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35. Apollyon

10th October 2015 by Arthur Eedle

In a recent WP, Prelude to the Coming  I quoted from Luke’s Gospel, where Jesus prophesied some very dire circumstances that would prevail just before His return. There are other similar predictions to be found in both Testaments relating to “the Day of the Lord”, a formula directing us to times of judgment. Revelation is full of vivid picture language that has caused many simple believing souls to be scared of the future, and wonder what their young children might have to endure. For example, the rider on the red horse was given power to take peace from the earth, that men should slay one another. (6:4) The riders on the green horse (Death and Hades) were given power to slay a quarter of mankind. (6:8) When the second trumpet was blown a mountain-sized asteroid fell into the ocean – something similar to Luke’s prophecy mentioned before. (8:8-9) When the fifth angel blew his trumpet a plague of locusts was released from the abyss, together with King Apollyon (whose name means “destruction”). The very presence of this horde inspired such terror in mankind that they sought death, but could not find it. (9:1-11) When the sixth angel blew his trumpet, four malevolent angels were released to kill one third of the world’s population. (9:15-16)

 

By this time over half the world’s present population of 7.3 billion would be killed, which would mean something like a death toll of 4,000,000,000 men, women and children. Surely this must be far in excess of the death toll during Noah’s Flood?  But didn’t the Lord promise that such devastation would never again occur? He said, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, even though the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done.” (Gen.8:21) Some have said, as the manner in which God gets round His former promise, that He only promised not to send a Flood again, but instead He’ll send Fire. . . . . such awful subtlety and cunning attributed to the Almighty.

 

This is not good enough! True Biblical scholars could never accede to such devious tactics, which fly in the face of all we learn of the true character of God liberally recorded in the pages of the Bible. God is not the Author of destruction. His name is not Apollyon. That is the character of Satan who is always ready to destroy. So what are we going to do with all the terrifying imagery in Revelation? Are we going to accept it, shrug our shoulders, and say, “Sorry, old chap, it’s inevitable. God has forecast it, so it’ll have to happen. God has spoken, and He’ll have to keep to the letter of His word.”

 

Men of God in Biblical times have not had this attitude, indeed, quite the opposite. Abraham courageously approached the Lord time and again about the destruction of Sodom. He couldn’t contemplate wholesale destruction. Moses was told by God that He would destroy all Israel and make a new dynasty through him. But he pleaded with the Lord not to do this, and the Lord heard and relented. Amos was shown in vision two terrible destructions taking place, and he cried to the Lord on behalf of Israel. The Lord heard and relented. Jonah was told that Nineveh would be destroyed after 40 days. But due to the city’s repentance it didn’t happen. It didn’t please Jonah but it warmed the heart of the Lord. Paul had great sorrow and unceasing anguish of heart concerning his people, and said, “I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen by race.”

 

Therefore, with mounting sorrow and grief in my own heart I cry out to God’s people today that we should behave in the fashion of these men of God, and not take the prophecies as set in stone, but put there by God to see how we would react to them. I am reminded of words by Kenneth Bailey in his wonderful book “Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes”,  when referring to some of the sad endings to parables, that to the mind of Middle Eastern people there is never any thought of just accepting disaster. Instead they look upon such pronouncements as the beginning of negotiations. In fact God expects us to negotiate with Him. He looks to us for our response, not blind acceptance of “fate”.

 

Bailey writes, If a Westerner is told by his employer, ‘You’re fired! Clear out your desk! I want you off the premises by 5 p.m. today!’  he will understand that he is fired and start packing at once in readiness to depart at 5 p.m. But a traditional  Middle Easterner would listen to such a speech and conclude, ‘The master is clearly very upset. Hmm – I see I have a long negotiating process ahead of me. I must seek help from my friends. This is a very serious matter that requires immediate attention.’  (Page 406) If this is the way in which the People of the Book understood divine declarations, it behoves us to copy them.

 

Brethren, it is time to negotiate with the Lord. Are we going to accept the literal fulfilment of judgmental pronouncements? Should we not instead plead for mercy, cry for the people of the world that as with Nineveh a great repentance will come, and tragedy will be averted. To think and act otherwise would mean defiling of the character of the Lord. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

 

The Lord said to Noah that He would “never again curse the ground because of man,” but to Malachi he promised to send Elijah “before the terrible day of the Lord” in order that He would not have to curse the earth again. We must see the force of these words, and know that God has Himself shown us the way to negotiate for the world, instead of blindly accepting multiple destructions and further curses.

