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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.
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.
Revelation 9:1-10
Explanation:
It is not known whether this "star" that fell from heaven
is Satan, a fallen angel, Christ, or a good angel. Most likely it
is a good angel, because the key to the shaft of the Abyss (bottomless
pit) is normally held by Christ (1:17, 18), and it was temporarily
given to this other being from heaven (see also 20:1). This being,
whoever he may be, is still under God's control and authority. The
Abyss represents the place of the demons and of Satan, the king
of demons (9:11). see also Luke 8:31 for another reference to the
Abyss. The prophet Joel described a locust plague as a foreshadowing
of the "day of the Lord", meaning God's coming judgment
(Joel 2:1-10). On the Old Testament, locusts were symbols of destruction
because they destroyed vegetation. Here, however, they symbolize
an invasion of demons called to torture people who do not believe
in God. The limitations placed on the demons (they could only torment
people for 5 months) show that they are under God's authority. Most
likely these locusts are demons--evil spirits ruled by satan who
tempt people to sin. They were not created by Satan, because God
is the Creator of all; rather, they are fallen angels who joined
Satan in his rebellion. God limits what they can do; they can do
nothing without his permission. Their main purpose on earth is to
prevent, distort, or destroy people's relationship with God. Because
they are corrupt and degenerate, their appearance reflects the distortion
of their spirits. While it is important to recognize their evil
activity so we can stay away from them, we must avoid and curiosity
about or involvement with demonic forces or with the occult.
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.
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.
Revelation 9:11-15
Explanation:
The locust-demons have a leader whose name in Hebrew and in Greek
means destroyer. It may be a play on words by John to show that
those who worshiped the great god Apollo worshiped only a demon.
The altar in the temple had four projections, one at each corner,
and these were called the horns of the altar (see Exodus 27:2).
The word angels here means fallen angels or demons.
These four unidentified demons will be exceedingly evil and destructive.
But note that they do not have the power to release themselves and
do their evil work on earth. Instead, they are held back by God
and will be released at a specific time, doing only what he allows
them to do.
Here one-third of all people are killed. In 6:7, 8,
one-fourth of mankind was killed. Thus, over one-half of the people
in the world will have been killed by God's great judgments. Even
more would have been killed if God had not set limits on the destruction.
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 sulfur. The
heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their
mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur.
18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke
and sulfur 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 worshiping
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.
Revelation 9:16-21
Explanation:
In John's day, this number of mounted troops in an army was inconceivable,
but today there are countries and alliances that could easily amass
this many soldiers. This huge army, led by the four demons, will
be sent out to destroy one-third of the earth's population. But
the judgment is still not complete. Those people were so hardhearted
that even plagues did not drive them to God. People don't usually
fall into immorality and evil suddenly--they slip into it a little
bit at a time until, hardly realizing what has happened, they are
irrevocably mired in their wicked ways. Any person who allows sin
to take root in his or her life can find himself or herself in this
predicament. Temptation entertained today becomes sin tomorrow,
then a habit the next day, then death and separation from God forever
(see James 1:15). To think you could never become this evil is the
first step toward a hard heart. Acknowledge your need to confess
your sin before God.
