Yeah, this is kind of late, but I need something to rant about:
The Revelation Climax book, chapter 22, about the locusts. If you're in a hurry or bore easily, just skip to the summary typed in red and blue text.
It's pathetic! None of it makes any sense at all...
Here are a few examples:
*** re chap. 22 p. 144 par. 9 The First Woe—Locusts ***
What battle instructions did those locusts receive? John reports: “And they were told to harm no vegetation of the earth nor any green thing nor any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And it was granted the locusts, not to kill them, but that these should be tormented five months, and the torment upon them was as torment by a scorpion when it strikes a man. And in those days the men will seek death but will by no means find it, and they will desire to die but death keeps fleeing from them.”—Revelation 9:4-6.
One problem that is never addressed... According to the society, the locusts are the modern day annointed on earth. (I think it's only the annointed anyway due to the whole crown thing... but they're never clear on anything. It might be ALL JW's but it still applies.) Who spend their lives stinging the religious leaders with their message.
But these are the same people who printed the tract that fulfilled the first trumpet blast, which resulted in a third of the vegetation being burned up.
(Revelation 8:7) 7 And the first one blew his trumpet. And there occurred a hail and fire mingled with blood, and it was hurled to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees was burned up, and all the green vegetation was burned up.
So if this was fullfilled by the annointed printing that tract, and the annointed are the locusts, then the locusts burned up a third of the vegetation.
Simple right?
So the locusts can not be the annointed, because the locusts are not allowed to harm the vegetation, and the annointed DID.
Next problem:
*** re chap. 22 p. 144 par. 10 The First Woe—Locusts ***
The locusts are to harm only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads, those in Christendom who claim to be sealed but whose record belies that claim.
The scripture said to harm those without the seal on their forehead.
It does not say anything at all about whether they claim to have it or not.
They are trying to apply it ONLY to the religious leaders. But if you don't have the seal on your head, you're gonna get stung. Whether you claim to have a seal or not.
Next problem:
*** re chap. 22 p. 145 par. 11 The First Woe—Locusts ***
The torment lasts for five months. Is that a relatively short time? Not from the point of view of a literal locust. Five months describes the normal life span of one of these insects. Therefore, it is for as long as they live that the modern-day locusts keep stinging God’s enemies.
That five month thing is mostly accurate.
Actually a locust can live for up to two years if the conditions are good.
But who cares what the lifespan of a locust is? These aren't locusts!
And the likenesses of the locusts resembled horses prepared for battle; and upon their heads were what seemed to be crowns like gold, and their faces were as men’s faces, but they had hair as women’s hair. And their teeth were as those of lions; and they had breastplates like iron breastplates. And the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running into battle.
So these are not locusts, they are Magical Royal-horse-man-lion-woman-locust-scorpian Hybrids with armor.
What's the lifespan of a Magical Royal-horse-man-lion-woman-locust-scorpian Hybrid with armor? I dunno, but I doubt it's five months.
Next problem:
*** re chap. 22 p. 145 par. 11 The First Woe—Locusts ***
True, we have no record that any of those who were stung by the locusts actually tried to kill themselves. But the expression helps us to picture the intensity of the torment—as though by the relentless assault of scorpions. It is like the suffering foreseen by Jeremiah for those unfaithful Israelites who would be scattered by the Babylonian conquerors and for whom death would be preferable to life.
So if none of them tried to kill themselves because of it, then how does it apply?
It doesn't.
"And in those days the men will seek death but will by no means find it..."
Seek:
1 Try to get or reach.
2 Try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of.
3 Make an effort or attempt.
If they didn't attempt suicide, then they didn't "seek" death. Simple as that.
Plus, the religious leaders didn't really care. Nobody cares. In fact, nobody even remembers those tracts or conventions except for the witnesses.
I can't even find a scan of the tract online. You'd think an event of Biblical proportions would merit it's own wikipedia article... Guess not.
Next problem:
*** re chap. 22 p. 146 par. 14 The First Woe—Locusts ***
On their heads John sees what seem to be crowns as of gold. It would not be proper for them to have actual crowns because they do not begin ruling while they are still on earth.
This is downright funny!
What's the difference between the apearance of a crown and a real crown other than the material it's made of?
Can you impersonate a cop if you make the material for the uniform out of a non-regulation fabric?
What if you carve a fake badge out of aluminum instead of silver. (Or whatever they're made of.)
Next problem:
*** re chap. 22 p. 146 par. 15 The First Woe—Locusts ***
Just as the lion symbolizes courage, so great courage has been needed to digest this hard-hitting message, to bring it forth in publications, and to distribute it around the globe.
The lion doesn't symbolize courage, the GB has been watching Wizard of Oz or something...
The lion should symbolize strength, if anything:
(Judges 14:18) . . . “What is sweeter than honey, And what is stronger than a lion?”. . .
(This probably deserves a lot more research too. I wanted to write about the four creatures. The lions should not represent courage/justice. The bull should not represent power. The man should not represent love. And the eagle should not represent wisdom. But I'm lazy and you can probably figure it out anyway.)
So in summary:
(Revelation 9:3-11) 3 And out of the smoke locusts came forth upon the earth; and authority was given them, the same authority as the scorpions of the earth have.(They never even try to explain what authority the scorpions have. They totally skip that part.)4 And they were told to harm no vegetation of the earth nor any green thing nor any tree,(But the anointed already did harm a third of the vegetation on the first plague buy holding a convention and placing a tract.) but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.(This indicates ALL those without the seal, but the wts only applies it to those who claim to have the seal but actually don't. No explanation for this is given.) 5 And it was granted the [locusts], not to kill them, but that these should be tormented five months,(Five months is left meaningless because locusts can live for up to two years, and these aren't even locusts, they are Magical Royal-horse-man-lion-woman-locust-scorpian Hybrids with armor... What's their lifespan?) and the torment upon them was as torment by a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 And in those days the men will seek death but will by no means find it, (But none of them actually sought death. And hardly even noticed. The Mohammed cartoon made more of a stir.) and they will desire to die but death keeps fleeing from them. 7 And the likenesses of the locusts resembled horses prepared for battle; and upon their heads [were] what seemed to be crowns like gold, (Which are different from real crowns how?)and their faces [were] as men’s faces, 8 but they had hair as women’s hair. And their teeth were as those of lions; (IMO, they have the wrong symbolisms attached to this stuff.) 9 and they had breastplates like iron breastplates. And the sound of their wings [was] as the sound of chariots of many horses running into battle. 10 Also, they have tails and stings like scorpions; and in their tails is their authority to hurt the men five months. (Oh, and if it is a lifespan... then doesn't the generation change nullify that? After all, it's been more than the average human lifespan since 1919.)
Hmm, maybe you should try reading that with those 3D glasses on! Close one eye to see my comments and close the other to see the scripture.
Lore - W.W.S.D?