 

Are you complacent with Apollyon’s destructive activities, or will you fight for your fellow men, even to cry for the return of Elijah? I believe this message to be urgent in the face of escalating violence and corruption in this world. What will it be like in a year’s time?

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: The Wayside Pulpit 2015

About Arthur Eedle

Arthur was born in 1931, and became a Christian in 1948. At London University he gained a 2nd honours degree in Physics. He went on to get a Teaching Diploma, and throughout his career life taught physics in England, Kenya, and Hong Kong. Coupled with his love of science, he was a keen student of Greek and Hebrew, and gave many lectures on Biblical subjects. Read more

The Wayside Pulpit 2015

1. Focus

3rd January 2015 By Arthur Eedle

2. John Kensit

4th January 2015 By Arthur Eedle

3. The Second Eve – The Story of the Bride

7th January 2015 By Arthur Eedle

4. Forgiveness

9th January 2015 By Arthur Eedle

5. Borrowed

12th January 2015 By Arthur Eedle

6. Poverty and Riches

19th January 2015 By Arthur Eedle

7. Chief of Music

21st January 2015 By Arthur Eedle

8. Lucifer

22nd January 2015 By Arthur Eedle

9. Interpreting Prophecy

23rd January 2015 By Arthur Eedle

10. The Middle Man of Babylon

23rd January 2015 By Arthur Eedle

11. The Middle Man of Tyre

27th January 2015 By Arthur Eedle

12. Dealing with Cancer

28th January 2015 By Arthur Eedle

13. The Consuming Fire, Part 1

8th February 2015 By Arthur Eedle

14. The Consuming Fire, Part 2

10th February 2015 By Arthur Eedle

15. The Consuming Fire, Part 3

11th February 2015 By Arthur Eedle

16. The Consuming Fire, Part 4

12th February 2015 By Arthur Eedle

17. The Carrington Event

23rd March 2015 By Arthur Eedle

18. The 4th Day Enigma

21st April 2015 By Arthur Eedle

19. 4,000 years, Part 1

9th May 2015 By Arthur Eedle

20. 2,000 years, Part 2

10th May 2015 By Arthur Eedle

21. Commended

28th May 2015 By Arthur Eedle

22. The Power of Little Words

7th July 2015 By Arthur Eedle

23. Choice

12th August 2015 By Arthur Eedle

24. Warfare

13th August 2015 By Arthur Eedle

25. Vision of David

6th September 2015 By Arthur Eedle

26. Psalm 22. Part 1. The Psalm Number

15th September 2015 By Arthur Eedle

27. Psalm 22. (Part 2) The Worm

16th September 2015 By Arthur Eedle

28. Psalm 22. (Part 3) The Cry

17th September 2015 By Arthur Eedle

29. Prelude to the Coming

4th October 2015 By Arthur Eedle

30. Faith and the Universe

5th October 2015 By Arthur Eedle

31. Michaelmas

6th October 2015 By Arthur Eedle

32. Verbal Inspiration (Part One)

7th October 2015 By Arthur Eedle

33. Verbal Inspiration (Part Two)

8th October 2015 By Arthur Eedle

34. The Caterpillar

9th October 2015 By Arthur Eedle

35. Apollyon

10th October 2015 By Arthur Eedle

36. ESTHER

11th October 2015 By Arthur Eedle

37. New Series. Part 1. Eusebius

11th November 2015 By Arthur Eedle

38. New Series. Part 2. Josephus

12th November 2015 By Arthur Eedle

39. New Series. Part 3. Temple Gold

13th November 2015 By Arthur Eedle

40. New Series. Part 4. The Escape

14th November 2015 By Arthur Eedle

41. A Shattering Contrast

5th December 2015 By Arthur Eedle

42. The Bottle

19th April 2016 By Arthur Eedle

43. The Egg-Timer

1st May 2016 By Arthur Eedle

44. Miracles

18th June 2016 By Arthur Eedle

45. Which Love?

20th June 2016 By Arthur Eedle

46. UNTIL. Part 1

22nd June 2016 By Arthur Eedle

47. UNTIL. Part 2

24th June 2016 By Arthur Eedle

48. UNTIL. Part 3

27th June 2016 By Arthur Eedle

49. UNTIL. Part 4

28th June 2016 By Arthur Eedle

50. UNTIL. Part 5

29th June 2016 By Arthur Eedle

