Armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse. Revelation 20: 1-6.

 In Revelation 19 we saw Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, riding into the scene on a white horse and a tremendous army of saints riding behind Him. He has a sword coming out of His mouth, that sword is His Word, so in reality, He may only speak a word and kill all those who have joined in, and He slaughters all those who have come to the fight.

Statements indicating that Jesus only kills those who come to do battle seem logical, however, some will actively fight with me about how Jesus kills off everyone but the Christians prior to the millennial reign. If that was the case, why would there be a need for judges seated on thrones during this time period?

Who these judges are is found in Revelation 19:2 where it speaks of God avenging the blood of His bond-servants – the martyred saints. You then have to extrapolate how God would avenge their blood. Since we, the church, caught up in the rapture, did not spill our blood, then it is certainly not speaking about us. The answer to this question above lies in the fact that many from the nations will enter the millennial kingdom.

Notice the terminology used in Revelation 19, pertaining to this battle.

“Then I saw the beast and the rulers and leaders of the earth with their troops mustered to go into battle and make war against Him Who is mounted on the horse and against His troops.”
(Revelation 19:19 AMP)

• We see the beast - this is the antichrist character,

• the rulers of the earth – take your pick, if they have survived the onslaught thrown at the earth by God, then they too will be there.

• And we see, leaders of the earth with their troops.

All of these are going into battle against Him who is seated upon the white horse and His troops.

You do know who this is, right?

Jesus Christ. Here is a scripture to back up my argument.

“Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.”
(Revelation 19:11 NLT)

Suddenly, it occurs to me, that the gathering of troops, to a specific location like Israel (Never let this piece of information out of your thinking, this saga, we call the Bible, is about God's plan to redeem humanity, the promise He made to Abraham, and the land that He promised to Abraham – that land extends far beyond the reaches of Israel,) will take more than a day or two, and we can see that Russia is staging for some horrid activity with their build-up in Syria. The implications are that Jesus is merely hanging there in mid-air for all the world to see, with the armies of heaven in tow until these earth-bound fools are gathered and ready to fight.

You saw my shortlist above, where there are no wives, mothers, or children listed. That does not preclude that a few may choose to join in the melee, but for the most part, in the Middle East, wars are fought by the men. So that does not mean that the King of Kings will go to their house, in contrast to some of the instructions Israel received concerning the conquering of opposing “nations,” and leave no one alive. If you believe that, then you have no idea who God is.

Let's confirm these assertions I just put forth.

And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him, the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
(Revelation 19:19-21 NASB)

So here we go once again with an inventory again as we look at another verse..

• The beast and the kings of the earth,

• Their armies

It is only those assembled to make war against Him who are seated on the white horse and against His army that is killed.

What is the result of this war?

The beast, which is the antichrist, is seized, and with him, the false prophet; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. Two are permanently judged and tossed into the lake of fire, while an untold number of fighters from among the nations are killed – temporarily put to sleep until they are called before the great white throne.

All that is merely housekeeping and now begins,

The Thousand Years

Revelation 20:1-3 Moffatt NT (1) Then I saw an angel descend from heaven with the key of the abyss and a huge chain in his hand; (2) he gripped the dragon, that old serpent (who is the devil and Satan), and bound him for a thousand years, (3) flinging him into the abyss and shutting and sealing it on the top of him, to prevent him seducing the nations again until the thousand years were completed — after which he has to be released for a little while.

So much of this is self-explanatory. 

An angel simply means an angel. Since we seem to think that Satan is all-powerful – by the way, he is NOT, then it is obvious that this angel is stronger.

I was asked by a relative, to explain Revelation 20 and 21. Since the questions are usually entwined with convoluted arguments, I asked that person to give me some specific questions. A response that came went like this, God had to use a special chain because you can't hold a spirit being with a metal chain. I suppose that stands to reason.

Whether it is a huge or great chain makes no difference as the word hálusis also carries meanings of manacles, shackles, bonds, imprisonment, or a state of custody. Whatever it takes.

Notice that this angel has keys. Where did he get a key?

Jesus told the disciples, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19 NASB)

When Jesus spoke these words He had not yet gone to hell, taken the keys to death, hell, and the grave. And yet He speaks as though He already had them. Perhaps this speaks to the confidence that God has in His own word.

