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Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links 2016 December 30
Fallen Angels in Hell (c. 1841)
John Martin (1789-1854)
Romanticism Style
Tate Britain, London, England, United Kingdom
Image Source: Wikimedia
Explanation: In Revelation 9, the fifth angel sounded, and a star fell from heaven to earth. This "star" was, apparently, a spiritual being since it had the key to the bottomless pit and used it to open the pit. Smoke, like the smoke of a great furnace, arose from the pit, and the sun and the air were darkened by it. Out of the smoke came locusts. They had the power of scorpions. The Greek word for "power" is "authority." The idea is that their scorpion-like power gave them dominion in the earth. They were commanded not to hurt the grass, nor any green thing, nor any tree. These are the usual food of locusts. Instead, these locusts were told to use their scorpion-like power against those who did not have the seal of God in their foreheads. They were given authority to torment men for five months with a torment like the torment of a scorpion sting. Men would seek death in those days, but would not find it. They would desire death, but death would flee from them (1-6).
The locusts were shaped like horses prepared for battle. They had gold crowns on their heads. Their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women. Their teeth were like lions teeth. They had breastplates of iron. Their wings sounded like chariots with many horses running to battle. They had tails with stings like scorpions. They had a king called Abaddon or Apollyon. This pit is mentioned several times in Revelation as the habitation of the Satan and his angels: Revelation 9:11; Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:1-3. (7-11).
One woe is past. Two more are coming. When the sixth angel sounded, John heard a voice from the golden altar which told the sixth angel to release four angels which were bound in the river Euphrates. And the four angels were released. They had been prepared for this time. Their purpose was to slay a third of mankind. Here, men get their wish to die, but on God's terms, and in God's way. They do not find relief in death, as they had hoped. They find even greater judgment than the torment which was upon them previously. Mounted troops advanced, numbering two-hundred million. Those that sat on the horses had breastplates of fire, jacinth, and brimstone. The colors of these would probably be red, purple, and yellow. And the heads of the horses were like lions. From the horses mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. They killed a third of mankind (12-19).
The rest of mankind did not repent of worshipping devils and idols which cannot see, hear, or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, sorceries, fornications, or thefts (20-27).
[Sermons: Charles Biggs. Various. ]
[Illustration: Today's painting represents hell. The bottomless pit, mentioned in today's chapter, is the abode of Satan and his angels. Hence, it is similar to the artist's conception in the painting above. ]
RESOURCES
[THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Revelation 9: Ezekiel 9:6; Jeremiah 8:3; Joel 2:4; Joel 1:6; Joel 2:5; Psalm 115:4; Psalm 135:15. ]
[ CHRONOLOGY: GENERAL. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]
[ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]
[ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
[ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Micha'el Ben David. Sons of Korah. Fernando Ortega. Janet Isaac Morrison. Music of the Bible Revealed - Suzanne Haik-Vantoura. Dr. David Erb. Gregorian Chants. ]
*** For Additional word studies use one of the Greek Interlinear Bibles below. ***
Book Outline:
Revelation (Consummation of the Covenant: New Heavens and a New Earth in Which Dwells Righteousness)
1. The Approaching End: The Five Sets of Seven - Evil is Defeated (Revelation 1:1 - Revelation 16:21) - 95 A.D. Patmos
2. The End: The Fall of Babylon - Evil is Destroyed (Revelation 17:1 - Revelation 18:24) - 95 A.D. Patmos
3. The New Beginning: The Triumph of Jesus - Holiness Replaces Evil (Revelation 19:1 - Revelation 22:21) - 95 A.D. Patmos
Revelation 9
1. The Approaching End: The Five Sets of Seven - Evil is Defeated (Revelation 1:1 - Revelation 16:21) - 95 A.D. Patmos
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 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.
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
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.
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
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