Good evening and welcome to EBible Fellowship's Bible study in the Book of Revelation. Tonight is study #4 of Revelation, chapter 9, and we are going to be reading Revelation 9:2:
And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
We have been talking about this for the last couple of studies. As the fifth angel sounded, a star fell from heaven to the earth and “to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.” That refers to Jesus who, according to Revelation 1:18, “has the keys of hell and death.” The “bottomless pit” identifies with “hell,” as we read in Revelation, chapter 20, where Satan was bound and shut up in the “bottomless pit” for a figurative timer period a thousand years, and then he must be loosed.
We compared that, in our last study, to 2nd Peter 2, which speaks of God casting the (fallen) angels “down to hell” and binding them in chains of darkness unto the judgment of that great day. We understood that this could only be referring to a “condition of hell,” since Satan and the fallen angels were never cast into a literal place called “Hell.” The Bible does not allow for that kind of an idea.
Therefore, God can bring individuals into a “condition of hell.” God did it to Satan and God did it to the Lord Jesus Christ. We know the Bible says that Christ died from the foundation of the world and “death” and “hell” are often synonymous, as sometimes the Hebrew and the Greek word translated as “hell” is often translated as “grave.” So when Christ died from the foundation of the world, it was as though He was in “hell,” and then He rose from the dead, as we read in Psalm 16:10: For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” Christ rose from the dead from the foundation of the world and was “declared to be the Son of God with power…by the resurrection from the dead” (the first begotten of the dead), and then He created the world as the Son of God.
Then Jesus entered into the world and beginning that Thursday evening in the Garden of Gethsemane, God forsook Him and Christ began to suffer as God was punishing Him and pouring out His wrath upon Him; but the only difference was that Christ was not now “bearing sin” and was, therefore, not making payment for sin. But this was a demonstration, or tableau, showing forth what He had already done from the foundation of the world because there was no world and there were no people, so God determined to send the Son into the world as the Light of the world. The Bible says, “Whatsover doth make manifest is light.”
So Christ made “manifest” what He had done from the world’s foundation, in dying and in resurrecting from the dead. So He began to suffer in the garden and the Bible speaks of a period of “three days and three nights,” which the Lord Jesus compared to Jonah in the whale’s belly and, very significantly, we read in Jonah 2:2: “Out of the belly of hell cried I.” That word “hell” is “shehole,” the same word for “hell” used throughout the Old Testament. So that teaches us that God also placed the Lord Jesus Christ in the “condition of hell,” even though Christ never went to a place called “Hell,” just as the fallen angels were placed in the “condition of hell,” and not a literal place. It represents being under the wrath of God and being “cut off,” and being “forsaken” or being in “darkness.”
There is another aspect of “hell” concerning the fall of angels, once Jesus took upon Him the “seed of Abraham (and not the seed of angels), and He went to the cross to demonstrate all He had done; at that time, it became certain and guaranteed that God had not made provision for any angelic beings and, therefore, the angels were “cast down into hell” and reserved in chains of darkness. That “darkness” is really describing the fact that there was no salvation possible for those fallen angels. That is a big aspect of “hell.” Once it is determined and once it is decreed by God that there is no possibility of salvation, then that is a major aspect of being placed in the “condition of hell.”
So, as we are reading here in Revelation 9:1, the Lord Jesus has opened up the “bottomless pit,” or the “deep,” and the “deep” identifies with “hell” down below, “there arose a smoke out of the pit.” And that word “arose” is very important because notice that we are not reading that Christ opened up the pit and then He gathered all the wicked of the world and cast them into the pit, as He did with Satan, when we found language that he was bound in the “bottomless pit” or in the “deep.” But there is not that kind of language here; we do not read that the unsaved are gathered and thrown into “hell.” No, it is not that the people of the world are “thrown down,” but the “condition of hell” beneath is coming up: “there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace.” It came up to the earth and that language “as of a great furnace” indicates that God’s wrath is burning.
The Bible indicates that God is “angry with the wicked,” and He, in His longsuffering, endured the sins of mankind while He waited for all the elect to hear the Gospel and become saved. But once God completed His salvation program and saved the last of the elect whose names were recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life (and that happened before God shut the door on May 21, 2011), then God no longer would wait patiently and no longer would He be longsuffering in putting up with the sins and iniquities of rebellious mankind.
