What Are the “the Locusts” of the Fifth Trumpet?
In this article we will focus our attention on the mysterious “locusts” of the fifth trumpet in Revelation 9, as John saw a star from the heaven which fell to the earth, and how they relate to the end-time prophecy. What are “the locusts” of the fifth trumpet in Revelation 9 or rather who are they?
For more on the Book of Revelation the reader may want to read about the fifth trumpet of chapter The Last Years of the World from the present author’s book The Reckoning of Time. But in this article, we will focus our attention on the mysterious “locusts” of the fifth trumpet in Revelation, as Yochanan (John) saw a star from the heaven which fell to the earth. We keep on reading from Revelation 9:1-11,
And the key to the pit of the deep was given to him (the fallen star). And he opened the pit of the deep, and smoke went up out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun was darkened, also the air, because of the smoke of the pit. And out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth, and authority was given to them as the scorpions of the earth possess authority. And it was said to them that they shall not harm the grass of the earth, or any green matter, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of Elohim upon their foreheads. And it was given to them that they should not kill them, but to torture them for five months. … And the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, and on their heads were crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. And they had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots of many horses running into battle. And they have tails like scorpions, and stings. And in their tails is their authority to harm men five months. And they have over them a king, the messenger of the pit of the deep, whose name in Hebrew is Avadu, but in Greek he has the name Apollon. (Revelation 9:1-11)
From the description of the events immediately following the blast of the fifth trumpet we may draw some conclusions as to the nature of these mysterious locusts that will be released from the pit of the deep.
Satan as the leader of the locusts
Firstly, we may notice that the locusts have a leader, a messenger of the pit of the deep whose name is Avadu. Avadu comes from the Hebrew word avad whose root means “to bind or prohibit”. In the Aramaic text of Revelation 9 this name is Sh’ra meaning “to loose or permit” but in Greek it is Apollon said to be perhaps related to an obsolete Greek verb meaning “to drive away.” Thus, we may say that used idiomatically all these three names refer to violence or destruction.
In the context Avadu is the dragon or satan and the word satan is not a name of a fallen angel, as commonly misunderstood, but a Hebrew word which simply means “an adversary.” In other words: satan is everyone who opposes Elohim, the Creator of the universe.
Secondly, we find that authority will be given to them to torture for five months only those men who do not have the seal of Elohim upon their foreheads. A misconception is to say that this authority will be given to them by the dragon after he will be cast out of the heaven and fell on the earth.
But this is to be understood thus: after the star that fell from the heaven upon the earth, he (the fallen star) opened the pit of the deep and smoke went up out of it, the locusts will be allowed by Elohim to do His will namely to torture those who do not have His seal on their foreheads. This echoes the prophecy in Eze 9:5 concerning those who have received the mark of the beast.
and Yehovah said to him, “Pass on into the midst of the city, into the midst of Yerushalayim, and you shall put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” And to the others He said in my hearing, “Pass on into the city after him and strike, do not let your eye pardon nor spare. (Eze 9:4-5)
In other words, Elohim commands the man to put a mark on the forehead of all the inhabitants in Jerusalem who mourn over the abominations of the nation, in order that they may be spared in the time of the judgment. But those who have not received the mark of YHVH, but have received the mark of the beast would not be spared.
Thirdly, a description is given furthermore as to their outward appearance which resembles that of heavily armed warriors. Isaac Newton gives his explanation of the locusts in his commentaries on Revelation 9, as we read:
Teeth must signify great men, because they are in the head, and those soldiers because they are the chief instruments by means of which a beast fights. Hence to express the fortitude of the fourth beast, it is described with great iron teeth. And so the locusts Joe 1:6 and Revelation 9:8 are represented with teeth of lions. Isaac Newton
In other words, Isaac Newton sees “the locusts” as representatives of a military force that can be used by the fourth beast in Daniel 7.
What or who are the locusts of the fifth trumpet?
So, what or rather who are these “locusts” of the fifth trumpet?
The Arabs cannot be better represented than by locusts, firstly, because of their innumerable multitude, as in the Book of Judges, for instance, they are compared to locusts: the Midianites, the Amalekites, and all the peoples of the east came up in the valley as numerous as locusts could be:
For they came up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts. And they and their camels were without number. And they came into the land to destroy it. Jdg 6:5
And Midyan and Amalek, and all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as many as locusts. And their camels were as numerous as the sand by the seashore. Jdg 7:12
Secondly, the Arabs cannot be better represented than by locusts, because by the east wind came those swarms of locusts that covered Egypt in the time of the Exodus. As Arabia is located east of Egypt, the locusts here are associated with Arabia:
And Mosheh stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and Yehovah brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. Morning came, and the east wind brought the locusts. And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and settled within all the borders of Egypt, very grievous. There had never been locusts like them before, nor would there again be like them. And they covered the surface of all the land, so that the land was darkened. And they ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left, and no greenness was left on the trees or on the plants of the field, in all the land of Egypt. (Exo 10:13-15)
Thirdly, the Arabs are represented by locusts, because of the swiftness of the conquests and greatness of the desolations made by the Saracens, the nomadic peoples of the Syrian and Arabian deserts, at the time of the Roman Empire.
For more insight as to the identity of the mysterious “locusts” of the fifth trumpet in Revelation 9, the reader is encouraged to refer to the article “I Shall Certainly Fill You With Men As With Locusts” as found in Jer 51:14.
Yehovah of hosts has sworn by Himself, “I shall certainly fill you with men, as with locusts, and they shall lift up a shout against you.” Jer 51:14
If this interpretation is correct, then we may read the sound of the fifth trumpet in Revelation 9 thus:
And the key to the pit of the deep was given to him. And he opened the pit of the deep, and smoke went up out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun was darkened, also the air, because of the smoke of the pit. And out of the smoke the Arabs came upon the earth, and authority was given to them as the scorpions of the earth possess authority. And it was said to them that they shall not harm the grass of the earth, or any green matter, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of Elohim upon their foreheads. And it was given to them that they should not kill them, but to torture them for five months. … And the Arabs looked like horses prepared for battle, and on their heads were crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. And they had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots of many horses running into battle. And they have tails like scorpions, and stings. And in their tails is their authority to harm men five months. And they have over them a king, the messenger of the pit of the deep, whose name in Hebrew is Avadu, but in Greek he has the name Apollon.
For more insight on this prophecy, the reader may refer also to the chapter from the present author’s book Reckoning of Time dedicated on this subject: The Prophetic Psalm 83.
For more insight on the end-time prophecy, please, visit Prophecy Insight and Part II The Last Kingdom of the present author’s book Reckoning of Time.
Navah
May we merit seeing the coming of our Mashiach speedily in our days.