Revelation 9:1-12 shows us worse thing yet to come for all humanity who squandered time to get right with God through Jesus Christ and were not rapture ready. For God reveals, when “the fifth angel sounded” his trumpet: a bottomless pit will be opened somewhere on earth. Certain “locusts” will be released to torment man for five months; led by a really super bad leader named Apollyon. And that’s just the basics of the first “woe!” In this study, it will be revealed why this event in the great tribulation is part of the escalating judgments of God to come upon all humanity.
What Are These Locust’s Really?
We’ll start with these “locusts” mentioned in our last study in Verse 3 first. What are these locusts really? Remember, John saw these series of events “in the spirit,” meaning; he was taken up into Heaven (Revelation 1:10/4:1-2). He was taken in the spirit to the throne room of God, and was shown these future events in the perspective of God. In the spirit realm perspective, not in a human perspective or by human understanding. And what is seen in the spirit realm is not necessarily how it is seen in the physical world.
If you have paid attention to our last study, I have already exposed what these “locusts” really are… They are demonic angels who are locked away in chains, in a physical, deep, dark subterranean Abyss, literally under our feet. And when they are released, they are commanded by God not to hurt vegetation nor to kill man either,
What Are These “Locusts” Commanded To Do?
Revelation 9:4-5 And it was commanded them (locust’s) that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
We see here in Scripture, in the days of the great tribulation period coming after the rapture of the church age, after the fifth angel sounds his trumpet; God gives these demons very limited authority to do what God commands them to do; not what they want to do. And for a specific amount of time they were instructed.
In fact, they are given very limited authority to do what they are instructed to do. For a very good reason. If God allowed them to do what they wanted to do, other than what is written. Then all humanity who did not have the “seal of God” on their forehead in those days, would be in a serious world of hurt, more so than what is written. This is the absolute display of God’s mercy in the first half of the great tribulation period, regardless of what we read and how we understand it.
And I’m sure a question is circling in your minds, ‘why would God command these events in the Book of Revelation to happen in the first place.’ I’ve already answered that question in past studies. And will reiterate in deeper details why, in studies to come. But in the meantime, we see in this passage of Scripture, “And to them (locusts) it was given that they should not kill them (man), but that they (man) should be tormented five months (a specific amount of time).” The focus here is, ‘What was given and by whom?’ It is God alone who is in control of all these events in the Book of Revelation, therefore, He gives these locusts authority or power…permission to do what He instructed them to do.
This means that God will give these unholy angels authority to torment man (humanity) that are not part of the 144,000 Israelis that will be sealed with a special mark of protection from God. At this point of time when this study was published, I speak to those in the near future when this event starts to happen; If you find yourself left behind when the rapture occurred, and you hear the 5th angel sound his trumpet, and you do not have a physical seal of God on your forehead, either Jew or Gentile, prepare to be tormented by these demonic angels.
And how will humanity without the seal of God be “tormented?” It will be a physical pain that cannot be ignored, managed or dulled. As the Scripture describe it as, “their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.” The next question that should be in all of our minds when we read this is, ‘How does it feel to be stung by a scorpion?’
This may or may not sound too intense of an experience. But look closely at these passages of Scripture. It does not tell us that everyone on earth in those days, who does not have the “seal of God” will have the experience of being tormented one time throughout the entire duration of 5 months. Nor does it tell us that everyone will be continuously tormented by these demons as often as they like either. But as your read on in Verse 6, you discern that this torment is going to be a lot worse than it sounds. Because people will seek and desire to die, but will not die,
Revelation 9:6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and Death shall flee from them.
Why is this even mentioned? People today, for the smallest and dumbest reasons are hasty to commit suicide. Because they want to escape the sudden intense feeling of a physical, emotional, financial or spiritual pain or loss that they cannot control. And they think escaping this world is so much better than living through whatever they are going through. Without knowing the truth about eternity after this earthly life.
