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. Revelation 9:1

This Chapter we begin the start of the “3 Woes” things are going to get very bad for whoever is left on the Earth. The 5^th Trumpet has sounded, and a “Star” from Heaven  is thrown down to Earth. What is this Star? The correct question is Who is This Star?

The Star is reference to Satan himself, being cast down to Earth and given permission to open the Abyss (bottomless pit)

How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! Isaiah 14:12

And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Luke 10:18

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. Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. Revelation 9:2-3

Satan now on the Earth and has opened the Abyss (Bottomless Pit) What is the Abyss? It’s a holding cell for demons. We remember the story when Jesus cast out the demons of Legion, they begged him not to send them into the Abyss (Bottomless Pit) I believe the Abyss is also referred to as Hades

We see the demons described as Locusts coming out of the ground. Have you every accidently uncovered a bees nest or something similar? I have recently and I can understand what John is trying to describe here. There are so many demons, that they are being released in swarms. What a scary sight, the Earth is covered with Demons and Satan himself

 

And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. Luke 8:31

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell (Tartarus) (Bottomless Pit) and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; 2 Peter 2:4

 

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 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. Revelation 9:4-5

Anyone who is not sealed by the Holy Spirit, the Demons are permitted to torture you for 5 months. As bad as this sounds, the fact that the Holy Spirit is still on the Earth, means that people still have a chance to repent and come to salvation through Christ

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation– having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, Ephesians 1:13

And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them. Revelation 9:6

With all the evil and torment on the Earth, many will seek to die however God wont allow death. Notice even after all this torment, the wicked people still will not Repent! However God is granting them time to still repent and be saved

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

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. They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like 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. They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. Revelation 9:7-10

Here we see the Demons described:

• Horses prepared for Battle Terrifying and intimidating. I would guess they are rather large and strong
• Faces of Men Meaning highly intelligent..Demons are very intelligent…this is why the world is so easily deceived
• Hair of Women Meaning physically beautiful…remember Demons/Angels are beautiful creatures not how we portray them…they can be very deceiving
• Breastplates of Iron Meaning they are indestructible to us….those left won’t be able to kill them or fight them off
• Tails of Scorpions They have been given the authority to torment anyone who is not sealed by the Holy Spirit

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. The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things. Revelation 9:11-12

The world seems to be spinning out of control, but notice even in judgement, God is still in complete control. The demons even have a King over them (Apollyon) to keep them in line. And the demons are only permitted to torture and not kill

Abaddon/Apollyon means destruction or destroyer. Is this angel Satan himself or the Anti Christ? I don’t think so, remember the Bible never teaches that Satan controls Hell or anything. God is always in control, I believe this angel is under Gods authority

This completes only the 1rst Woe and the 5^th Trumpet

 

Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” Revelation 9:13-14

The 6^th Trumpet has sounded and the 2^nd Woe will begin.  What is symbolic of the Euphrates River? Its been an important river through the Bible, it was a river in the Garden of Eden and also a River that divided the “Promise Land” to the nation of Israel. The Euphrates is the dividing line for Armageddon. When this river dries up it will enables the enemies of Israel to cross over and attack them..stay tuned

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. The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. Revelation 9:15-16

More Demons are released, and it’s says about 200 million of them! Think about that staggering number. And these demons didn’t come to just torment, they came to Kill this time. They kill 1/3 of mankind that is left on the Earth! Think about that we could be talking about millions maybe billions of people

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. 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. 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. Revelation 9:17-19

Not only are these demons terrifying to look at, but they are also powerful and deadly. They obviously have more power and authority then the first batch of demons. They kill 1/3 of mankind with fire and brimstone!

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. Revelation 9:20-21

However despite all the death and destruction, there are still many people who will not repent! People may wonder why God would send all these plagues and demons, because God wants us all to be saved! He wants us all to repent and come to Jesus Christ!

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10