The Fifth Trumpet of God – Revelation 9:1-11

In Revelation 8:13, John heard an eagle say as it flew over him, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!’”

Four angels have already sounded four trumpets. They caused various disasters to happen on earth. Their plagues were similar to the ones that happened in Egypt during the days of Moses. The next three trumpet sounds are, “Woe, woe, woe!” The woes cause significant losses.

When the fifth angel sounds his trumpet, a star falls from heaven, and an angel opens an abyss and out of it comes locusts that bite like scorpions.

Revelation 9:1-2: “Then the fifth angel sounded. And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the abyss. And he opened the abyss, 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.”

The word “abyss” (άβυσσος) is formed from the Greek prefix “a” meaning “without” plus “byssos” meaning “bottom” or “depth.” It was commonly used to describe an immeasurable chasm, a vast void, or a profound difference between two things. In biblical texts, it refers to the underworld.

In Revelation 11:3-7, after the two witnesses finish their testimony, “the beast that ascends out of the abyss will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.”

In Revelation 17:8, people whose names are not written in the Book of Life, marvel at the beast, that is the antichrist. This beast ascends out of the abyss and goes to perdition.

In Revelation 20:1-3, John sees an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He binds Satan with a great chain and casts him into the abyss, shuts him up and seals the door for a thousand years.

In Luke 8:30-31, demons in a man named Legion asked Jesus not to send them to the abyss.

Where did the angel get the key to the abyss? Most likely from Jesus.

In Matthew 16:19, Jesus gives the keys of the kingdom of heaven to His disciples to lock and unlock heaven’s supply. In Revelation 1:18, Jesus said, “I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” In Revelation 3:7, Jesus quoted Isaiah 22:22 as being fulfilled in Him: “The key of the house of David I will lay on His shoulder. So He shall open, and no one shall shut. And He shall shut, and no one shall open.”

Revelation 9:3: “Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.”

In Exodus 10:12-15, the Lord told Moses to stretch out his hand over the land of Egypt so that locusts would come and eat every herb that the fiery hail had left behind. The locusts covered the earth and the land was darkened by them. There remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt.

The locusts of Revelation 9:3, have the power of scorpions which is to grasp its prey, sting it with poison and devour it. Who knows but that God created scorpions on the earth as prophetic signs of what is to come in the last days.

In Ezekiel 2:6, the Lord compares those who defy Him with briars, thorns and scorpions, saying, “And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions. Do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”

In Luke 10:19, Jesus said to His disciples, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Jesus used the terms “serpents” and “scorpions” to refer to servants of Satan.

Revelation 9:4: “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.”

Praise God for placing His seal on those who believe in His Son Jesus Christ. They are spared from the plagues that others suffer.

According to 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 and Ephesians 1:13, God’s seal is His Spirit: “Having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” In Ephesians 4:30, the Lord says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” The angels of God know whom God has sealed.

In Revelation 7:4 and 14:1, the 144,000 Jewish followers of the Lamb are mentioned as having God’s seal on their forehead.

God commands these locusts not to harm green vegetation or trees, but only people unprotected by His seal. The fact that these locusts are released from an abyss and attack people not plants indicates that they are demons released to torment people.

Revelation 9:5-11: “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. 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. And they had as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon [Destroyer], but in Greek he has the name Apollyon [Destroyer].”

In Revelation 20:1-3, Satan will be placed in the abyss. He is the king and destroyer that reigns over the locusts. In John 10:10, Jesus said that the devil comes to kill, steal and destroy.

In 2 Corinthians 4:4, demons “blind the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” The greatest loss Satan wants for people is the loss of their soul. Thus, he tries to keep people from believing in Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 5:5, a man who behaved immorally was delivered over to Satan by the Church for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit would be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 2:5-11, Paul indicates that the disciplinary process worked, leading to the man’s repentance. Thus, he urged the congregation to forgive and confirm their love for him so he would not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

In the Book of Job, the Lord allowed the devil to test Job’s faith in God, but set limitations on how much suffering he could inflict on him. In Job 3:21, Job lamented for those, “Who long for death, but it does not come.”

As with Peter in Luke 22:31-32, Satan desired to have Job, that he could sift Job as wheat, but the Lord kept Job’s faith from failing. In Luke 22:32, Jesus said to Peter, “After you are converted, strengthen your brothers.” And in Job 42:10, “the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

In Revelation 9:7, “The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle.” In Joel 2:24, the Lord compares an army’s galloping horses to a swarm of locusts.

In Revelation 9:7, they have something like gold crowns upon their heads. The crowns indicate authority over certain people. They have authority to attack those who are not sealed in their foreheads by God. The “something like gold” indicates that they are imposter authorities who do not serve God or people. They serve Satan.

In Revelation 9:8, their woman-like hair indicates that they are seductive. In 2 Corinthians 11:14, Paul wrote that Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. In Proverbs 5:3, the lips of an immoral woman drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil. In Proverbs 7:5, 21, the seductress uses enticing and flattering words to seduce her prey. Proverbs 7:26-27 says that she has slain strong men. “Her house is the way to hell.”

In Revelation 9:8, though they look alluring, they have teeth like lions. Cults are seductive, thus easy to join, but difficult to escape. The same goes for sin. Sin’s pleasures turn into chains. Jesus said to beware of false prophets. In Joel 1:4-6, the Lord compares an invading army to a swarm of locusts with teeth of a lion. It is hard to free one’s self from the jaws of a lion.

Their iron breastplates symbolize their cold-blooded nature towards their victims. For example, sex traffickers use the bodies of their captives as long as possible. Their victims want to die but are kept alive.

The Lord sets two limits on these locusts: severity and duration. They do not have authority to kill people. Their freedom to torment people ends after five months.

In Exodus 10:4-14; Deuteronomy 28:38; 1 Kings 8:37; 2 Chronicles 7:13, Joel 1:4; Amos 4:9, plagues of locusts are God’s judgment on sin. Spiritually speaking, when people abandon God, they become vulnerable to demonic attacks and takeovers.

The fifth trumpet judgments alert people to the fact that something is missing. It is faith in Christ.

If you have not yet asked God to forgive your sins, I urge you to do so. Pray to God in the Name of Jesus. Ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior. Denounce your sins and Satan. Ask God to keep you from temptation and deliver you from evil. Ask the Lord to maintain your faith in Him. Trust in Him! He will come through for you. He does not fail or forsake those who trust in Him.

If you are already a believer, but your faith is being severely tested by various trials, lean on Jesus. Don’t try to shoulder the burden alone as though you deserve it. God loves you! He hasn’t forsaken you. Your faith amidst trials is a great witness for Christ to those around you.

In Revelation 2:10, Jesus told the Christians in Smyrna, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.”

In Revelation 2:13, Jesus commended the Christians in Pergamos, saying, “You hold fast to My Name, and have not denied My faith... even when Antipas... was slain among you.”

In Revelation 3:9, Jesus told the Christians in Philadelphia, “I will make them [their critics] to come and bow before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.”

During the tribulation era, multitudes of people from every nation believe in Jesus. Despite the devil’s best efforts to destroy every person’s faith in Christ, he fails. Christ is greater than he.