Our Lord has come forward and claimed the crown. He alone, of all mankind, as the lamb that was sacrificed for us, has earned the right to rule, to be sovereign over all creation. He has taken the scroll and broken the seals. A trumpet fanfare has begun to announce the beginning of His reign, a reign that will have no end. But as we see these events unfold in heaven, we are also shown events transpiring upon the earth as it lies in rebellion against God and the true King. As the first four trumpets have sounded in heaven, on earth, cataclysmic events have struck. Asteroid or comet strikes devastate one-third of the earth. Firestorms caused by these strikes incinerate all the vegetation; toxic residues from these objects poison the seas and freshwater sources; the ash and debris thrown up block out the light of the sun, moon and stars. Nothing of this magnitude has ever befallen humanity before, but worse is yet to come for John writes of the next two judgments which fall upon the earth at the sounding of the fifth and sixth trumpet, judgments so severe, they are called woes.
Revelation 8:13-9:21:
| 8:13 | Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!” |
| 9:1 | Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. |
| 9:2 | He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. |
| 9:3 | Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. |
| 9:4 | They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. |
| 9:5 | And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. |
| 9:6 | And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them. |
| 9:7 | The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. |
| 9:8 | They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. |
| 9:9 | They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. |
| 9:10 | They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. |
| 9:11 | They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon. |
| 9:12 | The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things. |
| 9:13 | Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, |
| 9:14 | one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” |
| 9:15 | And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. |
| 9:16 | The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. |
| 9:17 | And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. |
| 9:18 | A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. |
| 9:19 | For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm. |
| 9:20 | The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; |
| 9:21 | and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. |
The Warning
Before these judgments strike, a warning is issued to the earth. John sees an eagle flying in mid-heaven. This is probably an angelic being in the form of an eagle. Mid-heaven refers to the atmosphere or the sky. The eagle or angel gives this message, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!” We are not told where this angel delivered the message, if it was a worldwide proclamation or just in a specific locality or in what language or languages it was delivered. We can be assured, however, that those to whom it was sent by God did receive it.
The message is simply this; the following three judgments are really going to be bad, really, really bad! Now, remember what has already occurred. One-fourth of the world’s population has died from the great war and its aftermaths that attended the Antichrist’s rise to power. Then after this, the physical judgments of God upon the earth hit. One-third of the world’s surface was devastated. On the land in this region, firestorms incinerated all the vegetation; the freshwater sources were poisoned. In the sea affected, all ships were destroyed, and all life died. We do not know what the toll was in terms of human life, for it was not stated, but it must have been staggering. Now the earth is warned, the next ones are really going to be bad. That is frightening! You had better be afraid! What is coming is almost as if it is straight out of one of the worst horror movies you have ever seen.
The judgments that attend the sounding of the fifth and sixth trumpets have been interpreted in various ways. In recent times there has been a tendency to take the descriptions John gives of these creatures and apply them to things with which we are familiar today but with which John would not have been familiar in his day. In describing then the horsemen of the second woe, it is said that John actually sees an army with all the implements of modern warfare with which John would not have been familiar. However, it is better to understand them literally. In the first woe, the locusts are indeed locusts, and in the second, the horsemen are indeed horsemen; yet they are neither insect nor human. They are demonic creatures. That they are demonic can be seen from the text.
The Fifth Trumpet/The First Woe
In heaven, the fifth trumpet is sounded. Our attention is immediately turned to the earth. John saw a star from heaven that had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. The star from heaven that had fallen to the earth is personified here, indicating that this does not refer to a meteor or meteorite but a being. In the Scriptures, angelic beings are often described or pictured as stars. See Revelation 1:20, for instance. One that had fallen to the earth would be a fallen angel or demon. A key was given to this demonic being, the key to the bottomless pit, or more accurately, the key to the Abyss.
