Thank you for coming and the Lord bless you. Have your Bible. We'll turn today to the ninth chapter and begin reading really in the last verse of the eighth chapter of the book of the Revelation. We'd like to read into chapter nine and go through verses one through twelve. Chapter nine in the book of the Revelation beginning to read our lesson at the closing verse of the preceding chapter chapter eight your lesson will be found on page fifteen of your lesson book or your lesson sheet if you have one but shall we begin reading in chapter eight and read at verse thirteen the last verse which is really a connecting verse with chapter nine now you may remember and I think it's very proper that we should realize that the verses and chapters of the Bible have been so divided by the translators for our convenience, and they've done a wonderful work in so doing. Sometimes the division of the chapters may not be accurate in relation to what receives or what may follow. And we have such a similar case here. Reading in chapter eight at verse thirteen, John is writing by the Spirit and saying, and I beheld, and heard an angel, and the word angel in the Greek text is really the word ego. And in the context of what we shall find, one can recognize that the implication of an ego looking for its prey, we have the thought, I heard an ego flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth, by reason of the other voices, of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound. And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth, and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 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. There came out of the smoke, locus upon the earth, and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months. Their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when it strikeeth a man. And in those days shall men seek death and shall not find it. They shall desire to die. Death shall free from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle, and on their heads, whereas it were, crowns like gold, And their faces were as the faces of men. They had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 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. They had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is of Adam, but in the Greek tongue, and his name Apollion. May the Lord bless the reading and the hearing of his precious word as we have read it. And by the Holy Spirit, and may I say frankly, it can be only the Holy Spirit who will give us the need that grace and help to study and understand the interpretation of the Word of God, and especially this book of the Revelation. I would like particularly to make one emphasis as we approach this particular study today. And it's true of even the whole book of the Revelation. There have been in the past centuries, not very recent centuries, but in the past during the middle centuries and even before, and from the middle centuries of the Church Age, on to the Reformation. There have been many biblical teachers who have sought to historically interpret the Book of the Revelation as being fulfilled during the history of the Church. They have delegated their interpretation on certain events. such as we are looking at today in the typology, a minute before of the symbol, and what follows in the whole chapter, relative to the invasion and the changing of the nation, particularly, let me suggest, the dissolving of the Roman Empire and the rising of other powers as they came in the Gentile system of nations. And they tried to interpret, and they have interpreted it, in the historical interpretation. Meaning, as the church has proceeded, these events in Revelation have taken place. Now, may I say, you cannot make that a definite interpretation due to the teaching of the book as we've been following it. Let me remind you, I'll just say you probably may recall it, and I'll bring it before your mind. In Revelation one, verse nineteen, we found the division of the book. stated in its threefold way John was told right the things which thou hast seen second the things which are third the things which shall be hereafter or after the things that are now as far as we've been able to go we've noted the first thing John did see was the vision of the Lord Jesus in chapter one as the judicial son of man in all of his power and glory then we have noted in chapters two and three, the historical, prophetical, and the spiritual history of the church. Not, perhaps I should not say merely historical, that's really irrelevant. More important, the spiritual and the prophetical history of the church, from the days of the apostles to the rapture. We are noted in chapters two and three in that interpretation. And then we noted, beginning in chapter four, what follows is after the things of the church age. So what we are studying must be propelled in the future after the rapture. Now, I particularly bring that out because you can read great books written by some great biblical men of the past centuries who give what they call the historical interpretation of the book of the Revelation and being unfolded as the church progressed in history. Well, beloved, may I say lovingly and emphatically, when we come to chapter four and we saw it in chapter four and five, the church will not be on the earth. We'll be in heaven. And what follows, the church will be looking down from heaven to see the events For frankly, some typical