9:1-2 The Fifth Trumpet, The First Woe: Many Christian expositors, including Martin Luther, the great Reformer; Sir Isaac Newton, the famous scientist; and the historian, Edward Gibbon; have seen in the fifth and sixth trumpets the rise and progress of Islam. In view of the tremendous military, religious, economic and cultural impact Islam has had on the Christian world in the nearly fourteen hundred years since its rise in the 600s, this interpretation deserves our serious attention.

Islam, the religion of the followers of Mohammed, originated around A.D. 612. Mohammed worshiped Allah, an Arabic name for the God of the Bible, and identified Him as the one true God worshiped by Abraham, the Jews and Jesus. He respected Jews and Christians as “people of the book,” because they believed in the Old Testament.

As we have seen before, a “star” represents a leader. The “bottomless pit” comes from the Greek word “abbusos,” where we get our word “abyss,” and it means a desolate empty place; similar to the word “void” in Genesis 1:2. This star or great leader was Mohammed, the founder of Islam. The “bottomless pit” applies here to the vast desolate wastelands of present day Saudi Arabia, from which “the smoke,” the religion of Islam, issued forth, darkening the light of Christ and Christianity in all the lands that come under their control.

9:3 Out of the “smoke” comes “locusts.” When conditions are favorable a swarm of hundreds of millions of locusts may hatch at the same time. After exhausting the local food supply, they spread out gobbling up nearly every green plant in their path, and leaving desolation and famine behind them. By the time of his death in A.D. 632 Mohammed had united the Arabian Peninsula under Islam. Over the next 100 years the Muslim tide spread in a raging flood across the earth until the year 732 when they were narrowly defeated at the Battle of Tours in France. This victory saved Western Europe from conversion to Islam.

9:4-7 The “trees” and “grass” are here set as opposites to ‘those men which have not the seal of God.” The “trees” and “grass” represent the many groups of Christians who still preserved the true Biblical faith of early Christianity. See notes on Revelation 7:2-3. The “locusts” were not to hurt these pure commandment-keeping people. The Islamic conquerors did not destroy property wantonly or kill Christians and Jews so long as they agreed to pay tribute. They did, however, relentlessly attack the remainder of the Roman Empire centered in Constantinople, at whom this judgment is directed.

The “locusts” are given power to “torment” like the sting of a “scorpion” for 5 months, or 150 literal years. Starting in 1299 at the Battle of Bapheum the Turkish Muslims began a persistent assault on the eastern Roman Empire. In 1449, after 150 years of conflict, the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire became a vassal state, subordinate to the Ottoman Empire. At that time Constantine XI needed the permission and backing of the Ottoman Empire to outmaneuver the other claimant to the throne, so as to become emperor. During this time period the Byzantine Empire was “tormented” by the Ottoman Empire but not yet destroyed.

9:8-10 The cavalry was a prominent feature of the Arabian and Turkish military. Their horsemen wore turbans over long hair, “as the hair of women.” They came with the strength and rapacity of “lions,” and were seemingly unstoppable, pictured by the “breastplates of iron.” The locust “wings,” like the leopard wings of Daniel 7, represent speed.

9:11-12 “Abaddon” in Hebrew and “Apollyon” in Greek are named that means “the destroyer.”

9:13-14 The Sixth Trumpet, The Second Woe: The four angels mentioned in Revelation 7:1 had worldwide power to restrain the winds; in contrast the present four appear to be localized. These can be viewed as the four sultans of the Turkish Ottoman Empire; Aleppo, Iconium, Damascus, and Baghdad, or as destructive forces that moved against the western world. These angels had been restrained from their work of judgement until the sixth angel sounded his trumpet.

The Byzantine Empire had been holding the Muslims in check, now that they were no longer a threat, the Ottoman Empire turned its attention to Papal-dominated Europe, the target of this trumpet’s judgment. The Islamic wars played a key role in helping Protestantism thrive by diverting the attention of Papal persecution long enough to help it become established.

9:13-1:15 The time set forth here represents 391 years and 15 days (369+30+1+1/24 of a year) which indicates the time remaining for the Ottoman empire to do its work. From the end of the Fifth Trumpet in 1449, 391 years extends to 1840. In that year the Ottoman Empire could no longer protect itself, and accepted the protection of four European nations, effectively ceasing as an independent power.

9:16 In ancient times the cavalry was the swiftest, most mobile branch of the military. The number 200,000,000 is symbolic of a vast, innumerable host.

9:17-19 “Fire” and “brimstone” are symbols of judgement. Genesis 19:24. The predominate colors of the Turkish uniforms were red (fire), blue (jacinth and smoke) and yellow (brimstone). “Fire and smoke and brimstone” from the horses’ mouths refers to the use of gunpowder and firearms, introduced about this time. “Heads of lions” denotes ferocity and majesty. “Their power (authority) was in their mouth and in their tails”, perhaps was representing the Turkish cavalry’s guns, speed, mobility and devious tactics, for which they were widely recognized.

9:20-21 After all these judgements the rest of the men “represented not.” God’s object in sending these judgements were not only to punish but also to call Papal dominated Europe to repentance. The rest of the men are said to worship “idols.” At this time the Western Church worshiped images of “saints.” “The men” also did no repent of “their murders,” the Christians slaughtered for their belief in Bible truth; their “fornication,” a symbol of doctrinal impurity, or of their “thefts,” the usurping of God’s authority.