GOD, FAIR OR UNFAIR?
Revelation 8-9
Bob Bonner
January 15, 2006

One of the great joys of the Christian life is to witness that moment when others see Jesus for who He really is, and to see them entrust their entire lives to His control. On the other hand, there is nothing more painful or frustrating than to have others we care about stiff-arm Jesus or refuse to even consider the role He could play in their lives. 

One of the complaints I often hear from those who do not want to even talk about Christ or even consider who He is or why He came, is that they see God as unfair and unloving to send or even allow anyone to go to what the Bible describes as Hell. “I can’t worship or follow after a God that would refuse to allow my dear sweet Aunt Mildred to spend eternity with Him, simply because she did allow Jesus to be her Savior.” Sometimes, I find that even Christians, frustrated that their loved ones refuse to trust God, secretly begin to judge God themselves, as unmerciful, unloving, unwise, unjust or unfair. “But God, if you only could remember the good they have done!”

Is God really impatient, blind, unjust, and unfair to permanently reject all who refuse to put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord? Or maybe a different way of asking the same question would be, “Would God be right to accept into heaven those who refused to acknowledge their rebellion against Him, those who have never turned around and said ‘I’m sorry” or who have knowingly rejected God who came to this earth in human form and died for them?” This morning, as we continue our study of Revelation, we will see more clearly the character of man and the lengths to which God has reached out to us, that we might be saved. When we are finished, we will see more clearly whether or not these accusations against God being unmerciful, unloving and unfair are valid.

It’s been several weeks since we last visited Revelation, so allow me to remind you of where we are in our study. We are in the last three-and-one-half years of the Tribulation. We have already looked at the six seal judgments in chapter 6. With the conclusion of the sixth seal judgment, human life as we know it, could literally only exist a few days. Also by this time, we recognize that many who put their faith in Christ during this period will be martyred for their faith. In chapter 7, a parenthetical chapter, we learned that out of a multitude of both gentiles and Jews who will trust Christ, 144,000 of the Jews will be a special remnant that God chooses to protect and cover during the Tribulation. Under the cover and protection of Jesus, these 144,000 believers will survive all of the judgments, and eventually they will welcome the arrival of Jesus Christ to earth at the end of the Tribulation period.

Now we come to Revelation 8:1, which begins with the breaking of the seventh seal. I don’t see this seventh seal as being chronological, or describing a judgment that follows the previous six seals. Rather, I understand that this seal contains all of the subsequent developments from 8:1--19:10 leading to the second coming of Christ which includes the trumpet and bowl judgments. Chapters 8-9, which we will look at this morning, concern six trumpet judgments.

Verses 1 to 6 of chapter eight set the stage for the blowing of the trumpets, beginning with the breaking of the seventh seal. “When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.”

In the bigger scheme of time and eternity, thirty minutes is not ordinarily a long period of time. However, when you are speaking about thirty minutes of absolute silence in the throne room of God that has been filled with much activity, it speaks volumes that something momentous, ominous or disastrous is about to happen. It’s the quiet before the storm. We continue, “And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.”      

In these verses we read about a censor, or bowl, normally used to carry incense. In verse 3, the censer or bowl is filled with incense and its contents are said to be added “to the prayers of the saints” on the burning altar that stands before and below the throne of God. Those prayers of the saints are the prayers of those mentioned in 6:10, who will be martyred during the Great Tribulation and are crying out to God for justice against those who killed them for following Christ. The point of this angel’s actions of adding incense to the prayers is to picture in the smoke that rises up from the incense the fact that the prayers have been sent to and received by God who sits on the throne.

After emptying the bowl, the angel, in verse 5, then takes the empty incense bowl, and fills it with coals from the fire on the altar, and as though these coals represent God’s response to the saints’ prayers, the angel tosses these coals to earth as a sign of God’s judgment to come. The results of this action on earth were a thunder and lightening storm and an earthquake that covered and shook the entire globe, signs of more impending judgments from God. To be specific, the trumpet judgments.