Paul tells us in his letter to the church at Ephesus that He went to hell.

Therefore He says, "When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men." (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? (Ephesians 4:8-9 MKJV)

An aspect of what happened to Jesus was to be falsely accused of sins He did not commit. The payment for sin was death, but not just physical death, it was spiritual death as well, and Satan thought he had Him.

I always think of Hank Hannegraf, the Bible Answer Man, and how he seemed to lose his mind over this teaching. He would proclaim that it was blasphemy if you can think that Jesus should or could be put in hell. And yet, there it is in black and white, “He also descended... into the lower parts of the earth.” What Paul preached came from the heart of God, the Old Testament, and so here is where he got the teaching from.

You have gone up on high; You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts for men, yes, for the rebellious also, that You might dwell among them, O Jehovah God. (Psalms 68:18 MKJV)

These gifts that the passage speaks of did NOT come from hell. The gifts are only from the Father, so it is easy to see that Jesus was rewarded as well.

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us and has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. Having stripped rulers and authorities, He made a show of them publicly, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:13-15 MKJV)

In the faith movement, there was a teaching called, “What happened from the Cross to the Throne.” To be honest, it was awesome, not something you hear very often, and I think it is something that every believer should understand. I am presenting several aspects of that teaching in this post. 

Jesus did not simply die, He destroyed Satan and His power, and then went into heaven, where, as the high priest, He placed His own blood on the heavenly utensils there – the tabernacle on earth was a copy of that heavenly one. Because He conquered sin and death, the Father restored Him to power and placed Him upon His throne, where He still sits today.

Take the time to read these passages: Heb_4:14; *Heb_6:20; *Heb_8:1, *1Pe_3:22. 

One last passage about those keys and we will move on.

"and the Living One, and I became dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, Amen. And I have the keys of hell and of death." (Revelation 1:18 MKJV)

So when I asked, where did the angel get the keys, he got them from Jesus, who obtained them by stripping them out of Satan's grip. Satan, on the other hand, got them when Adam, who was NOT deceived, handed the dominion of the earth over to the deceiver.

Revelation 20:4 MKJV  “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast nor his image, nor had received his mark on their foreheads, nor in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

Who are these that sit on the thrones that Jesus sets up?

Fortunately, we answered this in the first few paragraphs. But in short, it is the previously martyred saints.

Notice the terminology, they were “beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast nor his image, nor had received his mark on their foreheads, nor in their hands.”

Revelation 20:5 GNB  “(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were over.) This is the first raising of the dead.”

If you are not cautious in your reading, you will see the first raising as those who are brought back at the end of the millennial reign. It is NOT the dead being brought before the great white throne, it is the martyred saints, raised to sit upon these thrones, passing judgment over the nations during the millennium.

Revelation 20:6 NASB “Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”

Martyred saints, raised to life again, never have to fear the second death.

The second death, we have heard this term several times, so what is it?

The second death is spiritual death in that you are separated from God. I don't think any of us can express what that feels like except for Jesus. I can say that because I have known Jesus all my life and have never been without Him. Now, if you chose NOT to listen to His voice, then the obvious assertion would be that you did not recognize His voice, but that was your choice. 

Didn't you ever wonder what Jesus meant when He said, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”

For many, this is just a curse when things are not going well, Jesus got it from the Psalms

“... My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.” (Psalms 22:1 NASB)

Humanity, whether they choose to follow Christ or spit in His face, has always had the Spirit of God speaking to them and moving around them, and that is why I struggle with people who are willing to tell you that God cannot and will not look at sin. If that were the case, He would have ignored all of us. The passage these false teachers use is taken out of context and is part of one where Habakkuk is whining to God. That NASB titles this section as:

Habakkuk's Second Complaint

“Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O LORD, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct. Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?”
(Habakkuk 1:12-13 NASB)

Habakkuk went on to ask, why do you look with favor on those who deal treacherously, which of course is a polite way of saying evil, wickedness, or sin. So, using the phrase, God can NOT look on wickedness, is no less sin, and a form of manipulation and control; and those two words move their actions into the arena of witchcraft.

