Thru the Bible

Steve Schwetz: Drug abuse, robbery, sexual exploitation. These are some of the greatest problems in our world. But do you know that they will still be problems, only increasingly more so, during the Great Tribulation? Welcome. I'm Steve Schwetz, your host on Through the Bible, a five-year journey through God's entire Word.

In this study, our teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, takes us through Revelation chapter 9, where we'll learn how the Antichrist will use our sins to bring mankind into total bondage to himself. To be sure, the world has terrifying times ahead, and that's why we're urgent about our mission to reach the whole world with the whole Word of God.

And because His Word's going out, many are turning to Jesus, including people who think they're going to heaven but need to hear the truth. A listener wrote to Through the Bible about this some years ago. Dr. McGee's going to read the letter.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: A letter from Bellevue, Washington. It says, "You will never know what you have done for me. For years, I felt I was saved, but I was mistaken. When I first heard you years ago, you made the Bible come alive, and thanks to God," and so on. A very wonderful letter. But the thing that makes it especially wonderful is she is 98 years old. Don't tell me that folks when they reach a ripe old age can't make a decision for Christ. This dear lady has.

Steve Schwetz: And we're grateful to continue to get letters like this from a fellow Bible bus passenger in South Korea who writes, "Faith grows stronger when we trust the Word and act upon it. As I desire to live each day clothed in Jesus' mercy, I experience the Lord's love through McGee's Bible study once again. And when I listen, I know the Lord's grace and mercy continue to heal and restore someone wounded somewhere in the world. May our lives reflect total trust in the Word of God and His goodness shine towards our neighbors."

I love that. Now here's another good one from a listener who hops aboard the Bible bus in the Hmong language. "My name is Kam and I live in Laos. I am 26 years old. I first heard about Through the Bible in 2024, and since then I have been listening faithfully every day because it helps me understand the Bible more clearly and shows me the true meaning of God's Word.

One night I had a terrible dream and woke up filled with terror. I turned on TTB Hmong and I listened. God's peace surrounded me and my heart was filled with joy. Truly, God's Word was the power to drive away fear and fill our hearts with His perfect peace. I am so thankful for this program and for the time and love you give to teach us God's Word. May our Lord richly bless you for your faithful work. I deeply appreciate all that you do."

Our last note comes from a listener in Indonesia. She tells us this: "I came from an Islamic background and became a Christian. At first, I did not truly understand what it meant to follow Christ. I just went along with it without much knowledge or questions. When my children were still in elementary school, my husband decided to leave us for another woman.

I did not resist. I simply said, 'Go ahead if that's what you want. I already had two children, and that is enough for me.' From that moment, I raised my children alone, and my husband never looked back. It was then that slowly, God changed me. In the past, if someone asked me to lead worship, I would avoid it out of fear of making mistakes.

But now I can boldly testify about God's goodness. I have experienced that the Lord never abandons me, even in the most difficult times. I am thankful for God's grace that has carried me through, strengthened me as a mother, and shaped my faith day by day until now I can confidently say, 'God is good.'

Here in East Java, I am especially grateful for your Madurese program. Listening to God's Word in my heart language has strengthened my faith and deepened my understanding about God. The program is a blessing that reminds me that God's promises are true and that He never leaves His children." Well, what a beautiful testimony she has, isn't it? And you know, it is true. God never leaves us nor forsakes us.

To pray with us as we intercede for listeners like these all over the world, why don't you sign up for our World Prayer Team over at ttb.org? And if you'd like to share your story, you can email us through our app or at ttb.org, or send your note to box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109. In Canada, box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C 6B1. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, Your Word is a gift to us. Open our ears so that we understand the message You have for our hearts. In Jesus' name, amen. Let's turn to Revelation 9 as we make our way through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: Now we come to the last verse of the ninth chapter, and I got into it last time just a little ways, but I would like to pursue this a little farther before we move to the next chapter. Now we are in the period that John has labeled the Great Tribulation. He quit talking about churches at the end of chapter 3 because he'd been talking about seven different churches, and it was all about the church. Then in chapter 4, we are transferred to heaven, and we believe that we see the church there in the representatives of the 24 elders.

Now the church is removed from the earth. We are in the period known as the Great Tribulation period. So that however the parallel might fit to today, we have to say this is yet for the future. Now let me read again, if I may, verses 20 and 21, and I'm reading in my translation: "And the rest of the men who were not killed by these plagues repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons and idols of gold and silver and copper and stone and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts."

Last time we were dwelling upon that word "sorcery." Now the word "sorcery" in the Greek is *pharmakeion*. Now *pharmakeion* is almost by translation "pharmacy." And today drugstores are called pharmacies. When I was a boy, they were called drugstores. Today they are pharmacies, and of course now they sell everything. But pharmacy means drugs. It's the Greek word for drugs.

