The Woes

Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!” (Revelation 8:13, ESV)


The last three trumpets are different from the first four. They are introduced with “Then I looked, and I heard,” and an eagle flying overhead crying woe three times. The plagues become more severe. They are focused on the evil dwellers of the earth. They still allude to the plagues of Exodus. Creatures flying in the sky like this, literally in the Greek, “flying mid-heaven,” always connote judgment. The fifth and sixth trumpet do not speak of the final judgment, but the eagle flying overhead signals that the final judgment is on its way. The fifth and sixth trumpets bring torment with anticipates the final eternal torment of the unbelievers. The eagle is flying over its prey, the unbelieving earth dwellers. The eagle could be one of the four creatures before the throne of God in chapter 5.


¹ And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. ² He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. ³ Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. ⁴ They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. ⁶ And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.

⁷ In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, ⁸ their hair like women's hair, and their teeth like lions' teeth; ⁹ they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. ¹⁰ They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. ¹¹ They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.

¹² The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come. (Revelation 9:1-12, ESV)




Verse 1. The fifth angel sounds the trumpet. John sees “a star fallen from heaven to earth.” Notice he does not see the star fall; the star has already fallen. Is this a good or evil star? If we compare the language from Revelation 8:10, we that it is an angel that probably represents sinful people; which is in keeping with Isaiah 14. Jesus uses very similar words to describe Satan as a star falling from heaven (Luke 10:17-20). Whether this is Satan or one of his lieutenants, the angel represents sinful humanity. This angel’s role is to inflict misery on the earth dwellers because Christ has begun to judge him. The evil angel has a key to the shaft of the bottomless pit (or abyss). Christ, who owns the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:18), ultimately gave this key to him.

In the sixth trumpet, John sees that God and Christ have ultimate sovereignty over Satan’s domain. Satan and his demons cannot unleash anything from hell to the earth unless they given permission to do so from Christ, who reigns in heaven. God is working through all things to bring about his good for his people. In the time of persecution, trials, and tribulations, this should be a source of hope for Christians.

Verse 2: Smoke comes out of the pit and darkens the sun and moon. The previous trumpet darkened the sun and moon and this was an indication of judgment, as it is here. Other Old Testament allusions express judgment as a darkening of the sun (Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15, Isaiah 13:10). In the New Testament, especially with John’s Gospel and epistles, darkness is symbolic for spiritual blindness. The darkness is associated with a mournful condition that comes from suffering. Joel 2:10’s images are a metaphor for the Israelite suffering and weeping from being in exile.

Verse 3: The locusts come from the smoke. This alludes to the locust plague in Exodus. They are given power, either from God or from Christ.

Verses 4-5: The locusts in Exodus 10:15 destroyed the land and consumed the vegetation. The locusts in Revelation are not to destroy the vegetation; they are to only harm unbelievers, the ones who do not have the seal. The locusts are not to kill anyone. They are around for 5 months, the life cycle of a locust. This is a severe locust infestation, lasting the entire period of the locust life. Usually, locust plagues only come in intervals during the five-month period. The number five is not to be taken symbolically, as are the other numbers in Revelation. The affliction is compared to a scorpion’s sting. Again, this is a figurative description. The use of the word “torment” indicates this is a spiritual and psychological affliction. This torment may be brought about by these demon locusts create fear and despair in unbelievers as they reflect on their hopeless condition.

Verse 6: People desire death, but will not ultimately achieve it through suicide. This anticipates the eternal torment of hell. People will see their hopeless condition but cannot bring themselves to suicide.

Verses 7-10: This describes the frightening features of the locusts. They are not, with the possible exception of woman’s hair (which the antennae have an appearance of braided hair), to out of line with near east descriptions of locusts from the same time period or before. The mouth like lion’s teach may refer to their voracious appetite.

Verse 11: the names suggest of the angel of the bottomless pit of Abaddon (Destruction) or Apollyon (Destroyer) suggests this angel is a satanic figure.

...to be continued.