Revelation 9

[jhwatts]

Here is something interesting to ponder. This is why I really think most people's view of Revelation is wrong, and Daniel for that matter.

Revelation 9 1:12

1Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 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. 5 And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

7 The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 11 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. 12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.

If we look at verse 11 in chapter 9. We see the king of the bottomless pit is Apollyon.

This is Apollo the greek god right. When we look at what he is known for we see he is the god of the sun. He also has a twin sister this also turns out to be the queen of heaven in the early Assyrian mythos.

A central theme in the book of Revelation is God dealing with Babylon. It should be no surprise that creatures and deities in Revelation are Babylonian in nature. So is we look in Babylonian mythology we see their sun god is known as Shamash.

It turns out that when Shamash comes to and from the underworld(the pit), these guys open and close the door for him.

Scorpion man - Wikipedia

There is no way this is by chance. That being said I think a much more literal approach should be taken when studying Revelation as opposed to assuming a lot symbolism about things we dont recognize or understand.

We should probably associate more of the creatures and things with the Babylonian mythology. If you can call mythology.

 

[Jeshu]

i think that the book of Revelation describes the spiritual world.

i wrote a poem about its manifestation in my life.

Armageddon.
In my inner world life died everywhere,
famine taking what sword had left behind.
Brim and hailstones flattening what stood up,
no escape from the carnage I could find.

Awed I saw Jesus the evil fight,
turning my world into a battleground.
I saw billows of smoke rising up high,
rolling thunder through my world rebound.

I watched as scorpions paraded my soul,
stinging those godless in their lust.
Massive grasshoppers devouring all my good,
fierce horses trampling me to dust.

I saw much of my greenery burn-up,
fleets of cargo ships sadly perish.
Daily trade coming to an abrupt hold,
ungodly rulers wrong to cherish.

I saw the Dragon reigning his subjects,
watched the numbered die like flies.
I heard the false prophet's constant lying,
demons smearing God's love with lies.

It was the blood drinking prostitute,
which flabbergasted me the most.
Unfaithfulness killing God's chosen,
with fiery death she was deposed.

I saw my world's kingdom going down,
ruling Babylon fall in one day.
With two thirds of my world wiped out,
I watched true Peace coming to stay.

And so watching God's own safely at home,
I finally let my tears run dry.
Seeing Jesus arising on the clouds,
I joined the Hallelujah cry.

 

[Timtofly]

There is no doubt that the Nations prior to Jericho, the ones Abraham walked between on all his journeys, knew all about Satan and his fallen angels. After and even before the tower of babel separated them, they claimed Satan as their lord, and rejected the God who created them.

 

[Douggg]

If we look at verse 11 in chapter 9. We see the king of the bottomless pit is Apollyon.

There are several angels in Revelation 9.

1. One is the star falling from heaven (Satan being cast down to earth).

2. four other angels are bound in the river Euphrates (to be released)

3. Apollyon the angel king over the locust creatures - who is in the bottomless pit
(to be released by the falling star angel).

Apollyon is not king of the bottomless pit, but king over the locust creatures. Both Apollyon and the locust creatures are currently in the bottomless pit.

 

[jhwatts]

There are several angels in Revelation 9.

1. One is the star falling from heaven (Satan being cast down to earth).

2. four other angels are bound in the river Euphrates (to be released)

3. Apollyon the angel king over the locust creatures - who is in the bottomless pit
(to be released by the falling star angel).

Apollyon is not king of the bottomless pit, but king over the locust creatures. Both Apollyon and the locust creatures are currently in the bottomless pit.

Yes. I agree however the point of my post is to show how the things in Revelation are Babylonian. I have two creatures identified in the Babylonian mythology one is that Appollyon is Shamash and locust creatures are the Aqrabuamelu. This why I think a lot of how people interpret Revelation is wrong. There is more things going on here than what appears.

You know what else is fascinating is that the Babylonians culture was buried in the sand for almost 2000 years before John wrote Revelation. So he really should have not known these things even existed and that really says what he seen was a vision from God.

 

[TribulationSigns]

There are several angels in Revelation 9.

1. One is the star falling from heaven (Satan being cast down to earth).

Wrong.

Rev 1:20
(20) The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

God has defined the star in Scripture as the messenger of the congregation. God is talking about his UNFAITHFUL congregation who is responsible for loosening Satan for her unfaithfulness.

2. four other angels are bound in the river Euphrates (to be released)

Not actual angels. They are the messengers. Do you know who they are? What does the river Euphrates represent in Scripture? You won't find them in the Middle East. For example:

Rev 16:12-14
(12) And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
(13) And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
(14) For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

God is NOT talking about the physical river in the Middle East nor the literal armies from the east. You need to learn to find what does the water represents. Why is it dried so that the kings of the east be prepared... for what? Who are the kings of the East? Chinese? Of course not!

3. Apollyon the angel king over the locust creatures - who is in the bottomless pit
(to be released by the falling star angel).

