REVELATION 8-11

Revelation 8:1-5

8:1 The seventh seal: nothing much happens except to start a brand new series of seven visions. This 

suggests that the time period just described is starting all over again without really culminating.

Regarding the silence, Bruce Metzger (Breaking the Code) says, “Is it too fanciful to suppose, as some 

have suggested, that everything in heaven halts so that the prayers of the saints may be heard?” (As a 

teenager, I even tried to calculate how far away heaven was by calculating the time it would take for 

sound waves to reach from earth to there. Unfortunately, such “scientific” explanations of descriptions 

in the Bible, especially in Revelation, are still going on today.) The other possibility is that silence 

indicates awe in light of the demonstrations of God’s power that are to follow.

8:2 The angels stand before God so that they are ready to carry out his commands. Note that none of 

them is invited to sit in God’s presence as is Christ. Verses 3 and 5 show the same censer with both 

intercession and judgment, indicating the powerfulness of Christians’ prayers. Incense mingled with 

prayer indicates that man’s prayers by themselves are ineffectual unless combined with a divine power.

The seven angels are named in the Book of Enoch as Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Michael, Sariel, Gabriel, 

and Remiel.

8:3 Trumpets bring man’s attention to God’s actions (like C. S. Lewis’ famous statement that God 

shouts to us in our pain). The seventh month of the Jewish year, Tishri, was marked by a festival of 

trumpets; the feasts that followed were all festivals of harvest (an apt symbol for judgment).

I. The Seven Seals

A. Scene in heaven with scroll (Chapter 5)

B. Four horsemen causing limited destruction (6:1-8)

C. Fifth and Sixth Seals: Two longer, associated visions (6:9-17)

D. Interlude with two visions (7:1-8, 9-17)

E. The seventh seal (8:1)

I’. The Seven Trumpets

A. Scene in heaven with censer (8:2-6)

B. Four trumpets causing limited destruction (8:7-12)

C. Fifth and Sixth Trumpets: Two longer, associated visions (9:1-12, 13-21)

D. Interlude with two visions (Chapter 10; 11:1-14)

E. The seventh trumpet (11:15-19)

An inclusio (border markers) for this whole section is provided by:

“tribe, tongue, people and nation” (5:9)

“peoples, tribes, tongues and nations” (11:9)

An inclusio for the Seven Trumpets portion is also present:

            “...and there were peals of thunder, loud noises, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.” (8:5)

“And there were flashes of lightning, loud noises, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy 

hail.” (11:19)

There are three songs of praise in this section: at the start (5:9-10), middle (7:15-17) and end (11:17-18)

Revelation 8:6-13

The woes affect, respectively, a third of the earth, sea, rivers and heavens, just as in the previous series 

of limited disasters but from a different perspective.

Jacques Ellul (Apocalypse) feels that these represent, symbolically, the overthrowing of all laws of 

creation when Jesus as God became man. The images portray a de-creation in contrast to Genesis 1. 

Christ represents the start of a new creation, and so the world must revert to chaos for a short while. 

“That which man believed he had as light, as mastery over the creation, is abolished. His spiritual 

Whole is blotted out.”

The seven disasters are also similar to the plagues of Egypt prior to leading God’s people out of 

captivity and into freedom: hail (8:7), water changed to blood (8:8), poisoned waters (8:11), darkness 

(8:12), locusts (9:3).

8:8 may be an allusion to the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.

8:11 wormwood = apsinthos. It is bitter but not poisonous. However, in ancient times, poison and 

bitterness were closely associated with one another. See Jeremiah 9:15.

8:10, 13 are similar to 12:9, 12. They may both refer to Satan, or Wormwood may be another fallen 

angel (stars = angels in 1:20).

8:13 “Eagle” may be in fact a vulture. If so, the reference may be to Hosea 8:1. “Woe, woe, woe” 

introduces the last three trumpets (or Three Woes, as John calls them).

Revelation 8-9

The first four plagues in Chapter 8 were universal in scope and involved cosmic disturbances that 

would affect everyone, but the 5^th and 6^th trumpets in this chapter release demonic forces from the 

underworld that attack unbelievers. However, even these forces are seen to be under God's control. 