Throughout biblical history, trumpets were used for many different reasons. One of those reasons, as illustrated in Num. 10:9,10 depicts a trumpet being used to sound the alarm for going to war. In our case, these trumpets are announcing the war of God’s judgment against those who stand against Jesus Christ, the coming King of Kings.

 With 8:7 begins the reading about six of the seven trumpet judgments. “The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.”

This trumpet judgment and the three that follow it are an act of God, aimed at a natural object. In addition, you will see with the reading of the next trumpet judgment, that each of these first two trumpet judgments have someone throwing the judgment toward earth, presumably God. 

As it concerns the “blood” mentioned here, it probably is not meant to refer to human blood, because we are told that “they were thrown to earth” referring to the hail, fire and blood, starting from someplace outside of earth being thrown to the earth. To my knowledge, blood as we understand it today, exists only on the earth. Hence, this reference to blood probably is pointing to a chemical color change that will occur, a color that looks blood red when certain ingredients from the cosmos, whatever makes up the fire and hail, are mixed together and sent to earth.

Verses 8 & 9 point to the second trumpet judgment:  ^“The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood [or blood red], and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.”

Because the origin of the first trumpet, the third trumpet and the fourth trumpet judgment begins outside of the planet, it would make sense that the origin of this second trumpet judgment, the “great mountain burning with fire” was not an earthly mountain or volcano, but something from outside this planet. Furthermore, like the first trumpet judgment, this judgment is said to be “thrown,” leading one to believe that it was not from a human cause or action but from a supernatural action. Wherever the origin, the chemicals being spewed out from this mountain are so great that they poison the sea, and turn it blood red and kill one-third of the sea life. In addition, these chemicals are so toxic, that one-third of the shipping vessels in the water are destroyed, verses 10-11. “The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.”

Once again, something from outer space falls to the earth, understandably burning upon its entry through the earth’s atmosphere, and falling with contaminating influence upon the earth’s fresh water supply, killing many. This trumpet judgment appears to be a precursor to the other astronomical disturbances that come upon the earth at the time of the sixth seal judgment.

The fourth trumpet judgment, in verse 12, appears to be against the planets surrounding the earth. We read, “The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.”

Imagine the psychological trauma that these mounting physical events have upon human and animal life. It is incomprehensible. Add it up: one-third of earth’s vegetation, marine life, shipping, drinkable waters and heavenly bodies are gone! The impact upon human life being able to sustain itself is enormous. Food is not only being destroyed, but its distribution has been seriously hampered. The food production has been seriously set back by limited water supplies, and necessary light and heat to grow staples. This world has never known such pressure for survival.

Whereas these first four trumpet judgments were against natural objects, the next two judgments, beginning with verse 13, will be directly aimed at people. Hence, beginning with verse 13, we read about the three “woes”. The word “woe” refers to some calamity. The fact that this eagle cries with a loud voice, three times, “Woe, woe, woe” is the most emphatic way writers in the apostle John’s day could communicate or signal the coming of a global, cataclysmic calamity of proportions never experienced upon the earth, since the Flood. Each of these three “woes” corresponds to the last three trumpet judgments.

“Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, ‘Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!’”

The expression “those who dwell on the earth” is better translated “those who dwell for the earth.” The idea here is not so much where they dwell but what they are living for. These people are true “earthlings”—people who reject heaven or anything Jesus stands for. These are the people who will rejoice when God’s two witnesses, talked about in 11:10, are slain. Revelation 13:8 tells us that these earth dwellers will worship the beast/Antichrist.  

With chapter 9 we begin reading about the fifth trumpet judgment. “Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.”

Notice that the “star” mentioned here appears to be a person rather than a literal star or meteor because we are told at the end of verse 1, that a key was given to “him.” No explanation is given in this text as to who this “star” is, but the occasion for this event maybe the aftermath of the battle in heaven mentioned in next parenthetical section, found in 12:7-10 between God’s angelic forces and Satan. There we are told that Satan was thrown down to earth, losing access to heaven. Verse 11 tells us that this star, this “angel,” this demonic being, Satan, was the king over the troops to march on the earth.

