Bullet Point Bible - Revelation 9

The Fifth Trumpet: The Fallen Star and the Abyss

¹ Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss.² He opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it like smoke from a giant furnace. The sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft.³ Then out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth.⁴ They were told not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their forehead.⁵ The locusts were not given permission to kill them, but only to torture them for five months, and their torture was like that of a scorpion when it stings a person.⁶ In those days people will seek death, but will not be able to find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.

The "star fallen from heaven" (Revelation 9:1) is likely an angelic being, possibly fallen (demonic) or acting under God's authority, given the context of judgment. Interpretations vary.
The "Abyss" (Greek: *abyssos*) represents a prison for demonic spirits (cf. Luke 8:31; Romans 10:7; Revelation 11:7, 17:8, 20:1, 3), distinct from Hades or Gehenna.
The darkening smoke recalls the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 10:21-23), suggesting divine judgment.
The locusts are clearly demonic entities, not natural insects, given their origin, description (v. 7-10), and specific commission. Their power is compared to scorpions, emphasizing painful torment.
The restriction on harming vegetation (Revelation 9:4) contrasts sharply with natural locust plagues and the earlier trumpet judgments (Revelation 8:7), highlighting the specific, targeted nature of this judgment against unrepentant humanity.
The torment is limited to those *without* God's seal (cf. Revelation 7:3-4), showing God's protection over His own people even amidst widespread judgment.
The duration of torment is limited to "five months" (Revelation 9:5), indicating God's control over the extent and timing of the judgment. This period may be symbolic or literal.
The severity of the torment is such that people desire death but cannot find it (Revelation 9:6), emphasizing the psychological and spiritual agony inflicted, surpassing physical pain alone. This points to a despair beyond human endurance.
This judgment serves as a severe warning, intended to lead to repentance, though later verses show its ineffectiveness for many (Revelation 9:20-21).

The Fifth Trumpet: The Demonic Locusts and Their King

⁷ Now the locusts looked like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were something like crowns similar to gold, and their faces looked like men's faces.⁸ They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth.⁹ They had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle.¹⁰ They have tails and stingers like scorpions, and their ability to injure people for five months is in their tails.¹¹ They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon , and in Greek, Apollyon .¹² The first woe has passed, but two woes are still coming after these things!

The description of the locusts (Revelation 9:7-10) uses composite imagery, drawing from Old Testament prophecy (e.g., Joel 1-2) and military hardware to convey their terrifying nature, intelligence, and destructive power.
The imagery combines elements of horses (power, warfare), humans (intelligence, perhaps deceptive appearance), women (possibly seductive or deceptive allure, though interpretations vary), lions (ferocity), and scorpions (painful attack).
The "crowns like gold" (Revelation 9:7) suggest delegated authority or victory, but being "like gold" may imply they are counterfeit compared to Christ's true authority.
The iron breastplates and the sound of wings emphasize their invulnerability and the terrifying psychological impact of their advance.
Unlike natural locusts, these demonic beings have a king: "the angel of the abyss" (Revelation 9:11). This highlights their organized, malevolent nature.
The king's names, Abaddon (Hebrew) and Apollyon (Greek), both mean "Destruction" or "Destroyer," personifying the destructive purpose of this plague.
This figure is distinct from Satan, likely a high-ranking demonic entity specifically associated with the Abyss.
The torment inflicted by their scorpion-like tails (Revelation 9:10) is reiterated, emphasizing this as their primary function under the fifth trumpet.
The conclusion "The first woe has passed" (Revelation 9:12) explicitly links this trumpet judgment to the woes announced in Revelation 8:13, signaling an escalation in severity.
The composite, unnatural description serves to emphasize the demonic and terrifying reality behind the symbolism.

The Sixth Trumpet: The Release of the Four Angels

¹³ Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a single voice coming from the horns on the golden altar that is before God,¹⁴ saying to the sixth angel, the one holding the trumpet, "Set free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!"¹⁵ Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour, day, month, and year were set free to kill a third of humanity.¹⁶ The number of soldiers on horseback was 200,000,000; I heard their number.

The voice originates "from the four horns of the golden altar before God" (Revelation 9:13), the altar associated with the prayers of the saints (Revelation 6:9-10; 8:3-5). This suggests the judgment is, in part, an answer to those prayers for justice.
The command to release the angels comes from the vicinity of God's presence, indicating divine authorization for this judgment.
The "four angels bound at the great river Euphrates" (Revelation 9:14) are likely fallen angels, held in check until this specific time. Their binding suggests immense destructive potential.
The Euphrates River historically marked the boundary of Israel's promised land and was often the direction from which invading armies came (e.g., Assyria, Babylon), symbolizing a source of hostile invasion.
Their release is precisely timed ("hour and day and month and year," Revelation 9:15), emphasizing God's sovereignty even over destructive forces and events.
Unlike the fifth trumpet (torment), the sixth trumpet unleashes forces with the explicit commission to "kill a third of humankind" (Revelation 9:15), marking a significant intensification of judgment.
The number of the cavalry, "two hundred million" (Revelation 9:16), is likely symbolic, representing an overwhelmingly vast and terrifying demonic army, far beyond any human force. John "heard" the number, perhaps indicating its immensity was beyond visual counting.
This judgment represents a massive loss of life, yet it is still partial (one-third), indicating that God's final judgment is yet to come.

The Sixth Trumpet: The Plague of the Demonic Cavalry

¹⁷ Now this is what the horses and their riders looked like in my vision: The riders had breastplates that were fiery red, dark blue, and sulfurous yellow in color. The heads of the horses looked like lions' heads, and fire, smoke, and sulfur came out of their mouths.¹⁸ A third of humanity was killed by these three plagues, that is, by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths.¹⁹ For the power of the horses resides in their mouths and in their tails, because their tails are like snakes, having heads that inflict injuries.²⁰ The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood-idols that cannot see or hear or walk about.²¹ Furthermore, they did not repent of their murders, of their magic spells, of their sexual immorality, or of their stealing.

The description of the cavalry (Revelation 9:17-19) continues the theme of terrifying, composite, demonic beings.
The colors of the breastplates (fiery red, dark blue/hyacinth, sulfurous yellow) correspond to the plagues they inflict: fire, smoke, and sulfur (brimstone).
The lion-like heads signify ferocity, while the emission of fire, smoke, and sulfur from their mouths points to their deadly, hellish nature, reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction (Genesis 19:24).
These three specific plagues are the direct means by which a third of humanity is killed (Revelation 9:18).
The horses possess power in both their mouths (source of the plagues) and their snake-like tails with heads (Revelation 9:19), indicating multiple means of inflicting harm and perhaps deception.
Despite the unprecedented scale and horror of these judgments (killing one-third of humanity), the survivors remain unrepentant (Revelation 9:20-21).
Their refusal to repent focuses on idolatry ("worshiping demons and idols") and moral corruption ("murders, sorceries, sexual immorality, thefts"). This mirrors the sins often condemned by Old Testament prophets.
"Sorceries" (Greek: *pharmakeia*) can refer to magic, occult practices, or drug use associated with such practices.
The shocking lack of repentance underscores the depth of human rebellion and hardness of heart, demonstrating that even catastrophic judgments do not automatically lead people to God.
This passage highlights a key theme in Revelation: judgment aims not merely for destruction but ideally for repentance, yet human hearts often resist even the most severe divine actions.

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Revelation 9