Revelation:9

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* Verse 1-12 - Upon sounding the fifth trumpet , a star fell from heaven to the earth . Having ceased to be a minister of Christ , he who is represented by this star becomes the minister of the devil ; and lets loose the powers of hell against the churches of Christ . On the opening of the bottomless pit , there arose a great smoke . The devil carries on his designs by blinding the eyes of men , by putting out light and knowledge , and promoting ignorance and error . Out of this smoke there came a swarm of locusts , emblems of the devil 's agents , who promote superstition , idolatry , error , and cruelty . The trees and the grass , the true believers , whether young or more advanced , should be untouched . But a secret poison and infection in the soul , should rob many others of purity , and afterwards of peace . The locusts had no power to hurt those who had the seal of God . God 's all-powerful , distinguishing grace will keep his people from total and final apostacy . The power is limited to a short season ; but it would be very sharp . In such events the faithful share the common calamity , but from the pestilence of error they might and would be safe . We collect from Scripture , that such errors were to try and prove the Christians , 1st Corinthians strkjv @11:19 . And early writers plainly refer this to the first great host of corrupters who overspread the Christian church . * Verse 13-21 - The sixth angel sounded , and here the power of the Turks seems the subject . Their time is limited . They not only slew in war , but brought a poisonous and ruinous religion . The antichristian generation repented not under these dreadful judgments . From this sixth trumpet learn that God can make one enemy of the church a scourge and a plague to another . The idolatry in the remains of the eastern church and elsewhere , and the sins of professed Christians , render this prophecy and its fulfilment more wonderful . And the attentive reader of Scripture and history , may find his faith and hope strengthened by events , which in other respects fill his heart with anguish and his eyes with tears , while he sees that men who escape these plagues , repent not of their evil works , but go on with idolatries , wickedness , and cruelty , till wrath comes upon them to the utmost . **** Matthew Henry 's Commentary ****

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