out of. App-104 . furnace. Compare Revelation 1:15 . Indicating a place of fire, but not to be confused with Hades (Sheol) or with Tartarus. Compare Jeremiah 4:23-28 , where the judgments are against Judah and the Land. Here, John sees them extended to the whole earth. by reason of Greek. ek. App-104 . read more
locusts. Greek. akris . Here; Revelation 9:7 . Matthew 3:4 .Mark 1:6 . unto = to. power. App-172 . scorpions. Greek. skorpios. Here; verses: Revelation 9:5 , Revelation 9:10 . Luke 10:19 ; Luke 11:12 . As in Exodus 10:14 , these are no ordinary locusts, which "have no king" (Proverbs 30:27 ). See Revelation 9:11 and compare Joel 2:25 . Here "men" are the objects of their power to inflict hurt. read more
commanded = said. that . . . not = in order that (Greek. hina). . . not ( App-105 ). neither. Greek. oude. but. Greek. ei ( App-118 ) me ( App-105 ). only. The texts omit. men . App-123 . in = upon. Greek. epi . App-104 . read more
And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up 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.The smoke here, and the locusts, are the hellish teachings, influences, thought styles, intellectual delusions, etc., that darken the true light of Christ in the world. The perverted minds of sinful men mislead the whole world, promising happiness, but giving instead wretched and miserable torment.This obscuration... read more
And out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.Out of the smoke came forth locusts ... The evil influence of Satan has results, and the locusts are that result. The locust is an organized entity of evil, supported, induced, and held together by the satanic influence which produced it. Some scholars are very busy here with descriptions of plagues of locusts mentioned in the Old Testament, but the language here is... read more
And it was said unto them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only such men as have not the seal of God on their foreheads.Should not hurt the grass ... Locusts which do not eat grass and other green vegetation cannot possibly be literal locusts; a figurative meaning is demanded.But only such men as have not the seal of God ... Our studies in Revelation 7 revealed this "seal" as the blessed Holy Spirit in the lives of God's people. If... read more
Revelation 9:2. There arose a smoke out of the pit,— As a great smoke hinders the sight, so do errors the understanding. St. John keeps to the allegory, says Grotius: a smoke takes from us the sight of the stars. Smoke, especially when proceeding from a fierce fire, is also a representation of devastation. Thus when Abraham beheld the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the smoke of the country went up, as the smoke of a furnace. The great displeasure of God is represented by the same figurative... read more
Revelation 9:3. Locusts upon the earth:— See Jdg_6:5 . Joe_1:6 . Bishop Newton interprets this part of the prophesy as follows: "At the sounding of the fifth trumpet, a star fallen from heaven, meaning the impostor Mohammed, opened the bottomless pit, and there arose a smoke out of the pit, and the sun and the air were darkened by it; that is, a false religion was set up, which filled the world with darkness and error; and swarms of Saracens, or Arabian locusts, overspread the earth. A false... read more
Revelation 9:4. It was commanded them that they should, &c.— This verse demonstrates, that these were not natural, but symbolical locusts. The like injunctions were given to the Arabian soldiers. When Yezid marched to invade Syria, Abubeker charged him expressly not to destroy the palm-trees, nor to burn any fields of corn, nor to cut down fruit-trees, nor do mischief to any cattle, unless what theykilled for eating. Their commission is, to hurt only those men who have not the seal of God... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Revelation 9:1-21
Fifth and sixth trumpets (9:1-21)Worse than the destruction by the forces of nature is the suffering brought by the forces of demons (fifth trumpet). These demonic forces are pictured in a strange and terrifying army of locusts. Though uncontrollable by any human power, they are not independent of the rule of God. He keeps them imprisoned in the abyss (RSV: bottomless pit), and even when he releases them he determines the extent of their activity (9:1-3).The demons do not harm plant life (as... read more