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Revelation
Chapter Nine
Revelation 9
The fifth angel sounds; and one who should have been by
position the instrument of light and governmental order over the earth was seen
as having lost his place; and the power to let loose the full darkening
influence of Satan was given him. He opened the bottomless pit-the place where
evil is shut up and chained; not where it is punished, that is, the lake of
fire. Supreme authority, and all heavenly light over the earth, and healthful
influence of order, were darkened and made to cease by the evil Satanic
influence which was let loose. Nor was this all: direct instruments of Satanic
power came out of this evil influence in numbers; crowds of moral locusts with
the sting of false doctrine in their tail. But it was not to destroy temporal
prosperity on the earth, but to torment the ungodly Jews; not to kill, but to
harass and vex them. This was to continue five months; for it is not the final
judgment. The torment was worse than death-pain and anguish of heart. But they had
the semblance of military imperial power, crowned, and with masculine energy,
to those that met them; but they were, if seen behind and the secret disclosed,
subject and weak: their faces were as the faces of men, their hair as the hair
of women. But they were armed in a steeled conscience. They were the direct
instruments of the power of Satan, and under his orders. The angel of the
bottomless pit-he who rules the depths of Satan's wiles, as the ruler of the
power of darkness-led them. We are too unbelieving as to the direct influence
of Satan in darkening men's minds when permitted, when men are given up to his
darkening influence. Cruel harassing torments, worse than death, with darkening
of their minds, become the portion of the once beloved people. One woe was
past.
The sixth angel sounds. The woe which follows is much more human and
providential. It is directed against the inhabitants of the Latin Empire. The
instruments of it are let loose from beyond Euphrates--a countless crowd of
horsemen. But they were not simply such. Their consciences and their words,
both were in the power of Satan, but in judgment from God. But it now killed
men. Their mouths belched forth the power of Satan, and their influence in
doctrine was Satanic: with both they did hurt. I do not believe this death here
is mere temporal death (there may be such), but, I suspect, making apostates.
The rest, who did not thus fall, did not repent of their idolatry and misdeeds.
── John Darby《Synopsis of Revelation》
Revelation 9
Chapter Contents
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)
Commentary on Revelation 9:1-12
(Read Revelation 9:1-12)
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, 1 Corinthians 11:19. And early writers plainly
refer this to the first great host of corrupters who overspread the Christian
church.
Commentary on Revelation 9:13-21
(Read Revelation 9:13-21)
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.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Revelation》
Revelation 9
Verse 1
[1] And
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.
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star — Far different from that mentioned, Revelation 8:11. This star belongs to the
invisible world. The third woe is occasioned by the dragon cast out of heaven;
the second takes place at the loosing of the four angels who were bound in the
Euphrates. The first is here brought by the angel of the abyss, which is opened
by this star, or holy angel.
Falling to the earth — Coming swiftly and with great force.
And to him was given — when he was come.
The key of the bottomless pit — A deep and hideous prison; but different from "the lake of
fire."
Verse 2
[2] And 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.
And there arose a smoke out of the pit — The locusts, who afterwards rise out of it, seem to be, as we shall
afterwards see, the Persians; agreeable to which, this smoke is their
detestable idolatrous doctrine, and false zeal for it, which now broke out in
an uncommon paroxysm.
As the smoke of a great furnace — where the clouds of it rise thicker and thicker, spread far and wide,
and press one upon another, so that the darkness increases continually.
And the sun and the air were darkened — A figurative expression, denoting heavy affliction. This smoke
occasioned more and more such darkness over the Jews in Persia.
Verse 3
[3] And
there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given
power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
And out of the smoke — Not out of the bottomless pit, but from the smoke which issued thence.
There went forth locusts — A known emblem of a numerous, hostile, hurtful people. Such were the
Persians, from whom the Jews, in the sixth century, suffered beyond expression.
In the year 540 their academies were stopped, nor were they permitted to have a
president for near fifty years. In 589 this affliction ended; but it began long
before 540. The prelude of it was about the year 455 and 474: the main storm
came on in the reign of Cabades, and lasted from 483 to 532. Toward the
beginning of the sixth century, Mar Rab Isaac, president of the academy, was
put to death. Hereon followed an insurrection of the Jews, which lasted seven
years before they were conquered by the Persians. Some of them were then put to
death, but not many; the rest were closely imprisoned. And from this time the
nation of the Jews were hated and persecuted by the Persians, till they had
well nigh rooted them out.
The scorpions of the earth — The most hurtful kind. The scorpions of the air have wings.
Verse 4
[4] 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.
And it was commanded them — By the secret power of God.
Not to hurt the grass, neither any green
thing, nor any tree — Neither those of low, middling, or high
degree, but only such of them as were not sealed - Principally the unbelieving
Israelites. But many who were called Christians suffered with them.
Verse 5
[5] And 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.
Not to kill them —
Very few of them were killed: in general, they were imprisoned and variously
tormented.
