“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.”
My Notes
What Does Revelation 9:3 Mean?
"There came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power." The fifth trumpet releases locusts from the abyss — but these aren't ordinary locusts. They have scorpion power. They don't eat vegetation (verse 4). They torment people who don't have God's seal (verse 4). They're hybrid creatures: locust in form, scorpion in function, demonic in origin.
The phrase "given power" (edothe autois exousia) means the power is delegated. The locusts don't have inherent authority. It's given — by God, through the trumpet judgment. Even the demonic instruments of the fifth trumpet operate under divine permission. Their power is real but authorized, not autonomous.
The locust-scorpion hybrid draws from Joel's locust plague (Joel 1-2) but transforms it: these locusts don't destroy crops. They destroy people's comfort. Their sting isn't agricultural but personal. The suffering is individual, targeted, and inescapable for those without God's seal.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How does knowing the locusts' power is 'given' (not inherent) change your view of evil?
- 2.What does God's control over the details of judgment teach about sovereignty in terrifying circumstances?
- 3.What is your 'seal' — the mark of belonging to God that exempts you from specific judgments?
- 4.How do boundaries on horror (five months, sealed exempt) reflect God's sovereignty over even demonic forces?
Devotional
Locusts with scorpion power. From the smoke of the abyss. Given power — not possessing it inherently but receiving it from above. Even the demonic instruments of judgment operate under divine permission.
The locusts of Revelation 9 are nightmarish precisely because they're unnatural: they look like locusts but sting like scorpions. They don't eat plants — they torment people. They're hybrid creatures designed for a specific purpose: five months of suffering for those without God's seal.
The 'given power' detail is the theological anchor in the horror: the power is delegated. The locusts don't operate independently. God opened the abyss (verse 1-2). God authorized the torment (verse 4-5). God limited the duration (verse 5: five months). God exempted His sealed people (verse 4). Every detail of the horror is controlled by the God who permitted it.
This doesn't make the suffering less real. It makes it less random. The horror has boundaries. The torment has a duration. The targets are specific. The exemptions are clear. Even in the most terrifying vision of Revelation, God's sovereignty holds the frame.
The sealed people are untouched. Whatever terror the locusts produce, whoever has God's seal is exempt. The protection isn't from all suffering — other chapters show the faithful suffering greatly. But this specific judgment passes over those who belong to God. The seal functions like Passover blood: not preventing all harm but marking those the specific judgment skips.
Are you sealed? The locusts determine their targets by the presence or absence of the seal.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And there came out of the smoke locusts the earth,.... Not literally, for these locusts might not meddle with the grass,…
And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth - That is, they escaped from the pit with the smoke. At first…
Locusts - Vast hordes of military troops: the description which follows certainly agrees better with the Saracens than…
Upon the sounding of this trumpet, the things to be observed are, 1. A star falling from heaven to the earth. Some think…
the scorpions of the earth i.e. common natural scorpions: these infernal locusts are able to hurt men, as common…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture