In a continuing effort to bring new light and
understanding to the prophetic Scriptures I feel led and constrained from time
to time to present these writings. To gain a much more comprehensive
understanding of the entire prophetic truths presented in the Word of God I
recommend the reading of my recent title, These
Prophets and the Revelation. The
book is available at Amazon.com.
This short discourse
will be an effort to focus upon and explain a passage of
Scripture found in Revelation, chapter 9, which would appear to most as
obscure. Because it is shrouded deeply in symbolic and metaphorical language
its accurate interpretation is difficult and mostly misunderstood even by those
possessing theological credentials. Its interpretive meaning is critical to the
whole body of the Revelation. The Person revealed in the context of verses 1
through 11 of the chapter is Abaddon(Hebrew) or Appolyon(Greek) meaning a
destroyer. Note the
capital letter in Person because his identity is the Lord himself,
Jesus Christ. He is presented here as descending as a Star from heaven and
opening the bottomless pit (the abyss). He is further shown in the text to be
in the company of a vast swarm of “locusts”,( as a metaphorical expression of
destruction), His army, which will be identified through further exposition of
the passage as an army consisting of all of the saints. These identifications
will require a further examination of the metaphors presented in the passage
for at the outset it would appear that they are something quite different, even
being identified by most as emerging from the pit of hell. Most expositors
identify Appolyon as Satan. This is a most serious error.
Let us begin the
support for our interpretation. First, the context of the passage is in the Day
of the Lamb’s wrath, after the resurrection, and not in the period of
tribulation as is supposed. We discern
this by understanding that the resurrection of the saints occurred in the
seventh chapter of the text, and this is followed by the initiation of judgment
upon the earth and the unbelieving “inhibitors of the earth” as referenced in
the closing verse of chapter eight (vs 13). The character of the army of
supposed “locusts” is revealed in the successive verses of the chapter from
verse three thru verse ten. Their various identifying
characteristics include: ”power
as the scorpions of the earth have power” (vs.3), “commanded to hurt only those men who have not the seal of God in their
foreheads” (vs.4),”that they should
not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months, and the torment
should be as the torment of a scorpion when
he strikes a man” (vs.5). And the
shapes of them were as horses prepared for battle (see Joel, chapter 2), and on
their heads were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of
men”(vs.7). “And they had hair as the
hair of women”, as in verse 8 (Compare
the vow of a Nazarite in Number 6). “And
they had breastplates of iron” (verse 9, compare with Ephesians 6:14 and
cont.). “Their wings were as the sound of
chariots of many horses running to battle.”(verse 9, compare with Joel 2:1-11 a parallel passage). “And they had tails like scorpions, and
their stings were in their tails”.(vs. 10). The conclusion after a careful
study of this passage with all of it metaphorical language will lead you,
through the witness of the Holy Spirit to an understanding that this is the
army of the Lord led into battle by their King.
This truth is further verifiable by comparing Revelation 19:11-16. Also
see Psalms 149 explaining the participation of the saints in the judgment.
Theologians generally do not understand this concept.
This leads us inevitably
to the identity of Abaddon or Appolyon found in verse eleven as the Destroyer,
which is precisely what the name means in both the Hebrew and the Greek
languages. The Destroyer is clearly identified as the Lord in other Scriptures.
“And fear not them which can kill the
body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew
10:28). Take careful note of the
word destroy as cited in the verse. This is the verb
form (appllumi) of the same word
which as a noun is translated Appolyon at Revelation 9:11. Vines Expository Dictionary
of the New Testament defines the word as follows: “The idea is not of
extinction, but ruin, or loss, not of being but of wellbeing”. Deep metaphors
and hidden mysteries are intended in prophetic portions of the Scripture, but
are able to be discovered. They must be diligently studied and searched out in
light of the context and other relevant passages. The Judgment of the Lord in
the Day of His wrath will most certainly come upon the world. He came initially as the Lamb of God, which
takes away the sin of the world. His return will be as the Lion of the tribe of
Judah, and as the Judge of all things.
Reading These Prophets and the Revelation will
provide further detailed clarification of this difficult passage as well as all
of the Book of Revelation and the other prophets interfaced in a context of
current world developments.
David Lance Dean
Theseprophets@gmail.com
Additional blogs can be found at website:
theseprophets.blogspot.com
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