Apollyon is not king of the bottomless pit, but king over the locust creatures. Both Apollyon and the locust creatures are currently in the bottomless pit.

You need to read the verse carefully:

Rev 9:11
(11) And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

Actually, Satan is not an Angel! He is a spirit. A messenger of evil, and Apollyon (or Abaddon) is Satan, that very same spirit and king ruling over the deceived, the beast, his body! Satan doesn't give command to Apollyon, Satan "IS" Apollyon. That word means destruction, and that is the epitome of what he does here. He is the king or ruler of this spiritual army from the abyss, and what he brings is death to these people. This Hebrew word [abaddon] only occurs here in the New Testament and 5 times in the Old Testament (Job 26:6; 28:22; 31:12; Psalm 88:11; Prov 15:11 ) and always relates to death, which this messenger from hell/hades brings to the unfaithful congregation (those in it who are not truly sealed).

The purpose of Satan (Abaddon/Apollyon) is absolutely in attacking God's church, and in Revelation 20 when he is loosed God makes that point even more abundantly clear. It's the evil spirit Satan's "whole persona" and reason for existence. He is the absolute quintessential adversary of the church, not the world which is already his domain. The world is his own, it's already his kingdom that he's not fighting against because a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. Selah! The Waord of God encourages us to make our calling and election sure not because Satan has no interest in attacking the church, but because that is his whole character, his entire modus operandi. Satan isn't loosed to attack his own kingdom, but used by God as judgment upon HIS UNFAITHFL CHURCH, just like in the Old Testament where God loosed wicked empires upon national Israel as judgment for their rebellions. Selah!

The fact is, the judgment and apostasy come specifically BECAUSE Satan is loosed by God upon His rebellious church that will not receive His truth in the love wherewith it was given. Apostasy is a falling away of the church, not "a falling away of the world." Why? The world is ALREADY fallen anyway. fallen.

2nd Thessalonians 2:9-11

• "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
• And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
• And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
• That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

The false Christs and false prophets that come to deceive are attacking the church. They are seen by God as locusts - men with spirit of antichrist. And exactly who do they deceive there? Under rule of the Apollyon, the great destroyer Satan, they bring the rebellious church to desolation by deceiving those men within it that do not have the seal of God in their foreheads.

Revelation 7:2-3

• "And I saw another messenger ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four messengers, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
• Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."

That's the whole reason Satan was bound in the bottomless pit in the first place, so that He could not go forth deceiving the nations until after the 144,000 of Congregation Israel were all sealed (secured) with the Spirit of promise. But once the church has done its job, their testimony for the purpose of salvation is finished, then he is loosed as locusts upon the grass. The point is NOT until God has sealed/saved everyone that He intends to save.

For example, those who have not made their calling and election sure (2nd Peter 1:10). God brings this spiritual judgment of delusion upon His Temple because these are those who would not receive the love of truth (2nd Thessalonians 2:12), instead of getting their pleasure from unrighteousness coming from false prophets and christs. The destroyer comes up against the camp of the saints, not his own camp and his own people and his own kingdom.

Selah!

 

[BABerean2]

Apollyon is not king of the bottomless pit, but king over the locust creatures. Both Apollyon and the locust creatures are currently in the bottomless pit.

Revelation 9:11

(ESV) They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.

(ESV+) They have R9as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is R10Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.N1

(Geneva) And they haue a King ouer them, which is the Angel of the bottomlesse pit, whose name in Hebrewe is Abaddon, and in Greeke he is named Apollyon, that is, destroying.

(GW) The king who ruled them was the angel from the bottomless pit. In Hebrew he is called Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.

(KJV) And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

(KJV+) AndG2532 they hadG2192 a kingG935 overG1909 them,G846 which is theG3588 angelG32 of theG3588 bottomless pit,G12 whoseG846 nameG3686 in the Hebrew tongueG1447 is Abaddon,G3 butG2532 inG1722 theG3588 Greek tongueG1673 hathG2192 his nameG3686 Apollyon.G623

(NKJV) 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.

(YLT) and they have over them a king—the messenger of the abyss—a name is to him in Hebrew, Abaddon, and in the Greek he hath a name, Apollyon.

.

 

[Timtofly]

Yes. I agree however the point of my post is to show how the things in Revelation are Babylonian. I have two creatures identified in the Babylonian mythology one is that Appollyon is Shamash and locust creatures are the Aqrabuamelu. This why I think a lot of how people interpret Revelation is wrong. There is more things going on here than what appears.

You know what else is fascinating is that the Babylonians culture was buried in the sand for almost 2000 years before John wrote Revelation. So he really should have not known these things even existed and that really says what he seen was a vision from God.

John is not "resurrecting" Babylonian thought. The fallen angels will be loosed, for that day. The day of judgment, they were being held for. What the dead Babylonians taught has nothing to do with an event 4000+ years after them. As pointed out, they have been dead over 4000 years. We should leave them that way, no?