July 22: NINE/ELEVEN

And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon. Revelation 9:11

Each of the first four trumpet plagues were quite briefly described. The last three trumpet plagues are called woes, and they are described in considerable detail. The first of these last three woes is the fifth trumpet plague, to which eleven verses are devoted. It may or may not be a coincidence that the chapter/verse of Revelation that completes the description of the fifth trumpet plague is 9/11.

Proverbs 30:27 states: The locusts have no king, Yet they all advance in ranks. Some translations say they stay together in swarms or they fly in formation. Above, we are told that the scorpion-like demonic locusts of the fifth trumpet plague—in contrast to natural locusts—are submitted to a king identified as the angel of the abyss (NIV). Few Bible students will doubt the identity of this king. He is identified in verse 1 as a star fallen from heaven to the earth, but in verse 11 he is given two new names. The Hebrew name Abaddon means Destruction or Ruin, and the Greek name Apollyon means Destroyer. These names are given to help us understand the evil influence and deadly direction of that influence. The adversary majors in leading people to rebel against the Lord.

The descriptions in the fifth trumpet plague are not to cause us to point a finger at a group of people. We must not miss the importance of understanding the symbolism of the tail (Isaiah 9:15). The damage done by any misled leaders, be they Muslims or false prophets directly out of the company of God’s professed people (1 John 2:19), is not military but ideological. We will be shown later in Revelation the eternal-life-threatening dangers of destructive philosophies. No amount of military protection or governmental legislation can shield us from the rebellious thinking that the Destroyer is working day and night to put into our minds.

Originally, we were made in the image of the Creator. Even though our spiritual archenemy has successfully marred that image in us, our God and Savior is in full possession of the power to restore that image in each of us. But we must desire this restoration, as He has given each of us full possession of a decision-making will to cooperate with the process. When we see extreme displays of evil in the world, let none of us think for a moment that, of ourselves, we are any different. Rebellion against God, even in the slightest degree, is a seed of evil. If you and I do not want to be deceived by false teachings, or swept away in the coming judgments of God, then we must make Jesus Christ our only King and Ruler, who came to bring abundant life. A King and a Ruler is to be obeyed.

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away… Colossians 1:18,21-23a