Revelation 9:2 meaning, Cross Ref, ai commentary KJV NIV ESV NLT

Revelation 9:2 kjv

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.

Revelation 9:2 nkjv

And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.

Revelation 9:2 niv

When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.

Revelation 9:2 esv

He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.

Revelation 9:2 nlt

When he opened it, smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air turned dark from the smoke.

Revelation 9 2 Cross References

Verse	Text	Reference
Gen 19:28	Abraham looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.	Smoke of judgment, fiery destruction
Ex 19:18	Mount Sinai was completely covered with smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace...	Divine presence, awesome manifestation, fire
Deut 4:20	But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt...	Egypt as a place of affliction, bondage
Ps 18:8	Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth...	Divine wrath, anger
Isa 13:9-10	The stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened...	Cosmic disturbance, day of the Lord
Isa 34:10	Its smoke will rise forever; from generation to generation it will lie desolate...	Everlasting desolation and judgment
Joel 2:30-31	I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness...	Signs before the Day of the Lord, judgment
Amos 8:9	I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight...	Day of judgment, unexpected darkness
Matt 13:42	and cast them into the fiery furnace. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.	Place of eternal torment for the wicked
Matt 24:29	Immediately after the tribulation of those days, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light...	Cosmic signs of the end times, tribulation
Lk 8:31	And they begged him that he would not command them to go into the abyss.	Abyss as a prison for demons
Acts 2:19-20	And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath... The sun shall be turned into darkness...	Fulfillment of Joel's prophecy, last days
Rom 10:7	Or, 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).	Abyss associated with the realm of the dead
Rev 1:18	I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.	Christ's authority over death and the underworld
Rev 6:12	The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red...	Darkening of cosmic lights in judgment
Rev 8:4	The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God...	Smoke representing prayers, divine presence
Rev 9:1	The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.	Precursor, angel with key to Abyss
Rev 9:11	They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek is Apollyon.	The leader emerging from the Abyss
Rev 11:7	Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them...	The beast originating from the Abyss
Rev 14:11	And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night...	Smoke as symbol of eternal torment
Rev 17:8	The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction...	The Beast's origin from the Abyss
Rev 18:9, 18	When the kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her see the smoke of her burning...	Smoke of Babylon's destruction, judgment
Rev 19:3	A second time they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”	Eternal judgment of Babylon
Rev 20:1, 3	And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the abyss... He threw him into the Abyss...	Angel sealing Satan in the Abyss, future judgment

Revelation 9 verses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Revelation 9 2 Meaning

This verse describes the direct consequence of the angel opening the bottomless pit, unleashing a thick, oppressive, and destructive spiritual force symbolized as smoke. This emanation is so pervasive that it blots out the natural light of the sun and obscures the very air, signifying a widespread spiritual darkening, a loss of divine clarity, and a descent into obscurity and affliction for those on earth. It marks a distinct stage of divine judgment and the tangible manifestation of profound evil.

Revelation 9 2 Context

Revelation 9:2 is part of the fifth trumpet judgment, following the vision of a fallen star (an angel) who is given the key to the bottomless pit in Revelation 9:1. This trumpet introduces a new, intensified phase of divine judgment, shifting from general destruction (first four trumpets affecting earth, sea, rivers, and heavens) to specific torment directed at humanity. The release of smoke from the Abyss precedes and signifies the unleashing of demonic locusts upon the earth in the subsequent verses (Rev 9:3-11), which torment those who do not have the seal of God. This passage aligns with prophetic literature that describes cosmic signs and supernatural manifestations accompanying major divine interventions and periods of judgment.

