Berean Study Bible The Fifth TrumpetThe fifth trumpet begins the first woe announced in Revelation 8:13. The judgments now move beyond destruction in the natural world to direct demonic torment upon humanity. Rev 8:2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God,… and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, The star is a personal being, a fallen angel who had already been cast down from heaven. His descent reflects rebellion against God and the loss of his former place of authority. Isa 14:12 How you have fallen from heaven, O day star… and it was given the key to the pit of the Abyss. The fallen angel receives authority only because it is granted to him. The Abyss is the prison of demonic powers, and its opening releases forces that remain under God’s sovereign limits even as judgment unfolds. Rev 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven… The star opened the pit of the Abyss, The star is an angelic being entrusted with authority to unlock the Abyss, the prison of demonic powers. Its opening marks the release of a divinely permitted judgment upon the earth. Rev 20:1-3 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven… and smoke rose out of it like the smoke of a great furnace, Thick smoke pours from the Abyss, portraying the destructive and corrupting power of the evil released from it. Like smoke from a furnace, it spreads rapidly and signals the severity of the judgment to follow. Gen 19:28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah… and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit. The smoke darkens the sky and fills the air, disrupting the created order and bringing physical darkness. The scene reflects the spiritual darkness and terror unleashed as demonic forces emerge from their confinement. Exo 10:21-23 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand”… And out of the smoke, And out of the smoke, locusts emerged from the opened abyss, revealing their connection to the demonic realm released under divine judgment. The darkness surrounding their arrival reflects the terror and corruption unleashed upon the earth. Exo 19:18 Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke,… locusts descended on the earth, These are not ordinary insects but destructive beings described in locust-like terms. Their appearance evokes the devastation of a swarm, while their mission is to afflict those who remain under rebellion against God. Exo 10:14 The locusts swarmed across the land and settled… and they were given power Their authority is limited and granted; they act only within the boundaries God permits. Though evil in origin, their release serves God’s judgment. Jhn 19:11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me”… like that of the scorpions of the earth. Their power is to inflict severe torment rather than immediate death. Like a scorpion’s sting, their attack brings intense, lingering pain. Luk 10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes… They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, The locust-like beings released under the fifth trumpet are forbidden to damage vegetation, unlike ordinary locusts. Their restraint confirms that this is a directed supernatural judgment rather than a natural disaster. The devastation is aimed at people, not the land or its resources. Exo 10:12-15 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand… but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Their targets are those outside God’s protection. The seal identifies people who belong to God and marks them as exempt from this judgment, while those who remain in rebellion face its effects. The distinction reveals that God’s judgments are neither random nor indiscriminate. Ezk 9:4-6 “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD,… The locusts were not given power to kill them, Though terrifying and destructive, these creatures operate only within the authority granted to them. Their judgment is severe but limited, showing that God remains sovereign over the forces released upon the earth. Job 2:6 “Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “He is in your hands…”… but only to torment them for five months, The period corresponds to the normal season in which locusts are most active, from late spring into early fall. The suffering is prolonged enough to expose the horror of divine judgment, yet it is not permitted to become death. Mat 8:29 “What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted.… and their torment was like the stinging of a scorpion. The pain is compared to a scorpion’s sting, known for its intense and incapacitating effect. The imagery describes real anguish inflicted by these supernatural locusts upon those marked for judgment. 