 Foreward
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
 Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
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The Thrill of Victory And The Agony of Defeat
(a commentary on Revelation)
 Click A Chapter On The Left For A Brief Summary
THE RELENTLESS PESTS - 9:1-11
Here is the fifth trumpet. This section deals with the internal decay of the nation of Rome. It shows the wrath of God against an ungodly world. It will be destroyed, ironically by the very demons that helped them to get to the position of power they were at before the fall of Rome.
The picture is one of blackness, darkness, doom, gloom, and despair. God created the Abyss or "bottomless pit" for the fallen angels. When man sinned, it released these demons. Now they run rampant bringing moral blindness into the hearts of all men. With this moral blindness comes a lowering of a nations moral standards. When a nations moral standard is lowered, so is its resistance to Satanic influence.
Ironically, this army of pests is God's army. Oh, they are evil, but they do His will. This is a picture of God using evil to punish evil. He used the Roman Empire to judge wickedness. Rome devoured everything in her path as they conquered the world, and they too will be devoured when they are conquered. The ungodly are not killed immediately in order to give them time to repent.
This army rules the world for a while, and therefore thought it ruled forever. What Rome did not recognize was that Satan was pulling Rome's chain, but God was allowing Satan to do so. Rome seems to be ruling the world. They are invincible as long as God determines they are invincible!
THE REPENTLESS PEOPLE - 9:12-21
Ultimately, evil will always lose, and right will always prevail. Period! No if's, and's or but's about it. God always, ALWAYS, wins.
Behold the altar in heaven with four horns. This altar belongs to the earth. Altars were for sacrifice, and God is about to sacrifice the ungodly on their own altar. Jesus is their substitute, and he took what they'll take, if they take him! Sin is self-destructive. God is the one bringing this judgment, so it is under His control what happens. This is not happening by chance. God has been planning this. God works on an exact schedule. There is not a bird that dies, that God does not approve of. The grass does not grow, the snow does not fall, the rivers do not flow, unless God approves of it. A huge number is used to scare the daylights out of the people and motivate them to repent. It also gives hope and assurance to the saints. Fire, smoke and brimstone are symbolic of Gods destruction of the wicked. These are fearful looking creatures, in order to instill fear in the people. At this point these people should have fallen on their face and worshiped God. Should have said, "We've had enough. God forgive us." Sadly, judgment many times only hardens the heart of hard-hearted people. People can become so hard-hearted, that even judgments of God, which are intended to get men to repent, will not. When we warn people of Gods final judgment and they refuse to repent (come to Christ), we have not failed.
There is a principle here: Man is a spiritual creature, and is going to worship something or someone. If he stops worshiping God, he will turn and worship something else.
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