Revelation 9:1-21

After the eagle's warning of "woe" 3 times in Revelation 8:13, Revelation chapter 9 continues with the details of the effects or events which will follow the last 2 of 3 angels blowing their trumpets.

The first woe spans from verse 1 to verse 11 below.

Revelation 9:1-6:

^9:1And the fifth angel trumpeted; and I saw a star having fallen² out-from heaven into the earth, and the key of the well of the abyss was given to him ^.2and he opened the well of the abyss; and smoke ascended from the well as smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air was darkened from the smoke of the well, ^.3and locusts came-out from the smoke into the earth and authority was given to them as the scorpions of the earth have authority.

^.4And it was said to them in order that they will not treat-unrighteously the grass of the earth nor every green-thing nor every tree except the men, the-people-who do not have the seal of God on the foreheads, ^.5and it was given to them in order that they may not kill them but in order that they will be tormented five months and their torment as torment of a scorpion whenever it may hit a man.

^.6And in those days the men will seek-after death and they will never find it and they will intensely-yearn to die and death flees from them.

The fifth angel blew his trumpet; and I perceived (knew with my mind)...

a star that has fallen (this star previously fell and it remains in its fallen state - figuratively referring to the devil/satan who was a beautiful angel before he chose to reject the only true God)
- out from heaven (the area above the earth, the sky)
- into the earth,

...and the key (the instrument which is necessary to be able to bind or loosen, tie or untie, lock or unlock, close or open, exclude or receive, stop the exit or grant the entrance/access)...

of the well (pit, a deep hole dug into the earth; a water well is usually covered with a large rock when not in use so that people or animals would not fall into it; this deep hole required an instrument to be able to open the orifice)
- of the abyss (that place which does not have a bottom to it, very far away, without measured depth underneath the observed land and sea)

...was given to the fifth angel and he opened the well of the abyss; and...

smoke went upwards out from the well
- in comparison to smoke of a large furnace (kiln),
and the sun and the air (the gaseous mixture in the expanse between heaven and earth)
- was darkened (caused to lack or be deprived of light) from the smoke of the well,
and locusts (insects as grasshoppers, which swarm and can travel large distances infesting areas and stripping trees and fields of vegetation - however these locusts are not the ordinary type because these have a king/leader according to verse 11 below, whereas the ordinary locusts do not have a king according to Proverbs 30:27)
- came (went) out from the smoke
- into the earth
  - and authority (authoritative-power, permitted-right) was given to them
  - in comparison to the way that the scorpions of the earth have authority (scorpions can sting a man with the end of its tail).

And it was said (spoken by definite words being uttered) to the locusts, for the purpose and resulting fact that...

they will not treat unrighteously (wrong, act unjustly towards - they will not devour vegetation such as)
- the grass of the earth
- nor all/every green-thing
- nor all/every tree
except the men (if not, unless the men; only members of mankind are whom these locusts will act unjustly towards)
- which ones? -
- emphatically and specifically the people who do not have the seal of God on the foreheads (those who are not included in the 144,000 people referred to in Revelation 7:2-8),

...and it was given to the locusts for the purpose and result that they would not kill those men - but contrary to killing them, the locusts were given this authority for the purpose and resulting fact that...

those men will be tormented (they will be like a touchstone that is being rubbed against by other things testing it and thereby causing marks, forced pains, tortures to them)
- for a period of time spanning five months
and their torment will be in comparison to the torment caused by a scorpion whenever it would hit (strike) a man.

And during those days (while the locusts are affecting the members of mankind who reject God and the Lord Jesus Christ for 5 months)...

the men will look for death (the end of life, the point of dying, being without physical/natural life)
- and they will never find it (the word translated “never” comes from two Greek words both meaning “no” or “not” – the double negative emphasizes the point – they will not ever, not at any time, definitely not during those 5 months find death - the locusts' torture will not kill any of them)
and they will intensely yearn to die (they will lust, fix or attach their strong desire upon ending their physical life, to be lifeless, inactive)
- and death flees (death is in flight) away from them.