1Ki 12:11 Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke,… In those days During the trumpet judgments of the Great Tribulation, the earth will experience unprecedented demonic torment and divine judgment. Mat 24:19 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing… men will seek death Those afflicted by the locusts from the abyss will regard death as the only escape from their suffering. Job 3:21 who long for death that does not come, and search for it… and will not find it; God will withhold death, leaving the afflicted unable to end their misery. Pro 1:28 Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;… they will long to die, Despair will overcome the natural desire to preserve life as the torment continues without relief. Job 7:15 I would prefer strangling and death over my life… but death will escape them. Death itself will be beyond their reach, demonstrating that even life and death remain under God’s authority during judgment. Psa 118:17 I will not die, but I will live and proclaim… And the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, Their warhorse-like appearance conveys strength, speed, and readiness to carry out judgment. Though called locusts, they are not ordinary insects but terrifying beings released from the abyss, advancing as an organized force under divine permission. Jol 2:4-5 Their appearance is like that of horses, and… with something like crowns of gold on their heads; The crown-like adornments mark them as conquerors granted limited authority. Their appearance suggests victory and rank, yet the wording distinguishes their crowns from the true royal authority belonging to Christ. Rev 4:4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones… and their faces were like the faces of men. Human-like faces indicate intelligence, purpose, and awareness. These creatures are not mindless agents of destruction; they inflict torment with deliberate intent upon those who remain outside God’s protection. Ezk 1:10 The form of their faces was that of a man… They had hair like that of women, Their long hair added to the startling and unnatural appearance of the locusts released from the abyss. Though they resembled locusts, they were not ordinary insects but agents of judgment with features drawn from both human and animal forms. 1Co 11:14-15 Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair,… and teeth like those of lions. Their lion-like teeth emphasized their ferocity and destructive power, fitting their appointed work of tormenting those who lacked God’s seal. Jol 1:6 For a nation has invaded My land, powerful and without number… They also had breastplates like breastplates of iron, Their iron-like breastplates portray creatures protected against human resistance and prepared for relentless assault, emphasizing the strength and endurance of the demonic force released in the fifth trumpet judgment. Isa 59:17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate,… and the sound of their wings was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. Their approach carries the deafening terror of an advancing army, announcing swift, organized, and overwhelming judgment. Jol 2:4-5 Their appearance is like that of horses, and… They had tails with stingers like scorpions, Their tails were equipped to inflict severe pain, portraying a torment unlike an ordinary locust attack. Scorpions were common and feared in the region because of their painful stings, making the image one of sustained suffering under divine judgment. Luk 10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes… which had the power to injure people These creatures were permitted to wound but not kill. Their authority was real yet strictly limited, showing that the judgment remained under God’s control and left its victims alive to face its consequences. 1Co 10:9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did,… for five months. The period corresponds roughly to the active season of locusts in the land, from late spring into early fall. The torment was intense but temporary, bounded by the time God had appointed. Gen 7:24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth for 150 days. They were ruled by a king, The locust-like beings act under established authority rather than independently. Their ordered assault reflects the disciplined character of the demonic forces released during the trumpet judgments. Pro 30:27 the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation; the angel of the Abyss. Their ruler is the angel connected with the Abyss, the place from which these destructive beings were released. He directs forces of torment and destruction in the judgment permitted by God. Rev 20:1-3 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven… His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, The name identifies him with destruction—Abaddon meaning “destruction” or “place of destruction” in Hebrew, often associated with Sheol or the grave and sometimes personified as an angel of death or destruction—fitting his rule over the beings that bring suffering upon those who reject God. Job 26:6 Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering. and in Greek it is Apollyon. John gives the name in both major languages of his readers, identifying this ruler as the Destroyer. Apollyon means “destroyer” in Greek, reinforcing the destructive role of this angelic figure and emphasizing the broad reach of the judgment he leads. Exo 12:23 When the LORD passes through to strike down the Egyptians,… The first woe has passed. The fifth trumpet judgment has ended: demonic locusts from the abyss tormented those without God’s seal for five months, but they were not permitted to kill them. God distinguished His people from those under judgment, as He had done in Egypt. Rev 11:14 The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is coming… Behold, Attention is drawn to the certainty and seriousness of what follows. Rev 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me,… two woes are still to follow. The sixth and seventh trumpet judgments remain. The next woe will bring the release of four angels at the Euphrates and the death of a third of mankind; the final woe will lead into the completion of God’s wrath and the establishment of Christ’s kingdom. Rev 12:12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!…
