Revelation 9:1-4

Then the fifth angel blew [his] trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth; and to the angel was given the key of the shaft of the Abyss (the bottomless pit).

• Satan was cast out of Heaven, Revelation 12:9
• Satan is given the power to release the anti-christ who comes from the Abyss.
• Satan is given the power. He does not have this power on his own. So we are shown that our Father still possesses the ultimate power and authority. 

² He opened the long shaft of the Abyss (the bottomless pit), and smoke like the smoke of a huge furnace puffed out of the long shaft, so that the sun and the atmosphere were darkened by the smoke from the long shaft.

• The message of God will be perverted during the end times. To a large degree it is perverted today by many, but during the end times the anti-Christ will really cause men to look to themselves and away from our Father. The anti-christ will have a form of godliness but deny its power which is Christ in us. He will speak of God, but it will always be in a manner that causes men to look to ourselves, thus anti-Christ.  
• It may be darkened but the sun, Jesus is not eliminated or destroyed. Just like with an airplane, as soon as you get above the clouds its sunny. It is the same way with those who are empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Sun will always be greater in us then anything in this world. 
• The message and the Truth will still be around during the end times and it will still bear fruit. Also remember what we studied in Chapter 8, that only a 1/3rd of mankind will be affected.

³ Then out of the smoke locusts came forth on the earth, and such power was granted them as the power the earth’s scorpions have.

• Locust represent destruction. So when the anti-christ is released and allowed by our Father to be empowered with satan, Revelation 13:3, great destruction will follow him. People will despise and flee from the Truth. They will run to the false success of Babylon which is money, power, and fame.
• Scorpions represent one who causes others to sin. So the anti-christ will seem religious, but his ministry will all glorify man, so many will sin by claiming that they prophesy and that they do mighty works, as Matthew 7 teaches us. They will not confess the Truth that it is Christ in them doing the works. They will be prideful and boastful, drawing attention to themselves. 

⁴ They were told not to injure the herbage of the earth nor any green thing nor any tree, but only [to attack] such human beings as do not have the seal (mark) of God on their foreheads.

• The message of the anti-christ and his followers will not hurt the truly saved, only the unsaved.
• But remember here that countless numbers of people will be saved during the Great tribulation, so the message of Babylon is a failure. Money will fail to satisfy and people will seek the Truth, the only thing that will set them free.
• We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.
• We have become one with Jesus.