Revelation 9:1 Revelation 9:1 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. The matter of the first word is contained in the twelve former verses of this chapter, declared by the fifth Angel; that is, some other ministers and messengers of Christ. The objects of this first word, were only those persons that had not the seal of God in their foreheads. \ The executioners of this word were principally the angel of the bottomless pit, \ a destroyer, and instrumentally his locusts. \ The effect of this word, was not death, but torment, \ worse than death. This word was a just judgement of God upon the apostates of that time, foretold by St. Paul. \ The head of the apostasy is the Man of Sin, here called the Son of Perdition, who came out of the bottomless pit, and goeth into Perdition. The angel of the bottomless pit. \ And I saw a star fall from Heaven unto the Earth etc. This star was some very eminent Church-man, some Angel of the Church; \ Heaven, that is, the state of the true visible Church, where our Lord Jesus Christ did set some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers for the work of the ministry. \ By Earth we may understand here the earthly state of the false anti-Christian National Church, (or Catholic Church) nationally so called. To fall from Heaven unto the earth, signifies a visible apostasy from the true Church of God, and from the pure worship of God, unto a false Church, and false worship, according to the commandments of men, their superstitious and idolatrous inventions and traditions. And to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. By the keys of the kingdom, we are to understand that stewardly-ecclesiastical power in the Church, which our Lord Jesus Christ gave unto his Apostles and elders to rule well, and to govern in his Churches of saints according to his own institutions, laws, and ordinances. \ And by this key of the bottomless pit, we may understand the power, throne, and great authority, which the dragon (that old serpent called the devil, and Satan,) \ gave unto this fallen star or angel. \ And other false apostles, deceitful workers, and false teachers, \ who fell with him, or after him, and exercise coercive power over the consciences of men, under their church government. Thereby shewing himself to be God. \