
“District 9” topped the movie charts this week, giving hope to sci-fi enthusiasts that this genre is making a comeback. Here’s a short synopsis of the movie:
The film is set in Johannesburg, South Africa where for twenty years a large alien spacecraft has been hovering, dormant, over the city. During the course of these two decades, the government has kept the ship’s growing population of nearly two million alien inhabitants, known as prawns, quarantined in a gated section of the city known as “District 9.” This district is basically a slum where a multitude of disturbing and illegal activities take place against the alien refugees.
As you could expect, from there the movie takes some interesting twists and turns. But what caught my attention was the portrayal of the aliens as locust-like or shrimp-like creatures. As I already noted, they are even called “prawns.” If you remember the movie “Independence Day,” the aliens in that movie were like locusts. Other alien invasion movies since that time have picked-up this description, so that now it’s almost standard sci-fi fare for the aliens to look like big, scary insects, especially locusts. What’s the big deal about the locust imagery? In Revelation 9:1-11, the Bible describes a future invasion of planet earth by beings from another sphere. They are graphically portrayed.
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. And he opened the bottomless pit; and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. And out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. . . . And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; and they will long to die and death flees from them. And the appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads, as it were, crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. And they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. And they have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is the power to hurt men for five months. They have a king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abadddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.
These invading beings during the coming tribulation are clearly demons as they swarm out into the earth from the abyss. In this case, the truth really is stranger than fiction. This bizarre event described in Revelation 9 is well-presented in one of the books in the Left Behind series titled Apollyon. Could it be that all these movies and their portrayal of aliens is setting the world up for an actual invasion of locust-like creatures in the future that are really demons from the abyss? Most people today are totally unaware of what’s coming on this earth in the future. An alien invasion is coming, but not the kind they are expecting. Make sure you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, so you will be delivered from this coming time of horror.




#1 by Stephen D. on August 24th, 2009
Very interesting… I really enjoyed the movie, but I never really thought of the demons that would come out of the abyss to be insect-like in appearance. I really thought they would just be insects in swarms that had the power to torment mankind to such a degree as described in Revelation. Good article!
#2 by Wes on August 26th, 2009
Hi Mark,
Just listened to your interview with Jan Markel on Understanding the Times. Great interview!
In an interview given at Comic-Con 2009, District 9 writer-director Neill Bloomkamp said that the inspiration for the ‘prawns’ of District 9 were in fact insects. The alien prawns are essentially a colony of millions of worker drones, who have lost their queen. The filmmaker’s intent in drawing inspiration from entymology was for the audience to make this association themselves, and therefore fill in a loose backstory to come to at least a loose grips as to how this alien society works, not to “set the world up for an actual invasion of locust-like creatures in the future that are really demons from the abyss.”
Also, in District 9, the aliens actually arrive in relative peace, even though they possess highly advanced alien weaponry and could easily out-gun anything the humans possess. It is man that imprisons and torments the prawns…not the other way around.
So, if there is a comparison to be drawn between Revelation 9 and District 9, wouldn’t the prawns actually be “man” as mentioned in The Bible, and humanity representative of the locusts?
#3 by Shauna on September 17th, 2009
Mark, I liked your interview with Jan Markell as well!
Hey Wes – what about looking at it like this: The man(kind) tormenting the prawns(pawns) is actually Satan(the man of Sin) tormenting the pawns(humankind). It’s “reverse imagery”, hollywood style. The superior power that is available BUT UNUSED by the prawns,aliens/”pawns”(mankind) is the Power of the LORD whom they have refused which is why they are impotent against the lesser power(satan). They way they did the imagery (reversing the locusts/man) makes it more comfortable for man to watch, especially considering Rev 9 – when in actuality satan HATES man and they are his pawns. People actually worship satan as the one who they say set man free in the garden……..they worship what despises them. We serve either the God of the Bible or satan. Satan is gleefully leading men to destruction – that’s whats so sad about those who follow his many ways – they don’t understand that their eternal damnation is his desire! Fascinating how hollywood is always trying to take Revelation, turn it around and make it less threatening. It’ s satan using his minions to stroke the ego of man, that they are powerful in and of themselves. I don’t think it is any coincidence that hollywood uses the imagery of locust-like creatures in its movies……especially since man always triumphs over them. Interestingly, in this movie that they come peacefully……kinda twisted since humans “invite” demons in to themselves by not being In Christ and putting on the full armor of God. Also since the deceiver comes “peacefully” at first. Maybe they should have extended the movie and had the humans “wake up” at the end and realize that they were possessed by these demons and were really one with them and that they had been tormenting themselves. They were their own captors and tormentors!
#4 by Rich on October 14th, 2009
This is all very interesting. These changes in our country and in our world are happening so fast America is truly getting judged by having God removed from everything that is important to us as a Nation under God, or rather/was under God! look at us now! and who is representing us. We are NOT the force we once were. I had a vision many years ago as a young Christian, & saw China invading Russia! could this be possible in the near future?? This always troubled me.Pray for Israel
#5 by kaykay on October 16th, 2009
hey mark,
You wrote a great article. I hate to brust your bubble, but a few years ago, an ancient calender ended and hundreds of people commited suicide, because they thought the world was going to end. Yet, here we are, years after that, still alive. People will believe what ever they want to believe. It’s only 2 years before “the world ends”, and there’s nothing wrong with the world that would cause anything to “end” it in 2 years. Now, like I said, people will believe what ever they want to believe. There are thousands, if not millions, that would disagree with me on this matter, but I don’t care. I’ve spoken my mind.
#6 by samuel on January 5th, 2010
jesus is coming soon. major satanism in this movie. the goats on the mnu air crafts and vehicles. and the 666 on the television wanted notice that was broadcasted in that fast food restaurant. all the signs are here. the economic crisis was in the bible. is Isaiah now were expecting this soon. but this is after jesus picks up his church. his wife must not have any wrinkles or stains on her dress. and must be baptised. glory to God! amen.
#7 by skullee on March 7th, 2010
I think the, ‘locusts’ are Apache war helicopters who unleash chemical weapons on those who are left behind in the tribulation. it doesn’t say the locusts came up out of the abyss, it says they came from the smoke. Makes me wonder though. God is amazing! John must have freaked out when he was seeing and hearing all this. God Bless him for doing the best he could with his descriptions.