REVELATION 9----The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets


The fifth trumpet brings demonic locusts from the bottomless pit.
(v.1) A star fallen from heaven.
“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.

The first FOUR SEALS & TRUMPETS are judgments AGAINST the earth. In the first four seals, these were the “four horsemen” bringing tyranny, war, famine, and death on the earth. In the first four trumpets, these were the ecological destruction of the vegetation, seas, fresh waters, and sky.

The last three seals focused upon heaven: the cry of the martyrs, cosmic disturbances, and the heavenly prelude to the seven trumpets. But the last three trumpets will speak of HELL, in terms of the DEMONIC.

“I saw a star fallen from heaven:” The text clearly shows us that this star is a person (to him), not a literal star. The verb tense (fallen) indicates that he already had fallen.

This star is best seen as an angel; whether he is a good or bad angel depends on his relation to the angel of the bottomless pit in Revelation 9:11. If the angel of Revelation 9:1 IS the SAME angel of Revelation 9:11, it IS an evil angel - even Satan himself. If it is a different angel, it may be a good angel sent by God to open up this bottomless pit for the purposes of judgment.

“To him was given the key to the bottomless pit:” We notice that the KEY is GIVEN to this being, it does NOT possess it already but is GIVEN it, and that it is given at a specific time and for a specific purpose that furthers God’s plan. This angel - evil or good - serves God’s purpose, even if he does not intend to.

Where is the bottomless pit? The most straightforward answer is that it is in the center of the earth, because there, one might say that all is “top” and nothing is “bottom.”

The IS A PRISON for certain demons (Luke 8:31; 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude 1:6). This is Hell which IS the same place as this bottomless pit. More generally, this place is considered the realm of the UNSAVED dead awaiting The Great White Throne judgment, the same as Hades (Romans 10:7).


(v.2-6) Locusts from 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. 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. 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.”

HE OPENED THE PIT…..JESUS CHRIST SEALED THIS AFTER HE DIED, WENT TO SHEOL, THE NAME FOR THE PLACE OF (((ALL))) THE DEAD, AND BROUGHT OUT THE SAVED BY FAITH WAITING IN COMFORT IN THE UPPER PART OF SHEOL CALLED...ABRAHAM’S BOSOM AND THEN JESUS DESTROYED & SHUT UP THE DEAD UNSAVED LEFT THERE AWAY IN WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS HELL/HADES/THE WAITING PRISON OF THOSE WHO DIED IN REJECTION OF JESUS CHRIST...AND ARE AWAITING THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT TO COME….NOW THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS LATER….AN ANGEL IS GIVEN THE KEY...& OPENS THAT PIT FOR ALL THE DEMONS.

“Out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth:” These are NOT “natural” locusts. They avoid plants and attack men like scorpions attack, so we KNOW they are NOT insects & not men but UNTOLD HORDES of DEMONS, loosed from the bottomless pit upon the earth.

“Those who have the seal of God on their foreheads (the 144,000 and perhaps more saved/still alive during the Tribulation) are protected, but NONE other are.

“They were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months:” Their purpose and period is expressly governed by God, and the purpose of all this to bring REPENTANCE/Salvation.(Revelation 9:20-21).

“In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them:” Death will offer NO ESCAPE from this prolonged torture. Their power is described like the power of scorpions, and the bite of a scorpion, though extremely painful, is rarely fatal.

“They will desire to die:” The tormented ones want to die, as Paul did in Philippians 1:21-23, but for a completely different reason and result than Paul. For Paul, death led to eternal blessing, but for these tormented ones, death is a leap from the frying pan of present torment into eternal fire. This also tells us that MASS SUICIDE ATTEMPTS, WILL BE DENIED…THEY WILL FAIL.

REMEMBER this: God is WARNING mankind that the idea of “Death as an escape” is a demonic LIE.

The infamous murderers of Littleton, Colorado made chilling home movies before their killing spree. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold left behind a videotaped document spelling out their motivation. In the last segment of tape, shot the morning of the murders, Harris & Klebold are dressed and say they are ready for “our little Judgment Day.” Then Klebold, looking tense, says goodbye to his parents. He concludes, “I didn’t like life too much. Just know I am going to a better place than here.” What tragic deception to think - on the day you will commit terrible murders - that you BELIEVE you WILL go “to a better place.”

There was NO escape in death for Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Jesus Christ was asks for REPENTANCE & offers SALVATION is the ONLY ESCAPE from sin, death, and the Lake of Fire eternity for mankind, AMEN?

(v.7-10) The appearance of these locusts.
“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. 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.”

Why would God call them locusts if they are not literal locusts, but demonic spirits who swarm and destroy like locusts? Among other reasons, because locusts ARE agents of God’s judgment. HE SENT THEM. This IS a consistent Old Testament figure in passages like Exodus 10:4-14; Deuteronomy 28:38; 1 Kings 8:37; 2 Chronicles 7:13; Joel 1:4, and Amos 4:9.

“Like horses . . . like gold . . . like the faces of men . . . like women’s hair . . . like lion’s teeth:” The total impact of this picture is one of DEMONIC CREATURES of unnatural and awesome cruelty and constant torment.

