“I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.” (Revelation 9:1-12, NASB)

God is God over all creation, even over demons. Here is a powerful lesson that we can learn from today’s reading. John writes in today’s passage,

“And 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. And 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. And out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And they were told that they should not 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.”

Today’s reading describes John’s vision of the events when the fifth trumpet is blown. He saw a demon army being released onto Earth to harm humans. In verse one, John plainly states that the “star” that fell from heaven was an angelic being, and we must interpret it as so. Further, since this angel came to open the door of the abyss where the fallen angels or demons are kept, we must interpret him as either Satan himself or one of his generals. According to 2 Peter and Jude, God judged the angels that sinned during the days of Noah and locked them up in a prison called the abyss or the pit of darkness (2 Pet.2:4, Jude 1:6). Further, according to Jesus’ encounter with the “Legion” shows that demons today can also be sent there and they are afraid of it (Lk.8:30-31).

Apparently, the fifth trumpet judgment will open up this abyss and release these imprisoned demons on earth to wreak havoc. It is not clear whether these demons will have physical form or not, but the language of this passage indicates that they will have the physical ability to harm people. Based on John’s description of these demons, they will be like an army of locusts, and they will have golden crowns, faces of men, hair of women, teeth of lions, breastplates of iron, wings with the sound of chariots, and tails that can sting like scorpions. If these “locusts” are literal creatures, they are truly grotesque, demonic beings. But if they are symbolic beings, what could they be representing? They will also have a king over them, “the angel of the abyss – his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.” And according to Revelation 17:8, this angel of the abyss could be the “beast” or the antichrist who will represent Satan on earth. A frightening time indeed when demons will roam the earth to hurt mankind.

However, this passage also demonstrates that God’s merciful hand is present throughout this period. The phrase “the key of the bottomless pit was given to him” indicates that it is God who gives Satan authority and power to harm the earth and the people in it. Also, God’s command to these demons not to harm the green earth nor His servants who have the “seal of God on their forehead” demonstrates that He is in complete control. In those days, it will seem like Satan is the supreme ruler, but the fact of the matter is that he cannot do anything without God’s permission. Similarly, there are times today when it seems like demonic forces are running around unchecked, but the truth of the matter is that God is God even among demons. God is God over all creation, and over demons, even the greatest demon of them all, Satan.

• What do you think these “locusts” that come out of the abyss represent?
• How does God’s authority over demons, including setting limits on their actions, inform what they can or cannot do to believers today?