The Skeptics Annotated Bible (1004 page)

The locust/scorpions are told not to “hurt the grass [How could they? All the grass was killed in 8.7] … but only those men which have not the seal of God on their foreheads.” The scorpion-torture goes on for five months. (Since only 144,000 Israelites were marked on their foreheads, everyone else will get the 5-month scorpion torture.) Those tormented will want to die, but God won’t let them.

God’s locust/scorpions will look like horses with human heads, women’s hair, and lion’s teeth.

9
And
the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

(9.1) “The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.”

2 And
he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke
out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace;
and the sun and the air were darkened
by reason of the smoke of the pit.

(9.2) “He opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke … and the sun and the air were darkened.”

3 And
there came out of the smoke locusts
upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

(9.3) “There came out of the smoke locusts.”

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.

(9.4) “It was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass … neither any green thing … but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.”

5 And
to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion
, when he striketh a man.

(9.5) “To them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion.”

6 And
in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

(9.6) “In those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”

7 And the shapes of
the locusts were like unto horses
prepared unto battle;
and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

(9.7) “The locusts were like unto horses … and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.”

8 And
they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

(9.8) “They had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.”

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.

(9.9) “They had breastplates … of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots.”

10 And
they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

(9.10) “They had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.”

11 And they had a king 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.

12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

Sixth trumpet
: Four angels with an army of 200 million, kill a third of the earth’s population.

(9.13-15) “The sixth angel sounded, and … four angels were loosed … to slay the third part of men.”

13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

15 And the
four angels were loosed,
which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for
to slay the third part of men.

16 And the number of
the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand
: and I heard the number of them.

(9.16)
“The army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand.”

17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and
the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

(9.17)
“The heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.”

18
By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

(9.18)
“By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.”

19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for
their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

(9.19)
“Their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.”

20 And
the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not
of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

(9.20)
“The rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not.”

21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

(10.1-11) An angel tells John to eat a book. He does, and it tastes as sweet as honey. But later it made his belly bitter.

10
And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

(10.1)
“I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.”

2 And
he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

(10.2)
“He had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth.”

3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and
when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

(10.3)
“When he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.”

4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

5 And
the angel
which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

6 And
sware by him that liveth for ever
and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein,
that there should be time no longer
:

(10.5-6)
“The angel … sware by him that liveth for ever … that there should be time no longer.”
63 Is it okay to swear?

7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

8 And
the voice
which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and
said, Go and take the little book
which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it,
and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

(10.8-9) “The voice … said, Go and take the little book … and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.”

10
And I took the little book
out of the angel’s hand,
and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

(10.10) “And I took the little book … and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.”

11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

(11.1-5)
God’s two witnesses
Anyone that messes with God’s two olive trees and two candlesticks (God’s witnesses) will be burned to death by fire that comes out of their mouths.