In this, Chapter Nine, the judgment of the earth for sin and disobedience to GOD proceeds. The beginning of "the end" starts in earnest. The first woe of "the end" is described. This woe brings forth some very peculiar "locusts." Both the consuming habit of real locusts, and their sky darkening flights over the earth are analogous to these strange "locusts" whose heavenly pit is unlocked to release them for their appearance from within the smoke of the coming star.
This chapter compares the physical appearance and physical activity of a literal locust plague with the physical description and work of these heavenly "locusts" as exhibiting the power of a weapon of the LORD. 2 Peter 3:1-18 is a true report of this "fire" power which has been "kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." These peculiar "locusts" hunt out, to torment and to kill, and then to consume all evil workers who are appointed to "the fire" of the LORD's judgment. Only their "dust and ashes" will remain underfoot at the end of the great and dreadful day of the LORD, per Malachi 4:1-3, 5. "And there shall be no more curse," per Rev. 22:3, upon the promised land.
Historically, how often has it been reported that a plague of locusts has been born from a star; and a star, indeed, which gives birth to such strange fashioned locusts? Ever?
Why then should it not be believed that these strange "locusts" are indeed dispersed from the pathway of a smoking star? And even so in addition then, since something like "a fire burning mountain" will have already fallen toward the sea? Literal locusts are very susceptible to fire. The "great star" has poisoned the waters over a third of the earth along its burning path. Would it not also poison or burn a real locust too? Certainly.
The translators of the Greek text and those theorists who heedlessly follow the "continuous history" philosophy would have us believe that these akris portray hordes of Arabs (from the Hebrew arbeh), a locust. This strange extrapolation and use of "symbolic" language reflects, I believe, a serious wresting of the Greek word's definition by untaught and unestablished, desperate men.
It is better to suppose that, moved under the power of the Holy Spirit, John used the current Latin word - acris - to define these strange things that have a cutting, and a burning character such as these akrides have. The Latin words far better explain the very strange characteristics of these peculiar "locusts" which John describes.The locust has always been considered as a plague. This is the word which is interchanged and used for a locust invasion; the reverse order is never seen, i.e., the word plague is never used as a reference to a single locust insect, for there are many other forms of "plague" than this kind brought by the locust insect.
During the first woe, then, the angel brings forth another star - and following it, these most peculiar "locusts" of flighty characteristics which come out of the smoke of "the pit."
1 And the fifth angel sounded his trumpet; and I saw a star fall toward the earth out of the heaven; and there was given to it the key to the pit of the abyss.
"Star." John sees this second star appear, following the "great star" that has already fallen toward the earth during the two previous times of thundering in the heavens in company with the two prior earth "shakes."
See the Scroll Chart, which depicts detailed events of the "last days" during the apocalypse of Jesus Christ, for the mini outline of the sequence of the "falling stars" and earthquake events. The chart provides a capsule overview of the entire time period of the 1,260 days of the Lord's apocalypse (both parousia and epiphany ) from the heavens.
"Fall;" pipto, 4098. As a normal 'falling star' falls.
"Toward the earth." Eis; in the direction of, to .
"Out of the heaven." From the stellar expanse; the sky.
"Given;" didomi, 1325. The angel is supplied with a key and an authority to use it. He unlocks a "pit" that was locked up securely until this "day of the Lord." This is undoubtedly the pit where such heavenly things are "kept in store, reserved unto fire against a day of judgment..," and spoken of in 2 Peter 3:7.
"Key;" klis, 2807. A number of different "keys" are mentioned in the New Testament:
1. the "keys" of the kingdom of the heavens;
2. the "key" of knowledge;
3. the "keys" to the places of Death, and of the Grave;
4. the "key" of the pit (of the abyss);
5. and the "key" of the abyss.
The last two "keys" are pictured here in John's prophecy for attention. These keys, in comparison to the power associated with an actual key, are used to initiate the "strange work" of the LORD, as it is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah. See 28:14-22; 29:5-8; 30:25-33; 33:2-10,13-17. The opening of the pit is a prelude to the LORD's day of vengeance which is duly coming upon all the ungodly of the earth.
