Great Tribulation · Future - Tribulation
Fifth Trumpet: Locust Plague (First Woe)
Demonic torment unleashed
From the teaching of Apostle Mary Banks
When the fifth angel sounds his trumpet, a star falls from heaven to earth and is given the key of the bottomless pit. This star opens the bottomless pit, causing thick smoke to rise like the smoke of a great furnace, darkening both the sun and air. Out of this smoke emerge locusts upon the earth, given power like that of scorpions.
These supernatural locusts are commanded not to hurt any vegetation - no grass, green thing, or tree - but only those people who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads. The locusts are given power to torment these unsealed people for five months, but not to kill them. Their torment is described as being like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a person.
During this time of torment, people will seek death but will not find it. They will desire to die, but death will flee from them. The locusts have an extraordinary and terrifying appearance: they are shaped like horses prepared for battle, with crowns like gold on their heads and faces like men. They have hair like women's hair and teeth like lions' teeth. Their breastplates appear to be made of iron, and the sound of their wings is like the sound of chariots with many horses running to battle. They have tails like scorpions with stings, and their power to hurt people lasts for five months.
These locusts have a king over them, who is the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek his name is Apollyon. This completes the first woe, with two more woes to follow.
The scriptures
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 striketh 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. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:
For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.
He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side; And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.