Revelation 9:1-12
Locusts from the Abyss
1Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and it was given the key to the pit of the Abyss.
2The star opened the pit of the Abyss, and smoke rose out of it like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit.
3And out of the smoke, locusts descended on the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth.
4They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
5The locusts were not given power to kill them, but only to torment them for five months, and their torment was like the stinging of a scorpion.
6In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will escape them.
7And the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, with something like crowns of gold on their heads; and their faces were like the faces of men.
8They had hair like that of women, and teeth like those of lions.
9They also had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.
10They had tails with stingers like scorpions, which had the power to injure people for five months.
11They were ruled by a king, the angel of the Abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek it is Apollyon.
12The first woe has passed. Behold, two woes are still to follow.
Berean Standard Bible
Start with the scene John is actually given. The fifth trumpet opens the Abyss, and smoke darkens the sun and air. Locust-like creatures come out with power to torment people for five months, but not to kill them. They have a king, the angel of the Abyss, whose name means Destroyer. John calls this first woe, while two more are still to come.
The vision deliberately combines familiar and unnatural features, and its effects are torment and terror. The boundary placed on the creatures matters: the scene has authority limits even within judgment. The order of these details matters: the scene moves from revelation toward response. Taken together, these details ask for attention that is both thoughtful and obedient.
This is not a medical description of mental illness or a reason to call troubled people demonic. Do not use graphic imagery to manipulate a child's fear. The book's force is not increased by adding certainty where the text has left mystery. The warning protects the family from turning a vivid picture into a weapon. In “Locusts from the Abyss,” that restraint is part of faithfulness.
Around an ordinary household, ask what helps a frightened person feel safe enough to speak. Keep night fears, trauma, and anxiety connected to patient care and qualified help, not to accusation. Do not require the most confident voice in the room to have the final word. That gives the family somewhere to stand when the image feels large.
Carry the reading into the ordinary week by returning to its central allegiance. The next faithful act may be quiet: tell the truth, make repair, or refuse a false allegiance. In “Locusts from the Abyss,” hope becomes visible through the next honest, merciful, and awake choice.
Questions
1 What is happening in this reading?
AnswerThis reading centers on “Locusts from the Abyss” and asks the hearer to notice what is revealed about God, Jesus, human power, or faithful endurance.
2 What detail deserves careful attention?
AnswerLook for the way the scene joins image and response. This is how the picture remains attached to the churches and people who are meant to hear it.
3 What response does the reading invite?
AnswerIt invites the household to choose faithful love over fear, control, or the need to win an argument, without requiring a family to solve every mystery before obeying what is clear.
4 What could a family practice today?
AnswerBegin with a small, concrete response: listen carefully, tell the truth, protect the vulnerable, or practice hope. Let “Locusts from the Abyss” shape which one is most honest.
What This Means for Us
What matters first is the allegiance and practice the scene makes visible, not an impressive explanation of every symbol. The particular shape of “Locusts from the Abyss” deserves to remain visible.
Let your household answer the scene with care rather than pressure, especially where someone is carrying grief or fear. Let the passage's warning produce protection and truth, not suspicion.
Do not use the difficult image in “Locusts from the Abyss” to dominate the conversation. Let its hope make the family more patient with people who are still waiting for healing. Leave disputed conclusions in their proper place.
Prayer
We pray: God of refuge, protect the fearful and tormented; keep us close to what this reading makes clear. Give our household courage without recklessness, humility without silence, and hope without denial. Help us practice faithful love today. Amen.