Bill, I'm at Radio, friends. We greet you in the ever-precious and the worthy name of the Lord Jesus. We welcome you to the continued study of God's Word, and our particular theme concerning the world, its character, what it is under Satan, the God of this age, the Prince of this world. And now we need to be delivered out of the bondage of sin, out of the tyranny of Satan, and brought into the realm of our beloved Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. May we re-emphasize our Lord Jesus Christ gave himself that he might deliver us out of this present evil world. I humbly but earnestly pray that my hearers may know personally the deliverer. The Lord Jesus Christ is their own personal Savior. That he may have translated you out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God's beloved Son. We continue our meditation in relation to the locust plague, which we read concerning it in chapter ten of the book of Exodus. But we are considering a great counterpart to this locust plague in the book of the Revelation chapter nine, where similarly we have a description of the locust judgment. We turn to chapter nine. We will begin reading, if you please, at verse four and read through verse six. It was commanded the locust 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 forehead. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but they should be tormented five months. And their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he strike of 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. Now we have already noted that the source of this great torment is permitted by God to come out of the bottomless pit. And satanic agencies, whether human, as well as demon, will perpetuate this judgment upon the children of men in that coming day of God's judgments upon the earth, which may be very near in the future. We have noted, as we have read verses four and five, that these locusts that are so described, which we shall see in detail later, were commanded not to hurt the grass of the earth, any green thing or tree. Now the natural food of the locust, as we noted in the book of Exodus chapter ten, was every green thing. Every green herb that grew in the ground, every green tree that grew above the ground. But this judgment is not directed to the literal earth, but it is a judgment directed upon men. Only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. We are very definitely committed to the fact that God's Word teaches that after the rapture of the Church, during the terrible days that are coming upon the earth called the Great Tribulation Period, there will be much destruction and much infliction of judgment and punishment upon the sons of men. One may well recognize those who will not be the people of God in that coming day, who do not belong to him, as indicated by the seal of God, as mentioned here figuratively, the seal of God in their foreheads. All such men who possess not this seal, which indicates they do not belong to God, they will be the visitation of his judgment. Now note, that as you read in verse five the locusts were commanded not to kill men but to torment them and for the space of five months five months according to authorities five months is the span of life for a locust but here is a definite period literally it could possibly be a space of five months that there will be a judgment inflicted upon men that will not kill them, but will present and bring upon them great torment, like the torment of a scorpion, which strikes with its tail when it strikes a man. The terrible judgment that is described in verse six concerning this indicates men would prefer to die and would even seek death. but will not be able to find it. For death shall flee from them. The torment and its duration of five months, with death evading, any release from the torment is certainly given. And may we just add, very carefully and faithfully, God's judgment in this particular period will fall, as described before, by some terrible creature-like things that John writes concerning locus. But now let's follow the description of the locus as we read of it from verse seven and going down through verse ten. Now as we read the description of these locus, tis not the description of a natural locus, but the figurative language is used to remind us that it is a visitation of divine judgment upon men, who, like Egypt long ago, seek to prosper in this world without God. Now the usual food of locusts, as we have mentioned, was green things, the green herbs as well as the green leaves of the trees. Now when you look at the expression regarding that which is green in the Scriptures, It is a type of human and earthly, worldly prosperity. How we can certainly recognize that as far as mankind is concerned, they have always been desirous of presenting to their fellow beings a golden age. The politicians offer men and women something that they can depend upon, supposedly, to make a better life, to improve better conditions, to give to mankind a better age. My beloved, may I state, the world has been constantly trying to find a golden age. That golden age for mankind has evaded them and will ever evade them, until Christ, the Son of God, rules as the King over all the earth. Men cannot bring in a golden age. And even in the coming days of visitation and judgment, God will indicate that even the prosperity of the earth cannot be obtained by men. And he will permit under Satan and wicked hosts of evil a judgment that will punish them. But go on with me and follow the description of the locust. I want you to note the description as we read verse seven through ten. The shape of the locust. were like unto horses, prepared unto battle. Now here you can recognize, in the metaphor of the language, a warlike character, that with energy as horses going into battle, they will with warlike character execute their commission. And may we be reminded that these evil spirits under satanic authority and power, together with any human agency that will be yielded to do their will. They will execute their work in a warlike character as horses going into battle. And then you may note, second, the description it follows, declares, upon their heads, whereas it were crowns like gold. Now may we give this suggestion, whatever the destruction agency that is to be used, whatever may be the direct judgment that falls upon men, these hosts of evil under Satan and his authority will manifest their visitation of judgment under the claim of even divine dignity, though they will not be genuine. Crowns like gold. I wonder that you that have studied the book of the Revelation may remember that in chapter four and five, and particularly in chapter four, you have the saints seen in heaven wearing crowns of gold, the symbol of their dignity and of their heavenly character that will be theirs in that coming day of their glory. And it is certainly obvious. that even Satan can and does claim to be using divine authority, royal authority, but an authority that is spurious and that is not genuine in relation to his judgment and in relation to his acts. But here's a locus with crowns like gold. May I say this carefully. According to Second Corinthians chapter eleven, angels That is, the angels of Satan. Satan himself presents himself as a minister of righteousness to deceive and to bring about that which he seeks to accomplish for the destruction of the human soul. And there is many times you can find Satan exercising a claim of divinity to thus deceive and bring judgment and disaster to the souls of men. That is characteristic of this judgment of the locust. And yet along with it, as we read this same verse, verse seven, their faces were as the faces of men. There is not only a divine pretension, there is also the linking of human wisdom, asserting the intelligence of men. Though an intelligence that is misdirected and even worthless in its character because it brings men under deceitfulness as well as delusion. Please may we remind our listeners, these things are coming upon the world when God will permit out of the bottomless pit the influences of satanic evil to be poured out upon the human race. My beloved, may I state again, we need to know the Savior. My radio friend, I hope you know that Savior. If not, do turn to him today and be saved. Father, we pray that the Spirit of God will convict and convert precious souls to the Lord Jesus. Amen.