The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets
Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. It was given the key for the passage to the abyss.
[1-12] The fifth trumpet heralds a woe containing elements from the eighth and ninth plagues of Egypt (⇒ Exodus 10:12-15, ⇒ 21-23) but specifically reminiscent of the invasion of locusts in ⇒ Joel 1:4-⇒ 2:10.
[1] A star: late Judaism represented fallen powers as stars (⇒ Isaiah 14:12-15; ⇒ Luke 10:18; ⇒ Jude 1:13), but a comparison with ⇒ Rev 1:20 and ⇒ Rev 20:1 suggests that here it means an angel. The passage to the abyss: referring to Sheol, the netherworld, where Satan and the fallen angels are kept for a thousand years, to be cast afterwards into the pool of fire; cf ⇒ Rev 20:7-10. The abyss was conceived of as a vast subterranean cavern full of fire. Its only link with the earth was a kind of passage or mine shaft, which was kept locked.
It opened the passage to the abyss, and smoke came up out of the passage like smoke from a huge furnace. The sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the passage.
{2} Fire represents the holy Spirit.
Locusts came out of the smoke onto the land, and they were given the same power as scorpions of the earth.
[3] Scorpions: their poisonous sting was proverbial; ⇒ Ezekiel 2:6; ⇒ Luke 11:12.
They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or any tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
{4} The locusts and the scorpions represent the army of Christians that will go out and attempt to convert non-believers, who are the ones without the seal of God on their foreheads. We see in the next verse that they torment them for five months. Symbolic of arguing very strong points and also showering the world with joy.
They were not allowed to kill them but only to torment them for five months; the torment they inflicted was like that of a scorpion when it stings a person.
[5] For five months: more or less corresponding to the life-span of locusts.
{5} To torment is to try and convert someone. Torment them with arguments. The number five could be representative of the Law of Moses (1) plus the four Gospels (4), the total fulfillment of the law. 1 + 4 = 5. As stated before, John did not know of the four Gospels at the time of his Revelation, but he could have easily guessed that there would be precisely four chosen, based on Genesis 2:10.
During that time these people will seek death but will not find it, and they will long to die but death will escape them.
{6} So many people will be converting, and joyous, that there will be some who want to believe, but can't. They are unable to make the decision to follow Jesus. That is, they want to die to themselves, but are unable to. Their flesh is still too strong.
The appearance of the locusts was like that of horses ready for battle. On their heads they wore what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces,
[7-10] Eight characteristics are listed to show the eschatological and diabolical nature of these locusts.
{7} Missionaries of Jesus.
and they had hair like women's hair. Their teeth were like lions' teeth,
{8} They're beautiful people (inside) and their teeth are sharp like a lion's teeth because they kill (convert) with the Word of God.
and they had chests like iron breastplates. The sound of their wings was like the sound of many horse-drawn chariots racing into battle.
{9} Missionaries of Jesus with the breastplates of faith going out to do battle. Their "wings" carry them far and wide. Converting most of earth.
They had tails like scorpions, with stingers; with their tails they had power to harm people for five months.
{10} Work on convincing people for five months. The number five is symbolic because it represents the total law = The Law of Moses + the four Gospels (Jesus). See previous notes on what John knew at the time.
They had as their king the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon.
[11] Abaddon: Hebrew (more precisely, Aramaic) for destruction or ruin. Apollyon: Greek for the "Destroyer."
The first woe has passed, but there are two more to come.
Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the [four] horns of the gold altar before God,
[13-21] The sixth trumpet heralds a woe representing another diabolical attack symbolized by an invasion by the Parthians living east of the Euphrates; see the note on ⇒ Rev 6:2. At the appointed time (⇒ Rev 9:15), the frightful horses act as God's agents of judgment. The imaginative details are not to be taken literally; see Introduction and the note on ⇒ Rev 6:12-14.
[13] [Four]: many Greek manuscripts and versions omit the word. The horns were situated at the four corners of the altar (⇒ Exodus 27:2; ⇒ 30:2-3); see the note on ⇒ Rev 8:3.
telling the sixth angel who held the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the banks of the great river Euphrates."
[14-15] The four angels: they are symbolic of the destructive activity that will be extended throughout the universe.
{14} The holy Spirit proceeds from the four Gospels, represented by the four angels. Goes out and converts.
So the four angels were released, who were prepared for this hour, day, month, and year to kill a third of the human race.
{15} Kill means convert. Converting (killing) a third of the human race.
The number of cavalry troops was two hundred million; I heard their number.
{16} A large number of Missionaries.
Now in my vision this is how I saw the horses and their riders. They wore red, blue, and yellow breastplates, and the horses' heads were like heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and sulfur.
[17] Blue: literally, "hyacinth-colored." Yellow: literally, "sulfurous."
{17} The riders are the Christians with the breastplates of faith that go out and speak the Word of God. Out of their mouths came the word of God, which is represented as fire (Spirit), smoke, and sulfur.
By these three plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur that came out of their mouths a third of the human race was killed.
{18} Kill = convert. Keeping track: a third of the human race was converted (killed) in Rev 9:15 and now another third of the human race was converted (killed) in Rev 9:18. That's ⅓ + ⅓ = ⅔ of the human race converted to Catholicism at this point in the book.
For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like snakes, with heads that inflict harm.
{19} The power of the horses is in their mouths, because the Word of God comes out of their mouths and converts (i.e. kills).
The rest of the human race, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, to give up the worship of demons and idols made from gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.
[20] The works of their hands: i.e., the gods their hands had made.
{20} This verse is confirmation that the entire book of Revelation is a conversion story. The ones who weren't killed did not repent. The ones who did repent were killed (converted). This verse essentially confirms a peaceful solution. Pause here to reread this passage and consider Revelation as a conversion story. It fits. This is what John was encoding into the language of his Revelation.
Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic potions, their unchastity, or their robberies.
{21} Reference my footnote from Rev 9:20. Same theme.