of Revelation 55:16 these will indeed lead to that final battle 55:20 in the history of the humanity 55:22 known as the battle of Armageddon. 55:24 By the way, when we go to the Old Testament, 55:29 we can see that the river Euphrates 55:33 is actually a symbol that marked the division 55:38 between God's people of Israel and their enemies. 55:42 Actually, probably, the best text is Isaiah 8:7 55:46 and the many other texts I can mention here is. 55:50 We read in Isaiah 8:7-8. 55:53 "Now therefore, behold, 55:55 the Lord is about to bring on them 55:58 the strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates. 56:01 Even the king of Assyria and all his glory. 56:04 And it will rise up over all its channels 56:08 and go over all its banks. 56:10 Then it will sweep on into Judah. 56:12 It will overflow and pass through, 56:14 it will reach even to the neck and spread of its wings 56:18 will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel." 56:23 Actually, friends, what we're dealing here 56:26 is that the sixth trumpet actually brings us 56:30 to the very time of the end 56:32 before the second coming of Christ. 56:36 The human beings have rejected God 56:39 and now there are consequences of that. 56:43 By bringing us to the very time of the end 56:46 before the second coming of Christ, 56:48 the Bible is telling us that the whole world 56:51 finally will be included and involved 56:53 in that final war against God and the gospel. 56:59 But praise God the sealed people of God 57:03 will not be harmed by the demonic forces. 57:06 We don't have time now to finish the sixth trumpet 57:10 but please, I'd like to encourage you to join us 57:13 in the next presentation 57:15 because there is much more to be said about the sixth trumpet. 57:20 We would like to see what are the consequences 57:23 of that in which promise God gives to God's people. 57:27 So please come back and let us study 57:32 the word of God together. |
Revised 2014-12-17