The Sixth TrumpetThe sixth trumpet advances the judgments that will take place during the tribulation. It follows the demonic torment released under the fifth trumpet and introduces a greater judgment involving death on a massive scale. Rev 11:15 The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord… and I heard a voice John hears an authoritative command from the heavenly sanctuary. The voice directs the events that follow, showing that the coming judgment unfolds under God’s rule. Rev 10:4 When the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to… from the four horns of the golden altar The voice comes from the altar of incense before God, where the prayers of the saints have risen. Its four horns represent the altar’s power and holiness. The judgment connected with the sixth trumpet answers the long-standing cry for God to judge evil and vindicate His people. Rev 8:3-5 Then another angel, who had a golden censer,… before God The altar stands in God’s presence in heaven. Everything about the judgment, including the release of the bound angels at the Euphrates, occurs by divine authority and according to God’s appointed purpose. Exo 30:6 Place the altar in front of the veil that is before the ark… saying to the sixth angel with the trumpet, The sixth trumpet introduces a further judgment in the unfolding series of trumpet blasts. The angel is commanded to act at God’s appointed time, showing that the coming devastation remains under divine authority. Rev 8:2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God,… “Release the four angels Four angels have been held in restraint for a specific mission of judgment. Their release begins the events that follow, including the death of a third of mankind. Rev 7:1 After this I saw four angels standing… who are bound Their confinement shows that they cannot act independently or ahead of God’s purpose. Unlike holy angels sent to serve, these restrained beings are connected with destruction and are released only when judgment is decreed. 2Pe 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned… at the great river Euphrates.” The Euphrates marked the eastern frontier of Israel’s world and was associated with invading powers such as Assyria and Babylon. Its literal location becomes the appointed place from which this judgment is unleashed. Rev 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his bowl… So the four angels These four angels, held at the Euphrates River, are separate from the trumpet angels and are released to carry out a judgment already determined by God. Their number points to the worldwide scope of what follows. Rev 7:1-3 After this I saw four angels standing… who had been prepared Their role was established beforehand. Though they had remained restrained, their release occurs only under God’s authority and according to His purpose. 2Pe 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned… for this hour and day and month and year The judgment is set for an exact moment. Nothing about the event is accidental or outside God’s rule over history. Dan 8:19 and said, “Behold, I will make known to you… were released Their release begins the next stage of the sixth trumpet judgment, allowing the destructive force connected with them to proceed. Rev 20:7 When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released… to kill a third of mankind. The judgment brings death on an unprecedented scale, yet it does not destroy all humanity. The surviving population remains accountable for its response to God. Ezk 5:12 A third of your people will die by plague… And the number of mounted troops was two hundred million; John records an army of two hundred million mounted soldiers, an unprecedented force prepared for judgment. The vast number underscores the scale of destruction released upon the earth and the inability of human military power to resist it. Mounted troops convey speed, mobility, and terror, fitting the devastating role assigned to them during the sixth trumpet judgment. Rev 19:14 The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and pure… I heard their number. John did not estimate the size of the army; he received its number as part of the revelation. The specific total confirms that this force is known and appointed by God, acting within the limits of His sovereign judgment. Rev 7:4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000… Now the horses and riders in my vision looked like this: John describes the mounted forces released under the sixth trumpet. Their appearance reveals a terrifying army appointed to carry out God’s judgment on a rebellious world. Zec 1:8-11 I looked out into the night and saw a man… The riders had breastplates the colors of fire, sapphire, and sulfur. Their armor reflects the destructive forces associated with the horses: fire, smoke, and sulfur. The riders are equipped for battle and protected as they advance under divine permission. Isa 59:17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate,… The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, The lion-like heads portray fierce strength, courage, and deadly power. Nothing in human resistance can stop the judgment they bring. 1Ch 12:8 Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold… and out of their mouths proceeded fire, smoke, and sulfur. These deadly emissions bring widespread destruction and death, fulfilling the judgment announced in the following verses. The fire, smoke, and sulfur recall earlier acts of divine wrath and show that this devastation comes as a direct judgment from God. Rev 14:10-11 he too will drink the wine of God’s anger… A third of mankind was killed The judgment is devastating yet limited, showing that God has not brought total destruction upon the earth. The death toll reveals the scale of rebellion and the severity of the trumpet judgments. Ezk 5:12 A third of your people will die by plague… by the three plagues The demonic horsemen bring death through three deadly instruments, carrying out the judgment appointed for this time. 2Sa 24:13-14 So Gad went and said to David, “Do you choose to endure… of fire, smoke, and sulfur These substances issue from the horses and destroy those in their path. The imagery recalls God’s historic judgments by fire and sulfur and points to the terrible consequences of divine wrath. Rev 14:10-11 he too will drink the wine of God’s anger… that proceeded from their mouths. The horses are not ordinary creatures but part of the demonic army released during the sixth trumpet. Their mouths become the source of the plagues that kill a third of humanity. Rev 11:5 If anyone wants to harm them fire proceeds from their mouths… For the power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; The horses bring destruction from both directions. Their mouths inflict direct violence, while their tails serve as a second weapon, making escape from their assault impossible. Jol 2:4-5 Their appearance is like that of horses, and… indeed, their tails were like snakes, The serpent-like tails add the terror and cunning associated with serpents. Their attack carries not only open force but also a deadly threat from behind. Deu 32:33-34 Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison… having heads with which to inflict harm. The heads on their tails show that their power to harm is deliberate and active. Under the sixth trumpet judgment, these terrifying creatures become instruments of severe judgment upon those who remain hardened against God. Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman,… Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues Those who survive—the rest of mankind, a significant portion remaining after intense suffering and death—the devastating judgments of the sixth trumpet have witnessed death on an unprecedented scale. Yet the purpose of judgment—to confront rebellion and call people to turn from sin—is rejected. Zec 13:8 And in all the land, declares the LORD,… still did not repent of the works of their hands. Rather than abandoning their rebellion, they continue in idolatry and the sinful practices produced by human pride. Their refusal reveals hearts hardened even by direct acts of divine judgment. Rev 16:11 curse the God of heaven for their pains and sores.… They did not stop worshiping demons Idolatry is shown to involve more than devotion to lifeless objects; it aligns its worshipers with demonic powers opposed to God. The spiritual rebellion behind false worship remains active despite the terror of the plagues. Deu 32:17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to newly arrived gods… and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, The idols represent both religious corruption and trust in human wealth, skill, and security. What people have made becomes the object of their devotion. Dan 5:4 As they drank the wine, they praised their gods… which cannot see or hear or walk. These idols are powerless and dependent on those who create and carry them. In contrast to the living God, they cannot know, respond, act, or save. Psa 115:5-7 They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes… Furthermore, they did not repent Even after the devastating judgments of the sixth trumpet, the survivors persist in rebellion rather than turning to God. Their response reveals that the judgments expose hardened hearts but do not force repentance. Rev 16:9 And the people were scorched by intense heat,… of their murder, Widespread violence marks a world increasingly governed by hatred, revenge, and disregard for human life made in God’s image. Exo 20:13 You shall not murder. sorcery, Occult practices remain part of humanity’s rebellion, involving attempts to seek power, guidance, or protection apart from God and in association with demonic deception. Gal 5:20 idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy… sexual immorality, Moral disorder continues despite the warnings of judgment, showing a refusal to honor God’s design for marriage, purity, and human relationships. 1Co 6:9-10 Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral… and theft. Greed and exploitation also remain unchecked. The surviving nations continue to violate God’s commands in both public violence and private injustice, confirming the depth of their rejection of His authority. Exo 20:15 You shall not steal. This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
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