The Fifth Trumpet: Locusts from the Abyss
Study note
A fallen star opens the bottomless pit, releasing smoke that darkens the sun and sky. From the smoke emerge locust-like creatures with scorpion-like power, commanded to torment only those without God's seal for five months. Their appearance is terrifying, combining features of horses, humans, women, and lions. Their king is the angel of the abyss, Abaddon (Destroyer). This is identified as the first woe, with two more to follow.
1 The fifth angel blew his trumpet. I saw a star that had fallen from the sky down to the earth. This star was given the key to the shaft that leads to the bottomless pit. And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 When the pit was opened, thick smoke poured out like smoke from an enormous furnace. The smoke was so thick it blotted out the sun and darkened the sky. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 Out of the smoke came swarms of locusts that landed on the earth. They were given the same kind of stinging power that scorpions have. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 They were ordered not to damage any grass, plants, or trees. They could only attack people who did not have God's seal on their foreheads. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 They were not allowed to kill these people but only to torture them for five months. The pain they caused felt like a scorpion's sting. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 During those days, people will beg to die, but death will not come. They will wish for death, but death will run away from them. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7 The locusts looked like horses geared up for war. They wore what looked like golden crowns on their heads, and their faces looked like human faces. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8 They had long hair like women's hair, and their teeth were sharp like a lion's fangs. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9 They wore armor on their chests that looked like iron plates. The sound of their wings was like the thundering noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10 They had tails and stingers like scorpions. Their tails gave them the power to hurt people for five months. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
11 Their leader was the angel in charge of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek it is Apollyon -- both names mean Destroyer. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
12 The first terrible disaster has passed. But two more are still on their way. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
The Sixth Trumpet: Army from the Euphrates
Study note
A voice from the golden altar commands the release of four angels bound at the Euphrates River, prepared for this exact moment to kill a third of humanity. An army of two hundred million mounted troops appears, with horses breathing fire, smoke, and sulfur. Despite witnessing a third of humanity perish, the survivors stubbornly refuse to repent of their idolatry, murders, sorceries, sexual sins, and thefts.
13 The sixth angel blew his trumpet. I heard a voice coming from the four corners of the golden altar that stands in God's presence. And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 The voice told the sixth angel, "Set free the four angels who are chained up at the great Euphrates River!" Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15 The four angels were released. They had been held ready for this exact hour, day, month, and year -- ready to kill a third of all the people on earth. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16 The number of mounted soldiers in their army was two hundred million. I heard the number announced. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17 In my vision, the horses and their riders looked like this: the riders wore armor that was fire-red, dark blue, and sulfur-yellow. The horses had heads like lions, and fire, smoke, and burning sulfur poured from their mouths. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18 A third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues: the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur blasting from the horses' mouths. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19 The horses' power was in their mouths and in their tails. Their tails were like snakes with heads that could bite and cause harm. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20 But the rest of the people -- those who survived these disasters -- still refused to stop worshiping the things they had made with their own hands. They kept on bowing down to demons and to idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or move. And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 They refused to turn away from their murders, their witchcraft, their sexual sins, or their stealing. Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.