a study by Rev. Paul A. Bartz

Revelation Chapter Nine divides naturally into two units, one for the Fifth Trumpet (9:1-12) and a second unit covering the Sixth Trumpet (9:13-21).

9:1 -- The fifth angel sounds after a slight pause. "A star from heaven which had fallen to the earth." If literal, again, this would make no sense, especially when "it" is called a "he" and is given a key. It is very clear that we are working with figurative language -- God wants us to know this.

"Bottomless pit," or "abyss" -- The abode of Satan himself -- since Christ's victory he is beaten, and does only so much as he is allowed by God to do. The Greek word used here simply means "very deep" or "bottomless."

9:2 -- Now Satan is released for a task. The place of his abode is pictured here as very horrible indeed. Many commentators state that this is the cause of the darkening of sun, moon, and stars in 8:12. What this does present to us is that the effect of Satan's release for his work in the spiritual realm does have physical effects on the creation. Remember, we are seeing in mostly figurative language the spiritual "behind the scenes" events which result in the flesh-and-blood events of our visible world.

But perhaps we should pause here and ask, why does God, who is good, release Satan if it cannot but result in evil?

Answer: There is much more here than we are being told. But the Word gives us all we need to know. See Job 1:6-12 for the details.

In Job's case God allowed Satan to operate within limits because Job, by faith, which depends on God's strength in grace, could withstand him. Why the struggle at all? Because the nature of living requires this struggle. But in joining God, whose Son has already won the victory, we join the winning side. There is absolutely no way to escape this war except by surrender to the devil which is done directly or indirectly by simply ignoring the battle.

9:3 -- We clearly have figurative language here. These "things" are described as "locusts" with "power like scorpions" and then (v. 7) they appear as horses, wearing crowns, with faces of men and (v. 8) the hair of women and teeth of lions. Also, the fact that the locusts were told not to harm the grass (probably green plants in general), shows that these are figurative locusts. The point is that each of these depictions suggest that the characteristics of these agents of the devil loosed on the creation resemble, in some way, the creatures named.

Strangely enough it is often the same individuals who insist on taking the above literally who also insist that the Words of Institution for the Lord's Supper ("This is My Body," "This is My Blood") must be figurative!

As figurative language what are the points of comparison?

"Locusts" -- as locusts their spread cannot be headed off or stopped -- see Joel 2:3-9 for the same language. Obviously this is a huge army.

"As the Scorpions have power" -- some scorpions produce death, others just great torture. These "scorpions" were limited so as not to produce death (v. 5) in conquering but only torture. The commentators are unanimous that with these limitations we are dealing with a danger which is more of a spiritual nature, namely religious delusion.

9:4 -- They were not to hurt the grass nor other plants, but only those without the seal of God. Remember, the seal says "Holy to the Lord" and belongs to all those who are cleansed by grace through faith in Christ. (See notes on Chapter 7:3) These could not be harmed. All others without the seal, many who were church members, were harmed by being drawn away.

The influence of various sins, false religions, are always drawing from the visible church those who are not truly part of the invisible church. Those who are sealed are not enticed away because God allows them the favor of seeing what is going on. How is this done? Those who are sealed as Christ's own characteristically love and depend on the Word of God. It is through that Word that they were enlightened, for their own protection, by the Holy Spirit.

It is clear that this plague relates to a rapidly spreading religious delusion. Unlike the previous plagues (trumpets) the damage is not of war and physical plunder. (Compare verse 4 with 8:7 and 8:9) but of spiritual plunder at the devil's instigation. But which delusion? The text offers hints to the answer. The Koran expressly forbids the harming of vegetation, or a scorched-earth policy, during holy wars, hence Muslims are not to hurt the grass or other plants, even in war. In part the Koran instructs:

"Destroy no palm trees, nor burn any fields of corn. Cut down no fruit trees, nor do any mischief to cattle, only such as you kill to eat."

"but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads." -- The Koran also forbids the killing of Christians in houses of worship or engaged in prayer. Such would be those Christians, who facing the Muslim sword, turn to God in prayer, and are left untouched.

9:5 -- "Not to kill anyone" -- Physical death is excluded. These attackers were allowed only to torture their victims, but could not kill them. The scorpion's sting is the most painful of all for its size, and takes a couple of months to heal. The torture of religious delusion lies on the lack of peace with God through the forgiveness of sins in Christ. Luther, as many others under the Roman Catholic system of earned grace, was constantly tortured with the question, "Have I complete acceptance by God?" This is true torture in the deepest sense.

