Revelation 9

Revelation 9 continues the sequence of judgments that unfold as the seven trumpets are sounded. This chapter focuses on the fifth and sixth trumpets, often referred to as the first two "woes," bringing intense suffering and destruction. The imagery here is symbolic, portraying demonic forces unleashed on the earth and the devastation they bring upon humanity. These judgments are intended to lead people to repentance, yet many continue in their rebellion against God.

Revelation 9:1-2 (NKJV)
Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.

The fallen star here represents a being, likely Satan or a high-ranking demonic entity, who has been cast out of heaven. He is given authority to open the abyss, releasing dark and destructive forces onto the earth. The smoke symbolizes the demonic oppression that clouds and darkens humanity’s spiritual vision, obstructing the light of truth. The darkened sun and air suggest the immense impact of this event on both the natural and spiritual world.

Revelation 9:3-4 (NKJV)
Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

These locusts are not ordinary insects but represent demonic forces with power to torment humans. Their ability to harm is likened to the sting of scorpions, symbolizing painful spiritual afflictions. However, their power is limited: they are restricted from harming the earth's vegetation and are only allowed to torment people who do not bear the seal of God, indicating divine protection for the faithful.

Revelation 9:5-6 (NKJV)
And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

The torment inflicted by these demonic locusts lasts for five months, the lifespan of a typical locust. During this time, people will experience such excruciating agony that they will long for death, but it will elude them. This reflects the severity of the spiritual and emotional suffering endured, yet it is not a judgment unto death but a call to repentance.

Revelation 9:7-8 (NKJV)
The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.

The description of these locusts conveys their terrifying and unnatural appearance, symbolizing their readiness for spiritual warfare. The crowns on their heads may signify their temporary authority to afflict humanity. Their human-like faces and lion-like teeth suggest both intelligence and fierce, predatory power. The combination of feminine hair and lion-like teeth underscores the bizarre and fearsome nature of these creatures.

Revelation 9:9-10 (NKJV)
And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months.

The breastplates of iron indicate their invulnerability, suggesting that they are immune to any earthly resistance. The thunderous noise of their wings emphasizes the overwhelming terror they cause as they sweep across the earth. Their tails, like scorpions, continue to symbolize the agonizing spiritual afflictions they bring, which last for the appointed five months.

Revelation 9:11-12 (NKJV)
And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon. One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.

The king of these demonic forces is Abaddon (in Hebrew) or Apollyon (in Greek), both names meaning "Destroyer." This angel of the abyss leads the demonic horde, indicating that this judgment comes directly from the forces of destruction. The mention of the first woe being past serves as a warning that even greater judgments are to come.

Revelation 9:13-14 (NKJV)
Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

The sounding of the sixth trumpet signals another phase of judgment. The voice from the altar before God, where the prayers of the saints ascend, reveals divine authority over this release. The four angels bound at the Euphrates represent powerful, malevolent forces, held back until this moment to bring about further destruction. The Euphrates symbolizes a historical and spiritual boundary, often associated with the enemies of Israel.

Revelation 9:15 (NKJV)
So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.

These four angels have been prepared for a specific moment in history, revealing God's precise control over these events. Their release results in the death of a third of humanity, demonstrating the immense scale of this judgment. The specificity of the timing underscores the certainty and intentionality of God's plan, even in executing such a severe judgment.

Revelation 9:16-17 (NKJV)
Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone.

The two hundred million horsemen symbolize a massive, destructive force, possibly representing both human and demonic agents of destruction. The colors of their breastplates—red, blue, and yellow—may symbolize fire, smoke, and brimstone, which proceed from the horses’ mouths. The lion-like heads and their deadly emissions reflect their fierce and destructive power, bringing judgment through fire, smoke, and brimstone, echoing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Revelation 9:18-19 (NKJV)
By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.

The fire, smoke, and brimstone represent three plagues that result in the death of a third of humanity. The imagery of serpentine tails with heads emphasizes the destructive power of these forces. Their power to kill comes from both their mouths and their tails, indicating that their capacity for harm is pervasive, affecting every aspect of their being.

Revelation 9:20-21 (NKJV)
But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Despite the overwhelming devastation, those who survived these plagues still refuse to repent. They continue in their idolatry, worshiping false gods and indulging in immoral behaviors. Their hardened hearts reveal the depth of human rebellion against God, as even severe judgments fail to bring them to repentance. This highlights the tragedy of humanity's resistance to God's calls for repentance, even in the face of catastrophic consequences.