Video: Book of Revelation Q & A: 1st Woe of Revelation
Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. (2 Timothy 2:14 AKJV)
In this scripture, Paul is instructing a young leader, Timothy, to keep reminding God’s people not to quibble about doctrine. The items in Revelation that we have no absolute interpretation of, should not cause petty disagreements. We should be able to look at the items we can identify and agree to disagree about the rest. The last three trumpets are events we should be willing to disagree about for they are most likely metaphorical.
The 5th Trumpet: the 1st Woe
And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the middle 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! (Revelation 8:13 AKJV)
The first four trumpets are the effects of small meteorites hitting the land and a large asteroid hitting the ocean. After the fourth trumpet, an angel announces the three woes. The next three trumpets are known as the “three woes” because of the severity of what happens when they are sounded. It is hard to believe that something could be worse than an earthquake releasing ash that darkens the skies and meteorites hitting the Earth and sea, but the final trumpets will be more fierce than what has already taken place.
5th Trumpet
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from Heaven to the Earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. (Revelation 9:1 AKJV)
When we see a “star fall from Heaven” it is actually an angel sent to do God’s bidding. The bottomless pit is a place where the angels who first defied God and corrupted mankind were chained. (Genesis 6:1-4) We see what happened to them in the Book of Jude:
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness to the judgment of the great day. (Jude 1:6 AKJV)
God sends an angel to release what has been chained since the flood of Noah. To say that these beings hate mankind would be an understatement.
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. (Revelation 9:2 AKJV)
When something occurs in the spirit realm, we often only see the consequences of that action. Since the bottomless pit is deep in the Earth, this very well could look like some sort of volcanic eruption that releases smoke that darkens the skies. The most massive volcano’s peak is the lowest level of all volcanoes: Its summit is over 6500 feet (2000 meters) below sea level. Tamu Massif is a volcano under the North Pacific Ocean east of Japan that could very well erupt during the 5th Trumpet.
And there came out of the smoke locusts on the Earth: and to them was given power, as the scorpions of the Earth have power. (Revelation 9:3 AKJV)
Here is where events begin to be very debatable:
Are these literal animals that come out of a hole in the Earth?
Will these demons from the bottomless pit who are now released upon the Earth, inhabit something?
The rest of the chapter may shed a bit of light on the answer.
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. (Revelation 9:4 AKJV)
Locusts usually eat green plants, so God is making a point that what is released isn’t like the insects being named, but something different. Not only that, but God will supernaturally protect those who “have the seal of God in their foreheads.”
What is this seal and how do we get it? In Revelation 7, the seals upon the scroll are broken, then 144,000 devout Jewish believers are “sealed” for God’s work. However, Christians are also sealed:
[He has also appropriated and acknowledged us as His by] putting His seal upon us and giving us His [Holy] Spirit in our hearts as the security deposit and guarantee [of the fulfillment of His promise]. (2 Corinthians 1:22 AMPC)
We receive a seal when the Holy Spirit comes into our heart. This may be the seal that protects all Christians who have the Holy Spirit along with the new 144,000. Now let’s see what these “locusts” do.
And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he strikes a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. (Revelation 9:5-6 AKJV)
This is the one sure fact we can take from this trumpet, the consequences of what is released:
People will not die, but be poisoned like a scorpion sting
Pain, tingling, or burning sensation at the sting site
Discomfort, sweating, nausea, and vomiting
Salivating
Numbness
Muscle twitching
Abnormal neck, eye, and head movements/twitching
Heart palpitations
Breathing difficulties may occur
These symptoms will be so severe that you will wish you had died
It will last five months
Is this the duration of the symptoms or the time frame for this seal?
We must remember the atmosphere of the world; what has already occurred with the other trumpets:
1st & 2nd Trumpet: Small and large meteors hitting the Earth
2nd Trumpet: One-third of the sea life dies and one-third of all ships are destroyed
3rd Trumpet: One-third of rivers and springs are poisoned
4th Trumpet: One-third of the sky blocked out
All of this will happen in one year. Then, the all the sky will be darkened as the fifth trumpet sounds. Amid all of this chaos, demons that have been locked away for thousands of years are now released to bring pain to mankind. How will this torture be released? That is something we can only guess at because the description may or may not be metaphorical.
And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared to battle, and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. (Revelation 9:7 AKJV)
Concerning this verse, please remember:
In biblical times, a horse prepared for battle wore metal plates.
Crowns were a symbol of power and gold symbolized glory.
This may not be real power and glory but something resembling it.
It could be armor-plated drones (have you seen the dog-like drones?)
A face is all of who we are. “Were as the faces of men” the “as the” means that they are not human, but have some semblance of humanity.
And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. (Revelation 9:8 AKJV)
“Hair as the” makes this not what it seems.
Hair represents thoughts coming from our heads.
Could this represent great intelligence? Or feigned intelligence like an AI (artificial intelligence)?
The teeth are not actual teeth, but whatever these things are, they have a fierce bite since the lion was the most powerful of beasts.
And they had breastplates, as they were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. (Revelation 9:9 AKJV)
A breastplate protects the vital functions of the heart.
Iron was the strongest metal of the time. These Beasts will be hard to kill.
When these attackers fly they have a big sound like the thrum of horses’ hooves.
Have you ever heard the sound an Apache helicopter makes as the blades whirl? I wonder what sounds a big drone makes?
Could this be a drone with supposed AI functions, but really inhabited and controlled by the demons from the bottomless pit?
With the horde of spiritual beings, comes a leader:
And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue has his name Apollyon. (Revelation 9:11 AKJV)
In God’s kingdom, names often reflect the job or ability of the being. Abaddon means destruction and Apollyon means destroyer. We must examine all of the facts given and even look at what is not said. It never claims these attackers are actually flesh and blood. We know that:
The AntiChrist brings a created Beast to life.
This fallen spirit leader could be how the AntiChrist brings the Beast to life: a spirit indwells the created object posing as an AI.
The smaller units could be an extension of that AI.
Like giant drones that are sent out on a mission.
There is a distinct possibility that the metal Beast coming to life is the ruler of the bottomless pit and drones will be his minions. What will they do?
And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. (Revelation 9:10 AKJV)
The fact that they can “hurt men five months” could refer to the effects of their sting or the length of time they will be hunting mankind. However this trumpet plays out, it will not be pleasant for those who are not close to God.
One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. (Revelation 9:12 AKJV)
This is the first of three woes. When will this happen within Daniel’s week? Let’s look at his prophecy.
And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate. (Daniel 11:31 AKJV)
And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. (Daniel 12:11 AKJV)
There is an abomination that is “set up” in the Temple as the sacrifices and offerings are taken away. You set up an object, not a person. If the ruler of the Bottomless Pit is what brings an AI to life, it could be the Abomination that is brought into the Temple.
As we discussed, the “most likely” placement of the seals and trumpets are as seen here. For now, we can place this woe in the second half of Daniel’s Week since it may be connected to the created Beast coming to life at the end of that Week. As we discuss the final Two Trumpets they may confirm this placement.
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