The Book of Revelation
Chapter 9
The Last Three Trumpets - Revelation 9:1-21
Rev. 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. (KJV) Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and John saw a star falling to earth from the sky, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.
The next 3 Trumpet Judgments are seperated from the first four. This particular period will most likely be the worst part of the Great Tribulation; but, we as God’s children, should not let the things in this chapter frighten us. The woe judgments (last 3 trumpets), will mark the darkest, most intense and most painful part of the Tribulation period, generally associated with the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation, also known as the 70th week of Daniel (Dan.9:24-27). This will be a terrible time! Our Lord tells us this. Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (KJV)
This 5th angel brings on the first of the WOE judgments. The "star" is not a literal star. It is very possible that it is yet another of God's good angels, for this verse tells us to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. We do not know who this star is. But it is most likely a good angel, because the key to the shaft of the Abyss (bottomless pit, Hades) is normally held by Christ (Rev.1:17-18), and is now given to this “star” (being, angel) from Heaven (Rev.20:1). This being is totally under God’s control and authority. The Abyss represents the place of the demons and Satan, the king of the demons (Rev.9:11). Luke 8:31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. (KJV) The demons begged Jesus not to send them into the Bottomless Pit.
Rev. 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. (KJV) When he (the angel or living being) opened the pit, smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air were darkened by the smoke.
When the bottomless pit was unlocked, horrific, black, stinking smoke gushed out, as though a volcano had errupted. This will be a world-wide smog as has never been seen before.
Rev. 9:3-4 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. [4] And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. (KJV) Then locusts came out of the smoke and descended on the Earth, and they were given power to sting like scorpions. Their orders were not to hurt the grass, plants or trees; but instead they were to attack all the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
The prophet Joel described a locust plague that would take place in the day of the Lord (the Great Tribulation). Joel 2:1-5 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; [2] A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. [3] A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. [4] The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. [5] Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. (KJV) In the Old Testsment, locusts were symbols of destruction because they destroyed vegetation. Here in Rev.9:3-4, locusts symbolize an invasion of demons called by God to torture ONLY the people who do not believe in God.
These locusts are quite unusual and frightening.
- (1) They eat no plants or vegetation.
- (2) These locusts are literal creatures; and resemble the literal animals named: lion, horse, scorpion and man. The 8th plague in Egypt was that of locusts (Ex.10:12-20).
Rev. 9:5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. (KJV) The locusts were told not to kill, just torture unbelievers for five months with agony like the pain of scorpion stings.
God places a time limit on the demons torturing people; five months. This shows that they are under God’s authority, as is everything at all times! These demons are the fallen angels who joined Satan in his rebellion and fall. They can do NOTHING without God’s permission. Their main purpose in this judgment on Earth is to prevent, destroy, distort people’s relationship with God. Not all demons are in the Bottomless Pit. There are some serving Satan today (Luke 8:31). It is very important to recognize their evil activity so we can stay away from them, but we must avoid any curiousity about them and we must not get involved with them in any way.
Rev. 9:6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. (KJV) In those days people will want to die, but death will not come.
There shall be many people in this awful period who will try to end their lives because of the constant torture; but that will not be possible. Death will not come to them.
Rev. 9:7-10 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. [8] And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. [9] And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. [10] And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. (KJV) I read a commentary on this Passage recently. The author’s theory was that this was the modern day helicopter. All I know is what God states through John. These grotesque “locusts” look like horses; have faces like men; have hair like women (long), have teeth like lions and have tails like scorpions. These do NOT kill! They just torture people! Personally, I think if this were helicopters, there would be death, for helicopters would be associated with war and killing. How could a helicopter "sting like a scorpion"? But, as I said before, I am NOT a scholar. I know only God places on my heart. Whatever these are, there shall be human agony like has never been known before! You do NOT want to be there!
Rev. 9:11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. (KJV) These locusts have a king. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon, the Destroyer.
These locust-demons have a leader (king) whose name in Hebrew means destruction and in Greek means destroyer. These are NOT regular locusts (insects) as we know them. Proverbs 30:27 states that locusts (insects) have NO king.
Rev. 9:12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. (KJV) The first terror is past, but woe be to them on Earth, two more terrors are coming!
I wouldn’t want to be around for the first woe, let alone two more to follow. The first woe lasted 5 months. Apparently the 2nd two woes will cover the remaining part of the 2 1/2 years. This verse seems to be warning that worse things are yet to come.
Rev. 9:13-14 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, [14] Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. (KJV) When the sixth angel blew his trumpet, John heard a voice speaking from the four corners of the gold altar that stands in the Presence of God. The voice spoke to the sixth angel who held the trumpet: "Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River."
