World Politicians and Business Leaders are the LOCUSTS That Torment Humankind; The Book of Revelation’s Profound Disclosure of Human Nature
October 16, 2015 |
| 25 min read
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE: THumP® does not endorse religion. THumP® maintains that all religion developed from the philosophies of humans mingled with human-made writings [scriptures] in an attempt to answer the questions of natural human consciousness: Who are we? Why do we exist? How did we come to exist? And is life upon Earth our only existence?Over many years of extensive research, coupled with the personal experience of it’s founders living in many different cultures upon Earth, THumP® has unequivocally concluded that ALL religious scripture is the product of people, mostly men. The result of religion has been, is, and will always be, widespread human division and argument that lead to continual wars, bloodshed and human suffering.
THumP® indisputably maintains:
- that the Hebrew bible (Torah and Pentateuch) was, and continues to be, the main cause of most modern-day problems; that Hebrew scripture was an invention by a disenfranchised people seeking for value and a place in history;
- that the Old Testament books of the Prophets (especially the book of Isaiah, which is not accepted by current Islamic tenets) were written anciently to counter the effects of the Hebrew bible (i.e., the oral and written laws [Torah] and the first five books of Moses [the Pentateuch]);
- that the New Testament and Quran are extensions of, and attempts by, cultures, governments, and religious leaders to redefine Hebrew traditions to make them more compatible with humane principles, and an attempt to control the masses;
- that the book of Revelation, properly translated as “Apocalypse” from its original Greek, meaning “disclosure,” was written after the canon of the New Testament was introduced by the Roman government that supported the formation of the Catholic (Latin: worldwide) Christian Church; that the purpose of this disclosure was to provide a symbolic overview of human nature and the effects it has had and continues to have on the people of Earth; that Revelation was written in esoteric prose so that the Catholic Church leaders could not understand it, and consequently, would allow its inclusion in the Catholic authorized canon; that the book of Revelation, upon being unfolded to the understanding of the people, according to the intent of its author, is the most profound and accurate written human analogy ever produced;
- that in 1830, in the United States, a book was created and published to counter the effects that the Bible had on the Christian, white-based entitlement sentiment responsible for the justification of the decimation of the Native American people and the establishment of the United States of America*, which has become the most powerful culture upon Earth; that this book was called, the Book of Mormon; that the BOM explicitly refers the reader to the book of Revelation of the New Testament as the most profound prophetic explanation of human life after the Middle Ages that followed the fall of the Great Roman Empire; that the American people rejected the pure message of the Book of Mormon*, created a religion from the book; and that most Americans currently mock its existence due to the improper way in which organized religion (the LDS/Mormon Church) has corrupted its meaning and intent.
In summary,
Religion is an invention of the human mind. When its invention causes human problems, it is necessary to rectify its damage by countering it with itself. Itself being religion, philosophy and belief, which provide the basic motivating factors of most human behavior outside of natural human instincts.
Before the publication of the book, 666, the Mark of America, Seat of the Beast; the Apostle John’s New Testament Book of Revelation Unfolded, no one has ever understood the exact meaning behind the symbolism of the “bottomless pit” and the “locust” that “went out [of the pit] upon the earth,” not to kill men, but to “torment them … until they are healed from their hurt.”
What follows is the profound, and yet to be challenged by any secular or religious scholar, explanation of these meanings:
(An excerpt from 666, the Mark of America, pages 203-215)
9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw as it were a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given great power and the key to the bottomless pit which was dug by those upon the earth.
To understand this part correctly, it is important to remember that human beings in mortality are presented as the “stars in heaven” throughout all of Revelation. Keeping this in mind, we now have John alluding to Lucifer as a “fallen star,” which name he also uses to express the enticements and lusts of the flesh. Jesus Christ taught John personally; therefore he was well aware of the true meaning of Lucifer, Satan, and the devil. This part of Revelation was inspired by what John heard from Christ:
And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:18–19)
The ancient prophets also knew the secret:
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (Isaiah 14:12–15)
But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee. (Psalms 55:23)
My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth. They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah. (Psalms 57:4–6)
From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. (Isaiah 24:16–17)
And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD. Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD. He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 48:42–44)
Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. (Isaiah 38:17)
Using his mentors’ description of the desires and lusts of the flesh—the innate enticements of human nature (the pit)—John describes this “pit” as “bottomless.” A better translation that would have expressed John’s true intent would have been “endless” instead of “bottomless,” as in the “endless torment” those feel who are thrust into a hell often referred to as the “bottomless pit.”
