The Angel of the Abyss is King of the Locust

“The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer)” Revelations 9: 7-11

Speculation abounds as to what these verses mean. They key to understanding them is in the reading the verses for themselves. Verse seven calls these creatures locust. Everything following is descriptive. “like crowns” “like women's hair” “like lions teeth” So they are locust. We can discern that much. The verse says they have a king over them, “the angel of the Abyss” who is clearly demonic. Satan has been able to work with the animal kingdom since the garden of Eden. He spoke through a snake there. Here he is commanding locust of a special demonic sort.

Many folks want to make the description that John provides for us a helicopter or some other man made object. The problem with that interpretation is that these are weapons of torment not of killing. Helicopters are pretty efficient war time killing machines now. I am sure we will improve on this technology in the future.

The question must be asked, “why would God torment people”? The answer is that punishment is better than death. Punishment is meant to bring the inflected soul to repentance. This does not happen in this case. The progression of discipline will be seen in the next woe in which a third of mankind is killed.

So what does this verse teach us? “The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished;” Numbers 14:18a This particular verse continues, “he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” I separated this verse because it is one that has to be handled carefully. Ezekiel 18:20 reads “The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.” Then, why do I bring it up at all? Because evil is progressive! What was considered profane only a generation ago is now openly seen and practiced. The hardness of heart of those who are tormented by the locust and punished is simply more evidence and justification for the wrath of God when he begins to destroy mankind.

The question that we must ask ourselves is, how hard is our heart? Is God sending spiritual locust in our life to remind of that he is aware of our sin? Probably not yet! He is more likely trying to draw us to himself through his loving kindness. Romans 2:4 asks “do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”

We are a generation seeding sin at an unprecedented rate. General Douglas MacArthur prayed these words, “Lord build me a son strong enough to know when he is weak, brave enough to face himself when he is afraid, one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.” The generations to come will need men and women such character as the times grow more wicked and perilous, may God continue to teach how to prepare our children and their children for diabolic times to come!