Apocalipse 9

1 O quinto anjo tocou a sua trombeta, e vi uma estrela que do céu caíra sobre a terra; e foi-lhe dada a chave do poço do abismo.

2 E abriu o poço do abismo, e subiu fumaça do poço, como fumaça de uma grande fornalha; e com a fumaça do poço escureceram-se o sol e o ar.

3 Da fumaça saíram gafanhotos sobre a terra; e foi-lhes dado poder, como o que têm os escorpiões da terra.

4 Foi-lhes dito que não fizessem dano � erva da terra, nem a verdura alguma, nem a árvore alguma, mas somente aos homens que não têm na fronte o selo de Deus.

5 Foi-lhes permitido, não que os matassem, mas que por cinco meses os atormentassem. E o seu tormento era semelhante ao tormento do escorpião, quando fere o homem.

6 Naqueles dias os homens buscarão a morte, e de modo algum a acharão; e desejarão morrer, e a morte fugirá deles.

7 A aparência dos gafanhotos era semelhante � de cavalos aparelhados para a guerra; e sobre as suas cabeças havia como que umas coroas semelhantes ao ouro; e os seus rostos eram como rostos de homens.

8 Tinham cabelos como cabelos de mulheres, e os seus dentes eram como os de leões.

9 Tinham couraças como couraças de ferro; e o ruído das suas asas era como o ruído de carros de muitos cavalos que correm ao combate.

10 Tinham caudas com ferrões, semelhantes �s caudas dos escorpiões; e nas suas caudas estava o seu poder para fazer dano aos homens por cinco meses.

11 Tinham sobre si como rei o anjo do abismo, cujo nome em hebraico é Abadom e em grego Apoliom.

12 Passado é já um ai; eis que depois disso vêm ainda dois ais.

13 O sexto anjo tocou a sua trombeta; e ouvi uma voz que vinha das quatro pontas do altar de ouro que estava diante de Deus,

14 a qual dizia ao sexto anjo, que tinha a trombeta: Solta os quatro anjos que se acham presos junto do grande rio Eufrates.

15 E foram soltos os quatro anjos que haviam sido preparados para aquela hora e dia e mês e ano, a fim de matarem a terça parte dos homens.

16 O número dos exércitos dos cavaleiros era de duas miríades de miríades; pois ouvi o número deles.

17 E assim vi os cavalos nesta visão: os que sobre eles estavam montados tinham couraças de fogo, e de jacinto, e de enxofre; e as cabeças dos cavalos eram como cabeças de leões; e de suas bocas saíam fogo, fumaça e enxofre.

18 Por estas três pragas foi morta a terça parte dos homens, isto é, pelo fogo, pela fumaça e pelo enxofre, que saíam das suas bocas.

19 Porque o poder dos cavalos estava nas suas bocas e nas suas caudas. Porquanto as suas caudas eram semelhantes a serpentes, e tinham cabeças, e com elas causavam dano.

20 Os outros homens, que não foram mortos por estas pragas, não se arrependeram das obras das suas mãos, para deixarem de adorar aos demônios, e aos ídolos de ouro, de prata, de bronze, de pedra e de madeira, que nem podem ver, nem ouvir, nem andar.

21 Também não se arrependeram dos seus homicídios, nem das suas feitiçarias, nem da sua prostituição, nem dos seus furtos.

Apocalipse 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

The fifth trumpet is followed by a representation of another star as falling from heaven and opening the bottomless pit, out of which come swarms of locusts. (1-12) The sixth trumpet is followed by the loosing of four angels bound in the great river Euphrates. (13-21)

Verses 1-12 Upon sounding the fifth trumpet, a star fell from heaven to the earth. Having ceased to be a minister of Christ, he who is represented by this star becomes the minister of the devil; and lets loose the powers of hell against the churches of Christ. On the opening of the bottomless pit, there arose a great smoke. The devil carries on his designs by blinding the eyes of men, by putting out light and knowledge, and promoting ignorance and error. Out of this smoke there came a swarm of locusts, emblems of the devil's agents, who promote superstition, idolatry, error, and cruelty. The trees and the grass, the true believers, whether young or more advanced, should be untouched. But a secret poison and infection in the soul, should rob many others of purity, and afterwards of peace. The locusts had no power to hurt those who had the seal of God. God's all-powerful, distinguishing grace will keep his people from total and final apostacy. The power is limited to a short season; but it would be very sharp. In such events the faithful share the common calamity, but from the pestilence of error they might and would be safe. We collect from Scripture, that such ( 1 Corinthians. 11:19 ) early writers plainly refer this to the first great host of corrupters who overspread the Christian church.

Verses 13-21 The sixth angel sounded, and here the power of the Turks seems the subject. Their time is limited. They not only slew in war, but brought a poisonous and ruinous religion. The antichristian generation repented not under these dreadful judgments. From this sixth trumpet learn that God can make one enemy of the church a scourge and a plague to another. The idolatry in the remains of the eastern church and elsewhere, and the sins of professed Christians, render this prophecy and its fulfilment more wonderful. And the attentive reader of Scripture and history, may find his faith and hope strengthened by events, which in other respects fill his heart with anguish and his eyes with tears, while he sees that men who escape these plagues, repent not of their evil works, but go on with idolatries, wickedness, and cruelty, till wrath comes upon them to the utmost.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 9

This chapter gives an account of the blowing of the fifth and sixth trumpets, and of the effects following upon them. The fifth angel blows his trumpet, and a star falls; the key of the bottomless pit is given to him, which being opened by it, out of it comes smoke to the darkening of the sun and air, and out of the smoke locusts, who have power like scorpions, Re 9:1-3; whose power is restrained from using it to the hurt of the grass, or any green thing or tree, only of those who had not the seal of God in their foreheads; but are permitted, though not to kill men, yet to torment them five months, which is worse than death unto them, Re 9:4-6. The shapes of these locusts, which are said to be like horses, are described by their heads, faces, hair, teeth, breastplates, wings, and tails, and are said to have a king over them, whose name is mentioned, Re 9:7-11. The blowing of this trumpet brings on one of the woes mentioned in Re 8:13, and the two other follow, Re 9:12. The sixth angel blows his trumpet, and a voice is heard from the horns of the altar, directed to the said angel, ordering him to loose four angels bound in the great river Euphrates, where they were prepared, for a determinate time, to slay the third part of men, and they were loosed accordingly, Re 9:13-15. The number of the army, under these angels, is given, Re 9:16, and the horses and horsemen are described; the riders by their breastplates of fire, jacinth, and brimstone; their horses' heads as heads of lions, fire, smoke, and brimstone, issuing out of their mouths, by which the third part of men are killed, Re 9:17,18. The reason of this slaughter is, because they had power both in their mouth and tails, which latter were like serpents, and had heads, with which they did mischief, Re 9:19; and yet such who were not killed by these plagues, but escaped, did not repent of their idolatry, murders, sorceries, fornication, and theft, Re 9:20,21.