Good evening and welcome to EBible Fellowship's Bible study in the Book of Revelation. Tonight is study #7 of Revelation, chapter 9, and we are continuing to look at Revelation 9:2-3:
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. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
In our last study we spent a good deal of time looking at the word “air” and how it is used in other places in the New Testament. We also looked in the Old Testament.
We saw that the word “air” that is used in Revelation 9:2 is the Greek word transliterated, if we were to try and pronounce it, as “aer” and it is a different word than the Greek word “ouranos,” which is a word also translated as “air” or “sky” or “heaven” or “heavens.”
We saw that this Greek word “air,” as found in Revelation 9:2, is used to point to Satan’s domain; that is, he is the “prince of the power of the air,” according to Ephesians 2:2. We also saw that he is the “power of darkness,” and we saw that he is “the prince of this world.” Three times God pointed that out.
And when we take everything into account and how the beginning statement in Ephesians 2:2 speaks of those that were under the influence of the “course of this world” and according to the “prince of the power of the air,” we find the word “air” points to Satan’s domain – this kingdom which lies in darkness. Therefore, in Revelation 9:2, God is emphasizing that Satan’s kingdom (where he is the prince of the power of the air) has gotten darker. The world, as the kingdom of Satan, has always been identified as the kingdom of darkness, but it has gotten darker still. We wondered how that was possible. How can a world in darkness get darker still? We realized that even though the world was in darkness, God had the Gospel light in the world, especially in a great way during the last (almost) seventeen years of the Great Tribulation period, when God was stretching forth His hand the second time to recover the remnant of His people (in a second Jubilee) and He was pouring out the latter rain throughout the nations of the world outside the churches and congregations. That meant that a great evangelistic light was shining into the darkness. God indicates in Revelation 9:2 that this light is now out, when He says the sun is darkened “by reason of the smoke of the pit.”
But God is adding additional emphasis regarding the darkness of Satan’s kingdom in this world, where Satan is the prince of the power of the air, and that is that air has been darkened. The light is now out all over the world, all throughout his kingdom. We read this last time, but that is why it says in Revelation 16:10:
And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
The word “full” is not in the text of the original Greek. The translators interpreted that particular word translated as “darkness” as “full of darkness.” In other words, all three English words are a translation of that Greek word. Since the “seat of the beast” is a dark kingdom and the angel pouring out his vial upon the “seat of the beast” is causing the kingdom to be “full” of darkness; it is indicating that a greater darkness has come upon it – a darkness that is somehow surpassing the previous condition of darkness. The only way that is possible is once we understand that the world is in darkness and it always has been, but God had sent the Gospel light into the world and once God removed that Gospel light, then the dark nature of the world increased. It is more evident that the world is in darkness. It is sort of like a city when the sun sets and, naturally, the city would be in darkness, but then lights in houses spring up all over the city and the city lights go on to lighten the darkness. There is actual darkness that has overtaken the city, but the lights make it appear less dark. But what if those lights do not go on? Well, then that city is “full” of darkness and that is the point God is making in our verse. He had lightened the darkness of this world while it was still the day of salvation, but now that is done. It is finished. So it is as if even the “air” is darkened. The dominion of Satan, the prince of the power of the air, has now experienced a judgment upon it and that judgment is to remove all sources of light that could shine into the hearts of men and, potentially, bring salvation.
We looked at several places where the word “air” was used, but I want to look at one more before we move on – just to get us thinking about what God is saying here – because things are not always as they appear in the Bible. In fact, it might be more true to say, things are never as they appear in the Bible. The Bible is not to be taken at “surface” value. It is not given by God to be received as though the superficial statements are all there is and we are not to go any deeper. This is the error that many people make when it comes to a number of doctrines. For instance, the doctrine of “free will” is a doctrine derived from the superficial “skimming” of the Scriptures. People read a couple of verses, such as, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,” and they say, “Well, there it is! God said it. I believe it. That is it and it is settled for me. Never again will I consider any other possibility.” Did they take the time to look at the whole doctrine regarding salvation in the Bible? Did they look at all God has to say about man being spiritually dead? Did they look at Scriptures concerning election and how God has to draw a man to Himself? Did they factor all these things in? No, they have not. They just quickly grab a verse and they take the meaning that it appears to be giving on the surface, and that is it.
