Ch 9: The Fifth trumpet
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1.7. The fifth trumpet, the first Woe! (9:1)
9:1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
Rev 9:7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.
12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.
v1 - The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. - Sweet notes the hint of Satanic parody: 'the key of the pit is given to the fallen one; the keys of Death and Hades are held by the risen one (1:18)'. Various interpretations are given of this star, this is similar to Rev 20:1 in which an angel from heaven has the keys to the Abyss. In this case the star had fallen from heaven to the earth, this reminds us of 12:9 in which Satan was hurled to earth with his angels, in which case the star is Satan. In Isa 14:12 the morning star is cast to the earth, this is usually seen as a reference to Satan who has fallen to the earth. Jesus saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven (Luke 10:18). He should probably be identified with the angel of the Abyss who is identified in v 11 as the destroyer, stars are sometimes a reference to angels (see Rev 1:20), the angel of the Abyss is also called Destroyer which would again fit Satan. In 12:4 the dragon swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to earth, this is likely to be a reference to the angels who followed Satan. The Abyss is also where the beast comes out of (Rev 11:7, 17:8, 18:8), it is where Satan is bound (Rev 20:3). In Luke 8:3 the evil spirits beg Jesus not to send them into the abyss, which is a place of torment (Mat 8:29), in Romans 10:7 it seems to be the abode of the dead. The star 'was given' the key to the shaft of the Abyss which again indicates the sovereignty of God. If the fifth trumpet is interpreted as a demonic attack upon mankind then it would seem natural for the star to be their master, that is Satan.
v2 - When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. - There are similarities to the sixth seal Rev 6:12 in which the sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, see Joel 2:10. Darkness can be a symbol of the demonic, in this case it certainly is, Satan's kingdom is a kingdom of darkness (Col 1:13). If the Abyss is a place of torment for demons (Mat 8:29, Luke 8:31) then if it is opened we would expect a stream of demons to come out together with smoke from the fire, here John has mixed the smoke from the furnace with the stream of demonic hordes. Compare the smoke from the Abyss with the dense smoke from the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah that looked like 'smoke from a furnace', Gen 19:28, and the presence of the Lord on Mount Sinai, Exo 19:18.
v3 - And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. - This brings into mind Joel's vision of the locusts in Joel 1 and 2. The locusts are not ordinary locusts but are demonic powers to bring misery and darkness into the lives of men. The characteristic of locusts is that they devour everything, they destroy everything in their path, see v11, in which their king is called Abaddon which means destroyer. They also indicate a judgement of God as in the eighth plague of locusts upon Egypt (Exo 10:4), see also 2 Chr 7:13, Amos 4:9. Notice that they were given (indicating divine permission) power like that of a scorpion of the earth. For the use of scorpions to indicate the demonic see Luke 10:19 where Jesus gives his disciples 'authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you'.
v4 - They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads - They were told not to harm their normal food, they are still under the sovereignty of God. Compare this with God's command to the angels before the seven trumpets, Rev 7:3, not to 'harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God'. Compare this with the first trumpet in which the earth, trees and grass was burnt up, now the locusts are told not to harm the grass or any plant or tree. Instead of vegetation they must harm mankind v 4b. They could only harm the ungodly, they can not harm the saints, see Luke 10:19 in which the disciples are given power over snakes, scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will harm them (note that snakes and scorpions refers to the demonic). Yet again the limited power of the locusts is a sign of God's Sovereignty. They could not harm the sealed, who were sealed before the trumpets sounded, thus the church who is still on the earth is not hurt by this plague as were the Israelites (cf. Exo 8:22, 9:4, 26, 10:23 and 11:7). This seems to be a massive onslaught by demonic powers upon all mankind in the last days. Here there is no mention of one third as with the first four and indeed the sixth trumpet, it seems to be a universal affliction upon mankind. Perhaps it is connected to the fifth seal which indicates the martyrs that have died. Hailey points out that the distinction made here between the sealed and those not sealed is further proof that the number one hundred and forty-four thousand represents the saints on earth at any point in time, and not a special group of saved persons in the final day.
v5 - They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. - They could not kill them but only torture them for a limited time, that is limited power and duration because five months is about the locust lifetime, these trumpets are warnings to mankind and not final judgements as are the seven bowls. The effect of the locust in Joel 1:12 is to take away joy. The effect of evil spirits on mankind is to torment, Acts 5:16, and trouble people, Luke 6:18, in Luke 9:39 the demon tries to destroy the child. Luke 10:19 indicates the demonic nature of the scorpions. This reminds us of Job, Satan could do what he wanted to Job but had to spare his life; they torment but do not kill those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. In verse 3 we saw that the locusts had been given power to sting like a scorpion, here we see the resulting agony which was like that of a scorpions sting. The scripture teaches that in the last days there will be an outbreak of demonic doctrines, deceiving spirits, counterfeit signs and wonders that deceives those who are perishing (1 Tim 4:1-3, 2 Thess 2:9-12). There is further evidence of this in Revelation in the counterfeit Christ and miracles of the beast out of the earth (13:11-15), and the three evil spirits that come out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet (16:13-14).