The reality of God's heart and character looks more like this.

“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.” (Micah 7:18 NASB)

Did you catch the depth of character embedded in what Micah had to say?

• “ Who is a God like You,”

  This statement is reaching out to find and display God's character.

• “who pardons iniquity”

  This is in total opposition to the proclamation that God cannot look at sin, which, by the way, is exactly what His son became on the cross - sin.

• “And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession.”

  On this earth, we are subject to the demands of the law and, therefore, our crimes, if caught, get punished. Some seem to think there are no repercussions if they get away with the crime. Enjoy your moment in the sun, but there is a payment to be made. But what does Micah tell us? That God passes over the rebellious acts.

  Question. After the treasonous act by Adam, what did God do? Some will try to work from the angle that God was hiding His face from the man in the garden. Seriously, God, who knows and sees all, was showing the man respect, although I am not sure he deserved it, by calling out where are you. You are NOT going to hide yourself or your sins from God. He will seek you out.

• “He does not retain His anger forever,”

  Thank you, Lord, for that. Wouldn't it be nice if people acted like God? As I write I am considering, with frailty, how long then does God hold on to anger? The answer is simple, He doesn't. The cross was more than an interesting dot on the timeline of God's redemption plan, as it, among other things, signifies His forgiveness of ALL sin. So when I come to God with my sin, as though there is a release from hell's grip by confessing what was done. He responds with, I don't know what you are talking about. I left that all on the cross.

  But there is yet a better answer and it comes from the passage itself.

• “Because He delights in unchanging love.”

  It brings the Father more joy to show you His unchanging love.

  Let those words sink in.

Locusts came out of the pit and stung like scorpions. Rev 9:1-6.

 

Assuming that you just stumbled onto this blog, we are studying the Revelation.

Why?

Because a great majority of the church has no idea what is in this book; and, even if you did manage to read it, do you have any idea who is the rider on the white horse, that we see in Revelation 6? We have already covered the answer to that question in a previous post, and it is fairly well identified so that you can go back and study that subject.

If you choose to understand, not only the Revelation, but any book of the Bible, you would do well to understand that the Bible is a Jewish-centered book. In the case of the Revelation, you can see evidence of that in Revelation 2:9 and again in Revelation 3:9. In both of those cases, the church bodies are referred to as the synagogue of Satan. I, in reading one day, noticed this and thought, most, among the nations (as a Gentile – non-Jew,) may not have a clue as to what a synagogue is, however, the Jewish reader has an immediate understanding. Inferences to God's chosen people, the Jewish people, and the nation of Israel are in virtually every book in the Bible. If this bothers you, then you better repent of your racism quickly and get used to change.

Quickly:

• Chapters 1-3 are a historic and spiritual description of the church as it has gone through the ages. Many of these churches were gone by the time John saw this vision, but in almost every way, these descriptions speak to some of us today.

• Revelation chapter four opens with these words, “After these things,” indicating an end of the church age and the migration into the time of God's judgment of Israel and the nations.

• Revelation chapter five seems as if it is going to be filled with grief, as, according to John, there is no one worthy to open the seals. Knowing what is to be revealed by the seals, it is hard to understand why anyone would be anticipating what is to come unless you have an expectancy of Christ's return for His bride. One of the elders comes to John and tells him, not to worry for the Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy. Having that piece of information you would think that the next thing John sees would be something like Aslan of the Narnia chronicles, but what he sees is Jesus as the slaughtered lamb. Because of this disclosure chapter, five is one of the most glorious of the chapters.

• Revelation chapter six covers the beginning of God's wrath as represented by the opening of the six seals, which includes the introduction of the antichrist character.

  The seventh instrument of judgment, in this case, the sixth seal, is typically the announcement of the next phase of wrath, or, the final judgment, as we will see with the bowl judgments.

  Most importantly, you need to know that the wrath of God, was not and is not meant for those who are in Christ. That being said, it does not mean that you will not go through tribulation while you are on this alive on this earth, Jesus, so to speak, guaranteed that aspect. I will show you a verse, but first, let me say that most translated that as tribulations.

  John 16:33 NLT I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

  How anyone survives the seal judgments is beyond me, and yet there are two more.

End of page one.

• Revelation chapter seven gives you details of what has been happening behind the scenes during the seal judgments; and, it points out that a mass slaughter of people who have come to an acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah, during this time of horror has happened. This redemption process continues throughout the time of wrath, to the point that the dead, because of their testimony, become uncountable. Praise God for that.

  We are also told, here in chapter seven, that God has the destruction stopped for a moment as they mark/seal 144,000 Jewish young men who have not been tainted by the world's desires – they are referred to as virgins. By the way, we, who have accepted Christ, have been sealed by the Holy Spirit.

  With the opening of the seventh seal, there is a half-hour of silence. One would get the impression that it has been very noisy so far, and the first shofar has yet to sound.

• Revelation chapter eight shows us the seventh seal, which portrays, the prayers of the saints, being mixed with burning incense, in one of the heavenly censers; it is then thrown to the earth. What follows is: peals of thunder, sounds, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. The seven trumpets or shofars begin to sound their judgments.

  The first shofar sounds.

  • Revelation 8:7 NASB The first angel sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth, and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

  • Revelation 8:8-9 NASB The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, (9) and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

  • Revelation 8:10-11 NASB (10) The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. (11) The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters because they were made bitter.

  • Revelation 8:12 NASB The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.

  Revelation eight ends with an eagle, flying in mid-heaven and crying out with a loud voice, saying, woe woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth because of the trumpet blasts that are about to come.

  We ended our last post with this verse.

• Revelation 9:1 NASB Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.

  Pay attention to the choice of words. Scripture does not, as yet, put this angel into the bottomless pit, that comes at the end of the time of wrath and the beginning of the millennial reign.

End of page two.

The fallen angel, does, however, have the keys to Sheol, another name for the bottomless pit, and it should be known that the possessor of the keys controls the fear factor associated with the pit.

So, who is this fallen angel?

Because Jesus tells us that He saw Lucifer, the day-star, thrown to earth, then we are talking about Satan.

Does Satan still have the keys?

Without question, NO!

Revelation 1:17-18 NASB (17) When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, (18) and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Because of that statement, we should no longer have any fear of Sheol.

With that introduction, let's continue on with the fifth shofar.

Revelation 9:1-6 NASB Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. (2) He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. (3) Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. (4) They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. (5) And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. (6) And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.

I feel confident that this star that had fallen is Satan.

Things to make note of:

• “The key of the bottomless pit was given to him.”

  To understand this you have to grasp how much authority Adam had, and how he gave all of it over to Satan, along with the keys, one of which opened the bottomless pit.

• “He (Satan,) opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, …; and the sun and air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.”

  But notice in verse 9:2 that it says it is “like the smoke of a huge furnace.” Since we can understand that there is a fire that burns forever, then there must be fire.

It is wise to either do your background homework or, not add or interject thoughts into the mix.

• “the sun was darkened, and the sky too, by the smoke from the shaft.”

  The word used for Sun is hēlios and means the rays or light. We can often understand this by relating this to an overcast day. Can we see? Mostly, but if I used the aftermath of Mount St. Helens and the ash storm that overtook the city, it turned the day into night and people had to turn on their headlights at midday.

End of page three.

Darkened is the Greek word skotóō and also means to cover with darkness. In Revelation 16:10 it is symbolic of distress, calamity, destruction.

Based upon these translations I can understand this two ways, one being a situation where the light is definitely muted but filled with distress, calamity, and destruction.

• “ out of the smoke came locusts”

  As annoying and destructive as locusts can be, these are a horror unto themselves.

• “ and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.”

  What? In what way are scorpions like locusts? Locusts are eating machines, but they limit their eating to plants. The scorpion on the other hand is a hunter; they sting victims that resist their crushing claws, paralyze and eat them. Scorpions don't eat people, they defend themselves from people with the same toxic venom; that could kill someone like me.

• “ They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.”

  Here again, is another wordplay scenario. What did we just discuss? The fact that these LOCUSTS were given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. Revelation 9:4 tells us that they are not here to eat plants, but to attack any human that DOES NOT have the seal of God on their foreheads.

  So, how many people have this seal on their foreheads?

  144,000 Jews.

  If you are a Jehovah's Witness and believe that your “prophets” are a part of this marked crowd, you will have a rude awakening, for unless these high ranking people among your cult religion have a practical, working relationship with Jesus Christ, they are, in all likelihood, going into Sheol.

  Is it possible that some would argue that the antichrist has marked people and therefore, be confused with those that God has marked and therefore, be bypassed by these hellish locusts?

  A question like this is entrenched with fear and twisted logic. Oh sure, you can argue, but you are not going to change God's plan and direction; and, you must remember that these “stinging locusts” are a part of God's wrath. (Yes, there will be a point in time, in which God will pour out His wrath, contrary to some people's opinion.)

  So ask yourself, are you a part of the family of God - one who has accepted that Jesus died for you, or, are you still conjoined with the nations/Gentiles?

  If your answer is the Gentiles, then there is the possibility that you were never a part of the church anyway and, therefore, subject to God's wrath.

  Satan has always mocked and copied aspects of God's ways. We see this with the marking that the antichrist dispenses, however, there is nothing, that I see, in scripture that indicates anything like this happens.

End of page four.

• “And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. (6) And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.”

  These things have a mandate to “hurt” the people of the earth.

  Who are they hurting?

  Anyone they can sink their teeth or stinger into, this includes those who will, in time, get martyred for their testimony, and it includes those who think their money can protect them. For some reason, I can see these things crawling through cracks and door openings as they hunt you.

  They ARE NOT permitted to kill anyone. I could be killed by a bee sting simply by going into Anaphylactic shock, and yet these things will NOT kill but merely bring a dreadful torment.

  “In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.”.

  Think about this, for five months it would appear that no one can die, merely suffer dreadfully.

Have you ever heard fools say, when it snows in hell I'll ski there too. You are either so blind, or foolish, to think that God's wrath and the ensuing hell is something to toy with; obviously, it is not.

It feels that the entirety of my reasons for trying to make the Revelation clear is to keep people from having to endure the wrath that is to come. It seems rather obvious that if you could bypass God's wrath, that you would bypass hell; and, since followers of Christ are to be caught up to heaven, then, we would be in heaven, with the Father.

An interesting parable is the one about the ten virgins. All of them got an invitation to the marriage supper, and yet, if you know how this story goes, you know that half of them did not take extra oil. I have heard the oil referred to several things, one of which would be the Holy Spirit. But there is a more practical side of this, and that would be, the callous attitude that those without sufficient oil demonstrated to the others. Those without the oil did not humble themselves, nor ask if they could follow after those who had plenty; they demanded that the other give them of what they had.

Since this life, we have in Christ, is, as so many expect, based upon the idea of what would Jesus do, we can assume that He would have had enough, or, at the least, allowed for others to follow Him. If you know the story, then you know that none of those without thought to ask that question.

What did they do?

They went about the dark community scrounging. I suspect that this did not go so well for them.

When they returned, after chasing around the village looking for oil they could buy, were they able to gain entry to the event they had been invited to? The answer is NO.

Why would you take that chance? Fill your tanks now by accepting Christ into your life.

A third of them will be darkened. Revelation 8:12-9:1

 As I write this, the wife and I have an entire extra family living with us, another family coming in from out of state, and just this morning had another who is having relationship issues, call to say she needs to stay here for a couple of days. Why do I tell you this? Because, as Jesus informed us, “all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” ( Matthew 24:8 NASB)

You need to understand that Jesus' return for His church is imminent. Because of that, the enemy is pouring it on and turning up the heat; and though many will tell you that Satan is aiming at the Christian, I will tell you something, all of us were made in God's image. Unfortunately, because of Adam's treasonous actions, we are all broken. The best way to think of this is to picture yourself as genetically damaged, and that this damage drives your lust. Lust is the strong desire to do what you please, ignoring God's voice. Jesus put Himself on that cross, much as Isaac did when his father, Abraham, pushed to make a sacrifice to God. That action by Jesus brought about redemption and salvation for everyone's sin, past, present, and future. This redemption belongs to anyone who accepts this action by Jesus as being for them. When you do this you have applied faith and all that God asks is that we believe.