Actually, seminaries teach those that are training to be pastors to “look for the plain, simple meaning of Scripture and, once you have that, seek no other meaning.” That is a philosophy which is “dead set against” the actual teaching of the Bible. That approach is wrong, so it is no wonder that the churches are in such terrible spiritual condition; their pastors have been taught to deal with the Bible in a very superficial manner. But when you go to the Bible, you had better not come with a little “sand shovel” as though you were going to the beach and you’re going to just skim the surface sand and put it in your bucket. You had better come with a big shovel and a pick ax, ready to dig deep into the ground. It is not going to be easy work; you are going to have to labor and study diligently to divide the Word of God rightly, in order to come to proper understanding. This is the problem with so many that profess to be Christians and, especially, for so many that profess to be teachers of God’s Word, the Bible, when they fail to put in sufficient time to study the Bible; they just quickly grab hold of what they believe is the obvious meaning of a verse.
I would like us to take the understanding we have found so far concerning this word “air,” and see what it leads to in a passage where there is the statement “meet the Lord in the air,” in 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17. I do not think we are going to come to any conclusions, but it is only information we should keep in mind and “file away” for future reference when, perhaps, we can dig into it in a more thorough way. It says in 1st Thessalonians 4:16:
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout…
The word “descend” is often translated as “come down.” Here, He is coming down from heaven. The word “heaven” is that word “ouranos,” Strong’s #3772. Remember, it is the other Greek word that is translated as “air” several times; it is where the “fowl of the air” fly in they sky or in the heavens.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Now this word “rise” is a word that in English gives us the idea of “coming up.” However, it is speaking of the dead and this Greek word is a word that is often used to describe the resurrection of the dead. It is the word in Matthew 12:41, which says, “the men of Nineveh shall rise;” that is, to be resurrected, but to be resurrected does not necessarily mean you are “going up,” in any sense. It just means that you were dead and now you are alive. So the bodies the saints are in the ground and now they have come up out of the ground – they have risen out of the ground. It does not mean that they have risen up into the sky at all; it just means they have risen from their dead state and have come to life.
Let us continue reading in 1st Thessalonians 4:17:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The word “caught up” also gives the impression of “going up,” especially since it has the word “up” in it, but this is Strong’s #726. This is a word that is translated as “by force,” “pluck,” “catcheth away,” “caught away” and “caught up,” as it is translated here: “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds.” But the translation of this word as “caught up” is not a result of the Greek word; that is, the Greek word could be translated this way: Then we which are alive and remain shall be “taken” together, or “forced” together, or “caught away” together or “plucked” together. It is only translated as “up” due to the context where the verse speaks of the “clouds.” Since the verse speaks of clouds and clouds are “up there,” the translators added the word “up,” and they then translated it as “caught up.” Yes, the clouds are “up there,” but the clouds have a spiritual meaning. They can represent “judgment,” and, therefore, it is not so obvious when we look at all of these references and the reason why this picture in our minds is formed of the resurrection and the rapture as one of “going up” and, as it goes on to say, “caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.”
That is the mental picture that is drawn that it is “up there” somewhere, but what is “up there,” when we think of that? Well, we are looking up to the sky, but if we are meeting the Lord “in the sky,” then why did God not use the Greek word “ouranos,” which is translated as “sky?” Or if we are meeting the Lord in heaven, why did he not use the Greek word “ouranos,” that is translated as “heaven” or “heavens?” Why did He use this Greek word, which is translated as “air,” of which there is no other example in the Bible of something “up there?” It is not a word that causes us to look up into the sky, the atmosphere or the heavens? It is a word which we saw identifies with Satan’s dominion and his rule.