v6 - During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. - Men will seek death, men meaning mankind, because of the pain caused by the sting. The sting is not fatal, like a scorpions sting. It is difficult to interpret this verse, it looks eschatological, 'those days' may refer to a time right near the end. This torment of the locust sting is limited to this life only where there is at least the possibility of death, otherwise they would not wish to die. Contrast this desire to die with Paul's desire to die and be with the Lord (Phil 1:23, Morris). Their situation is like Job's who longed to die (Job 3:21).
v7 - The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. - This begins a description of the locusts. The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, see Joel 2:4, this is true in nature. Something 'like' but not crowns of gold, these are also worn by the twenty four elders (Rev 4:4) and by Jesus (Rev 14:14). Their faces resemble human faces, they had the cunning, cruelty and intelligence of men, (Mounce) this could also indicate the personal nature of the attack.
v8 - Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. - The long hair may be a symbol of vitality, like Absalom and Samson. Like their faces their hair makes them look almost human but their cruelty is demonic. Lions' teeth emphasises their power, Joel 1:6.
v9 - They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. - Breast plates of iron emphasises their impregnability. The sound of their wings heightens their terror. Chariots rushing into battle sounds like Joel's description of an army of locusts, Joel 2:5.
v10 - They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. - This enlarges on the description of scorpions in verses 3 and 5. The most likely interpretation is that this refers to demonic oppression on the minds of men. The purpose was to bring men to repentance (v 20). Once again their power is of limited duration, 5 months, it is a warning to mankind. God uses even the schemes of Satan for his own designs.
v11 - They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. - Abaddon=Destroyer=Sheol or Hades, the land of death, darkness, silence. Locusts destroy every living thing in their path as does Abaddon. The Greek Apollyon also means destroyer. There could be a link with the Greek god Apollo and could be a link with the emperor Domitian who liked to be regarded as Apollo incarnate was in reality a manifestation of the powers of the underworld (Mounce). The locust was one of the symbols of the god Apollo (Mounce). The angel of the Abyss from verse 1 is here identified as the Destroyer, this description best fits Satan, who is called the destroyer in John 10:10, he is king of these demonic hordes. This seems to be an unprecedented demonic attack upon mankind during the last days, possibly associated with the antichrist whose miraculous powers are demonic, Rev 16:14.
v12 - The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come. - This ends the first woe and introduces the remaining two, and worse Woes. This indicates that there is a time sequence in that the sixth trumpet follows the fifth trumpet.
1.8. The sixth trumpet, the second Woe! (9:13)
Rev 9:13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number. 17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulphur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulphur. 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulphur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
20 The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshipping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
v13 - The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. - The golden altar is connected to the prayers of the saints (Rev 8:3). The sixth trumpet is in response to the prayers of the saints. For horn, see Lev 8:15, when Moses slaughtered the bull he took some of the blood with his finger and touched the horns of the altar to purify the altar.
v14 - It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates" - The four angels are bound so they must evil, they are released at God's command, whose purpose is to get men to repent, see verses 20-21. The four angels cover each direction of the compass, the idea being that they are released to affect the whole earth. Compare these angels with the first four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, 7:1. The Euphrates marks the boundary between Israel and her enemies (Gen 15:18, Deu 1:7, Jos 1:4), Babylon which is on the Euphrates would be to the North of Israel and it is from the North that her enemies came (Jer 25:9, Ezek 26:7, 39:2). Compare this with the sixth bowl (Rev 16:12) in which the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East. Compare also with the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.
v15 - And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. - The precise timing of their release indicates that they are under the divine control of God. Their purpose is to kill a third of mankind, no more no less, that is a limited number, because this is a warning to mankind. From the precise timing of their release this seems to be a specific event in history, and is therefore probably eschatological, in the light of the discussion in the next verse this event corresponds to the second coming (compare with Mat 24:36, Acts 1:7, Gen 7:11) or at least the final battle associated with it. Compare the sixth seal, sixth trumpet and sixth bowl, they all seem to refer to either the last battle or the second coming.