The effects of the locusts will not result in death even though those affected will be so tormented that they will seek after death and intensely yearn to die. The devil/satan will continue to be able to kill people on many occasions until he himself and death will be destroyed (Revelation 20:10 and 14), but he will not be able to kill any of those people via his locusts during that 5 month period of time.

The only true God and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, have greater authority and power than the devil. Therefore, the devil and/or the people who reject God cannot overstep the boundary limitations that God established when God raised Jesus up alive from being dead, giving him a new spiritual body, and placed him at His right-hand side to be second-in-command to God Himself Who is his Father.

[Reference: Genesis 1:2, 7;11, 8:2; Deuteronomy 28:15 and 38; I Kings 19:4; Job 3:21; Isaiah 14:12; Jeremiah 8:3; Matthew 3:4, 26:68; Luke 8:31, 10:19, 11:12; John 7:6-9, 8:59; Acts 2:24; Romans 1:4, 6:9, 10:7; I Corinthians 15:26; II Corinthians 1:10; Philippians 2:27; Colossians 1:15-20; II Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 1:3 and 4, 2:14 and 15; I Peter 3:19; II Peter 2:4 and 17; I John 5:16; Revelation 1:17 and 18, 7:2-8, 8:6, 11:7, 17:8, 20:1, 3 and 10-15.]

Verses 7-11:

^.7And the likenesses of the locusts (were) like horses having been prepared² into war, and on their heads as crowns like gold, and their faces as faces of men; ^.8and they used-to-have hairs as hairs of women, and their teeth used-to-be as of lions, ^.9and they used-to-have breastplates as iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings as (the) sound of chariots of many horses running into war; ^.10and they have tails like scorpions, and points, and in their tails (is) their authority to treat-unrighteously the men five months; ^.11they have on them a king, the angel of the abyss, in-Hebrew named Abaddon and in the Greek he has a name Apollyon.

John continues by writing more details regarding these locusts: And the likenesses of the locusts (their similarities, the similitude of their resulting products and effects) were like (similar to)...

horses
- having been prepared and continuing prepared into war (previously made ready and remaining ready for, directed to, with a view to battle),
and on their heads there were
- in comparison to crowns similar to gold,
and their faces (their front, outward, visible appearances, visage, countenance) were
- in comparison to the faces of men (human-beings, mankind);

....and (from the viewpoint of these locusts continuing to occur during a past time, historically for 5 months)...

they used to have hairs
- in comparison to the hairs of women (long, flowing, and covering hairs),
and their teeth used to be
- in comparison to the teeth of lions (big, strong, and sharp teeth),
and they used to have breastplates (thoraxes, the parts of their bodies which protected the chest area)
- in comparison to breastplates made of iron,
and the sound of their wings was
- in comparison to the sound of chariots being pulled by a lot of horses running into war (hastening, hurrying, quickly moving to a battle);

...and (from the viewpoint of the locusts' activities having a continuing effect)...

they have (hold) tails similar to scorpions,
- and points (stings, pricks which can hurt others at the end of their tails),
and within the sphere of action of their tails is
- their authority to treat the men unrighteously for a period of five months (as verse 3 and 5 above);
they have on them a king (a sovereign, a monarch who has royal dominion and government and rule and territory and power over these locusts, which is not usual according to Proverbs 30:27),
- specifically their king is
- the angel pertaining to the abyss (this angel is the spirit-being referred to in verse 1 above as the star which has fallen out-from heaven into the earth: the devil, satan),
  - a name to/for him in the Hebrew language is Abaddon (this is a transliteration of a Hebrew word)
  - and in the Greek language he has a name Apollyon (this is a transliteration of the Greek word).

