(Revelation 9:1-12) Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. 2 He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. 6 And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.
7 The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. 10 They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. 11 They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.
12 The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.
Today's takeaway: ugh! I hate being in a swarm of ANY kind of bug - even bugs that don't bite - never mind ones that do bite. Growing up in Manitoba, where the provincial bird is the mosquito (just kidding about the "bird"-thing, but mosquitoes do LOVE to thrive there)... Anyway, there were times when we would have to sit in the car and strategize, giving everyone a task. Then, collecting all our things, and on the count of three, we'd all jump out - close the doors - one would open the trunk, one or two would grab things from the trunk, while one ran to the house to unlock the door, while... (you get the idea!)
I've heard people interpret the scriptures above as a metaphor for something else, like military helicopters; but that doesn't make any sense. We've already seen the judgment of warfare.
Every little word (every "if", "and" or "but", every "it is like") is very important. Any time there a metaphor or parable in the Bible, it is laid out as such... (An example is found in Matthew 13:31 - "The kingdom of heaven IS LIKE...)
The scripture above very clearly says in Rev.9:3 - "Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth..." They are very clearly locusts - BUT - certainly not your garden-variety-type, because then we read in Rev.9:7 "The appearance of the locusts was like..." This is not a metaphor. John is just doing his very best to try to describe them.
One could ask - WHY??? Why would God tell us all these horrible things which will happen one day? Well, why do people keep asking - "If there is a God, and if God is good, why is there evil? And where is the justice?" So, from all this we know that there is a spiritual battle. From this we know that Satan is real, and the demons are evil. From this we know that justice will be coming! From this we know that we should really want to be on God's team!!!
Now remember, in the scripture (below), the "last trumpet" mentioned here - does not have anything to do with the trumpet judgments. It is the last trumpet of the Church Age - the call to gather us to heaven...
(1 Corinthians 15:50-58) Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
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