Revelation 9:1-12
Locusts from the Abyss
Read the passage
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
Read aloud
The fifth angel blows his trumpet, and John sees a star fallen from heaven to earth. The star is given the key to the shaft of the abyss. Smoke rises from it like smoke from a great furnace, and the sun and air are darkened.
Locusts come out of the smoke with power like scorpions. They are told not to harm the grass, plants, or trees, but only people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They are not allowed to kill, but to torment for five months with pain like a scorpion's sting.
The locusts look like horses prepared for battle, with crowns, human faces, women's hair, lions' teeth, iron breastplates, and wings like many chariots. Their king is the angel of the abyss, whose name is Abaddon in Hebrew and Apollyon in Greek. The first woe has passed; two more are coming.
The torment is so severe that people will long for death and be unable to find it. Yet the locusts cannot act without limits. They may not harm vegetation or those with God's seal, they may not kill, and their torment lasts five months. Even this dreadful force is constrained by the permission given to it.
The first woe ends with two more still to come. The churches hear a warning about judgment as well as the limits placed on destructive power. God's seal marks a real distinction in this vision. We must take that distinction seriously without pretending that the passage identifies the cause of an illness or calamity we see today.
Questions
1 What does the fallen star receive?
AnswerIt receives the key to the shaft of the abyss and opens it. The scene presents access to destructive powers as something permitted, not independent of all authority.
2 Whom may the locusts harm?
AnswerThey may harm people without God's seal, but they are forbidden to harm the grass, plants, and trees. Their torment is limited in both target and duration.
3 How long may they torment people?
AnswerThey may torment for five months but are not allowed to kill. The suffering is severe, yet the vision still places a boundary around it.
4 What is the name of their king?
AnswerHe is the angel of the Abyss, named Abaddon in Hebrew and Apollyon in Greek. These names identify him with destruction; he rules the terrifying swarm.
What This Means for Us
Frightening descriptions can stay in the imagination long after a reading ends. If a child is troubled by this one, listen and return to what the passage actually says about limits and God's seal. Pray together for trust in Him. There is no need to invent a connection between these creatures and something the child fears at home.
Prayer
Living God, guard our trust when we read of terrible judgments. Keep us from adding fears Your word does not give us, and help us take refuge in You. Amen.