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Revelation

About this book
Chapter 9

1 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. 2 He opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it like smoke from a giant furnace. The sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft.⁠ 3 Then out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth.⁠ 4 They were told not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their forehead.⁠ 5 The locusts were not given permission to kill them, but only to torture them for five months, and their torture was like that of a scorpion when it stings a person. 6 In those days people will seek death, but will not be able to find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.⁠ 7 Now the locusts looked like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were something like crowns similar to gold, and their faces looked like men’s faces.⁠ 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. 10 They have tails and stingers like scorpions, and their ability to injure people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.⁠ 12 The first woe has passed, but two woes are still coming after these things! 13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a single voice coming from the horns on the golden altar that is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel, the one holding the trumpet, “Set free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!”⁠ 15 Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour, day, month, and year were set free to kill a third of humanity. 16 The number of soldiers on horseback was 200,000,000; I heard their number. 17 Now this is what the horses and their riders looked like in my vision: The riders had breastplates that were fiery red, dark blue, and sulfurous yellow in color. The heads of the horses looked like lions’ heads, and fire, smoke, and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 A third of humanity was killed by these three plagues, that is, by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses resides in their mouths and in their tails because their tails are like snakes, having heads that inflict injuries. 20 The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols⁠ made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols⁠ that cannot see or hear or walk about.⁠ 21 Furthermore, they did not repent of their murders, of their magic spells, of their sexual immorality, or of their stealing.

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalm 115:4 and Revelation 9:20

Hebrew Bible · New Testament

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Summary

Revelation lists idols made of gold, silver, stone, and wood, echoing Psalm 115, which mocks statues that have senses but no power. The psalm contrasts God with lifeless idols, and Revelation applies this to critique all idol worship.

Passages

Psalm 115:4

Hebrew Bible
1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name bring honor, for the sake of your loyal love and faithfulness. 2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” 3 Our God is in heaven. He does whatever he pleases. 4 Their idols are made of silver and gold—they are man-made. 5 They have mouths, but cannot speak; eyes, but cannot see; 6 ears, but cannot hear; noses, but cannot smell; 7 hands, but cannot touch; feet, but cannot walk. They cannot even clear their throats. 8 Those who make them will end up like them, as will everyone who trusts in them.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Revelation 9:20

New Testament
18 A third of humanity was killed by these three plagues, that is, by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses resides in their mouths and in their tails because their tails are like snakes, having heads that inflict injuries. 20 The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk about. 21 Furthermore, they did not repent of their murders, of their magic spells, of their sexual immorality, or of their stealing.
92–96 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Revelation

References

"... The significance of Revelation 9:20 in the book of Revelation lies in the problem of the worship of demons and idols. The warning against worshipping Satan, the dragon, the beast and the idols of the beast hereafter repeats throughout the rest of the book (9:20; 13:4–6, 12–15; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4). In addition, Revelation 9:20 reveals that the judgment of those who dwell on the earth is not merely a retributive judgment for the blood of the saints but also due to their worshipping demons and idols. The description of the idol, ‘of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk’ is frequently found in the Jewish literature (Deuteronomy 4:28; Psalm 115:4–7; Isaiah 2:8; 37:7, 19; Jeremiah 1:16; 25:6; Micah 5:13; Daniel 5:4, 23; 1 Enoch 99:7; Wisdom of Solomon 15:15; Epistle of Jeremiah 1:3, 10, 29, 50; Sibylline Oracles 3:588; 5:83; 8:123). Deuteronomy 4:28, Daniel 5:4, 23 and Psalm 115:4–7 are primarily considered as precedents to Revelation 9:20 ..."
Sung Kuk Kim, “Psalms in the Book of Revelation” (diss., University of Edinburgh, 2013), 148.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Psalm 115:4 and Revelation 9:20

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