These chapters are filled with OT allusions, especially of the ten plagues of Egypt. Deuteronomy 28 

predicts that in the latter days, Israel will suffer the plagues of Egypt if they are not obedient.

Revelation 9:1-2

“Falling star”identity:

(a) Satan: This may be a parallel to Luke 10:18-20 in which Satan is said to have fallen from heaven, 

and believers are given power over scorpions. Also see Revelation 12:7-9 where Satan was thrown 

down from heaven with his angels.

(b) One of God's angels: The Baptist Quarterly Guide says it may be an angel dispatched by God since 

the key is in an angel's hand in Revelation 20:1 when he locks Satan up in the Pit. The parallel with 

Exodus might indicate that someone like the Angel of Death is indicated. The Anchor Bible 

commentary says it is the fifth angel who blew the trumpet.

 

(c) An angel representing fallen humanity: The fallen star in 8:10 is Babylon; it signals its defeat.

(d) One of Satan's Fallen Angels, as in Jude 6; 1 Peter 3:19f; and 2 Peter 2:4. “Fallen (angel)” 

elsewhere in the Bible is only used of evil angels.

 

“The Bottomless Pit”

This phrase appears seven times in Revelation. The Greek is abussos = abyss. It occurs elsewhere only 

in Luke 8:31 (Jesus casts out the demons from the possessed man and sends them into a herd of swine 

(“Don't send us back to the abyss.”) and Romans 10:7, where it is the place of the dead. So it is either a 

description of Sheol (the temporary abode of the dead) or the Bottomless Pit reserved for Satan and his 

angels. More in verse 11.

Revelation 9:3-10 The eight appearances of “like” in these verses either expresses John's inability to 

describe what he saw (physically resembled) or is a simile strongly indicating that figurative language 

is being used. The cumulative effect of the vision is to vividly show the reality of God's wrath. “The 

piling up of metaphors not completely consistent with one another is not intended to portray a nicely 

systematic picture.” G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation

9:3-4 is reminiscent of 7:2-3

9:4 The redeemed are not harmed, but does that mean they will be saved from the plagues or through 

them? This is similar to the Passover, where God's chosen were marked by blood on the doorposts and 

thus saved from death. It is also an allusion to Cain who was marked by God so that he would not be 

harmed. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption so that Satan cannot defeat us 

(Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). The “seal” reference goes back to Revelation 7:3-4: “Do not damage the 

earth...until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.” The closest OT 

reference is to the vision described in Ezekiel 9:4 where those who sighed and groaned over the sins of 

Jerusalem are marked on their forehead to save them from the executioners who will kill the rest of the 

population.

9:5 “Five months” indicates a limited time of punishment. It may refer to the five months prior to the 

Jewish War in which Roman troops harassed Palestine. Five months is also the active lifespan of 

certain types of locust. Five months of torture leaves seven months of grace in the year.

9:6 This verse is reminiscent of 6:15-16. It indicates that the torture may be spiritual anguish and fear, 

something that cannot be stopped by physical death. The people would rather suffer than repent.

 

9:7 “Locust”

Joel 1 pictures a hoard of locust as army, and in Joel 2 an army is described as a hoard of locust. All the 

stops are pulled out in Revelation 9 when these two images are combined with other allusions to create 

this monster. The locusts were like horses equipped for battle (combination of Joel 1 and 2), their teeth 

were like lion's teeth (Joel 1:6). The ancients compared the appearance of a locust’s head with that of a 

horse. Horses appear here as symbols of judgment as in the four horsemen earlier.

9:7-10

Then there is thrown into the mix some possible allusions to the Parthians, Rome's only real enemy at 

this time. They rode into battle on horses and wore their hair long like a woman's. Long hair was also a 

symbol for strength in the OT (Samson and Absalom). The Parthians shot poisoned arrows over their 

shoulders as they retreated. They also wore polished bronze helmets that looked like gold crowns. 

Thus, Gordon Fee feels that the image is primarily that of the barbarian hordes on the outskirts of the 

Roman Empire. The crowns only looked like gold (attractive but really fool's gold). Monsters such as 

these represent a co-mingling of different types of creation (thus reversing the separations of types 

found in Genesis when God destroyed chaos), which is abhorred in Leviticus. Note how many pagan 

gods are a mixture of animals (and men).

