Introduction

Let us be clear about this. As we study Revelation Chapter 9, we find many things described by the Apostle John. How do we verify them? I have read this passage repeatedly, and suddenly, the truth became clear to me. If you focus solely on the locusts, the bottomless pit, the rising smoke, the release of the four angels, the slaughter of one-third of mankind, and the army of two hundred million horsemen, you will quickly become confused.

Over the years, I have consistently taught you a fundamental principle of Bible study: grasp the core message. What is this chapter really about? Are we to spend our time investigating what the locusts, the four angels, and the bottomless pit actually are? The hard truth is, you cannot verify them. There are no photographs, no physical specimens. In archaeology, you can dig up artifacts from Sanxingdui, but where are you going to dig to find these things?

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we must return to the absolute basics. What God is telling us in this chapter is simple: He has prepared disasters for those who belong to this world. This is the central theme. The previous chapter spoke of God sealing His people. There is one group that is sealed, and another group that is not.

Do you think the events described in Revelation are confined only to this book? They are not. If you look at history, every generation has experienced these realities. The point is clear: God has prepared disasters for the worldly. I will analyze this step-by-step.

Spiritual Principles

What is the spiritual principle here? God created all things—human beings and many angels. Later, one-third of the angels fell and became demons. Yet God said, "He has made everything beautiful in its time." This goes beyond our ordinary imagination. Why did God create the devil?

Let me tell you, God’s purpose in creating the devil is highly effective, and we must praise His wisdom. Without the devil, how do you deal with those who love the world? Since the time of Adam and Eve, these fallen angels, demons, hell, and the bottomless pit have worked tirelessly. They work relentlessly to torment those who love the world to death. This is the spiritual principle.

Do you think our casting out of demons is some great achievement? It is not. Those evil spirits are merely sparring partners; there is nothing profound about them. Do not fall for the lie. Do you think God will personally strike down the worldly with the disasters prepared for them? He does not need to. The minor demons, the mid-level demons, and the chief demons will do the job themselves. Once you grasp this basic principle, you will realize there is no need to fear demons. It is God whom you must fear.

If you violate God's word, you are cursed; if you observe and obey His word, you are blessed. This is the crucial concept of blessings and curses. If you have listened to my "Course 101," you will know that a curse means when you disobey God, demons come to torment you. Whatever you do, demons are with you. How can a person survive that? In truth, blindness, lameness, sores on the head, and pus on the feet are all the work of demons.

Do not think I am merely pointing fingers at others. I am also pointing them at myself. The sicknesses I have reflect the uncleanness in my own heart. I have struggled to change, and though I work hard at it, I have not fully succeeded. I have a bad temper, I am self-righteous, and I establish my own righteousness. Whatever flaws you have, I have them too.

Some may ask, "Then how can you still lead us in Bible study?" But if these demons did not harass me, how would I know this spiritual principle? Blessing means that when you act, demons cannot come near you, and God is with you. Curse means that when you act, God is not with you, and demons harass you. This is the most fundamental definition of blessing and curse.

God made all things beautiful in their time. Demons are simply God's "white gloves," specifically employed to do the dirty work. Once, I had a dialogue with a demon named Lao Ma. I asked, "What is your job?" It replied, "I manage the sewers!" Worldly people are like garbage and feces flushed down the drain. Who does this work? If God were to do it Himself, how filthy and disgusting that would be. Therefore, the "white gloves" do the dirty work.

Consider a high-ranking official who wants to be corrupt. He cannot open a bank account in his own name to deposit the money; that would ruin him. Instead, he uses a group of businessmen to do the dirty work for him. This world is indeed filthy. This gives us a very clear revelation. Go to the hospitals and look at the suffering of those who love the world—it is all the work of demons. If demons are working on your body, must you not ask yourself what went wrong? You brought it upon yourself.

We, brothers and sisters, must fear God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Some people, in their ignorance, ruin others and seize their land and property all for the sake of money. But if you open your spiritual eyes, you will see they are finished. Demons have come upon their families, tormenting them relentlessly. How could demons ever let such people off? This is the spiritual principle.

Do not assume that before the fifth trumpet sounds, everyone lives in peace, and disasters only begin afterward. In reality, these disasters have been happening long before. If you observe closely, you will see how miserable it is for people to live under a curse.

The Sounding of the Fifth Trumpet: Releasing the Locusts from the Bottomless Pit

"Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power." (Revelation 9:1-3)

Can we verify these descriptions? We cannot. We can only grasp the underlying logic. The previous chapter declared, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth!" That refers to the arrival of the locusts to sting people. In the past, when I studied Revelation, I would speculate wildly, suggesting these locusts were like DJI drones. In truth, they are evil spirits.