events that those men in their historical interpretation used, we could say, yes, there's been such a partial fulfillment. But may I remind you, even in the Old Testament, you've got prophetic history that has a double fulfillment. For the time past when it happened, and then the future of which God was talking in relation to the end of the age, And when you come, well, for every fragment, as we come to our chapter today, chapter nine, you cannot but interpret the chapter on the basis of a future event. Now let's look, first of all, at verse thirteen of the last verse of chapter eight. For this is the stepstone to what follows. This is the sounding board to the events that take place under the next two trumpets. Just as I beheld and heard an eagle flying through the midst of heaven saying, Now please know three times the word, woe, woe, woe. Now you recall in chapter eight, the angels were given seven trumpets to sound. And in chapter eight, we found three of them, four of them rather, sounded, remaining, three remaining yet to be done. Now, when you listen to the voice of the eagle in the midst of the other heavens here, he says, Whoa, whoa, whoa, they undoubtedly refer to the free coming and remaining judgment with the emphasis of their serious character being of a greater intensity than one is preceded. Whoa, whoa, whoa. And then, no. The implication of the emphasis is in relation to the earth. To the inhabitants of the earth. The word dwellers. Now let me give a little thought on that. The word inhabitants is very interesting. They know it in the Greek text. Or the dwellers upon the earth. And you have this expression in the book of the Revelation. They that dwell upon the earth. They that dwell upon the earth. Well, you find it more than once, a few times. They that dwell upon the earth. Now the word dwell means they abide. Now let me give you an illustration as to the importance of that word, the meaning of that word. And I quote from Psalm ninety-one, He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High. He that abideth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. It's a constant dwelling. It's a constant abiding. And what the implication in our Scripture and in Revelation is, the judgments are particularly for the folks that we don't want anything to do with heaven, with settle upon the earth. Our interests are all here. Now I must say frankly, and I confess it readily, there's some interest upon the earth I wish I didn't have. Oh yeah, I know you've got to take care of things, that's true. But my fellow believer, where is your heart? Where is my heart? Where should it be? Where is your chief interest? I hope it's not on the earth. It ought to be in heaven. That's the place we're going to. But there are people, nothing to do with heaven. They might even reach the state above in their effort, but Their interest, they are set in it. We're settled down upon the earth. We're settled down upon the earth. And let me give you this thought spiritually. As a believer, try not to settle down here. In your heart ever realize, where is your home? Heaven is my home. Heaven is my home. Put that old in. Oh, I think of the old... Radio ministry of Charles Fulharva used to think it, This world is not my home. I'm just a traveling through. My home is beyond the blue. And what a joy to know. We're just pilgrims. And Peter says we're strangers and pilgrims. And strangers mean we're in a foreign land. Pilgrims mean we're going through. In heaven is our home. But, beloved, as many people, majority are settled down on the earth. And these particular judgments that are before us and ahead of us will particularly be upon those that dwell upon the earth, settle upon the earth. No interest in heaven, not even any concern regarding the future in eternity. And then, of course, you have the reason for the woe, woe, woe, the threefold woe, because of that, the voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound. Now let's look at your lesson in chapter nine right away and see what we have before us in this first woe trumpet judgment. And now may I please read with you as we begin reading in verse one. The fifth angel sounded. I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth. To him was given the key of the bottomless pit or the key of the abyss. Now let me look at your lesson sheet for just a moment. and read with me, if you will, and follow the reading as we begin it. You've got the first small trumpet suggesting the details. May I say, the details that we are reading, that we have read, I'm sure you may have noticed it, and may I repeat this, the details are obscured in mysterious and symbolic language, but the general result seems evident. and the trumpet judgments present more difficulties in minute exposition than either the seals or the vials. Now may I explain the paragraph a little clearer, if I can? What we have covered has not been too difficult, the sealed judgments and even the first four trumpets judgments relative to what will happen upon the earth. The language of those sealed judgments and the first four judgments Trumpet judgment was not too difficult to understand. But we are coming onto ground where we have more symbolic meaning to the judgment, implied. And it said, unnecessary, we must realize the symbols that are used will convey a spiritual meaning, a truth regarding what the God, the Holy Spirit, would have us learn. from that symbolic language. Now, by