Both the words Abaddon and Apollyon mean: destroyer, the one who is destroying, who utterly ruins, causing destruction, completely loosing himself and/or others away from the only true God. There are many names used in the Bible to describe the devil's characteristics, qualities, etc. The devil is the chief of the devil-spirits (demons), which are the other evil-spirits in subordination to the devil. These spirits are evil because they willingly, actively, and malignantly went against and continue to go against what God says and does. God has judged them and the complete fulfillment of His judgment will come to pass at a future time. Refer to Genesis 3:14 and 15; Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19; I Peter 3:19 and 20; and Revelation chapters 12, 19 and 20, which are some of the prophecies that include information about the devil’s past, present, and future.

As detailed above, the word "abyss" refers to that place which does not have a bottom to it, very far away, without measured depth underneath the observed land and sea. The place of destruction in which the destroyer (the devil/satan) is currently able to move and perform his activities is part of the abyss which is not seen by mankind - however, it is observed by God and now also by the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, we should note that the abyss is not the same as death (the point of dying) or a grave (tomb) or gravedom (the state of being dead) or the lake of fire. Refer to Genesis 1:2, 7:11, 8:2; Job 26:6, 28:14, 38:16; Psalm 33:6 and 7, 88:10-12; Proverbs 15:11, 27:20; Jonah 2:1-7; Luke 8:31, 10:18-20; Acts 2:26-36; Romans 10:7, II Corinthians 11:14; Colossians 2:15; II Thessalonians 2:3-12; and Revelation 1:18, 11:7, 17:5-8, 20:1-3.

The devil/satan is currently allowed to go into and out-of the abyss, along with most of his devil-spirits (demons, evil spirits, the other angels which have also rejected God), but some of them are imprisoned there because of their previous activities. Refer to I Peter 3:19 and 20; II Peter 2:4; and Jude 1:6.

[Reference: Proverbs 30:27; Jeremiah 51:27; Joel 1:6, 2:5; John 10:10; II Corinthians 2:15, 4:3 and 4; Ephesians 2:2, 6:14; I Thessalonians 5:8; II Thessalonians 2:3, 4 and 7-12.]

Verse 12:

^.12The woe, the one (woe) went-away; look!, two woes yet go after these-things.

John specifies a change or transition of woes:

The woe (regret, misery, distress),
- emphatically and specifically the one woe (number 1 of 3 woes)
  - went away (the effects or events pertaining to the first woe have gone by for John in what he is seeing and hearing by revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ);
look (behold, pay attention)!,
- two woes (2 more woes)
  - still go after these-things (there are another 2 woes set to continue following the things detailed above regarding the first woe).

[Reference: Revelation 8:13.]

The second woe spans from verse 13 below to Revelation 11:13.

Verses 13-19:

^.13And the sixth angel trumpeted; and I heard one sound out-from the horns of the sacrificial-altar, the golden (sacrificial-altar), the (sacrificial-altar) before God, ^.14saying to the sixth angel, the (angel) having the trumpet, "You must loosen the four angels, the (angels) having been bound² on the river, the great Euphrates." ^.15And the four angels were loosened, the (angels) having been prepared² into the hour and day and month and year in order that they may kill the third of the men.

^.16And the number of the companies-of-soldiers of a horse (was) two ten-thousands of ten-thousands, I heard the number of them, ^.17and thus I saw the horses in the sight and the (ones) sitting-down on them having fiery and hyacinthine and sulfurous breastplates, and the heads of the horses as (the) heads of lions and from their mouths journeys-out fire and smoke and sulfur; ^.18the third of men were killed from these three strokes, from the fire and the smoke and the sulfur, the (one) journeying-out from their mouths, ^.19for the authority of the horses is in their mouth and in their tails, for their tails (are) having heads like snakes and they treat-unrighteously in them.

