Reference

Revelation 9:2

Signs Before ReturnHell Terminology (Sheol/Hades/Gehenna/Lake of Fire)Sheol / The Grave
“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.”
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.

2

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.

3

And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

4

And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

Why This Verse Was Tagged

Signs Before Return
Keyword Match
50% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

Hell Terminology (Sheol/Hades/Gehenna/Lake of Fire)
Multi-Signal Classification
30% relevance

This verse was identified by multiple independent signals: structural patterns, prophetic context, and vocabulary — then validated by a probability model (Snorkel).

Sheol / The Grave
Keyword Match
70% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

Counter-Arguments

The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.

Signs Before Return

The verse describes a specific event involving a "bottomless pit" and smoke, which is not explicitly identified as a sign preceding a return. While it describes a darkening of the sun and air, the verse itself does not connect this event to the concept of a "second coming" or "return."

Hell Terminology (Sheol/Hades/Gehenna/Lake of Fire)

The verse describes a "bottomless pit" and smoke, which are physical phenomena, but it does not use any of the specific terms listed in the theme definition (Gehenna, Tartarus, Lake of Fire, or 'hell' in a judgment context distinct from Sheol/Hades as general grave).

Sheol / The Grave

The verse describes a "bottomless pit" and smoke emanating from it, which darkens the sun and air, but it does not explicitly state that this pit is the destination or state of the dead. The imagery focuses on the pit itself and its immediate effects on the environment rather than the fate of individuals.

Signs Before Return
Signs Before Return

Cross-References

Exodus 10:12Allusion

“And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.”

Joel 2:10Thematic

“The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:”

Joel 2:2Thematic

“A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.”

Revelation 16:10Thematic

“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,”

Revelation 9:1Thematic

“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.”

5 more cross-references available — Upgrade to Scholar

Thematic Connections

Signs Before ReturnHell Terminology (Sheol/Hades/Gehenna/Lake of Fire)Sheol / The Grave

Private Study Note