Revelation9

Revelation 9 details the sounding of the fifth and sixth trumpets, initiating two terrible woes upon the earth. The fifth trumpet unleashes demonic locusts from the bottomless pit, commanded to torment for five months those without God's seal, causing men to seek death without finding it. The sixth trumpet releases four angels from the Euphrates, leading an immense army of horsemen who slay a third part of mankind with fire, smoke, and brimstone. Despite these devastating judgments, the surviving populace refuses to repent of their idolatry and wicked deeds.
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The Fifth Trumpet: Demonic Locusts Released

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. ​
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. ​
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. ​
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. ​
12
One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. ​

The Sixth Trumpet: The Euphrates Army

13
And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, ​
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. ​
16
And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. ​
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.

Humanity Refuses to Repent

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. ​

Study Notes for Revelation 9

Verse 1

The star is an angelic figure (not necessarily fallen) commissioned by God to initiate this judgment. The 'bottomless pit' (Abyss) is the place where powerful evil spirits are imprisoned until the final judgment.

Verse 2

The smoke symbolizes the spiritual darkness, horror, and oppression released from the Abyss, so intense that it obscures both physical light (sun) and spiritual clarity.

Verse 3

These are not natural locusts (which consume vegetation) but demonic entities. Their power is limited to causing intense pain, like the sting of a scorpion, emphasizing targeted torment rather than environmental destruction.

Verse 4

This restriction indicates the divine control over the plague. The judgment is highly specific, targeting only those who rejected God and lack the protective 'seal' given to believers (Rev. 7:3).

Verse 5

The 'five months' is a limited duration, perhaps symbolizing the typical lifespan of a locust swarm or indicating that this intense suffering is finite and controlled by God's plan.

Verse 6

The excruciating, non-lethal torment forces men to seek death, but they are prevented from finding it. This reflects a judgment where the victims must endure the full, appointed measure of suffering.

Verse 11

Abaddon (Hebrew) and Apollyon (Greek) both mean 'Destroyer.' This confirms the organized, military nature of the plague and identifies its commander as a specific, powerful demonic entity.

Verse 12

This transitional verse marks the end of the first of three major 'woes' (Rev. 8:13), signaling that the judgments are about to escalate in severity.

Verse 13

The voice coming from the altar of incense (which holds the prayers of the saints) suggests that this judgment is a direct response to the prayers of the righteous appealing for God’s justice (cf. Rev. 8:3–5).

Verse 14

The Euphrates River was the traditional boundary between the Roman Empire and hostile eastern powers (like Parthia). Symbolically, it represents the source of terrible, overwhelming military threats against God's people.

Verse 15

The release of the four angels is precisely timed ('an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year'), emphasizing that this massive destruction, which slays one-third of humanity, is fully orchestrated by divine providence.

Verse 16

Two hundred million is a hyperbole signifying a countless, irresistible army. This overwhelming force emphasizes the magnitude and inescapability of the judgment.

Verse 20

The central theological tragedy of the trumpets: despite witnessing catastrophic divine judgment, the survivors refuse to repent of their primary sins, specifically idolatry and demon worship.

Verse 21

The term 'sorceries' (Greek: *pharmakeia*) refers to magic, the use of drugs, potions, and occult practices often associated with idolatry and the worship of spirits.

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