John saw a star fall to the earth. This star was given a key to open the shaft of the bottomless pit, and hundreds of millions of evil spirits swarmed out. These evil spirits will strictly operate according to God's principles, targeting specifically those who love the world. These matters are not far from us. Some people suffer from pain so severe that no medication can relieve it, just like the sting of a scorpion. It is truly unbearable and utterly miserable.

Do not think this only happens after the fifth trumpet sounds. Before it sounds, all kinds of pests from hell are already active on earth. I have observed a pattern: the pests of hell specifically bite those who love the world. One type of pest causes intense pain; another causes unbearable itching, forcing people to scratch miserably, yet they cannot see the pest.

When I last preached on Revelation, my mother was still alive. She suffered from dementia, and various hellish pests—like little crabs, dung beetles, and beetles—were tormenting her. The pests released from the bottomless pit are far more vicious.

The locusts released from the bottomless pit, along with other hellish pests, fill the entire world. They are vile and exist solely to torment people. Cancer is a type of pest, perhaps even multiple types. Some people fear insects, but how much better it would be if you feared God? If you fear and revere God, you will have wisdom, and those pests will not dare to come near you.

What is the purpose of the locusts from the bottomless pit? It is to judge the worldly people on earth. These hellish pests are prepared for worldly people. If you love the world, you will certainly suffer. If you are selfish and covet another man's house, the pests of hell will swarm over you. It is a terrible fate.

What do these locusts from the bottomless pit look like? I have not seen them, nor do I wish to explain them, because such explanations are useless. Let me give you the hard facts: you must draw a clear line of separation from the world. If you belong to the world, this is the disaster God has prepared for you.

Some may say, "I will not live to see the fifth trumpet sound." In that case, the locusts of the bottomless pit may not affect you directly, but the evil spirits operating in this world and the things of hell certainly do. Do you think there is only one kind of pest?

Let me digress for a moment. Things on earth are created in the likeness of things in heaven. Man is made in the image of God. In whose image were the animals on earth made? They were made in the likeness of heavenly beings. Earthworms, crickets, scorpions, little crabs, vultures—all are made according to heavenly realities.

There is almost a one-to-one correspondence between the spiritual realm and the physical world. Why did God create the serpent? The serpent is the most cunning of all creatures. In the spiritual realm, you recognize the spirit of the serpent. Thus, we speak of the spirit of the serpent, the spirit of the crab, and so on. This is how God has ordered things.

Certain things on earth are designated as unclean. In the spiritual world, they are indeed unclean. Clean things exist before God in heaven, while unclean things are used to do the dirty work on earth.

Locusts Specifically Harm Those Without the Seal of God on Their Foreheads

Let us grasp this critical point: the locusts specifically harm those who do not have the seal of God. How deeply we must fear God! At the very least, we must have the seal of God on our foreheads. Let me read this to you:

"They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them." (Revelation 9:4-6)

John described how the locusts sting, but we should not waste time studying that. It is pointless. Instead, we must study the seal of God. Let us examine ourselves honestly: how much worldly logic remains within us? It grieves me deeply. Many do not have the seal of God on their foreheads; they carry worldly logic, which acts as a magnet for the locusts of the fifth trumpet.

Before the locusts are released, there are already many other things on earth that can leave a person half-dead. Look closely at the patients in hospitals living in misery. Is their suffering not the work of these hellish pests? I have realized that the volume of these pests is immense. It is not a single crab, but hundreds of millions of demonic soldiers, specifically targeting those without the seal of God on their foreheads.

I say this for one reason only: I earnestly desire that every one of you has the seal of God on your forehead. Whom does God seal? He seals those who fear Him, whose internal logic is built entirely upon His word. I am telling you the cold, hard facts.

Whether the fifth trumpet has sounded or not, many things in this world cause great distress. This plague torments people for five months; they long for death but cannot die, suffering in agony. This is a stark reminder that we must not be overconfident.

Today, cancer is rampant. In the past, it was a disease of the elderly. Now, patients are younger—many in their twenties, thirties, and forties are diagnosed, enduring immense pain and torment. I urge you to understand cancer and the personality traits associated with it. Anyone who gets it suffers terribly; it is a pest from hell. While casting out demons may alleviate some symptoms, it cannot resolve the disasters God has prepared for the worldly. This is a grave matter.

