Rev 8:13  "And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!" 

There are two general classes of people identified for us in the scriptures: elect and non-elect.  The elect are said to be chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4).  According to the covenant of redemption they are predestinated, called, justified, and glorified (Rom. 8:29-30).  The non-elect are the ones by definition that were not chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.  They are not predestinated, called, justified, or glorified. 

Within the category of the elect, there are three states in which they exist:         

1.  The elect who are called, heard the gospel, and believe the truth.

          2.  The elect who are called, but have not heard the gospel or believed the truth.

          3.  The elect who haven't yet been called and thus have not yet any interest in the gospel or the truth.         

According to our previous studies, especially in chapter 7, those of the elect who have been called into spiritual life and have heard the gospel and have believed the truth are said to have their father's name sealed in their forehead.           

There are three woes pronounced in the above verse.  As the book of Revelations has already dealt with those who have their Father's name sealed in their foreheads, the three woes deal with those of the elect who have been called, but not yet heard the gospel or believed the truth, and to those of the elect who have not yet been spiritually called or born of the Spirit.  We see the eternal and timely judgments of God pronounced in these three woes.

Rev 9:1, 2  "And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit." 

In this passage of scripture there are four signs that we need to understand: the star, the key, the bottomless pit, and the smoke of the bottomless pit.         

Let us begin by looking at the bottomless pit.  The phrase "bottomless pit" comes from two Greeks words, "abussos," and "phrear."  Abussos means abyss or depthless.  Phrear means pit or well.  Corresponding to phrear in the Old Testament is the Hebrew word, "she'owl," meaning grave, hell, or the pit.  We can eliminate the grave as a meaning here because of the descriptive term, bottomless.  The following verses of scripture give us a better understanding of what "she'owl" is and its purpose: 

          1.  De. 32:22 "For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains."  Thus this "hell" indicates the "anger" of the Lord and the "fire" of his judgment or vengeance. 

          2.  Ps. 116:3 "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow."  This indicates an association between hell and pains, trouble and sorrow. 

          3.  Pro. 15:24 "The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath."  This indicates a timely application to the word hell and that God's children can depart from a hell on earth. 

          4.  Jon. 2:2 "And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice."  Jonah relates his experience in the belly of the great fish as being in the "belly of hell."  Thus God's children can suffer hell in this life. 

However, they are in no danger of being cast into the lake of fire in the end of time, for Christ has redeemed them from their sins.

          5.  Ps. 9:17 "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God."  You can't forget something that you didn't know to begin with.  Thus we have people who knew God that later forgot God.  That is they forget him in the walks of life.  Thus we conclude that God's people can have their lives turned into hell as they live by the actions and decisions that they make. 

From the above we may draw the following conclusions: 

          1.  Hell describes God's anger and judgment against sin, both eternally and timely.

          2.  Hell involves pain, trouble, sorrow, and destruction to those who suffer it.

          3.  God's people can suffer a timely hell on earth, but are exempted from an eternal hell because of the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.

          4.  God's people by their action can deliver themselves from hell here in time, or brings themselves into hell here in time but their actions do not affect their eternal life.

          5.  It is by the mercies of God that we are delivered from hell, both timely and eternally. 

Next, let us look at the smoke of the pit as it is described as the smoke of a great furnace.  The smoke of a great furnace is often used to describe God's justice: 

          1.  Gen. 19:28 "And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace."

          2.  Ex. 9:10 "And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast."

          3.  Ex. 19:18 "And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly."

          4.  De. 4:20 "But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day."

          5.  Is. 48:10 "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."

          6.  Ezek. 22:20 "As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. 21 Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. 22 As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you."

          7.  Matt. 13:42 "And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." 

Next, we look at the key.  Please notice that this verse doesn't say keys, but says, "the key" indicating that there is only one key.  A key, of course, is used to lock or unlock something.  He that has the key has the ability to lock something up or to unlock something and loose the contents.  It all resides in the power and authority of the one who has the key.   

