Revelation 9:1-6 meaning

Revelation 9:1-6 shows how humankind will now directly suffer a new judgement released upon the earth. In Chapter 8, the first four out of seven trumpets were sounded, which resulted in the destruction of the earth: of trees, sea, and sky. At the end of Chapter 8, an eagle appeared and proclaim three woes:

“Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, ‘Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!’”
(Revelation 8:13)

These three woes represent the last three trumpet judgments. The first four trumpet blasts have already resulted in much destruction on the earth, but the eagle announces that there is greater destruction to come. While the first four were directed at the earth, the final three will be aimed particularly at people. We will see throughout that God is on the throne and in control. He has authorized everything that will happen. This means that while there is pain now, He will ultimately triumph and all will be made right. These judgements are the prelude to the earth being restored:

Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit (vs. 1-2).

We already saw a “great star [which] fell from heaven, burning like a torch” at the sound of the third trumpet (Revelation 8: 10). When taken in context with Revelation 12, this suggests that the fallen star might be a demonic entity cast out of heaven. In verses 1-2, the star is certainly an angelic being because he opens the bottomless pit. The star was originally one who was from heaven but had fallen to the earth. This would indicate that this is a fallen angel.

Now John sees this star from heaven which had fallen to the earth. This star is a being because it is given the key of the bottomless pit. And when this being opened the bottomless pit, smoke came pouring out of it and covered everything. The smoke might indicate a pervasive presence that will cover the earth.

The bottomless pit can be more literally translated as “pit of the abyss.” In Luke 8, Jesus rebukes a horde of demons who possess a man, and the demons “were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss” (Luke 8:31). Again, in Jude, we see that “angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgement of the great day” (Jude 1:6). 2 Peter 2:4 also speaks of angels of whom God had “committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment.”

So we know from these verses that demons can be sent to the abyss, and that there is a place in darkness where angels who overstepped their bounds are confined to await judgment. This could be the bottomless pit which is now being opened. That the angel (star) that has fallen to earth is given the key to unlock the bottomless pit might infer that this is a demon being allowed to free its fellow demons from the bottomless pit. What comes out of the pit is horrific:

Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads (v. 3-4).

Even though these locusts are coming out of the bottomless pit, they are still under God’s authority, as there are certain things that they are not allowed to do.

The destruction declared by the first trumpet was aimed at the earth and trees, a third of which were burned in fire, along with all the grass (Revelation 8:7). But now the locusts were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but to aim their attack upon men whom God has not marked for protection.

Back in Chapter 7, the 144,000 from every tribe of Israel were given the seal of God on their foreheads, which is especially important now as that gives them special protection from the locusts. We know for sure about the safety of the 144,000 who were sealed, but it is likely that many more faithful witnesses have been sealed in addition.

That these (apparent) demonic entities are described as locusts may indicate their vast number, as locusts flew in swarms and would descend upon an area like a vast army that would decimate crops. It says of these demonic forces that power was given them. Again, God is in control, authorizing all events. The special power they were given was as the scorpions of the earth have power. Scorpions have power to sting and create physical pain to humans:

And they (the demonic forces from the abyss) were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man (v 5).

Just as a scorpion sting is painful but not deadly, so will be the torment of these demonic entities. The torment will be severe, but the locust-beings were not permitted to kill anyone. However, the pain they inflict is so severe that people wish they could die:

And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them (v 6).

Again, although these demonic entities are granted power, their authority to wield it is limited. They are given specific boundaries, being not permitted to kill anyone. The irony of this is that although the demonic beings are not allowed to kill, those whom they torment wish they could die, but death flees from them. This could indicate that somehow God supernaturally preserves the lives of people being judged who would prefer death.

For believers in Jesus, physical death brings freedom from suffering. But with this fifth trumpet there is pain without any death; there is no deliverance from the suffering. There will be pain and torment from the locusts, like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. But there will be no relief from the torment, not even the relief of death.