Consider Sodom and Gomorrah. Their entertainment was far more sophisticated than Geylang in Singapore or Pattaya in Bangkok. But what benefit is there in being worldly? If you love the world, where do you get the confidence to believe that these disasters will not fall upon you?

Disasters have little to do with physical exercise or what you do outwardly. The key is to fear God. If you love the world, exercise is useless. Once the pests of hell and the locusts target you, you are finished. You will suffer agonizing pain with no glory whatsoever, simply because your mindset is heavily worldly.

Let me tell you, worldly logic is highly rampant in churches today. In one church, so many members were diagnosed with cancer that the pastor was completely exhausted. Before the first patient recovered, a second was diagnosed. A few months later, while the first two were still undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, a third case was found. Why are there so many? It is the direct result of loving the world.

If you study the character of cancer patients closely, you will find a strong inclination toward worldliness. If you have cancer, there is still time to repent; our God is rich in grace and mercy. But even when people see many others getting cancer, they still assume it will not happen to them. How can you be so sure? When pastors themselves preach worldly logic from the pulpit, the churches become worldly. This is fatal.

Even in churches that are not worldly, it remains difficult to get brothers and sisters to love God wholeheartedly. Many have highly confused theological frameworks. You must forgive me. My high standards for you are not meant to harm you. When I rebuke or discipline you, it is not for my own amusement. I do it because I am deeply concerned. Once disaster strikes, you will have virtually no opportunity left. This is why it is extremely difficult for Christians to receive healing through prayer once they fall ill.

The pests of hell specifically harm those without the seal of God on their foreheads. Is this seal not critical? Some people suffer terrible torments. I am not just speaking of others; I speak of myself. I constantly remind myself that I must fear God. I am far from perfect. But without this logic, people always assume they possess the truth. Even when they suffer immensely, and locusts, scorpions, toads, and hellish pests plague them with sickness, they still consider themselves highly spiritual. Many are like this.

Let me share my logic with you. Before you, I will always be the prime example of a sinner. I dare not claim to be great; I am the chief of sinners. I constantly need the Lord Jesus Christ and His precious blood to cleanse me. I do not claim to possess absolute truth. This is the crux of the matter.

Scripture also says: "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." If God's word says it, we say it. If God's word does not say it, we do not say it. That is all there is to it.

Some people, once they believe in the Lord, immediately assume they possess the absolute truth. When they fall ill, they insist they are highly spiritual and righteous. This is absurd. Do you honestly think the worms of hell have made a mistake? Have the locusts crawling out of the bottomless pit targeted the wrong person? Is there any glory in suffering such agony? Think about it carefully.

My deepest wish is for everyone to receive God's mercy. That is why we must constantly confess and repent. Repentance is not merely feeling sorry; it requires a relentless effort to change. If you do this, you will surely receive grace. God will place His seal upon you, marking you as His own. But if a demon marks you, you are finished. You will be tormented to death by the worms of hell.

What is mental illness? It is a state where nothing has actually happened, yet the person suffers immense agony. Take depression: there is no external cause, yet the patient is in deep pain and fear, trembling without knowing why. It is excruciating. Even unrequited love—infatuation—is the work of these hellish worms, causing intense misery. Once stung by these spiritual locusts, even your hair hurts; your entire body is in torment. This is why having the seal of God is of paramount importance.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, repent without delay. Do not wait until the fifth trumpet sounds, when the people of the world will suffer in pain for five months, and painkillers become the most sought-after commodity globally. If you are uncertain of the timing, you might be tempted to stockpile painkillers. But let me tell you, even the strongest medical painkillers will be useless. This is a spiritual affliction caused by evil spirits; physical medicine can only offer psychological comfort. When demons possess a person, the pain will make them scream. Five months is one hundred and fifty days. How do you survive that? Everyone in agony, weeping in each other's arms—what a miserable existence.

If you wish to avoid being stung by these locusts, you must put in the hard work to secure God's seal. Do not be so foolish as to think money can buy relief. I have seen many cancer patients with vast wealth who could not stop their pain. They screamed in agony. It is a brutal reality. Do not be overconfident.

Some accuse me of scaremongering. Why would I need to scare you? Go visit a hospital; the reality there is far more terrifying. Look at the horror of cancer. Over the years, I have ministered to many cancer patients. The suffering they endure is subhuman—it is like being tortured repeatedly before death. This is the disaster God has prepared for those who belong to this world. This is absolutely no laughing matter.