So that we find out that during the Great Tribulation period, drugs have figured into the lives of the unsaved a great deal. It of course serves several purposes. Drugs enable them to bear the judgments that we've had here of the Great Tribulation period. I'm sure that many a person in that period will turn to drugs when they're bitten by these locusts that have these stings in them.

And these locusts stinging them, I'm sure that it's an awful thing, although they don't die, they feel like they are going to die. And as a result, we have here a taking of drugs to overcome the pain and help them endure the Great Tribulation. And then drugs will figure largely in the religion of that day, and it will be a regular drug culture and drug religion in the days of the Great Tribulation period.

Now what we are seeing today is very small compared to what it will be then. Also, there will be resorting to everything that will deaden the pain or attempt to lift them out of the trouble of the Great Tribulation. Liquor will become certainly very prominent again. It's certainly very prominent now. And the big problem in this country today actually is not drugs, but it's alcohol.

I've been over that now several times, but I want to read to you a statement from Dr. Seiss—or Sice, as some call it—and Dr. Seiss was at the turn of the century. The book I have of his was printed, I think, in 1906. That goes back a long ways. Now I want to read his statement, and the reason I mentioned the date is I thought he wrote it yesterday, or maybe he was preparing it for tomorrow's edition of your local paper.

But let me read this statement, for this is his comment on the word "sorcery." I'm reading now: "We have only to think of the use of alcoholic stimulants, of opium, of tobacco, of the rage of cosmetics and medicaments to increase love attractions, of resorts to the pharmacopoeia in connection with sensuality, of the magical agents and treatments alleged to come from the spirit world for the benefit of people in this, of the thousand impositions in the way of medicines and remedial agents, encouraging mankind to reckless transgression with the hope of easily repairing the damages of nature's penalties, of the growing prevalence of crime induced by these things, setting loose and stimulating to activity the vilest passions which are eating out the moral sense of society, for the beginnings of that moral degeneracy to which the seer here alludes as characteristic of the period when the sixth trumpet is sounded."

And that's the end of the quotation. Now very frankly, you would think that he had written that for today. But in his day, drugs and even alcohol were not used to the extent that they are today. There was no great drug culture, nor were drugs and alcohol such a big problem in his day as they are today. And also drugs are used today in practically all of these modern cults that use sex as a drawing card also.

And so we are told here that they were guilty not only of sorceries but of fornication, not only of indulging in drunkenness and in drugs but also fornication, and that leads to thefts. Now it's alarming today the way that adultery is being practiced in this land. Of course, that is given by the crowd that are promoting it as an evidence of our liberty today and our tremendous advancement of civilization.

It's interesting that instead of playing the Requiem, they want to sing and dance and say that we're improving today, that the race is doing that thing. But fornication and robbery and thefts are going to be increased and the emphasis that will be placed upon them. I think that Antichrist will use all three of these to bring mankind into subjection to himself. Now this is a tremendous passage here, so that mankind will be easily lured in that day.

Under the influence of drugs, he will accept anything. One of the reasons that the nightclubs push liquor—not only for the money that there is in it, but it makes their entertainers acceptable. A very lousy singer or comedian just goes over good if you've had two cocktails, and three cocktails, he's a star. And that will put Antichrist over, and that is exactly what Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 2:9 through 12.

It says, "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 that's one of the reasons that I believe that the Gospel will go out to every creature before the rapture, and certainly each one's going to hear it during the Great Tribulation period.

So this only happens to those who've rejected the Word of God. And I'm reading now from Paul again: "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." And the moment that you reject the Gospel and shut your heart to God, you are wide open for the big lie when it comes along.

And that's the reason so many today fall for everything that comes along. Someone said, "Those that stand for nothing, they'll fall for anything." Well, that's it exactly. Those today that are not standing for the Word of God, they're easy prey for the cults. Now that brings us to chapter 10. And chapter 10 is the hiatus. Here is this period of explanation of the trumpets of something that we haven't gotten so far.

So we have here the interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets. And in the first seven verses, we have the strong angel with the little book. And then from verses 8 through 11, John eats the little book. This chapter begins the second of a series of interludes between the sixth and seventh of whatever the series was. It was first seals and now it's trumpets, and it's used to describe the various phases of the Great Tribulation that we'd not get otherwise.

And so between the sixth and seventh seals, there were two groups who were redeemed during the Great Tribulation, and they were sealed. Now here between the sixth and seventh trumpets, we have three personalities introduced. In this chapter, the mighty angel is described. And in chapter 11, the two witnesses are introduced, though not identified. Now there has been a very definite disagreement as to the identity of the mighty angel here. Let me read verse 1 in my translation.