Same thing here. People “in those days shall seek death” however way they “desire to die.” Because of the sudden extreme pain people will be experiencing when these demonic angels torment man for five months. This means, this period of time will be really bad, more than we can imagine now somehow. But as the word of God says here, “death shall flee from them.”
Let’s put this in perspective: People will jump off of buildings, bridges, shoot themselves, poison themselves, or however millions of ways they seek death. They will not die! They will survive according to this passage of Scripture! Why? Because “death shall flee from them.” This is revealing to us, the horseman of Death, the angel of Death will flee and people will live.
This also means, people will be worse off physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually and even financially through hospital expenses, than if they had gone through the physical pain for 5 months, and then be done with it. Because as the Apostle John has described this pain to be, “their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.” And knowing now how it’s like to be stung by a scorpion, the pain is temporary. It doesn’t last forever. Even though at the moment in an extreme amount of pain, 30 seconds will feel like an eternity.
Another reason why people will seek death while living in this tormenting period of time with great pain. We have to be reminded, most of these people have never read the Book of Revelation. They may have heard something about it. But since they didn’t believe it, therefore they won’t remember what they heard. And they won’t understand what’s happening or how long it will last at the moment when this will take place. So this is another reason why people in those days will seek and desire to die…
I would like to also expound on a peculiar detail. These locusts were given, by God, a specific task, “that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.”
If these are “demonic angels,” why would God instruct them not to hurt the grass, trees and any other vegetation of the earth? This silently reveals to us that they may appear by the human eye to be an insect infestation of locusts in our physical world. Because naturally locusts (insects) do not harm humans directly. As these locusts are commanded by God to do. But in the spirit they are not insects at all, but demonic angels. And the reason why I say that, is for the obvious reason:
Revelation 9:7-10 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
As the saying goes, “there is more to it than meets the eye.” As crazy as locusts in our physical world look. None has ever looked like this. All because they are not an insect infestation, rather, they are a demonic manifestation. Lets ask ourselves an honest question? Since when have we ever seen “locust” to actually look like this on earth? As crazy as locusts can actually look in various parts of the world. There is none on earth that even closely resembles what is revealed to us in these passages of Scripture.
That’s because these are not a really bad infestation of earthly insects that will come out of a deep pit of the earth. These are a demonic manifestation of unholy angels. And John is merely describing what they really look like in a way we can imagine he was seeing in the spirit. Why am I pressing this point? This is not a prophesy of an insect infestation as some foolish ministers have handled this passage of Scripture to mean. This is not a full blown war of Armageddon in spiritual code speak either.
The First of Three Woes
This is God simply showing us worse things to come after the fourth angel sounds his trumpet. This is why God describes the last 3 trumpet blasts to be “woes.” And this is the first of three woes to come as it is revealed to us in, Revelation 9:12 One woe is past; and, Behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
Woe: (is defined as) ‘Great trouble, grief and sorrow’ It’s the Greek word Ouai. And it has a deep connotation to its use, to give us a clearer understanding of the significance behind this word and how it’s really used in the Holy Bible. It’s more emotional than it sounds. It’s calamity! It is deep sorrow over tragic outcomes that will shake the very core of the human soul. Seriously testing humanity’s will to live, have faith and find hope.
Who Is This Apollyon?
Revelation 9:11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
Many Bible Scholars, Christian book writers and self-proclaimed “social media influencers” over the decades assumes this “angel of the Bottomless Pit” to be satan. But how can satan be the angel of the Bottomless Pit if he’s never been into the bottomless yet? They’ll first tell you, ‘when Jesus Christ comes, and a holy angel will cast satan and bind him into the Bottomless Pit for a thousand years according to Revelation 20:1-4. This is how he’s the angel of the Bottomless Pit.’
But there are a couple things wrong with this interpretation. Revelation 9 happens during the first 3 ½ years of the great tribulation. When Jesus Christ steps foot on earth and establishes His physical kingdom on earth for a thousand years; this puts an end to the great tribulation period at the last half of 3 ½ years. So, the event where satan will be cast and bound into the Bottomless Pit, actually occurs after chapter 9 not before it. So how can satan be the angel of the Bottomless Pit, if he’s never been there before?
