Fifth Trumpet / First Woe: Demonic Locusts from the Bottomless Pit

Revelation 9:1-12 1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

There are many ideas about what these are, everything from helicopters to tanks to some new kind of flying weapon like jet packs. I think it is safest to not guess but just to take the Bible literally here and let the description stand as is.

These creatures are released from the bottomless pit, the abyss in Greek. This is another name for Hell and if they are released from Hell they can only one of two things the souls of the unrighteous dead or demons. Since we know that the dead will not rise until the Great White Throne judgment then these most probably are demons given shape and form so that they can physically torment the inhabitants of earth.

Revelation 9:2–5 This fallen star, which could be Lucifer, the morning star finally cast to earth is granted a key, the authority to open the bottomless pit. When he does smoke rises the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke. 3 Then out of the smoke come these demonic locusts. They have power like scorpions and the torment all upon the earth except those have the seal of God on their foreheads. These they cannot touch.  They cannot kill the people of earth, but they will torment them for five months, with a stinging, burning pain. So great is this pain that people will want to die, but death which is under the authority of God, will run from them.

The Bible describes them and the description fits as a type of demon and nothing else. It also says that their king, is the king of the bottomless pit, the angel of the bottomless pit and his name is Abaddon and Apollyon. Both names in both languages mean “The Destroyer.” Satan directs this army of demons against the very people who once worshiped him as they worshiped the earth and now the earth has opened up and spew forth the truth. He hates those creatures who were created in the image of God. This is his reward for their devotion.

Sixth Trumpet / Second Woe: The Angels from the Euphrates

Revelation 9:13-19 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar (the angel of the Lord which cast the censor) 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.” 15 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. 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.

Now the sixth angel sounds and the second woe is unleashed.

Four angels that have been bound by the Euphrates river are unbound, they have been prepared for this exact hour, day, month and year and when they are unleased they bring with them an army of 200 million who now bring death back to the world, death in devastating numbers 1/3 of living are killed by this army. If we take 6 billion for the population of earth today and we multiply it by one third we get 1.8 billion people who will be killed by this demonic army. This is after all those who have died in the opening 4 seals of war, famine and pestilence. Now war, no natural catastrophy has ever or will ever claim more human lives than in this 7 year time period of the Revelation.

The Army of 220 Million I think that again looking at the description this army is an army of demons, bigger like horses and under the command of these four fallen angels. After five months of intense, unending, burning stinging torment come the next woe and I’m sure those on the earth, if they could, would choose to go back to the scorpions.

These last 3 trumpets are called the 3 woes, the word has the meaning of damnation, judgment, sentencing, execution, curse as it used here. Some, hearing this, believe it is too much, that God should not act in such fury, but God who is holy cannot act outside of His own holiness. He would not be God if He did not act against sin. In His love he offered an escape from this wrath, but when that grace is rejected all that is left is wrath.

Isaiah gives us the mind of God on woe in Isaiah 5

The Woes of Isaiah

Isaiah 5:18-24 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 5:14-15 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:

Conclusion

Lets go back to Revelation and see the result of God’s wrath upon the people of earth.

Revelation 9: 20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

But that terrible conclusion is yet in the future. It is not now. Now, right now in this present age in this present time, here is what the Lord wants you know. This is what you need to hear. It comes at the conclusionof the book of Revelation and it reveals the heart of Jesus Christ and the heart of the church for this present age. Listen.

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.