seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 9:3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
Well it appears I have to deal with amazingdiscoveries.com first.
Out of the “smoke” comes “locusts.” When conditions are favorable a swarm of hundreds of millions of locusts may hatch at the same time. After exhausting the local food supply, they spread out gobbling up nearly every green plant in their path, and leaving desolation and famine behind them. By the time of his death in A.D. 632 Mohammed had united the Arabian Peninsula under Islam. Over the next 100 years the Muslim tide spread in a raging flood across the earth until the year 732 when they were narrowly defeated at the Battle of Tours in France. This victory saved Western Europe from conversion to Islam.
The “trees” and “grass” are here set as opposites to ‘those men which have not the seal of God.” The “trees” and “grass” represent the many groups of Christians who still preserved the true Biblical faith of early Christianity. The “locusts” were not to hurt these pure commandment-keeping people. The Islamic conquerors did not destroy property wantonly or kill Christians and Jews so long as they agreed to pay tribute. They did, however, relentlessly attack the remainder of the Roman Empire centered in Constantinople, at whom this judgment is directed.
The “trees” and “grass” are here set as opposites to ‘those men which have not the seal of God.” The “trees” and “grass” represent the many groups of Christians who still preserved the true Biblical faith of early Christianity. The “locusts” were not to hurt these pure commandment-keeping people. The Islamic conquerors did not destroy property wantonly or kill Christians and Jews so long as they agreed to pay tribute. They did, however, relentlessly attack the remainder of the Roman Empire centered in Constantinople, at whom this judgment is directed.
Ok.... I really have a hard time with this.... but amazingdiscoveries.org insists that Islam and the conquest of Europe is the key here. I guess this is possible.... but I don't buy it. Why would God waste His time jabbing at Islam? The sons of Ishmael have been protected all this time. Who told Abraham to sleep with Hagar? [Sarah] Who told Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away after Sarah had Isaac, a son of her own? [Sarah] So.... who agreed to watch over Hagar and Ishmael? [God] Did God keep Ishamael's tribe around to fight with Isaac's tribe in the end times? Islam v Jewish v Christian?????
Here's the confusion I have with this.... An earthquake so violent that people will hide in caves and beg to die took place before these locusts were set free. God's blowtorch has knocked out a huge portion of the oxygen production on earth. A meteorite has taken out a large portion of the fresh water on earth. A volcano has just erupted that has a shaft so deep that it has keys.... and you say the locusts it burped up before it exploded.... is the nation of Islam? When did all this earth shifting happen in their scenario? It didn't happen according to them... So God, who created nature, wouldn't use nature to clean the stupid human stink off of earth? So God, who created nature, didn't set precedent for this use of nature to clean the stupid human stink off of earth when He put Noah on a boat to preserve a seed of the human race and wash the earth clean so He could start fresher?
This is from discoverrevelations.com.
These are not normal locusts, however, but specially prepared ones that are merely the outward form of demons, who, like locusts, will bring swarming desolation (see notes on Joel 2:2, 4). “Like” appears several times in John’s description; he finds it difficult to describe what he sees in a way the reader can understand.
“Scorpions”: An arachnid that inhabits warm, dry regions and has an erect tail tipped with a venomous stinger. A scorpion’s victim often rolls on the ground in agony, foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth in pain. The demons in locust form are able to inflict the physical, and perhaps, spiritual, pain like the scorpion.
The description of the locusts indicates that they are demons who are given physical forms in order to manifest their destruction and torment. Horses show their warlike character. Their crowns depict them as conquerors. Human faces show intelligence. Their feminine hair perhaps makes them seductive and attractive. The teeth of lions show them to be destructive and hurtful. Breastplates of iron make them indestructible. Wings symbolize swiftness. The stings in their tails give them the power to hurt. Fortunately for mankind, their period of torment is limited to five months. But the next judgment is even worse.
Notice, these have to be demons as they had no power in and of themselves. It was given unto them.