According to Luke 8:31, 2 Peter 2:4 the “bottomless pit” is where the demons or fallen angels have been bound by God, ultimately destined for eternal damnation. Since the “bottomless pit” is mentioned seven times in Revelation, three times in this chapter alone, it wouldn’t be a bad guess that the person referred to as “the star” would be satan, who is given permission to unleash his evil demonic forces from the pit to influence what is happening on the earth. 

Visually this event of the demons coming up from the bottomless pit (wherever that is) is represented as a great smoke, darkening the sky and the sun. As we will read in the next few verses, out of this smoke will come creatures called locusts with the deadly sting of scorpions. While they will be harmless to natural vegetation and trees, they will sting people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Because these “locusts” come from the smoke that comes from the pit, it leads me to believe that these “locusts” are a description of hoards of demons attacking people.

“Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.” 

In chapter 7 the 144,000 of Israel were the only ones mentioned as having the seal of God on their foreheads, protecting them from the events happening during the Great Tribulation. All others would feel Satan’s hatred and jealousy of mankind.

“And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.”

Different than a scorpion’s sting that lasts for a few hours, the sting of these demons will torment human beings for five months, to such an extent that masses of people will seek ways to die, but for some reason won’t even be able to commit suicide as a way to relief. Also note the time frame: the demons are allowed to torment for five months. That means, at this point in the judgment of the earth, there have to be at least five more months of potential human existence on the earth.

Verses 7-11, “The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.”

If I am correct, that these locusts are indeed demonic, their breastplates of iron communicate that these beings are deadly and they are immune to destruction. Because of their speed, none will be able to flee from their attack. In v. 11, we are told that their leader, their king is named “Abaddon” and “Apollyon” which in Hebrew and Greek means “destroyer.” Such is the character of Satan, convincing me even more that this fallen “star” who unleashed these demonic beasts is Satan.

We are told in verse 12, that what we have first read fulfills the first of the three woes mentioned back in 8:13. Verse 12 reads, “The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.”  Not good news for those alive at that time, who do not have the seal of protection given to the 144,000.

To sum up what the fifth trumpet judgment will be, it is God’s judgment, the allowing of Satan and his demons to attack all humans except the 144,000 believing Jews.

 Now let’s look at the last trumpet judgment mentioned in chapter 9, beginning with verse 13: “Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’”

Interestingly, nowhere in Scripture is there mentioned that God’s “good angels” are ever bound up or imprisoned in any form. But as we learned concerning the fifth trumpet judgment, Satan’s fallen angels, the demons, have been bound up by God in the bottomless pit. So these “released” angels who are “bound at the great river of Euphrates” must also refer to those fallen evil angels known as demons. 

But why were they bound and released from the River Euphrates? My guess would be that because this Euphrates area is the same geographical location of the original Garden of Eden, that place where the first sin and murder took place, the same place where Nimrod had the tower of Babel built, it also became the geographical home or origin of Satan’s reign on earth. Hence, to limit Satan’s power on earth, my guess is God bound up some of Satan’s demons there, to be released at His perfect timing for His perfect purposes.

“And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind.”

Back in chapter 6, after the fourth seal, one-forth of the population of the earth was killed. Now, with this sixth trumpet, God will allow the demons to kill one-third of human life, to be slaughtered by an army led by demons. Since the beginning of the Great Tribulation, that’s half of the population of the globe dead! Note also, whereas the first four trumpet judgments were aimed at natural objects like vegetation, the sea, rivers and the solar system, both of these last two judgments are led by Satan and they are aimed at humans.

Having declared that the purpose of this demonically-led army is to kill another third of the human population, John now goes on to give details, verses 16-20. “The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm. The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.”