It can be pointed out that from the information given here, the religious delusion we are looking at is "works righteousness." The torment to the serious soul in such a religion is continuous, nagging, and becomes the center of a person's life while it lasts. Again, the Muslim religion is about the most law-oriented religion known to man, salvation depending on the keeping of all the laws. Violation of some laws brings harsh punishment, even as we see in modern Muslim countries.

"For 5 months" -- This religious delusion is limited in its spread and appeal. Since all of the other language has been figurative, and there is no "shifting of gears" to indicate this is not also figurative, we are wisest to stay simply with the point of comparison: it is limited. 5 months is the usual length of the locust season -- point of comparison: this will run its full course, just as 5 months is the full course of the locust season.

It should be noted that from our stand-point, the Muslim religion is not only still around, but it is still growing. However, Arabian Mohammedanism, as it was called in the West (as the first woe), was an aggressive period of warfare in which the religion sprang from Mohammed's head to take over the entire Near East in only 400 years from the Seventh through the Eleventh centuries.

9:6 -- "Men will seek death and not find it." -- Many commentators leave this verse uncommented upon. But we can draw some conclusions from it which are justified by this language. First, this serves as further identification that this is talking about the Muslims -- for the Koran forbids the killing of religious persons, even of another religion. (This statement is found in the Koran right after the one about not harming the fruit trees.) As Gibbon (The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire) points out, this made the Muslim invasions much different from the invasions of the Goths (etc.) where bloodshed was the order of the day. Spiritually, death cannot be found even by those who seek it in suicide. The human soul is immortal and suicide only guarantees that when your body dies, it dies in unforgiven sin and you are condemned. Remember that Revelation is giving us a view of the spiritual realities, armies, principalities and powers translated into human terms.

9:7-9 -- Here we have a further description of the Locusts. Joel 1 and 2 uses this same description to prophetically present the Judgment of God upon Israel by the Chaldean, Persian, Greek and Roman armies. See also Hosea 10:8. This kind of language here in Revelation is very much "in type" for God's way of describing such devastation.

Each characteristic of the locusts is represented in symbol by one of the features. Each of these features is not a main point but simply provides a description.

"Horses prepared for battle" -- The horse is a universal symbol of power and struggle. Such an appearance strikes fear in the heart of the enemy. This also presupposes planning and preparation for battle.

"Heads, crowns like gold" -- This is a symbol of victory, presupposed before the attack because there is no escape. The attackers are proud of it.

"Faces like the faces of men" -- Refers to the nature of the religious delusion: a departing from the Word of God by the persuasive power of the appeal of human reason and man's intelligence. There were (and are) many who follow Christianity only because it is the most common religion. They have few convictions and if they were taken over by a Muslim believing people they would (and historically did) switch. This is happening in Europe and England even now. (Would you be one of these?)

According to the Koran, a denial of Christ and a desire to accept the Muslim religion guarantees the protection and well-being of that person.

"Hair as the hair of women" -- Most commentators don't know exactly what to do with this. Some have suggested that this is a reference to the seductiveness and indulgence of the base passions. It may also be a reference to the attractiveness of the Muslim way of life, or the appeal of the apparently high moral standards offered by the Muslim religion.

"Teeth as the teeth of lions" -- Strong, sharp and slashing, except in this case, not to kill. Nevertheless, effective at their task.

"Breast plates like breast plates of iron" -- Those who follow a self-made type of religiosity based on Christianity will find the religious approach of the Muslims much superior to the Christianity they have known in morality, ecumenicity, and sincere devotion. In a surface examination of illegitimacy rates, murder rates, theft rates, etc. between nominally Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia and nominally Christian countries like the United States, Christianity would seem powerless in the battle for morality, while the Muslim countries would seem girded for an successful battle. However, with respect to saving faith and utter dependence on God's grace, many forget how brittle and ineffective are the lances of their self-made character, and how light and fragile are the arrows of their sudden resolution.

"The sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle" -- In ancient battles good armies had chariots and were almost always assured of victory. The best armies had the most chariots. As locusts innumerable it must have been an awesome and fearful sight.

9:10 -- Repeats the information contained in verse 5, underlining this as a most important and dominant characteristic: the torments of religious uncertainty of the religiously honest in such a works-righteous religion. But we are again reminded that this torment will run its course.