To Torment Them for Five Months

Why did God decree five months instead of ten? Frankly, if God ordained ten months or even five years, it would be entirely within His right. The purpose is to give humanity a chance to repent. But do they repent? No. They refuse to repent even on their deathbeds. They look around and think, "I am not the only one suffering. Everyone is in pain, so my pain is normal. Locusts? The bottomless pit? Nonsense! This is just a medical disease. Science is simply not advanced enough yet. If only we had some miracle drug from America." This is sheer delusion.

Some of my university classmates think exactly like this. They claim America has a miracle drug. If America had such a drug, would there still be a pandemic? It is tragic. When people lack spiritual vision and rely solely on a materialistic, scientific worldview, they are left with nothing but their screams of agony. We must thank God that He limited this torment to five months. If it dragged on any longer, the consequences would be even more severe.

During these five months, men will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. Many have told me, "Pastor, I am not afraid of death; I am afraid of pain." This is precisely what they fear. That is how formidable these evil spirits are.

Are Americans any different when they fall ill? A Chinese girl went to America and married a Westerner. This man contracted a strange illness where he could not urinate. I led him in prayer once, and he was healed. But when it came to seeking the truth, he showed no interest. So, I let it go. He did not care for me, and I had no time to waste on him.

Demons do not differentiate between Westerners and Chinese, nor do they care if your skin is yellow, white, or black. If your perspective is entirely worldly, then go ahead and love the world. But know this: your love for the world will only breed a multitude of disasters. That is exactly what God has prepared for such people—five months of agonizing pain.

The Sixth Trumpet Sounds: Releasing the Prepared "Lao Ma"

Are the locusts mentioned earlier part of "Lao Ma" (the Old Horse)? Absolutely. They belong to the "Lao Ma family." All the worms of hell belong to this category. This is my own deduction. Through my years of deliverance ministry, although my understanding of Lao Ma is but a drop in the ocean, I have come to know its nature to some extent.

"The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were something like crowns of gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon." (Revelation 9:7-11)

There is no need to over-analyze this passage. To put it simply, these locusts are a species of Lao Ma.

"One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things." (Revelation 9:12)

"Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, 'Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.' So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them." (Revelation 9:13-16)

The sixth trumpet releases horses and their riders. These four angels are the leaders of these horses—highly formidable entities. Once these four "Lao Ma" are released, they lead an army of two hundred million horsemen.

"And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths." (Revelation 9:17-18)

Do not make the mistake of thinking these are man-made weapons. If you interpret this with a worldly mindset, you might think of tanks, helicopters, drones, or robotic dogs. In reality, these are evil spirits. Lao Ma will wipe out one-third of humanity. These are the forces prepared by God. Prior to this, there were already the four horses of the Apocalypse. As to the exact number of these spiritual horses, we cannot be certain. We are not "Bimawen" (the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses), so we do not have an exhaustive inventory of the heavenly steeds or the demonic horses in the spiritual realm.

Horses possess a very distinct attribute. In Chinese tradition, we say, "In the sea, there are dragons; on land, there are horses." The White Dragon Horse ridden by Xuanzang was actually the third prince of the Dragon King. Idioms like "instant success" (Ma Dao Cheng Gong) and "the spirit of the dragon-horse" (Long Ma Jing Shen) are highly esteemed by the Chinese.

In the spiritual realm, these horses are extremely powerful. Lao Ma acts as a garbage collector; it never targets the wrong person. The one-third of humanity slated for destruction are undoubtedly those who belong to this world. Lao Ma will eliminate them. If the global population is six billion, that means two billion people will be killed. Will anyone with the seal of God on their forehead be among them? Absolutely not. This disaster is strictly reserved for those who love the world.

How do I know this? Lao Ma once told me during a deliverance session, "I am helping you build your church." I asked, "How can you help me build the church?" It replied, "I specifically remove those in the church who belong to me and love the world. This is called cleansing the church." I was astonished. But upon reflection, I realized that these entities are appointed by God to do the dirty work. It pointed out specific individuals it had already taken away. When I asked, "Who are you taking next?" it replied that divine secrets must not be revealed. Therefore, when the sixth trumpet sounds, the prepared Lao Ma will be unleashed.

In Chinese mythology, we have figures like "Ox-Head and Horse-Face." If you see them while you are still alive, your fate is sealed; they are sent specifically to apprehend souls. There are also the "Black and White Impermanence" spirits. I have never seen them physically, but I have dealt with them in the spiritual realm. Brothers and sisters, you must understand that these are manifestations of Lao Ma, targeting those who lack the seal of God on their foreheads.