So we can understand that where it says, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,” that it is Judgment Day, to “to meet the Lord in the air.” The Lord is “in the air.” He has come in judgment and He has overcome Satan, who was the prince of the power of the air, and the Lord now rules “in the air,” so His people join him in victory in the fact that Christ has overcome and conquered the enemy and now it is time to turn our attention to eternity future, “and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Now, again, I do not know how much difference it makes that this word “air” is not really directing out attention “upward,” but, rather, to a “condition” or to Satan’s previous rule over the kingdom of this world. And now the whole company of God’s elect to meet him in the air. It is just something for us to keep in mind and maybe the Lord will open up more information regarding this, as we continue to go along.
Let us go back to Revelation 9 and move on to Revelation 9:3:
And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Let us begin to think about the locusts. As God speaks of them, we are tempted to think that these creatures are of Satan and they are accomplishing God’s purpose in the Day of Judgment, but they cannot be anything “good.” After all, look at what it says in Revelation 9:7-10:
And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
It sounds very ominous. It sounds very “dark.” After all, they came out of the bottomless pit. But, hold it, is that true? Did the locusts come out of the bottomless pit? No – it does not say they came out of the pit. Let us read Revelation 9:3: “And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth.” God could easily have said the locusts came out of the pit, but He did not. When the bottomless pit was opened, in Revelation 9:2, it says: “And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace.” We saw how the smoke identifies with the wrath of God; the smoke is coming from the fury of God. Remember, the Bible speaks of God as “a consuming fire,” and where there is fire, there is smoke. It is the Day of Judgment and God is pouring out His anger upon the unsaved people of the world, and the smoke is a sign of His great fury toward (unsaved) man. He is punishing them, so there is a “smoke of a great furnace” coming out of the pit, but the locusts do not come out of the pit. The Bible does not say that. They come out of the smoke; in other words, they come forth out of God’s anger. The locusts are a product of the fiery wrath of God. They have come forth as a result of Judgment Day. That is why they are going forth and bringing this “torment” for this five month period of time.
Let us look at a couple of other verses in Revelation. In Revelation 15, we are going to see some parallel verses that are also speaking of Judgment Day, which began on May 21, 2011. In this chapter, God is referring to true believers and He is referring to then as “seven angels,” or seven messengers; and it can be proven from their clothing, as we read in Revelation 15:6:
And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen…
If we compare that to Revelation 19:8:
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
The angels that did not fall have no need of “fine linen,” which is the “righteousness of saints;” and those angels that did fall have no way of obtaining “fine linen.” So these seven “angels” must be seven “messengers,” pointing to the true believers, God’s elect, who have been saved and, therefore, are part of the house of God, the eternal temple of God; and in the Day of Judgment they are coming out of the temple carrying the “seven last plagues.” Since they are already saved, they are already clothed in “pure and white linen,” and it goes on to say, “and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.” This would be priestly attire because they are going to carry out a priestly function which God is requiring of them – to carry the message of judgment in the Day of Judgment – since God has left them alive and remaining on the earth.
Then notice Revelation 15:8:
And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
They came out of the temple and, yet, God says the “temple was filled with smoke,” so where did they come out of? These seven messengers (which can only be true believers) came out of the smoke and they went forth carrying the “seven last plagues” to pour out upon the world. In other words, they were used of God as instruments in judging the world. God does say, in 1st Corinthians 6:2: “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?” It is very important and, Lord willing, in future studies we will discuss exactly how God’s people are involved in judging the world. We are not to make judgments of individuals and point the finger at anyone, but, in a very definite way, God is using His people and they are involved in the judgment of this world. Christ is the Judge, carrying out the judgment, but His people are involved and the seven messengers come out of the smoke to accomplish that purpose which God has given them.
Where did the locusts come from? The locusts came out of the smoke and they also went about to accomplish the purpose for which they were sent forth, and that had greatly to do with judgment. They were involved with Judgment Day.