"Pit;" phrear, 5421. A well; or a waterless pit, according to context. By definition a pit is a natural or artificial cavity in the ground, especially when relatively wide and deep. The star's "pit" position, its location, is detailed in the next verse.
"Abyss, of the;" abussos, 12. A place of depth, according to context. The context of the prophecy states the position of the pit to be in the heavens which surround the earth and its own universal planets. This abysmal space is the natural habitat of our solar system's sun, and of our moon and "the stars." Some place in the heavenly abyss is the location where the star is presently kept in reserve. The pit is in the depth of the heavens; in outer space.
2 And it opened the pit of the abyss. And there went up a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air was darkened by the smoke of the pit.
"Opened;" anoigo, 455. The angel "opens" the pit with his "key;" releasing this prodigy of the heavens from the place of its reservation.
"Smoke;" kapnos, 2586. First the "smoke" pours forth from the confinement place.
"Furnace, great;" kaminos, 2575. The great furnace, familiar to people living in the first century, would be the smelting furnaces, for the refining of precious metals that were so much in demand for coin and jewelry and idol trade. The smoke of the star's burning is caused by its friction against the stratosphere in the passageway of its coming.
"Sun." The smoke obscures the sun from sight.
"Air;" aeer, 109. The actual air of the globe. The smoke intrudes into the earth's atmosphere. (The plague's final effect in the air is recorded at 16:17).
"Darkened;" skotizomai, 4654. This abnormal darkness is the coming "darkness" mentioned in the Gospel records, in O.T. prophecies. It was alluded to at Rev. 8:12. The darkness is partial to a "third" of the sky's expanse. The clouds and the gross, heavy, "thick" darkness of "the day" are mentioned by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel and Zephaniah. Such a sight has never been seen since the ancient days of those prophets!
3 And locusts came forth out of the smoke toward the earth and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
"Locusts;" akris, 200. Now, it is extremely doubtful whether John the Baptist ever saw, or ate, a locust like the "locust" revealed here, while he prophesied per Isaiah 40:3-5. There is also a question whether the prophet Joel, when he prophesied about the actual locust and the invasions of the land, did prophesy indeed about this kind of "locust." These "locusts" are released from within the star's "smoke." The angel's key has unlocked these locusts from their storage in the depth of the deep dark outer space.
The deepest heaven is not the place the normal locust insects come from, nor the normal direction from which the locust plagues of the Middle East come.
"Came forth;" exerkomai, 1831. Depart; come out of; went abroad; went out.
"Smoke;" kapnos, 2586. Read Isaiah 9:13-10:27 about the "one day" that these things appear. This event is comparable to the heavenly phenomena which appeared in the days of Ahaz and Hezekiah.
"Power;" exousia, 1849. Not ability, but authority to act and to do the damaging work appointed to them.
"Given;" didomi, 1325. To produce. The authority is given to these "locusts" to emulate the actions of the literal "scorpion" in acts totally foreign to literal locust swarms.
"Scorpions, as;" skorpios, 4651. Their activity resembles a scorpion's sting or bite.
There are two other kinds of "scorpion:"
The apostle Paul well knew this second type of "scorpion." Furthermore, this plague of (things) is a scourge directed as a punishment to torment all the unsealed in the last days, when Israel is being restored as the kingdom of God. This plague of scorpion like things is a punishing scourge directed against all the ungodly and unrepentant sinners on the Land. Read Isaiah 33:4b in its context (from Ch. 32-34) of woe against the "sinners in Zion."
4 And it was said to them so that they should not injure the grass of the earth, nor any green thing nor any tree, but only the men who have not the seal of the LORD upon their foreheads.
"Said;" rheo, 4483. Spoken; announced; rhetoric. All instances in the use of this word show the meaning of a prophecy. The word first appeared at 6:11, as "was said." Probably what is intended is that this formal announcement is made "to them" (i.e., to the angels in charge) for the times of the scorpion activity. The angels are to confine this work of the judgment in accordance with the (Voice's) commandment.
"Them." The (angels in charge of the) locust-scorpions are indicated.
"Injure;" adikeo, 91. Hurt, offend , or do wrong are several of the translations.