It is a sobering reality. Despite my zeal for the Lord, the people of this world have no such passion. What are they passionate about? Making money. Yet, much of the wealth they amass only brings disaster. You cannot love this world; you must not belong to it. Lao Ma roams the earth, searching for those who love the world—not as a roaring lion, but as a relentless force.

On the seventh anniversary of my father's passing, my younger brother was driving. Lao Ma told me, "I saw your brother driving, so I blew a breath at him, and his car plunged down the cliff." After saying this, Lao Ma smiled maliciously. You see how wicked this entity is? It targets those who love the world.

My brother and his wife managed to crawl out of the wreckage. My brother had actually followed me in believing in the Lord for a time, but he was highly irresponsible. His wife later lamented, "Why didn't we just die instantly?" Do you think a quick death is that simple? She ended up with a ninety percent arterial blockage, undergoing endless hospital procedures that left her body extremely frail. Do you honestly believe death is the end of the matter?

When you witness the suffering of worldly family members, does it not instill in you a fear of God? If you fear God, you will desperately desire His seal. We must purge these foolish notions of a "quick, painless death" from our minds. A key indicator of this worldly mindset is money. People assume that to survive, they must have wealth. Let me tell you: if you have God in your life, you will lack nothing. Those who trust in Him will lack no good thing.

Lao Ma Will Kill One-Third of Mankind

"Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths." (Revelation 9:16-18)

There is no point in over-analyzing what these three plagues represent. It is far more practical to fear God and secure His seal. These three plagues will wipe out one-third of humanity.

"For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm." (Revelation 9:19)

How will they be killed? It will be a gruesome death. Some will be burned by fire—and do not assume they will die instantly. They may suffer ninety-eight percent burns. Others will be choked by smoke, their lungs destroyed. Still others will be consumed by sulfur. These three plagues will kill one-third of mankind—two billion out of a six-billion population. How? At the exact hour, day, month, and year, Lao Ma will strike them down instantly.

If you witness such events, how will you react? When you see the people of this earth screaming in agony, remember: the Lord Jesus is coming. If you suddenly see one-third of the global population dead, with casualties in every household, that is the sign of His imminent return. Fear God. Do not dismiss this as "no big deal."

You cannot see with your physical eyes how Lao Ma kills these people, but that does not mean Lao Ma does not exist. The Apostle John saw in the spiritual realm that Lao Ma swept through, invisible to human eyes. Then you will see people dropping dead one after another, as the most worldly one-third of humanity is eliminated. Those who are less worldly will be spared for a time. Whether this is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen. Regardless, Lao Ma will harvest one-third of the world's population. It will be catastrophic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I saw a video of a man collapsing and dying instantly. Apparently, a sister among us knew this individual. He was a pastor who had recovered from COVID-19, only to drop dead three days later. That is what it means to be taken by Lao Ma. With just a breath, many die instantly. It is highly sinister. Whether people were falling in droves during the pandemic, I cannot say for certain.

The Rest of Mankind Still Did Not Repent

"But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts." (Revelation 9:20-21)

By this time, one-third of humanity is dead, following five months of agonizing pain. People are utterly helpless. Yet, the survivors look at this and think, "They are dead, but I must go on living. What does this have to do with me?" And they continue in their ways. How can human hearts be so hardened? They witness these deaths with their own eyes, leaving only two-thirds of the population. On a practical note, property values will plummet because one-third of the housing stock will be vacant.

Yet, the survivors continue to love the world, engaging in murder, sorcery, sexual immorality, and theft for worldly gain. This is exactly what Jesus meant when He said that even Sodom and Gomorrah would have repented had they lived in His generation. But the people of this world refuse to repent. They do not believe; they assume it has nothing to do with them. How did Pharaoh die? He died in the same stubborn manner. Humanity is deceived by its own internal logic.

This is why I constantly urge you to dismantle your own logical frameworks. I do this not to harm you, but to help you. People live solely for money, but what problems can money actually solve? It solves nothing of real value. Yet, how many are willing to listen? Remember this: the disasters God has prepared for the worldly are unbearable. It will be catastrophic.

After the seventh trumpet sounds, the seven bowls of wrath will be poured out, and the suffering will be far worse. I tell you, this time is not far off. We will certainly witness this in our lifetime. When the last trumpet sounds, we will be raptured to meet the Lord in the air. That is the sequence of events.

We will conclude our Bible study here. May God bless you all.

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