Our human natures create hell on earth by digging this great pit. Our desires of worldly riches, glory, power, superiority, and seclusion in our human groups of race, family, communities, cities, and nations, cause a never-ending situation of conflict, inequality, argument, war, and competition. No matter how rich we become, our human natures entice us to lust for more. No matter how powerful we might become, we seek to become more powerful.
In our efforts to become Number One in any given situation, whether that be the best at our job, in the academia world, in artistic theater, in the athletic arena, or in any other personal pursuit, our desire to excel above others is endless.
This desire to be special and above others is as a pit which has no set bottom as to how low we would go to put ourselves above others in some way or another. The most destructive cause of our emotional hell is our desire to be this Number One (the best) in our relationships with each other. As siblings, we strive to exert ourselves to prove our superiority over our brothers and sisters. As spouses, we expect our partners to put us, alone, up above all others. As parents, we put our children first before others, and as friends, we desire to be that One and Only BEST friend.
In protecting our selfish interests, the flesh propels us into a protectionist state of existence where our instincts to survive and be recognized as special cause us to forget all aspects of doing unto others what we would want done unto us. Thus in mortality, we are in an endless state (bottomless pit) of trying to satisfy our human natures.
9:2 And when he had unlocked the bottomless pit and opened it, there arose a smoke out of the pit; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke made by a great furnace in the pit.
Smoke is the by-product of burning, which is a process that occurs after something is done to start a fire. The “great furnace” is the works of humankind, its societies, its cultures, and everything that occurs by the exercising of free will as the mortal race progresses and learns. As humans advance and progress, they begin to acquire certain knowledge and understanding (the key) which unlocks further technological and societal developments. This “furnace” is deep within a “pit” dug by the people of the world. The “smoke” is the by-product of human interactions. As the people of the earth continue in wickedness, their works are represented as smoke coming out of the “pit” they have dug for themselves.
While people involve themselves in families, communities, cities, nations, societies, cultures, and in pursuing worldly things and desiring worldly honor and glory, their actions, deeds, and thoughts (“the smoke”) continue to “darken” the air, not allowing the sunlight of heaven to get through and give direction, revelation, or inspiration to them.
9:3 And there came out of the smoke locusts and they went out upon the earth; and unto them was given power, and their power was in their tails, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
John has chosen another of Moses’ plagues to illustrate a very destructive force of human nature (Notice that an east wind brings in the locusts):
Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:
…And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. (Exodus 10:4–5, 13)
These “locusts” are the kings, presidents, popes, priests, general authorities, worldly leaders, and any other humans who control the actions of their followers and subjects, either by teaching or by command. They are “given power” by those who follow (“tail”) them whether by devotion or decree. A tail always follows the commands of the creature, and in the case of “scorpions,” it has a devastating sting. With the power given them, and their proficiency in manipulating those who follow or who are otherwise compelled to execute their commands, these leaders have caused incredible sorrows and torments upon the earth by using their “tails” to hurt and torment others.
Past prophets used the same symbolisms:
And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. (Isaiah 7:4)
And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, for they are a rebellious house, yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. (Ezekiel 2:5–7)
9:4 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.
John alludes to the same scenario in which he described the angels who were commanded not to “hurt” or disturb the “grass of the earth” (the doctrines and precepts of men) or the “trees” (humankind) as was previously explained in the commentary of Revelation 7:2–3. The world is not given an understanding of the truth so that it continues to experience the effects of its actions and learn from them. The only ones who will not be “hurt” are those few who have an understanding of God and His mysteries and do His works—doing unto others. The rest will suffer from the effects of their works and those of their leaders (“the locusts”).
Again the words of Jesus:
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19)
9:5 And to the locusts it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months until they are healed from their hurt: and their torment was as the torment from the tail of a scorpion when he striketh a man.
Society has reached a point where the majority is lead by a few (“locusts”) who control every aspect of life. They draw the borders of the land, issue and determine the value of money as well as the value of human life, and also decide what laws should and shouldn’t be established to control those whose values they have set. The societies are set up in such a way, that in order to survive, every person must look out for him or herself––completely ignoring an environment of peace and joy guaranteed by following the Royal Law of Christ.