WHEN I WATCHED LORD OF THE RINGS…THOSE AUKS, SIMILARLY RESEMBLED WHAT THESE DEMONS LOOKED LIKE…A VERY TERRIFYING SIGHT THEY WERE…AND THEY, WE ALL KNEW, WE PRETEND…CGI AND FX MAKE-UP ENHANCED….THESE DEMON LOCUSTS WILL LOOK, SMELL, AND BE FAR WORSE…THAN ANYTHING WE CAN EVER IMAGINE….JESUS WISHES TO SPARE MANKIND THAT…SO HE WARNS HIS CREATION.

(v.11) The leader of these locusts.
“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.”

“And they had as king over them:” This is another indication that these creatures are NOT literal locusts. The Bible tells us that literal locusts have NO king, and these DO. Proverbs 30:27 says, “The locusts have no king, yet they all advance in ranks.”

Whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon: Their king is given a name. Abaddon and Apollyon both have the same thought of destruction or torment (perdition).
“The angel of the bottomless pit:” Since this is the king of these locusts, and since he has the name Abaddon or Apollyon, this is obviously Satan himself.

(v.12) The worst is yet to come.
“One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.”

The sixth trumpet: an army of destruction.
(v.13) A voice from the altar.
“Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,”

“I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar:” In the tabernacle and temple of Israel, the golden altar WAS the altar of incense, which was a representation of the prayers of God’s people.

“The four horns of the golden altar stood at each corner. Atoning blood was applied to the horns. From these horns, John hears a voice. In this, John recalls a persistent theme:” the GENERATIONS of prayers of God’s PEOPLE through out time play a LARGE role in the end-times drama. ALMIGHTY GOD DOES NOT FORGET OUR TEARS, HURTS, SORROWS, AND PAINS….AND HE KEEPS THEM…THEY ARE PRECIOUS TO HIM…AND HE WILL USE ALL THOSE TEARS TO PUNISH, SATAN, HIS DEMONS, MANKIND, AND THE REJECTING EARTH THAT REJECTED HIS BELOVED SON AND HIS BELOVED CHILDREN.


(v.14-15) The angels and their mission.
“Saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a 1/3 of mankind.

“Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates:” These four angels have NO connection with the four angels of Revelation 7:1. They may be the same four angels or they may not be. Whomever they are, they are PREPARED for the hour/day/month/year of the unleashing of GOD’S judgment.

“Were released:” Most of Satan’s angels are yet free - being the principalities against which we wrestle, but some EVEN WORSE offenders of HIGH rank had been bound….and GOD is NOW freeing the worst of the worst.

“Were released to kill a third of mankind:” The demonic locusts described earlier in the chapter were restricted to TORMENTING mankind. But these four angels have the authority to KILL on a massive scale. These angels have a specific sphere of activity (a third of mankind), and are ONLY activated in God’s timing. They execute God’s WILL in God’s TIMING.

“The great river Euphrates:” Why are these angels of judgment connected with the Euphrates River? The Euphrates was a landmark of ancient Babylon. It was the frontier of the Israel’s land as fully promised by God (Genesis 15:17-21). It was also the boundary of the old Roman Empire, which WILL BE revived under the Antichrist.

THINK ABOUT THIS: The Bible tells us the Euphrates is also associated with the FIRST sin (Genesis 2:10-14), the FIRST murder (Genesis 4:16), the FIRST organized revolt against God (Genesis 11:1-9), the FIRST war confederation (Genesis 14:1), and the FIRST dictatorship (Genesis 10:8-10). It IS safe to say, The Euphrates HAS a demonic/destructive/rebellious history in God’s eyes.


(v.16-19) Description of the army led by these angels.
“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. 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 number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million:” John SAYS he HEARD the number of them. I WOULD believe him.

“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 movie, LORD OF THE RINGS may have come close with the AWKS, but THIS is the REAL DEAL. These CREATURES are given a weird, grotesque description that is a powerful picture of horror, destruction and demonic association.

Does this speak of a natural or a supernatural army? An army of men or an army of demons? An army this size has NEVER been seen. The total size of all armies - on both sides - at the height of the Second World War was only 70 million. In 1965 China claimed to have an army and militia of 200 million. As of August 2011, there are SEVEN billion people on this earth. Such an army assembled, and marched towards the west, it is HORRIFIC to realize they WILL KILL TWO billion or more people - 1/3 of mankind.

This as a literal 200 million strong demonic army invading earth. This continues the idea of the demonic army like locusts described earlier.

(v.20-21) The response of man.
“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.”

“But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent:” What is mind boggling to me, after ALL this so far, mankind STILL shows NO REPENTANCE, despite the presence of some pretty overwhelming “signs and wonders.”

“That they should not worship demons, and idols:” INSTEAD, man CONTINUES with his idol worship in a “business as usual” sort of way. They continue in their worship of demons, whether their worship is witting or unwitting.

