<p>9:5<em> They were told</em>- AV &quot;It was given&quot;. We are surely to read in the ellipsis, that a commandment was given to them. And it is jihadist Islam which forbids damaging trees and plants during military campaigns. Or it could be that the idea is that these jihadists are actually 'told' something by God indirectly communicating with them.</p><p><em>That they should not kill them</em>- As locusts don't usually cause death but rather suffering.</p><p><em>But that they should be tormented</em>- The same word used about Babylon (18:7,10,15) and the beast worshippers being &quot;tormented&quot; (14:10). The language of torment is not, therefore, reflective of an angry God being mean to sinners. Rather will they drink the cup they gave others to drink. </p><p><em>Five months</em>- It could be argued that the book of Revelation will 'come alive' during the three-and-a-half-year tribulation in the land, and it's possible that this is a literal period. In any case, it is based around the fact that the season for locusts is five months, from May to September. Five months is their lifespan, so the idea may be that at the end of it they too will come to their end.</p><p>The locusts / scorpions judge the people in the land for five months (Rev. 9:5)- part of the three and a half year tribulation period. When it happens, it will all be clear enough. But for now, the point is that these locust / scorpion hordes, the beast, are restrained and yet then released, to come and destroy the unbelievers in the land / earth promised to Abraham; see on :14,15. It is this restraint which we are now seeing released, as the hordes develop and begin to gush forth from the Euphrates.</p><p><em>Their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man</em>- See on :3. There are many links between the trumpets, seals and the Olivet prophecy; and also many links with Josephus' descriptions of what came upon Palestine in AD66-70- e.g. 9:5 &quot;inwardly tormented&quot; Gk. <em>ebasanizonto</em> is used in Josephus (<em>Wars</em> 5.1.5).</p>