“The first trumpeted, and there was hail and fire mingled with blood, and it was cast to the earth; and the third part of the earth was burned up, and the third part of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up” (v. 7). When the angels begin to trumpet, everything in the universe will be turned upside down. The first trumpet will damage the third part of the earth. Note that this verse does not say “a third part” but “the third part.” This means that a certain part of the earth, the third part, will be damaged. The whole earth is sinful, but some parts of the earth are particularly evil, satanic, and demonic. Those regions of the earth that are so sinful will be “the third part of the earth.” God’s judgment of the third part will be used to warn the rest of the rebellious world to repent.
“The second angel trumpeted, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood, and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea and had life died, and the third part of the ships were destroyed” (vv. 8-9). The second trumpet will damage “the third part of the sea.” In the same principle as the judgment upon the earth in the first trumpet, God will judge the third part of the sea. The part of the sea that is more defiled by evil against God will be damaged by God’s judgment. Verse 9 specifically mentions the destruction of the third part of the ships.
“The third angel trumpeted, and a great star fell out of heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers and upon the springs of waters. And the name of the star is called Wormwood; and the third part of the waters became wormwood, and many of the men died from the waters because they were made bitter” (vv. 10-11). Here again the third part of the rivers and springs of waters will be damaged. Water is crucial to human life. The opposers of God and those who practice evil against Him still enjoy God’s creation. They partake of the water of God’s creation, and they continue to oppose God. One day God will cause wormwood to fall out of heaven into their water, and it will become bitter. However, God’s judgment has a limitation; it is limited to the third part of the rivers and springs.
The fourth trumpet is for the judgment on the heavenly hosts. “The fourth angel trumpeted, and the third part of the sun and the third part of the moon and the third part of the stars were smitten, so that the third part of them would be darkened and the day would not appear for the third part of it, and the night likewise” (v. 12). After the judgment of the earth, the sea, and the rivers, God’s judgment will smite the third part of the heavenly hosts, damaging the third part of the sun, the moon, and the stars. The part of the sun to be damaged will be the part that shines upon the evil nations. God knows this part, and it will be darkened.
At the sounding of the fifth trumpet, Satan will fall out of heaven to the earth. Verse 1 of chapter 9 says, “The fifth angel trumpeted, and I saw a star out of heaven fallen to the earth, and to him was given the key of the pit of the abyss.” The star in this verse refers to Satan, who will be cast down from heaven to earth. In the Bible the angels are likened to stars (Job 38:7; Rev. 12:4). As the archangel, Satan was the Daystar (Isa. 14:12). At the time of Luke 10:18 he had already been judged. However, in Revelation 9 and in 12:9-10 there is the execution of that judgment. After the man-child is raptured to heaven, he will fight against Satan and cast him down. According to chapter 12, Satan will fall from heaven at the beginning of the last three and a half years.
When Satan falls from heaven to earth, the key of the abyss will be given to him so that he may open the abyss to release the demon-possessed locusts that will torment men for five months. Verses 3 through 5 of chapter 9 say, “Out of the smoke came forth locusts to the earth, and to them power was given, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was said to them that they should not harm the grass of the earth or any green thing or any tree, but men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And it was given them that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man.” These locusts must be demon-possessed, because they come out of the smoke which issues from the dwelling place of the demons (v. 2). Verses 7 and 9 are very similar to Joel 2:4-5, 25, and 1:6, which was spoken concerning Israel. This, along with the fact that the Israelites need to be sealed by God to escape the injury of the locusts (Rev. 7:3-8), may indicate that the woe of the fifth trumpet is especially upon the Israelites. At that time, only those Israelites who have the seal of God on their foreheads will not be injured by the demon-possessed locusts.
For those who are tormented, the torment will be so excruciating that “in those days men will seek death and shall by no means find it; and they will long to die, and death flees from them” (9:6). During those five months, those who are tormented by the dreadful, demon-possessed locusts would rather die than live, but they cannot find the means to die. Surely the shaking of the earth and the blackening of the sun are nothing compared to the severity of this woe. This is the first of the three woes announced by the eagle from mid-heaven in 8:13.