Revelation 9 – The Fifth and Sixth Tumpet

Revelation 9:1

(1) Then the fifth angel sounded, and (2) I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and (3) the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.

1. The fifth in the series of seven.
2. The star was not said to “fall”, but it was already “fallen”.  Some here suggest the devil or another fallen angel.  This seems to suffice.  Possibly Nero is in view here.  This was certainly a star that had fallen, if star could apply to men, or emperors.
3. The question as to why the key was given to him is in question.  Nero committed suicide in June of 68 AD, in this time frame, and he is the beast that went into the bottomless pit.  Domitian was regarded as Nero back from the pit, and so, it begs the question of why the key was given to him, other than God’s providence.  Scripture says little about the abyss, other than a mention in the Gospels by the demons as a place of torment and in Revelation.  Is it possible that the demonic act of suicide of the emperor could release the greater evil about to come forth, all prompted through the hand of God in the voice of the trumpet?

Revelation 9:2-3

(1) He opened the bottomless pit, and (2) smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; (3) and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. (4) Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

1. Again, a fallen star is opening this pit.
2. The smoke, apparently, was already in there.
3. Presumably, figuratively speaking.  1/3 of the sun was already darkened.  The effect of this smoke clouds the air.
4. The locusts were in the smoke.  Since the abyss is a places in the heavenly realms, this locust swarm is spiritual, most like a cloud of demons.  These demons are released upon the Earth, and they were given power as scorpions have power.  They afflict suffering upon the inhabitants of the Earth.

Revelation 9:4-6

(1) 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. And (2) they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment (3) for five months; and (4) their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.  (5) And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.

1. They were given a specific assignment, who and what and what not, and not those sealed by God.  If one studies the map of Pella in relation to Judea during the siege of Jerusalem, the marches of Vespasian for the three years of the siege stayed fully south of Pella, which was to the north some distance.
2. Further, death did not come through this demonic host, but rather torment.
3. The duration of their operation.  This appears to correlate with the length of the siege against Jerusalem by Titus.
4. The revolt in the city escalated and the rebellious factions working against each other fomented.  The Romans, indeed, simply built a wall around the city and waited for them to kill each other.
5. Speculation may abound on this, such as trying to die but not being able to.  It most probably simply refers to a general desire for death, and an end to the suffering, not the physical impossibility of dying during this period.  That they long for the Roman’s to simply kill them, or something else, is not the same thing as trying to thrust oneself with a sword and not perishing.  There is a difference, even if by a shade, but it is important.  Some level of figurative language is obviously employed here, and, while it is tried to not be assumed where not directly implied, it seems this is a certain possibility.

Revelation 9:7-10

(1) 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 (2) the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. (3) They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months.

1. The demonic hoarde, being spiritual, appears also to have a natural reflection in the armies of Rome.  They are warring beings, with armour and teeth.
2. They also have wings, as locusts, so this is again not describing a natural army, except by metaphor, again, on the other side.  Some have supposed this to be helicopters or modern warfare, but, the burden of proof remains on that as much as any.
3. The reference to their tails is repeated, as well as their time-frame of operation, five months.

Revelation 9:11

(1) They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; (2) his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.

1. They are led by a leader, and this is the angel that is in charge of the abyss.  It would seem that this is a demonic leader, as they are destroying, and that is the job description of the evil one, to kill, steal, and destroy.
2. The name of this angel is equivalent to “destroyer”.  Because the destroyer is in the lead, their main purpose is not to conquer, but to destroy.  Their sole purpose and mission is simply destruction and none other.  All ends are simply bent upon this.  Indeed, the rebels in Jerusalem are bent only upon destruction.  Additionally, this would most likely also refer to Titus, the one who was the “destroyer” of the city and the temple, ultimately.  He led the Fifteenth Apollonian Legion (Legio XV Apollinaris).

Revelation 9:12

(1) The first woe is past; (2) behold, (3) two woes are still coming after these things.

