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The fifth trumpet 1 And the fifth angel sounded the trumpet, and I saw a star fall from heaven upon the earth, and there was given to him the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit: and the smoke of the pit arose, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke of the pit. 3 And from the smoke of the pit there came out locusts upon the earth. And power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power: 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree: but only the men who have not the sign of God on their foreheads. 5 And it was given to them that they should not kill them; but that they should torment them five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he strikes a man. 6 And in those days men shall seek death, and shall not find it: and they shall desire to die, and death shall fly from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared for battle: and on their heads were, as it were, crowns like gold: and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women; and their teeth were as lions: 9 And they had breastplates as breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was as the noise of chariots and many horses running to battle. 10 And they had tails like to scorpions, and there were stings in their tails; and their power was to hurt men five months. And they had over them 11 A king, the angel of the bottomless pit; whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon; in Latin Exterminans, 12 One woe is past, and behold there come yet two woes more hereafter. 9:1-12 This event is also found in Rev 20:7-10 as a recapitulation. (John Litteral) 9:1 bottomless pit: This is figurative speech for not being allowed to exercise his full power, in which Satan was limited to during the Church Age from the time of Christ's first coming to the short period of tribulation before the second coming of Christ. But now starting with the 5th trumpet Satan is allowed to exercise his full power (see Rev. 20:7-10). a star fall from heaven is the same angel that bound Satan in Rev. 20:1. (John Litteral Com Rev 9) I agree that the star is the divine angel. By divine allowance the angel leads up the evil demons who had been condemned in the abyss, those whom Christ bound when He became man, so that they might do their uncompleted tormenting work before the end. (St. Andrew of Caesarea) 9:2-5 The language used here is figurative for Satan and the demons being set loose in full strength to deceive nations and take possession of those who reject the Lord, but without killing them. But the demons are unable to take possession of the saints who have the seal of the Holy Spirit. (John Litteral Com Rev 9) five months of their torture means the shortness of time that the Lord mentions in the Gospels, "And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened, Matt. 24:22." (St. Andrew of Casearea) 9:3 locusts: the demons. (St. Andrew of Casarea) 9:6 This indicates the misery and frustration of being controlled by demonic forces. (John Litteral Com Rev 9) 9:7-10 Even though St. John is using human language to try to describe something incorpreal, the appearance of the demons must be horrific! (John Litteral Com Rev 9) And the crowns upon their heads like gold bearing their victory over us, by which to us, we think they are to be crowned as conquerors in evil victory when we are defeated by pleasure. The hair of women is to imply the love of pleasure and the arousal to fornication. The teeth of lions indicate their murderous and poisonous quality, and the thoraxes hardheartedness. (St. Andrew of Casarea) 9:11 This is the Devil. (St. Andrew of Caseara) The sixth trumpet 13 And the sixth angel sounded the trumpet: and I heard a voice from the four horns of the great altar, which is before the eyes of God, 14 Saying to the sixth angel, who had the trumpet: Loose the four angels, who are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, who were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year: for to kill the third part of men. 16 And the number of the army of horsemen was twenty thousand times ten thousand. And I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: and they that sat on them, had breastplates of fire and of sapphire and of brimstone, and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions: and from their mouths proceeded fire, and smoke, and brimstone. 18 And by these three plagues was slain the third part of men, by the fire and by the smoke and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths, and in their tails. For, their tails are like to serpents, and have heads: and with them they hurt. 20 And the rest of the men, who were not slain by these plagues, did not do penance from the works of their hands, that they should not adore demons, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 Neither did they penance from their murders, nor from their sorceries, nor from their fornication, nor from their thefts.9:14 four angels: Some say that the four angels are Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael. I myself think that these four angels are the most cunning demons who were bound upon the coming of Christ. (St. Andrew of Caesarea) Demons have been bound to various places such as the bottomless pit (Lk. 8:31) and swine (Matt. 8:31), so that they await there until the final judgment. (John Litteral Com Rev 9) 9:15 In what manner or to what purpose were they prepared for such an hour, such a day, such a month, such a year Forsooth, so as to snatch at the permission and opportunity of doing evil; they stood ready prepared as wicked servants. (Rupert of Deutz) 9:16-19 The troops and the horses are probably different ranks of demons. Again, St. John is using human language to explain something that is spiritual see vv. 9:7-10. Spiritual forces have been described like this in 2 Kings, "Then Elisha prayed, and said, "O LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see." So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha, 6:17." (John Litteral Com Rev 9) These demons had 'breastplates,' by reason of their complicated subtlety; 'fiery,' through burning ill will ; 'sulphureous,' through the stench of their infamy; 'of hyacinth,' through the show and simulation of heavenly righteousness. The hyacinth, having a likeness in color to heaven, signifies the heavenly life. An angel of Satan sometimes transforms himself into an angel of light, and under the show of virtue palliates -vice; and whom he cannot deceive by force he deceives by hypocrisy. 'From their mouth proceeds fire,' from the malignity of wicked suggestion; and smoke from the darkness of their blindness, and sulphur from the stench of their viciousness and wicked opinion. 'By these three plagues are slain the third part of men', the whole body of those who are to be damned, by the fire of evil suggestion, and the smoke of blindness, and the sulphur of corrupting viciousness and stinking thoughts: which proceeded from their mouth, because evil communications corrupt good manners. But inasmuch as the wicked endeavor to hurt the good not only by open suggestion but by secret fraud, it rightly follows that the power of the horses is in their mouth and in their tails. For the mouth signifies open suggestion; the tail, occult fraud; and the wicked, when they cannot hurt with their mouth, hurt with their tail ; because they endeavor to accomplish in secret what they cannot do openly. (Richard of St. Victor) Alternative commentary from St. Anselm of Canterbury and St. Thomas Aquinas