"And I saw another strong or powerful angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire." Now as we've said, there's disagreement among outstanding and fundamental Bible expositors here. And this is one of the places where very frankly, I don't think it's fatal or that it's something that would divide brethren.

But you will find that Godet and Vincent, Pettingill, De Haan, Ironside, Walter Scott, and William Kelly all identify this strong angel as Christ. Now Newell and others consider him to be just an angel of great power and authority, but not Christ. And also Dr. Walvoord takes that viewpoint, and Vernon McGee takes that viewpoint also. Now you see that if you go with either crowd here, you'll be in good company.

But that first group are some men that I've had great respect for and have loved in the Lord. I've known three of those men, and they were my dear friends. But this is no occasion to divide, but I only say this, if you follow them, it'll be all right if you do, you'll be in good company. But of course, if you want to be right, you'll want to come along with me on this. Now I think there's ample evidence to show that he's only a mighty angel. In other words, Christ does not appear in Revelation as an angel.

Steve Schwetz: Wait, let's look at the text very carefully. We're told it's another strong angel.

Guest (Male): And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: It's true that in the Old Testament, you see the pre-incarnate Christ as *the* Angel of the Lord. But you see, after He took on Himself our humanity and He died and rose again, and He's now in a glorified body, we see Him in the place of great power and glory, yonder at God's right hand. Now we never see Him as an angel again. When He was here in His humanity, He was not an angel; He was a man.

And therefore, He is revealed in the Book of Revelation definitely as the glorified Christ, as the post-incarnate Christ. He's exalted to the nth degree, and it's well to keep before us constantly that this book is the unveiling of Jesus Christ. New glories of His person and His power and performance are unfolded in each chapter. And He's now the one judging a Christ-rejecting earth.

Now again let me say that we're told here, and I want to look at the text very carefully, we're told it's "another" strong angel. "Another" here actually means that it's another of the same kind. And the other strong angels that we were introduced to were back in chapter 5, verse 2, and there there was no argument; it was not Christ. And so it's the livery of this angel that has led some to identify him as Christ. That is, the way that he's garbed.

Though all angels are the servants of Christ in this final book of the Bible, this is evidently the special envoy of Christ. He's another great angel and he bears all the credentials of his exalted position. And he comes down out of heaven from the presence of Christ, the one who is in the midst of the throne. Now he's clothed with a cloud. That's his uniform as a special envoy from Christ.

The clouds of glory are associated with the second coming of Christ, but the angel described here is not coming in clouds of glory. But he's clothed with a cloud. Furthermore, this is not the second coming of Christ to the earth to establish His kingdom. Rather, this angel makes the announcement that He's coming soon. Angels, you recall, announced His first coming, and they will announce His second coming to the earth.

Now there's the rainbow upon his head. That's the cap for his uniform. And this is a reminder of God's covenant with man. That though the judgments have come thick and fast, and as we've seen, they're weird and wild and it beggars language to describe them, that rainbow indicates that God will not send a flood to destroy man again. We're told that his face was as the sun. That's his badge of identification.

This is the signature of the glorified Christ. It does not follow that this one must be therefore the Son of God. Why? Well, Moses' face shone after he'd been in the presence of God. This angel's face is shining because he's come out from the presence of Christ. And you'll recall the raiment of the creatures at the resurrection of Christ also shone. I'll not turn to it, but it's in Luke 24:4.

The angel of Revelation 18:1 is a light-giver as the sun and moon, yet no one asserts that he is Christ. I take it that this is not Christ, but is what it says—an angel, another great mighty angel. Now his feet are as pillars of fire. That's part of his uniform. He's come to make a special and solemn announcement of coming judgment, and all of these features of identification are his credentials and connect him to the person of Christ as His special envoy. The Lord Jesus is running everything at this particular point. He is the judge of all the earth.

Now verses 2 and 3 read: "And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders spoke their own voices." Now the little book engages our attention here. What is this little book? Is it the same book that you have back when the Lord Jesus took the seven-seal book and broke all the seals?

Now is the book an open book, is that the one, or is there another book in mind, and what book would it be? Well, we'll find out at this point that even some of the men that agreed with me about the angel, they're going to disagree with me about the book. But again I say to you, I'm sure that you'd like to be with this fine company of men, but you do want to be right, don't you? Well, we'll wait until next time and see what that is. So until then, may God richly bless you, my beloved.

Steve Schwetz: If you enjoyed these studies in Revelation and you want to expand your knowledge of prophecy, we've got several really good resources available that you can get in our app or online over at ttb.org. Or maybe if you need some help in finding something in particular, call us: 1-800-65-BIBLE. I'm Steve Schwetz, and I'll meet you back here as the Bible bus rolls along.