Verse 6
[6] And
in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to
die, and death shall flee from them.
The men —
That is, the men who are so tormented.
Verse 7
[7] And
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.
And the appearances —
This description suits a people neither throughly civilized, nor entirely
savage; and such were the Persians of that age.
Of the locusts are like horses — With their riders. The Persians excelled in horsemanship.
And on their heads are as it were crowns — Turbans.
And their faces are as the faces of men — Friendly and agreeable.
Verse 8
[8] And
they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
And they had hair as the hair of women — All the Persians of old gloried in long hair.
And their teeth were as the teeth of lions — Breaking and tearing all things in pieces.
Verse 9
[9] 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.
And the noise of their wings was as the noise
of chariots of many horses — With their war-chariots, drawn by many
horses, they, as it were, flew to and fro.
Verse 10
[10] And
they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and
their power was to hurt men five months.
And they have tails like scorpions — That is, each tail is like a scorpion, not like the tail of a scorpion.
To hurt the unsealed men five months - Five prophetic months; that is,
seventy-nine common years So long did these calamities last.
Verse 11
[11] 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.
And they have over them a king — One by whom they are peculiarly directed and governed.
His name is Abaddon —
Both this and Apollyon signify a destroyer. By this he is distinguished from
the dragon, whose proper name is Satan.
Verse 12
[12] One
woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
One woe is past; behold, there come yet two
woes after these things — The Persian power, under which was the
first woe, was now broken by the Saracens: from this time the first pause made
a wide way for the two succeeding woes. In 589, when the first woe ended,
Mahomet was twenty years old, and the contentions of the Christians with each
other were exceeding great. In 591 Chosroes II. reigned in Persia, who, after
the death of the emperor, made dreadful disturbances in the east, Hence Mahomet
found an open door for his new religion and empire. And when the usurper Phocas
had, in the year 606, not only declared the Bishop of Rome, Boniface III.,
universal bishop, but also the church of Rome the head of all churches, this
was a sure step to advance the Papacy to its utmost height. Thus, after the
passing away of the first woe, the second, yea, and the third, quickly
followed; as indeed they were both on the way together with it before the first
effectually began.
Verse 13
[13] And
the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden
altar which is before God,
And the sixth angel sounded — Under this angel goes forth the second woe.
And I heard a voice from the four corners of
the golden altar — This golden altar is the heavenly pattern
of the Levitical altar of incense. This voice signified that the execution of
the wrath of God, mentioned verses 20, 21, Revelation 9:20,21 should, at no intercession,
be delayed any longer.
Verse 14
[14]
Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which
are bound in the great river Euphrates.
Loose the four angels — To go every way; to the four quarters. These were evil angels, or they
would not have been bound. Why, or how long, they were bound we know not.
Verse 15
[15] And
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.
And the four angels were loosed, who were
prepared — By loosing them, as well as by their
strength and rage.
To kill the third part of men — That is, an immense number of them.
For the hour, and day, and month, and year — All this agrees with the slaughter which the Saracens made for a long
time after Mahomet's death. And with the number of angels let loose agrees the
number of their first and most eminent caliphs. These were Ali, Abubeker, Omar,
and Osman. Mahomet named Ali, his cousin and son-in-law, for his successor; but
he was soon worked out by the rest, till they severally died, and so made room
for him. They succeeded each other, and each destroyed innumerable multitudes
of men. There are in a prophetic Com. Years. Com. Days. Hour....... 8
Day............ 196 in all 212 years. Month........... 15.........318 /
Year............ 196.........117 / Now, the second woe, as also the beginning
of the third, has its place between the ceasing of the locusts and the rising
of the beast out of the sea, even at the time that the Saracens, who were
chiefly cavalry, were in the height of their carnage; from their, first caliph,
Abubeker, till they were repulsed from Rome under Leo IV. These 212 years may
therefore be reckoned from the year 634 to 847. The gradation in reckoning the
time, beginning with the hour and ending with a year, corresponds with their
small beginning and vast increase. Before and after Mahomet's death, they had
enough to do to settle their affairs at home. Afterwards Abubeker went farther,
and in the year 634 gained great advantage over the Persians and Romans in
Syria. Under Omar was the conquest of Mesopotamia, Palestine, and Egypt made.
Under Osman, that of Afric, (with the total suppression of the Roman government
in the year 647,) of Cyprus, and of all Persia in 651. After Ali was dead, his
son Ali Hasen, a peaceable prince, was driven out by Muavia; under whom, and
his successors, the power of the Saracens so increased, that within fourscore
years after Mahomet's death they had extended their conquests farther than the
warlike Romans did in four hundred years.
Verse 16
[16] And
the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and
I heard the number of them.
And the number of the horsemen was two
hundred millions — Not that so many were ever brought into
the field at once, but (if we understand the expression literally) in the
course of "the hour, and day, and month, and year." So neither were
"the third part of men killed" at once, but during that course of
years.
