“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.”
My Notes
What Does Revelation 9:4 Mean?
The demonic locusts released from the abyss are given a specific restriction: they cannot harm the grass, green things, or trees—only humans who lack God's seal on their foreheads. The restriction is remarkable: demonic forces, even when unleashed, operate within divine boundaries. They can't do whatever they want. They can only do what they're permitted to do. And what they're permitted to do excludes God's sealed people.
The seal of God on the foreheads (described in Revelation 7:3-4) is the mark of divine ownership and protection. The sealed are identified as belonging to God, and the demonic locusts are forbidden to touch them. The seal doesn't prevent the sealed from witnessing the judgment. It prevents the judgment from touching them. They see the locusts. They're not stung by them.
The specificity of the command—"not the grass, not any green thing, not any tree"—distinguishes these locusts from natural ones. Natural locusts destroy vegetation. These supernatural locusts are forbidden from vegetation and directed exclusively toward unsealed humans. The demonic reversal of natural order is itself a sign: what's happening isn't natural. It's judgment, operating under divine restrictions, targeting specific people while protecting others.
Reflection Questions
- 1.If you're sealed by God, what protection does that provide—not from all difficulty, but within it?
- 2.Demonic forces operate within divine boundaries. How does knowing that change your understanding of spiritual warfare?
- 3.The sealed people witness the judgment but aren't stung by it. Have you experienced being 'in the storm' but somehow protected from its worst effects?
- 4.If the locusts are restricted by divine command, what does that say about God's control over the forces that seem chaotic?
Devotional
The demonic locusts are unleashed—and immediately given restrictions. Don't touch the grass. Don't touch the green things. Don't touch the trees. Only hurt the people without God's seal. Even hell's forces operate within heaven's boundaries.
The seal on the foreheads is divine protection made visible. God's people are marked—identified, claimed, protected. The demons can see the mark. They're forbidden to cross it. Whatever devastation they bring to the unsealed, they cannot bring to the sealed. The protection isn't a wall around God's people. It's a mark on God's people. They're in the middle of the judgment. They're just untouchable within it.
The restrictions on the locusts reveal something critical about spiritual warfare: demonic forces don't operate freely. They operate within boundaries set by God. They can't do whatever they want. They can only do what they're permitted. And the permissions have limits—specific, defined, enforceable limits. The one who unsealed the abyss is the same one who controls what comes out of it.
If you're sealed—if you belong to God, if His mark of ownership is on you—the demonic forces that operate in the world around you have restrictions when it comes to you. Not immunity from difficulty (the sealed still live in a world being judged). But protection within the difficulty. The locusts are commanded: not them. The seal isn't just identity. It's insulation. You're in the storm, but the storm can't sting you.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And it was commanded them,.... The locusts, by Christ, who has a sovereign power over all men, and lays them under the…
And it was commanded them - The writer does not say by whom this command was given, but it is clearly by someone who had…
They should not hurt the grass - Neither the common people, the men of middling condition, nor the nobles. However, this…
Upon the sounding of this trumpet, the things to be observed are, 1. A star falling from heaven to the earth. Some think…
that they should not hurt the grass, &c. i.e. notto do the damage that natural locusts do these natural objects having…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture