By Pastor Greg...
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| Sulley, from Walt Disney's Monster, Inc. |
In 2001, Walt Disney released the
movie Monster’s Inc. In the movie,
monsters would invade a child’s bedroom and capture their screams. It was the scream of a child that powered the
monster’s world. Of course, Disney
turned things around, and soon the monsters and the children were getting along
just fine.
I wish it could be true.
From an early age, children sense
that there is something “out there”; something that is unnatural. It causes them to fear. Naturally, we adults try to calm the children. We look for ways to eliminate those fears. We tell our child that we are nearby and
would not let anything happen to them.
But maybe the kids are right.
Hollywood sure seems to think they are right. Directors John Carpenter, Ridley Scott, or
even Alfred Hitchcock sure knew how to play on those fears. Their movies trigger our childhood fears, and
we scream once again.
What if I told you that the
nightmarish creatures from our dreams are, in fact, quite true.
Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a
star that had fallen to earth from the sky, and he was given the key to the
shaft of the bottomless pit.* 2 When he opened it, smoke poured
out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air turned dark from
the smoke.
3 Then locusts came from the smoke and descended on the earth, and they were
given power to sting like scorpions. 4 They were told not to
harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the
seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were told not to kill
them but to torture them for five months with pain like the pain of a scorpion
sting. 6 In those days people will seek death but will not find
it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them!
7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. They had what looked
like gold crowns on their heads, and their faces looked like human faces. 8 They
had hair like women’s hair and teeth like the teeth of a lion. 9 They
wore armor made of iron, and their wings roared like an army of chariots
rushing into battle. 10 They had tails that stung like
scorpions, and for five months they had the power to torment people. 11 Their
king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and
in Greek, Apollyon—the Destroyer.
12 The
first terror is past, but look, two more terrors are coming! (Revelation 9:1-12).
John observes a star - one that had fallen from the sky - opening the
bottomless pit. Of course, this isn’t
one of the points of light from the nighttime sky;
this is a reference to Satan. The Bible
describes him as a “fallen star” (Isaiah 14:12 & Luke 10:18). When the fifth trumpet is blown, Satan opens
the abyss – the bottomless pit – and creatures
from our nightmares emerge.
This whole section gives me the heebie-jeebies.
For five months these hideous
creatures torment the people of this earth… everyone, except those marked by
God. These 144,000 are spared. And, if they are lucky, some Gentiles who
believe in Jesus might just be spared as
well.
I know. I know.
Some have tried to interpret what these locust-like creatures really
are. Theologians from the 1800’s thought
these were Muslim soldiers on horseback (Adam Clark, for example). John Westley compared them to Persians who
were wearing
turbans on their head.[1] Today, some think of helicopters, and they go
to great lengths to draw that conclusion.
Of course, people tend to interpret scripture based on what they see
around them. 100 years from now (if we
are still here) people will understand
these verses within their context. This
is why I am convinced it is a mistake to “humanize” these creatures. This is not a human army making life
miserable. What comes out of the abyss are supernatural creatures with human-like
cunning and intelligence.
We must not allow ourselves to be
drawn into speculation. If we expend all
our energy trying to figure out what
these creatures are, we will miss the whole point. This fifth trumpet is part of God’s
judgment. No, humanity will not pass
peacefully into the night. Yes, God is
indeed slow to anger and filled with unfailing love. But He will by no means leave the guilty
unpunished (Nahum 1:3). Although it
seems evil people get away with murder, a day is coming when God will deal
justly; He will separate the good from the bad.
And in this fifth trumpet, we see God doing just that; tormenting the
unjust but sparing His children.
During that 5-month period, do you
think the world will notice how God spares His people? Those who are marked by God do not suffer the
torment from these creatures. Do you
think this will cause some people to believe?
I’m not sure. I can only hope. But this same separation didn’t seem to work
during the time of Moses. Many of the
plagues against Egypt did not affect the Israelites living in the land. The hailstorm devastated the Egyptians, but
the Israeli living nearby did not suffer at all (Exodus 9:26). These demonic creatures from John’s
Revelation do the same; many suffer while a few select are spared. Do you think the people of the world will
soften their hearts and finally believe?
Maybe a few. I hope some will believe, but it appears humanity will remain
stubborn and stiff-necked.
I confess;
this passage of scripture is difficult to read.
It reveals a horrible future for those who turn their backs on God. And this fifth trumpet is but a foretaste of
what is to come. Here, we are given but
a glimpse into what Hell will be
like. The Bible teaches us that those
judged unworthy will be cast into the Lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). There, they will spend eternity with Satan,
his demons, the antichrist, and the false prophet (Revelation 20:10). In that place,
they will be tormented forever and ever.
They seek relief but will find none… just as they do from these locust-like
creatures. So, for 5 months, those not
marked by God will get a little taste of what
Hell will be like.
Even so, they will not repent.
This is a rather depressing look
into humanity’s future. A day is coming
when the people of this world must face the judgment. But there is Good News here. Those marked by God are protected. These monsters cannot hurt them. He has made them this promise. He promises the same to you and me as well. For
those who trust in Jesus, no power of hell or scheme of man will ever be able
to pluck us from His hand (John 10:29).
God walks into our room, wipes away our tears, and promises to protect
His child.
He is nearby; He will not let
anything happen to those He loves.
[1] Wesley,
John. "Commentary on Revelation 9:7". "John Wesley's Explanatory
Notes on the Whole Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/wen/revelation-9.html.
1765.
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