![[article cover study.wiki.png]] **[Practical Christianity Wiki Home page]( https://publish.obsidian.md/practical-christianity/About/Biblical+Studies)** [Buy me a coffee?](https://givesendgo.com/PracticalChristianity?utm_source=sharelink&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=PracticalChristianity) # Exegesis of Revelation 9: Thought-by-Thought Analysis **Scripture Reference: [Revelation 9:1](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.1&version=AMP)** --- **Cross Reference**: #Revelation #judgment, #apocalyptic_imagery, #spiritual_warfare --- ## Introduction: The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets Revelation 9 continues the sequence of divine judgment announced by the seven trumpets. This chapter focuses on the fifth and sixth trumpets, also known as the first and second “woes.” The judgments escalate in intensity, unleashing torment upon unrepentant humanity. These judgments reveal the depth of [[spiritual warfare]] and God's righteous wrath upon persistent rebellion. --- ## Revelation 9:1-2 – The Fifth Trumpet: The Bottomless Pit Unleashed - **[Revelation 9:1](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.1&version=AMP):** The fifth angel sounds his trumpet, and John sees a star fallen from heaven. This star symbolizes a fallen being, often identified as Satan or another demonic entity, based on parallels with [Isaiah 14:12](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+14.12&version=AMP). The star is given the key to the bottomless pit (Abyss), indicating that God allows this being to release forces of judgment. - **[Revelation 9:2](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.2&version=AMP):** When the pit is opened, smoke rises, darkening the air and sun. This imagery symbolizes the spiritual darkness released upon the earth, reflecting the destructive nature of demonic forces. --- ## Revelation 9:3-6 – The Torment of the Locusts - **[Revelation 9:3](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.3&version=AMP):** Out of the smoke come locusts with the power of scorpions. These locusts are symbolic creatures, representing demonic forces. They are not permitted to harm vegetation but are allowed to torment people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. - **[Revelation 9:4-5](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.4-5&version=AMP):** The locusts inflict torment for five months, the typical lifespan of a locust. This time frame underscores the temporary but severe nature of the judgment. Those tormented seek death but are unable to find it, highlighting the unbearable suffering during this period. - **[Revelation 9:6](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.6&version=AMP):** The desire for death underscores the torment inflicted by these demonic forces. Yet, God’s judgment is not immediate death but prolonged suffering, intended to provoke repentance. --- ## Revelation 9:7-12 – Description of the Locusts - **[Revelation 9:7-10](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.7-10&version=AMP):** The locusts have an appearance resembling horses prepared for battle. Their crowns of gold, human-like faces, women's hair, lions’ teeth, and scorpion-like tails symbolize their terrifying and destructive nature. This description emphasizes their role as agents of [[spiritual warfare]]. - **[Revelation 9:11](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.11&version=AMP):** The locusts have a king over them, named Abaddon in Hebrew and Apollyon in Greek, both meaning “Destroyer.” This figure represents a demonic leader, further emphasizing the organized nature of these forces of judgment. - **[Revelation 9:12](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.12&version=AMP):** The first woe has passed, but two more woes are still to come. This verse emphasizes the escalating nature of divine judgment. --- ## Revelation 9:13-15 – The Sixth Trumpet: Release of the Four Angels - **[Revelation 9:13](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.13&version=AMP):** The sixth angel sounds his trumpet, and a voice from the altar commands the release of four angels bound at the great river Euphrates. The Euphrates represents a boundary from which destructive forces emerge, recalling ancient Israel’s enemies from the east. - **[Revelation 9:14-15](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.14-15&version=AMP):** The four angels, prepared for this exact moment, are released to kill a third of mankind. Their release signifies the next phase of divine judgment, demonstrating God’s control over the timing and scope of these judgments. --- ## Revelation 9:16-19 – The Army of 200 Million - **[Revelation 9:16](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.16&version=AMP):** John hears the number of the army—200 million. The vastness of this army symbolizes the overwhelming and inescapable nature of judgment. - **[Revelation 9:17-19](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.17-19&version=AMP):** The army’s description—horses with heads like lions and tails like serpents—emphasizes their terrifying power. They kill a third of mankind through fire, smoke, and sulfur, symbolizing God’s judgment executed through these destructive agents. --- ## Revelation 9:20-21 – The Refusal to Repent - **[Revelation 9:20](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.20&version=AMP):** Despite these judgments, humanity refuses to repent of their idolatry and wickedness. This verse highlights the hardness of human hearts, even in the face of divine punishment. - **[Revelation 9:21](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+9.21&version=AMP):** The people continue in their sins, including murder, sorcery, immorality, and theft. This refusal to repent emphasizes the depth of human rebellion against God, setting the stage for further judgments. --- #### Call to Action: - Repent while there is still time, for God's judgment is righteous and imminent. - Be vigilant in spiritual warfare, knowing that demonic forces are real but limited by God's sovereignty. - Trust in God's justice, knowing that He will hold the wicked accountable. --- **Related Concepts:** - [[Spiritual Warfare]] - [[Judgment of Sin]] - [[Apocalyptic Imagery]] - [[Divine Sovereignty]]