way of explanation quickly, we read about the locust. Did you ever see locusts that are described like this? You know, it made me think of the story I once read of some boys in the biology class at college. They cooked up a steam and they took different kinds of bugs. and cut them up and then they put different kind of bugs together, made a complete new bug. And they took it to the professor and said, Professor, Professor, look, what we found! What kind of a bug is this? And the old gentleman looked at it and he recognized in a moment what the boys had done. Well, he said, boys, he says, I think it's a humbug. Well, there's no question if thou, as we look at this judgment, we shall realize that literally no locus could ever be so described. So there is, but may I say this? Look, behind the symbolic language is much deeper meaning. Now notice as we go on, let me read the next paragraph on your sheet. Let me read verse one and two, please, of the chapter again. I only read verse one. Let me read the two verses together. The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star, fall from heaven unto the earth, and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 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. Now look at your lesson sheet, and let's follow it through, and may God by the Spirit teaches. The fallen star. and also connected with it his satanic star, his satanic power. Now we have always, we've also noted, and we can note that even a star symbolically can represent some dignitary, some person in high esteem, high recognition, whether it be in the church or whether it be in the world, and we have noticed that in some of our past explanations of the judgment. And did we not know this also? In the Six-Seal judgment, there was a convulsion as it seemed to be of all nature, sun, moon and stars. And figuratively, we saw it representing the chaotic anarchy amongst the nations from supreme government and other lower phases of human government and even individual states. Let me give you this sort of far as a star. Look at it in creation. The sun is the ruling body. The moon reflects the glory of the sun. A lesser light. And then stars. Did you ever know the stars are individual? The moon reflects the light of the sun. The stars have their own light. Individually. And you know it says in the hundred and forty-fifth Psalm I think it is. That God calls all the stars by name. My, you've got a good memory, haven't you? We don't know how many trillions and trillions of stars there may be. But they represent an individual. When you look at a symbolic mean, and here is some individual without question of doubt. Let me read the paragraph. As you find, possibly, now I cannot dogmatize on this, that it refers to Satan or Antichrist. But I believe it certainly refers to some person. Now, let me be very careful not to go too far in interpreting what is not clear. But it's some person without question of doubt of high rank, whether in human society or whether in relation to Satan's power, some dignitary that may be on the earth. But please note what is given to him. He is given authority. He is given the key of the bottomless pit. He's given the key of the bottomless pit. Now that bottomless pit, without question, sometimes translated in some versions, the key of the abyss. Do you remember, Lemme? Let me give you this thought regarding the abyss that is mentioned. There's a bottomless pit that is mentioned here. I don't want to go into all the details of the references before us. Do you remember when the Lord Jesus was upon the earth? The demoniac possessed man. I think it's in Luke, as well as in Mark, particularly Mark chapter five. And many demons possessed him. The Lord asked, What is thy name of the demon? The demon said, My name is Legion. Meaning we are many. Now whether there's a literal interpretation to the name legion, or the name legion in the Roman army meant a legion of soldiers with six thousand men. But many demons, I'll tell you one thing, there's enough demons to go into two thousand things. They were many. But do you recall? They questioned the Lord. They acknowledged who he was. Aren't thou going to put us in the pit before our time? They recognize their doom. Please let me say. Satan, as well as all of his angels, they know what their doom is going to be. But I'll tell you one thing, it doesn't affect their attitude either. Not one bit. They still, with all their angelic power that God has given to them, are in opposition to God's purposes and God's people and God's way. That those demons new they were doomed to go to the pit and also the word of God says some are already there now we have no perfect understanding except we can gather from the broad teaching of scripture relative to the angels and relative to the great fall of Satan that many were still are still free and some were bound with chain as the scripture declares and they're in the bottomless pit. Now let me give you the thought. This dignitary is given the key to the bottomless pit to open it. Now please remember, it's God who's given the permission. Behind it is the divine purpose to bring judgment upon certain men. The instrument may be an angel or a man, whatever case it may be, but God is giving the direction, and behind it is the purpose of God. And the pit is open, as we may read. He opened a bottomless pit, given that key with authority. I've got some references to the key symbolizing authority. The