Released Restraint
The Revelation of Jesus Christ Series • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 46:40
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Joshua as he leads the people of Israel into the land for which God had promised them, puts before the people a choice after reminding them of ALL GOD HAS DONE… Joshua 24:15
“If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
There is a choice before each of us set forth… WHO we serve. There is an ongoing battle that rages.
In 2 Kings 6:15-17 we are given a glimpse of insight to this amazing battle… an army comes for Elisha and his servant goes out in the morning to find the city surrounded…
Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
In Ephesians 6:11-12 we as believers are instructed how to engage in this… WE PRAY!
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
We read in 2 Thessalonians that right now there is a restraining of what Satan and his evil forces are able to do, it is limited. But as we have read through Revelation we have seen Christ remove His bride the church with His Spirit,… He has been dealing with sin and evil by bringing His wrath and judgment upon the earth and mankind.
Man still has a choice!!!
The battle will rage as Satan and his demons are unleashed
Mankind will see God demonstrate WHO He is,
And in this period mankind will see Satan and his forces for WHO they are!
Satan, the deceiver, the father of lies, the serpent, the sworn adversary of God… from the beginning in the garden has NEVER had mankind's interest, nor has he ever remotely cared for man.
He tempts through deceit in the garden bringing on man’s demise and separation from God
In Job we see him request to inflict pain, suffering, and death (to Satan's delight)
In Peter we are told he is “like a raoring lion” seeking who he can devour
YET… with all his smooth talk, his lies, his empty promises he continues to pull man away from God who loves mankind, died for them, and seeks relationship!
As we experience the first two woes in our passage today we observe:
God lift His hand of restraint to give man what his heart desires
We see a brief picture of hell on earth
And we see man’s idolatrous heart
Revelation 9:1-12 gives us a glimpse of what has been held back, and the savage thirst for mankind’s pain and suffering from our enemy… for when we suffer it truly breaks God’s heart.
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. 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. 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. 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. The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.
Demonic Destruction
Demonic Destruction
The fifth trumpet brings forth a devastating period of time…
Some of the judgements occur in rapid form coming quickly and succinctly
While others like this one prevail over a period of time… this one being FIVE LONG MONTHS!
ANGEL & ABYSS
ANGEL & ABYSS
John observes a (star) or an angel (fallen) from Heaven to earth
Some think this may be satan kicked out of Heaven, not sure but a fallen angel is very easily seen here as angels throughout scripture have been referenced as stars especially with the designation (him)
He opens the Abyss or bottomless pit… a place for fallen angels (demons)
This is referenced in Luke as demons plead with Jesus and in Peter when he speaks of the angels imprisoned in Noah’s day
THE LOCUST
THE LOCUST
Fierce and terrifying! out of the smoke…
Notice their desire to hurt and destroy and torment…
These are not insects rather demonic beings released from their restraints
Their number is such as locust, they swarm, prey upon and they have an appetite that is never satisfied
They are calculated in their attacks, militant, ruthless
They have a leader whose name means destroyer
The descriptions in vs 7-10 is terror, John is using words “like” (8 times) and describing something like never seen before… that has no earthly parallel
NOTICE THEIR LIMITS… !!!
NOTICE THEIR LIMITS… !!!
All hell is released yet GOD REMAINS IN CONTROL!
Power is given
Only for five months… “only”
Only man but not plants and vegetation
DO NOT TOUCH the ones “sealed on foreheads”… (the 144,000)
Not all believers but those who God had set aside for a purpose
Like Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego
Daniel in lions den
Even Apostle John came through
Some however die like Peter crucified
John the Baptist beheaded
Stephen stoned
Even the five men in a jungle speared to death
They can hurt but not kill… verse 5 is heartbreaking for me to read… the pain and agony these demonic ones bring and inflict will be like hell on earth… death will be sought after, relief, escape, anything… yet it will be fleeting. Then comes the second woe Revelation 9:13-19
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.” 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. 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.
Demonic Warfare
Demonic Warfare
John’s attention is drawn to a place he and his readers would have been familiar with along with all who live in that region of the world… The Euphrates River.
Situated in the Middle East
Spanning multiple regions and flowing through various governmental powers
This river is seen other places in scripture referring to end times prophecy and the Day of the Lord
We will see it again with the bowl judgments
Throughout the middle east we see this river flow and as we go through Revelation we will see Israel once again be at the heart of what God is doing
It is in the regions of this river Euphrates we see Four Fallen Angels… (BOUND)
They have been restrained by God for this specific moment in time (hour, day, month, year)
What a beautiful picture of God’s complete control!!!
It is in the book of Daniel we see a glimpse of spiritual warfare… Look with me briefly at Daniel 10:13; 20-21
as an angel fro God comes to give a message to Daniel he is delayed…
as he departs he informs Daniel of the ongoing spiritual warfare and even of their defender…
“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.
Then he said, “Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. “However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.
It is possible that these Four Angels (Bound) are princes of four powers that rise up
It is possible that the number of the army given (200 million) is a real army that these demonic beings possess
However, it is very likely that these are once again, (as with those from the Abyss) demonic powers released from God’s restraint… that terrorize mankind
Their terror unlike the First Woe… brings DEATH
The remainder of those alive will see 1/3 die from this army and the plagues they bring
NOTICE the horses they ride, fierce, brutal, and power in both mouth and tail!!!
John here once again uses the word “LIKE” there is no parallel
What sad devastation… and yet the words John records next bring even greater grief to my heart… Revelation 9:20-21
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.
Deranged Thinking
Deranged Thinking
The DIFFICULTIES… TRAGEDIES.... DEATH & JUDGEMENT… they remain stiffed necked and unrepentant!
There is no denying God exist at this point
They look at their sin, God’s Holy Justice
AND THEY CHOOSE… I will not repent!
In fact they worship DEMONS… the very ones inflicting the pain and suffering and death!
Oh how often we run to the very thing that hurts us, destroys our lives, pollutes our minds and bodies, tears apart our homes, marriages and relationships!
What delusional and depraved thinking
Did you see how these IDOLS are described as DEAD, WORTHLESS, POWERLESS
It is foolishness… but a fool returns to his folly
What a sad day when an all loving God, who has gone to such great lengths to extend His love, mercy, and grace says “fine… if that is your CHOICE I will give you what you desire!”
In looking at our passage today I want us to leave here not floundering or undecided…
Decide Now!
Decide Now!
In closing I want to give two directives for us:
“Choose this day…” this is an ongoing battle. Spiritual warfare is real!
What IDOLS have gripped you?
What are you allowing to destroy your life, and yet you hold onto it rather than having a repentant heart towards God
STOP! turning to the very thing that is destroying you!
“AS FOR ME AND MY HOME… WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!”
ENGAGE IN THE BATTLE… stop pretending that it is people we are against
You and I need to have a heart for people
Real people… possibly ones you and I know could and will go through this tribulation time
Real people… are going to HELL!
Real people… need a REAL SAVIOR who is Jesus Christ!
Let me close with these words of scripture from Ephesians written to the church…
“take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,”
Oh church may we pray that WE have a BOLDNESS as WE declare Jesus Christ!