God took action, although it was “spiritual” action, an action which man cannot see with his physical eyes and, therefore, remains largely in ignorance. It was action, nonetheless, in shutting the door to heaven and darkening the sun, darkening the moon, putting out the light of the candlestick and silencing the voices of the bridegroom and the bride. In all these ways (and many more) God is declaring that He has ended salvation for the world. He has closed His salvation program and, never again, will anyone become saved and, therefore, He has brought up “hell” from beneath to the inhabitants of the earth, as it says in Isaiah 24: “Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.”
We have looked at the word “snare” before, and we realize that when judgment day comes, God does say, in Luke 21:35: “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.” But why is the “pit” upon all the inhabitants of the earth? Well, we are reading why that is the case in Revelation 9:1:
And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Four times God uses the word “pit” here. It is to emphasize the universal nature of the judgment that has now come upon the entire world: “Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.” The condition of the pit is now the condition of the world. The pit was full of smoke, the wrath of God, and “as the smoke rose as the smoke of a great furnace,” it darkened the sun and it darkened the air by reason of the smoke of the pit.
You see, it is indicating that God’s wrath, as typified by that smoke, has put out the “sun” and put out the light of the Gospel to the people of the world. So we can understand what God is saying here in Revelation 9:1-2 and we could say, if were to summarize it: Hell rises and comes to the earth. Hell has risen up and overtaken all the (unsaved) inhabitants of the earth.
We saw, also, and I would like to read this verse, again, in context in Psalm 9, where God makes the statement that “the wicked shall be turned into hell,” but let us look at some of the context here, in Psalm 9:7-10:
But JEHOVAH shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. JEHOVAH also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, JEHOVAH, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
It is very interesting how verses 7 and 8 God speak of His judgment throne: “And he shall judge the world in righteousness,” and that reminds us of the statement that the day of wrath is the day of “revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” And, here, it is speaking of God judging the world in righteousness. Notice it goes on to say: “he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness,” and ministering the Word of God would be ministering judgment to the people.
Psalm 9, verses 9 and 10 seem unusual, at first glance, in relationship to the previous verses: “JEHOVAH also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, JEHOVAH, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” It is interesting how God is speaking of judging the world and then quickly speaks of being “a refuge in times of trouble” for the oppressed; and now we can understand why He would say this in that context. As God is presently judging the world today, where are the elect? The believers are living in the world in the Day of Judgment; and who is our only refuge? God is or refuge and He is our only hope and comfort. And we know, since the Bible tells us, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee,” that this is true because God is saying here: “for thou, JEHOVAH, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”
And even though it is true that God will never leave nor forsake His people (the Bible guarantees that), it is also interesting that since May 21, 2011, the circumstances that have developed for the people of God could almost appear as if God had forsaken His people. I mean, God’s people trusted Him and His word implicitly; we trusted the Bible as the Word of God revealed a great many truths never before known and the people of God leaned upon these things, including the information that the Day of Judgment would occur on May 21, 2011.
And, yet, things did not develop as we had thought and we entered into this period of time, as we became a mocking and a laughing stock; there was great reviling and it seemed that even that which had previously been a comfort and strength to us, was removed and God’s people felt isolated and alone. We did not (seem) to have the things that we had been able to rely on before the Day of Judgment came, and we wondered, “Why is this? Why are there these strange circumstances?” We have to admit they were very strange circumstances that came about when, suddenly, we realized we were not to share the Gospel (unto salvation) any more and we were not to go forth with the Word of God in the manner we had always done – we were not to seek “lost sheep,” but we were now to “feed sheep.” Everything seemed turned around and upside down. Where was God? Why was there so much confusion? Why was there such turmoil, spiritually, for so many days after that date came and went?
So, there really was an “appearance” (however, it was not the case, nor could it ever be the case) as though God had forsaken us. Certainly, that was the perspective of the world and the churches and all the enemies of God, as they looked upon the believers, saying: “Look, they had trusted in the Bible, and only the Bible. They trusted in the methodology of comparing spiritual with spiritual. They did not trust the church and the writing of theologians and all our traditional teachings. Now look at them. They were wrong – they were dead wrong and we were right. And now we know God is not with them.” Do you see how the “appearance” could be, from the perspective of others, as they said, “Oh, they were out for the money! They swindled all the people that sent in their funds!”
