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Revelation 9:1 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And G2532 the fifth G3991 angel G32 sounded, G4537 and G2532 I saw G1492 a star G792 fall G4098 from G1537 heaven G3772 unto G1519 the earth: G1093 and G2532 to him G846 was given G1325 the key G2807 of the bottomless G12 pit. G5421

Cross Reference

Revelation 11:14-15 STRONG

The second G1208 woe G3759 is past; G565 and, G2532 behold, G2400 the third G5154 woe G3759 cometh G2064 quickly. G5035 And G2532 the seventh G1442 angel G32 sounded; G4537 and G2532 there were G1096 great G3173 voices G5456 in G1722 heaven, G3772 saying, G3004 The kingdoms G932 of this world G2889 are become G1096 the kingdoms of our G2257 Lord, G2962 and G2532 of his G846 Christ; G5547 and G2532 he shall reign G936 for G1519 ever G165 and ever. G165

Revelation 9:11-13 STRONG

And G2532 they had G2192 a king G935 over G1909 them, G848 which is the angel G32 of the bottomless pit, G12 whose G846 name G3686 in the Hebrew tongue G1447 is Abaddon, G3 but G2532 in G1722 the Greek tongue G1673 hath G2192 his name G3686 Apollyon. G623 One G3391 woe G3759 is past; G565 and, behold, G2400 there come G2064 two G1417 woes G3759 more G2089 hereafter. G3326 G5023 And G2532 the sixth G1623 angel G32 sounded, G4537 and G2532 I heard G191 a G3391 voice G5456 from G1537 the four G5064 horns G2768 of the golden G5552 altar G2379 which G3588 is before G1799 God, G2316

Revelation 8:6-8 STRONG

And G2532 the seven G2033 angels G32 which G3588 had G2192 the seven G2033 trumpets G4536 prepared G2090 themselves G1438 to G2443 sound. G4537 G2532 The first G4413 angel G32 sounded, G4537 and G2532 there followed G1096 hail G5464 and G2532 fire G4442 mingled G3396 with blood, G129 and G2532 they were cast G906 upon G1519 the earth: G1093 and G2532 the third part G5154 of trees G1186 was burnt up, G2618 and G2532 all G3956 green G5515 grass G5528 was burnt up. G2618 And G2532 the second G1208 angel G32 sounded, G4537 and G2532 as it were G5613 a great G3173 mountain G3735 burning G2545 with fire G4442 was cast G906 into G1519 the sea: G2281 and G2532 the third part G5154 of the sea G2281 became G1096 blood; G129

2 Timothy 3:1-5 STRONG

This G5124 know G1097 also, G1161 that G3754 in G1722 the last G2078 days G2250 perilous G5467 times G2540 shall come. G1764 For G1063 men G444 shall be G2071 lovers of their own selves, G5367 covetous, G5366 boasters, G213 proud, G5244 blasphemers, G989 disobedient G545 to parents, G1118 unthankful, G884 unholy, G462 Without natural affection, G794 trucebreakers, G786 false accusers, G1228 incontinent, G193 fierce, G434 despisers of those that are good, G865 Traitors, G4273 heady, G4312 highminded, G5187 lovers of pleasures G5369 more G3123 than G2228 lovers of God; G5377 Having G2192 a form G3446 of godliness, G2150 but G1161 denying G720 the power G1411 thereof: G846 from G2532 such G5128 turn away. G665

2 Thessalonians 2:3-8 STRONG

Let G1818 no G3361 man G5100 deceive G1818 you G5209 by G2596 any G3367 means: G5158 for G3754 that day shall not come, except G3362 there come G2064 a falling away G646 first, G4412 and G2532 that man G444 of sin G266 be revealed, G601 the son G5207 of perdition; G684 Who G3588 opposeth G480 and G2532 exalteth G5229 himself above G1909 all G3956 that is called G3004 God, G2316 or G2228 that is worshipped; G4574 so G5620 that he G846 as G5613 God G2316 sitteth G2523 in G1519 the temple G3485 of God, G2316 shewing G584 himself G1438 that G3754 he is G2076 God. G2316 Remember ye G3421 not, G3756 that, G3754 when I was G5607 yet G2089 with G4314 you, G5209 I told G3004 you G5213 these things? G5023 And G2532 now G3568 ye know G1492 what withholdeth G2722 that G1519 he G846 might be revealed G601 in G1722 his G1438 time. G2540 For G1063 the mystery G3466 of iniquity G458 doth G1754 already G2235 work: G1754 only G3440 he who now G737 letteth G2722 will let, until G2193 he be taken G1096 out of G1537 the way. G3319 And G2532 then G5119 shall G601 that Wicked G459 be revealed, G601 whom G3739 the Lord G2962 shall consume G355 with the spirit G4151 of his G846 mouth, G4750 and G2532 shall destroy G2673 with the brightness G2015 of his G846 coming: G3952

