(9.2)    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. 

1.   Some commentators have a difficult time accepting the evidence pointing to the star being Satan, because they cannot conceive of why God would give Satan the key to the bottomless pit, or more properly translated, the great abyss. However, the answer to that dilemma is simple. God gave the key to Satan, knowing that he would open the bottomless pit, because God wanted the bottomless pit opened. 

2.   At the sounding of the trumpet, and the opening of the pit, God is allowing Hell to come up to the surface of the earth. I say Hell because I agree with William Newell, when he indicates in his commentary on the Revelation that the bottomless pit, or the great abyss, is a geographical region in which New Testament Hades, Old Testament Sheol, or what we call Hell, is. Hell, then, is a state of existence, while the great abyss is the place of existence for those who die without Christ, and for fallen angels who have been confined since their attack upon humanity recorded in Genesis 6.1-4. 

3.   Let us read Genesis 6.1-4, so I can refresh your memories of what I believe Moses is telling us there: 

¹      And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

²      That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

³      And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

⁴      There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 

a.   Verse 2. “Sons of God,” plural, is a phrase applied only to those individuals who are directly created by God. Adam and all the angels created by God and all born again people are “sons of God.” In this verse, we do not have Adam or born again people referred to, but angels. From their behavior, we safely conclude that these are fallen angels, who are in rebellion with Satan against God. These fallen angels sought to mate with human women to produce an unredeemable race of superhuman hybrids. 

b.   Verse 3. God’s response to this attack upon the human race in an attempt to defeat Him is to set a date at which time judgment will fall. In retrospect, we know that God’s judgment was the Flood, in which every living thing was destroyed, save what had safely boarded the Ark. 

c.   Verse 4. The giants referred to here are the product of the unholy union between fallen angels and unsaved women. Since angels are not human, and cannot therefore suffer physical death, I contend that when the Flood came and God killed all humans, He at the very same time confined those wicked and powerful fallen angels who had so attacked the human race in the bottomless pit, the great abyss. It is when the events of Revelation 9.2 occur that these extraordinarily powerful demons are loosed from their imprisonment to wreak havoc on the human race. 

4.   When the entrance to the pit is unlocked and opened the smoke from the furnace of Hell will belch forth and blot out the sun. 

(9.3)    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. 

1.   This part gets a little scary. Remember where the locusts come from . . . the bottomless pit, or the great abyss, which is Hell. They come spewing forth with the smoke. 

2.   These locusts have power in a way that resembles the power that scorpions of the earth’s surface have power. Now, let me ask you, what kinds of power do scorpions of the earth’s surface have? Right. They can sting and can inflict great pain, even though their stings rarely result in death. These Hellish locusts have similar capabilities. 

(9.4)     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. 

1.   Here we have additional proof that these are not common locusts. Locusts normally eat vegetation, but these locusts from the pit do harm only to those who have not the seal of God on their forehead. That is, they torment only those who are not saved. 

2.   So far, in the Revelation, only the 144,000 are described as having the seal of God on their foreheads. This leads some Bible teachers to believe that these locusts will attack not only unbelievers, but also believers who are not part of the company of 144,000 Jews. 

3.   However, I have some valid reasons for maintaining that these locusts will not attack believers: 

a.   First, because Revelation 8.13 indicates that these last three trumpet judgments will only fall upon “inhabiters of the earth,” which are lost folks. 

b.   Second, because there is circumstantial evidence to support the idea that every believer has the seal of God, even though only 144,000 are specifically said to be so marked. 

c.   Finally, because allowing these creatures to attack God’s Own children is worse than throwing the baby out with the bath water. There is no legitimate reason expressed in Scripture why God would want to vent His wrath in such a way on those who are His Own children. 

(9.5)    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. 

1.   So, the locusts will inflict great pain upon the people, but they will not be allowed to kill anyone. The torment of their stings lasts for 5 months. 

2.   The torture from these creatures must be of such a painful nature, if you have ever heard of the extreme pain that ordinary scorpions cause when they sting. 

(9.6)    And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 

1.   Friends, God’s wrath is going to be poured out, during this future time of great tribulation, in an extremely unique way. God is actually giving unsaved men, I believe, a brief glimpse of the torments of Hell. And what does lost man do? He seeks to kill himself and really go to Hell! 

2.   It is just like unregenerate men that nothing will move them to repent of their sins unless the Holy Spirit specifically deals in their lives. 

3.   Just imagine pain that is so extreme that millions of people are attempting to commit suicide because of it. Rather than turn to God, in Christ, for relief they turn to death, only to find that their torment will not end. 

4.   So, this is a foreshadow of Hell for those people. Conscious, never-ending physical and mental torture, from which there is no escape.