Name: Ray Don Turner
Question: Afternoon Brandon. Could you please explain Revelations 9:1-21 in detail, especially 9:15? Or if you have already addressed this, direct me to the study.
Answer: Ray, thank you for the question.
Let’s do a little of both. I will explain the verses, and also provide studies to supplement what I explain. So reference those studies, as they provide Scripture and more context.
Let’s begin.
Revelation 9:1-2
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.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.
Who is this symbolic “star”?
It’s Satan.
However, he does not “fall” during the Fifth Trumpet. Moreover, we are not being given a time sequence, we are being given the description of a specific “fallen” star. That star who fell from the grace of God long ago.
Revelation 9:3-5
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.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.
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.
In this short study, we cannot dive into every aspect.
Just realize, Revelation is full of symbology. Literal locusts will not arise from a bottomless pit. These locusts are the Locust Army of Joel 2:1-11, which interestingly enough is God’s Army. Just as they are not literal, we should not expect literal death either.
Notice, just as Satan has the “Mark of the Beast”. God has a mark called the “Seal of God”. The Christians who will have that Seal are composed of the 144,000 and the great multitude of Revelation 7. They cannot be spiritually harmed by this Satanic Army.
You also want to make note concerning the “five months”. In Matthew 24:22, Jesus said the Tribulation was shortened, but he never said to what. This very well could be an indicator of that 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.
While Revelation 9 opened by explaining the Fifth Trumpet sounded, we know more is at play here.
The events of verse 6 are also discussed in Revelation 6:15-17, which concerns the events of the Sixth Seal. Scripture also explains, this event occurs at the end of the Sixth Trumpet, right as the Seventh Trumpet begins to sound.
So as we read the events of the Fifth Trumpet, they naturally flow through the last two Trumpets, (Revelation 11:15, 19:11-16).
Revelation 9:7-11
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.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.
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.
Our take away from all of this, it’s going to be an extremely disturbing time. When Satan is cast from Heaven to earth, he will claim to be God as 2 Thessalonians 2 explains. He will portray himself as God, but Satan is the Antichrist.
- Satan is the angel of the bottomless pit.
- “Abaddon” and “Apollyon” both refer or mean, Satan.
Revelation 9:12-13
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
Now we officially have the Sixth Trumpet.
Revelation 9:14-15
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.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.
The Euphrates River is of symbolic importance.
The reference to time here does not indicate a duration. Rather, we are being told about a very specific point in time, a fixed point in time. Specifically, the beginning of the Tribulation, and soon after, God’s Wrath.
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Scripture does not explain who these four angels are. We only know they are bound which tells us they are immensely evil. However, do not expect to see a third of mankind perish due to any evil act. Again, we have symbology taking place here.
There will be no literal locusts, and they certainly will not be riding chariots with crowns and breastplates. Don’t loose sight of the symbology. Just as that statement is true, so then, a third of mankind will not physically perish, but they will be spiritually destroyed.
Revelation 9:16
And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
We are now told, the number of this army of locusts stands at 200 million. The army that will surround Jerusalem.
Scripture is indicating, 200 million wicked angels will be cast from Heaven to earth along with Satan. That means, the Tribulation is underway.
How can we be so certain?
Scripture only makes one declaration for wicked angels being cast to earth. That is found in Revelation 12:7-9. Once the War in Heaven begins, Satan and his angels are cast out with him. Revelation 9:16 is simply providing us with more specifics of that event.
Revelation 9:17-19
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.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.
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.
A third of mankind is “killed” by;
- Fire
- Smoke
- Brimstone
Where did it come from?
The mouth of these locusts.
That clearly tells us, this is all symbology. Since these three elements come from their mouth, we should understand this to mean they will bring forward lies to the people of the earth.
What lie could that be?
That they are the angels of God, and Satan is God, who has come to restore God’s Kingdom.
Revelation 9:20-21
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:21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
When we iron that down, we are talking about everyone else outside of that third of mankind. They too, unless they repent, are going to be spiritually destroyed by the smoke being blown during the Tribulation.
I once again must add, remember the symbology.
No one worships gold, silver, brass, stone, or wood. No one considers any of those things a god today. So we need to understand the meaning here. We are simply being told, anyone who places anything between them and God is going to be destroyed by that.
Many people in the world place great riches above God. All they ponder is how to amass more wealth and power, at the expense of others. To close, Revelation 18:9-19, James 5:1-6, and Ezekiel 7:19 provide a great example of that statement.