In The Word
Read Revelation 9
The Fifth Trumpet—the Bottomless Pit
Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.
The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.
The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.
The Sixth Trumpet—Army from the East
Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm.
The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
As we progress through the reading of this great book, we can see the intensification of God’s judgement on the earth. As the fifth angel will sound, the bottomless pit will open and release an army of locusts. The locusts were given the power to torment some people, but not all. The ones who bear the Seal of God on their foreheads will not be tormented. Scripture says, “And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months” (Revelation 9:5). It also notes in verse 6, “And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.”
It is easy and compelling to focus on the torment that will occur at this time, but we should be more excited about those who will persevere. Even though many will fall away from the things of God, there will be many that hold true and stand firm. Psalm 91:14 says, “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.”
Be encouraged today that when the storms of life impose themselves on us, we can hold on to the promise of Psalm 91:14. Pray and ask the Lord to give you the strength no matter what the persecution is that you are faced with. Now spend your day in the joy of your salvation.