The sixth angel blew his trumpet; and I heard one sound (only one voice, a single uttered-tone) out from...

the horns (referring to the 4 projections or points shaped like the horns of animals at the 4 corners of this altar, which represent the radiance of strength and power of God, and blood was applied to them in making atonement for certain types of sin [some Greek texts include the number "four" specifying the 4 horns] - this one sound goes out from the horns covering all directions)
- of the sacrificial-altar (refer to Revelation 8:3),
- emphatically and specifically the golden sacrificial-altar (on which incense is burned),
  - the sacrificial-altar which is in the sight and presence of God,

...saying to the sixth angel, emphatically and specifically the angel who has the trumpet (in verse 13 above)...

"You must loosen the four angels (unbind, unfasten, release, untie them),
- emphatically and specifically the angels who were previously bound and continue bound (remain fastened, tied)
- on the river,
  - the large river called Euphrates (meaning: abundance, sprouting or breaking out, blooming, good/well water)."

And the four angels were loosened (unbound, unfastened, released, untied)...

emphatically and specifically the angels having been prepared and continuing prepared (remaining ready)
- into (for, directed to, with a view to)
  - the hour and day and month and year (a specific point in time; these 4 angels had previously received an assignment from the devil/satan but they had been stopped from being allowed to carry it out until this time)

...for the purpose and result that they would kill the third of the men (one-third, the third part of the population of mankind; this excludes the 144,000 people who were sealed in Revelation 7:2-8).

How will these 4 angels accomplish their task, their objective, which is to kill one-third of mankind who will be alive at that time?

And the number (total count, arithmetic, quantity) of the companies of soldiers relating to a horse (equestrian, mounted soldiers, the cavalry) was...

two (twice, 2 times)
- ten-thousands (10,000s, myriads)
  - of ten-thousands
  - (all together this number is 200 million),

...I (John) heard the number of them, and in this manner I perceived (knew with my mind)...

the horses

...in the sight (in that-which was caused to be seen by me, in what was presented to me to be perceived with my eyes and known by me; this is how the Lord Jesus Christ communicated to John what the army would be like which will be led by the 4 angels after they will be released from being bound on the river Euphrates)...

and the ones sitting down on the horses (the riders)
having
- fiery (relating to fire, of/on fire, burning)
- and hyacinthine (relating to hyacinth, a deep red / purple / blue color, as a sapphire)
- and sulfurous (relating to sulfur or sulphur, of the smell following a lightning strike, burning stone, brimstone)
  - breastplates (referring to the armor which protects the chest area of the riders),
and the heads of the horses
- in comparison to the heads of lions
and from the horses' mouths journeys out (making its journey, proceeding, passing out)
- fire
- and smoke
- and sulfur;

...the third of men (one-third, the third part of the population of mankind) were killed...

from these three strokes (blows, strikes, stripes as from being hit by lashes, wounds),
- from the fire
- and the smoke
- and the sulfur,
  - the one (which ever one was the cause of death for each individual) journeying out from their mouths,

...for the authority (authoritative-power, permitted-right) of the horses is...

within the sphere of action of their mouth (described in verses 17 and 18 above)
and within the sphere of action of their tails,
- for their tails are having heads similar to snakes
- and they treat unrighteously (they wrong, act unjustly) in/with their tails.

[Reference: Genesis 2:14, 15:18; Exodus 27:2, 30:1-10; Leviticus 4:7-18, 16:18; Isaiah 31:3; Jeremiah 46:10; Ezekiel 28:11-16; Luke 17:29; Revelation 8:3, 16:12.]

Verses 20 and 21:

^.20And the remaining-people of the men, the (remaining-people) not killed in these strokes, neither repented out-from the works of their hands in order that they will not worship the devils and the idols - the golden and the silver and the copper and the stony and the wooden (idols), which neither are able to observe nor to hear nor to walk - ^.21and they did not repent out-from their murders neither out-from their sorceries nor out-from their fornication nor out-from their thefts.