It has ALWAYS AMAZED me to see how quickly things return to “NORMAL” after some HORRIFIC calamity such as an earthquake. MANKIND HAS EVER BEEN SO QUICK TO FORGET GOD’S LESSONS, ESPECIALLY the lessons that come in judgment.

“And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts:” This LIST of sins is a striking accusation AGAINST our present age. Certainly, our modern world is characterized by murders, sorceries (associated with the taking of drugs), sexual immorality and thefts.




Revelation 10 ---- No More Delay



The mighty angel.
(v.1) A mighty angel comes down from heaven.
“I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.”

“I saw still another mighty angel:” Revelation 9 left off with the sounding of the sixth of seven trumpets, which usher in the end of all things. Now, instead of the seventh trumpet, we have another INTERLUDE until Revelation 11:15.

WHY THE INTERLUDE? WHY DOES GOD PAUSE?

The simple answer is: LOVE & MERCY.
Almighty God does NOT want them to SUFFER. He does NOT want them to spend eternity in The Lake Of Fire. He WANTS his creation to REPENT. He WANTS to SAVE his creation. But they MUST CHOOSE brothers and sisters. MANKIND must CHOOSE Jesus.

“Another mighty angel coming down from heaven:” Many have identified this MIGHTY angel, this messenger, as Jesus because some of the imagery also applies to Him. Revelation 1:15-16 also describes Jesus with His countenance . . . like the sun shining in its strength.

But in angels are NOT identified with Jesus in Revelation or in the New Testament, though He is clearly associated with the “Angel of the Lord” in the Old Testament. A better identification is this IS Michael, because there are also similarities to this mighty angel and to Michael as he is described in Daniel 12:1 and 12:6-7.

“A rainbow was on his head:” Not only is the rainbow a reminder of God’s promise to man, but it is also a natural result when the sun shines through a cloud.

(v.2-3) The angel cries out, and seven thunders utter their voices.
“He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices.”

“He had a little book open in his hand:” Is this little book the same as the scroll no one except Jesus could open in Revelation 5:1-7? NO, because John does use different words to describe the scroll of Revelation 5:1 and the little book written of here. It is probably best to see them as different, yet probably closely related. The little book is perhaps an “abridged version” of the disposition of all things, the portion that John himself will see and write about.

“He set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land:” the angel’s stance projects his authority over BOTH land and sea.

“When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices:” This relates the same idea of the thunderous voice of God as described in Psalm 29:3-9, seven times repeating the phrase “The voice of the Lord.”

(v.4) John is commanded NOT TO WRITE what the thunders said.
“Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”

“I was about to write . . . do not write them:” What did they say that John must not write AND WHY NOT tell us? Because Satan and his demons can read too.


(v.5-7) No more delay.
“The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.”


“Raised up his hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever:” The mighty angel gives a solemn oath declaring that the end is irrevocably set in motion, that there is NOW no more DELAY & NO turning back.

“The mystery of God would be finished:” Remember that in Biblical vocabulary, a mystery ISN’T something NO ONE knows. A mystery is something no one COULD know unless it was REVEALED to him.

WHAT does The Bible CALL a mystery?

The ultimate conversion of the Jews is called a mystery (Romans 11:25)
God’s purpose for the church is called a mystery (Ephesians 3:3-11)
The bringing in of the fullness of the Gentiles is called a mystery (Romans 11:25)
The living presence of Jesus in the believer is called the mystery of God (Colossians 1:27 — 2:3)
The gospel itself is called the mystery of Christ (Colossians 4:3)

Possibly, the mystery also regards the great question of man‘s since the dawning of time….

“WHY does God allow Satan and man to rebel and go their own way?” The idea may be that THIS question, this unanswered mystery, is coming to an end under rule of Jesus. God is beginning the end, the resolution of all things, the gathering together (resolution, summing up) of all things in one in Jesus (Ephesians 1:10).


John is commissioned to preach.
(v.8-9) Curious instructions.
“Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.” So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

“Take and eat it:” John is commanded to take the little book from the mighty angel and actually eat it.

(v.10-11) A book both sweet and bitter.
“Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

“I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it:” In Ezekiel 3:1-3, the prophet was also commanded to eat a scroll, the revelation of God to Israel.
And John can only proclaim the Word of God IF he has taken it in WILLINGLY.

“It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter:” This little book is initially sweet to the taste, but becomes bitter in John’s stomach. ANY GOOD communicator of God’s Word has experienced both the sweetness and bitterness that is associated with His Word.

“You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings:” Whatever the content of the scroll, this verse speaks of the fate of the entire world, not just one nation, empire or emperor.


THIS IS A REPEATED CLARIFICATION....MANY TODAY....TEACH AND PREACH AND SAY THE TRIBULATION ONLY CONCERNS THE JEWS/ISRAEL...OTHERS SAY THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA AND CHINA WILL ONLY BE TARGETED AND IMPACTED...BUT JOHN IS TOLD RIGHT HERE TO PROPHESY AND TO TELL EVERYONE....THAT IT IS COMPLETELY GLOBAL...ALL NATIONS, COUNTRIES, LEADERS, RULERS, AND NATIONALITIES AND RACES WILL BE INVOLVED AND IMPACTED...