Revelation 9 - "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world"

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9 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

The fifth, sixth, and seventh angels are going to sound trumpets that will reek a lot more havoc and destruction than the first four. The fifth angel's trumpet was accompanied by a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. We see that in John's time stars were given quite a bit of power. Today we know much more about stars, but back then there was a lot of mystery surrounding their nature and purpose. 

The star had human qualities and had a key that opened up a shaft to the Abyss. What is the Abyss? 

Some wonder where this is. The most straightforward answer is that it is in the center of the earth, because there, one might say that all is “top” and nothing is “bottom.” However, some think that the bottomless nature of the pit is symbolic.

The abyssos is a prison for certain demons (Luke 8:31, 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude 6). This is probably the same place as this bottomless pit. More generally, this place is considered the realm of the dead, the same as Hades (Romans 10:7).

In Luke 8, Jesus cast the Legion of demons out of a man, “and they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss” (verse 31). The Abyss is obviously a place that the demons fear and try to avoid. In Revelation a number of times we see the Abyss as a place of confinement for evil spirits. (Got Questions)

Wherever it was, it was smoking hot in there.  So hot that when the shaft was opened smoke came out as if it had come from a gigantic furnace. Also, locusts were unleashed from the shaft and were given the power to sting like a scorpion. They were given permission to harm only the people who didn't have a mark on their forehead. Although they were not allowed to kill them, the alternative wasn't much better for the people. They were tortured for five months. The only way the pain could be described was like the pain when stung by a scorpion. 

I have been stung by bees a couple of times when I was younger. It hurt so bad, I was frightened of them since then. I can't imagine that sting going on for five months. The suffering was so bad that the people longed to die, and I can see why. But they couldn't. 

Those who have the seal of God on their foreheads (the 144,000 and perhaps more) are protected, but none other are. This is an inescapable judgment of God. Those who have the seal of God on their foreheads (the 144,000 and perhaps more) are protected, but none other are. This is an inescapable judgment of God.

Those who have the seal of God on their foreheads (the 144,000 and perhaps more) are protected, but none other are. This is an inescapable judgment of God. - Guzik

7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer). 12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.

These were no ordinary locusts. Locusts in the bible were often associated with a plague used by God to bring judgment on his rebellious people. They ate up all the crops, but these locusts were much different. You can read the description but here is an image to look at. 

locust

Why would God call them locusts if they are not literal locusts, but demonic spirits who swarm and destroy like locusts? Among other reasons, because locusts are agents of God’s judgment. This is a consistent Old Testament figure in passages like Exodus 10:4-14, Deuteronomy 28:38, 1 Kings 8:37, 2 Chronicles 7:13, Joel 1:4, and Amos 4:9.

The king over them was the head angel who ruled over the Abyss. The angel's name in both Hebrew and Greek meant "destroyer". Who is this angel?

The angel of the bottomless pit: Since this is the king of these locusts, and since he has the name Abaddon or Apollyon, this is obviously Satan himself or another high-ranking leader of demons.

13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.

When the sixth angel blew his trumpet, a voice from the four horns around the altar came forth. It called for a release of four angels who were held at the river Euphrates. They had been kept back for this very time and killed a third of all mankind. The number of other angels at their command was 10,000 x 10, 000 times 2. By my calculation that is 200,000,000, or 200 hundred million 

“Most of Satan’s angels are yet free – being the principalities against which we wrestle, but some terrible offenders of high rank have been bound.” (Newell)

This assumes these are “bad” angels; they may or may not be, but they probably are evil angels. No matter what, they are servants of the divine purpose. (Guzik)

The demonic locusts described earlier in the chapter were restricted to tormenting mankind. But these four angels have the authority to kill on a massive scale. These angels have a specific sphere of activity (a third of mankind), and are only activated in God’s timing. They execute God’s will in God’s timing. (Guzik)

The great river Euphrates: These angels were connected with the Euphrates River because the Euphrates was a landmark of ancient Babylon. It was the frontier of Israel’s land as fully promised by God (Genesis 15:17-21). It was also the boundary of the old Roman Empire, which will be revived under the Antichrist. (Guzik)

Therefore, perhaps the safest interpretation is to see this as a literal 200 million strong army, but a demonic army invading earth. This continues the idea of the demonic army like locusts described earlier in the chapter. (Guzik)

17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.

Like the locusts, these were no ordinary horses. They were supernatural. Out of their mouth came fire, smoke and sulfur. These three plagues killed a third of those left on the earth. The horses could also inflict injury with their tails like snakes which had many heads. 

20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

You would think by what happened to a third of the people, they would repent, but they did not. They continued to worship demons and idols of various kinds. They also continued to exhibit sinful behaviors such as murder, dabbling in the occult,  sexual immorality, and thievery. 

This list of sins is a striking accusation against our present age. Certainly, our modern world is characterized by murders, sorceries (associated with the taking of drugs), sexual immorality and thefts.

It always amazes me that those who see the consequences of these kinds of sinful behaviors don't turn from them. I think it is a combination of our sinful nature, the corrupt world we live in, and the ruler of the world, who is the devil. As we see the devil or Satan has been given power, but is limited in time and in scope. Importantly God's desire is that all people would repent from sinful behaviors and avoid the coming wrath of God before its too late. 

Is there any kind of evil you are dabbling in? Perhaps you think it is no big deal, or you can handle it? Stories like this remind us of the deceitfulness of our sin. Make no mistake the bible teaches us that the devil has come to "steal, kill, and destroy" God's children. (John 10:10)

The good thing is that Jesus has come to give us life to the FULL! (John 10:10)

PS. As I am writing this I am hearing on the news that Satanists are putting up altar in the Iowa capitol building. It is a statue with a goat's head and a satanic statue next to a manger scene. If you don't believe Satan and his demons are alive and well then you are not keeping an eye on what is happening in our world. 

The Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.