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Revelation 9:1-12 – The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 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. 5 They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. 7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.11They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer). 12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.
“They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes.” Again we see that the demons from the Abyss do not have free reign. They have two limitations. One they cannot torture any who are sealed by God as His own. The second is, their reign of torture and terror lasts for five months. But with no escape from them, oh how horrible that time will be.
The torture that these demons bring is “like” the sting of a scorpion. What are the results of a scorpion sting on a human? Well, it depends on the type of scorpion that stings. Most people don’t die from scorpion stings, but there are some species that do deliver venom potent enough to kill. The Mayo Clinic reports that the symptoms of being stung by a scorpion can be intense pain. The site of the sting can experience numbness, tingling and swelling. More adverse effects can be: Difficulty breathing, muscle twitching and thrashing, unusual head, neck and eye movements, drooling, sweating, nausea and vomiting, high blood pressure, accelerated heart rate or arrhythmia, and in children restlessness and inconsolable crying. That is the effect of scorpion stings from regular scorpions. These demons are bringing torture to all who are not sealed. The burning pain will be unbearable. Is this a good time to ask all of who refuse to know Jesus as Savior and Master if they have teenage kids? Kids who are old enough to decide for themselves about Jesus? Many people will put themselves at risk, few would like their kids to be. Family, a veritable reality is that those who raise their kids against serving the Lord, or who do not raise them to serve the Lord, are putting their kids, especially kids that are at least around teen age years or older, in great peril. No one wants to suffer, but even more, no one wants their kids to suffer. Those who don’t teach their kids to love Jesus teach them to not love Him. What a horrible future for those who follow in the path of such parents! Family, let us pray.
“During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.” People will hope that they would die so that this pain may cease. But the torture may cause them to want them to die, but the torture will not kill them. They must live. But what of suicide? Are attempts at suicide not allowed to be successful? Possibly, but unlikely. Let’s consider something else. Remember that these suffering people will know that they are suffering under the judgment of God and instead of repenting, they curse God (Revelation 16:9, 11, 21). The tragedy of tragedies, they could repent and be saved, but they hate God so much that their hardened hearts will not relent. Family, at this time, there will be no atheists. Haters of God, yes. Atheists, no (Though, there is no such thing as a true atheist). These suffering people know these judgments come from God, these people who will not repent, while intolerably suffering, will not choose to commit suicide, no matter how awful the pain. Why? Because they know that after death comes a face to face encounter with God. After death comes judgment day. They know they have rejected the Lord and so their final abode will be worse than even the suffering they then bear. They will not commit suicide because worse than their current pain is the final judgment of God. Suicide is not an option, it is the only thing worse than living. The reality of God is very real for these people. Sad, so very sad that they slap away His hand extended to them.
Always we must remember that God does not desire that any man should perish (2 Peter 3:9), but that they would repent and receive His mercy and grace through Jesus. God does not condemn mankind, mankind refuses the grace of God and thereby remains in the state of condemnation that they were born into (John 3:18). In the end, there are only two final dispositions for the souls of man. Only two. Either one has accepted mercy and grace from God through Jesus Christ, and thereby given eternal life with God. Or man has rejected mercy and grace from God through Jesus Christ, and thereby remains in condemnation and will eternally reside in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15), with the devil and his demons, separated from God. Family, thank God that we bear His name, that we are sealed. Pray, pray, pray for all those who don’t know Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord. Pray that their hearts would relent and they would seek eternal life with God. Biblically, the End Times are upon us. Eternal consequences are in the balance. Pray that all will receive the love of God. Oh we know that all will not, but that is between God and them. Our job is to pray and to share the love of God that we have received. We have Good News to share. We have the best news to share. May we be zealous and diligent in doing so, to the glory and praise of God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.