Apocalisse 9

1 POI sonò il quinto angelo, ed io vidi una stella caduta dal cielo in terra; e ad esso fu data la chiave del pozzo dell’abisso.

2 Ed egli aperse il pozzo dell’abisso, e di quel pozzo salì un fumo, simigliante al fumo d’una gran fornace ardente; e il sole e l’aria scurò, per il fumo del pozzo.

3 E di quel fumo uscirono in terra locuste; e fu loro dato potere, simile a quello degli scorpioni della terra.

4 E fu lor detto, che non danneggiassero l’erba della terra, nè verdura alcuna, nè albero alcuno; ma solo gli uomini che non hanno il segnale di Dio in su le lor fronti.

5 E fu loro dato, non di ucciderli, ma di tormentarli lo spazio di cinque mesi; e il lor tormento era come quello dello scorpione, quando ha ferito l’uomo.

6 E in que’ giorni gli uomini cercheranno la morte, e non la troveranno; e desidereranno di morire, e la morte fuggirà da loro.

7 Or i sembianti delle locuste erano simili a cavalli apparecchiati alla battaglia; ed aveano in su le lor teste come delle corone d’oro, e le lor facce erano come facce d’uomini.

8 Ed avean capelli, come capelli di donne: e i lor denti erano come denti di leoni.

9 Ed aveano degli usberghi, come usberghi di ferro; e il suon delle loro ale era come il suono de’ carri, o di molti cavalli correnti alla battaglia.

10 Ed aveano delle code simili a quelle degli scorpioni, e v’erano delle punte nelle lor code; e il poter loro era di danneggiar gli uomini lo spazio di cinque mesi.

11 Ed aveano per re sopra loro l’angelo dell’abisso, il cui nome in Ebreo è Abaddon, ed in Greco Appollion.

12 Il primo Guaio è passato; ecco, vengono ancora due Guai dopo queste cose.

13 POI il sesto angelo sonò; ed io udii una voce dalle quattro corna dell’altar d’oro, ch’era davanti a Dio;

14 la quale disse al sesto angelo che avea la tromba: Sciogli i quattro angeli, che son legati in sul gran fiume Eufrate.

15 E furono sciolti que’ quattro angeli, che erano apparecchiati per quell’ora, e giorno, e mese, ed anno; per uccider la terza parte degli uomini.

16 E il numero degli eserciti della cavalleria era di venti migliaia di decine di migliaia; ed io udii il numero loro.

17 Simigliantemente ancora vidi nella visione i cavalli, e quelli che li cavalcavano, i quali aveano degli usberghi di fuoco, di giacinto, e di zolfo; e le teste de’ cavalli erano come teste di leoni; e dalle bocche loro usciva fuoco, e fumo, e zolfo.

18 Da queste tre piaghe: dal fuoco, dal fumo, e dallo zolfo, che usciva delle bocche loro, fu uccisa la terza parte degli uomini.

19 Perciocchè il poter de’ cavalli era nella lor bocca, e nelle lor code; poichè le lor code erano simili a serpenti, avendo delle teste, e con esse danneggiavano.

20 E il rimanente degli uomini, che non furono uccisi di queste piaghe, non si ravvide ancora delle opere delle lor mani, per non adorare i demoni, e gl’idoli d’oro, e d’argento, e di rame, e di pietra, e di legno, i quali non possono nè vedere, nè udire, nè camminare.

21 Parimente non si ravvidero de’ lor omicidii, nè delle lor malie, nè della loro fornicazione, nè de’ lor furti.

Apocalisse 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.