Revelation 9 continues to describe the judgments of the seven trumpets.
Revelation 9:1 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. 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. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the land and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 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. 5 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. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
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. 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 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. 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).
12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.
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.” 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 the men. 16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.
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. 18 A third of the men were killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 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.
20 The rest of the men 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. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
As bad as things have been, the judgment is now about to get exponentially worse.
Revelation 9:1 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. 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. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the land and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 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. 5 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. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
John is warning his readers that God is about to allow hell to break loose upon the land. Fallen angels: demons will be allowed to over run the land and run over the people that had rejected Christ. This is exactly what Jesus had prophesied.
After the creation of the world Satan came to earth to extend his rebellion to those made in God’s image: Adam and Eve. This is described in Isaiah 14:12-15
How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne, above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. 15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.
As Christ told his disciples, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Luke 10:18
In the Scripture the abyss is described as a prison for fallen angels:
The angels who had rebelled against God at the time of Noah were thrown into the Abyss.
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to The abyss and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly, And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly. 2 Peter 2:4-6
During Christ’s ministry on earth demons always recognized Christ and because they knew that he was the actual Creator and ruler of the universe they begged him to not send them to the abyss. And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. Luke 8:31
Nevertheless, during Christ’s time on earth he cast out demons cleansing the Holy Land. Christ had repeatedly warned Israel that if they rejected him the demons would come back seven times worst to torment the Land.
The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.
That is how it will be with this wicked generation.” Matthew 12:41-45
In keeping with Christ’s prophesy, Satan was granted permission from God to open the Abyss unleashing hell on those who crucified Christ. Those sealed by God, as his own, will not be harmed.
Revelation 9:7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 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. 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).
All those not sealed by God, that is unbelievers, those without the Spirit, are tortured for five months. However, unlike normal locusts these demons are not to harm any plant life.
God’s judgment on Covenant breakers was often likened to locusts; Deuteronomy 28:38&42
Midianites are called locusts. Judges 6:5 & 7:12
The invading army are called locusts. Jeremiah 51:27
Nineveh’s defeat by the sword is said to be by locusts. Nahum 3:5-17
A nation likened to locusts invaded Israel having, Joel 1:2-6
teeth of a lion 1:6
appearance of horses 2:4
the noise of many chariots 2:5
the earth shakes, sun & moon darkened, stars no longer shine. 2:10
While the demons that over ran Israel were under orders to not kill, from the historical record it seems that the demons incited some to commit terrorist atrocities. Locusts appear during a five month period from May to September. From May through September of 66, the Procurator of Judah, Gessius Florus put 3,600 people to death. Josephus, “The Wars of the Jews” ii.xiv
Additionally Josephus records that Zealots, “with their insatiable hunger for loot, ransacked the houses of the wealthy, murdered men and raped women for sport; they drank their spoils with blood, and from mere satiety they shamelessly gave themselves up to effeminate practices… putting on women’s clothes, drenching themselves with perfume, painting their eyelids to make themselves attractive. They copied not merely the dress, but also the passions of women, devising in their excess of licentiousness… as in a brothel. Though they wore women’s faces, their hands were murderous. They would approach with mincing steps, then, suddenly become fighting men, whipping out their swords from under their cloaks to run through the passerby.”
Revelation 9:13 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.” 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 the men. 16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.
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. 18 A third of the men were killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 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.
In the Old Covenant a fugitive could find asylum by fleeing to the Temple and clinging to the horns of the altar. Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar. I Kings 1:50 Now, however, judgment is announced from the altar, because, as we have seen, the prayers of the saints had ascended from the altar and in response, God has answered. For Israel, for those who crucified Christ, there was to be no more refuge. The veil of the temple had been torn in half, Matthew 27:51, the old outward forms of the Old Covenant had been abolished, having been fulfilled in Christ. Hebrews 10:18 There was no more Old Covenant sacrifice for sin.
James had taught, You do not have because you do not ask, James 4:2. God acts in response to the prayers of his saints. The First Century believer’s fervent prayers ascended from the altar. God heard those prayers and responded in judgment upon the wicked. See also: Psalm 5:10, 10:15
Why do we see the wicked seemingly growing in confidence in our time?
Is it because the Church has become complacent and ceased praying, Thy Kingdom come?
The Euphrates river formed the northern boundary between Israel and those nations that historically sought to destroy her: Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Genesis 15:18, Deuteronomy 11:24. Accordingly, the prophets frequently warned of invaders from the north: Jeremiah 6:1 & 22, 10:22, 13:20, Ezekiel 26:7, 38:6
The Roman Empire had built forts along the Euphrates River and stationed the10th Legion of the Roman army there until 70 AD. The Roman cavalry were deployed from these forts to besiege Jerusalem.
Revelation 9:20 The rest of the men 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. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Despite the severity of God’s judgment, the people were so entrenched in their sins: murder, sorcery, sexual anarchy, and theft, that they never considered repenting. Romans 1:28
Moses had prophesied; You will be driven mad by the sight of what you see. Deuteronomy 28:49-68
Josephus seeing this madness wrote, “Thus were the miserable people beguiled by charlatans and false messengers of God, while they disregarded and disbelieved the unmistakable portents that foreshadowed the coming desolation; but as though thunderstruck, blind, senseless, paid no heed to the clear warnings of God.”
Christ had warned that, There will be terrors and great signs from heaven… Luke 21:11
Josephus continued, While the people were assembling for the Feast of Unleavened Bread… At 3:00 A.M. So bright a light shone round the altar that it looked like broad daylight. This lasted for half an hour.
The east gate of the inner sanctuary was a very massive gate made of brass and so heavy that it could scarcely be moved every evening by twenty men; it was fastened by iron-bound bars and secured by bolts that were sunk very deep into a threshold fashioned from a single stone block; yet this gate was seen to open of its own accord.
A supernatural apparition was seen… Chariots were seen in the air over the whole country, and armed battalions speeding through the clouds…
When priests had entered the inner courts of the temple… They were aware of a violent commotion and din, then a voice as of a host crying, ‘We are departing hence!’
A star that looked like a sword stood over the city and a comet that continued for a whole year.
The Scriptures ridicule men’s idols of gold, silver and wood.
5 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see.
6 They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell.
7 They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
And then the punch line….
8 Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. Psalm 115:5-8
The Jews had become hardened in their sin: their rejection of the God of all truth. This should serve as a warning to not only our society today but to the Church as well.
When a civilization turns idolatrous, its people are profoundly changed by that experience. In a kind of reverse sanctification, the idolater is transformed into the likeness of the object of his worship. Israel ‘went after worthlessness, and became worthless’ Jeremiah 2:5. As the prophet Hosea thundered, Israel’s idolaters ‘became as detestable as that which they loved’ Hosea 9:10. Herbert Schlossberg, “Idols for Destruction: Faith and Its Confrontation with American Society”