references that you have in Matthew, as well as in Revelation that we've got mentioned, They certainly refer to the Lord Jesus. They refer to... Look at chapter one, see, for brevity's sake. Just chapter one. Let me read that eighteen verse. You know it well, I'm sure. Where the Lord Jesus declares to John, I'm he that liveth and wants dead. Behold, I'm alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell or of death and Hades. Now then we can recognize the eternal destiny of all souls. is in the hands of the Lord Jesus. He's got the key of authority to open eternity and for every soul in its destiny, whether hell or whether heaven. So the key represents the authority regarding the disposition of souls in relations of the Lord Jesus. But here it is in the opposite character. where it's the key of the bottomless pit, where God has placed many demons, fallen angels, who are there? Now, let me give you the solemn thought. It's a tragic thought, really, very tragic. The angels got a lot, Satan's got a lot of these angels and spirits out there, and still roaming around, we know, in the universe, especially doing their work in the world. Don't you think it's going to be much worse when these demons come out of the bomb and spit to do their diabolical work? One can realize, well it's very difficult to realize, let me just quote one word, one verse from Ephesians six and verse twelve. To give us the implication more clear as to the character of these evil hosts. Paul says, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principality, against powers or authority, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in higher heavenly places. Now, please let me state very carefully, Satan, he himself is as the devil and as Satan, and as the tempter and the serpent. He's the head of all the evil hosts. But he has principalities. He has powers under him. He has wicked spirits under him. They are all, may I say, they are all highly, perfectly organized for all this diabolical work. Now when you think of, I don't know how long, with no there's no inclination in the word of God that could ever imply how long since the fall of Satan took place it took place before the creation of man that we know but whenever it took place it is no telling how long those evil spirits have been in the bottomless pit and there I say to you I believe all earnestly that they were All the time they're in that bottomless pit, they're cooking on what they could do if they possibly could have the chance to follow their leader's faith. And to recognize when they are loose, what they will do. And this particular judgment is we shall follow it. But now, may I repeat, on your lesson page for just a moment, the bottomless pit is a sentence there, occurs seven times in this book of Revelations. I don't want to take the time to cover each connection, but it's always in connection with judgment. And then may I remind you, may I remind you, the bottomless pit as you have in chapter twenty, that's where Satan's going to be kept for a thousand years before he goes through his final destiny, which would be the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the final destiny. and the final destiny of all our souls. But as we have in our lesson, the bottomless pit is always in connection with judgment. Now let's see what happens in verse two. Let me read verse two again. He opened the bottomless pit. Now here's the result of opening it, as it will take place. Now don't ask me where the pit is. I could tell you. God knows where it is, and even the devil knows where it is. But one can realize the implication, bottomless, the pit of the abyss. Let me give you the thought. The expression implies these demons have rebelled against God, Satan and all of his thoughts, they couldn't go any lower. in their moral condition. Now, let me connect that thought with this. Do you think men in the earth today could go any lower? Hard to believe it, but they will. As we mentioned last week, the moral condition of men today is constantly for the greater part at large is constantly declining, going down, down, worse, worse. Paul said, Second Timothy three, evil men shall walk, wax, worse, and worse, deceiving and being deceived. You know, beloved, just let me humbly say it, and very seriously, this was all the result of sin. all the results of sin. And one can recognize, though God has pled with the human race to turn to him, manifesting his love, his grace, his mercy, his willingness to redeem, yet man in his constant rebellion of art has gone farther and farther away from God. Now let's see the result of what comes out of the Bible. Now please note, there arose a smoke out of the tent. Can I give you this thought? This is Satan smoke. Yeah, Satan smoke. This is Satan smoke. Polluting, darkening. And please note It's out of the smoke that the locusts come. Well, it's free man. The locusts are not said to come out of the pit. The smoke comes out of the pit. Satanic delusion. As we have... And its darkening effect. Know what we read. We read the verse. The smoke arose out of the pit. As the smoke of a great furnace. With its darkening influence. The sun. The air. were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. Now, let me please state, and it'll fall perfectly through the interpretation. As we look at these words, the sun, the air, were darkened because of the smoke of the, by reason of the smoke of the pit. Here again we've got