What is the Abyss, and where does it exist? These questions are difficult, if not impossible, to answer given our lack of knowledge. What we do know is one main function for the Abyss; it is one place where God imprisons demonic beings. If you remember, demons feared Jesus would send them to the Abyss. (Luke 8:31) This is also where Satan is bound for 1000 years. (Revelation 20:1,3) Where this is to be found and how it relates to the space/time dimensions with which we are familiar, we simply do not know. It is extremely doubtful that we could discover this place by any means now known to us. Nevertheless, that it is a literal place is certain. At the time of the sounding of the fifth angel, the key to unlocking this place is given to a demonic being who opens the door. The fact that these locusts are released from the Abyss tells us that there is nothing natural about this plague of locusts; it is demonic.
This opening to the Abyss appears, it would seem, as a rent in the surface of the earth. Imagine a huge volcanic opening, glowing white and red with molten heat, spewing gas and ash high into the atmosphere, darkening the land below. Out of this plume of ash and dust come these creatures John calls locusts that spread out over the earth.
John tells us that the power they have is only what is given to them. The terrible power they have over mankind is not something they have due to their own efforts or merit. It is not a power they derive from Satan. It is given to them. While the giver is not indicated here, it is clear that it can be none less than God, the One on the throne.
John tells us the instructions given to these demonic beings. Although they are described as locusts, their target is not green vegetation. They are only allowed to attack men or humanity. The only ones exempt from their attack are the 144,000, that is, those who have been sealed by God. The rest of mankind, both those who believe and those who do not, are targets of these creatures. Believers, with the exception of the special group marked by God, also will face this plague.
Are they deadly? It seems that potentially they are deadly in that it is stated they were not permitted to kill anyone, just torment or torture them by stinging them. This sting, while not fatal, was excruciating. So much so that the victims wished they would die but could not.
John does not tell us how large these demonic insects are, but he does give us a vague description or comparison. One must remember John is not describing these creatures as would a modern-day biologist or etymologist, but he tries to compare their features with what he and his readers would be familiar with. That they had an exoskeleton seems to be indicated by the fact John says their appearance was like horses prepared for battle, armored with tough leather or woven mats. He states they had breastplates like iron, again a reference to the exoskeleton. They were horned, as indicated by the description that their heads appeared to be crowns like gold. They had somewhat of a humanoid-shaped face, although they were anything but human. They had hair, although it was probably not on the head segment, more likely on the thorax or abdominal segments, assuming they had the segmented bodies that locusts have. Their teeth were very sharp, as indicated by the statement they had teeth like a lion. This also might refer to very long fang-like mandibles. They were winged, and when they swarmed, the sound was a roar like a multitude of chariots pulled by many horses charging to battle. Their tails, or abdominal segment, were similar to a scorpion’s with a stinger. This feature is that which made them terrible. Given that John is probably describing a swarm of these demonic beings, if you were unfortunate enough to be stung by one, you probably were stung by many of them. The duration of this plague is five months.
Finally, John gives us the name of their leader, the angel of the Abyss. Most likely, this is the fallen star to which John referred in verse 9:1 and to whom the key to the Abyss was given. John gives us His name first in Hebrew, ‘Abaddon,’ then, in Greek, ‘Apollyon.’ The English translation is ‘Destroyer.’ This is again a clear indication that this plague and the insects perpetrating it are not natural events or entities; instead they are supernatural, demonic beings. God, in His judgment of humanity, is allowing humanity to face the demonic forces from which He has protected them for ages. Even then, He has limited what these demonic creatures can do.
For five months, this plague infests the earth inflicting pain and suffering, but not death, on all except the sealed of God. John then tells us that the first woe is past, yet two more are coming. Each of these is much more terrifying than the one preceding it.
The Sixth Trumpet/The Second Woe
The sixth trumpet sounds, and John’s attention is drawn briefly back to the heavenly courtroom. After the trumpet sounds, a voice from the horns of the golden altar speaks. The voice may be that of the One on the throne or possibly one of the four beings. However, no matter who is speaking, ultimately, the judgment comes from God. The voice directs the angel who had just sounded the trumpet to release four other angels that were bound by the river Euphrates.