51. UNTIL. Part 6

30th June 2016 By Arthur Eedle

52. UNTIL. Part 7

1st July 2016 By Arthur Eedle

53. UNTIL. Part 8

2nd July 2016 By Arthur Eedle

54. UNTIL. Part 9

3rd July 2016 By Arthur Eedle

55. UNTIL. Part 10

4th July 2016 By Arthur Eedle

56. Days of Noah. Part 1

8th July 2016 By Arthur Eedle

57. Days of Noah. Part 2

9th July 2016 By Arthur Eedle

58. Days of Noah. Part 3

10th July 2016 By Arthur Eedle

59. Days of Noah. Part 4

11th July 2016 By Arthur Eedle

60. Days of Noah. Part 5

12th July 2016 By Arthur Eedle

61. Days of Noah. Part 6

13th July 2016 By Arthur Eedle

62. Days of Noah. Part 7

14th July 2016 By Arthur Eedle

63. Days of Noah. Part 8

15th July 2016 By Arthur Eedle

64. Days of Noah. Part 9

16th July 2016 By Arthur Eedle

65. The Promise. Part 1

1st September 2016 By Arthur Eedle

66. The Promise. Part 2

2nd September 2016 By Arthur Eedle

67. The Promise. Part 3

3rd September 2016 By Arthur Eedle

68. The Promise. Part 4

4th September 2016 By Arthur Eedle

69. The Promise. Part 5

5th September 2016 By Arthur Eedle

70. The Promise. Part 6

6th September 2016 By Arthur Eedle

71. The Promise. Part 7

7th September 2016 By Arthur Eedle

72. The Promise Part 8

8th September 2016 By Arthur Eedle

73. The Promise. Part 9

9th September 2016 By Arthur Eedle

74. The Promise. Part 10

10th September 2016 By Arthur Eedle

75. The Promise. Part 11

11th September 2016 By Arthur Eedle

76. The Promise. Part 12

12th September 2016 By Arthur Eedle

77. Believers’ Suffering

28th September 2016 By Arthur Eedle

78. A Wonderful Creator

13th October 2016 By Arthur Eedle

79. God’s Character

15th October 2016 By Arthur Eedle

82. Faith. 1

21st November 2016 By Arthur Eedle

83. Faith. 2

22nd November 2016 By Arthur Eedle

84. Faith. 3

23rd November 2016 By Arthur Eedle

85. Faith. 4

24th November 2016 By Arthur Eedle

86. Faith. 5

25th November 2016 By Arthur Eedle

87. Faith. 6

26th November 2016 By Arthur Eedle

88. Faith. 7

27th November 2016 By Arthur Eedle

89. Faith. 8

28th November 2016 By Arthur Eedle

90. Faith. 9

30th November 2016 By Arthur Eedle

91. Faith. 10

1st December 2016 By Arthur Eedle

94. Christmas

8th December 2016 By Arthur Eedle

95. Toy Soldiers

17th December 2016 By Arthur Eedle

96. God of Forces

21st December 2016 By Arthur Eedle

97. More on the God of Forces

22nd December 2016 By Arthur Eedle

98. Final on the God of Forces

23rd December 2016 By Arthur Eedle

99. The House with Many Mansions

30th December 2016 By Arthur Eedle

100. New Year Greetings

31st December 2016 By Arthur Eedle

Article Series

  • All our Yesterdays (30)
  • Before He comes (13)
  • God's Spoken Word (37)
  • Mysteries of Science & Faith (8)
  • New Series (101)
  • Newsletter (2)
  • Original Series (109)
  • Prophecy considerations (5)
  • Recognising the Hand of Judgment (33)
  • Resurrection and Change (16)
  • Seekers Corner (14)
  • Simple Statements on Serious Subjects (6)
  • The City of God (18)
  • The Millennial Octave (23)
  • The Restitution Times (22)
  • The Song of Solomon (6)
  • The Standard (19)
  • The Wayside Pulpit (107)
  • The Wayside Pulpit 2015 (96)
  • The Wellspring (101)
  • The Wellspring 2017 (55)

Index of Topics

Arthur & Rosalind Eedle's Personal Testimonies Discipleship Expository Items Good and Evil Human Pre-Existance Jane Leade. Philadelphian Numerology in the Bible Quotations from other Authors Resurrection and the Change Ron Wyatt. Archaeology Science Topics The Kingdom of God the Millennium and the Return of Christ The Sabbath Day Universal Reconcilliation

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