Revelation Chapter 9
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
8 They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like those of lions.
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.
10 They have tails like those of scorpions, and stings. In their tails they have power to harm men for five months.
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".
12 The first woe is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after this.
13 The sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!"
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.
16 The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million. I heard the number of them.
17 Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulphur yellow; and the horses' heads resembled lions' heads. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulphur.
18 By these three plagues were one third of mankind killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulphur, which proceeded out of their mouths.
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.
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.
21 They didn't repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.
Footnotes
- Verse 2 (a burning)
- Textus Receptus adds "great"
- Verse 11 (Abaddon)
- "Abaddon" is a Hebrew word that means "ruin", "destruction", or "the place of destruction"
- Verse 11 (Apollyon)
- "Apollyon" means "Destroyer".
- Verse 16 (two hundred million)
- literally, "ten thousands of ten thousands"
- Verse 21 (sorceries)
- The word for "sorceries" (pharmakeia) also implies the use of potions, poisons, and drugs
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Revelation Chapter 9 Guide
At the sounding of the fifth trumpet the procedure of judgment takes a new form, passing from the material to the spiritual. The loosing of Satan is suggestive of the manifestation of satanic agency under the permission of God. Demons come forth, a terrible army, and scatter among the sons of men. It is noticeable that their power and time are limited by the government of God. The most terrible aspect of this visitation is that stricken men seek for death and are not able to find it.
The sounding of the sixth trumpet introduces a period of judgment in more terrible forms. Immense hosts of hitherto restrained powers of darkness sweep over the earth. The worship of demons is clearly mentioned in this connection as one of the manifestations of evil. The unholy traffic with the spirit world will issue in the devastation of men by these very spiritual agencies.
The closing declaration here is indeed terrible. Notwithstanding the awful dispensation of death, men unsmitten will not repent, but will continue in the same demon worship, with its consequent sins of murder, sorcery, and fornication.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Revelation Chapter 9 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- The fifth trumpet is followed by a representation of another star as falling from heaven and opening the bottomless pit, out of which come swarms of locusts. -- (1-12)
- The sixth trumpet is followed by the loosing of four angels bound in the great river Euphrates. -- (13-21)
Verses 1-12
Upon sounding the fifth trumpet, a star fell from heaven to the earth. Having ceased to be a minister of Christ, he who is represented by this star becomes the minister of the devil; and lets loose the powers of hell against the churches of Christ. On the opening of the bottomless pit, there arose a great smoke. The devil carries on his designs by blinding the eyes of men, by putting out light and knowledge, and promoting ignorance and error. Out of this smoke there came a swarm of locusts, emblems of the devil's agents, who promote superstition, idolatry, error, and cruelty. The trees and the grass, the true believers, whether young or more advanced, should be untouched. But a secret poison and infection in the soul, should rob many others of purity, and afterwards of peace. The locusts had no power to hurt those who had the seal of God. God's all-powerful, distinguishing grace will keep his people from total and final apostacy. The power is limited to a short season; but it would be very sharp. In such events the faithful share the common calamity, but from the pestilence of error they might and would be safe. We collect from Scripture, that such errors were to try and prove the Christians, 1Co 11:19. And early writers plainly refer this to the first great host of corrupters who overspread the Christian church.
Verses 13-21
The sixth angel sounded, and here the power of the Turks seems the subject. Their time is limited. They not only slew in war, but brought a poisonous and ruinous religion. The antichristian generation repented not under these dreadful judgments. From this sixth trumpet learn that God can make one enemy of the church a scourge and a plague to another. The idolatry in the remains of the eastern church and elsewhere, and the sins of professed Christians, render this prophecy and its fulfilment more wonderful. And the attentive reader of Scripture and history, may find his faith and hope strengthened by events, which in other respects fill his heart with anguish and his eyes with tears, while he sees that men who escape these plagues, repent not of their evil works, but go on with idolatries, wickedness, and cruelty, till wrath comes upon them to the utmost.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.