These angels are also fallen angels or demons. In God’s protection of our world, at some point in time past, these demons were imprisoned, bound in some way to prevent them from attacking humanity. We know nothing of the history of these beings or the events surrounding their imprisonment; we know only that they were prepared for this particular time to carry out a grizzly deed. They would kill one-third of the remaining population of the earth.
To do this, John tells us they have an army of horsemen. This is not a description of a human army, as some have suggested, but rather it is another demonic manifestation. Are these purely demonic creatures, or are they creatures of flesh and blood horribly twisted and mutated for their use? Again, it is a question we cannot answer in our day with the information we have at hand. What is certain, however, is that the technology to alter the DNA and bring into existence such physical creatures is not far off, if not already at hand. The demonic hoard riding these creatures has but one purpose, to kill and destroy mankind.
Their description comes out of a nightmare or horror movie. The riders are described only as having chest armor the color of fire, dark red and yellow. Of their mounts, we are told a bit more. They have heads similar to a lion, yet they breathe out fire, noxious fumes and burning sulfur. They are also described as having tails like snakes with heads. Certainly, no creature like this exists of which we are now aware. However, what do we know of the demonic realm? What exists there?
John tells us that these beings kill one-third of mankind, that is, one-third of the earth’s population, by the fire, the noxious fumes and the burning sulfur that comes out of their mouths. Remember that before this point, one-fourth of the world’s population had already died due to the wars and their aftermaths. We are not told how many people died when one-third of the earth was struck by the falling stars, meteorites, or asteroids and burned up or poisoned. It must have been an enormous number. Now, this demonic hoard kills one-third of what remains. At the very least, and the percentage is no doubt much higher, one-half of what the earth’s population was at the beginning of the Tribulation Period has now died. The terrifying thing about this is that we are not quite halfway into this time period, and the worst part is still yet to come.
John tells us that these creatures, whatever they may be, also do damage by using the serpent-like tails as well. Did these two judgments bring people to their knees in repentance before God? The answer is no, for we are told:
| The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. |
Humanity has rejected God, choosing instead to worship its own creations and demonic forces. God, in His judgment, removes the restraints He has placed upon a large portion of these beings. When they are released, they turn their rage upon mankind, torturing and killing. Much more than decimating the earth's remaining population, they wipe out one-third of it. Nevertheless, mankind, in its pride, does not repent and continues to reject His creator.
In heaven, we witness just a small part of the ongoing coronation ceremony. A trumpet fanfare has started to announce the ascension of the Messiah as King of kings and Lord of Lords. All we will witness, as participants in this great event, is the sounding of the fifth and sixth trumpets. That is all we will want to see or hear. However, in the enemy-held territory, the planet earth, terrible and dire judgment falls. God in poetic justice gives the earth what it has chosen to worship instead of Him. He removes the restraints He has placed upon multitudes of demonic beings in times past to protect humanity from them. Still, in His mercy, He limits what they may do.
In summary, then we see a warning is sent to the earth by what is probably an angelic messenger in the form of an eagle. The following three judgments are going to be bad. They are called woes. The first of these is seen in 9:1-11, when the fifth angel sounds in heaven. The Abyss is opened, and a demonic hoard is released with instructions not to harm the earth itself or those sealed by God, but only to torture the rest of mankind for five months. This hoard of demonic beings appears as locusts, and their leader is named; he is the demon "Abaddon" or "Apollyon." Then the statement is made that the first woe is over, but two more are still to come. The sixth angel sounds, and God releases four angelic beings, demons, imprisoned somewhere near the Euphrates River. These demons command an army of two hundred million demonic horsemen who attack mankind. With these, it is not the rider but the mount one must fear. They kill one-third of all who live upon the earth. They ravage the earth, torturing and killing. Nevertheless, man still refuses to acknowledge His creator.
We will not see these days, but some will. It could well be those living now in our days. It may be neighbors, friends and family or loved ones. What will we do? Will we warn them? Will we tell them of the Savior who died to keep them from all of this? What is going to be our response if we truly believe the Word of God that these days are coming?
