Saturday, January 05, 2013

Locusts From The Pit: Revelation 9:1-12

There are creatures described in Revelation 9 that not only have a nasty look, but have a nasty sting as well. Various theories have been offered concerning the physical/spiritual make-up of these "locusts." Are they biological creatures? Are they weapons? Are they aircraft? Are they demons? Let's take a look at their physical appearance, their behavior and the results of their behavior so that we can try to figure this out.

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Rev 9:1-12 “And the fifth angel sounded. And I saw a star fall from the heaven to the earth, and it was given the key of the abyss.  2And it opened the bottomless pit. And there arose a smoke out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 3And out of the smoke came forth locusts onto the earth. And authority was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have authority.  4And they were commanded not to hurt the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months. And their torment was like a scorpion's torment when he stings a man. 6And in those days men will seek death and will not find it. And they will long to die, and death will flee from them. 7And the shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for battle. And on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8And they had hairs like the hairs of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron. And the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10And they had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. And their authority was to hurt men five months. 11And they had a king over them, the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in Greek his name is Apollyon. 12The first woe is past. Behold, after these things yet come two woes. 

Where did they come from?  

Rev. 9:1-3a "And the fifth angel sounded. And I saw a star fall from the heaven to the earth, and it was given the key of the abyss.  2And it opened the bottomless pit. And there arose a smoke out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 3And out of the smoke came forth locusts onto the earth."

These entities come from the "abyss," the "bottomless pit" out of which arises smoke so great that the sun and air are darkened by it. Now the scripture reads that, "out of the smoke came forth locusts onto the earth." So, from this I can speculate that they must be coming out of the abyss, the bottomless pit, and onto the earth. So they weren't on the earth at the time, but in the earth... in the bottomless pit. 

If it were a military vehicle like a helicopter or armed drone, would an angel of the Lord be sent to release them from the spiritual realm of the bottomless pit? Physical machinery can't occupy the spiritual realm, and mankind, in the flesh, can't either, unless God so directs, so my question would be, how could a military force of men and machine emerge from the spiritual realm of the bottomless pit?

Who released them?

Rev. 9:1-2 “And the fifth angel sounded. And I saw a star fall from the heaven to the earth, and it was given the key of the abyss.  2And it opened the bottomless pit."

An angel is sent from heaven who has the power and authority to release these "locusts" from their confinement. The scripture doesn't refer to an earthly military power being given the authority to begin a military operation. An angel actually descends from heaven to earth to unlock the bottomless pit, not unlock the military might of a particular nation or power block.

Who is in charge of these "locusts?"

Rev. 9:11 "And they had a king over them, the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in Greek his name is Apollyon."

So we see here that an angel named Abaddon/Apollyon has control over these "locusts." 

Scripture states that this angel who directs the actions of these "locusts" is their "king" and that he is "the angel of the bottomless pit," which means that Abaddon/Apollyon must also be imprisoned in the bottomless pit and ruling there as a high ranking demon (archdemon) just like Michael is a high ranking angel (archangel). Scripture isn't referring to an earthly military leader, but an archdemon.

What are the limitations of these locusts?

Rev. 9:3b-6 "And authority was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have authority. 4And they were commanded not to hurt the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months. And their torment was like a scorpion's torment when he stings a man. 6And in those days men will seek death and will not find it. And they will long to die, and death will flee from them."

They cannot:
  1. Hurt the grass of the earth
  2. Hurt any green thing
  3. Hurt any tree
  4. Hurt anyone who has the seal of God in their foreheads
  5. Kill anyone
They can (through their sting):
  1. Hurt all those who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads
  2. Cause mankind to experience torturous pain for 5 months
These "locusts" are given authority to attack those who do NOT have the seal of God in their forehead. If we're looking at it in the physical, that would mean the military would need to selectively target individuals, but if they're using some sort of biological weapon, then it's going to affect everyone. There is no possible way that an attack on billions of people worldwide can accurately target only those individuals who do not have the mark of God in their foreheads. And why would they attack everyone who is not an enemy of the state? Wouldn't they be targeting born again believers in Christ? 

