Tails Like unto Scorpions Revelation 9:10

As John the apostle continued to share about the “tribulation” that was to come upon the earth, he shared concerning the first six seals Jesus removed from the “scroll” in God's right hand. He began to write about what happened when Jesus, “had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets … And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first, second, third and fourth angels” blew their trumpets, and great judgment fell upon the earth. John continued, “And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 strikes a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.” In chapter nine and verse ten of Revelation, John saw how the locusts “had tails like unto scorpions” where we read:

And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails:

and their power was to hurt men five months.

The verse reads, “And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails:” John began with the words, “and they had tails” which means “and the locusts owned, possessed and held tails” “like unto scorpions” or “that were similar to little animals that somewhat resemble a lobster which lurks in warm regions especially in stone walls and has a poisonous sting in its tail”, “and there were stings” which refers to “small goads or barbs like that of bees” “in their tails” or “within the tail area of their bodies”. John saw how these “locusts” had “stings” in their “tails” like the “scorpions” in the desert.

The verse goes on to say, “and their power was to hurt men five months. ” John added the words, “and their power” which means “and the locusts' permission, ability, strength and authority” “was to hurt men” or “was to wrong, violate, damage and harm people for” “five months” which means “five monthly periods”. John discerned the “ability and permission” for these “locusts” was to bring “harm and wrong” to people for a five month period.

When we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we see how fierce these “locusts” were to be. They were equipped with fiery “stings” in their “tails”, and like the “scorpions” of the desert, they would use them to inflict pain and suffering. God allowed John the apostle to share these things with those who read His word, and in the midst of reading these things offers “salvation” through His Son Jesus as a remedy for avoiding them. Those who accept Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” shall never know the “sting” of these “scorpions”, but “woe” be to the people who shall endure their pain for five long months.

Next time John shares how the “locusts”, “had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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