Revelation 9; 1-11 Who are these ones?

As John observes, the release of the locusts is accompanied by much smoke, like “the smoke of a great furnace.” That is how it proved to be in 1919. The situation darkened for Christendom and for the world in general. (Compare Joel 2:30, 31.) The release of those locusts, the John class, was actually a defeat for Christendom’s clergy, who had schemed and plotted to kill the Kingdom work for good and who now rejected God’s Kingdom. Evidence of a smokelike pall started to spread over apostate Christendom as that locust band was given divine authority and began to exercise it in proclaiming powerful judgment messages. Christendom’s “sun”—her appearance of enlightenment—suffered an eclipse, and “the air” became thick with declarations of divine judgment as “the ruler of the authority of the air” of this world was shown to be Christendom’s god.—Ephesians 2:2; John 12:31; 1 John 5:19.

Notice that this plague is not directed first against the people or prominent ones among them—the ‘vegetation and trees of the earth.’ (Compare Revelation 8:7.) The locusts are to harm only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads, those in Christendom who claim to be sealed but whose record belies that claim. (Ephesians 1:13, 14) Thus, the tormenting utterances of these modern-day locusts were directed first against the religious leaders of Christendom. How these self-assuming men must have been tormented at hearing it publicly announced that not only were they failing to lead their flocks to heaven but they themselves would not get there! Truly, it has been a case of ‘the blind leading the blind’!—Matthew 15:14.

The torment lasts for five months. Is that a relatively short time? Not from the point of view of a literal locust. Five months describes the normal life span of one of these insects. Therefore, it is for as long as they live that the modern-day locusts keep stinging God’s enemies. Moreover, the torment is so severe that men seek to die. True, we have no record that any of those who were stung by the locusts actually tried to kill themselves. But the expression helps us to picture the intensity of the torment—as though by the relentless assault of scorpions. It is like the suffering foreseen by Jeremiah for those unfaithful Israelites who would be scattered by the Babylonian conquerors and for whom death would be preferable to life.—Jeremiah 8:3; see also Ecclesiastes 4:2, 3.

Rev.9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto

the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 9:2 And he

opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the

smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason

of the smoke of the pit.

1.

The pit is still open for Satan at Rev.20:1-6.

Rev.9:4 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. 9:5 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.

2.

The bible truth hurts from the time the world gets the bible to see it alone

has the truth or there would not be so very many different religions to cause

such doubt to be cast upon the possibility of one learning God's truth. Rev.

11:12,15,18; Matt.24:3,7,14,15,21-24,34,36, God's kingdom is coming with

each passing day.

3.

The green of earth and God's sealed are not to be harmed [ 30 x 5 = ] 150,

the pit is still open for Satan at Rev.20:1-6. Rev.11:18, the earth is so very

important.

3.

Satan has no power over the pit, Jesus and his firstfruits, those sealed by

God, John 6:44; 14:3,6, that a place is prepared for, Matt.28:18-20, has all

power over heaven and earth, Rev.1:1-3,5; 3:12,14, Jesus has all power, as

Michael is in the time of the end, Rev.12:7-12, to give Satan his short time

down, this prepares a place for those to be with Jesus 1Thes.4:15-17, it is

Michael voice that is there at the last, before Rev.20:1-6.

the anointed people