Another problematic interpretation using the excerpt, “they had a king over them.” Assuming, since satan is “technically” the leader of all unholy angels (Revelation 12:3-9), they claim this excerpt is referring to satan and no one else as ruler of the locusts.
But notice in the Scriptures, when the “Bottomless Pit” is opened, and these locusts come out of the pit, it also gives us this detail of Apollyon who appears with these locusts. Giving us a mental image that this leader is coming out of the pit with the rest of these demonic angels that were bound in chains in this dark, subterranean Abyss, as it reads, “they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit.”
Not only that, who is the real leader over all angels? Obviously it’s God Most High. He is the only One Who has authority over all activity of all angels, both holy and unholy. So to say that satan is the king over all demonic angels is actually a lie! And that kind of interpretation is dangerous, because it glorifies satan without realizing what we are doing! And God does not glorify satan or the kingdom of satan in any way, shape or form. And He will not share His glory to no man, angel or devil…EVER! As noted earlier, that rhetorical question still remains, ‘how can satan be the angel of the Bottomless Pit, if he’s never been there before?’
Another problematic interpretation is also introduced through various Bible Scholars and Christian book peddler, strictly assuming that the names “Abaddon or Apollyon” given to us in the Holy Bible points to satan. Abaddon in the Hebrew means: ‘destruction.’ And Apollyon in the Greek means: “destroyer.” So it seems to be an obvious reference to satan. Right… Wrong!
Abaddon, is not the name of an angel, believe it or not. It’s actually the name of a place. Abaddon is used several times in the Old Testament, specifically used as a place like Sheol. An abstract dark realm of the dead or a place of ruin. Abaddon is more deeply defined as a ‘ruler of the Abyss.’ Or ‘ruler from the Abyss.’ Hence the Biblical phrase of that word, “a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit.”
Whereas Apollyon means ‘The Destroyer.’ Now that is a name used as a person or agent who causes destruction. And they will further explain that satan is revealed in the Holy Bible as a “lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).” In Christianity through the years, he is associated as one who comes “to kill, steal and to destroy (John 10:10).” So why wouldn’t he be the logical candidate to be this angel of the Bottomless Pit? All this seems to point to satan right?… Wrong again!
Again, Abaddon is referencing a place where this angel comes out of. And that place is the Abyss, better known as the “Bottomless Pit.” And Apollyon is the actual name of this super bad angel that was locked away into the Abyss since satan’s rebellion against God that happened long ago; as we have established in our last study. And that’s what this passage of Scripture is actually teaching us: Where this demonic angel is from and what his name is. And none of these interpretations points to satan as the only candidate to be this angel of the Bottomless Pit (Abyss).
Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.
and
Psalm 147:4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
Even though God has created all angels and has named them all. He has only made known a few names of angels throughout the Holy Spirit inspired Holy Bible. Both holy and unholy. Such as: Michael (the archangel) Gabriel (God’s direct messenger), Lucifer that God changed to satan, Death (Revelation 6:8) and now Apollyon (the destroyer). What am I saying here?
Even though, the Holy Bible reveals to us that satan has a couple of names (lucifer, devil, satan) doesn’t mean Apollyon is another name that God has given him. It’s most likely God has reserved this name and title for another angel that has fallen with satan long ago. And was bound and locked away all this time in the Abyss. Awaiting to be released and used by God for judgment. And satan is not that angel, because he has never been locked away into the Abyss yet.
And this ministry is not here to give satan accolades by giving him credit that doesn’t belong to him nor will God Most High. In fact this ministry will only expose that serpent of old, that originator of rebellion and a froward spirit. That originator of all lies and the father of all liars and accusers of the brethren! That enemy and adversary of what he really is and expose what he does through the Holy Bible, by the Holy Spirit of God’s perspective only. And not by assumptions, carnal opinions or popular vain philosophies of the day!