In the spiritual, God actually has set limits on these "locusts," and gives the command NOT to attack those individuals who have His seal in their forehead, so believers aren't even targeted by the enemy. Since God won't be commanding a hostile military force on earth, then He must be directing the actions of spiritual entities and commanding them concerning who they are and are NOT allowed to attack.

Now, the result of this attack is that those individuals who are affected will suffer for 5 months and will seek death, but death will flee from them. So those affected will try to take their own lives to end the pain, but death will not have the authority to take their lives during this time. Can you imagine someone experiencing torturous pain to the point where they want to take their own life and then not having the ability to do so? No matter how many times or how many ways they try, they just won't be able to die, because death will be restrained for a period of time. 

Again, if we look at this in the physical and argue that this event was a military action utilizing biological weapons, these bio-toxins would need to cause pain for exactly 5 months, and it would need to incapacitate these individuals so that they wouldn't have the strength to kill themselves. We then need to ask ourselves... "Who could live for five months without food and water?" It just doesn't add up, but if you look at this from a spiritual aspect, those suffering this immense torture will not be allowed to die because God will give the command that none shall be able to take their own life during this period. So death will basically have his hands tied.

What do the strange locusts look like?

Rev. 9:7-10 "And the shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for battle. And on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8And they had hairs like the hairs of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron. And the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10And they had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails."

Strange description indeed. They have the face of a man, long hair like women and teeth like a lion. They have wings and they have tails like scorpions.  They have breastplates like iron and they have gold "crowns" (Stephanos - to twine or wreath). What could this be?

If we look at just the physical description of the locusts, our first thought may be that it must be something mechanical, like a military helicopter or an armed drone. The physical description of the locusts is so beyond our comprehension of what a living entity could look like, that the logical assumption would be to say that this entity is indeed a mechanized weapon of some sort, a vehicle that would have been nearly impossible to describe in suitable terms in the first century AD.

Then again, there are many creatures in our world that look "alien" to us.  Just look at these few examples:


   
Tardigrades
www.bbc.co.uk
Blob Fish
www.eatnineghost.com

Star-Nosed Mole
www.eatnineghost.com
Flea
www.thesun.co.uk

Pretty strange looking creatures, right? After looking at these pictures, I can't help but begin to believe that it IS possible for the Lord to have already created a hoard of stranger looking creatures that can be used to pour out His judgment on the world during this part of the Tribulation. After all, if these judgments are going to be worse than any other in the history of mankind, it's probably safe to say that the creatures created by God to exact His judgment will be the most hideous creatures that have ever been created as well.
If, on the other hand, we consider these locusts to be biological, then we must believe that they have already been created and are being contained until that particular point in time when God will command them to be released from the abyss/bottomless pit. Is there any other portion of scripture that describes a creature being contained until a time of judgment? Yes, there is.

Rev 9:13-15  And the sixth angel sounded his trumpet. And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Loose the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. 15And the four angels were loosed, who were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, in order to slay the third part of men.

So God does indeed bind up spiritual entities in preparation for their release during His time of judgment. So these locusts could be, in my humble opinion, most likely actual living spiritual entities that the Lord has prepared for "an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, in order to bring" pain to men.  

Could these locusts be demons? Yes. Could they be actual biological creatures, since they all look the same? I'd say there is a very low possibility, but they could be. Could they be weapons/military vehicles? I highly doubt it, but I am willing to consider any thoughts from readers who would like to respond to this blog.

Please take the time to leave a comment and let me know what YOU think. I'm interested in your interpretation of what the locusts are.


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30 comments:

  1. Those living in the end times will know.

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    1. I believe that the locust creatures look exactly like described in the scriptures and their purpose is as written also. God has created some of the oddest looking mammals, fish,reptiles, birds,etc. So why is the description so hard to imagine being real. Jesus Christ return is coming soon...be ready!