The emotional torment caused by the way humans are led by their leaders has truly “hurt” them. The leaders know they need those who follow them and give them power; thus (without killing them), they make the people dependent upon them (“given that they should not kill them”). People “hurt” others to stay alive in pursuit of their own personal desires in life as well as in consequence of serving their leaders. Because of their leaders and the way societies are set up, humans torment each other, they being the “tail” that John describes that “striketh a man.”
John sets a time frame (“five months”) in which this “torment” would take place. Through the tribulation and “torment” that mortals experience, they will obtain knowledge of good and evil; in other words, what works for them and brings them peace and happiness and what does not—mostly experiencing what does not. This is a period in which we learn right from wrong by experiencing both, after which we are redeemed of our tribulation—relieved of our “torment”—after all the learning has taken place.
“Five months” is the figurative time frame John uses to describe this period of learning and suffering (“torment”). Based on the Jewish calendar of thirty days per month, this equates to an hundred and fifty days, after which an angel will come “clothed…with a cloud…and a rainbow upon his head” to relieve these torments (see Revelation 10:1).
John takes his symbolism from the story of Noah:
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. …And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. (Genesis 6:5, 12)
And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days. …The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained, And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. (Genesis 7:24; 8:2–3)
I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. (Genesis 9:13)
Interestingly, the “green grass and the trees” were not “hurt” or “killed” during the “hundred and fifty days” of the symbolic Great Flood, in which all flesh was destroyed. (See commentary on Revelation 8:7.) During this time of torment and tribulation, the false doctrines and precepts of men are not confounded, and are allowed to coexist with truth and flourish at the will of the people, causing even more “torment” for those upon the earth, except for those who know and understand the truth (“the seal of God in their foreheads”).
9:6 And in those days shall men seek relief from their torment, and shall not find it; and because of the torment, they shall desire to die, but they shall find no relief, and death shall flee from them.
Depression and anxiety follow the pressures and stress of existence, and have become a worldwide problem. The cause of this emotional state is the deprivation of happiness and peace that all people seek, but cannot find, in a world of constant wars and rumors of wars, political, economic, and religious slavery in order to survive, abject poverty, and the effects of crime. Legal and illegal drugs, both natural and synthetic, become the refuge of both young and old, rich and poor, bond and free, relieving them of a never-ending “torment” that only ends upon death. The “locusts/scorpions” (the world’s leaders, teachers, and guides), though they torment the people, do not want their “tail” (followers) dead, otherwise their kingdoms, income, and power would come to naught.
9:7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses and their riders were prepared unto battle; and on the heads of the riders were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
John has already introduced the use of “horses” and “riders” to illustrate the actions and effects of the human race on the natural world (see commentary on Revelation 6). Here John further describes the “locusts” by taking his figurative expressions from the prophet Nahum:
There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts. Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away. Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are. Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them. There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually? (Nahum 3:15–19)
Nahum unlocks the mystery of the locusts and their torment when he refers to the great number of merchants the locusts have created (“multiplied”). He is explicit in writing of “thy crowned are as the locusts,” which John expresses as, “on their heads…were as it were crowns of gold, and their faces where as the faces of men.” In other words, John and Nahum are describing the powers that lead the people upon the earth that back the corporations, businesses, and industries (or whatever name they might have gone by in former times). To keep anyone else in check who might rise up against their way of multiplying the merchants, or doing business as usual, these locusts are “prepared unto battle”––ready and willing to go to war to protect the secret combinations of moguls, corporations, businesses, and government, all which give them their true power.
9:8 And they had long hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of young lions.
In the commentary for Revelation 6:12, hair is given as a symbolic part of the body that receives revelation and inspiration from God. “Long hair” was given in the allegoric story of Samson as that which gave him his great strength and power. Hair is used to cover the head, and unlike the men, the Jewish women were commanded to cover theirs:
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. (I Corinthians 11:4–5)
According to Jewish custom and belief, women were not permitted to receive revelation and inspiration from God. Thus, they were to keep their heads covered during meetings and other religious settings where revelation and inspiration was (supposedly) coming from God.
John uses this Jewish belief and custom to describe the “locusts” (leaders of humankind) as those who receive no revelation or inspiration from God (“as the hair of women”) though their countenance (length of their hair) shows power and authority.