9:10 “Scorpions”

There is only one mention in the OT of punishment by means of scorpions. That is in I Kings 12 where 

King Rehoboam threatens the people of Israel, which may also explain the gold crowns. A type of 

whip called a scorpion whip was used during the Greek occupation of Israel. In other words, 

persecution will come from hostile rulers. Both v. 10 and v. 19 stress that the tails can inflict harm.

Revelation 9:11-12

v. 11 This forms a contrast to Proverbs 30:27 where it says, “The locusts have no king, yet all of them 

march in rank.” Abaddon/Apollyon = perdition/destruction/destroyer. (See Job 28:22 where he/it is 

associated with Hades.) Abaddon is probably an angel sent by God, not Satan. “Destroyer” (angel of 

death) in Exodus 12:23 is synonymous to the word in Revelation. There is a similar angel in 20:1-3 

who has the key and locks Satan in the Bottomless Pit. In Jewish literature, Abaddon was the lowest 

part of Gehenna. The belief that the angel of v. 11 is Satan probably gave rise to the common idea that 

Satan will be the ruler of hell. C. S. Lewis commented that Satan will not be the ruler of hell but its 

chief victim. “Apollyon” may also be a word play against the Greek god Apollo, an archer god who 

poisoned his victims. Emperor Domitian claimed to be a reincarnation of Apollo and liked to dress up 

as him in private dinner plays.

v. 12 does not necessarily indicate any chronological order. It is more likely that the vision of one woe 

is over but there will be two more visions.

What is God's purpose in all these plagues?

The reason for the last plagues is to bring people to repentance. On the other hand, for those who do 

not repent (as in verses 20-21), but harden their heart like Pharaoh, it will be used as evidence that 

God's final judgment on them is perfectly just.

 

Revelation 9:13-19

v. 13 The four horns on the altar represented reconciliation (They were sprinkled with blood on the 

Day of Atonement.) and asylum from harm (as in the cities of refuge). Ironically, the voice releasing 

hostile forces comes from the four horns. This is similar to Joel 2:1,15 where a trumpet announces and 

concludes the vision of locust.

vv. 14-15

This may be a reminder of Jeremiah 51:59-64 where his book is thrown into the Euphrates River to 

picture Babylon's fall. God had restrained these demonic forces until now (similar to verse 1 where 

evil spirits are released from the pit). There are many prophecies in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Joel to an 

army from beyond the Euphrates which will punish sinful Israel and neighboring ungodly nations. It 

may represent the four sections of Cestius' army which did come from near the Euphrates to invade 

Palestine. This time the plagues are directed against God's own people: the disobedient Jews.

The four angels may be the same as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Chapter 6. The

Euphrates River marked the border between the Roman Empire and their enemy, the Parthians.

“Humankind” (or “the inhabitants of the earth”) appears numerous times in Revelation, and always 

with the meaning of unbelievers or idolaters.

v. 16 “myriad of myriads” may be calculated as representing different numbers. NRSV gives 200 

million.

vv. 17-18 Fire, smoke and brimstone show that these are demonic forces. These three only appear one 

other place in the Bible — at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. 

 

v. 19  Notice the similarity with the locust of verses 8-10 with their lion's teeth and a stinger in their 

tail. Ellul feels that the fact that the sting comes from behind represents the power of the lie. Power in 

the mouths may similarly indicate the spiritual deception that they spread.

Revelation 9:20-21

These verses show that the main intent of the plagues is not to wreak vengeance, but to bring people to 

repentance. However, such spiritual torturing did not accomplish its purpose.

One interpretation of this chapter is that the First Woe refers to events immediately preceding the 

Incarnation, the Second Woe refers to events surrounding Jesus’ ministry on earth, and the Third 

Woe reverts to a description of the Incarnation (but from a more heavenly perspective). With the 

coming of Christ, mankind is driven into a corner and forced to decide one way or another.

Revelation 10:1-11:14 is another interlude before the final trumpet. The intent may be to build up 

suspense and anticipation.