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    2. Go to youtube The Johnathan Kleck channel explains the locusts in depth.

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    3. This reply is for Anonymous Jan 28, 2018, 5:16:00 AM
      I debated whether or not I should even publish this anonymous response, but I thought it best to get shed light in the darkness and expose this heresy.
      Johnathan Kleck is a false prophet. Please stay away from any of his teachings. This man even claims that if you say he's a false prophet, you've committed the unpardonable sin. He says this to prevent any criticism of him and his teachings. He uses the unpardonable sin to intimidate anyone who may disagree with him and who is not educated enough in the faith to know that his statement is a lie. So what he's saying is that if you disagree with him, if you say he's a false prophet, if you don't believe wholeheartedly in every word spoken by him, you've committed the unpardonable sin and you will spend eternity in hell. I pray that the Lord opens your eyes and the eyes of everyone else who sees this man as a true born again believer in Christ.

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  2. Research "the Muslim agenda", "the war of Gog and Magog". Muslims strip it's host country of all it's history, culture, laws, free speech, free though, individualism, creativity and equality, locust strip area to area of all resources before moving on. Muslims are planned to be the locusts torturing all infidels for 5 months in the attempt to force conversion. We are not looking for locusts or scorpions literally but people who will take on these animal instincts.

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    1. Jake, that's one I never heard before. Unfortunately, when you put your explanation side by side with scripture, it's not found to be biblically sound. Thank you for your response, though. It give me another glimpse into how people interpret this portion of scripture.

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  3. I think the locusts are demons that have been released from the abyss. I think the description of the locusts describes their spiritual characteristics. I think there are an amazing number of demons and people don't realize this because we don't see them, and locusts represent the huge number of them. I agree with the idea that God doesn't use demons to exact judgment. This whole locust imagery is symbolic, not literal. A vast number of demons are released from the abyss. I think this is a prison for demons who have crossed the line.

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    1. Helene, when you say that you think the abyss is a prison for demons who have crossed the line, what exactly do you mean? I believe they all crossed the line when they rebelled against God. What greater crime could they have committed? Also, scripture tells us that demons are currently operating in the first heaven (the atmosphere around the earth).

      I agree that some scripture is allegory... symbolic, but it's my opinion that it doesn't apply in this case because it is possible that the creature described could actually exist. Since that is the case, I must also believe that they are actual living creatures that have been trapped deep in the earth until that very moment when God allows them to be released. Also, each one of the locusts looks like the other, which says to me that they are of a certain breed.

      I guess we won't know for sure until it happens, right?

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    2. I agree with you Ken Souza.

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  4. The demons that are in hell and not heaven as far as I understand it are those that break the golden rule, this is the limit in which demons can interact with man. Satan's hoard are limited by our free will. The demons that Jesus drove out of possessed people were cast back into hell because they were acting outside of our free will. In other words the really naughty demons are in hell and the one's still playing by the rules are in heaven(or on earth doing satans work)

    I believe you are correct Ken, in that these creatures are real creatures made by God for this particular aspect of the great tribulation(Gods 7 yrs of punishment). I am always amused that people can't take the bible literally with this stuff and have to change it into a box to suit there earthly minds. To be unable to accept this stuff literally and yet say you believe in demons and angels is a type of contradiction.

    The bible is full of odd stuff, look at the demons who came to earth and mated with women, who then gave birth to giants with 6 toes. You either except that the bible is Gods word or you don't, it's not really difficult. If you believe the bible is Gods word then you have to except that there are all kinds of strange beings and a battle going on everyday, and a huge amount of demonic interaction going on daily on this earth that the average person knows nothing about, to the extent that they don't even believe God exists.

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    1. Thank you for your response to my blog article, Paul. I'm having difficulty with the idea of there being demons in hell who have broken the "golden rule." I can't seem to find any scripture about demons being in hell right now and I also can't seem to find scripture to confirm that if demons go beyond the limits of our free will, they are sent to hell. Can you please share the scripture you're looking at so that I can dig deeper into this? Thanks!!! :)

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  5. Interesting. I have just completed writing a Bible Study on Revelation and it is now with my editor. While researching though I came across something very interesting. A recent creation developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) may have created exactly what John saw and of all the possibilities out there, it seems to be the most likely. This unique creation looks like a large moth but is smaller than some butterflies. It flaps its translucent wings 14 times per second and it is getting even smaller. Their latest locust shaped drone weighs less than 20 grams and has a camera and memory card. It is enabled remotely with a special helmet so that when the operator puts it on he sees in real time what is being surveyed. It can even fly indoors. Their most recent models were the Ghost, weighing 4 kg, and Mosquito, which weighs only 500 grams. With Muslim terrorist groups like Hamas in Gaza constantly targeting Israel they would be perfect for going behind enemy lines.
    Could these flying insects be outfitted to harm only those with the mark of the beast? For example, today the only people in the world who wear a “mark” on their foreheads are Muslims. You see their bandanas and banners scrawled with the words, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.” With terrorists forcing people to convert to Islam or die, it is easy to see how these locusts could be programmed to target and torment only those who have the mark. In fact the U.S. Navy just released their new weapon and it is actually called LOCUST which stands for Low Cost Uav Swarm Technology. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3040891/Watch-Navy-s-drone-CANNON-Weapon-shoot-30-swarm-bots-minute-new-era-warfare.html

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    1. Very interesting information, Laura. Thank you for sharing it. While I understand your train of thought, I must mention a few things here. One is that the word of God states that God is going to send an angel from heaven to earth specifically to open the bottomless pit from which smoke will rise and these creatures will emerge. If these creatures are locked away, that would mean that they have existed for quite some time and that they are being held in check until such a time as the Lord permits them to be released. That would seem to indicate that their existence predates our current technology.

      Secondly, it would be self defeating if these creatures were to attack those with the mark of the beast because in that point in time, it will be born-again believers who will be the enemy, not the ones with the mark. Why would the Antichrist attack those who have already sworn allegiance to him?

      Thirdly, if your assumption was correct, these miniature drones would need to carry and inject some sort of "venom" into their victim that would cause them pain for exactly 5 months.

      Lastly, those who have been attacked by these creatures will not be able to commit suicide during this time. Spiritually, death will have his hands tied and won't be able to take the lives of any of these individuals. Imagine that! Wow!

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  6. It may be the result of the CERN project.

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  7. Thank you for your response, Earl. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on how these "locusts" could be created by CERN but reside in the bottomless pit to be controlled by a high ranking demon named Abaddon/Apollyon. From what I read in the scriptures, it seems as if they've been there for quite some time and that they're restrained until God calls for their release.

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  8. Cern may open a gate to another dimension just like the bottomlesspit will open and these locusts in real shape or alien form ( which d be demons ) Are able to enter this dimension . This is my theory so far

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    1. The only dimensions, if you want to call them that, that God ever mentioned were Heaven, Hell and Earth. I don't believe this to be an allegorical or symbolic portion of scripture. Scripture says there is an actual bottomless pit that is ruled by a high ranking demon which contains these creatures and that an angel with a key will unlock the gate to this bottomless pit and let those demonic "scorpions" out.

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  9. I believe that the scientists in Cern have no idea that the dark matter they want to explore will somehow get out of control and in their attempt to open a doorway they will let these demons from hell out into our dimention.

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    1. Scripture states that God sends an angel to release them, so CERN and dark matter have no bearing on this event. It's all God driven, not man driven.

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  10. Scientists have analyzed samples of basalt rocks taken from 300 meters beneath the ocean crust and found therein many different types of bacteria not found on top of the soil. So it is possible that an asteroid hitting the earth and causing a deep crater could release dust containing a pathogenic bacteria previously unknown to man and which under the microscope would ressemble the description of the locusts of the fifth trumpet.
    As to why those bacteria would infect only the humans who do not possess the seal of God, perhaps the sealed of God would be miraculously shielded from that plague just as the Israelites who had applied the blood of their Passover lamb on their door posts and on their lintel were shielded from the death of their firstborn.

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    1. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts on the matter. Scripture makes it clear that an angel is going to unlock an actual gate to an actual bottomless pit and release actual creatures who are being ruled over by a high ranking demon. I don't think it is referring to bacteria, or else scripture would probably state that God caused an illness or sickness to spread over the Earth, and it doesn't say that. That's why I tend to lean in the direction that these are actually biological creatures already created and reserved for this day, or that they are actual low ranking demons.

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  11. Nigel Cornel MasinasFeb 14, 2018, 4:29:00 AM

    God is direct and most of all the bible is so direct its simple enough for many to take out of context. I believe they won't be giant like as in height and mass, but simply the size of an actual Locust grasshopper. Also I think the locust torment the people for 5 months not that one sting last 5 months. Also we know actual locust swarms are pretty frightening already, so I can only imagine millions of altered locust tormenting people for 5 months literally. I think the locust are actually grasshoppers, whom were possessed by demonic spirits and witches, and sorcerers doing magic and voodoo, which is why they will look like zombies. But hey, maybe they were as well made by God how he wanted them to be to scare, the unsaved during the tribulation. When people deny God, the wraith waiting is exactly torment for a reason. God bless my bro��.

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  12. I have wrestled with this scripture for years. However, I have always believed it as it is written. I do not believe this scripture to be a metaphor. But I do need to clear up a question about this scripture. Will there be unsaved yet believers left behind to endure these locusts during the tribulation period? Either way, I (will not) be here to find out. I have given my life to the Lord, and I am waiting for his soon return. I so believe that he is coming back sooner than we think. Biblical prophecies are being full-filled everyday. Luke 21:36 says, "Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." Please Wake up! Get Ready! Give your Lives to Jesus, and pray to him for an understanding of the scriptures! God less You All

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    1. Thank you for encouraging those reading these comments, to give their lives to the Lord, and thank you for sharing your thoughts on the matter. I'm sorry it took so long to reply. Yes, I believe scripture states that there will be born again believers here during the Tribulation. These are individuals who have become born again believers after the Rapture. I do not know whether they will be experiencing this judgment along with unbelievers. Scripture isn't clear about that. It only states that those who are marked by God (the 144,000 Messianic Jews) won't be harmed. We could assume that God will mark those who become born again believers (like in the Left Behind series written by Tim LaHaye), but we just don't know if that's going to be the case.

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  13. I remember as of age 8 reading the Bible and simply believing what it says.Nit doting ut one bit and being in awe of the Bible Stories I read.I am 56 years old now and this faith given to me by God from childhood has never changed but has increased over time.We must be careful to not add or take away from the Word of God.We must also rely on the Spirit of Truth within us given to us through Christ to teach us,reveal to us the mysteries of God's Word.So...in conclusion I'd just like to say....I do not believe for a second that these locus are man made but divinely created.As far as the two angelic beings that hold these creatures confined ti the bottomless pit Are they also not on God's side? Not sure why that would even be brought into question.

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  14. These are biological locust that'll appear in the near-future (but we don't know when) but the CERN and the failure of their black hole have something to do with this. But this will destroy all your beliefs. What do you think Jesus tells us in Mat 24 : 31 - 33? What is him talking about? Recycle all your belief my brother, and get ready!

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    1. Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to this blog article and for sharing your thoughts. As the article states, I believe that this is a spiritual event and the creatures that are going to be released were created and destined for this specific purpose and moment in time. I believe that they were in existence before the fall and that they are demonic beings. I believe this because they are released from "the bottomless pit" by an "angel." Also, I cannot understand how the scripture reference you offered makes reference to anything in this article. Am I missing something? Please let me know.

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  15. Maybe the satanic Democrats know that a AR 15 or an AK 47 can hurt these things so that's why the dems are so into gun controll

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    1. Thanks for commenting @Squid. If they're demons, then no manmade weapon is going to stop them.

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