Everything we are studying in the Revelation, at this point, is God's wrath upon Israel and the nations, for their unbelief, and the horrors they have performed upon the world. Since the body of Christ is comprised of believers, they are excluded from the punishment that is coming. That information should be good news to most.

With that, we begin.

Revelation 8:12 NASB The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.

• a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck.

  From the Word Study Dictionary: Struck can be plḗssō, or plḗttō; future. plḗxō. To strike. In the NT, equivalent to plague, to smite, or to afflict with disease, calamity, evil.

  The word third is exactly what they say, a third. But what is being struck?

  • The Sun

  • The Moon

  • The Stars

I went to Google and asked, what would happen if the sunlight was reduced by a third? I got an obvious answer from the National Geographic, and it goes like this:

“The sun has extremely important influences on our planet: It drives weather, ocean currents, seasons, and climate, and makes plant life possible through photosynthesis. Without the sun’s heat and light, life on Earth would not exist.”

I really don't think I need to pursue this any further, but I will point out that our skies, here in Southern California, have been grayed out by chemtrails. Add to this how Bill Gates emphasized that we need to have the earth cooled and how he intends to do that by spraying stuff in the sky to obscure the Sun heat. If you obscure the sky with nanoparticles of aluminum chaff, wouldn't that same chaff block out the moon and stars?

End of page one.

It would, so perhaps the answer to this question lies in the proliferation of chemtrails. Without the "twisted wisdom" of Bill Gates, I would have a hard time trying to figure out how God will go about making this happen. The method God chooses is not my concern as I am a part of the bride of Christ - the church,  and will not be here when it happens.

I think it is important to point out that we haven't even hit the halfway point in the seven years of God's wrath. Some might say, in rebuttal, we haven't seen the antichrist in scripture as yet; ah, but we have, and we witnessed his entrance in Revelation 6:2 under the first, seal.

Revelation 6:2 NASB I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

So the antichrist was represented as the rider on the white horse, carrying a bow, conquering, and to conquer. Daniel's prophecies help to explain this even further, however, here in Daniel 8 he is called the insolent king.

Daniel 8:23-24 NASB "In the latter period of their rule, When the transgressors have run their course, A king will arise, Insolent and skilled in intrigue. (24) "His power will be mighty, but not by his own power, And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree And prosper and perform his will; He will destroy mighty men and the holy people.

The word intrigue is the Hebrew word chı̂ydâh. It means riddle, difficult question, parable, enigmatic saying or question, perplexing sayings or questions.

Enigmatic means relating to or containing a riddle; obscure; darkly expressed; ambiguous. Obscurely conceived or apprehended.

Considering these definitions, one should be wondering how this person could possibly rise to power.

Moving on.

Revelation 8:13 NASB Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in mid-heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"

You would not know an eagle was flying in the sky unless you looked up or heard it screech. This eagle, however, speaks with a loud voice and says,

• “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

Anytime words are repeated, it is to: get your attention and to sound an alarm. It is evident that this eagle is warning us of the remaining blasts from the shofar, a sound, by the way, that will be heard around the globe.

At this point, there have been seven seals broken, and now four blasts from the shofar; and, aside from the arrival of the antichrist in Revelation six, we have nothing that prescribes exactly when these events will happen.

The fifth trumpet and an aspect of the horror the eagle spoke of.

Revelation 9:1 NASB Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.

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Consider what we have already seen, as they relate to “celestial” bodies.

Revelation 8:8-9 told us that at the blast of the second shofar,

“what looked like an enormous blazing mountain was hurled into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.”

This could very well be a massive asteroid, but I wouldn't want to exclude things like the Fukushima power plant explosions after the tsunami, and the eventual dumping of radioactive wastewater into the ocean.

Revelation 8:10-11 CJB The third angel sounded his shofar;

“and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky onto a third of the rivers and onto the springs of water. (11) The name of the star was "Bitterness," and a third of the water became bitter, and many people died from the water that had been turned bitter.”

Revelation 9:1 tells us that, once again, a star falls from heaven. What is the defining aspect of this verse? The fact that this “star” has already fallen to the earth, and he has the key to the bottomless pit.

