“And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should BE TORMENTED FIVE MONTHS (capitals mine): and their torment was the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.”
Revelation 9:5
“And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but ONLY (capitals mine) those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.”
Revelation 9:4
During the FIRST half of the Tribulation (the final 7 years before Christ Returns) the seven trumpets of God’s Wrath will be blown. Each Trumpet unleashes a different punishment on this world as was previously prophesied in the Book of Revelation. Not only does this tell all who are willing to listen to what God has promised, but it also validates the inerrancy of His Word, the Holy Bible, as those events are witnessed coming to fruition exactly as we were told they would. When the 5th Trumpet is blown it signals a plague of locusts being unleashed on this earth. But these locusts are not like any of the other locusts which have preceded them. These will be REALLY, REALLY bad! In fact in Revelation 8:13 we are told:
“And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!”
I find it interesting the emphasis which is placed on this punishment. Not only does the angel repeat the word “Woe” three times with a LOUD voice but also places an explanation point after his statement. Point stated! Point made! All the inhabitants of the world will have been warned of this coming plague and the horrible punishment which follows:
“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.”
Revelation 9:3
Biblical scholars tend to agree there is a very nasty follower of Satan named Apollyon (aka “destroyer”) who has been confined in the bottomless abyss will be released “…out of the smoke” with his followers, the scorpions, and will wreak pain and suffering (but, not death) on all of mankind who DO NOT have the seal of God in their foreheads. Can you imagine this? Satan and many of his followers have been tormenting mankind for many, many years but here we have perhaps the worst of his followers who have been holed up in the “abyss” finally released to torment people for 5 months! Ouch! Now in all candor, I have never been stung by a scorpion. So I Googled “scorpion sting” and was somewhat surprised how its description matched exactly what the Bible says. It refers to a scorpion sting as very painful BUT typically not fatal (except with potentially young children or elderly people). One bite sting would be very painful but what if you were stung multiple times a day for 5 months?!!
So, what we have seen here is that when the 5th Trumpet of the first half of the Tribulation Period is blown, locusts will come out of “…the smoke”, “…upon the earth” and they will have the power to torment, but not to kill, those men. Which men? The men that DO NOT “…have the seal of God in their foreheads.”
“And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we HAVE SEALED THE SERVANTS OF OUR GOD IN THEIR FOREHEADS (capitals mine). And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”
Revelation 7:1-4
God has placed four angels on the four corners of the earth who control the winds. These winds are not just a spring breeze but also include hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, etc. By reading the above Scripture you get the picture the angels are just waiting to unleash God’s Fury on this world. But another angel “…having the seal of the living God” specifically tells the four angels to NOT hurt the earth (meaning, don’t begin to let the winds loose) until “…we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” There is a slight pause between the fourth and fifth trumpets where 144,000 “servants” will be sealed by God with immunity from Satan and will be able to go forth into the world as evangelicals to let the entire world know one last time of the personal, eternal redemption that comes only with accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. As I wrote about in Where did the 144,000 come from and what are they doing here? these servants are 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. I once heard someone explain them as 144,000 “Billy Grahams” who for 3 1/2 years during the first half of the Tribulation will give those people remaining on the earth after the Rapture one last chance to accept Jesus. After the 144,000 have been sealed, the four angels will then be given the right to wreak havoc on this world!
It is very important we understand the timeline here. Shortly after the 144,000 have been sealed in Revelation 7:3, the False Prophet will “…causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, OR IN THEIR FOREHEADS (capitals mine): And that no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast (anti-christ), or the number of his name.” – Revelation 13:16-17. At this time it becomes clear. There will be three classes of humans alive during this part of the Tribulation. There will be the 144,000 “servants” of God who will be evangelizing the world and who will be immune to the attack of the locusts. Secondly, there will be those people who will elect to take the Mark of the Beast in order to be able to “…buy or sell” and they will suffer immensely for 5 months. More than that however, as the Bible tells us in Revelation 14:9-10:
“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascended up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
Here it is obvious not only will those who take the Mark of the Beast suffer horribly for 5 months, but the mere act of taking the Mark and worshipping the anti-christ will cause them suffering FOREVER!
Finally, there will be those people who have come to know Jesus Christ AFTER the Rapture and who will decide to not accept the Mark of the Beast, which if they did would violate God’s Commandment of them. The judgement of all who have taken the Mark of the Beast (not the mark that sealed the servants) is made absolutely clear in Revelation 19:20-21 when Jesus Christ Returns at Armageddon:
“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had RECEIVED THE MARK OF THE BEAST (capitals mine), and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant (those who had taken the Mark of the Beast) were slain with the sword of him (Jesus) that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”
So, now we know what will happen to ALL people on the earth as of today!
- Believers in Jesus will be Raptured prior to the start of the Tribulation.
- 144,000 Jews will be “sealed” and will evangelize the world during the first half of the Tribulation.
- Untold millions will accept the Mark of the Beast and will suffer horribly for 5 months during the Tribulation and for eternity thereafter.
- Those who come to know Jesus after the Rapture and elect to not take the Mark of the Beast will not suffer at the sting of the scorpions and will enter the Millennium reign of Jesus on this earth. This is not to say many of these believers will not die for their rejection of the anti-christ. They will, but what awaits them for eternity is far better!
Sadly, those who take the Mark of the Beast will be so tormented they will desire death to erase (they will believe) the 5 months of pain and suffering. But again, the Bible tells us what they will go through and death is not a solution:
“And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die and death shall flee from them.”
Revelation 9:6
Knowing this the decision is simple! Accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior; ask Him for forgiveness of your sins; and, you will be comforted in knowing you won’t have to go through the Tribulation. If the Rapture has occurred before you have read this and you were not “snatched up” in the twinkling of an eye, it is not too late to be saved! DO NOT under any circumstances ever take the Mark of the Beast! Do not worship his image! Be truly comforted in knowing that Jesus has Promised us an eternity with Him in Heaven, not the pain and suffering all others will endure for 5 months, during the Tribulation, or in hell for eternity. To me, this is so comforting knowing we have all been told ahead of time the decisions we must make. I have already made mine! If you agree, please help me to do as we are all told to do and that is to “…therefore comfort one another with these words.” Not my words but only His Word, the Holy Bible!
May God Bless you!