rand design of the Apocalypse is to illustrate
the divine government, exhibiting the moral world as affecting, or
affected by the Christian religion, it seemed good to the Divine Author
that the destinies of the eastern section of the Roman empire yet
standing, where many of his saints reside, shall come under review.
Ecclesiastical history treats familiarly of a _Greek,_ as well as a
_Latin_ church and empire. As the trumpets cover the whole time from the
opening of the sixth seal till the final overthrow of the whole fourth
monarchy; (Dan. vii. 26; Rev. xi. 15,) it follows that the eastern
section must be the object of a part of them. Accordingly, the remaining
part of the second period,--the _Period of the Trumpets,_ includes the
first two of the three, emphatically and significantly styled
"woe-trumpets."

CHAPTER IX.

1. 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 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.

3. 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 us 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 ton