The Fifth Trumpet of Revelation: The Bottomless Pit and the Locusts

The fifth trumpet of Revelation is much more detailed than the first four and, when you think about it, much more severe.

Unlike the star in the third trumpet, the star we see falling from heaven here in the fifth trumpet is personified. The Bible lets us know this one isn’t a literal star or meteor. It interprets it for us as an angel named Abaddon.

You may be wondering if we have seen him before in the Bible and why he is falling now rather than when Satan and his angels were cast out. The truth is that this is not talking about an angel who is just now falling. He has already fallen.

In English, “fall” could be read two ways:

• He watched it fall in that moment
• He saw a star in a fallen condition (i.e., one that had already fallen)

Granted, when we read this, our natural inclination is to take the first meaning.

But when we look at it in the Greek, we discover an important detail. The Greek verb used for “fall” is peptōkota, which is in the perfect tense. That means it describes a completed action with an ongoing result.

It is unclear whether this is another name for Satan or simply another fallen angel. We are told the name means “destroyer.” That kind of language is often used for Satan, but there is nothing explicitly linking them.

Nevertheless, his identity and fall are not the focus of this passage. It doesn’t matter whether his fall is happening now or occurred earlier when Satan was cast out. What matters is that he is given the authority to open the bottomless pit—a place of imprisonment for fallen angels.

The Bottomless Pit

Another name for the bottomless pit is the abyss. That word indicates the deepest of depths. In Greek, it is abussos, which literally means “bottomless” or “unfathomable.” It is also translated from the Hebrew word tehom in the Old Testament, which means “the deep.”

It’s easy to get confused about this. We hear the words “the pit” many times in the Bible, and they often refer to the grave or hell. But this is not the grave or hell. This is the deep—a void—which may even be another dimension God has created for this purpose.

The terms for the “abyss” and “hell” are different in both Hebrew and Greek. Sheol is the Hebrew word for “the pit,” “the grave,” or “hell,” and Hades is the Greek word. Scripture specifically indicates this pit is different. This one is bottomless; it is not hell being opened.

There is no escape from hell. But the bottomless pit is meant to be opened.

These demons knew that the time for them to enter their final place of torment had not yet come, so they knew Jesus would not send them there. But they begged Him not to send them to “the deep,” which is also translated as the bottomless pit. So they knew that was a possibility.

Be careful in how you understand 2 Peter. He is not saying all angels were cast into hell. He uses the word “and,” which may indicate a distinction between hell and the place of chains of darkness. Later in Revelation, we also see four angels bound in chains, not in hell. So God hasn’t delivered all of them to hell—some are in the bottomless pit.

The bottomless pit holds fallen angels deemed too dangerous to freely roam the earth. Instead, they are bound in chains. And that helps us understand the next part of the fifth trumpet—because when it is opened, something comes out.

What Do the Locusts in Revelation 9 Represent

When the bottomless pit is opened, we see a horrifying description of locusts. But these are not the normal locusts of the earth.

The text forces us to understand this vision symbolically. John uses words such as “like” and “as it were.” We also see something important: these locusts don’t consume anything—they don’t eat. Instead, their only purpose is to torment men, not even to kill or consume them. Clearly, these are not actual locusts, but symbolic.

Let’s look at their description:

• Crowns like gold, which symbolize authority or victory (Daniel 7)
• Faces like men, which symbolize intelligence or personality
• Hair like women, which may symbolize seduction or allure
• Teeth like lions, which symbolize destructive power (Joel 1:6)
• Breastplates of iron, which symbolize invulnerability
• Wings sounding like chariots, which symbolize overwhelming force (Joel 2:5)
• Tails like scorpions, which symbolize painful torment

Also note that, according to Proverbs 30:27, locusts have no king—but these do. Kings rule over men, because kings are men. These locusts have an angel for their king. What kind of beings would an angel rule over?

So what can we conclude from all of these clues? These locusts represent fallen angels held in the bottomless pit as a prison. They are demons being released upon mankind.

The Sting of a Scorpion

The kind of torment these demonic beings inflict upon the lost is going to be so painful that people will seek death but be unable to die. That tells us something important. It shows that these people will have lost control over their own bodies. They will be prevented from even taking their own lives.

It could be that God supernaturally keeps them alive, but I think the reality is far less pleasant.

Demonic possession often includes a loss of control. Normally, demons seek to torment and kill. But here they are ordered not to kill, but to inflict pain. So I believe these demons will control their victims and prevent them from doing anything that would cause death.

Imagine the torment mankind can bring upon each other, and then imagine what fallen angels filled with hatred could do. Truly, this is a worse trumpet than the last four.

The effects of a scorpion sting are similar to some of the symptoms of demonic possession we see in the Bible. A scorpion sting doesn’t just injure—it overstimulates the nerves. Some symptoms of a scorpion sting include:

• Sharp, immediate pain (often described as a burning or electric sensation)
• Severe muscle spasms or jerking
• Difficulty breathing
• Trouble swallowing or speaking
• Uncontrolled eye movements
• Drooling or foaming at the mouth
• Agitation or confusion
• Crippling or deformity
• Swelling
• Sensitivity to touch

It’s important to note that while these symptoms can resemble descriptions of demonic activity, they are most often medical in nature. These signs alone are not enough to diagnose someone as being possessed. However, that is a separate subject. Here, we are specifically discussing the events of this trumpet, which are clearly brought about by demonic forces.

The suffering inflicted will be more than physical. People will become so mentally exhausted that they will crave death. When Saul was tormented by an evil spirit, he was deprived of peace and relief, which led to deep distress.

These demonic beings are also mentioned in Joel.

Often, prophecy speaks of dual events. Sometimes it refers to an earlier, natural fulfillment while also pointing to a future fulfillment. Joel later speaks of the northern army, but this passage does not describe an army of men.

Notice the similarities between this and what we see in Revelation:

• Both have the appearance of horses, which often symbolize spiritual beings
• Both are associated with darkness and gloom as smoke fills the scene
• Both sound like chariots of many horses running to battle
• Both are described in battle attire (Revelation mentions breastplates of iron)
• Both cause pain and torment, but not immediate death
• Both are highly organized
• Both receive commands from the Lord Himself
• Both are connected to the day of the Lord

Yet in all of this, God is merciful. It lasts only five months. It is not without purpose. It serves as a strong call to repentance before the wicked experience even greater suffering under judgment.

This is a horrible scene. But remember, it will not affect the saints. It is only those who do not have the seal of God upon them.

These passages reveals both the severity of God’s judgment and the restraint of His mercy. The torment is real, but it is limited. The power of darkness is unleashed, but only under God’s authority. Even here, the purpose is not destruction alone, but a call to repentance before the final judgment comes.

There remains two more trumpets. In the next study, we will continue by looking at the sixth trumpet.

Continue To Unit 7:27 – The Sixth Trumpet of Revelation: An Army of 200 Million Angels OR

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