Chapter 9
Two More Trumpets are Blown
1 And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. 2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.
The fifth trumpet is blown and John sees a star fall to the earth. The star is apparently a person as ‘he’ is given the key to the “bottomless pit” (Greek ‘abyssou’,[1] immeasurable depth, extremely deep place, where we get the word ‘abyss’ from). It will be revealed later that this star is an angel in verse eleven (see also Isaiah 14:12; Luke 10:18; Revelation 12:9). When the shaft to the bottomless pit was opened, smoke began to rise. John describes the smoke like it came from a large furnace. The sun became darkened and the air greatly polluted by the smoke coming out of the open shaft.
3 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.
John records that from the smoke came locusts and they attacked the earth. Locusts were a serious threat as they could completely strip crops very quickly. We see in the Old Testament several times when God used locusts as a form of judgment, but nothing more striking than the eighth plague against Egypt’s Pharaoh (see Exodus 10:1-20, see also Joel 1:4-7). Even that plague cannot compare to this encounter of clearly supernatural creatures. These were instructed not to consume any plants, like normal locusts would do, but to harm people. They were also not allowed to harm those who had God’s seal on their foreheads, likely referring to the 144,000 Jews sealed in Revelation 7:18, and possibly others previously sealed. These locusts were given the power like that of a scorpion and the ability to sting and torment people like a scorpion. They were allowed to agonize the people on earth for five months, but were not allowed to kill any of them. The pain was so intense that those stung wanted to die, but were not able to. There is no reason to not accept the five months as being five literal months (in the Bible months are thirty days, this would be a period of 150 days). Many have designed elaborate schemes to allegorize this time or have created alternate chronologies, but none are supported in the text.
7 In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, 8 their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; 9 they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. 10 They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.
We read from what sounds like a horror film script, John describing the appearance of these ‘locusts’. On their heads were what appeared to him as being crowns of gold (Greek ’stephanoi’,[2] not royal crowns). They had hair like a woman and human faces. Their teeth looked like the teeth of a lion. Plus, they wore breastplates of iron and the noise when they flew sounded like that of many horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle. He further described them as having tails like scorpions which is what they use to inflict pain and hurt the people. Then John mentions something even more bizarre, they have a king over them. Reading this description of these ’locusts’ it is clear they are not normal locusts. In addition, locusts would not have any king (see Proverbs 30:27). It is interesting to note that although not found in the Hebrew Old Testament text, we find in the Septuagint in Amos 7:1, a record of a vision that the locusts that were to come and devour in judgment, would have ‘Gog’ as their king. Some believe that this Gog may be connected to the Gog of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, and Revelation 20:8.[3]
John then reveals that their king is an angel and his name in Hebrew is ‘Abaddon’ (meaning ‘destruction’) and in the Greek ‘Apollyon’ (meaning ‘destroyer’). This is Satan himself opening the shaft to what might also be called Hades[4] and assumes the role as the king of these supernatural ‘locusts’. Applying these names to Satan should not be considered a stretch as they certainly represent his true nature. If this fifth trumpet, or first woe, truly witnesses the expulsion of Satan from heaven (later documented in Revelation 12:7-17), then Satan’s continual accusation of believers before God has been terminated (see Revelation 12:10). In chapter eleven we are introduced to “the beast that rises from the bottomless pit” (Revelation 11:7b), another title for Satan.[5]
What is Satan doing with the key to the bottomless pit? Satan has been temporarily given the key, as he is allowed by God to bring torment to these people.
Many attempt to allegorize by saying these terrifying creatures range from being the representation of human religious groups hostile to the true Living God (essentially anyone that believes differently from themselves) to them being a symbolic representation of judgment. And that none of these things are literal, including the smoke, the locust-like creatures, and the bottomless pit.
12 The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.
We are given the warning that two more ‘woes’ are on their way. The results of the sixth angel blowing his trumpet will be revealed and reported here in this chapter. Then there will be a pause before the seventh trumpet is blown beginning at Revelation 11:15. This appears to be a pattern in Revelation, six things done, followed by a pause before the seventh which introduces the next group of seven (six seals, pause, seventh seal, six trumpets, pause, seventh trumpet, pause, several events in between, six bowls, pause, seventh bowl).