"Grass... tree." Vegetation of green plants, in general.
"Men, only;" anthropos, 444. The locust-scorpions are directed to injure only the anthropoids of the earth; humans. They are directed to act as scourges, to hurt and to injure.
"Seal of the LORD;" sphragis, 4973. The sealing of the LORD was mentioned at 7:3. The torment of the scorpion activity is directed against the tribes of Israel. (But this is a narrow view; the sealing probably also extends to many people beyond Israel.)
In the New Testament, the theme of the sealing of the elect begins with the "earnest of the Spirit;" 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5, for "the promise of the Holy Spirit which is the earnest of our inheritance," Ephesians 1:13-14. In the Old Testament the sealing process is graphically shown in Ezekiel 9.
The activity shown there is somewhat like the sealing of the children of Israel in Revelation 7:3, of "the last" who are to be spared from the Death during Jacob's great tribulation. The locust-scorpions are directed to injure only those Jews/men who were not sealed.
5 And it was given to them so that they should not kill them but so that they should be tormented five months; and their torment, as a scorpion torments when it strikes a person.
"Given;" didomi, 1325. A negative proviso is stipulated.
"To them." To the locust-scorpions.
"Kill;" apoktino, 615. To slay; not to put to death at this time. This cannot be said of the Arabs which the continuous historical viewers makes these locusts to be; nor does the activity spelled out in this prophecy agree with what is asserted concerning the Arabs by that theory.
"Tormented;" basanizo, 9288. See Matthew 8:28-33. It appears that a certain evil possessed man of Jesus' time expected to be tormented at the time of the judgment. Where did this idea come from? A Jewish tradition?
The angel's tormenting authority is designed to elicit a truthful response of conscience under stress; a torture. (See verse 20, re demons).
"Strikes;" paio, 3817. To smite. The "locusts" are authorized to act like scorpions, to strike and to torment those who are left unsealed. Contrary to the view that "The bite or sting of the scorpion is generally fatal," the sting of the scorpion is seldom fatal. Small children are the most susceptible to death, simply because of their body size. Scorpions are sold as exotic pets, and certainly should be handled with care, if one does not care to be "bitten" with a painful sore resulting.
The work of the scourging by striking and injuring among the unsealed of mankind will continue for a period of five months.
6 And in those days mankind shall seek Death and shall not find it, and shall desire to die, and Death shall flee from them.
"Days, in those." For approximately 150 woe filled days of real time, the biting and stinging does not produce any death.
"Seek;" zeeteo, 2212. It is a time of bitterness...
"Death, the;" 2288. The death that provides escape from their tortured existence.
"Find;" hurisko, 2147. Compare this thought with the mindset of 'the day of the Lord' as revealed by Revelation 6:16-17.
"Desire;" epithumeo, 1937. An intense desire.
"Die;" apothneesko, 599. As in 3:2; 8:9,11; 14:13; 16:3. Ungodly mankind are punished to the point of death; but are not yet permitted to die in their sins.
Christendom's popular doctrine of "hell" reflects a similar theme of judgment but it is only after death that their "hell" is alleged to be encountered - not in the five months prior to their death!
"Flee;" phugo, 5343. To flee away; to escape. God, in His wrath, is just in goodness and in severity. No mercy is given to any man who has shown no mercy or love toward his neighbor.
7 And the likenesses of the locusts are like horses made ready for war. And upon their heads, as crowns like gold; and their faces, as men's faces.
"Likenesses;" homoioma, 3667. The word does not speak here of physical form or shape. It describes the similarity of the "locusts" armored appearance to horses which are clad in preparation for war. The locusts are dressed like "horses, made ready for war." They then act like a thundering herd of horses. The text now proceeds to compare their appearance to such "horses" as they are readied for their battle. These "locusts" (in the aggregate plague are the heavenly vehicles and missiles which) deliver the projectiles hitherto "kept in store" by the LORD of Hosts for this day of "judgment and destruction of ungodly men."
"Made ready;" hetoimazo, 2090. Prepared, as in v. 17.
"Heads;" kephalee, 2776. The head of the locust like scorpion.
