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Revelation 9

• Discover The Actions Of Demonic Creatures

• The Destruction Of Evil Angels Is Foretold

Revelation 9 introduces the fifth and sixth trumpets, which are representative of God's wrath upon the unrepentant nation of Israel that will succumb to Antichrist's abominable idol worship. Paul wrote, "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion ["falling away" (K.J.V.) from the truth] occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God," 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. 

By this period in the appointed time of the end, the judgment (Daniel 7:9) will be concluded (Revelation 8:5), forever ending the opportunity for repentance and salvation.  As the port was shut on Noah's boat of escape to the antediluvian civilization just days before the great deluge of rain, so will the door of mercy be shut on the wicked just days preceding the trumpet plagues.  As Noah witnessed of coming wrath, so also God's witnesses warn the nations of the final judgment.  Nonetheless, when the religious leaders and admired politicians proclaim "peace and safety; destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you brethren, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief," 1 Thessalonians 5:3-4.

"THE END" (Matthew 24:14)--the final days of the Great Tribulation--will be a devastating time of mass annihilation.  The planet will be rocked and jolted, great cities will fall into heaps of rubble, uncontrollable plagues and pestilences will sweep across continents; fires, storms and high winds, tidal waves, earthquakes, wars and bloodshed will overtake Planet Earth.  Nearly as quickly as the earth was created with its beauty and splendor, the planet will be brought to desolation and ruin (Jeremiah 4:23-29).

Demonic activity is very real, although mostly unseen. Many still are free to move about within the boundaries that God has set: "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," Ephesians 6:12. 

The Bible also speaks of the prison house of evil angels who are confined in a place called the "Abyss."  Jesus confronted the demons who controlled the man of Gadarenes, and in fear they "begged Him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss," Luke 8:28.  Evidently, not all demons are allowed to run loose upon this planet but are confined in a deep prison, otherwise there would be total mayhem.

Peter wrote about a time before the flood that evil angels were engaging in activities that were deplorable to God.  Genesis 6:2-4 says "the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and they married any of them they chose... the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown."  God decided to destroy the earth with a flood and to imprison these evil angels.  Because of Christ's death and resurrection, these spirits (evil angels) in prison are subject to his authority (1 Peter 3:19-22).

"The angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for the judgment on the great Day," Jude 6.

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment... the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment," 2 Peter 2:4-9.

Their demise is foretold, and they are let loose for a short time before their destruction by Almighty God: "In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above [evil angels] and the kings on the earth below. They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison [in death] and be punished after many days [the 1,000 year delay]," Isaiah 24:21-22.

Revelation 9 speaks of the future day, in symbolic language, when the door will be opened and all the imprisoned and fallen angels will be given freedom, for a season, to swarm from place to place and torture earth's inhabitants.  This study will attempt to search out this terrible woe, and to bring some kind of understanding about the last days of this world, as we know it.

Fifth Angel

1. Revelation 9:1 the fifth angel sounds his trumpet of woe, and John saw a star that had fallen to the earth.  What does a "star" sometimes represent in the Bible (Daniel 8:10)?

Stars can represent God's created beings or angels (both good and bad).  The righteous saints are promised that one day they too will "shine like the brightness of the heavens ... like the stars for ever and ever," (Daniel 12:3).  The fallen star came from Heaven, which would indicate a loss of position and a loss of light.  Jesus relayed to his disciples how He had personally witnessed Satan "fall like lightning from Heaven," Luke 10:18, signifying that Satan would one day lose his power and dominion.  Revelation 12:7-9 reveals a battle in Heaven where Satan and his evil army attempt to overthrow God's kingdom, but Michael and the unfallen angels turn back and dispel Satan to be "hurled to the earth, and his angels with him," Revelation 12:9. 

2. How does Isaiah 14:12 add to what we've read so far?

The fallen demon is given the key (with Heaven's authority) to unlock the shaft of the Abyss, or prison house of evil angels (Luke 8:28).  The earth will erupt like a volcano.  So great was the smoke of the Abyss that the sky was darkened, and out of the smoke John saw locusts with tails like scorpions that could hurt. 

3. What earthly items were excluded from their harm (v. 4), and who were to be the recipients of their wrath?

The evil angels are not to harm the earth itself, but to vent their anger on evil men.  How do we know they cannot harm the saints?  Only those without the seal of God can be touched.  We know then that the fifth trumpet does not blow until after the sealing of the 144,000 (Revelation 7:1-4).

4. How important is the seal of God during the end-time?

The seal is the only means of protection from the wrath of the final end.  All mankind without the seal are doomed.

5. What group specifically receives the seal of God according to Revelation 7:2-4?

The 144,000 of the twelve tribes of Israel are the only ones said to be sealed.

6. The remainder of the saints are safely located where, just before the seven angels with the seven last plagues are sent out (Revelation 15:1, 2, 7, 8)?

7. The "great multitude" of all nations (in contrast to the 144,000 of Israel) come out the midst of what (Revelation 7:9, 14)?

When Michael stands and the Great Tribulation begins there is a limited resurrection of the saints (many of whom have been martyred) (Daniel 12:1-2), along with the two witnesses (Revelation 11:11), who are taken heavenward; the victorious saints see the seven angels about to emerge with God's wrath (Revelation 15:1-2).  Only the righteous 144,000 elect, who are alive and remain (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17) and are sealed for protection (Revelation 7:4), along with the evil inhabitants of earth are left to endure the catastrophic days of the final judgment plagues.

Revelation 9:5-6 says the demonic locusts are given limited power.  The demons are so dangerous they could kill their victims; however, they are limited to torturous painful stings like scorpions.  The pain will be so intense that whoever is stung will seek death, but it will elude them.  Why is death preferable?  The pain of a typical insect sting goes away after a short period of time, but this attack will cause long-term suffering.  Their fiery throbbing sting can last up to five months, as repeated in verse 10, and mankind would rather die than continue day and night in such excruciating pain. 

The five months may also symbolize an important truth: five months is the life span of a locust from conception, through the larva stage and to death.  Therefore, the last generation of demonic locusts will torture with a sting and will cause insanity for a period of time, but afterwards their doom is certain.

The destiny of evil angels is foretold in Isaiah 24:21.  "In that day [of] the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.  They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; and they will be shut up in prison and be punished ["released"--footnote v. 22] after many days [1,000 years-Revelation 20:1-3].