Revelation 9:1-6

1The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.



9:1-2 - The fifth angel sounds the fifth trumpet which is the the first woe. The plagues are now becoming more intense. This trumpet will unleash a curse similar to the swarms of locusts which descended on Egypt in the eighth plague (Ex. 10:12-15) but is somewhat different. The Abyss is opened up and these locusts are demons from the Abyss. The Abyss is the farthest extreme from heaven (Gen. 49:25; Deut. 33:13), and from the high mountains (Ps. 36:16). It is the place to where demons feared to be sent (Luke 8:31). Jonah spoke of the Abyss as an excommunication form God’s presence, a banishment from the Temple (Jon. 2:2-6). John’s point is all hell is about to break loose on the land. Apostate Israel is about to be cast out of God’s presence and filled with demons and the demonic influences of violence (Gen. 6) and false teaching (1 Tim. 4:1).

9:3-6 - The locusts were given power to kill them but only to torture them for five months. Why five months? There may be several answers here to which John was referring, possibly even all of them. First, the five-month period, first, probably refers to the fact that May through September is the time when locusts normally appeared. These locusts would be unusual in that they would last for the entire five months. Second, it may be referring to Gessius Florus, the procurator of Judea, who terrorized the Jews, seeking to incite them to rebellion. This lasted for a five-month period that began in May, 66 A.D. He was successful, and Jewish historian Josephus dates the beginning of the Jewish war from this particular occasion. Third, five is often associated in Scripture with power and military organization (Ex. 13:18; Num. 32:17; Josh. 1:14; 4:12; Jud. 7:11; 2 Kings 1:9). At God’s direction, Israel was to be attacked by a demon army from the Abyss. Jesus had prophesied that the land which had received the benefit of His work would be overrun with demons (Matt. 12:41-45). Israel had rejected Christ and the blessings they had received would turn into curses. Jerusalem had been "swept clean" by Christ’s ministry, but would now become a dwelling place of demons.

The grass, plants, and trees were not to be harmed. This curse would only affect those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Only Christians would be immune from the sting of the scorpion-like demons. John repeats what he told us in 6:16, as he says that men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. Jesus had specifically predicted this longing for death among the final generation of the Old Covenant (Lk. 23:27-30). The immediate result of this curse would not be death but would be torment, misery, and suffering.