The male lion has a long mane indicative of his power within the pride. Male lions protect their own, run off any competition, and kill as they wish––sometimes even members of their own pride, and especially the young cubs. When a hunger needs to be satisfied, the king of beasts eats first before all others. True prophets, in lieu of describing how the leaders of the people acquire what they need to sustain their lives, have often used the term “teeth of young lions.” Lions use their teeth to hunt and kill what they need to eat. Likewise, the leaders of the world use their “teeth” to sustain their kingly lifestyles, which upon doing so, corrupt every other aspect of balance and equality in the societal structures of humankind.
The prophets saw the day when the Lord would “break the teeth of the lions,” bringing equality and abundance to all the inhabitants of the earth; thus debasing the rich and causing the poor to rejoice:
By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed. The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken. (Job 4:9–10)
My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord. (Psalms 57:4; 58:6)
9:9 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.
Prophets have used the term “breastplates” as a part of certain clothing worn to illustrate the intent of the wearer.
For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. (Isaiah 59:17)
During battle, breastplates were worn to protect the vital organs of the bearer from an enemy’s attack. According to the Law of Moses, a breastplate was made of cloth and worn by the High Priest who was given the authority and supposed power of God to lead and judge the people. Its dimensions and construction were given in exact specifications according to the symbolism of the law. It is important to keep in mind that the Israelites were not living the Higher Law of God, which is to do unto others what you would want done unto you, but were given a lower law of strict ordinances and sacrifices to keep their minds focused on something rather than their desires to worship the “golden calf.”
Instead of a breastplate of cloth (representative of a warm and peaceful covering devoid of the symbols of physical strength or aggression), John presents the “locusts” as having “breastplates of iron.” This symbolizes the heaviness and hardness of the judgments, burdens, and mistruths of the leaders that weigh heavily on the people of the earth. This is given in contrast to the breastplate of Christ which provides the opposite:
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28–30)
The “locusts” use their power (“wings”) and ironclad imposition of will to bring the people into wars and uprisings (“the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle”), further causing the “torment” and “hurt” that John again describes in the next verse.
9:10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails which hurt the men upon the earth; and their power was to hurt men five months.
John again reiterates that the cause of humanity’s problems come from compliant people (“tails”) following their leaders and doing their bidding, hurting and bringing pain one upon another. Though few in number, the leaders of the earth would have no power or means to hurt others, if it were not for the power given them by their followers (“in their tails”). Giving this power to their leaders, the people have brought the torment they feel upon themselves—which is as “the sting of a scorpion.” And this torment will last as long as mortals continue the process of learning from their experience and mistakes (the cleansing through the “five months” as explained in verse 5 above.)
9:11 And they had a king who ruled 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.
It has already been established that John used the term “name” as a figurative expression of the works of the person who is given the “name.” In this instance, the “name” (works) of the “king” who rules over the people of the earth (the king is the flesh, or Lucifer, or human nature, which controls the works of all people) is destruction and hell. A proper translation of the words “Abaddon” and “Apollyon,” which words John chose to use to name the king, literally mean death and destruction. In other words, the king of man is his flesh, or his human nature, which motivates and controls all of his works.
In following our human natures, we create emotional stress and torment (hell), and bring inequality and destruction upon each other by the strength of our own arms. Humankind engages in all manner of war and contention in order to protect our property, families, borders, and rights. Those who do not believe as we do, and who might live their lives according to foreign ways that we do not understand, but which we fear might change our own beliefs, are looked upon as enemies of our truths, justifying the hatred and destruction we bring upon them.
Our flesh is the “king who rules over” us. Human nature indeed creates destruction and hell for us all.
Know ye not, that to whom [the king] ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. (Romans 6:16–19)
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (I John 2:15–16)
(end of excerpt)
Unfortunately for the religious-minded who condemn those whom they believe have sinned against God in not keeping biblical commandments, these are NOT the ones who will suffer (according to Revelation) when their Jesus comes again. The ONLY suffering will be the “kings and merchants” of the earth because no one gives them power or buys their merchandise any longer. (See Revelation, chapter 18.)
It was easy for Revelation’s author to come up with the premise of the Apocalypse prophecy. He simply observed human nature and realized that it would repeat itself in the future. Then using the Old Testament as a guide, he found the symbolism therein to create his masterpiece. And it truly is a MASTERPIECE!
