1When the fifth angel blew his trumpet, I saw a star9.1 star: In the ancient world, stars were often thought of as living beings, such as angels. fall from the sky to earth. It was given the key to the tunnel that leads down to the deep pit. 2As it opened the tunnel, smoke poured out like the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air turned dark because of the smoke.9.2: Gn 19.28. 3Locusts9.3 Locusts: A type of grasshopper that comes in swarms and causes great damage to crops. came out of the smoke and covered the earth. They were given the same power that scorpions have.9.3: Ex 10.12-15.

4The locusts were told not to harm the grass on the earth or any plant or any tree. They were to punish only those people who did not have God's mark on their foreheads.9.4: Ez 9.4. 5The locusts were allowed to make them suffer for five months, but not to kill them. The suffering they caused was like the sting of a scorpion. 6In those days people will want to die, but they will not be able to. They will hope for death, but it will escape from them.9.6: Job 3.21; Jr 8.3.

7These locusts looked like horses ready for battle. On their heads they wore something like gold crowns, and they had human faces.9.7: Jl 2.4. 8Their hair was like a woman's long hair, and their teeth were like those of a lion.9.8: Jl 1.6. 9On their chests they wore armour made of iron. Their wings roared like an army of horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle.9.9: Jl 2.5. 10Their tails were like a scorpion's tail with a sting that had the power to hurt someone for five months. 11Their king was the angel in charge of the deep pit. In Hebrew his name was Abaddon, and in Greek it was Apollyon.9.11 Abaddon…Apollyon: The Hebrew word “Abaddon” and the Greek word “Apollyon” each mean “destruction”.

12The first horrible thing has now happened! But wait. Two more horrible things will happen soon.

13Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet. I heard a voice speak from the four corners of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God.9.13: Ex 30.1-3. 14The voice spoke to this angel and said, “Release the four angels who are tied up beside the great River Euphrates.” 15The four angels had been prepared for this very hour and day and month and year. Now they were set free to kill a third of all people.

16By listening, I could tell there were more than two hundred million of these war horses. 17In my vision their riders wore fiery red, dark blue, and yellow armour on their chests. The heads of the horses looked like lions, with fire and smoke and sulphur coming out of their mouths. 18One third of all people were killed by the three terrible troubles caused by the fire, the smoke, and the sulphur. 19The horses had powerful mouths, and their tails were like poisonous snakes that bite and hurt.

20The people who lived through these terrible troubles did not turn away from the idols they had made, and they did not stop worshipping demons. They kept on worshipping idols that were made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood. Not one of these idols could see, hear, or walk.9.20: Ps 115.4-7; 135.15-17; Dn 5.23. 21No one stopped murdering or practising witchcraft or being immoral or stealing.