Revelation 9 - Lake Erie Bible Church
Revelation 9 - Lake Erie Bible Church
Revelation 9 - Lake Erie Bible Church
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Chapter 9<br />
THE REVELATION TO JOHN<br />
54. One commentary refers to these verbs as a divine passive, recognizing that God both<br />
gives/permits them their power and authority, while placing whatever limitations on<br />
it He desires.<br />
55. The limitation of not damaging the environment is now coupled with a limitation on<br />
their ability to harm mankind.<br />
56. Although they were forbidden from administering physical death to mankind, they<br />
were told that they had the freedom to administer torture for a period of five months.<br />
57. As we noted above, the average life expectancy of a locust is a period of about five<br />
months, so this bit of isagogics fits quite well with what we have here.<br />
58. It is obvious that this is a literal five months and this brief period of time now reveals<br />
the remaining time left between seal 6 and the Day of the Lord proper.<br />
59. It places the chronology of seal 6 with this trumpet judgment as occurring sometime<br />
within the 1 st month (with trumpet 5 at the very latter) of the 3 rd year of Daniel’s 70 th<br />
week as shown in our revised chronology.<br />
60. While interpreters may gloss over this specific reference of time, it is another definite<br />
clue within the parameters of the grouping patterns of these judgments to orient the<br />
reader chronologically.<br />
61. That references to time are only found in the 3 woe judgments sets them apart as<br />
critical to understanding the timing of these judgments.<br />
62. The term “torment/b a s a n i s m o , j – torment” is derived from a verb that meant to put to<br />
the test, to investigate, to examine and was used of questioning one that was<br />
interrogated on the torture rack.<br />
63. This is a very fitting word, since this demonic torment will clearly demonstrate the<br />
negative volition of the masses of humanity that will not turn to God to escape this<br />
torment.<br />
64. The fact that the torment is physical is corroborated by the final portion of vs.5b,<br />
“and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man”.<br />
65. While one scorpion sting would be painful enough, it is hard to calculate the impact<br />
of being stung repeatedly over a period of several months.<br />
66. The brown scorpion common in the mid-west is said to have a sting likened to a<br />
hornet or yellow-jacket wasp, but with a fiery pain exceeding those insects.<br />
67. Again, we are not specifically told whether men can see these demons any more than<br />
we can see these spiritual creatures at this time.<br />
68. On the other hand, their fearsome appearance described by John in the verses that<br />
follow certainly suggests that he could see them.<br />
69. Further, these angels are the ones that were involved in the Gen.6 episode that would<br />
have mandated that they were visible to the women they took in marriage. Gen.6:1-2<br />
70. It’s not hard to imagine being struck with some excruciating burning pain at any time<br />
of the day or night never knowing when it will come and on top of it all not able to do<br />
anything about it.<br />
71. This will undoubtedly bring negative mankind to the very edge of insanity, since it is<br />
a well-known fact that pain over an extended period of time will eventually affect the<br />
mind.<br />
72. The physical aspects of the pain will be bad enough; however, the psychological<br />
aspects of pain include a loss of energy, a sense of loss of control, destruction of the<br />
quality of life with all resulting in depression and fatigue.<br />
<strong>Lake</strong> <strong>Erie</strong> <strong>Bible</strong> <strong>Church</strong><br />
P-T Ken Reed<br />
10