September 22, 2022
“Revelation 9
New King James Version
Fifth Trumpet: The Locusts from the Bottomless Pit
9 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the [a]bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And [b]they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.
7 The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is [c]Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name [d]Apollyon.
12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.
Sixth Trumpet: The Angels from the Euphrates
13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For [e]their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.
20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their [f]sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Footnotes
- Revelation 9:1 Lit. shaft of the abyss
- Revelation 9:5 The locusts
- Revelation 9:11 Lit. Destruction
- Revelation 9:11 Lit. Destroyer
- Revelation 9:19 NU, M the power of the horses
- Revelation 9:21 NU, M drugs
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” (BibleGateway.com)
“Chapter 9:1-11. The Fifth Trumpet
The Army of Demon Locusts
This host of Horrible Monsters, with complex appearance of Locusts, Horses, Scorpions, Lions and Humans, came out of the Abyss (9:1, 2, 11), (“Bottomless Pit,” AV), led by Abaddon, or Apollyon, who was the Devil, or one of his Angels. This indicates the Hellish Origin of the Woes to follow. Satan has already been mentioned as Persecuting and Corrupting the Churches in Smyrna, Pergamum and Thyatira (2:9, 10, 13, 14, 24); and is named as instigator of Rome’s Imperial Persecutions of the Church (12:13-16). Of what he is now about to do in the Locust Plague, we are warned, “Woe, woe, woe,” hinting its Frightfulness.
These Demon Locusts are thought, by many commentators, to be a predictive picture of the Rise and Spread of Mohammedanism; or, of the Tribulation Period of the Last Days; or, Both.
Mohammedanism
In the Seventh century A.D., Mohammedanism swept the Eastern World like a tidal wave, and Blotted out Christianity in Southwest Asia and North Africa: the Euphrates and Nile Valleys: the Eastern and Southern Borders of the Mediterranean: lands of the Bible Story: lands in which the Bible originated and grew: lands in which God’s Revelation of Himself to Mankind was nurtured and brought to completion: lands in which God formed and trained the nation Israel, for two thousand years, to pave the way for the coming of Christ; lands hallowed forever as the scene of Christ’s Life and Death and Resurrection and His Redemptive Work for Mankind; lands which were the Cradle of Christianity, and which were for 600 years Christian; the Original Christian World; in these lands, by one fell blow of the Mohammedan Sword, CHRISTIANITY WAS BLOTTED OUT, and Mohammedanism was Established. And they HAVE BEEN MOHAMMEDAN EVER SINCE.
600 years Christian. Now, for 1300 years, Mohammedan. More Mohammedans now in the world than Protestant Christians.
Mohammed (A.D. 570-632), in Mecca, Arabia, declared himself to be The Prophet of God, and set out, at the head of an army, to propagate his religion by the Sword. Soon the whole of Arabia was conquered. Mohammedan armies, under successive leaders, swept on in their conquest. Syria fell (A.D. 634), Jerusalem (A.D. 637), Egypt (A.D. 638), Persia (A.D. 640), North Africa (A.D. 689).
Asian and African Christianity, thus swept away, Mohammedans moved into Europe. Spain fell (A.D. 711). Then they headed on into France, at Tours, the Mohammedan Army was met and defeated (A.D. 732), by Charles Martel, grandfather of Charlemagne. That was one of the Decisive Battles of the Ages. EXCEPT FOR THAT VICTORY, CHRISTIANITY MIGHT HAVE BEEN ENTIRELY EXTERMINATED FROM THE EARTH.
Here are some of the things that make it look like this Fifth Trumpet might refer to Mohammedanism.
“Locusts” (9:3). Arabia, pre-eminently, was a land of Locusts. It was in Arabia that Mohammedanism originated.
“Shapes of Locusts like War-Horses, with Scorpion-like Tails, Crowns like Gold, Faces like Men’s Faces, Hair like Women’s Hair, Teeth like Lion’s Teeth, Breastplates as of Iron, and Wings that sounded like Chariots and Horses rushing to War” (9:7-10).
This is indeed a very good description of Mohammedan Armies, composed of Fierce, Relentless Horsemen, famous for their Beards, with Long Hair like Women’s Hair, with Yellow Turbans on their Heads that looked like Gold, and they had Iron Coats of Armor.
“Smoke from the Abyss” (9:2, 3). It was out of this Smoke that the Locusts came. The Smoke had Darkened the Sun and the Air. This may refer to the False Teachings, which had Clouded and Corrupted the Church of Mohammed’s day, in its Worship of Images, Relics and Saints. It was the IDOLATRY of a Degenerate and Apostate Church that gave Mohammed his chance. Destruction of Idols was his slogan.
“Hurt Not the Grass, nor any Green thing” (9:4). Mohammedans spared Trees, Grass and All Vegetation, because Mohammed had so commanded; for, to those living in the wastes of Arabian deserts, Trees and Vegetation were blessings.
“Torment Men Five Months” (9:5). 5 months, the normal stay of Locusts, May to September, is about 150 days; which, on the Year-Day interpretation (Ezekiel 4:6), would be 150 Years. That was, approximately, the period (A.D. 630 to A.D. 786), in which Mohammedanism continued its effort at World Conquest. With Haroun-Al-Raschid (A.D. 786-809), at the height of Mohammedan Power and Glory, they abandoned the idea of Conquest, and began to cultivate peaceful relations with other nations.” (Halley’s Bible Handbook—with the King James Version—HENRY. H. HALLEY—ZONDERVAN)
Have a blessed Thursday beloved of YESHUA CHRIST JESUS. Amen. Sincerely: Mr. and Mrs. Timothy M. and Linda Shephard. Amen.