"As crowns of gold." Their heads appear as a wreath of gold; i.e., the heads appear as having a golden corona.
"Faces;" prosopon, 4383. The face or frontal view of the locust scorpion.
"As men's faces." Men's faces are either clean shaven or they are mustachioed and/or bearded...
8 And they have hair, as women's hair, and their teeth are as a lion's.
"Hair;" trikos, 2359. Long tresses; the "hair" of the locust scorpion. An actual "hair" is the single strand that grows from the scalp or from the face.
"Women's, as." A woman's tresses are generally described by the word komao or komee : "long hair." According to this word's definition the ancients identify the comet! To them, a comet was a "long- haired" star!
"Teeth;" odous, 3599. The "teeth" of the locust scorpion; the biting tools.
"Lion's, as a." To bite and crush. A lion's teeth are huge, sharp and powerful.
9 And they had breastplates, as iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings, as the sound of many horses running toward a battle.
"Breastplates;" thorax, 2382. The Greek word is the English word, and carries the same definition: the breast region. The chest is the most prominent part of the torso of a body.
"As iron." These heavenly bodies either have iron breasts, or look like iron chests.
"Sound;" phonee, 5456. The noise. This is a notable sound.
"Wings;" pterux, 4420. Their means of flight through the atmosphere. These heavenly bodies may not have literal wings, but surely are guided by the angels in charge of the "locusts!" Wings are not required for outer space flight, or for objects to fall from the skies!
"As the sound..." The sound that the "locusts" make as they rush through the air is like a herd of horses, hoofs thundering against the earth as they speed along. What it is that produces the sound of their flight is not elaborated upon. It may be the friction of the atmosphere against their bodies.
10 And they have tails like scorpions, and stings are in their tails and an authority to them so that to injure mankind five months.
"Tails;" oura, 3769. These "tails" develop further detail in verse nineteen.
"Like scorpions." Scorpions have elongated bodies, with a long and flexible tail. Presently the tails merely torment by pricking their victims as a whipping scourge would do.
"Stings;" kentron, 2759. Also as pricks .The sting of a literal scorpion is extremely painful, but generally not a mortal wound for an adult.
The prior proviso is repeated: these heavenly warriors have an authority to inflict injuries on men for only five months.
11 And they have a king over them: the angel of the abyss. His Hebrew name is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has a name, Apollyon.
The hairy headed horse like scorpion "locusts" have a ruler whom they obey.
"King;" basilus, 935. The chief authority over the "locusts" who work under his guidance.
"Angel;" angelos, 32. This particular angel is a king; a ruler of his own heavenly power.
"Abyss." This is the "bottomless" depth; the void of space from whence the locust horses come. The appointed angel is the Commander of the emerging flock of "locusts." He is the ruler of the heavenly abyss.
"Name;" onoma, 3686.
"Hebrew ...Greek." His name should be familiar to both Jews and Greeks, for the name is anciently known in both tongues, as Abaddon, and as Apollyon, the destroying one.
The coming visit of the angel of Destruction is the gist of the first woe. He wields his heavenly rule over his army in order to subdue men to God's will.
12 The first woe is past. Behold! Two woes come yet with these things.
Five months of a pummeling distress upon the nations now end. "These things" act and do not cease for almost half a year. Two more woes will yet be added upon the ungodly of the earth as the LORD's vengeance continues.
Will there be repentance and obedience, or will there be a hardening of attitude and hearts? Will a few yet be snatched from the burning fire? For, God is not willing that any man should be destroyed (perish) but that all men come to repentance, 2 Peter 3:9, and a knowledge of the truth of God - before His bowls of wrath are poured out upon all recalcitrant human beings.
Here is a recap of the activity around the LORD's heavenly altar, showing how 'the sign' of the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ, is initiated:
6:9-11 "And when (the Lamb) opened the fifth seal I saw under the altar the souls of those having been slain on account of the word of God and on account of the testimony which they held. And they were crying with a great sound, saying, Until when, O master, the holy and the true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth? And white robes were given to each and it was said to them so that they should rest yet a little time until both their fellow servants and their brethren shall be fulfilled, those going to be killed as even they..."
