Rev 9:10 What does "hurt men for 5 months" represent?

[Joe in Arkansas]

Hi everyone, My name is Jody Edwards and I have been a long time bibletruths reader and even a past forum member.  I have recently re-joined the forum.  The Lord has over the past two months been showing me many new spiritual truths in scripture that have really challenged me in the past.  This morning I have been studying Revelation and in particular, Revelation Ch. 9.  I believe I understand most of the chapter but I am having some trouble with verse 10: And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power [was] to hurt men five months. Can anyone give me a spiritual understanding of what is meant by hurting men for 5 months?  I understand the pit to be the harlot church where Satan lives and for the locust to be her preachers/teachers.  And from the locust's (preachers) scorpions like tails, they have power to hurt men five months.  What does the number 5 represent?  I have understood it to mean "chastising grace" but that doesn't seem to fit here.  I know that our time in the wilderness (harlot church) is usually shown as 40 days/years.  I believe the stings to be the false doctrines they teach but the number 5 is giving me trouble.  Does anyone have the proper   understanding? 

Thanks for your help.  I know I am going to benefit from the responses.

Also, I want to say hello to those people who remember me from the 2008 Nashville conference that my teenage son and I attended.  Ray's conference was very beneficial and I enjoyed meeting everyone there.
Joe in Arkansas

[mharrell08]

Hi everyone, My name is Jody Edwards and I have been a long time bibletruths reader and even a past forum member.  I have recently re-joined the forum.  The Lord has over the past two months been showing me many new spiritual truths in scripture that have really challenged me in the past.  This morning I have been studying Revelation and in particular, Revelation Ch. 9.  I believe I understand most of the chapter but I am having some trouble with verse 10: And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power [was] to hurt men five months. Can anyone give me a spiritual understanding of what is meant by hurting men for 5 months?  I understand the pit to be the harlot church where Satan lives and for the locust to be her preachers/teachers.  And from the locust's (preachers) scorpions like tails, they have power to hurt men five months.  What does the number 5 represent?  I have understood it to mean "chastising grace" but that doesn't seem to fit here.  I know that our time in the wilderness (harlot church) is usually shown as 40 days/years.  I believe the stings to be the false doctrines they teach but the number 5 is giving me trouble.  Does anyone have the proper   understanding? 

Thanks for your help.  I know I am going to benefit from the responses.

Also, I want to say hello to those people who remember me from the 2008 Nashville conference that my teenage son and I attended.  Ray's conference was very beneficial and I enjoyed meeting everyone there.
Joe in Arkansas

Welcome to the forum Joe.

Here is an excerpt from our FAQ Board (http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,11637.0.html) regarding interpreting the symbolism in Revelation:

Prophecies of Revelation

---------- http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,3912.msg29876.html#msg29876

Dear Jay:
    The answer to your question will demolish the chronology of accepted eschatology according to the Christian Church and many other cults. This subject, however, is huge and cannot be answered in a short email. Besides, when I teach it I want to teach it in context with the accompanying prophecies. The answer to your question solves many enigmas in the Scriptures and the book of Revelation.  Some of this is being covered in Part D of my HELL series. The first 20 pages or so should be posted next week. Sorry, but it would take me days to cover this subject. Hope you understand.
   
God be with you,

Ray


Excerpt from Lake of Fire Part 12 (http://bible-truths.com/lake12.html):

(We will explain the symbols of "the beast," "his image," "his mark," "the number of his name," "the man of sin," "the two witnesses," "the second death," "the antichrist," etc., in upcoming installments of this series).


Also, here is a good statement from a member of the forum:

"We don't know for sure. Any answer I give you is speculation, and you don't want that. And that's why we have rules against any of us teaching outside of what we know for sure"

I would suggest the 12 Truths paper (http://bible-truths.com/twelve.htm) to help in your own personal studies. But the forum rules are set up to steer away from anyone providing personal interpretation of the scriptures.



Hope this helps,

Marques

[Kat]

Hi Joe,

Welcome to the forum.

The different symbols in Revelation do arouse our interest, but that can lead to all kinds of speculation. Take those verses you were talking about, I have looked at those also and I see it in a different way, but it certainly is unclear at this point. So you can see how it would not be good for us to speculate and state all kinds of different opinions here on the forum. Now of course there is no reason why you should not study these things, but we just can not discuss it here.

I hope you will continue to fellowship with us here, as there is much that we can discuss  

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Rene]

Also, I want to say hello to those people who remember me from the 2008 Nashville conference that my teenage son and I attended.  Ray's conference was very beneficial and I enjoyed meeting everyone there.
Joe in Arkansas

Hi Jody and welcome back to the forum.

I do remember meeting you and your son at the 2008 Nashville conference.  It was a pleasure meeting both of you and I am delighted to see you are continuing on this marvelous spiritual journey.

René

[Dave in Tenn]

What Rene said.  Good to see you again.

[Deborah-Leigh]

Greetings to you Joe ~

If you look at LOF 7 where Ray gives the spiritual meaning to the number seven, you might be blessed to follow Ray's example, to find your answer. 

Keep on keeping on!

The BTF's designation becomes fruitful as the training ground of the Truth as expressly expounded by God's smith, Ray Smith, in application of the priciples governing the unlocking God's Word and Truth.

God says, "....seek ..... You're doing just that! The Promise of obedience, is, "....you shall find......"

Blessings

Arc

[cjwood]

...Can anyone give me a spiritual understanding of what is meant...  ...Does anyone have the proper understanding?...

hi joe.  i remember you and your son in nashville '08.  that was my 1st conference and it was truely memorable!  i bolded your questions above because they made me think about many of the posts and conversations i have read and participated in on the various sections of our forum.  i am hoping that you have indeed benefited from the responses given to your post thread.  i am working through some of them still, taking all things to Him in prayer.

your honest queries surely are ones that we each take to our LORD.  spiritual/proper understanding of His symbols can only come from His Spirit, to you, or ray, or anyone else.  your life journey's path of searching for deeper understanding of His Scriptures has been laid by Him, and He is an excellent Engineer and Builder of paths and roads.  and, He is a loving and faithful Father.  keep asking, seeking, and knocking.  He gives, finds, and opens the doors.

claudia