1. The last three trumpets (of the seven) are again identified as “Woe”‘s.
2. The command is to realize this.
3. The use of “after” indicates chronology.

Revelation 9:13-14

(1) Then the sixth angel sounded, and (2) I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, (3) one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, (4) “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

1. This is the second woe.
2. A voice from the incense altar.  It could be the altar itself speaking, or perhaps some other arrangement.
3. The voice speaks to the trumpeting angel to do something else.  This is a break from the rest, whereas the angel does more than simply sound the blast.
4. The command is to release a certain four, bound angels.  It begs the question, why were they “bound”.  The word seems to indicate being held prisoner, as in chains.  Perhaps, these too, are not God’s angels, but they are fallen angels, bent on destruction.  This would be in line with even the devil being thrown into the abyss later, and needing to be released.  It could well be, but need not to be, that these four angels were wicked and incarcerated, let out because of the great sin.  This is not necessary, of course, but possible.  Regardless, their release results in destruction.  Whether good or bad, it was under God’s providence.  However, were they bad, it could give further indication for Revelation 20 when the dragon needs to be released.  Their location at the Euphrates, here, could tie them back to the fall, with being associated with the Garden of Eden.

Revelation 9:15

(1) And the four angels, who had been prepared for (2) the hour and day and month and year, (3) were released, (4) so that they would kill a third of mankind.

1. The four angels at the Euphrates had been “prepapred”.  This could argue for them being non-fallen angels, but may not.  They have been prepared for a meal.  Even the incarceration, in the providence of God, is His preparation.  God prepared many things, through evil organizations, for the judgments against His people and other nations.  They have simply been prepared, but the nature of that preparation is vague.
2. God knew exactly when they would be needed.  The timing was fixed, as fixed as the stars in the sky, even as Revelation 12 will talk about the various astronomical conjunctions proving Christ as the Divine Son.
3. They were released.
4. Their purpose is simply to kill a third of men.  For the furturist, this is typically one third of the entire earth, but, again, that is not explicitly stated.  It could certainly be contrived, based upon context, that this is only referring to the same prevoius context.  Therefore, extending this beyond Judea and Jerusalem is not necessary.  The various rebel factions in Jerusalem warred against each other and killed each other, even reducing the number of warring groups from three to two.

Revelation 9:16

(1) The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; (2) I heard the number of them.

1. The understanding of this number is doubtful.  The text says “two myriad myriad”.  The fact is Titus had four legions at his disposal.  Whether it stands up to academic scrutiny, two times two is four, and a legion is a few thousand.
2. This indicates a specific number.  Not by counting, but by the telling.  There were four legions that surrounded Jerusalem.  These are the “armies of the horsemen”.

Revelation 9:17

And (1) 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; (2) and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone.

1. These are yet the locust from the fifth trumpet.  John describes their appearance.
2. Three things proceed from these things:  fire, smoke, and brimstone.

Revelation 9:18-19

(1) A third of mankind was killed by (2) these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. (3) 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.

1. The angels of the Euphrates of the sixth trumpet kill a third of mankind.
2. These are identified as plagues, the fire, smoke, and brimstone.
3. Again, the tails are made reference to, but they also use their heads.  This still describes the demonic army.

Revelation 9:20-21

(1) 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; (2) and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.

1. The failure to repent always leads to greater judgement.  The rest of mankind, then, would still refer to those in Judea.
2. They specifically did not repent of their murders, sorceries, immorality, and thefts. These are specific complaints against which they should have repented at the coming of such judgments.  Yet, as in some cases, even the rod cannot drive the poison out of the wound, and, instead of the rod cleansing from evil, it hardens the heart, and drives the heart to hardness.  Pray that this happens not in your day, that men might hear the warnings of the Lord, heed, them, and turn their face to the Lord, cry out to Him, and require of Him as their daily bread, that He might heal them, and turn their hearts back to Him.