Book of Revelation of John

Compiled by WD Kemner January 2024

 

 

Chapter 9

Trumpet 5 The First Woe

 

 

The Seventh Seal Continues and

The Last Three Trumpets are the Three Woes

 

 

Chapter 9 is now at the point that will usually confuse people if they do not keep track of what point they are in John’s vision.  John is still dealing with the Seventh Seal and the Seven Trumpets that it contains.  Chapter 9 is going to begin with Trumpet 4 having just taken place and Trumpet 5 is about to be blown.

 

Beginning with TRUMPET 5, we are now introduced to the First of THREE WOES that will come.  As devastating as the first four trumpets were; the next three contain God’s wrath and “Woe” to those that still believe they can take on the Almighty regardless of what is unleashed.

 

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Where we are on the Seals Chart sequence

 

Seven Seals – consists of:

 

            First 6 of 7 seals – (Chapter 6)

 

            Seal 1 – White Horse: conquering diplomatically

            Seal 2 – Red Horse: political upheaval, no peace, people killing people

            Seal 3 – Black Horse: cost of “bread”, famine

            Seal 4 – Pale Horse: ¼ population killed by beasts, swords, hunger

            Seal 5 – Martyrdom for Faith: death for Word of God receive white robes

            Seal 6 – Earthquake, stars fall, sun black, physical world gone berserk

 

            Seal 7 – (Chapter 8) consists of 7 Trumpets (Chapters 8-11)

 

                        Trumpet 1 (8:7) – hail and fire mixed with blood

                        Trumpet 2 (8:8) – mountain burning with fire

                        Trumpet 3 (8:10) – star falls from Heaven

                        Trumpet 4 (8:12) – darkness

 

 

WE ARE NOW AT THIS POINT IN THE TIMELINE

 

 

                        Trumpet 5 (9:1-12) FIRST WOE:  star falls, bottomless pit opened

 

                        Trumpet 6 (9:13-21) SECOND WOE:  4 angels kill 1/3 of men

 

7 Thunders uttered - described in Chap 10

 

Two Witnesses (11:3) appear: testify for 1260 days, killed and resurrected 3.5 days later. Earthquake and 7000 die. Then WOE 2 ends.

 

                        Trumpet 7 (11:15-19) THIRD WOE: WRATH OF GOD

 

Temple of God opens in Heaven (11:15)

 

Seven Vials / Bowls / Plaques (Chapters 15-16)

First 4 on Men – last 3 on kingdom of Anti-christ

 

Vial 1 – Sores on wearers of mark required by Beast

Vial 2 – Sea turned to Blood

Vial 3 – Rivers and Water Sources turned to Blood

Vial 4 – Sun given power to scorch the Earth

Vial 5 – Seat of Beast attacked darkness, pain, sores

Vial 6 – Euphrates River dried up for Kings of East

Vial 7 – It is Done!

 

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Revelation 9:1

 

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.

 

 

 

FIFTH TRUMPET is blown – FIRST WOE

 

 

Star falls from Heaven opening the Bottomless Pit.  An angel with the “authority” to have the key to the “Abyss” or “Bottomless Pit”.  Same angel will have the key when Satan is locked up in Revelation 20:1.

 

 

Revelation 9:2a

 

And he opened the bottomless pit;…

 

 

 

This is not “Hell/Hades”.  The pit is the “holding cell” for evil spirits pending judgment and the final reservation in the lake of fire for eternity.  Evil spirits are a result of Lucifer’s fall from heaven. Ezekiel 28:11-19 and Isaiah chapter 14.  Satan’s fall will be discussed in Revelation chapter 12.

 

There are evil spirits that are free upon the earth.  See Matthew 12:43-45 and Luke 8:30. There are also “angels” that have fallen which are being held in this pit according to Jude chapter 6.

 

They are held here until they receive their judgment as told in 2 Peter 2:4. We see “satanic forces” mentioned twice in relation to the “pit”. Verse 11 in this chapter tells us they have a king and chapter 13 the antichrist will rise from the pit.

 

 

 

This “pit” has an “angel” in charge! Why would locusts have need of “supervision”.  This is an occasion where something is obviously a “symbol”.  Similar to the “antichrist” in the coming chapter is not a beast (as in one from animal kingdom) but is instead a symbol of a Human.

 

The spirit world and the forces of demonic power are real and very much a part of this world. John describes these demonic “creatures” with the terms he knew.  Locust was a very descriptive word to use.

 

 

 

Revelation 9:2b-5

 

…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. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

 

And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

 

 

 

The opening of the pit will cause smoke to rise from Pit causing further darkening of the sun and the air (sun is already darker from Trumpet 4).  It will cause Locusts upon earth that have power to hurt anyone not having the seal of God on their foreheads. They have no power to kill man BUT to torment them for FIVE MONTHS.

 

 

Revelation 9:6

 

And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

 

 

 

During the FIVE MONTH period:

 

Man will seek to end his own life and WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO.  When man attempts to commit suicide, they will NOT die.  There will be enough agony from the scorpion sting but now add to that the agony resulting from whatever means they use in an attempt to kill themselves.

 

 

Revelation 9:7-10

 

And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

 

And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

 

 

 

John gives a Detailed Description of the Locust:

 

 

 

Revelation 9:11-12

 

And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

 

 

 

King of the Bottomless Pit is in charge of the “locusts”.   He is an angel named Abaddon in Hebrew and Apollyon in Greek.

 

 

John now proceeds to tell us about the next trumpet

 

 

Revelation 9:13

 

And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

 

 

 

SIXTH TRUMPET is blown – SECOND WOE

 

 

 

Describing This Trumpet and Woe will take John all the way into Chapter 11.

 

Chapter headings and verse numbering was not placed in the text by John

 

 

 

1/3 of all men killed.  This is 1/3 of those that are still alive.  Remember that 1/4 of population already killed during Seal 4

 

 

Revelation 9:14-15

 

Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

 

 

 

Four angels bound in the river Euphrates. Euphrates river was first mentioned in Genesis and now in Revelation.  Genesis 2:14 lists the river as one of the borders of Eden and also one of the borders of the land promised to Abraham.

 

These angels are “loosed”.  They had been bound in order for their sole purpose to be kept in check.  They had been prepared and waiting until this appointed moment to fulfill their role.

 

 

Revelation 9:16-19

 

And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

 

By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

 

 

 

These angels are leading an army of 200,000 thousands (200,000,000) horsemen who have the sole purpose to kill 1/3 of men who are yet alive!  The horsemen described as:

 

 

 

Revelation 9:20-21

 

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: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

 

 

 

Even with all this – MEN DO NOT REPENT !