symbolic language. Well, the sun, in its symbolic meaning, literally the sun is to give warmth and light. And the air is only simply the breath that we need. The air is what we need to breathe, and we have to breathe. Absolutely. The light and the sun and the air is what we have to breathe, even to sustain life, physical life. But may I go further and suggest this is not physical life. It's going to be affected by spiritual life in relation to the judgment. In other words, the light of holy... If men reach... Said the Lord Jesus, if men walk in darkness, how great is that darkness? when they refuse to walk in the light of God's word, when they refuse to breathe in the fresh word of God. Then I say very frankly, oh how you and I as believers need to realize that the light of God's word is as the sum to the heart and the guidance. Thy word, let me quote Psalm and verse hundred and thirty I believe thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and may I say and let me make a very application that is very credible you know as well as I know that today the word of God is being thrust out thrust out out of all governmental authority, out of all educational facilities, out if they could possibly put it out in every direction. But we're seeing it. We're seeing. When the Lord Jesus was upon the earth and spoke about his second coming, he said these words, when the Son of Man comes, shall he find, and I'm quoting from the Greek text, shall he find, do we say, the truth on the earth? Second Thessalonians chapter two tells us very definitely that the Antichrist, he will, and God will permit that he will send strong delusion upon men that they might believe a lie. And beloved, that's moral pollution. That's the pollution of the mind and pollution of the heart, the pollution of the soul, darkening the mind and nymph breathing in what the devil teaches. Honestly, it's a shame that what some of the people, when they sit in the churches today, have to listen to. They get smoke sometimes. Satanic smoke. Not the pure word of God. Not according to the word of God. May I say lovingly, and I say to my conscience, my deep and greatest responsibility is to preach the word and not deviate from the word. You read of the Through Jeremiah. Oh, I often sympathize with dear Jeremiah. What he went through. They hated him. And you know why they hated him? Because he told the truth. He told the truth. What God said. And still they said. You're a liar. They called him that. You're false. And they wanted to kill him. That God said he would put him in. God did protect him. But oh, when you recognize it. Even longer ago the truth of the word of God was opposed even by the prophets in Israel when the true prophet spoke of God's rest the Lord. And when you stop to realize, here's a judgment coming that will pollute the minds of men from what is the truth of God because they have reached it. Look at Second Thessalonians too. Let me read something in that chapter. I should read it so we can get the connection. I think it has a strong bearing even upon our teaching of this chapter in Revelation. Second Thessalonians chapter two. Let me read, if I may begin here, verse, let me read from verse seven. For the mystery of iniquity does already work. Only who now let us or restrain us will restrain. undoubtedly the Spirit is God, until he be taken out of the way. Then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, shall destroy with the brightness of his coming, even him, and now note, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all powers and signs and lying wonders. Now please let me say very carefully, Don't minimize Satan's power. He's able to do miracles. Let me point out for you. Go back in the book of Exodus. When Moses and Aaron came into the court of Pharaoh, Pharaoh said, show the miracle. Aaron threw his rod to the ground and it became a serpent. Do you ever notice the Egyptians did the same thing? Their power wasn't God's power, though. The contest that began then was between God and Satan. And the instruments were Moses and Aaron against the court of Pharaoh. And the Egyptian magicians, even after the plague of life, they imitated the miracles of Aaron. And Satan, he can do miracles. In fact, Paul writing in Timothy chapter three, he mentions that. Well, let me read in verse ten. As we go on in our chapter, let's finish that. With all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, why? Because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe alive. that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but at pleasure in unrighteousness. Now back to our chapter, if you believe. And let's see what happens when the smoke comes out of the smoke by reason of the smoke. And we read verse three. There came out of the smoke, locust upon the earth, and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. Now one can recognize They are given, to them was given power. I will presume, I think on your lesson sheet, I've got this reference here. Satanic agencies let loose regarding the locust army, and as scorpions, they are let loose to sting. Let's look at the scripture we have a reference for in Luke. Chapter ten, verse seventeen through nineteen. chapter ten in the gospel according to Luke and those words that we find in verses seventeen to nineteen now even in the life of the Lord Jesus we find some similar references seventeen through nineteen now look what now now look what the Lord Jesus