Revelation chapter 9
At the fifth trumpet, Satan unlocks the abyss. Scorpions sting ungodly people. At the sixth trumpet, four demons kill one third of all people.
THE FIFTH TRUMPET
VERSE 1. The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him.
a star … fallen to the earth. This suggests a meteorite. However, a few words later, the fallen star is referred to as a “he.” It is Satan.
The key … was given to him. Until this moment, Satan did not have this key.
the pit of the abyss. The Abyss is a bottomless pit. It is the home of demons. Read more »
VERSE 2. He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit.
the pit. The Abyss is a bottomless pit. It is the home of demons. Read more »
sun and the air were darkened. The gases escaping from the bottomless pit are poisoning the air.
VERSE 3. Then out of the smoke came locusts on the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
out of the smoke came locusts on the earth. Here comes an army of locusts. Will this be a plague like the locusts in Egypt?
power was given to them, as the scorpions. The power of scorpions is to sting and inflict great suffering. These locusts can do the same things.
VERSE 4. They were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those people who don’t have God’s seal on their foreheads.
They were told. The locusts were told.
should not hurt the grass. In ancient days, locusts were feared because they ate up all the grass. But these locusts do not eat any grass.
only those people who don’t have God’s seal. Only the ungodly may be harmed. Back in Revelation 7:3-4, the angels had put a seal on the forehead of 144,000 authentic servants of God.
VERSE 5. They were given power, not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a person.
torment them for five months. The locusts inflict great suffering.
VERSE 6. In those days people will seek death, and will in no way find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them.
people will seek death. The suffering inflicted by the locusts will be so great that people will prefer to die.
death will flee from them. Even though they wish to die, death flees from them. We wonder what this means:
- That they are supernaturally prevented from suicide?
- They cannot be killed?
VERSE 7. The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for war. On their heads were something like golden crowns, and their faces were like people’s faces.
The shapes of the locusts. They have a fascinating appearance. They seem completely unnatural, or perhaps supernatural, as if designed explicitly for this one moment in history.
VERSE 8. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like those of lions.
VERSE 9. They had breastplates, like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, or of many horses rushing to war.
like the sound of chariots. Some people imagine that they sound like helicopters.
VERSE 10. They have tails like those of scorpions, and stings. In their tails they have power to harm men for five months.
for five months. This is a long time for such intense suffering to last.
VERSE 11. They have over them as king the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is “Abaddon”, but in Greek, he has the name “Apollyon”.
the angel. Satan commands this army of locust-demons.
the abyss. The Abyss is a bottomless pit. It is the home of demons. Read more »
Abaddon … Apollyon. Both of those words mean “destroyer.” Satan and his demons are destroyers:
John 10:10. The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.
VERSE 12. The first woe is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after this.
THE SIXTH TRUMPET
VERSE 13. The sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God,
The sixth angel sounded. This section might relate to the final military conflict, described in Daniel 11:40-45 and Revelation 16:12-16.
VERSE 14. saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!”
the four angels. Who are these four angels? From the verses that follow, we see that they are fallen angels. That is, demons.
who are bound. Righteous angels would not be chained. That suggests that these are fallen angels. That is, demons.
VERSE 15. The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind.
kill one third of mankind. One out of every three people on earth will die.
VERSE 16. The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million. I heard the number of them.
two hundred million. That is a whole lot of horsemen!
VERSE 17. Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the horses’ heads resembled lions’ heads. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur.
Thus I saw. Like the appearance of the locusts, these horses and riders also have a fascinating appearance.
They seem completely unnatural, or perhaps supernatural, as if designed explicitly for this one moment in history.
Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur. That is, fire and brimstone. This is where the expression comes from: fire and brimstone.
Interestingly, in Christian culture, it is used in reference to angry preaching that condemns people: “He preaches fire and brimstone!”
VERSE 18. By these three plagues were one third of mankind killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths.
one third of mankind killed. Sure enough, one out of three people on earth died.
VERSE 19. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads, and with them they harm.
VERSE 20. The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn’t repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn’t worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can’t see, hear, or walk.
VERSE 21. They didn’t repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.
They didn’t repent. The people who survived are quite resistant. They will NOT change their lives.
REVELATION
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.