The world began to speak evil of the people of God and, of course, the churches that really should have known better…you know, the churches were fully aware of Mr. Camping’s reputation for never “taking a dime” and using all the funds for the ministry of the Gospel. Obviously, yes, a lot of money was taken in, but when you consider all the billboards and advertising that went into effect in the days leading up to May 21, 2011, it is very obvious where the money went. Actually, it is an incredible thing that there could have been so much advertising relative to the amount of money; the world probably puts up as much money for one minute of air time on Super Bowl Sunday than was used to advertise May 21, 2011, all over the earth in the days leading up to that date.
But all these things happened and, certainly, even the child of God, alone in prayer, had to think: “O, Lord, what is happening? What is going on? Are you with me? Could it be that you have left me and forsaken me?” Of course, the believer, even in thinking something like that, knows deep down that this cannot be: “I know that God would never leave me and I know the truth because God’s sheep hear His voice.” We heard the truth and we know that when we follow the proper methodology, we can normally be very certain of finding Biblical truth.
And, yet, following these truths led us into this situation of post-May 21, 2011, where so many strange and unusual things we had never before experienced were now taking place.
So, we find here that God is a “a refuge in times of trouble,” and that He will not forsake them that seek Him, although an “appearance” of being forsaken is a different story; yes, there has been an “appearance” that God had forsaken His people.
It says in Psalm 9:11-12:
Sing praises to JEHOVAH, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings. When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
Again, this is in keeping with the context of Judgment Day. We know that once God saved all the elect (the complete body of Christ, or the whole spiritual house of God), then He “entered in” and He “dwelleth in Zion,” and that is occurring now. This phrase, “Sing praises to JEHOVAH, which dwelleth in Zion,” matches with language, for instance, which we find in Joel, chapter 3. Remember, it says in Joel 3:15-17:
The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. JEHOVAH also shall roar out of Zion; and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but JEHOVAH will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am JEHOVAH your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.
The true bride of Christ, the eternal Jerusalem, is “Zion,” and notice that in the context of the darkened sun and moon, God speaks of dwelling in Zion, and Matthew 24:29 tells us: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened,” and so on. That fits, once we understand that God saved the great multitude – He completed that spiritual body of Christ on May 21, 2011, and then He darkened the “sun,” and it goes hand in hand with JEHOVAH now dwelling in Zion, the spiritual “Jerusalem.” As it says in Psalm 9:11-12:
Sing praises to JEHOVAH, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings. When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
This would relate to the souls under the altar that we read about earlier in Revelation, chapter 6, as they were crying out. It says in Revelation 6:9-10:
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
This agrees with Psalm 9:12:
When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
The “humble” would refer to the souls of them that were under the altar and that were covered by the blood of Christ.
Then it says in Psalm 9:15:
The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. JEHOVAH is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
Here, we read of the “pit and the snare.” “Fear and the pit and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.” Luke 21:35 says, “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Then it says in Psalm 9:17:
The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
This is what God has done. Once God ended His salvation program and once He finally (and eternally) shut the door of heaven so that no one on this side of heaven…you know, God’s people are on heaven’s side, because at the moment of salvation we are lifted up into heavenly places to be seated in Christ Jesus. But the unsaved are on this side – in the world – and they are under the wrath of God and the wrath of God abides upon them.
Once God shut heaven’s door and sealed the only entrance which anyone could ever use to enter into the kingdom of heaven, He guaranteed the destruction of every unsaved individual. Therefore, He turned the wicked into “hell,” into the grave and into death. Their eternal death is now guaranteed and certain; it will not change. Nothing can ever cause God to open that door. What God has shut, no man can open and God confirms this as we read, “When once the master has risen up and shut to the door,” then there will be many crying out, “Lord, Lord, open to us.” The Lord will not come running to open the door, but He will say, “Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” There is no opening the door in the Day of Judgment. There is no translating any that are in darkness into the light. Then it says in Psalm 9:18:
For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shallnot perish for ever.
Again, this is a strange placement of a verse, is it not? As we have been reading from verse 11, it was very consistently focused on Judgment Day and the wrath of God being poured out upon the wicked. Yet, again, when God speaks of turning the wicked into hell and all the nations that forget God, He pauses and turns His attention to the “poor and needy,” which can only typify the elect, and He says, “For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.” Is that not interesting? Here, God is referring to the hope of His people that are living and remaining on the earth, waiting for that final day!