8:3-5 "And another angel having a golden censer came and stood over the altar, and much incense was given to him, so that he might give of all the prayers of the saints upon the golden altar which is in the sight of the throne. And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the holy ones went up out of the hand of the angel in the sight of the LORD. And the angel took the censer and filled it from the fire of the altar and cast it toward the earth, and there were sounds, and thunders and lightnings and earthquakes."
The LORD's response to the stored up prayers from all the past years has brought about the first woe as described in this chapter. The viewpoint of the prophecy is still directed to the presence of the throne of the LORD in the heavens above Jerusalem. (Further activity around the altar of the LORD is shown at 11:1; 14:18 and 16:7).
The woe now progresses to its second distressing stage. As the vengeance of the LORD is repaid to sinners, the judgments become more severe and more appropriately specific.
9:13-14 And the sixth angel sounded his trumpet; and I heard one voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is in the sight of the LORD, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Loose the four angels who are bound over the great river Euphrates...
"Voice." This one voice can only refer to the LORD who now speaks
on His own behalf. Refer back to 6:9-10. The question was, How long..?
Now! Now, this is the time.
"Four horns of the golden altar." The incense golden altar is located immediately before the throne of the LORD in the presence of (i.e., facing) the Most Holy Place.
"Saying;" lego, 3004. The "one" Voice speaks.
"Loose the four angels;" luo, 3089. Release them, let them go..!
"Bound;" deo, 1210. Till this time, these four angels have long held
the four 'winds' of the heaven under a restraint.
Since Daniel's time,
in fact, Daniel 7:2, and until after "the last" of Israel are sealed, the
144,000; of Revelation 7:1-13.
"Great river, Euphrates." Why this verse of the prophecy is supposed not to intend the literal land area above the great river Euphrates is somewhat puzzling, except that some prefer the delusion of "symbolic" meanings above the reality of things during "the day" of this revelation. They think, 'It just is not going to happen that way. Where is God, anyway? We don't see any such "God" working in the world today. Where is the promise of His coming?..'
After all, one might think that the LORD knows where the root of the Adversary's evil was first planted in the earth! The first evil thought was conceived and bore its fruit somewhere "eastward in Eden." And, the Babylon of both Testaments refers to the ancient province and city -- above the river Euphrates -- which exported (and imported) corrupt religious practices, and which even today exports and provokes adversity against the LORD's chosen people.
All the verse says is that a certain group of four angels, having been long "bound" over this location, are now released to work their judgment "above the river, Euphrates." Preparation is made for the last war...
15 And the four angels were loosed who had been readied toward the hour and the day and month and year so that they might kill the third of mankind.
"Four ...loosed." The specific work of the four angels begins above the great river, the Euphrates, in the northern provinces, from the vicinity of Babylon, Iraq.
"Readied;" hetoimazo, 2090. Released, they are prepared to work along with Abaddon, the destroying angel.
"Hour, day, month, year." A specific date in indicated, but never revealed by the Father in the Holy Scriptures until "the end."
"Kill;" apoktino, 615. To slay; to put to death.
"Third, the." Thirty percent of the population which resides there...
"Mankind." Men; humanity; the people there.
The angels, released, no longer restrain their powers of the heavens over the countries to the north of the Euphrates (and above Israel) from doing their work of dealing Death. At a specific date, a third of mankind will have been killed under the powers of these four angels.
The timely release of these four angels marks the hour and the day of that still unspecified month and year. See Matthew 24:35-36; Mark 13:31-32.
16 And the number of the armies of the cavalry was two myriad myriads, and I heard the number of them.
"Number;" arithmos, 706. The amount of the "horses" of the cavalry which goes forth under Destruction's rule. This word is the same as in 13:17-18, often thought to be used as a general term for a total number.
"Armies;" stratuma, 4753. A squadron or squad; a company of men of war; soldiers; a brigade. The total amount of squads that are loosened is innumerable.
"Cavalry;" hippos, 2462 . In the army horses are organized in brigades; the "light horse" which carries a rider, and those horses which draw heavy field artillery, wagons, etc. Verse nine seems to show that these "horses" are yet the "light horse" which emulate the "locust."
