By Nab B.
October 11, 2016
Updated Oct 2025
A Critical Note!
Since Revelation is signified, it can only be understood spiritually!
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ...He sent and signified it." (Rev 1:1) “The flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and are life.” (John 6:63) “The things of the Spirit of God are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor 2:13-14)
Verse By Verse Series©
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Revelation 9:1
“And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit."
First, what are "stars"? Revelation 1:20 tells us, "The seven stars are the angels (human messengers) of the seven churches." Seven stars are messengers who faithfully transmit Christ's messages to the seven churches.
Here, one part of Christ's messengers fell. Why did it "fall from heaven"? They were once "enlightened," but later fell away through deception and splintered into many deceivers. They were once in a spiritual "heaven," but became "earthly" and carnal after the fall.
The early fall of the church laid the foundation for the conditions seen in most churches today. Deception is never static; for “Evil men and impostors will advance to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:13 BLB)
The pattern false teachers follow to infiltrate churches does not change from the first century to this day, as noted in these passages:
“For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.” (Matt 24:24)
“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” (Acts 20:29)
“There will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies...many will follow their sensuality, and because of them, the way of truth will be blasphemed.” (2 Pet 2:1-3)
“These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.” (2 Cor 11:13; See also 1 John 2:18, 1 Tim 4:1, 2 Thess 2:3-4,7)
A key represents an authority. The fallen star was given authority over the "abyss," as permitted by Christ.
"The abyss" or "bottomless pit" is the Greek word "ábyssos." It is composed of "a," without, and "byssos," depth or bottom. Together, the word portrays a place of no depth or knowledge (of God), a place of spiritual darkness where unrepentant members of Christ's body find themselves.
Revelation 9:2
"And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit."
Heavy "smoke rising" symbolizes danger and looming spiritual darkness. (See Exo 19:18, Deut 4:11-12, Acts 2:19)
There is a connection between the "smoke" in Revelation 9:2 and "puffed up" false teachers in 2 Timothy 3:4. Although the etymology of the words differs, they are related spiritually.
The Greek word for "puffed up"—'tuphoo'—used in 2 Timothy 3:4 means "to blow smoke," "a muddled mindset," "being lifted up," or "high-mindedness." It describes the spirit of false teachers as smoke, filled with pride and conceit. This ties well with the imagery of smoke rising from the pit or abyss. (Source: https://biblehub.com/greek/5187.htm)
Sun and air symbolize the pure environment of the righteous. (Matt 13:43, John 12:36, Dan 12:3) The heavy, dark smoke of false teachings will overshadow the purity of early churches, causing suffocation and darkness.
The verses below show how spiritual darkness has been sweeping both "earth dwellers" (fallen church) and "the sea" (fallen world):
“Gentiles... are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God.” (Eph 4:17-18)
“The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.” (2Cor 4:4)
“You walked according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience." (Eph 2:2)
Revelation 9:3
"And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.”
Like swarms of locusts that cause darkness and famine, false teachers bring greater spiritual darkness and famine to churches across generations.
Famine-causing locusts that have become venomous refer to false teachers who cause spiritual famine and now inflict spiritual pain on their flocks. To prove scorpions refer to false teachers and deceivers in scripture, take a look at these passages:
“I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions (false teachers) and to overcome all the power of the enemy.” (Luke 10:19)
“You serpents, you brood of vipers (ecclesiastical powers), how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?” (Matt 23:23)
“Neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions (false prophets), for they are a rebellious house.” (Ezekiel 2:6)
Revelation 9:4
"And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.”
The phrases “the grass," "any green thing," and "any tree” all refer to true believers who have God’s seal, which protects them from spiritual harm by the symbolic locusts or false teachers. (verse 4a is interpreted in light of verse 4b.)
The Holy Spirit is God's seal that protects true believers from locust-like deceivers who can only hurt those unsealed, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” (Colossians 1:13-14) "In their foreheads" symbolize a clear demarkation of where one's thoughts and motives are placed—either for God and Christ or the beast and the false church.