Revelation 9 2 Word analysis

And he opened: Refers to the fallen star/angel from Rev 9:1, signifying God's ultimate sovereign control, even over the unleashing of evil forces. This entity receives the key; it doesn't inherently possess it, indicating divine permission.
the bottomless pit: Greek: abyssos (ἄβυσσος), meaning "abyss" or "deep." It is not simply a geological pit but a specific spiritual realm: a prison for powerful demonic entities, a source of evil power, and often associated with death or the underworld. It is distinct from Hades in some contexts, more specifically a place of temporary restraint or origin for certain malevolent powers.
and there arose: Denotes an emergence, an unleashing from the depths. This is an active and dramatic event, not a passive leakage.
a smoke: Greek: kapnos (καπνός). Smoke is a recurring biblical symbol with multiple connotations: divine presence (Ex 19:18), prayer (Rev 8:4), divine wrath and judgment (Gen 19:28), and torment/desolation (Isa 34:10). Here, it carries a sense of obscure, oppressive, and tormenting evil, indicative of the nature of what is being released.
out of the pit: Clearly states the direct origin of the smoke and, by extension, the demonic forces it precedes. The source of this affliction is not human or natural but from a realm of spiritual malevolence.
as the smoke of a great furnace: Greek: kaminos (κάμινος) for furnace. This is a vivid simile, enhancing the intensity and nature of the smoke. A furnace is associated with intense heat, smelting, suffering, and fiery judgment (Deut 4:20, Matt 13:42,50). It suggests not just an obscuring haze, but something that is fiery, suffocating, and carries the stench of torment and destruction.
and the sun and the air were darkened:
- the sun: Represents light, truth, warmth, and vitality. Its darkening signifies a profound cosmic disturbance, a blotting out of divine light, and a descent into spiritual or intellectual obscurity. It speaks of a disruption to the established order of creation.
- the air: Represents breath, life, the very atmosphere in which life exists. Its darkening implies a pervasive oppression affecting everything, a difficulty to "breathe" spiritually, and a corruption of the spiritual atmosphere, affecting all who dwell on earth.
- were darkened: A direct, pervasive impact. This is not a partial eclipse but a profound blotting out, signifying a period where clarity and natural comfort are severely compromised by the released evil.
by reason of the smoke of the pit: Reemphasizes the direct cause and origin of the cosmic obscuration. The effect is directly attributed to the noxious emanation from the Abyss, reinforcing the terrifying nature and impact of the unleashed forces.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

And he opened the bottomless pit: Establishes the divine orchestration of events, as the "he" (the angel in 9:1) acts with divine permission. The opening of the abyssos means the barrier containing ancient evils is removed.
and there arose a smoke out of the pit: This signals the initial manifestation of the unleashed evil. Smoke, here, is the first, immediate visible effect of the pit's opening, suggesting something less solid yet powerfully pervasive and ominous.
as the smoke of a great furnace: Elevates the imagery beyond mere smoke; it communicates an overwhelming, suffocating, and intensely oppressive quality, evoking a sense of industrial, consuming destruction and infernal heat, typical of refining or punishment.
and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit: Highlights the global, all-encompassing nature of this spiritual and atmospheric judgment. The darkening of primary life sources signifies a universal disruption, spiritual blindness, loss of clarity, and a pervasive sense of dread and oppression caused directly by the emergent evil. This shows how deeply the realm of humanity will be affected.

Revelation 9 2 Bonus section

Dual Nature of Smoke Symbolism: While often denoting divine judgment or torment, smoke also appears in connection with God's glory and prayers ascending (e.g., Ex 40:34-35, Rev 8:4). In Revelation 9:2, the "smoke of a great furnace" primarily leans towards the terrifying aspect of judgment and suffering, underscoring the nature of the abyss from which it originates.
Spiritual vs. Physical Interpretation: The cosmic disturbances in Revelation are best understood as highly symbolic of major spiritual and socio-political upheavals, though they may manifest in concurrent physical events. The darkening of the sun and air represents a pervasive obscuring of truth, hope, and peace by malevolent forces rather than solely an astronomical event. This "darkening" creates a pervasive spiritual malaise that facilitates deception and fear among the unredeemed.
Anticipation of Torment: This verse sets the stage. The smoke itself is not the full torment, but the atmospheric prelude to it, preparing the global stage for the unleashing of the "locusts" who specifically inflict torment, a concept further reinforced by the idea of an "iron furnace" which symbolized the intense oppression of Egypt in the Old Testament.

Revelation 9 2 Commentary

Revelation 9:2 graphically portrays the immediate, devastating effects of unlocking the "bottomless pit." The ascent of thick smoke, likened to that of a mighty furnace, serves as both a literal sign and a powerful symbol. It visually represents the suffocating, destructive, and obscuring nature of the demonic forces soon to emerge. The darkening of the sun and air signifies a profound spiritual eclipse and atmospheric corruption. It speaks to a loss of divine light, truth, and moral clarity, as evil gains ascendency. This isn't merely a natural disaster, but a spiritual one with physical ramifications, indicating a period where humanity will experience a pervasive sense of gloom, oppression, and separation from God's unhindered light, setting the stage for the specific torments that follow. It emphasizes that these judgments originate from realms beyond human control, permitted by divine decree.