9:1 star fall from heaven. This falling (or “fallen”) star is obviously an angel, not an actual star (angels are often referred to as stars in Scripture). His name, Abaddon (Greek equivalent to Apollyon—both meaning “destroyer,” Revelation 9:11), would indicate that he is either Satan or one of the principals in the Satanic hierarchy. Satan had fallen from heaven to the earth long ago (Isaiah 14:12-19; Luke 10:18), though he still has some access to the heavenly councils as “the accuser of our brethren” (Revelation 12:10; Job 1:6-11; Luke 22:31).

9:1 key. The Lord Jesus Christ, ever since His death and resurrection, has had jurisdiction over the “keys” to Hades, where many fallen angels are confined, as well as the souls of the unsaved (Revelation 1:18). Thus, at the sounding of the fifth trumpet, He will allow Abaddon to release a horde of these demonic spirits for a five-month period (Revelation 9:5), to vent their hatred of mankind on those people on the earth who are still rebelling against God. The unsaved will have yet another incentive to repent and be saved.

9:1 bottomless pit. The word for pit, abussos (Greek meaning “without a base”) is translated “deep” in Luke 8:31 and Romans 10:7. Modern versions usually transliterate it simply as “abyss.” This pit is apparently the lowest compartment of Hades, at the very center of the earth. Its “bottomless” description can thus be taken literally, since all of its boundaries are, in effect, ceilings. It probably refers to the lowest hell, or tartarus (II Peter 2:4), where “the angels that sinned” (evidently the transgressing “sons of God” of Genesis 6:1-3) are confined in “chains of darkness” awaiting their final judgment. It is probably these that will temporarily be released by Abaddon from the bottomless pit.

9:2 smoke of a great furnace. Compare Genesis 19:28. The escaping smoke seems to indicate to earth-dwellers that there are, indeed, literal fires in Hades. Somewhere on earth there is a great shaft (probably more than one—note Numbers 16:33), through which are carried the souls of the unsaved dead, and from which these demons and the accompanying smoke will issue. The location(s), if this is true, are now so covered and hidden that geologists could never locate them—only Christ has the key(s).

9:3 locusts. These are obviously not actual locusts, for they will attack only “unsealed men” and not the vegetation (Revelation 9:4). To John, however, they could only be compared to swarms of locusts. No man has ever seen such terrifying insects before or since, with the speed of war horses, the teeth of lions, and the stings of scorpions, yet with faces and armor like soldiers and hair like women (Revelation 9:7-10). Demons had long had an obsessive desire for physical bodies (note Genesis 6:2; Luke 8:30,32), so God will give them, for this brief time, bodies appropriate to their true character, allowing them to exercise His judgment on the still-rebellious men.

9:4 seal of God. The forehead “seal” had been inscribed on the 144,000 chosen Israelites (Revelation 7:4); perhaps also it will be given to others, if any, who turn to Christ under these trumpet judgments.

9:7 like unto horses. See Joel 2:4-5 (also note Revelation 9:9 here). Evidently Joel, who prophesied very graphically of the coming day of the Lord, also had received a vision of this invading swarm of locust-like demons. Part of his prophecy deals with an actual invasion of the land by real locusts, but, as often happens in the Old Testament prophetical books, the immediate vision yields to a vision of far-future events, the first being merely a type of the much greater event yet to come.

9:8 as the teeth of lions. Note Joel 1:6. The locusts seen by Joel, like those seen by John, had “the teeth of a lion,” the “appearance of horses” (Joel 2:4), and made a great sound “like the noise of chariots” (Joel 2:5). Joel also commented that “there hath not been ever the like, neither shall there be any more after it” (Joel 2:2).

9:10 five months. As suddenly as they had come, these demons were gone, no doubt herded back into the bottomless pit to await the judgment. Quite probably, like the evil spirits who had drowned the swine whose bodies they possessed for a short time (Luke 8:32-33), they left the carcasses of their locust bodies behind them on the ground. Joel says that “his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things” (Joel 2:20).

9:11 Abaddon. Abbadon, or Apollyon, means “Destroyer.” The word occurs only here in the New Testament, but six times in the Old Testament, where it is translated “destruction” (see Job 26:6; 28:22; 31:12; Psalm 88:11; Proverbs 15:11; 27:20). See note on Proverbs 15:11.