Day 160

“10 They had tails that stung like scorpions, and for five months they had the power to torment people. 11 Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon—the Destroyer.12 The first terror is past, but look, two more terrors are coming!” Revelation 9:10-12 (NLT)

Five months is the life span of a locust. Satan’s rule is limited and drawing to an end! His false theories are like tormenting locusts with scorpion stings. Rev 9 sees the demonic counterfeits of the heavenly horses (Messengers). As people refuse to walk in the light, devils take over. As they reject the truth, they believe his lies. satan is unshackled and given free rein. The gospel of the gift of grace freely given in Christ is supplanted by the doctrine of salvation by works during this Medieval period.

The fifth trumpet warns us not to succumb to his lies, or, for us, the flashing lights of materialism and technology. A life without God results in torment and anguish (Rev 9:5-6). There is a loss of meaning and direction. There is a frenzied emptiness that people may only notice in the still of the night. Although he hides behind the mask of fun and games, the angel of the Abyss is a hard taskmaster.
Rev 8:13 announced that three woes were to fall on those who live on the earth. The fifth trumpet followed. Now in Rev 9:12 we learn that the first woe has “gone away,” it is now past. Since a similar announcement occurs in 11:14, after the sixth trumpet, it seems clear that the three woes of Rev 8:13 are the fifth, sixth and seventh trumpets.

Each part of the Bible is useful for teaching (2 Tim 3:16), but different passages are useful for different circumstances. Passages like the fifth and sixth trumpets are not particularly helpful for comforting the bereaved or encouraging the lonely. But they are quite useful for shaking people out of their complacency. These trumpets provide a reality check. They summon us to face the devil’s lies and the illusion that relative prosperity can bring. We can all benefit from a reality check.