They do not harm the vegetation, as ordinary locusts would, but only “men” who do not belong to God. They are “not” allowed to “kill” anyone at this point. They only “torment unbelievers for “five months”. The pain will be like that of a “scorpion”. The “torment” will be so great that they will “desire to die”. But part of the judgment will be that men cannot die to escape.
“Men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads”: Everyone on earth except the two groups mentioned in chapter 7, the 144,000 Jewish evangelists and their converts (see note on 7:4).
This is an attack on the person, which makes us take another look at it spiritually. They have orders not to hurt the vegetation or the 144,000 who have been sealed in their foreheads. Real locusts would eat every green thing that they could find, and they do. Looking at this from the spiritual standpoint, these locusts are demon spirits turned loose upon this earth. The devil, or his demons, cannot really hurt anyone covered in the blood of Jesus.
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". God's instructions are in essence: "You may torment those who have the Antichrist's mark, but you may not kill them." Also, "you may not touch those who belong to Me." Satan's power is under strict control over those sealed by God, both now and in the Tribulation. Though this will be a period of great anguish, it is really the grace of GOD at work. I'm sure that the LORD is seeking to make mankind think because of this terrible torment and to decide to come to Him.
“Scorpions”: An arachnid that inhabits warm, dry regions and has an erect tail tipped with a venomous stinger. A scorpion’s victim often rolls on the ground in agony, foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth in pain. The demons in locust form are able to inflict the physical, and perhaps, spiritual, pain like the scorpion.
The description of the locusts indicates that they are demons who are given physical forms in order to manifest their destruction and torment. Horses show their warlike character. Their crowns depict them as conquerors. Human faces show intelligence. Their feminine hair perhaps makes them seductive and attractive. The teeth of lions show them to be destructive and hurtful. Breastplates of iron make them indestructible. Wings symbolize swiftness. The stings in their tails give them the power to hurt. Fortunately for mankind, their period of torment is limited to five months. But the next judgment is even worse.
Notice, these have to be demons as they had no power in and of themselves. It was given unto them.
They do not harm the vegetation, as ordinary locusts would, but only “men” who do not belong to God. They are “not” allowed to “kill” anyone at this point. They only “torment unbelievers for “five months”. The pain will be like that of a “scorpion”. The “torment” will be so great that they will “desire to die”. But part of the judgment will be that men cannot die to escape.
“Men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads”: Everyone on earth except the two groups mentioned in chapter 7, the 144,000 Jewish evangelists and their converts (see note on 7:4).
This is an attack on the person, which makes us take another look at it spiritually. They have orders not to hurt the vegetation or the 144,000 who have been sealed in their foreheads. Real locusts would eat every green thing that they could find, and they do. Looking at this from the spiritual standpoint, these locusts are demon spirits turned loose upon this earth. The devil, or his demons, cannot really hurt anyone covered in the blood of Jesus.
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". God's instructions are in essence: "You may torment those who have the Antichrist's mark, but you may not kill them." Also, "you may not touch those who belong to Me." Satan's power is under strict control over those sealed by God, both now and in the Tribulation. Though this will be a period of great anguish, it is really the grace of GOD at work. I'm sure that the LORD is seeking to make mankind think because of this terrible torment and to decide to come to Him.
It seems fairly simple to me. Anyone or anything who has survived the earthquakes, aftershocks, blowtorch, wormwood, and now this huge volcanic eruption that would open a shaft that requires keys.... has been deeply affected. Everyone and everything has been turned upside down. It's that kind of natural disaster that would have a locust eating human flesh rather than tender leaves.
Any human who has lived through the earthquakes, aftershocks, blowtorch, wormwood, and now this huge volcanic eruption that would open a shaft that requires keys.... without bowing to God, the creator of all this nature.... is not only too stupid for their own good... they are too stubborn to take salvation. They'd rather writhe in pain than accept Christ. But... even though there might not be one soul worth saving on earth... God's not done yet.