Verse 17
[17] And
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.
And thus I saw the horses and them that sat
on them in the vision — St. John seems to add these words, in the
vision, to intimate that we are not to take this description just according to
the letter.
Having breastplates of fire — Fiery red.
And hyacinth —
Dun blue.
And brimstone — A
faint yellow. Of the same colour with the fire and smoke and brimstone, which
go out of the months of their horses. And the heads of their horses are as the
heads of lions - That is, fierce and terrible.
And out of their mouth goeth fire and smoke
and brimstone — This figurative expression may denote the
consuming, blinding, all-piercing rage, fierceness, and force of these
horsemen.
Verse 18
[18] By
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.
By these three —
Which were inseparably joined.
Were the third part of men — In the countries they over-ran.
Killed —
Omar alone, in eleven years and a half, took thirty-six thousand cities or
forts. How many men must be killed therein!
Verse 19
[19] For
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.
For the power of these horses is in their
mouths, and in their tails — Their riders fight retreating as well as
advancing: so that their rear is as terrible as their front.
For their tails are like serpents, having
heads — Not like the tails of serpents only. They
may be fitly compared to the amphisbena, a kind of serpent, which has a short
tail, not unlike a head from which it throws out its poison as if it had two
heads.
Verse 20
[20] 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:
And the rest of the men who were not killed — Whom the Saracens did not destroy. It is observable, the countries they
over-ran were mostly those where the gospel had been planted.
By these plagues —
Here the description of the second woe ends.
Yet repented not —
Though they were called Christians.
Of the works of their hands — Presently specified.
That they should not worship devils — The invocation of departed saints, whether true, or false, or doubtful,
or forged, crept early into the Christian church, and was carried farther and
farther; and who knows how many who are invoked as saints are among evil, not
good, angels; or how far devils have mingled with such blind worship, and with
the wonders wrought on those occasions? And idols - About the year 590, men
began to venerate images; and though upright men zealously opposed it, yet, by
little and little, images grew into manifest idols. For after much contention,
both in the east and west, in the year 787, the worship of images was
established by the second Council of Nice. Yet was image worship sharply
opposed some time after, by the emperor Theophilus. But when he died, in 842,
his widow, Theodora, established it again; as did the Council at Constantinople
in the year 863, and again in 871.
Verse 21
[21]
Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their
fornication, nor of their thefts.
Neither repented of their murders, nor of
their sorceries — Whoever reads the histories of the
seventh, eighth, and ninth centuries, will find numberless instances of all
these in every part of the Christian world. But though God cut off so many of
these scandals to the Christian name, yet the rest went on in the same course.
Some of them, however, might repent under the plagues which follow.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Revelation》
Chapter 9. Locusts and the Mounted
Troops
Still Not
Repentant
Still Worshiping Demons
I. The First
Woe of the Fifth Trumpet
II. Harm Those
Who Do Not Have Seals
III. The Second
Woe of the Sixth Trumpet
── Chih-Hsin
Chang《An Outline of
The New Testament》
Chapter Nine General Review
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
1) To review the sounding of the fifth and sixth trumpets 2) To offer an explanation concerning the significance of these visions SUMMARY
Following the ominous warning of the angel (eagle) in the previouschapter, the fifth angel sounds his trumpet. John sees a star fallenfrom heaven, to whom is given the key to the bottomless pit. As thepit is opened, smoke arises that darkens the sun and air. Then locustswith power like scorpions came out of the smoke, to whom was given
power to harm only those who did not have the seal of God on theirforehead. Their power was limited only to torment, not kill, and onlyfor five months. Even so, men wished they could die. John describesthe appearance of the locusts, and identifies their king as the angelof the bottomless pit whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek isApollyon, both meaning "destruction". Thus ends the first "woe", withtwo more to come (1-12). When the sixth angel sounds his trumpet, John hears a voice from thefour horns of the golden altar before God. It tells the sixth angel torelease four angels who have been bound at the river Euphrates . Theseangels had been prepared for the hour, day, month and year, to kill athird of mankind. At this point John hears the number of an army oftwo hundred million horsemen. Describing the colorful breastplates of
those on the horses, he also relates how the lion-like heads of thehorses blew fire, smoke and brimstone which killed a third of mankind.They also did much harm with serpent-like tails. Despite these two "woes", the rest of mankind did not repent of their idolatry, murders,sorceries, sexual immoralities and thefts (13-21). As one can imagine, attempts to interpret these visions have been manyand some quite fanciful. Together with the first four trumpets, Isuggest the fifth and sixth trumpets signify tools at God's disposal tobring wrath upon the persecutors of His people. Though allowed to go
only so far, Satan's influence can have the effect of weakening anation from within. There is also the threat of external invasion byenemy forces. Therefore I concur with Summers and others that thevision of locusts from the bottomless pit symbolizes the hellish