When the 6th angel sounds his trumpet, it brings on the 2nd woe. The altar in the Temple had four projections, one at each corner, and these were called horns of the altar (Ex.27:2). The 6th angel who sounds his trumpet also does something else. A voice from the golden altar (most likely Christ), commands him to release the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. These four angels most certainly are evil angels! What other reason would they be bound? Why they were bound here (near where the Garden of Eden was) must have a significant meaning. This area is where the first sin began! The first murder was here; the first war was here; this is where the Flood began; this is where the people built a tower (Babel) as a monument to their greatness (Gen.11:4); this is where the Israelites were brought after their captivity in Babylon, and where they then turned to idolatry. These four “angels” will cause much devastation. It will be in this general area that Satan will finally fall.
Rev. 9:15-16 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. [16] And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. (KJV) The four angels who had been prepared for this particular moment, were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth. They led an army of 200 million mounted troops . . . John heard how many there were.
When these four angels are released, there will be WAR! These angels are very specific angels, and they have a very specific job! They will not be loosed until exactly the right moment! This is on God’s time clock . . . NOT ours! These demons will be in control of 200 million soldiers! Can you even imagine that many troops? I cannot! From where do all these soldiers come? China, Japan and India could very easily come up with that amount. When this takes place, one third of all the people in the world will be killed. In Rev.6:7-8, one fourth of the world’s population was killed, so that is over half the people in the world, killed by God’s great judgments. Even more would have been killed if God did not set limits on the destruction. Is God good? YES! Is God a God of love? YES! Absolutely! BUT . . . you must do things His way; you must abide by God’s rules or face His wrath and judgment! Your choice. If you keep rejecting His Son by unbelief, you could very well see these things happen. Only by accepting Jesus and becoming God’s child will you avoid this terrible time. GOD DOES LOVE YOU! God wants you to be His child, to live with Him in Heaven with Him for eternity. Do you love Him enough to believe Him?
Rev. 9:17-18 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. [18] By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. (KJV) Now, John sees horses and riders on them. The riders wore armor that was fiery red and sky blue and yellow. The horses' heads were like the heads of lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths. One-third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues . . . by the fire, smoke and burning sulfur that came from the mouths of the horses.
Some commentators say these are modern day tanks. This could be. I will NOT say “No these are not tanks.” But, it could be demons or demon-controlled men. Three plagues are mentioned: (1) Fire. (2) Smoke. (3) Brimstone. ALL of these are literal (real), and all of these took place when God’s judgment came down on Sodom and Gomorrah, causing total destruction. Unlike the “locusts” in verse 5 who just tortured people, these horses and their riders will cause death. Unlike the total destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the result of this judgment will be 1/3 of the world’s population dying. There are so many who say “I can’t understand the Book of Revelation.” Maybe one of the major problems is, they refuse to BELIEVE it! If you simply read it and believe it (believe GOD), it becomes very clear! We do NOT need to know every detail! All we need to know is that God does NOT lie! He plainly states that these things shall happen! Believe Him!
Rev. 9:19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. (KJV) Their power was in their mouths, but also in their tails. For their tails had heads like snakes, and power to injure people.
These are not natural horses. Instead of hair for their tails, they had tails like unto serpents. This does not say they had snakes for their tails, but that their tails were like snakes, in the respect that they could injure and kill people. Their mouths and tails will destroy mankind.
Rev. 9:20-21 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: [21] Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. (KJV) But the people who were not killed in these plagues still refused to turn from their evil ways. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood . . . idols that neither see nor hear nor walk! Nor did they repent of their murders, their witchcraft, their immorality or their thefts.
People don’t usually fall into immorality and evil all at once. They slip into it, bit by bit, day by day, and most don’t even realize what has happened. By the time they realize it, they are so bogged down in their wicked ways, they really don’t care any more. This can and will happen to anyone who allows sin to take root in their lives, without correcting it. Temptation is NOT a sin; but giving in to that temptation IS a sin! For it then becomes a habit; which ends in spiritual death, which is eternal separation from a good and loving God (James 1:12-15; 2 Thes.1:8-9). Please don’t ever think that you could never become this evil; for that is just the first step toward a hard heart. The people in these verses were so hard-hearted that even these horrendous plagues did not drive them to God.
These people do NOT turn away from their wicked ways: demon worship, idolatry of every imaginable kind, murder, witchcraft, fornication, adultery, theft, etc., etc. They do not repent. I think sorceries could possibly refer to drugs. The Greek word for sorcery is pharmakeion, from which comes our English word pharmacy. I think drugs will play a big part in the Great Tribulation. I think drugs will make it possible for people to bear the pain and agony better when they are bitten or stung by these creatures. Too, I think it possible that drugs will be used in demon worship. What we see today in satanic worship is minor to what it will be in those days. People are, and will be easily lured by Satan. 2 Thes. 2:11-12 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: [12] That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (KJV) We must have the redeeming power of God in our life. ALL men and women everywhere need to repent and receive the power of Jesus’ Blood as an atonement for their sins. Without it, there is NO hope of eternal life; only the certain and mighty judgment of God! John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (KJV) There is no wrath, no judgment awaiting for those who trust Him. But those who do not trust Him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God. PLEASE, PLEASE BELIEVE GOD!
Book of Revelation
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