Let’s now take a look at the fifth and sixth trumpets, also known as the first two of three woes, in Revelation 9.
5th Trumpet 1st Woe - The Abyss
Revelation 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.
A star falling from heaven to earth is reminiscent of Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:14-18; Luke 10:18) and the bottomless pit, better rendered as the abyss, elsewhere mentioned as a place of restraint for the demons (Luke 8:31; 2 Peter 2:4).
Revelation 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.
Are demons let loose for a while? The influence of such evil ones is the opposite of the smoke of the incense or our prayers. It is a smoke that blocks out the light of the glorious gospel.
Revelation 9:3 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.
Locusts are suggestive of a swarm, but unlike ordinary locusts, these arise from the smoke coming out of the pit with deadly power, like that of a large army (Joel 2).
Revelation 9:4 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.
These armies of locusts will only hurt the non-Christians, those not sealed by the Holy Spirit in their foreheads, but having the mark of the beast instead.
Revelation 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.
The natural time of a locust plague can be 5 months, often from April to September. This can also mean 150 prophetic days or years, or it can also be symbolic of a short time.
Revelation 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.
This seeking death is descriptive of extraordinary suffering, whereby death would bring relief.
Revelation 9:7 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.
Locusts look like they have little like horseheads and are called little horses in several languages. It’s easy to imagine a war machine and battle helmets in this imagery.
Revelation 9:8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
Perhaps these are warriors from a culture where men grow long hair like women. Perhaps something about their helmet or equipment gives them this appearance.
Revelation 9:9 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.
This is reminiscent of the sound of a great army. Modern war machines, such as attack helicopters are also very loud. The spiritual battle in the world also rages on.
Revelation 9:10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
Again the damage done by these is limited in time.
Revelation 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.
The angel of the abyss is probably the devil. The name Abaddon or Apollyon signifies the destroyer and the son of destruction (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).
Revelation 9:12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
So, each of these last 3 trumpets is a woe.
6th Trumpet 2nd Woe - 200 Million
Revelation 9:13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
Picturing heaven in such language ties the Old Testament Temple, with its golden altar of incense, and the New Testament together as one unified revelation of God.
Revelation 9:14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
Important events are often initiated by angels. These angels are bound, and thus likely demons, symbolically captive in Babylon.
Revelation 9:15 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.
This is literally “the” hour, and day, and month, and year. These angels were prepared for a specific time in God’s Divine plan.
Revelation 9:16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
A two hundred million man army is myriads of myriads, which if literal, only a large Asian population east of the Euphrates could muster. Then again, this prophecy is in apocalyptic or symbolic language and could portray a demonic army or all armies throughout human history.
Revelation 9:17 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.
There is a possibility that John is describing modern weapons.
Revelation 9:18 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.
This is a large death toll indeed.
Revelation 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.
There is power in weapons and in false doctrines to hurt.
Revelation 9:20 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:
The purpose of these plagues is to bring men to repentance, but to no avail, as they continue to worship things made by human hands. These are men who will not believe in God without such evidence as supernatural plagues.
Revelation 9:21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
This exposes the lie of atheism, falsely claiming that there is no evidence for God. Atheists seem to have gotten away with suppressing the obvious truth, those things which are clearly seen, yet they are without excuse, their foolish hearts became darkened and they made excuses for many evils they have committed (Romans 1:18-32).
God gives humanity space to repent. Let’s not waste the time.
