The 5th Trumpet
Revelation Chapter 9’s description of the 5th trumpet begins with a “star” falling to Earth with a key to the abyss. With the key, the “star” will open the abyss; giving locusts from the abyss access to Earth.
- Rev 9:1 And the fifth angel trumpeted. And I saw a star out of the heaven falling onto the earth. And the key to the pit of the abyss was given to it.
- Rev 9:2 And he opened the pit of the abyss. And smoke went up out of the pit, like smoke of a great furnace. And the sun was darkened, and the air, by the smoke of the pit.
- Rev 9:3 And out of the smoke locusts came forth to the earth. And authority was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have authority.
The “star” is unlikely a real star because a real star descending to Earth would destroy it. Some speculate that the star is Jesus Christ because He has the keys to places like the abyss.
- Rev 1:17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet, as dead. And He put His right hand on me, saying to me, Do not fear. I am the First and the Last,
- Rev 1:18 and the Living One; and I became dead; and, behold, I am living forever and ever. Amen. And I have the keys to hell, and of death.
However, the star is unlikely Jesus because the star is handed the keys to the abyss. Christ already possesses the keys so it makes little sense for Christ to hand the keys to Himself since He already possesses the keys.
The “star” mostly likely is an angel because stars symbolize angels a few times in the Book of Revelation (see Revelation 1:20 and Revelation 12:4).
The locusts from the abyss will be given instructions about what they can do and what they cannot do. The locusts will be permitted to torment any human who does not have the “seal of God on their foreheads”. However, the locusts will not be permitted to kill anyone they torment. Nevertheless, the torture will be so bad that many people will prefer to die than to receive more torture.
- Rev 9:4 And it was said to them that they should not harm the grass of the earth, nor every green thing, nor every tree, except only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
- Rev 9:5 And it was given to them that they should not kill them, but that they be tormented five months. And their torment is as the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.
- Rev 9:6 And in those days men will seek death, and they will not find it. And they will long to die, yet death will flee from them.
Revelation 9:7-10 describes what the locusts will look like:
- Rev 9:7 And the likenesses of the locusts were like horses having been prepared for war; and on their heads as crowns, like gold; and their faces like the faces of men.
- Rev 9:8 And they had hairs like the hairs of women; and their teeth were like those of lions.
- Rev 9:9 And they had breastplates like iron breastplates; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running to war.
- Rev 9:10 And they have tails like scorpions, and their stings were in their tails; and their authority is to harm men five months.
Some people speculate about whether or not these locusts are supernatural entities. I believe these locusts are supernatural entities because they originate from the abyss, which is a spiritual place where evil souls are temporary held before judgment (see Revelation 17:8).[1]
Some argue that these locusts are demonic because they will come out of the abyss. However, nowhere in Revelation 9 does it directly say that these locusts are demonic. In fact, I argue that these locusts are doing a good thing by torturing people on Earth who are not divinely-protected. In addition, it is inconceivable to me that the survivors of the 5th trumpet and the 6th trumpet would still be loyal to Antichrist and various other evil entities as described in Revelation 9:20 if they are being tortured by entities connected to the evil things they are worshiping.
- Rev 9:20 And the rest of men, those not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they will not worship demons, and "golden idols, and silver, and bronze, and stone, and wooden idols, which neither are able to see, nor to hear," nor to walk.
The locusts’ work is part of the work of the Wrath of God, so they are a tool used by God to punish people.
Revelation 9:11 tells us that the locusts’ activities are overseen by a leader. The leader of the locusts is a mysterious figure whose is referred to as “Abaddon” in Hebrew and “Apollyon” in Greek.
- Rev 9:11 And they have a king over them, the angel of the abyss. In Hebrew his name was Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.
In Part 2, I’ll give you the identity of who I believe is Abaddon/Apollyon.
On an unrelated note, I am currently doing some research for an upcoming post on the Shroud of Turin. What I’ve found so far in my research about the Shroud was far far beyond what I expected to find. I think there is a good chance that the upcoming post on the Shroud is going to be interesting to say the least.
Note
[1] Another reason why these locusts are likely supernatural beings is that Proverbs 30:27 says that natural locusts have no king over them. The locusts in Revelation 9 have a king so it’s probable that these are not natural locusts.
