The locusts were to torment the men of the catholic apostasy in church and state "five months" (ver. 5); they were also to "injure" them for "five months" (ver. 10). This is, of course, symbolic time. The fitness of things requires that the time allotted for symbolic action should be expressed symbolically and analogically. The entomology of the hieroglyphic required that it should be five months, and not ten; because locusts are only seen at most five months, namely, part of April, May, June, July, and August, with part of September. Yet it would seem that they could not do all the tormenting and injuring they were appointed to do against "the shaven crowns" and their deluded votaries in one season of five months, but in two seasons. The decorum of the symbols, therefore, rejected the record of ten months, and required the time to be expressed symbolically twice by "five months." This period is 150 days, and upon the principle of a day for a year, which is the basis of the symbolic times of the apocalypse, represents 150 years. Hence, the locusts were to torment with scorpion torment "the men" of the apostasy until the end of 150 years; and they were to injure "the rest of the men" not included in the eastern or Byzantine third, which was politically "killed by the plagues" of the first and second woes, until another 150 years should have expired. So that the sounding of the fifth trumpet would continue to harass the men destitute of intelligence in the truth, for not less than 300 years. A period to be dated from the commencement of the tormentation or military operation of the locusts in the Roman earth, A.D. 632-33.