March 25, 2022

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth; and to him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. Revelation 9:1-2 (KJV)

The dramatic imagery of the fifth trumpet (9:1-12) encompasses the first of three woes (8:13) and addresses the rise of secularism. The French Revolution catapulted a man-centered philosophy as a replacement of God-centered theology. The church’s oppressive rule also played a major role in the rise of atheism. The secular-minded individual experienced alienation from God, from others, and even from themselves. Meaninglessness and despair inevitably crowds hope from the heart. This doesn’t negate the longing for God, but resistance to the gospel’s invitation places the spiritual void as a target for Satan to fill.

We see the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2) being allowed to propagate his antichristian philosophies parallel to the presentation of Biblical elements of truth presented by the brilliant generation of reformers who emerged from the Dark Middle Ages. The push-back by the smoke out of the pit found its way into the church that had just begun to break free. The letter to Sardis from Jesus (Revelation 3:1-6) shows the evidence of the damage done by professed believers who fail to take hold of Biblical truth when opportunity is graciously made available: “you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.”  Much of the fractured Protestant church was preaching a powerless message; powerless to truly transform hearts. This only proved the devil’s claim (through the athiests) that religion is worthless. Secular history records this period as the “Age of Enlightenment.”

The rest of the fifth trumpet (vv.3-12) draws imagery from Deuteronomy 8:15, Isaiah 2:19, Jeremiah 8:3, and Joel 1:6, 2:4-7. Let’s take a close look at the demonic powers who spring to activity at the unwitting invitation of the soul who rejects Biblical truth:

They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. (9:10a)

The tail symbolism is understood from the Old Testament as deception by persuasion. It is a “specialty” of our crafty foe. If people are persuaded in their minds to believe a deception, they become effective instruments for the cause of spreading darkness.

For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the LORD of hosts. Therefore the LORD will cut off head and tail from Israel . . . The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err . . . Isaiah 9:13-16a

Those who love truth are green and growing. The psychological tortures of the enemy cannot harm them! Jesus said:

Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Luke 10:19

They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. (9:5)