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Revelation 9

Commentary on Revelation 9 Matthew Henry Commentary


Chapter 9

In this chapter we have an account of the sounding of the fifth and sixth trumpets, the appearances that attended them, and the events that were to follow; the fifth trumpet (v. 1-12), the sixth (v. 13-21).

Rev 9:1-12

Upon the sounding of this trumpet, the things to be observed are,

  • 1. A star falling from heaven to the earth. Some think this star represents some eminent bishop in the Christian church, some angel of the church; for, in the same way of speaking by which pastors are called stars, the church is called heaven; but who this is expositors do not agree. Some understand it of Boniface the third bishop of Rome, who assumed the title of universal bishop, by the favour of the emperor Phocas, who, being a usurper and tyrant in the state, allowed Boniface to be so in the church, as the reward of his flattery.
  • 2. To this fallen star was given the key of the bottomless pit. Having now ceased to be a minister of Christ, he becomes the antichrist, the minister of the devil; and by the permission of Christ, who had taken from him the keys of the church, he becomes the devil's turnkey, to let loose the powers of hell against the churches of Christ.
  • 3. Upon the opening of the bottomless pit there arose a great smoke, which darkened the sun and the air. The devils are the powers of darkness; hell is the place of darkness. The devil carries on his designs by blinding the eyes of men, by extinguishing light and knowledge, and promoting ignorance and error. He first deceives men, and then destroys them; wretched souls follow him in the dark, or they durst not follow him.
  • 4. Out of this dark smoke there came a swarm of locusts, one of the plagues of Egypt, the devil's emissaries headed by the antichrist, all the rout and rabble of antichristian orders, to promote superstition, idolatry, error, and cruelty; and these had, by the just permission of God, power to hurt those who had not the mark of God in their foreheads.
  • 5. The hurt they were to do them was not a bodily, but a spiritual hurt. They should not in a military way destroy all by fire and sword; the trees and the grass should be untouched, and those they hurt should not be slain; it should not be a persecution, but a secret poison and infection in their souls, which should rob them of their purity, and afterwards of their peace. Heresy is a poison in the soul, working slowly and secretly, but will be bitterness in the end.
  • 6. They had no power so much as to hurt those who had the seal of God in their foreheads. God's electing, effectual, distinguishing grace will preserve his people from total and final apostasy.
  • 7. The power given to these factors for hell is limited in point of time: five months, a certain season, and but a short season, though how short we cannot tell. Gospel-seasons have their limits, and times of seduction are limited too.
  • 8. Though it would be short, it would be very sharp, insomuch that those who were made to feel the malignity of this poison in their consciences would be weary of their lives, v. 6. A wounded spirit who can bear?
  • 9. These locusts were of a monstrous size and shape, v. 7, 8, etc. They were equipped for their work like horses prepared to battle.
    • (1.) They pretended to great authority, and seemed to be assured of victory: They had crowns like gold on their heads; it was not a true, but a counterfeit authority.
    • (2.) They had the show of wisdom and sagacity, the faces of men, though the spirit of devils.
    • (3.) They had all the allurements of seeming beauty, to ensnare and defile the minds of men-hair like women; their way of worship was very gaudy and ornamental.
    • (4.) Though they appeared with the tenderness of women, they had the teeth of lions, were really cruel creatures.
    • (5.) They had the defence and protection of earthly powers-breastplates of iron.
    • (6.) They made a mighty noise in the world; they flew about from one country to another, and the noise of their motion was like that of an army with chariots and horses.
    • (7.) Though at first they soothed and flattered men with a fair appearance, there was a sting in their tails; the cup of their abominations contained that which, though luscious at first, would at length bite like a serpent and sting like an adder.
    • (8.) The king and commander of this hellish squadron is here described,
      • [1.] As an angel; so he was by nature, an angel, once one of the angels of heaven.
      • [2.] The angel of the bottomless pit; an angel still, but a fallen angel, fallen into the bottomless pit, vastly large, and out of which there is no recovery.
      • [3.] In these infernal regions he is a sort of prince and governor, and has the powers of darkness under his rule and command.
      • [4.] His true name is Abaddon, Apollyon-a destroyer, for that is his business, his design, and employment, to which he diligently attends, in which he is very successful, and takes a horrid hellish pleasure; it is about this destroying work that he sends out his emissaries and armies to destroy the souls of men. And now here we have the end of one woe; and where one ends another begins.