Revelation 9:5
"And to them, it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man."
False teachers in this stage are permitted to cause spiritual famine and suffering only, but not spiritual death yet!
The Greek word for torment is ‘basanizó’. According to Thayer's Greek lexicon, it means:
1. Test (metals) by touchstone.
2. Vex with grievous pains (of body or mind).
"Torment" refers to severe mental anguish, not physical torture! Its purpose is to awaken the minds and consciences of some, to lead them to repentance or to condemn the unrepentant.
The lifespan of a locust is about five months. It points to a testing period, in which God allows for the church to "fall away." The figurative "five months" spans the whole church age from Pentecost to this day. (See Rev chapter 20) In that time frame, Jesus Christ has been judging the churches, separating the wheat from the tares, and the sheep from the goats.
Scorpion-like deceivers cause spiritual harm in the form of confusion, discouragement, despair, and loss of faith. (See 2 Peter chapter 2)
Revelation 9:6
"And in those days people shall seek death and shall not find it, and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”
Some desired death to alleviate physical suffering. For example, when facing severe tests, Job pleaded, “Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures.” (Job 3:21) When Jonah was disciplined, he cried, “O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:3) But rather than granting their wish to die, God strengthened them through trials.
Though the locust "woe" is a severe test to purify and save the churches, many prefer spiritual death to healing. This is not new. During Israel's apostasy, God showed similar severity to purify and cleanse the people, as seen below:
"Thus saith the Lord GOD: Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you." (Ezekiel 22:19-20)
Why do some prefer spiritual death? Likely, it relieves one from a guilty conscience, repentance, and brokenness, which are God's megaphone, urging many to change before the next "woe" is poured.
As long as one is not dead, they can be healed. It is merciful, then, not to let one die. This has always been God's caring attitude.
“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Rom 2:4)
“The Lord…is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Pet 3:9 ESV)
Revelation 9:7-9
"And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle, and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle."
Locust-like false teachers have several characteristics described below.
"As horses" means warfare.
"As crowns of gold" means authority.
"As the faces of men" means intelligence.
"As the hair of women" means seductive.
"As lions' teeth" means ferocious (See 1 Pet 5:8).
"As breastplates of iron" means protected.
"As sounds of wings" means numerous.
"As the sound of chariots" means battle.
Revelation 9:10
“And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.”
"Tails" represent false teachers. Being the lowest part of a creature, they symbolize what is earthly and sensual! The scriptures below prove that "tails" are false teachers:
“So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail. The prophet who teaches lies is the tail.” (Isa 9:14-15)
“The tail (his deceivers) of the Dragon drew the third of the stars of heaven (deceived believers who were once enlightened).” (Rev 12:4 )
“The Lord will make you the head (blessings and dignities) and not the tail (curses and judgments), and you shall only go up and not down if you obey the commandments.” (Deut 28:13)
See Revelation 9:5 explanation above.
Revelation 9:11
"And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.”
Locust-like false teachers and deceivers are humans who come and go! But their king, the dragon, lives on to lead and strategize armies of deceivers, over many centuries, over the entirety of the church age:
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed (over many centuries).” (Rev 12:17)
"Abaddon" means destruction. "Apollyon" means destroyer. The two nouns clearly personify satan, as a symbol of destruction. "Deception" is his way of destruction. Their king uses his human messengers for deception. These scriptures reveal satan's destructive nature:
"And no marvel; for Satan himself is TRANSFORMED into an angel of light...his ministers (messengers) also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness." (2 Cor 11:14-15)
“The thief (Satan) comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
“You are of your father the devil. A MURDERER from the beginning.” (John 8:44)
“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who DECEIVES the whole world.” (Rev 12:9)
This is a grim reminder to the unrepentant that two more woes still to pass. The "locusts" woe caused full-scale spiritual darkness and torment; what will become of the second woe?
Please refer to the next study here, "Who are the Fiery Horses in Revelation?"