There is no direct statement as to where this army is from, or if they are even human. However, the implication is made from the fact that the angels of verse 14 were bound in, or at, the Euphrates, that the army may come from the East. Furthermore, I contend that since this army will be connected with the four fallen angels, four demons, that it is possible that this is either an army of demons, or demonically-influenced human beings, using modern-day military assets that were so foreign to John, that he struggled with how to describe them in first century terms. 

Furthermore, this situation may be linked to another future prophecy mentioned in chapter 16 concerning the sixth bowl judgment which also depicts an invasion from the East. Either this sixth trumpet judgment and sixth bowl judgment to come are two entirely different judgments, or they may be two different phases of the same operation. If they are two different phases of the same operation, then this would be additional support that all of these judgments are not necessarily 21 chronological judgments, but three sets of judgments happening one on top of another.

Let’s stop there to ponder what we have read. Why is God revealing this to John? Why does God want us today to be made familiar with these truths on a regular basis? One clue is made known in 9:15, where it is mentioned the sixth trumpet judgment had been prepared ahead of time by God. God is reminding us that nothing is beyond His scope of control. And should the readers of this book find themselves living during this time, God is saying loud and clear, “I remain sovereignly in control throughout the Great Tribulation.” The world will get worse, but don’t think God is powerless or things have been running out from under His control. They haven’t and we can continually trust in Him, regardless of surprise health issues, natural disasters or even warfare with demons.

A second point for us to consider is the response of our unbelieving friends and family members to Jesus Christ. In particular, those who have already died and their eternal destiny has been decided. As much as we love them and as much as they have been dear to us, we have this tendency to want to somehow blame God for rejecting or not saving them, or to declare God unjust. We think that if they had known just a little bit more, or if they had experienced a miracle they would have entrusted the right to run their lives to Jesus. And thus, it must be God’s fault because He is unjust.

Not so! When Jesus came the first time, thousands witnessed his miracles. Those miracles were accepted as real and undeniable by those religious leaders who hated Jesus. Yet, even with those miracles, even with the truth they heard during Christ’s ministry on earth, they still rejected Him. Why? Because of the condition of the human heart. 

Many do not understand that apart from God’s work in our lives, we are utterly depraved. We are beings who can do good, but at the very core of our being is not goodness, but rather evil and self-centeredness. Oftentimes, even the good we do, we do for evil or selfish reasons. As much as some may wish to tap into their “inner consciousness” or some other form of eastern meditation, to try to change their inner man, it is impossible, by themselves, to change a depraved heart. Only Jesus, miraculously, can do that when a person turns his/her life over to Him.

Look at the evidence from 9:20-21 of the condition of the human heart. In spite of the warning for thousands of years that this dramatic judgment of an invading demonic military force and the infliction this force will bring upon the human race, those who will still be alive are declared to be unrepentant. They will refuse to turn to Christ to be saved. They would rather choose death than submission to Jesus Christ. We read, “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.”

For sure, they will be afraid of all that will be happening around them; but just as we read about the people on the earth after the sixth seal judgment, these will be fearful, but they will also refuse to turn away from their depraved activities and turn to Jesus. They just keep on seeking after their own hedonistic pleasures.

Such is the hardness of the human heart.

In Romans 2:5, the apostle Paul warns us of the day, when the dam of God’s patience will break and His judgment will rightfully fall upon our world. Paul writes, “Because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed.” This verse, together with Revelation 9:20, 21, underscores the grace and justice of God. For right now, today, we see what human sin and stiff-arming God can and will bring to our world. Our refusal to turn away from those things that even our consciences tell us is wrong reveals that God’s justice against us, and always will be, deserved.

For God has been and remains the only righteous judge over depraved humanity. If we want our lives to make a difference, then we must pray for those we know who don’t know Jesus. We must make ourselves available to serve them and to love them to embrace them no matter how much they have failed or believe what we may think is foolishness. And when they come to Christ, we need to make room for them and all of the baggage they will bring with them. We are to be loving and longsuffering, encouraging them to move forward.

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