Revelation 10:1-11

vv. 1-2 This is the proclamation of a universal Gospel on earth (angel with one foot on land and one 

foot on the sea). “Might” and “rainbow” show that he possessed or represented both God’s judgment 

and mercy.

v. 4 The thunders proclaim the everlasting secret[s] of God that may never be revealed to mankind in 

general. What John saw may have been equivalent to what Paul observed when he was taken up to the 

seventh heaven (read 2 Corinthians 12:4). There are more glories in store for us than we can imagine. 

The seven thunders may have revealed a whole new dimension and perspective to history.

v. 8 The little book is not the scroll of history that is slowly revealed; it is open for all to see (perhaps 

the Gospel). “Eat” means to read, comprehend, and digest.

The image is taken from Ezekiel. 2:9-33.

v. 9 Sweet Bitter

receiving the Word bearing the prophetic ministry

victory struggle

announcement of salvation announcement of judgment

announcement of election announcement of persecution

immensity of the love of God difficulty in leading the life God wants from us

Revelation 11:1-13 is generally accepted to be one of the most confusing passages in Revelation. It 

contains a jumble of symbols and allusions to OT history.

vv. 1-2 Various interpretations include:

    1. The temple is Christ himself. The prophet must obtain knowledge, discernment and awareness of 

Jesus Christ. As in the temple at Jerusalem, there was an inner court and court of the Gentiles. The time 

during the Incarnation is not yet right for Gentiles to receive the Gospel.

    2. Another interpretation is that the temple is the Church (see I Corinthians 3:16; II Corinthians 6:16; 

I Peter 2:5; Ephesians 2:21). Both interpretations are possible in that the church is the body of Christ.

    3. The image is taken from Ezekiel 40-48 where the prophet measured the temple so that it could be 

reconstructed after the old one was destroyed. It possibly means God’s people will be reborn.

vv. 2-3 The Second Woe period is 3 ½ years (stated in different ways in 11:2, 3, 9; 12:6, 14).

    1. It may symbolically mean half of seven, i.e., an incomplete or limited time period only. 

 

    2. It may allude to the references in Daniel 8:25 and 12:7 as the duration of persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes. 

    3. It may be the literal time of Christ’s ministry on earth.

vv. 4-6 The two witnesses:

            1. According to OT law, there was the need for at least two witnesses to attest to a fact.

2. It alludes to Zechariah 4:1-14 where the two olive trees stand for Joshua and Zerubbabel, two 

leaders of the people who allowed them to fulfill God’s vision.

3. Also, Moses is alluded to by his power to turn water to blood, and Elijah is referenced by 

mention of the power to withhold rain (I Kings 17:1) and the fire from heaven in 2 Kings 1:10. 

These two OT witnesses confirmed Christ's identity at His Transfiguration.

4. Moses and Elijah also stand for the Law and the Prophets, which witness to Christ.

5. The two witnesses are believing Jews and Gentiles (the Church) and their witness throughout 

the ages; they are often seemingly defeated but spring back to life again, time after time (witness

 China and the former USSR).

6. They are the OT and NT, both of which witness to Christ.

7. They refer to Christ and his ministry, his death and resurrection. There were two because (1) 

of Christ’s dual nature as man and God (represented in his title Jesus Christ) or (2) in Christ, 

both Israel and the Church meet. Note that there is no distinguishing between the two 

witnesses. Also, even though they are said to have power over nature, it is not mentioned that 

they exercise it.

11:8 Here again is a conglomeration of images for the place of persecution: Sodom (immorality), 

Egypt (oppression and slavery), and Jerusalem (rejection and martyrdom). Jacques Ellul: “We are not 

dealing here with a geographical location, but with a spiritual place.... The life of a powerful city is a 

constant succession of revolts against God”

11:13 Tertullian: “The blood of martyrs becomes the seed of the church.” Compare this outcome to the 

more negative reaction in 9:20.

Revelation 11:14-19 seems to represent the Second Coming and the Last Judgment. Therefore we can 

expect the next chapter to start the cycle all over again, rehashing some of the same events from a 

different perspective and using different imagery.