Revelation 9 Bible study: Out of the smoke

"The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him." (9:1) (tap pit). "He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit." (9:2) (tap smoke and furnace). "Then out of the smoke came locusts on the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power." (9:3) (tap locusts and scorpions). "They were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those people who don’t have God’s seal on their foreheads." (9:4). The heads-up for leaders names 9:5-6. Here they are as the WEB has them: "They were given power, not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a person." (9:5) "In those days people will seek death, and will in no way find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them." (9:6). These notes give these verses as John tells them, and explain them no further than their own words. They give the five months as the verse gives them and reckon nothing from them. They identify no one and nothing in this chapter, not the star, the abyss, the locusts, the angel of the abyss, the four angels, the river Euphrates, the armies, the horses or those who sat on them, with any person, people, power, nation, army, weapon or event, give no time for anything in it, and apply none of it to anyone, then or now.

ἀκρίςakrissay ak-REES

Strong's: "a locust". "Then out of the smoke came locusts on the earth" (9:3): behind locusts is this noun, and again in "The shapes of the locusts" (9:7). The New Testament has it four times, and Revelation only in these two verses (counted in RP2018, and in all eight editions TAGNT compares).