Revelation 9:5

torment them for five months: This time period is a symbolically complete number based on the fingers on a hand. It is also the normal life span of locusts, suggesting that their entire purpose was to torture people.

The fifth trumpet is the first of the three terrors (Revelation 8:13). It brings a judgment of locusts from the bottomless pit, a place of horror. Ancient cultures thought the ocean depths, or the Abyss, was a home for demonic forces (see study note on Genesis 1:2).

The fifth and sixth trumpets show how God's judgment affects people worldwide and highlight how worthless it is to resist God. These judgments should lead to repentance, but they do not. Sin controls people so much that they choose to worship the evil forces that harm them instead of repenting and turning to God.

• The second series of judgments involves seven trumpets. Like the first series (Revelation 6:1–8:1), it includes a pause (10:1–11:14; compare 7:1–17) and concludes with a view of God's eternal kingdom (11:15–19; see 7:9–8:1).

• The trumpet judgments are similar to the ten plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7:14–11:10). They aim to show that earthly gods (or evil powers) are powerless and to clearly demonstrate God's power and control.