Unraveling The Book of Revelations

The First Woe

Chapter 9 begins with the fifth angel's trumpet. John observes a "star" falling to earth, which is immediately said to be given a key. In connection with other statements made in Scripture (Isaiah 14:12), this is Satan. This abyss is the realm of confinement for some demons, and Satan's use of the key releases a horde of creatures. Their mission is narrowly defined: to torment only non-believers and not with death. Rather, like scorpions, these locust-like beings will cause agonizing and inescapable pain for five months (Revelation 9:1–6).

Though briefly described as "locusts," these demonic creatures are only vaguely like the common insect. John describes them as resembling war horses, as expected since locust heads and horse heads have a similar shape. They wear what appear to be crowns, either a literal piece of jewelry or a golden-colored band on their head. John depicts them with women's hair, lions' teeth, iron armor, and thunderously loud wings. Some suggest these are John's attempts at describing something like a modern helicopter. The leader of these creatures carries names in Hebrew and Greek, both meaning "The Destroyer" (Revelation 9:8–11).


Chapter eight's ending warned that the last three trumpet judgments would be far worse than the first four. The sixth trumpet precedes a voice from the altar in heaven. The voice commands that four angels be released from imprisonment at the river Euphrates. Since God's angels are free, these beings are fallen angels—demons. Their role has been carefully planned, and their release is delayed until a specific instant in time. Their purpose is to kill one-third of the remaining population of earth. The four angels seem to command a vast army, given a specific number by John: two hundred million troops. John's description of his "vision" here again leads to speculation that he might have seen modern military equipment. The army kills a third of mankind by smoke and fire from their mouths (Revelation 9:12–19).


The Bible often speaks of mankind's stubbornness and disobedience. God's actions during the end times, in some ways, are meant to make this clear and obvious. Yet, despite the horrific judgments that will happen, humanity at large will still refuse to repent and come to God in faith. This passage refers to idolatry—possibly in both a literal and a metaphorical sense—and using a Greek word implying drug use. Sadly, even when God's power and prophecy are on full display, most people will refuse to turn from sin and submit to their Creator (Revelation 9:20–21).

Revelation Chapter 9

See Rev 11:7- When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, will overpower and kill them. (Antichrist army)

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. 

  • See Rev17:8 - The beast that you saw--it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction….
  • See Rev 12:9 - And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
  • Luke 10:18 - So He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.         

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.

  •  Rev 17:8 - The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction.         
  •   Luke 8:31 - And the demons kept begging Jesus not to order them to go into the Abyss.

3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.

(These “locusts” are undoubtedly the armies under the control of the Antichrist.)

  • Jeremiah 51:14 -The LORD of Hosts has sworn by Himself: "Surely I will fill you up with men like locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you."           
  • Joel 2:25 - I will repay you for the years that the swarming locusts have eaten--the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust--My great army that I sent against you.          

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.

(Although demonic, they are still under the control of God and are used at His disposal.)

(Notice that God sealed the 144,000 with a mark on their forehead identifying them as his very own. Notice what Satan does with the mark of the beast in Revelation 13:15-17. He creates a way of sealing or identifying those that are his own)

They were not allowed 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.

(Parallel) - Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “He (Job) is in your hands, but you must spare his life.”

6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

  • Revelation 6:16 - And they said to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.

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.

(Parallel) Joel 2:4 - Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like swift steeds.

8 Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth.

(Parallel) Joel 1:6 - For a nation has come up against my land, powerful and beyond number; its teeth are lions' teeth, and it has the fangs of a lioness.

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.

(Parallel) Joel 2:5- With a sound like that of chariots they bound over the mountaintops, like the crackling of fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for battle.

10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.

11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

(Abaddon” in Hebrew means “Destroyer” or “Destruction” and “Apollyon” in Greek means “Destroyer”. Therefore, Apollyon is an angel tasked with bringing destruction.)

(Parallel)  Exodus 12:23 -  “For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.”

(Abaddon is the king of the abyss or bottomless pit who commands an army of locusts (the Destroyer; an angel, perhaps).  Abaddon is also referred to as a place of destruction, often in conjunction with Sheol (Hades)

  • 1 Corinthians 10:10 - And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.
  • Proverbs 15:11 “Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord, How much more the hearts of men!”    
  • Proverbs 27:20 - “Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.” 

12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.

(Joel 2:1–11 prophesies an invasion of locusts, sharing similarities to the description in this passage, and adding details that may be references to modern machines of war.)

 

Second Woe - The Sixth Trumpet

13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four 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.

  • Rev 16:12 - And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way might be prepared of the kings of the rising of the sun.

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.

  • Daniel 12:1- And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people (Jews) shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.

16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number. (China’s nuclear war against USA-probably millions.)

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.

(In this verse John describes the cavalrymen as wearing breastplates the color of fire, sapphire, and sulfur, roughly the equivalent of red, dark blue, and yellow. The heads of the horses resemble the heads of lions. This description compares with the description of the demonic creatures released earlier from the Abyss: "like horses prepared for battle…their teeth like lions' teeth" (Revelation 9:7–8). The Bible often depicts horses in connection with war.)

18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.

  • Luke 17:29-30 - But on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

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.

  • Rev 9:10 - And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power wasto hurt men five months.

(Imagine how a person of the ancient middle east might try to describe a vision of a modern theatre of war. The smoke and fire of cannons, tanks, helicopters, aircraft, rifles, and helmeted soldiers would evoke dramatic imagery from such a person.)

20 The rest of mankind who 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.

(Parallel) Jeremiah 1:16 - I will pronounce My judgments against them for all the evil they did, when they abandoned Me to burn incense to other gods and to worship the works of their own hands.

21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.