The remaining-people of the men (those who were left alive, the rest of mankind; this excludes the 144,000 people who were sealed in Revelation 7:2-8)...

emphatically and specifically the remaining people who were not killed in these strokes (refer to verse 18 above),

...neither repented (they did not change their minds from bad to good regarding God and the things of God after re-thinking what God said)...

out-from the works of their hands (from the things that are wrought by themselves, the deeds, the end-products, the effects-produced with/by them having acted expending their energy, doing things themselves by their own authority and power - they did not move in motion from their own handiwork)

...for the purpose and resulting fact that (if they would repent then they would not do the following)...

they will not worship (they will not pay homage to, be obeisant towards)
- the devils
  - [The word translated "devils" is the Greek word daimonion, which was used in Greek mythology (falsehoods) to describe supernatural intermediary beings between false-gods and men. In reality, these are the lower-ranking demons, evil spirits like 'privates' which take their direction from the higher-ranking evil spirits (daimon) in the devil's "army" which take their orders and direction from the chief or top-ranking devil-spirit himself who is the devil/satan.]
- and the idols
  - [An idol is an image or something that a person places ahead of God in his/her mind and therefore he/she worships or serves that thing/idol as "god" instead of worshipping and serving the only true God. An idol may or may-not have form and substance. Examples of idols are: books, the people themselves, famous people, devil-spirits, icons, statues, perhaps some agricultural endeavor, the environment, the sun, moon or stars, the web or some other computer-related program, software or hardware, television, video games, eating some particular food, or whatever a person puts above or estimates to be higher in his/her mind and living than the only true God and what He says and does. Anything or anybody placed in higher esteem in the whole of a person’s heart and soul and mind process than God is an idol to/for that person.]
- - the golden (made of, overlaid, or covered with gold)
- and the silver (made of, overlaid, or covered with silver )
- and the copper (made of/with bronze, brass, or any metal)
- and the stony (made of/with stone)
- and the wooden (made of/with wood)
  - idols,
- which neither are able (the handmade idols of gold or silver or copper or stone or wood do not have the ability, the able-power, the capability)
  - to observe (to look-at something so as to see it, to mentally envision, be mentally aware of, contemplate an object, someone or something)
  - nor to hear (to listen to the end of understanding an object, someone or something)
  - nor to walk (to go on foot, to move around on their feet)
    - [Note: this list does not include "nor to speak" because at that future time a handmade idol will speak without a man programming it - how? - by means of the devil's power (refer to Revelation 13:15).] -

...and they did not repent (as verse 20 above)...

out-from their murders (the wrongful killings of men, women, or children from God’s viewpoint)
neither out-from their sorceries (the preparation and use of medicines, drugs, potions, poisons, like pharmacy but used in the bad sense of the magical arts of enchantment, incantations, spells, witchcraft, wizardry, etc)
nor out-from their fornication (committing wrongful sexual activity or relations)
nor out-from their thefts (actions of stealthily stealing what is not rightfully theirs to take, kleptomania, things stolen by fraud or in secret).

[Reference: Exodus 7:22, 20:4, 22:18; Leviticus 19:4 and 31, 20:6 and 27; Deuteronomy 4:27-29, 5:8, 18:10-12, 29:16-20, 31:29, 32:17; I Samuel 28:7; I Chronicles 10:13; II Chronicles 18:21 and 22, 33:6; Psalm 96:5, 106:37, 115:4-8, 135:15-18; Isaiah 2:8, 8:11-22, 47:9-15; Jeremiah 1:16, 8:6-12, 10:1-5, 27:9; Daniel 2:26-28, 5:23; Micah 5:12 and 13; Nahum 3:4; Malachi 3:5; Matthew 11:20-24, 12:22-33, 15:19; Acts 7:39-43, 15:20, 16:16. Romans 1:28-32, 2:22; I Corinthians 8:4-6, 10:19-21, 12:2; II Corinthians 6:16; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:5 and 6; Colossians 3:5; I Thessalonians 1:9; I Timothy 4:1; James 2:19; I John 5:21; Revelation 2:21, 13:15, 18:23, 19:20, 21:8. Chart. Stars and Constellations. Hope and Resurrection. The devil, satan, evil. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

Revelation Chapter 10