"Two myriad myriads." Two thousands times thousands; at the least, two millions...
"Heard;" akouo, 191. John listens to the audible sound of the heavenly cavalry rushing to the war, (impressive enough to be of mention!)
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those sitting upon them, having fiery breastplates, even hyacinthine and brimstone like; and the heads of the horses, as lion's heads, and out of their mouths goes a fire and a smoke and a brimstone.
"Thus ...the vision." This is the manner in which John saw the "locusts" act.
"Those sitting, kathemi, 2521 (the horses)." Those sitting upon "the horses" are the destroying angels of Abbadon's heavenly cavalry. Each commands his "horse." ...The verse adds detail concerning their iron-clad "breasts": the "horses" are fiery, a purplish hyacinth color, and they smell like brimstone, which is sulfurous and noxious.
Re: kathemi: the same word is found in Rev. 17:3, where the great harlot "sits upon the many waters." In other words, the word indicates a seat of a specific authority, not just a mere chair of rest.
"Heads." Like lion's heads, leonine, with the teeth being already noted, as well as the long tresses, (like the lion's mane which is the longer hair behind its head).
"Mouths;" stoma, 4750. The mouths eject the biting projectiles. They spit forth the three death dealing "locust" plagues named here.
"And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone." - Ezekiel 38:22.
The careful reader of the Revelation will have noticed that there are to be three events of the hail, of the fire and the brimstone during the days of the apocalypse of the Lord, Jesus Christ; at 8:7; at 11:19; and at 16:18-21.
18 Under the three of these, the third of mankind were killed, from the fire, and from the smoke, and from the brimstone which goes forth out of their mouths.
"Three, the." The plagues from the mouths of the horse riders.
"Third, the." All the people appointed to Death.
"Killed;" apoktino, 615.
"Fire, the;" pur, 4442.
"Smoke, the;" kapnos, 2586.
"Brimstone, the;" thion, 2303.
"Mouths, their;" stoma, 4750. The scorpion like horse mouth...
This second assault of woe brings Death to a third part of the world's population. There is no other way to interpret the judgment expressed in the plainly stated words of these verses. The angel named Destruction, who opens the pit of the abyss, paves the way for four other angels to loosen the death dealing "locust" above the great river Euphrates, a line reaching from the Persian Gulf through Syria and into northeastern Turkey. This is the boundary of the river Euphrates. Above the river is the birthplace of the ancient Nimrod; and of the universal mystery of Babylon the Great.
19 For, the powers of them are in their mouths; for, their tails are like serpents, having heads and with them they injure.
"Powers;" exousia, 1849 . Not ability, but authority.
"Tails;" oura, 3769. The horse "tails" were noted at verse ten for torment.
"Like serpents, having heads." The tails act as serpents act; they bite with their heads.
"With ...injure;" adikeo, 91. Whereas the first scourge of the "locust" was not lethal, the injuries from the second "scorpion horse" phase - from the projectiles now to be spat out from their mouths - become deadly.
20 And the rest of mankind who were not killed in these plagues neither repented from the works of their hands so that they should not do homage to the demons; and the golden and silver and brass and stone and wooden idols, which are neither able to see nor to hear nor to walk.
"Rest;" loipoi, 3062. The others, those remaining alive.
"Repented;" metanoeo, 3340. The two thirds who still live do not change their mind concerning their evil works.
"Homage;" proskuneo, 4352. To worship, adore.
"Demons;" daimonion, 1140. The spirits of evil or good to which the ungodly ascribe power to an idol to perform deeds. The demons are called upon out of the evil desires of the mind.
"Idols;" idolon, 1497. Gods hand-made; statuettes or other precious metal objects of devotion that are guarded for a covetous reason. Gilded and gem be-studded icons, pictures, altars, etc.
"Which are neither..." These demons and idols do not function like living beings do. They do not see, hear, or move, nor work. They are functionally worthless as helps grasped at by evil, wishful thinkers.