I feel the need to define Bitterness once again. The Greek word is apsinthos and also means calamity or bitter poison.

The wording of Revelation 9:1 has a familiar ring to it.

Isaiah also described Lucifer, the day-star, why he lost his position, and why he will be thrust down to Sheol.

Isaiah 14:12-15 NASB "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! (13) "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. (14) 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' (15) "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.

Is there any doubt as to who it is that has fallen to the earth? If so, consider the words of Jesus.

Luke 10:18 NET. So he (Jesus) said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”

So, if this is Satan, what is he doing with the keys?

End of page three.

This is a long story; the short version is that Adam relinquished ALL rights to the earth when he bit into that fruit. If you don't believe that consider the conversation between Satan and Jesus when Satan tempted Jesus. Please pay attention to the wording in Luke's gospel and then compare it to Matthew's account, found in chapter four. Matthew tells us it was a high mountain but left off the details about the fact that the kingdoms were Satan's to give.

Luke 4:5-8 NASB And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. (6) And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. (7) "Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours." (8) Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"

In either case, there were no wasted words nor heated arguments over who had control over the earth, for Jesus knew very well what Adam had done and the extent of the damage. I already used Luke 10:18 to point out that Jesus was there watching when Satan was cast to earth.

At some point, you have to get real and believe. The Apostle John finally got it and told us in the opening lines of his account of Jesus' life with the disciples.

John 1:1-4 NASB In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being. (4) In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

We are still looking at Revelation 9:1.

“Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.” NASB

Moses knew of this pit.

Numbers 16:28-31 NASB Moses said, "By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing. (29) "If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. (30) "But if the LORD brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up

with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the LORD." (31) As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open;

King David also spoke of the pit.

Psalms 71:20 NASB You who have shown me many troubles and distresses Will revive me again, And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

The Prophet Isaiah detailed how Sheol will swallow Jerusalem's splendor.

Isaiah 5:12-14 NASB Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine; But they do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD, Nor do they consider the work of His hands. (13) Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; And their honorable men are famished, And their multitude is parched with thirst.

End of page four.

14. Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth without measure; And Jerusalem's splendor, her multitude, her din of revelry and the jubilant within her, descend into it.

I would not want to leave you without hope, for scripture tells me that Jesus stripped Satan of power and took the keys to Sheol away from him.

Jesus, in His opening statements to John, reveals that He has those keys.

Revelation 1:17-18 NASB (17) When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, (18) and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

How then, did Jesus get those keys?

He had to go there, to Sheol. Having listened to Hank Hannegraf on the radio, I heard that it was impossible for the Son of God to touch such corruption. The Psalmist says otherwise.

“Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; Declare among the peoples His deeds. For He who requires blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted. Be gracious to me, O LORD; See my affliction from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death,” (Psalms 9:11-13 NASB)

The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury tell us that the keys symbolized authority to control whatever they opened,

In the Old Testament (Psalm 9:13; Psalm 107:18) and Jewish literature, “the gates of Hades” referred to the realm of the dead and thus to the power of death; one who held the keys to these realms thus ruled over them. (Whoever held the keys in a royal house held a position of great authority in that house, as in Isaiah 22:21-22;

Keys symbolized authority to control whatever they opened, and Jewish texts spoke of God dispensing keys to rain, etc.)

Jewish literature said that God had authority over death and the gates of Hades (Wisdom of Solomon 16:13).

And, Christ’s power over death, as the one who had risen, would encourage his followers now facing possible death.

I have been asked, over the years, and, I have asked the question myself, if Satan fell like lightning, then why do we see him in the garden with Eve; see him with the sons of God in the heavenlies, and perpetually accusing the saints before God on His throne?

Once again, here is a portion of Revelation 9:1, which says, “a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.” Just because he was thrown out of heaven obviously does not exclude him from God, nor does it put him in Sheol. Now a day is coming when he will go into Sheol for a thousand years, and then again permanently; but that time has not come yet. As we just read, the keys symbolize authority to control, and since Sheol or hades are associated with fear, then Satan controlled the realm of fear.

Because of Jesus Sheol has been conquered, the keys have been returned to their rightful owner and the fear associated with death should never play a role in our lives again because we are in Him.