13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind.
After the sixth angel blows his trumpet, John hears a voice coming from the golden altar, which instructs the angel to release the four angels that had been bound at the Euphrates River. These four angels were prepared for this precise moment to kill a third of all mankind. Combined with the results of the fourth seal that killed one quarter of earth’s population (see Revelation 6:8), this now announces that one third of those remaining will be killed, bringing the total dead to be half the world’s population.
Some believe that since the voice was heard coming from the golden altar, the location where the prayers of the saints were offered (see Revelation 8:3), that this action is an answer to those prayers.
16 The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths.
John heard the number of individuals mounted on horses was twice ten thousand times ten thousand, or 200 million! He was also able to see that the troops were wearing breastplates each having the appearance of fire (fiery and glittering), the color of sapphire (Greek ‘hyakinthinous’,[6] hyacinthine or jacinth, typically a deep blue color), and of sulphur (a bright yellow). The heads of the horses looked like lion’s heads with smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths.
18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.
The three plagues (Greek ‘plēgōn’,[7] a stroke, a blow, wound, injury) would be by the fire, smoke, and sulfur that spewed out of the mouths of the horses’ mouths. Using these three plagues the mounted troops were able to kill a third of the people living on earth. They also used the horse’s tail, which had heads like snakes that were able to injure. Some believe that John was describing modern warfare weapons and equipment. Certainly one can imagine a weapon like a tank shooting out fire and smoke, but they don’t really look much like horses, nor does any other weapon or method of weapon deployment currently used. Although modern-day attack helicopters do look somewhat like large locusts. The text doesn’t explain where the troops come from, human or supernatural, but their descriptions do seem to support a supernatural origin.
20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Those still alive remain unrepentant of their sins. In addition, they would not give up worshiping idols, be it possessions, money, lifestyle, or something much darker, such as demonic influences (see below). They also would not repent of their murders, sorceries (Greek ‘pharmakōn’,[8] can also be translated occult, witchcraft, or use of illicit drugs), sexual immorality, or thefts. They appear to be either unafraid of God, have more faith in Satan (or his lies, which could include a false view of Christianity), or reluctant, refusing to change, even in the face of assured death.
Considerations
An intriguing question would be, “What is a bottomless pit?” One may automatically answer, “Well, isn’t that obvious? It’s without end, no bottom.” But does such a thing make sense? It certainly can’t exist based on human understanding. If it were truly bottomless then anyone or anything would be in a continual downward fall and never reach an end. Okay, certainly possible by God, but if there were people in it waiting for judgment (such as those in Hades, see Matthew 11:23; Luke 16:19-31), then constant motion doesn’t seem probable. There is one explanation that is often overlooked, what if the abyss is in the center of a sphere? There would be no bottom, as every direction is up, away from the center. Could Hades, also known as the Abyss, be in the center of the earth? Obviously we have no way to determine that, but could Caesarea Philippi be where the shaft leading to the Abyss?
Jesus at Caesarea Philippi[9]
Jesus took His disciples approximately 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee to a location known as Caesarea Philippi, a place where no Jew would ever consider going to. Why? Because of its history and that it was well-known for being a pagan worship center. Located near the sources of the Jordan River at the foot of Mount Hermon, a lush area that years earlier may have been the location of Laisch and perhaps Dan (see Joshua 19:47; Judges 18:2, 29). It became a region that was known for its worship of Baal. After being conquered by the Greeks, it was named Paneas, as it was the religious center for their god Pan. Then years later, after being conquered by the Romans, it was soon rebuilt by Herod Philip, which he then renamed the city after himself. It continued to be a major center for worshipping pagan gods. During Jesus’ time the region was well known for its detestable acts of heathen worship and was the location of a large rock face that had a cave entrance that was considered to be a gateway to the underworld, sometimes referred to as the “Gates of Hell.”
So why did Jesus bring His disciples there? They must have been shocked when they heard they were going to Caesarea Philippi. It appears that Jesus wanted them to understand that while dark forces are indeed powerful and influential, He was indeed far greater (that of course would be an understatement), and that through Him, they too were going to have great influence.
Possibly surrounded by and in the midst of many pagan temples, idols and in the locale of despicable worship taking place, there in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” In response they said that some believe He is John the Baptist, or possibly Elijah (see Malachi 4:5-6), while others consider Him to be Jeremiah, or one of the Old Testament prophets. Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter immediately replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Peter had correctly identified Jesus as the Messiah and as the Son of the only true God. Jesus immediately answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus then told Peter, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18) Before exploring further Jesus’ response to Peter, as recorded only here in Matthew’s account, we need to understand that this verse has been highly debated between scholars, theologians, and the leadership of several denominations for many centuries. It would be nearly impossible to track down every variation.
Much of the debate involves the identity of the rock. Some believe Jesus was referring to Peter, as the name ‘Peter’ (Greek ‘Petros’,[10] means ‘stone’). But when Jesus says He will build His church on this ‘rock’, He uses the Greek word ‘petra’,[11] which refers to a large projecting rock, rock face or cliff. The Roman Catholic Church not only contends that the rock refers to Peter, but that he is their first Pope, thus identifying them as the first and only true church. But that interpretation raises more questions than answers. To begin with Peter would have to been several hundred years old when the Roman Catholic Church was formed (history records him dying a martyr’s death). Plus, the concept of having an intermediary on earth is against what we learn in the New Testament, that Jesus is the Head of the Church (see 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; 5:23; Colossians 1:18; 2:10, 19). Others suggest that Jesus might have been gesturing and pointed to Himself as the Rock.
But when you combine the fact that He brought His disciples to this specific location and asked them this specific question, it is hard not to associate them together. Since Caesarea Philippi had a sizable rock face with a cave entrance known as a gateway to Hell, could Jesus have been making the remarkable statement that He was going to build His church on earth and nothing, including any interference from Satan’s realm is going to stop it? Jesus makes it clear that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the church. The word translated as ‘hell’ is the Greek word ‘hadou’[12], which in context, becomes a reference to all powers that are attempting to work against God.
It should be noted that this is the first appearance in the New Testament of the Greek word ‘ekklēsian’,[13] translated here as ‘church’, meaning “the called people,” the word can also refer to being called to assemble. Although the word appears 114 times in the New Testament (three times in Matthew), it is not found in any of the other gospel accounts.
It should be noted that the Euphrates is one of four rivers that flowed out of Eden (see Genesis 2:10-14), the location of the first sin committed by mankind (see Genesis 3:6-7). While undoubtedly not the same physical river location as its predecessor (the worldwide flood would have likely changed the topography of the land), this Euphrates, found twice in Revelation (see Revelation 16:12 for the other reference), is mentioned regarding end times prophecy, which is also the end of sin. The last of those opposing God will fall in Babylon (see Revelation chapter 18), which is situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The river of Euphrates was an important boundary for the Roman Empire and is also a significant boundary for Israel (see Genesis 15:18).
Most people don’t seek to, or start out, worshiping the powers of darkness. They are typically influenced by something (or someone) that appears to be harmless. Many are then intrigued by an idea, or practice, that leads to greater involvement. These points of origin, or entry portals as they are often called, can be anything from a game that offers advice, to simply reading about one’s potential future. Christians must use the Bible to filter out any alternate or wayward practices. The Bible is the only book that tells us what we need for salvation and what is pleasing to God, plus it is the only book that counts at the end.
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[1] Strong’s Greek 12.
[2] Strong’s Greek 4735.
[3] See Ezekiel in “An Examination of End Times.”
[4] See “Hell By Any Other Name is Still Hell or Is it?” in the Appendix.
[5] See Considerations under Revelation 20:6 regarding the "Names of Satan."
[6] Strong’s Greek 5191.
[7] Strong’s Greek 4127.
[8] Strong’s Greek 5331.
[9] Adapted from author’s book, “Everything a Christian Should Know About the Gospels.”
[10] Strong’s Greek 4074.
[11] Strong’s Greek 4073.
[12] Hadēs, Strong’s Greek 86.
[13] Strong’s Greek 1577.