9:11 -- A description of the leader of all this, Mohammed, the originator of the Muslim religion. Abaddon means "Destruction" in Hebrew. Apollyon means "The destroyer" in Greek. This is not the devil himself, but is described as a King and messenger of the bottomless pit, certainly presenting a picture of deepest hell to us. It is instructive to note at this point that the primary Muslim confession of faith is: "There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet." Those who worship other than the true God revealed in Scripture, worship demons (see 1 Corinthians 10:20).

Casting the Muslim tradition aside and relying on the historical evidence, it all happened this way. Young Mohammed saw his people of the Arabian peninsula in the 7th Century A.D. as a disorganized and superstitious people. And he also saw the Jews as an ancient people, unified by their religion. He wanted the same for his people. And so, using both the Old and New Testaments of Scripture, as well as elements which seemed to his mind would provide a unique character and unity to his people, he wrote the Koran. Later he claimed an angel gave it to him. He was a genius, an evil genius, and the time for such a move was right. People quickly rallied around his "revelations." So Mohammed, having been at least somewhat familiar with Christianity, and having the opportunity to bring Christ to his people, instead became the devil's servant. He destroyed when he had an opportunity to build and misled billions over the centuries to eternal damnation.

The demonic nature of the Muslim religion is quite evident in its teachings:

• Works Righteousness -- rather than grace in Christ.

• Christ as true man and prophet -- but not God and Savior

• ecumenicity -- teaching that there are different ways to God based on sincerity of belief.

These are all false beliefs which have proved effective in pulling the weak away from Christ. While Scripture expressly contradicts each of these ideas, weak Christians who have little knowledge of the Bible, and little strength (which is gained by contact with the Word) are easily led away from Christianity by these beliefs which form the basis of teaching for this prophet of the devil.

9:12 -- This is the first of two woes to come after completion of this woe. Thus ends the events heralded by the 5th angel.

9:13 -- The Sixth angel sounds heralding a new event. The event which begins here is heralded in Rev. 11:14 as the Second Woe. However, all the events between 9:13 and 11:14 are not part of the the Second Woe, as shall become evident.

"A voice" is literally "one voice" and is usually understood as the very voice of God. The horns of the altar were projections on each corner of the altar in the Tabernacle (Exodus 27:2: remember that the things associated with worship, especially in Israel, were modeled after the items found in the heavenly Temple). The horns of the altar is the beginning of seeking asylum in a place of worship (see Exodus 29:12 and 1 Kings 1:50-51).

The major commentators are agreed that this trumpet is speaking of things already accomplished -- the spread, invasion and destruction of Turkish Mohammedanism. Included here are Martin Luther, R.C.H. Lenski, Luther Poellot, George Stoeckhardt, Albert Barnes, and Matthew Henry.

We shall list the identifying factors listed in the text (v.15-21) and then correlate them to actual events. (Gibbon lists 15 points which correlate in these seven verses in his Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, and he was not even attempting to explain these verses!)

9:14 -- "The Great River Euphrates" up to this time the Turkish Muslims had been restricted East of the Euphrates River. In 1057 they began moving West across the river. Their form of Muslimism was every bit as dangerous as Arabian Muslimism, but was a lot less careful about preserving life. Many died in their Westward move. They literally poured into Persia, bordering the Euphrates.

9:15 -- Four angels suggests the cooperation of four powers as representative forces. In their newly acquired area the Turks set up four kingdoms. And these four kingdoms were bound around the Euphrates for two centuries by Christian resistance.

"An hour and day and month and year" -- many commentators have each day equal a year and arrive at a time of 391 years covered in this sounding of the trumpet -- this is equal to the actual 396 years because of a calendar adjustment in the West during this period. But be careful, this system doesn't always work. But this language does identify this as a limited time.

"Kill a third of mankind" -- In the past in Revelation, this term has been clearly identified as referring to the Roman Empire. And indeed the Turks began to move into that Third Part of mankind killing with weapons, but more dangerously, killing the soul in eternal death with false religion. As already pointed out, Turkish Muslimism was not careful about following the Koran regarding who may not be killed during a holy war.

9:16 -- "Armies of Horsemen" -- The invaders were mounted on horseback -- horses also symbolize courage and fierceness.

"Two hundred million" -- (literally "2 myriads of myriads"). In order to literally reach this number all members of the Turkish army over two centuries would have to be counted. Here the Romans counted their army by legions, the Turks did literally number their army by "myriads." A further identification that this is speaking of the Turks! That John notes that he heard the number indicates that this is an important clue to identifying the forces being talked about here. It has also been observed that the Turks had twice as many men as they needed for their army.

9:17 -- "horses . . . riders" -- Of course the invaders are mounted, but with the talk of smoke, fire, and brimstone there is obviously more being presented here than simply mounted invaders.

"Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled heads of lions, and out of their mouth came fire, smoke and sulfur." -- It has been suggested that here St. John is seeing and describing something totally beyond his experience: cannon fire. The fact is the Turks used a massive cannon hurling cannon balls up to a mile and using 300 pound cannon shot to literally pulverize the strongest fortress. It should be noted that early gunpowder was extremely smokey, fiery, and smelled heavily of sulphur. Since St.John never saw a cannon before, he is to be credited with this explanation which could be essentially understood by others who were also unfamiliar with this as yet uninvented weapon.

9:18 -- "A third of mankind was killed by the fire, smoke, and brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths." Note that these Turkish followers of Mohammed are not nearly as attractive as their Arabian cousins (Rev. 9:8). Their policy was convert or kill. They succeeded in virtually wiping out Christianity in the areas they conquered right up to our own day.

9:19 -- "Power of the horses is in their mouths" -- Most commentators take this to mean either the cannon fire or more likely their doctrine. In either case it is accurate. Their false doctrines were spread by their mouths, and the false doctrine here is what hurts -- kills -- eternally.

"Their tails were like snakes having heads do harm." -- If you are in front of them or behind them, you were not safe. The devil is dangerous to you even when he appears to be in retreat. The tail also seems to refer in Scripture to the baser passions, hate, self-righteousness, and revenge. It is no coincidence that what the Muslim religion calls justice, the Scriptures call revenge. The serpent image here also emphasizes the demonic origin of this woe.

9:20 -- "Rest of mankind still did not repent" -- This shows us the nature or purpose of God behind these attacks -- to call mankind to repentance. It was His church -- at that time the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox as the two visible churches -- who were the stewards of doctrine and teaching among men. And they gave a pitiful account of themselves at this time. The Eastern Church offered pure philosophy plus the Sacraments, without the Word. The Roman Church offered superstition plus Sacraments, without the Word. Bells were baptized, saints were being made of pagan gods (idols of gold and silver, etc.) and for extra grace you could gain the favor of kissing the pope's toe. It is no coincidence that the Bishop at Rome had gained the power we associate with the pope today, only within the last 200 years before 1057 A.D. That date places this action by the Roman church at the beginning of this woe. Of course also included are the unbelievers who did not have the benefit of God's witness to them because the visible church was occupied with philosophy, superstition, and setting up the pope's power and riches.

"they did not stop worshiping demons" -- the Bible points out that any worship of any false concept of God is not worship of God but of demons. The only true God is the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. See I Corinthians 10:20-21 and Deuteronomy 32:17. Thus, the worship of demons may appear very civilized and acceptable to polite society. This shows us the great danger of a "God by any other name is still God" philosophy.

9:21 -- " not repent of murders" -- Murder was a natural product of political ambition within the Roman Church as well as without it at this time.

" their magic arts" -- The Greek here translated "magic arts" is pharmakeia from which we get the word pharmacy. Luther translated "Compounding poisons." In recent times it has been discovered that the Romans practiced "pharmakeia" which was, specifically, the compounding of natural substances to produce a spontaneous abortion. See Galatians 5:16-21 where in verse 20 this same word is used. Sins of the flesh are most often things done contrary to God's will to avoid the work or inconvenience which the weak in faith don't have the strength of faith to carry out. Mutual assent to the truth is worthless when the practice of the truth is compromised. For such compromise, even faithful believers who are not doers of the Word are allowed to be punished by the perverters of the truth (see Romans 1:29-32).

"their sexual immorality or their thefts." -- These are perennial problems with people both in and out of the visible church. Remember this trumpet brings us practically to the Reformation. At the time of Luther, life in monasteries was not very celibate. Luther found a Rome that was so coarse and approving of sin that even Bishops were openly doing in the streets what no one may do in our streets. They were so insensitive to those who were offended, according to many reports at this time that this must have been an accepted way of life for some time. Church leadership positions were sold to the highest bidder by the Vatican to finance the building of St. Peter's in Rome. Even forgiveness of sins was being sold!

1. Why does false religion, such as the Muslim Religion, have such a strong appeal to people?

2. How can you benefit in knowing that the devil approaches you in ways that will appeal to you?

3. Remembering question 2: If your whole family turned to the Muslim religion, what appeal would there be for you to join them?

4. What can we as the church today learn from these events and the effects they had on the visible church?

5. What kinds of programs or efforts do you think we, as a church, should concentrate on to meet these challenges today?

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