Remember if you have been following my study into the Book of Revelation with me, as a believer in Jesus Christ, we won't have to be here when hell comes forth unto the earth like we are studying today. The wrath that comes to the earth during the Tribulation period is for those who have rejected God's offer and instead want to do things their own way.
Revelation 9:3-4 ~ "And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 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."
Remember that Satan has been given the key to open the bottomless pit by the authority of God and when it is opened, demonic power comes forth in a smoke like cloud. Creature-entities will come forth upon the earth and they will afflict with terrible pain. They are living spiritual beings. Satan is real and demons are real. There are fallen angels and demons and both are real. Fallen angels appear and disappear. They have no need to take on a human body, animal, idol or statue. Demons have to have a human body, an animal, an idol or a statue to manifest their will. Fallen angels nor heavenly angels need any of that. Angels appear and disappear at will. We know that 1/3 of the fallen angels that God created fell when Satan tricked them although the exact number is unknown.
We know that they inflict pain for a short time. These are not earthly locusts that you might know of. So why does John mention the word "locust" then? If you live in the Middle East or in Africa, the word locusts sends fear into your mind right now. When normal locusts come, they leave nothing left. There is nothing left to eat, they eat all the bark off of trees, killing the trees and unless you can move to another area, you will die. Did you know that? They leave nothing behind when they attack. These locusts have the ability to sting like a scorpion. Locusts don't sting. Demonic aflliction will come upon those on the earth who are not (1) believers in God, because those who are believers are sealed and are protected by God, and (2) those who have rejected Christ during the Tribulation period. This devilish affliction will be for 5 months. Now the question remains as to whether mankind will be able to see them when they come.
I believe that they will not be seen, that the apostle John was given the power to see them as this is being revealed to him. I believe that human beings will be tormented by the invisible spiritual realm for 5 months that is coming upon them. John sees them in the spirit and he tries to communicate that to us. One of the ways of demonic affliction is to get people away from the truth. Demonic affliction is nothing new. In many nations where the gospel is not preached there is a strong sense of demonic activity and demonism.
1 Timothy 3:16, 4:1 ~ "Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great. He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. The Spirit clearly says that in the later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons."
When someone knocks on your door with something that is abhorrent or off from the Bible, the Bible says that when they come knocking, they are promoting the doctrine of demons. That is the origin. When these creature entities come forth among the earth, their attack will be well directed. Look locusts consume grass and these locusts were ordered not to attack the grass, trees or any plants. These are not normal locusts. Those that are sealed are the only ones who can not be harmed, and those are the 144,000 Jewish evangelists from Revelation 7 as well as those who come to God during the Tribulation. There is no visible seal that you can see, just like if you look in the mirror you can't see anything, but if you are a believer in Christ, the Bible says that we have been sealed by the seal of our living Father in the book of Ephesians, chapters 1 and 2. You may not see anything, but God sealed you the day you accepted Christ. Those who trust in God during that time will be delivered and protected.
Matthew 12:43-45 ~ "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, "I will return to the house I left." When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."
The interesting thing to note and consider further study on is why when a demon leaves a human body does it go to arid places, places without water? That is another study for another day but it is very interesting and one you may had never considered. Demons refer to the human body as their house. When the demon comes back and finds it empty it means the Holy Spirit did not move in, the person remained undecided. They didn't get saved. There is a vacancy. No God in their life. No Holy Spirit. Jesus shared an interesting insight into the demonic world.
When Hell meets earth, mankind will receive a token of eternity, to truly suffer, is to suffer without God's grace.
Revelation 9:5-6 ~ "They were not give power 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 a man. During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die; but death will elude them."
The Book of Daniel, Chapter 12 and John's gospel 5:28-29 ~ "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned."
In the end, there will be a judgment of the righteous and the unrighteous, did you know that? Those of us that are Christians, will be judged by Jesus Christ, for the opportunities that were given to us, the open doors to us that allowed us to serve Him, to bring glory to His name. We will not be judged on any of our sins, or regarding heaven or hell. It's called the Bema seat! The judgment seat of Christ found in 1 Corinthians. It is a good thing! We all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. We will receive rewards of what we have done while we were in our bodies here on earth. Did we live for Jesus or did we live for us? Did we give our attention to God? Did we help to expand His kingdom and did we give our money for the advancement of the Lord? Did we invest in God's kingdom? He is going to ask us this one question, "What did you do for My Son?" Jesus might say, "What did you do for Me? Let's take a look and see!" We will suffer loss or be blessed based on how we responded in faith to those opportunities. We need to figure out for ourselves what those opportunities are, that are given to us from God. This has nothing to do with heaven or hell! You're safe at this point. You are going to heaven.
But to those who are not Christ's...they do not appear before the judgment seat of Christ. The Bible says that they appear before God the Father. Without Christ, without Jesus' intervention. They stand before God in Revelation 20:11 and the books are opened and they are judged out of the books and the things written therein. It says that all those whose names are not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life, who are judged and cast into hell. What a horrific thing. Perhaps you are saying to yourself, "I don't want to go there." I don't want you to go there either.
The Bible says that the Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to eternal life. We all fear judgment and there is a looming fear of that in the back of all of our minds. If we don't reconcile what God has said and what is in the Bible, the choice to accept God and what He has said throughout the Bible or to reject it all. The implications of those choices are ours alone. God doesn't send anyone to hell. We choose where we will go. If we accept God and the Bible and all that goes along with it, the choice is heaven. If we reject God, the Bible, Jesus and everything that goes with that, the choice is heaven. Even if we choose to not accept God, that choice determines our eternity for us. It's simple. Know Jesus, Know Life! No Jesus, no life!
God knows everything, but He gives us the opportunity to choose. That is the only way to true love and life. People demand on going to hell, and reject Jesus. You are responsible for that choice, not God! Don't blame God.
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