What is the meaning of Revelation 9:5? The locusts were not given power to kill them “The locusts were not given power to kill them” (Revelation 9:5). • God Himself sets the limits. Just as He told Satan concerning Job, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life” (Job 2:6), the Lord monitors every judgment. • These are not ordinary insects. Revelation 9:1–3 shows they rise from “the abyss,” echoing Luke 8:31, where demons beg Jesus not to send them there. • Earlier seals brought widespread death (Revelation 6:4, 8), yet here death is withheld. The contrast highlights that every phase of the Tribulation is tailored by God’s sovereign design. • By sparing physical life, the Lord leaves room for repentance, as will be urged later (Revelation 9:20–21). but only to torment them “but only to torment them” (Revelation 9:5). • Torment serves as a wake-up call. Amos 4:9 reminds Israel, “I struck you with blight and mildew… yet you did not return to Me.” The same principle applies here. • Torment, not annihilation, guards against mankind’s escape through death (compare Revelation 6:16) and presses sinners to face their need of salvation. • God distinguishes His people: verse 4 shields those with His seal, echoing Exodus 8:22 where plagues skipped Goshen. for five months “for five months” (Revelation 9:5). • A literal span—150 days—underscoring that judgment is measured, not random. Genesis 7:24 records the floodwaters prevailing exactly the same length, another instance of calculated judgment. • Five months matches a natural locust season (May–September in the Middle East), rooting the prophecy in recognizable time while still describing supernatural agents. • The fixed limit hints at mercy (Habakkuk 3:2). God restrains wrath so that “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32; Romans 10:13). and their torment was like the stinging of a scorpion “and their torment was like the stinging of a scorpion” (Revelation 9:5). • Scorpion venom inflicts burning, pulsating pain—apt imagery for the horror unleashed. Ezekiel 2:6 uses scorpions to picture hostility; Luke 10:19 speaks of authority over “serpents and scorpions,” indicating dangerous spiritual forces. • The comparison signals intensity, not metaphorical uncertainty. Literal pain awaits the unbelieving world during this trumpet judgment. • The torment anticipates hell’s anguish (Mark 9:48) yet still allows time to repent before final judgment falls (Revelation 14:10–11). summary Revelation 9:5 reveals a controlled, purposeful plague. Demonic locusts cannot kill because God limits their power; their mission is torment, pressing unrepentant humanity toward decision. The five-month duration shows both precision and mercy, while the scorpion-like pain underscores the seriousness of resisting God. Even in judgment, His sovereignty, justice, and patient call to repentance shine through. |
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