ACT I -- FIFTH TRUMPET; OR, FIRST WOE

SUMMARY

A star falls out of the heaven into the earth, to whom is given the key of the pit of the abyss, which he opens; and from its furnace a smoke issues that darkens the sun and air. Out of the smoke locusts go forth into the earth with scorpion-power to torment "those men who have not the seal of the Deity upon their foreheads," during five months, and to injure them other five. Their king is styled THE ANGEL OF THE ABYSS; and named in Hebrew, ABADDON; in Greek, APOLLYON.

TIME OF EVENTS

From A.D. 632 to A.D. 932 = 300 years

ARENA

The territory of the Dragon upon which the imperial "sun" shone before being darkened by the smoke. See Tabular Analysis, Vol. 2, Ch. V. Sec. II.

TRANSLATION

Apoc. ix. 1-12

1. And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star which had fallen out of the heaven into the earth, and there was given to him the key of the pit of the abyss.

2. And he opened the pit of the abyss: and smoke ascended out of the pit as it were smoke of a great furnace; and the sun was darkened, and the air from the smoke of the pit.

3. And out of the smoke came forth locusts into the earth, and there was given to them power as the scorpions of the earth have power.

4. And it was commanded them that they should not injure the grass of the earth nor any green thing, nor any tree, except the men only who have not the seal of the Deity upon their foreheads. 5. And it was given to them that they should not kill them, but that they should torment them five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when it striketh a man.

6. And in those days the men shall seek the death, and shall not find it: and they shall earnestly desire to die, and the death shall flee from them.

7. And the resemblances of the locusts were like to horses which had been prepared for war; and upon their heads as it were chaplets like to gold, and their faces as faces of men. 8. And they had hair as the tresses of women; and their teeth were as of lions. 9. And they had breasts as it were breasts of iron: and the sound of their wings as the sound of many chariots of horses rushing into battle.

10. And they have tails like to scorpions, and stings were in their tails; and their power to injure the men was five months.

11. And they have over them a king, the Angel of the Abyss the name for him in Hebrew is Abaddon; and in the Greek, he hath the name Apollyon.

12. The first woe hath passed away; behold there come yet two woes after these things.