Prophecy · Chapter 9 of 22

Revelation 9

The fifth trumpet opens the bottomless pit, releasing smoke and locusts with power like scorpions to torment, not kill, those without God's seal for five months. Their king is Abaddon, the destroyer. The sixth trumpet looses four angels bound at the Euphrates and an army of terrifying horsemen who kill a third of mankind by fire, smoke, and brimstone. Yet the survivors still refuse to repent of their idolatry, murders, sorceries, immorality, and thefts.

What happens in Revelation 9

The fifth angel sounds, and John sees a fallen star given the key to the bottomless pit. Smoke rises as from a great furnace, darkening sun and air, and locusts come out with scorpion-like power. They are forbidden to harm vegetation, only those without God's seal, and may torment but not kill them for five months, a torment so severe men seek death and cannot find it. The locusts, described like armored war-horses with crowns, human faces, lions' teeth, and stinging tails, have as king the angel of the pit, Abaddon or Apollyon, the destroyer.

One woe passes; two remain. The sixth angel sounds, and a voice from the golden altar frees four angels bound at the Euphrates, prepared to slay a third of mankind. An army of two hundred million horsemen appears, breathing fire, smoke, and brimstone that kill a third of men. Yet the rest, unkilled, still do not repent of their idols, murders, sorceries, fornication, or thefts.

Revelation 9 in context

The fifth and sixth trumpets bring the first two of the three woes announced by the eagle. Their imagery draws on Joel's locust army and the dread of invading forces from beyond the Euphrates, Rome's feared eastern frontier. The demonic character of these plagues is unmistakable, arising from the pit and led by the destroyer.

The chapter's most sobering note is its ending: even devastating judgment does not, by itself, produce repentance. Hardened hearts cling to sin, revealing that judgment alone cannot save.

Main themes of Revelation 9

Revelation 9 (KJV)

1And 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. 2And 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. 3And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4And 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. 5And 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. 6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7And 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. 8And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9And 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. 10And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11And 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. 12One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. 13And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15And 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. 16And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17And 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. 18By 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. 19For 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. 20And 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: 21Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Verses to carry from Revelation 9

“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.”Revelation 9:4

“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.”Revelation 9:11

“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:”Revelation 9:20

Reflection

The saddest line in the chapter is yet repented not. Terror could not turn them; only grace turns hearts. Do not wait for catastrophe to soften you. The kindness of God, not the fear of judgment, leads to repentance. Let His mercy draw you today, while the door still stands open.

A prayer from Revelation 9