Finally, we notice the one who has the key.  It is said to be a star fall from heaven.  The word, fall, comes from the Greek word, pipto, sometimes meaning to "alight on."  The star is identified for us in Rev. 20:1 "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season."  Since only the Lord has the power and ability to bind Satan and cast him into the bottomless pit, we must conclude that the Lord is the "star" that alighted upon the earth as he said, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me."  It is the Lord who has the ability to cast into the bottomless pit or to deliver from the bottomless pit: "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." 

"And the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit."  This has application both timely and eternally.  To the non-elect a part of the judgment of sin is to be cast into the mist of darkness forever and to be eternally separated from God.  However, God's children can be cast into outer darkness here in time and suffer the pains of hell for a season.  Not being able to see the "Sun of Righteousness" in the daily workings of our lives is a part of the timely judgment upon God's disobedient children.

Rev 9:3-11  "And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon." 

Locusts were one of the judgmental plagues sent upon the land of Egypt during the time God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt: 

          1.  Ex. 10:4 "Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: 5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field: 6 And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh." 

          2.  Ex. 10:12 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. 13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. 14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. 15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt." 

Scorpions are mentioned eleven times in the scripture and four of the times it is used in connection with chastisement: "And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions." 

This plague of the locusts was directed to a particular group of people: "but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads."  Thus those who have the seal of God in their foreheads were exempted from this plague.  As we have before shown, those who have the seal of God in their foreheads are those of the elect who have heard the gospel and believed it and trusted in Christ for their eternal salvation and then were sealed with the holy spirit of promise: Eph. 1:13 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." 

The people to whom the plague of locusts was sent are further restricted in the fact that they were not destroyed by the plague: "And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months."  This brings us to the conclusion that the plague of the locusts was directed to the elect who haven't heard or believed the truth so as to trust in Christ for their eternal salvation.  These are the ones Paul spoke of in Rom. 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

"And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree."  This manifests that the eternal life of the elect who haven't heard or believed the gospel is secure.  Green is the bible color associated with life.  The grass, the green thing, and the tree are all green and manifest life.  When Job suffered the loss of his possession, his children, and his health, the Lord told Satan, "And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life."  While it is true that Satan has no power over the eternal life of anyone, yet this verse teaches us that God in the chastisement of his children only allows the power of Satan to go so far.  All the elect are preserved in Christ Jesus and their eternal life is just that "eternal."   

          When a person is born of the Spirit, God writes his laws in their heart and mind: 

          1.  Heb. 8:10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts:"

          2.  Heb. 10:16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;"

          3.  2 Cor. 3:3 "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart."

          4.  Rom. 2:15 Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;" 

In essence God sets up a courtroom in the heart and mind of his born again children.  The foundation of the judicial system is the laws that God has written and placed in their heart and mind.  They have their heart sprinkled from an evil conscience (Heb. 10:22) which serves as the witness in this courtroom.  Their thoughts which either accuse or excuse them are both the prosecuting attorney and the defense attorney in this courtroom.  Their heart, which either condemns them or condemns them not (I John 3:20, 21), is the judge in this courtroom.  Once they are born of the Spirit they begin to see themselves and their judicial state before God in light of the laws written in their heart.  Their conscience begins to bear witness against them.  Their thoughts accuse them and their heart condemns them.  In their heart and mind they are brought to a state of conviction or condemnation before a just and holy God.  The problem isn't just one or two sins, but a plague of sins (locusts).  Thus in their heart and mind coming out of the smoke of God's judgment is a plague (locusts) of sins in their lives and it begins to torment those born again children of God.  The torment or sting of those sins is compared to the sting of a scorpion.  The sting of a scorpion has been compared to the burning of hot coals upon flesh.  Thus in the heart and mind of an elect born again child of God, the conviction of sins torments his mind.  This torment comes out of the bottomless pit and is as the torment of hell.  Thus as we have already shown, God's children can suffer hell here in time.  

