Sunday, June 22, 2025

Alex Buabeng-Korsah

TOPIC: WHEN THE ABYSS IS OPENED

THEME SCRIPTURE: “And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit..." (Revelation 9:1)

PREPARATORY QUESTIONS:

1. What will happen when the fifth trumpet is sounded?

With the fifth trumpet, judgment shifts from the natural to the supernatural. The earth has already trembled, the heavens have dimmed—but now the spiritual realm invades. A fallen star—likely an angelic being now in rebellion—is given the key to the abyss, the bottomless pit. This is not Hell proper, but a prison for demonic forces. And now, it's open.

Smoke pours out, darkening the sky and air. The image is choking, suffocating—symbolic of deception, confusion, and despair. From this smoke come locusts, but not the kind that devour crops. These are empowered to torment, not to destroy, but to inflict pain for five months. A demonic invasion masked in the form of a plague.

These "locusts" are not literal insects. John’s description is grotesque and intentional: they wear crowns, have human faces, women’s hair, lions’ teeth, iron breastplates, and wings that thunder like chariots.

This is horror with a purpose. It’s as though every element of fear is fused—beauty turned grotesque, strength turned cruel, freedom turned to torment. Evil is being unmasked in its full deformity.

They have a king: Abaddon in Hebrew, Apollyon in Greek—both names mean Destroyer. Satan is a liar and a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44), and here his true nature is unveiled. What he promises in light, he delivers in smoke. What he tempts with pleasure, he pays back with pain.

Why does God allow this?

Not as random cruelty, but as divine restraint removed. The world that rejected God's covering now experiences what lies beneath. These are not punishments out of nowhere—they are what the world has flirted with for ages: rebellion, deception, demonic influence. God simply lets the abyss speak.

To the righteous: fear not. The locusts were told not to harm those with God's seal on their foreheads (Rev 9:4). This echoes God’s protection in Exodus during the plagues.

 Judgment may fall around you, but it does not fall upon you. Let this assurance lead you to worship and guide your intercession. Warn others. Plead with God for mercy. The pit has opened, but the King still reigns.

To the unrighteous: this is a foretaste. It is not the end. But it is a warning louder than thunder. 

The torment of sin, the smoke of deceit, the stings of regret—these are not metaphors alone. Without Christ, you are defenseless against the destroyer. But with Him, you are sealed, secured, and saved.

Remain blessed.

FURTHER READING: Revelation 9:1-11

Call to Salvation: Today is your day if you have not received salvation by turning over your life to Jesus Christ. Click here to do so.

QUESTION TO HELP YOU MEDITATE ON THE WORD

1. If the 5th trumpet is sounded today, will you be counted among the righteous or the unrighteous?

PRAYER

Protect my heart from the smoke of deception. Guard me against spiritual numbness. Let me walk in the light of Your truth and under the covering of Your grace. Stir my heart with compassion for those still vulnerable to the destroyer. May I be a light in the midst of this dark world. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

One-Year Bible Reading Plan

Ephesians 2; 2 Kings 6; Psalm 18