said here relative to his own disciples the seventy returning again with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject unto us through thy name. Jesus said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning, fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any mean hurt you. Now in contrast, our precious to realize, and it's a lovely realization, The protection of the believer. The protection. May I emphasize that. I'll bless the real life. Please let me say it. I need it. I'll bless the real life of the believer that possessing the Holy Spirit and having the Scriptures before him and her can be delivered from Satan's delusion. The teachings of Satan. John, writing in his first epistle chapter two to the family of God, he says, as if babes in Christ, you need not in any man teach you. You have an anointing from the Holy One. You know all things. Please let me give the emphasis. Look, whatever you hear, wherever and by whom and through whom, so every may come in the preaching, whatever may be the professing preaching of God's truth, tested with the word of God. Look, I don't care who the creature is. Every Christian has got the responsibility to test and hither and whone up. Is he telling me God's word? Test it with the book. Test it with the book. Dear brother, in the Lord I recall one of the dearest Christians I've ever known. Faithful. One of the most faithful elders of any company of saints of God I have known. When some certain brother came through and began teaching something false, it was contrary to the word of God. Though the brother that was teaching it was convinced it was the truth, my friend said, look, to us that false teaching, we don't want it. The Lord said, look, there's no question of doubt. I said, frankly, test the teaching, my own insight, Make sure that you're convinced by the Spirit of God. You've got the Spirit of God. And the Spirit of God will show. He will guide you into all truth, said the Lord Jesus. And may I admit, and I confess it myself, the weakness, the failure that is ours, to allow the Spirit of God to do it, to do it. And what joy the Lord Jesus recognized. The work of saints like scorpions and all like that, demons. And the disciples in that day, the Lord Jesus gave them power as he sent them out through Israel. And all of it was the demonstration that he was the Messiah, that he was the Son of God, even though he was rejected and crucified. But the evidence was there. And so you recognize the satanic delusion that is coming. Now let's go further in our chapter though. We want to know who their victims are. Look at verse four, if you please. I want you to know this. It was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those men which have not the seed of God in their forehead. Now, don't your lesson sheet, first of all, will you please? And then we'll go to the scripture that's referred to in there. Their victims are restricted class. Only those men which had not the seal of God and so on. May I say, when we come as we shall keep on coming, and the different judgments that follow, you will find there will be selective portions of the earth. Selective persons upon the earth, who will be the victims of that particular judgment. All the judgments in the book of Revelation don't come blanked, as it might say, upon everyone on the earth. Now everyone's on the earth going to feel some judgment, yes? But there are specific judgments for certain sections. There are specific judgments for certain people. And what we have before us is a specific judgment for only a certain specific group. Now let's look with me. You've got a reference in chapter seven. I want you to go back there. Because there's the implication that we can learn as to the meaning of our judgment. Now you remember in chapter seven, let me read verse one through four. After these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth nor on the sea nor on any trees. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal, now note, of the living God, and he cried with a loud voice of the four angels to whom it was given to him. Heard the earth and the sea, saying, Heard not the earth, neither the sea nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of God in their forehead. And then the next verse says, I heard the number of them that was here. Remember the chapter? These are God's earthly Jewish witnesses sealed as his servants in that coming day. We studied the chapter. Now listen carefully. They're all Jews. Their tribes are named. They're God's earthly people. And I submit to you that when you come to the trumpet judgment before us, that judgment is upon God's earthly people who are not the seal number. In other words, you can put it this way, apostate Jews. Look, apostate. the Jews. All Jews are not Orthodox. I go back, I remember in the year nineteen seventy a friend with a good Christian friend of mine. We were standing in Jerusalem at the wailing wall as we call it. They called it the praying wall. And on the Sabbath day we both went there. He had to borrow a hat so he could get in. I had my own hat on anyway because the men had to wear their hats and the women were on the other on another side, by themselves the end of the wailing wall. But gathered together before that wailing wall were different groups of Jewish men. They were reading their scriptures, some of them were praying. They were in their separate group, many groups, and there they were carrying