v16 - The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number. - The troops are mounted, meaning that they are prepared for war. Two hundred million is a large number which he could not count, but he heard their number. Compare the description here with the chariots of God in Psa 68:17, the horses like a swarm of locusts in Jer 51:27 and the horses that fly like a vulture swooping to devour of Hab 1:8. In Joel the army invades mankind on the day of the Lord (Joel 2:11-11) as this is the sixth trumpet and the seventh trumpet depicts the handing over of the world to Christ, his eternal reign and the judgement, this vision corresponds to the last great battle (see Joel 3:1-2, 9-16). The last great battle is also found in Rev 16:14, 17:14, 19:17, 20:7. Note that the sixth seal also corresponds to the second coming (Rev 6:12). The sixth bowl refers to the battle on the great day of God Almighty (Rev 16:14) and the second coming is mentioned in the next verse (16:15). This is another example of the parallelism of the book.
v17 - The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulphur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulphur. - Here is the only place in which John indicates that what he saw was in a vision. The breastplates had the same colours as the fire, smoke and sulphur which came out of the horses' mouths, see v18, this indicates the unified purpose of both horse and rider. Compare the lions' heads here with the lions' teeth of the locusts, this indicates strength.
v18 - A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulphur that came out of their mouths.- This imagery seems to refers to war. The imagery like the locusts is similar to Joel 2:4-5, 'They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry. With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountain tops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle.' Once again it is a limited number that is killed, a third of mankind is killed. Fire and sulphur remind us of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:24, Luke 17:29), this was God's judgement on wickedness, a foretaste of hell (Jude 1:7 cf. Rev 14:10-11).
v19 - The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury. - The snakes indicate their demonic origin, Luke 10:19. The three plagues of fire, smoke and sulphur came out of their mouths, v17, 18. Their tails also inflict injury. The word for snake (ophis) is the same word used to describe Satan in 12:9 (see also 12:14, 15, 20:2 cf. John 3:14, 2 Cor 11:3)
v20 - The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands they did not stop worshipping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk. - Mankind is here accused of worshipping demons and in the fifth trumpet they are plagued by demons and possibly also in the sixth trumpet, the warning fits the sin. Later we find mankind worshipping the dragon and the beast (13:4) and his image (13:15) that is idolatry. The plagues are directed at unrepentant mankind, not at God's people, those who survive these plagues still did not repent. Some are killed by these plagues but to the rest they are warnings to man to repent. Consider Jesus reaction to the persecution of the Jews by Pilate or to those who died when the tower fell on those in Siloam (Luke 13:1-5) his reaction was to say to the people 'do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.' Despite the warning plagues from God, some natural some not, man refuses to worship God and give him the glory as Creator, Amos 4:10.
First man is guilty of idolatry, worshipping created things not the Creator, Rom 1:23. He breaks the first tablet of the law (Ex 20:3-11, Deu 5:7, 2 King 17:35-39) rather than worship the creator (Rev 14:7). The stupidity of idolatry is emphasised by the phase 'idols that cannot see or hear or walk' in contrast to the living creator God, Dan 5:23, Psa 115:4-5, Jer 10:5. This hammers home the point that despite these plagues mankind prefers to worship created things rather than God, the message of Revelation is that mankind is to worship God and Him alone. Consider the worship of the living creatures and the elders of the Creator God, 4:8-11; the worship of the Lamb, 5:8 ff.; all the inhabitants of the earth worship the beast, 13:8 (compare the worship of demons and idols here with the worship of the beast and his image in 13:8, 15).
Consider also the message of the first angel flying in mid-air proclaiming the eternal gospel which is to fear God and give him glory and to worship him as Creator, 14:6-7; consider the dire warning to those who worship the beast and his image in 14:9-11. Twice John is rebuked because he worshipped an angel (19:10, 22:8) and is told to worship God. In the case of the church at Pergamum and Thyatira eating food offered to idols is condemned (2:14, 20). Note that in 21:8 the place of idolaters is in the fiery lake of burning sulphur, we should therefore see the trumpets as agents of God's mercy rather than wrath, despite the fact that people do not repent. Notice the response of those at Ephesus who practised sorcery, they publicly burned their books on sorcery; it is better to burn ones books on the occult than to burn in the lake of fire. God's decree in Deu 7:5, 12:3 is to break down the altars, smash the sacred stones and burn the idols in the fire, see Josiah's response in 2 Kings 23 who did as described in Deuteronomy.
v21 - Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts - This is the first indictment against mankind, they did not repent, see also: Rev 11:18, Rev 14:7, Rev 14:9-11, Rev 16:5-6, Rev 16:8-11. Having rejected God as creator mankind now inevitably breaks the second tablet of the law (Deu 5:17 and Rom 1:24, 28). The punishment is indicated in Rev 21:8, their (murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practise magic arts) lot will be in the lake of burning sulphur.
The seventh trumpet does not occur until after the Two Witnesses (Rev 11:14). There is an interlude of two visions similar to the interlude between the sixth and seventh seals.