The Revelation Of Jesus Christ – Chapter 9
I. Things Which Thou Hast Seen – Rev 1
II. Things Which Are – The Church Age – Rev 2-3
III. Things Which Are To Come – Rev 4-22
A. The Throne Of God – Rev 4
B. The Seven Seals Book – Rev 5
C. The First Six Seals Are Opened – Rev 6
D. The Sealing Of The Saved – Rev 7
E. The Lamb Opens The Seventh Seal – Rev 8
Summary of the First Four Trumpets
1st trumpet – upon earth – fire – Rev 8:7
2nd trumpet – upon the sea – fiery mountain – Rev 8:8
3rd trumpet – upon the rivers and waters – burning star – Rev 8:10
4th trumpet – upon the heavens – sun, stars darkened – Rev 8:12
Trumpets 5 – 6 – 7 bring judgment upon the inhabitants of the earth. The 5th – 6th – 7th trumpets are called the woe, woe, woe trumpets – Rev 8:13
Rev 8:13 (NASB) Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"
Woes unto the lost inhabitants on the earth
-1 Woe to those who do not have the seal of God – Rev. 9:4
-2 Woe to those who repented not – Rev. 9:21
-3 Woe to those who are under the wrath of God – Rev. 11:18
F. Sounding of the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets
Rev 9:1 “Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.”
1. The 5th trumpet is sounded by 5th angel– Rev 9:1-12
(a) John sees a star fall from heaven – v1
-1 This star is given the key to the bottomless pit – v1
This star has delegated authority – it has the key to the bottomless pit. The pit or abyss here is mentioned several times in the Revelation. Every time it refers to the abode of incarcerated demons and Satan himself – later in chapter 20 we will read:
Rev 20:1-3 (NASB) “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
In the Old Testament we find that Satan was cast out from heaven – Isaiah 14:12-15
Isa 14:12-15 (NASB) "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.
Rev 9:2 (NASB) “He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.”
(b) The Star opens the pit – v2
-1 Smoke comes out of the pit
*Smoke like a great furnace
*The sun and air were darkened because of the smoke
The pit belches smoke and it darkens the world. This is a smoke is a giant cloud that darkness the sky.
Rev 9:3-4 (NASB) “Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.”
(c) Out of the smoke came locust upon the earth – v3
-1 Power is given to them, as the scorpions have power
*They are not to hurt the grass of the earth
*They are not to hurt any green thing
*They are not to hurt any tree
*They are to hurt only men who do not have the seal of God
Perhaps the locusts are demons – fallen Angels –here they are given power but it is restricted power – not to hurt the earth but to torment the inhabitants they hate. In Jude we are told:
Jude 1:6 (NASB) “And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,”
Rev 9:5 (NASB) “And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.”
(d) The torment of the locust
-1 Not permitted to kill anyone
-2 Permitted to torment for five months
-3 Their torment will be like the sting of a scorpion
It is said that the sting of a scorpion is excruciatingly painful – I don’t know that – but I do know what the sting of a bee is painful.
Rev 9:6 (NASB) “And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.”
(e) Response to the torment
-1 Men will seek death but not die – Job 3:11-13
Job 3:11-13 (NASB) "Why did I not die at birth, Come forth from the womb and expire? Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I should suck? For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest.”
Some scholars take this verse literally. J. J. Van Gorder has said: "It may be that suffering men will plunge into lakes or seas to seek death by drowning, only to find for some unknown reason that their bodies will not sink. Poison may be swallowed only to find it has been neutralized to impotency." Chuck Smith has said: “It is an interesting period when death takes a holiday for five months.”
Rev 9:7-10 (NASB) “The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months.”
(f) The description of the locust – Rev 9:7-10
-1 Their appearance will be like horses prepared for battle
-2 Their heads were as crowns of gold
-3 Their faces were like faces of men
-4 Their hair will be as the hair of women
-5 Their teeth were like the teeth of lions
-6 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron
-7 The sound of their wings gave the sound of chariots
*With many horses rushing to battle
-8 They have tails like scorpion’s tails and stings
*The tails have to power to hurt men for five months
Rev 9:11 (NASB) “They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.”
(g) The king over the locust – 11
-1 He is the Angel of the Abyss
* Abaddon – (destroying angel) – Hebrew
*Apollyon (the destroyer) – Greek
Rev 9:12 (NASB) “The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.”
(h) The Three Woes –
-1 The first woe is past
-2 Two more woes are coming
It will not be until chapter eleven that the second woe will pass.
Rev 9:13-14 (NASB) “Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."
2. The Sixth Trumpet Sounds – Rev 9:13-21
(a) A voice is heard from the 4 horns of the golden altar – Rev 9:13
-1 The speaker is not identified
-2 The source voice is from golden altar which is before God
(b) A command is given to release the 4 bound angels– Rev 9:14
-1 Their number 4
-2 They are bound fallen angels – 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6
2 Peter 2:4 (NASB) “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment.”
Jude 1:6 (NASB) “And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,”
-3 The site of their imprisonment – the Euphrates River
Rev 9:15 (NASB) “And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind.”
(c) A purpose of their release is revealed – to kill 1/3 part of men – Rev 9:15
-1 They were prepared for this exact day
-2 They will kill 1/3 part of men
Rev 9:16 (NASB) “The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.”
(d) An army of horsemen is brought forth – Rev 9:16
-1 The number of the army of horsemen – 200,000,000
Some have considered this to be the Chinese Army – as of 2011 it thought that the Chinese Military has, 2,285,000. Just over one tenth of the two hundred million in the army mentioned here.
Rev 9:17-19 (NASB) “And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. 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 do harm.”
-2 The description of the army of horsemen – Rev 9:17
*They had breastplates the color of fire, jacinth, and brimstone
*Their horses heads were as the heads of lions
*Their mouths have fire, smoke and brimstone coming out
1/3 of mankind is killed by the fire, smoke and brimstone
*Their power is in their mouths and tails
*Their tails are like serpents
*Their tails have heads
With their tails they do harm
Rev 9:20-21 (NASB) “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.”
(e) A defiant remnant of humanity remains unrepentant – Rev 9:20-21
-1 They repented not of the works of their hands
-2 They continued to worship devils and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood
-3 They repented not of their murders, sorceries, fornication, nor their thefts
Summary of the First Six Trumpets
1st trumpet – upon earth – fire – Rev 8:7
2nd trumpet – upon the sea – fiery mountain – Rev 8:8
3rd trumpet – upon the rivers and waters – burning star – Rev 8:10
4th trumpet – upon the heavens – sun, stars darkened – Rev 8:12
5th trumpet – 1st Woe – Locust – Rev. 9:1
6th trumpet – 2nd Woe – Great Army – Rev. 9:13