This conviction of sin is a torment common to God's children, especially before they come to a knowledge of the truth through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Some examples of people in the scriptures who underwent this torment as follows: 

          1.  Isaiah said in Is. 6:5 "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

          2.  The publican in Lk.18:13 said, "And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner."

          3.  Paul said of his own experiences, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

          4.  It was said of many of those gathered on the day of Pentecost when they heard the accusation that they were guilty of the blood and death of Jesus: "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 

Their torment was said to be five months.  Five is the bible number associated with death.  Death is a separation.  Their torment wasn't an eternal separation from God, but rather was the felt loss of fellowship with God due to their felt condemnation of sins. 

"And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them."  A person who feels his condemnation because of sins in the courtroom of his heart and mind soon sees the utter hopelessness of being able to deliver himself from that condition, though he tries mightily to do so.  He begins to despair of life itself and to seek to find a remedy for his wretched condition even to the point of death if that would deliver him from the torment of his heart and mind.

"And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle."  The phrase "horses prepared unto battle" indicates a warfare.  Sin wars against the soul: 1 Pet. 2:11 "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul."  Also in Gal. 5:17 we read, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."  While this warfare is present for all born-again children of God throughout their lives, yet for those who haven't felt their sins to be forgiven through the blood of Christ, this warfare is a torment to their mind. 

"And on their heads were as it were crowns like gold."  Crowns are a symbol in the scripture of reigning Kings.  Sin reigns in the lives of some of God's people:  

          1.  Rom. 5:21 "That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

          2.  Rom. 6:12 "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." 

The spiritually born child of God who hasn't yet heard and believed the true gospel sees sin reigning in his life and sees himself powerless or helpless to do anything about it, though often he feels like he can somehow through his own efforts overcome sin.  Seeing sin reign in his life is a torment to such an individual. 

"And their faces were as the faces of men."  Sin is a mankind problem.  When Adam transgressed in the garden, he brought the condemnation of sin upon himself and all his posterity.  Furthermore, he brought himself and all his posterity under the bondage and depravity of sin.   When Isaiah declared himself in a state of woe because of sin he identified not only himself as a man of unclean lips, but he also said that he was dwelling in the midst of a people with unclean lips.  However, the fact that all of mankind are sinners is no consolation to the child of God who feels the wretchedness and condemnation of his sins. 

"And they had hair as the hair of women."  1 Cor. 11:14 "Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering."  For a man to have long hair such that a woman does is a shame.  Sin is a shame to all of mankind.  Furthermore, it is a shame to each one of us individually.  It is this individual feeling of shame that torments the individual. 

"And their teeth were as the teeth of lions."  Lions use their teeth to destroy and tear the prey.  Sin is the destroyer of mankind and of each of us individually.  

"And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron."  Iron is associated in the scriptures with bondage.  Sin brings its victims into bondage.  We are by nature under the bondage of the law of sin and death.  This bondage is an impenetrable bondage.  We being dead in trespasses and sins cannot deliver ourselves from the bondage of sin.  Only the Lord can deliver us from this bondage and he did this through the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.  

"And the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle."  In the spirit born child of God's warfare against sin, the enemy has a huge numerical advantage.  The immensity of sin in the lives of God children can certainly be intimidating.  Only when the person comes to understand that Christ took all of our sins and nailed them to the tree of his cross and separated them from us as far as the east is from the west do we get a true rest from the burden of sin guiltiness. 

"And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon."  It comes as no surprise that sin has a king and this king is Satan.  The terms Abaddon and Apollyon both mean destroyer.  The following verses show Satan as the destroyer: 

          1.  1 Cor. 5:5 "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."

          2.  1 Pet. 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

          3.  Lk. 22:31 "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:"

          4.  John 10:10 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

This timely condemnation and conviction in the hearts and minds of God's born again people is of the mercies of God that they might see themselves to be sinners and to know the exceeding sinfulness of sin and therefore begin to seek a Saviour.  It is impossible for a man to seek a saviour until he has first felt the conviction of sin in his heart.  The true gospel of Jesus Christ, when believed, delivers one from the heart-felt condemnation of sin and gives him rest from going about trying to get right with God to resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ.