1. I say the locust are insect creatures that will sting.
Of course not.
2.
@TribulationSigns says the locust are false prophets and false prophets.
Yep.
3.
@locust says the locust are a certain group of people that spread the good news of the kingdom.
Really? This is a good reason why I placed this "locust" on the ignore list a while ago.
Since the locust torment men who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads for five months - it seems that they will be seasonal for five months before dying off.
Rev 9:3-6
(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.
(5) And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that
they should be tormented five months: and
their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
(6) And
in those days shall
men seek death, and shall not find it; and
shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
Okay, Douggg, please understand this with spiritual discernment that God obviously did NOT talk about a "literal creature that will sting men" that they cannot find physical death to escape from the pain of being stung or something like that. Not at all!
The locusts of Revelation 9 are a symbolic term signifying the
false prophets and christs under the rule of Satan through HIS SPIRIT, who come to devour the "grass, green things and trees" (eg. men) within the congregation of God which is now a spiritual Egypt, just like the Exodus plague of locusts would devour a fruitful field making it worthless! They don't "kill", because that is not the spiritual symbolism here.
The symbolism of the plague of Locusts is how they destroy the field
by their strong delusions, and
behind them they leave the field desolate. Therefore, in Revelation, it is the men without the seal of God who are under strong delusions! Keep in mind, God use the locusts as a judgment upon his unfaithful (the ones who haven't been sealed) so that they will believe a lie, (2nd Thess 2:9-12). The symbolism of them hurting as a scorpion stings is to show they are the ministers of Satan, and their mission is to
seduce and bring them under control of the antichrist spirit. That is the whole point of Revelation 9.
Their being tortured by the scorpion torments, is meant to convey that they are
plagued of the spirit of Antichrist. The power of the scorpion to sting and poison them "spiritually," not physically!! Not physically kill them. Because it is the true saints whom the spirit of Anti-Christ kills, just as the beast kills the Two Witnesses (Saints). Again, not physically or killing them spiritually, but in the sense that in-so-far as they can no longer preach and teach the truth in the Churches "as if" they are dead. They have no power of life in the testimony. They have no longer have spiritual rule or authority there by the Spirit of God because the false prophets and christs has replaced Christ as authority in the Church so they can preach whatever they believe. This is how Satan rules there now. They cannot "hurt" the true believers spiritually, because they are the true Israel, the true sons of God who are ALREADY SEALED/SECURED by the Spirit of God. Selah! Thus the power of the scorpion cannot hurt them spiritually in that sense. Why not? By the work of Christ on the cross, Satan had ALREADY been cast down FOR THEM (Saints) that he could never hurt them that way. e.g.,
Luke 10:18-20
- "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
- Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
- Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."
For example, as spiritual sons of God we have power over the scorpion where "NOTHING" can hurt us as far as our salvation is concerned! That's why we had to be sealed FIRST before Satan can be loosened! Selah! But it can
hurt those mere "professing Christians" or external covenant corporate Christians, who have not yet sealed/secured of God's Spirit. Get it?
So they don't kill the unsaved, because they are only out to kill "the true believers," and these are not true believers. To kill in this context means they have
overcome or prevailed over those who they were fighting against them. So that they have taken power of life from the Saints and silenced their witness! While the ones who they do hurt, are spiritually hurt and deceived, yet still thinking they are serving God in His house. This is "how" they received the mark of the beast (different subject).
God will not allow the language of the locusts killing the unfaithful because
they are not true believers who they most certainly will kill. For these self-righteous Christians (Christians in name only), the object of the Locusts is
deception, delusion and seduction, not killing.
Now, what is the meaning of five months and when it takes place?
The attack of smoke locusts do go on for five months, but that five months (like the thousand years) are as God defines it, His allotted time. This will not be five literal/physical months at all, but
for as long as it takes for these wicked to spread their abominations and cause the desolation God promised the fallen star would come if it continued in its unfaithfulness as messenger of the church. However long a time that is, spiritually speaking (
like the 1000 years), that is five months symbolically, a time of anguish, torment, torture and hurt for those unsealed and thus deceived. The elect are hidden, even as Zechariah's wife was hidden 5 months) in the protection of God's Holy Mountain as the torment of the Locusts is also not literal/physical but spiritual in nature. Again, the scorpion sting being cryptic imagery of the power of Satan to deceive and hurt the professing members of God's house that they serve the man of lawlessness (
lawless man) rather than God. it's just a matter of Biblical reasoning in following what is written, rather than what is taught.
When? The beast/locusts come out
within the 1,260 days, not after it. The five months are within the 1,260 days prior, not after it. The cause for the two witnesses persecution is the loosing of this from the pit. This is why it couldn't happen until all were sealed that are to be sealed. Their testimony is not finished until after these wicked do their job and successfully totally silence their testimony (effectively killing them) where the two witneses will lie DEAD, where the professed Christians will celebrate over them becasue their testimony was a torment to them.
This is the great tribulation "FOR THE SAINTS." It is the time of great tribulation within and at the end of the 1,260 days. The saints are still in the church being reviled, spoken against and persecuted right up until the time they are all killed. The loosing of beast/locusts has two effects:
1.) It causes great tribulation to the faithful witnesses and ultimately kill them, but cannot hurt them.
2.) It hurts those who haven't made their calling and election sure and brings their house to abomination and desolation.
Then the five months are over, the two witnesses are killed, and the ruin/desolation of the church takes place. Behold, the abomintion of desolation!