on. And as we stood there watching, a young man came up, introduced him, said, himself who said, gentlemen, he said, I think I saw you on the plane when we left Rome. Well, we looked at him. We didn't even recognize him, but he evidently remembered us. And he said, Murray, go is my name. We got talking to him. And in talking to him, I said, Murray, tell me something. Are these Jewish men here? Are they Orthodox? He looked at me, said, I would say so. And you could tell by their dress, as well as what they were doing, they must have been Orthodox Jews. So I asked him a question, I said, Mary tell me something. What percentage of your Jewish people are Orthodox? He said, well, he said, when I went to Harvard Law School, he was a young lawyer from the Bronx. He said, when I went to Harvard Law School, of all the Jewish boys in the university, I could only find five would go along with me in my Jewish Orthodox. I said, well tell me, what percentage do you think of your people would be Orthodox, in your opinion? He said, I wouldn't say twenty percent, any more than twenty percent. I said, that's interesting. Back in nineteen thirty-two, I recall asking another Jewish young man, what percentage of his people would be Orthodox? He said a third. But Mary said, I don't believe twenty percent. Most of the Jews are Apostles. they turned away from their own Jehovah. God knows this. And beloved, may I say, please, may I say, please, don't think that every Jew that's gone back to Palestine is an Orthodox Jew. The majority are not. In fact, the minority, they are greatly despised by the majority. because it's the small minority that are trying to follow the Old Testament scriptures in relation to their blessed hope for their Messiah. And the majority will take the Antichrist. Now that's the most. Now you can recognize God's got a specific judgment upon those apostate Jews. as we read it here. Those men, note the end of verse four, those men which have not the seal of God in their forehead. And to them, now this is to the locust, it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months. Strange to say, literally, I understand that the lifespan of a locust is five months. But there's no question you may be able to take this literal interpretation as to the duration. I don't know. But at least, it's a limited duration that this particular scourge comes upon those apostate Jews. And furthermore, the judgment is not that they should be slain. But, as you read the end of the verse, their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striked a man. And thus we can recognize. And further down the chapter, we'll come to the striking of the tale of the scorpion in his palace. But like a scorpion, when he strikes a man. But not only those in those days the result of the judgment and the torment brings upon them in those days shall man seek death, shall not find it, shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. May I give you the thought without question of doubt? I believe the effect of this judgment in its satanic power is such that their minds are so affected they wish they could die. I believe more than any it's going to be a mental affliction because of their apostate condition. And they will even seek to die. And there will be one time they won't be able to commit suicide evidently. And for that period of time, it's a definite period of judgment upon these apostate Jews because of their apostasy in the sight of God. But now let's read out quickly. And we'd like to read about the locus, as you've got there, of description. The shapes of the locus, and one can well recognize how they must be figurative, and that reminds us that we cannot literally try and interpret them. The shapes of the locus were like on the horses. Go look at your lesson sheet, please. Let me point out on your lesson sheet I've got the explanation. The shapes of the horse were like on the horses prepared under Babel. Warlight in an energetic to execute their commission. And then second, upon their heads were crowns of gold, even claiming, if they could, divine dignity, not genuine, but came in royal authority, but it was furious. And then next, they had faces like the faces of men, asserting the intelligence of men, though worthless. They had hair like women, suggesting a feminency and subjection to Satan, as well as seduction to that matter. They had teeth of lions, savage, destructive, heartless and cruel. breastplates of iron. Horses were completely hardened toward their work, and they had no feeling. And then they had wings. As you read about it, at the end of verse nine, their wings were as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. The rapidity of their resistance energy against their victim. And then in verse ten, you've got their sting. They had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tail, and their power was to hurt men five months. Now let's look at their sting. I want you to go with me to Isaiah chapter nine, where we have an interpretation that must be used in relation to their sting. We've already taken the scripture in second Thessalonians, but we go to Isaiah chapter nine, and note these words, even in Israel, They had false prophets and they had true prophets. And in the days of Isaiah, they had difficulty knowing them. Chapter nine, let me read verse thirteen, if I may. Begin there, for the people turneth not unto him that smiteeth them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts. Even in the days of Isaiah, God's dealing with his people did not cause them to turn back to him. Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel. head and tail, branch and rush in one day. The ancient and the honorable, he's the head. The prophet that teaches lies, he's what? The tail. No one to tell you. Like the scorpion who stings with his tail, the prophet that teaches lies, and the strong delusion of that coming day against these men of Israel. who will be so apostate, their belief a lie. And yet that lie will mentally torment them for the period of that judgment that they would like to die. But now go down the end of our reading in chapter nine, in verse eleven. They had a king over them. Now that these could not be literal locus, we can prove from the book of Proverbs, When you read, I forget, I think it's the thirtieth chapter in the Book of Psalms, the locusts have no king. But they go forth to battle. There are no leaders, but they rank a swarm of locusts. They say in Africa where they had much of this, they darkened the sun even. You can't even see the sun. They have such hordes of locusts. One writer declares that on the... on the shores of one lake there, after a plague of locusts had died. They were three feet deep on the shores of the sea. There were so millions of hordes of locusts, a terrible scourge when they have it in Africa, eating everything before then. But these locusts are non-literal. And as we read, they have a king over them. And the king is the angel of the bottomless pit. Now that the devil himself leading that. In the Hebrew tongue, he's called a baron in the Greek. He's called Apollion. Oh, as we look at the conclusion of the omnilesson sheet, please. Let me read it quickly. The king or the angel of the abyss, both terms refer to Satan. And the judgment is executed upon the earth. and particularly upon apostate Israel, not upon the hundred and forty-four thousand of chapter seven. The human leader, we may be able to say, may be the Antichrist and apostate Jew. His unseen cheek will be the devil. Abaddon and Apollion, poet, practically mean the same. Abaddon is the Hebrew word meaning destruction. Apollion in the Greek refers to the destroyer. And then may note the closing comment. Note that the pit of the abyss is not the lake of fire, but would indicate the lowest spring of evil where the worst satanic dangers arise for men on the earth in that day. Satan will be confined to the bottomless pit for a thousand years during the millennium, as we well know, and then his eternal abode will be in the lake of fire. But beloved, let me just summarize and close by saying, what a judgment. directed by God, the trumpet judgment that brings about this terrible judgment upon apostate Jews. Oh, beloved, please let me say again, please realize today, you know, oftentimes we get thrilled and carried away with the thought. Well, I never will forget when Israel was recognizes the nation back in nineteen forty eight the whole world and the whole evangelical world was thrilled and they thought the Lord was about to come well he is about to come but please let me say the majority of Israelites today in the land of there in unbelief there are there in unbelief if you don't believe it go over there try to witness and if some dear believing Christians that I know I've had much trouble because of the fact that I'm trying to lead them to Christ. Occasionally, Lord bless us, but in general, there's the stubbornness of that Jewish heart that God has blinded them because of their crucifixion of the Messiah. And you remember our study in Romans eleven, blindness has happened to Israel until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Then let me point out something. You can go back to the Old Testament. You go back to the Babylonian captivity. And you'll find that God prophesied through Isaiah, through Jeremiah, through Ezekiel, and others of his prophets. And he was going to punish his earthly people who had rejected his word back there. And beloved, he's going to do the same again. In that period of great tribulation that is to come upon the earth. Very frankly, it's only a remnant amongst the Jews that will be believing Jews. The servants of the living God. Oh, beloved, now the next judgment, this one seems to be in Israel or amongst God's earthly people. The next judgment in the chapter, I think it's going to have some effect on the Western world. When you look at the prophetic world, it's divided the western atmosphere and the east, the western the east, the western the east. Now we're way west, and I think we're too far west to get too much included in that, except we'll know some of the judgments without doubt, as we saw last week. But next week, we'll notice that judgment is upon a third part of the Western nation, and it comes from the Orient, the east. You know, President Reagan, bless his heart, is trying to get us to settle the Middle East problem. Never settle that Middle East problem. Take the coming of the Lord. I'll tell you one thing. There's going to be a lot of trouble before it is settled. But oh, may God help us to realize what lies before men of this world should make you and make me more grateful to be saved. Shall we pray? Oh, Father, What can we say? We bow in reverence and worship at thy feet. Judgment is thy strange word, according to thy word. And we do confess. But, oh, as humble believers, we would say, thank you, Lord.