Simply Revelation

In Chapter 8 the author states:
The figurative, symbolic idiom interpretation, still within the guidelines of the literal interpretation method, is the theory used to understand Revelation Chapters 8 and 9, as shown in Chart 3.

We begin to infer this logic with verses 8:7, 7:3 and 9:4.
Rev 8:7 The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
Rev 7:3 saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."
Rev 9:4 They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

Seal of God
What is exactly meant to receive the Seal of God? Is this meant to receive it physically, as placed on the body or to receive it spiritually, as receive into one’s heart? The Seal of God is another term for going into covenant with God, to be saved, born again, salvation. So the intent of the author is to convey a spiritual understanding, not physical. The soul, not the body.

We can see in Chapter 7 who God was speaking of to be sealed, the 144,000. The four angels are the ones told not to harm the earth, sea and trees. They are the ones granted this task.
Rev 7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.
Rev 7:2 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,
Rev 7:3 saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."
Rev 7:4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

These four angels are to do harm physically, by releasing the 200 million demon army.
Rev 9:13 Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
Rev 9:14 one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."
Rev 9:15 And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind.
Rev 9:16 The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.

Verse 7:3 states these four angels are to wait until the bond-servants were sealed, before harming the earth, sea and trees. Yet, verse 9:4 says the Locusts were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. This is because God grants this task to the four angels, not the locusts.

God has very strict intentions and is making sure the grass, earth, sea and trees are not to be harmed until the time planned, yet in verse 8:7 these are harmed severely. If this is meant as a first term definition of the words grass, earth and trees, then this would imply literally that the foliage of the earth was harmed in 8:7. I find this to be a very weak argument, due to when these events happen within the time line of the 7-year period. If God goes to great lengths in planning for “not” wanting the earth, grass and trees harmed physically until the event of the 6th trumpet, then why were they physically harmed in Verse 8:7, which happens during the first part of the tribulation?

Another thing to help discredit the physical theory is the construction of wording used in verses 7:3 and 9:4.
Rev 7:3 saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."
Rev 9:4 They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

If the intent of the term “Seal of God” is meant as salvation, then physically harming foliage of the earth makes no sense combined in these sentences. Also, the four angels are granted to harm the earth, sea and trees, but only until the appointed time. When it is the appointed time in 9:12, mankind is killed, but grass, earth, sea or trees are not mentioned.

Figurative Interpretation
What is intended for us to understand is grass and trees are symbolic idioms for mankind [grass] and prominent men [trees]. This is when we use a figurative interpretation, a method of the literal interpretation method. When things make no sense, we therefore seek another sense.

This makes sense of how the grass and trees are harmed at the first part of the 7-year tribulation in verse 8:7 and also by the locust in verse 9:4, as a spiritual attack. Deception by false doctrine is the warning in these passages. Also, the deception of false doctrine progressively builds throughout the entire 7 year period as shown in chart 3. Man is only harmed by this through his own decision of believing the false doctrine, therefore the grass and trees are not directly harmed until the appointed time by the four angels.
Salvation also progressively builds throughout the entire 7 year period as shown in chart 3. The Two Witnesses reach the 144,000, who then spread the message of truth to the multitudes. Rev 7:9-10.
In verses 9:13-21, the 6th trumpet, mankind is physically killed. Man does not have a freewill decision in this matter. Therefore the earth, sea, grass and trees are never harmed beyond their will until the 6th trumpet if these terms are understood symbolically as mankind in Chapters 7, 8 and 9.