Rev 9:13-21

Here let us consider the preface to this vision, and then the vision itself.

  • I. The preface to this vision: A voice was heard from the horns of the golden altar, v. 13, 14. Here observe,
    • 1. The power of the church's enemies is restrained till God gives the word to have them turned loose.
    • 2. When nations are ripe for punishment, those instruments of God's anger that were before restrained are let loose upon them, v. 14.
    • 3. The instruments that God makes use of to punish a people may sometimes lie at a great distance from them, so that no danger may be apprehended from them. These four messengers of divine judgment lay bound in the river Euphrates, a great way from the European nations. Here the Turkish power had its rise, which seems to be the story of this vision.
  • II. The vision itself: And the four angels that had been bound in the great river Euphrates were now loosed, v. 15, 16. And here observe,
    • 1. The time of their military operations and executions is limited to an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year. Prophetic characters of time are hardly to be understood by us; but in general the time is fixed to an hour, when it shall begin and when it shall end; and how far the execution shall prevail, even to a third part of the inhabitants of the earth. God will make the wrath of man praise him, and the remainder of wrath he will restrain.
    • 2. The army that was to execute this great commission is mustered, and the number found to be of horsemen two hundred thousand thousand; but we are left to guess what the infantry must be. In general, it tells us, the armies of the Mahomedan empire should be vastly great; and so it is certain they were.
    • 3. Their formidable equipage and appearance, v. 17. As the horses were fierce, like lions, and eager to rush into the battle, so those who sat upon them were clad in bright and costly armour, with all the ensigns of martial courage, zeal, and resolution.
    • 4. The vast havoc and desolation that they made in the Roman empire, which had now become antichristian: A third part of them were killed; they went as far as their commission suffered them, and they could go no further.
    • 5. Their artillery, by which they made such slaughter, described by fire, smoke, and brimstone, issuing out of the mouths of their horses, and the stings that were in their tails. It is Mr. Mede's opinion that this is a prediction of great guns, those instruments of cruelty which make such destruction: he observes, These were first used by the Turks at the siege of Constantinople, and, being new and strange, were very terrible, and did great execution. However, here seems to be an allusion to what is mentioned in the former vision, that, as antichrist had his forces of a spiritual nature, like scorpions poisoning the minds of men with error and idolatry, so the Turks, who were raised up to punish the antichristian apostasy, had their scorpions and their stings too, to hurt and kill the bodies of those who had been the murderers of so many souls.
    • 6. Observe the impenitency of the antichristian generation under these dreadful judgments (v. 20); the rest of the men who were not killed repented not, they still persisted in those sins for which God was so severely punishing them, which were,
      • (1.) Their idolatry; they would not cast away their images, though they could do them no good, could not see, nor hear, nor walk.
      • (2.) Their murders (v. 21), which they had committed upon the saints and servants of Christ. Popery is a bloody religion, and seems resolved to continue such.
      • (3.) Their sorceries; they have their charms, and magic arts, and rites in exorcism and other things.
      • (4.) Their fornication; they allow both spiritual and carnal impurity, and promote it in themselves and others.
      • (5.) Their thefts; they have by unjust means heaped together a vast deal of wealth, to the injury and impoverishing of families, cities, princes, and nations. These are the flagrant crimes of antichrist and his agents; and, though God has revealed his wrath from heaven against them, they are obstinate, hardened, and impenitent, and judicially so, for they must be destroyed.
  • III. From this sixth trumpet we learn,
    • 1. God can make one enemy of the church to be a scourge and plague to another.
    • 2. He who is the Lord of hosts has vast armies at his command, to serve his own purposes.
    • 3. The most formidable powers have limits set them, which they cannot transgress.
    • 4. When God's judgments are in the earth, he expects the inhabitants thereof should repent of sin, and learn righteousness.
    • 5. Impenitency under divine judgments is an iniquity that will be the ruin of sinners; for where God judges he will overcome.