(St. Anselm of Canterbury)
Abysses are sinners dark and deep; pits are those among them who are still deeper. 'And he opened the pit of the abyss;' he caused the heresies to come forth which lay hid in their hearts; 'and the smoke of the pit ascended,' i. e., their evil doctrine blinding the eyes; 'like the smoke of a great furnace' i. e., like the doctrine of Antichrist, which is a furnace proving the good, and reducing the dry wood, that is, the wicked, to ashes; 'and the sun was darkened; i. e., some of those who gave light to others ; ' and the air, from the smoke of the pit,' i. e., some who received this light ; ' and there went out from the smoke locusts unto the earth,' i. e., precursors of Antichrist. . . . 'And there was given unto them power,' i. e., it was conceded by God; 'as the scorpions of the earth have power.' Rightly are they compared to the scorpion ; because while gentle in appearance, still, as it secretly stings with its tail, so do heretics deceive by means of temporal things; persuading that these are the best, and that they suffice for our present life: which notwithstanding are the last and the least worthy in order; or therefore are they compared to a scorpion, because as the scorpion stings, and the sting is unperceived, and the poison diffuses itself over the body and inflames it gradually, so do those who are deceived by heretics not perceive it at first, but yet at length perish. 'And it was commanded them;' behold the help which God gives to his saints against them, viz., he prohibits them from injuring any of his own; 'that they should do no hurt,' in the soul, ' to the grass of the earth,' i. e., those who are yet carnal, and but newly instructed in the faith, and therefore easily deceived; 'nor any green thing,' i. e., those who have more advanced in growth ; 'nor any tree,' i. e., those who are prepared to bring forth fruit ; 'but those only who have not the seal of God,' i. e., not living in the truth ; ' in their foreheads,' i. e. in open confession ; ' and it was given them,' that is, it was permitted by God, &c., &c. . . ' And the similitude of the locusts,' i. e., imaginary locusts, ' were like to horses prepared for battle,' because they were swift;' ferocious to attack, and improvident as to whom they ran against, whether friends or foes. ' And on their heads' i. e., on their teachers, or in their rational minds, where both in themselves and before others they are proud ; ' as it were crowns,' victories over those whom they had overthrown ; 'like unto gold,' not by true but by worldly wisdom ; ' and their faces were as the faces of men,' literally so, because outwardly they will show themselves to be humane and pious, but wickedness will be concealed inwardly; 'and they had hair as the hair of women,' i. e., effeminate and flowing manners put on for the deception of others, or by hairs are signified the younger who yield to these deceptions. 'Their teeth', i.e., themselves, lacerating; 'as the teeth of lions,' because they both tear to pieces and also give out a stench, -viz., fetid words, and depraved opinions. 'And they had breastplates as of iron,' i. e., hardness of heart which no arrow of truth could penetrate; or breastplates are false opinions which admit not the teaching of truth. 'And the voice of their wings,' i. e., the noise they make with their opinions when they fail in their reasonings; 'was as the voice of the chariots of many horses running to battle,' either literally, or else as different horses run different ways to the same field of battle, so do these by different heresies proceed to attack the church. 'And they had tails like unto the tails of scorpions,' or, tails are crafty opinions, with which they outwardly blandish, but secretly sting; 'and their stings' that is, the sin with which they stimulate others to sin, were in their tails. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
'Crowns,' victories acquired over the faithful who are overthrown; because they boast that they had gained the victory over certain Catholics who had been led into error. This victory however is not a true one; because at that time the heretics themselves are of the two the more under the power of error; whence it is rightly said, ' as it were.' Moreover they say that they gain the victory by true wisdom; which yet is only an appearance of wisdom, and is not genuine wisdom, but error. 'Like unto gold,' i. e., not true gold, because those victories result not from true wisdom. 1 Tim. iii. ; 'Having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.' " . . . " ' Faces as of men.' Because heretics dissemble and put on the appearance of being rational, and pious, and benign; for man is a rational animal, and by nature benign, and is known to be man by his face; yet inwardly they are cruel, whence they are syrens, having the face of margins, and yet are irrational animals, Isaiah xiii. ; 'And syrens in their shrines of pleasure.' ' And they had hair,' that is, thoughts multifold as hair, and which proceed from the rational mind and adhere to it; 'as the hair of women,' for they are frail and flexible like the hair of women, and their very thoughts debase how to deceive others, as a wicked woman prepares her hair for the deception of others." ' Teeth,' i. e., their teachers and expositors, who by wrong exposition and teaching prepare for being swallowed the bread of falsehood and error." "' And they had breastplates as of iron;' Glossa, i. e., obstinate hearts which the arrow of truth does not penetrate. As if he should say; they will have hard hearts, which will be so obstinate that the truth will not penetrate into them, whence they will be comparable to breastplates of iron. Job. xli., &c. . . . Or they will have breastplates, i. e., opinions, with which they arm themselves just as a breastplate is a strong protection. The many reasons involved in multiplicity into each other are the interweaving meshes in these breastplates. Isidor,, book i., de Summo Bono, speaking of heretics, says, 'They taught their' tongue to speak lies, and labored to do unrighteousness.' He takes this from Jer. 9. Catechism Cross-reference
9:4 1296 Bible Cross References
6: Isaiah 2:19.; Hos 10:8.; Luke 23:30. 7: Wisdom 16:9. Key Words
1 angel heaven bottomless pit 4 men God 8 women 11 angel of the bottomless pit name in Hebrew Abaddon Apollyon Latin Exterminans 13 four horns altar 17 vision 20 penance demons idols 21 murders
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