Revelation 9:1-6 (NKJV) Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the 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 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.
V1 “Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.” The “star” is an angel. See the notes on Revelation 8:10. The idea of falling is coming down quickly. The Greek word “fall” is (G4098) πίπτω piptō, which means something going from high to low as leaves, people (trip), a leader (quick descent from authority), a country (consider Syria where the government fell and a new one began), a moral stand, true doctrine to false, etc. Here, it is a star, which is an angel, because of his brightness. This angel had the key (authority as a jail guard) over the bottomless pit. God seals some areas purposefully and unseals them for specific purposes. The Greek word for “bottomless” is (G12) ἄβυσσος ábussos, which means (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Abridged – Little Kittel)) “A term for the underworld as a. the prison of the disobedient (Lk. 8:31; Rev. 9:1) and b. the realm of the dead (Rom. 10:7).
“Originally an adjective for an implied ‘earth,’ ábyssos is used in Greek for the depths of original time, the primal ocean, and the world of the dead. In the LXX it denotes the original flood, then the realm of the dead (e.g., Ps. 71:20).
“In the NT it is a prison for antichrist (Rev. 11:7), demons (Lk. 8:31), scorpions (Rev. 9:3ff.), and spirits (Rev. 9:1; 20:1, 3). It is a well-like abyss from which smoke ascends (Rev. 9:1). Satan will be shut up there for a thousand-year period (Rev. 20:1, 3). In Rom. 10:7 it simply denotes the realm of the dead. Descending into the abyss is contrasted with ascending into heaven, but we can do neither to bring Christ to us.”
Most believe the “star” to represent satan. I do not think this is correct. Why should satan have the key to the abyss? Compare Revelation 1:18 and Revelation 20:1.
V2 “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.” This is not the smoke of majesty, as God has (Exodus 19:18 and Isaiah 6:4) or wrath. It is the smoke of wrath and punishment, a place of torment, as in Revelation 14:11 and Isaiah 34:8-10. This is one of the holding cells for evil beings until the time of the Great White Throne Judgment, where they will be judged, then thrown into the Lake of Fire to suffer torments forever. There is a lot of smoke. Keathley points out one of the purposes of these judgments is to reveal the true character of satan. The main purpose of the 7-year tribulation is to bring Israel (the nation and people) to have no one to deliver them except for the Messiah that their ancestors rejected as a nation.
V3 “Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.” The locusts are not the insects. These come out of the bottomless pit, do not eat grass, and do not torment people who do not have the seal/mark of God. The beast (anti-Christ) will seek to kill all those who refuse his mark/seal. They are given ability and authority to be harmful and hurtful. They will cause much suffering for those who refuse to repent of their sins and trust in Jesus for forgiveness. These locusts are a class of angels who rebelled at the same time satan did.
V4 “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.” In the Exodus plagues, many judgments were directed only upon the Egyptians, not on Israel (Exodus 9:4 and Exodus 10:23). God knows who His people are (2 Timothy 2:19). All believers are sealed at the time they believe and trust in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins. See 2 Corinthians 1:22 and Ephesians 4:30.
V5 “And 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.” Those being tormented who just as soon die, but they cannot. They will be tormented, which is a warning for their eternal torment. May all repent.
V6 “In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.” Even if they try to kill themselves, they will be prevented.
We learn:
- God’s wrath is severe.
- God is the one sending the wrath.
- Death, antiChrist, nor satan can deliver.