The visible idol stands as an outward manifestation of a man's invisible desire; the evil image of his double mind which cannot rightly choose between good and evil things. The apostle Paul was careful to distinguish between the good and the evil things that are seen, and of the things that are not (seen). \
Jesus, also, was careful to explain to Nicodemus how the (holy) spirit of good goes about its work. The LORD makes both the good and the evil spirit to work for His purposes. Read Isaiah's prophecy concerning this ability.
21 And they repented not from their murders, nor from their sorceries, nor from their fornications, nor from their thievery.
"Repented not;" metanoeo, 3340.
"Murders;" phonos, 5408. The deliberated killings.
"Sorceries;" pharmakia, 5331. Gal. 5:20; witchcraft and drug use. The trafficking in illegal drugs is world wide, and "big business" even in our present time. Much of the opium drug traffic originates in the mountains of Turkey and Iran, and probably in other proximate Islamic countries, where the poppy is grown for a livelihood and cash income. The poverty of the people and their culpability with all forms of corruption makes them a target for Death.
"Fornications;" pornia, 4202. Whoredom and related unclean habits that defile a person.
"Thievery;" klemma, 2809. All manner of theft.
Both murder and theft are violations of the first two Commandments of God.
Sorcery, as the Greek indicates, is an alternate practice of religion associated with drug use.
These four things are usually accompanied by other disgusting habits in their actual practice. No civil law can overcome these "works" because these acts are all matters requiring the individual's voluntary cooperation for their resolution, and cessation.
Although the second woe has worked its purpose, a negative response is produced by this woe. As a result of this impasse, there is need for a more drastic measure of judgment upon the four classes of unrepentant sinners noted above: for their murders, their sorceries, their fornications, and their thievery. The judgment which follows after these things are done is shown in Chapter Ten.
Unless there is a resurrection of the dead, the whole work of the LORD upon this earth has been utterly without any redeeming social force. Life and the pursuit of happiness is utterly pointless; a despair and a waste. In other words the earth would be at the same point now as it was, In the beginning...
Without form and void. Shapeless, empty, hopeless of life. Subject to vanity...
That there is a resurrection from the dead has been demonstrated. The evidence is in the heavens and in the earth, which are the work of the hands of the LORD Who is the living God. The seasons return; the physical creation renews itself, except not by its own power or authority. Scientists in their laboratories search tissue samples for the secrets to the creation of life, an admission-by-activity that the gift of life is beyond the understanding and fabrication by mortal men.
There is a question about the resurrection of the dead. It questions the length of time, from the rising from the grave to the time of glorification, commonly know as "the rapture." And, the question hinges on another, When does the individual's judgment come about? The dead IN CHRIST are not subject to the second death; they pass out of their first Death into the Life. The rising up of the two witnesses of God and their ascent into "the Cloud," per Rev. 11, precedes the judgment of the ungodly of the earth. There are always tiny clues in the Scriptures which provide insight into the likely answer to questions.
So these who are raised up from the dead must be qualified as "the dead in Christ" and not the dead of the world, who are the dead who must bury their dead and have no hope in a resurrection, as taught by Ephesians 2:12 and 4:18.
The "dead (in Christ) are reared up incorruptible," 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. This picture is graphically illustrated in Revelation 11, where the two bodies of the witnesses rise up out of death after three and a half days; and immediately ascend up into the heavens into the Cloud at the call, "Come up here."
In Jerusalem this "sign of Jonah" amazes and frightens the beastly spectators to the extreme limit. This great event ends the second woe period, signaled by/with the sound of the seventh trumpet! The last wicked generation of the present world order is about to be returned to its own "dust and ashes."
With the resurrection of the dead in Christ, the kingdom of God is restored to Israel upon the earth. The transformation of the holy ones and saints into the glory of the Lord is the confirmation of the righteousness of the faith of Jesus Christ.
An actual transformation is pictured in Matthew 17:2-3 and Mark 9:2. Literally, the minds of the "saved" will be renewed in Christ and their bodies changed by the processing of the Holy Spirit. Christ then shall have been fully formed in "the children" whom the LORD has given him.
Swiftly following the resurrection and the marriage, the wrath of God falls upon the wicked "walking dead" who are judged and punished by the vials of His wrath.
The world is not the same after these wonderful events. The time begins with a whole, new creation!
