Revelation 9ASV
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Revelation9

American Standard Version · Public Domain

1And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven fallen unto the earth: and there was given to him the key of the pit of the abyss.

2And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up 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 out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

4And it was said unto them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only such men as have not the seal of God on their foreheads.

5And it was given them 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 it striketh a man.

6And in those days men shall seek death, and shall in no wise find it; and they shall desire to die, and death fleeth from them.

7And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared for war; and upon their heads as it were crowns like unto gold, and their faces were as men’s faces.

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 rushing to war.

10And they have tails like unto scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men five months.

11They have over them as king the angel of the abyss: his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek tongue he hath the name Apollyon.

12The first Woe is past: behold, there come yet two Woes hereafter.

13And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God,

14one saying to the sixth angel that had the trumpet, Loose the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates.

15And the four angels were loosed, that had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men.

16And the number of the armies of the horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand: I heard the number of them.

17And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates as of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone: and the heads of the horses are as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone.

18By these three plagues was the third part of men killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths.

19For the power of the horses is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails are like unto serpents, and have heads; and with them they hurt.

20And the rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not 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:

21and they repented not of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Revelation 9.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The fifth trumpet is followed by a representation of another star as falling from heaven and opening the bottomless pit, out of which come swarms of locusts. (1–12). The sixth trumpet is followed by the loosing of four angels bound in the great river Euphrates. (13–21).

vv1-12

Upon sounding the fifth trumpet, a star fell from heaven to the earth. Having ceased to be a minister of Christ, he who is represented by this star becomes the minister of the devil; and lets loose the powers of hell against the churches of Christ. On the opening of the bottomless pit, there arose a great smoke. The devil carries on his designs by blinding the eyes of men, by putting out light and knowledge, and promoting ignorance and error. Out of this smoke there came a swarm of locusts, emblems of the devil's agents, who promote superstition, idolatry, error, and cruelty. The trees and the grass, the true believers, whether young or more advanced, should be untouched. But a secret poison and infection in the soul, should rob many others of purity, and afterwards of peace. The locusts had no power to hurt those who had the seal of God. God's all-powerful, distinguishing grace will keep his people from total and final apostacy. The power is limited to a short season; but it would be very sharp. In such events the faithful share the common calamity, but from the pestilence of error they might and would be safe. We collect from Scripture, that such errors were to try and prove the Christians, 1Co 11:19. And early writers plainly refer this to the first great host of corrupters who overspread the Christian church.

vv13-21

The sixth angel sounded, and here the power of the Turks seems the subject. Their time is limited. They not only slew in war, but brought a poisonous and ruinous religion. The antichristian generation repented not under these dreadful judgments. From this sixth trumpet learn that God can make one enemy of the church a scourge and a plague to another. The idolatry in the remains of the eastern church and elsewhere, and the sins of professed Christians, render this prophecy and its fulfilment more wonderful. And the attentive reader of Scripture and history, may find his faith and hope strengthened by events, which in other respects fill his heart with anguish and his eyes with tears, while he sees that men who escape these plagues, repent not of their evil works, but go on with idolatries, wickedness, and cruelty, till wrath comes upon them to the utmost.

Cross References

Revelation 9
v7Joel 2:4allusion

Direct parallel linking the appearance of locusts to horses prepared for battle.

Supported by JFB

v8Joel 1:6allusion

Locusts described in Joel as having the teeth of a lion.

Supported by JFB

v9Joel 2:5allusion

The noise of the wings compared to chariots running to battle.

Supported by JFB

v3Exodus 10:4-15typology

Historical precedent of the plague of locusts in Egypt.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v4Revelation 7:3thematic

Explicit structural link back to the sealing of the servants of God on their foreheads.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v1Isaiah 14:12allusion

Verbal echo of Lucifer as a star fallen from heaven.

Supported by JFB

v1Luke 10:18thematic

Jesus beholding Satan fall as lightning from heaven.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v6Job 3:21thematic

Verbal echo of men longing for death, but it does not come.

Supported by JFB

v1Revelation 20:1thematic

Parallels the angel having the key to the bottomless pit.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v3Psalms 105:34thematic

Scriptural description of the locust swarms as without number.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v3Proverbs 30:27thematic

Proverb noting locusts have no king, contrasting with the supernatural king here.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v6Jeremiah 8:3thematic

Dreadful state where death is chosen rather than life.

Supported by JFB

v6Revelation 6:16contrast

Contrasts seeking death from torment with seeking annihilation from the Lamb's face.

Supported by JFB

New Testament association of long hair belonging to women.

Supported by JFB

v4Ezekiel 9:4typology

Old Testament background of marking those to be spared from destruction.

Supported by JFB

v4Job 2:6typology

Satan permitted to afflict but strictly forbidden to take life.

Supported by JFB

v14Revelation 16:12thematic

The sixth vial also poured out upon the great river Euphrates.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v19Isaiah 9:15thematic

The tail representing false prophets who speak lies.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v20Psalms 115:4-8thematic

Classic description of idols of silver and gold which cannot see or hear.

Supported by Matthew Henry

Identifies the worship of pagan idols with sacrificing to devils.

Supported by Matthew Henry