Because our world is the theater where the glorious, God-honoring story of redemption is played out, satan and his demon hosts have attacked the human race, turning the earth into the main battleground in their cosmic war against GOD, the holy angels, and the elect. Satan launched his first assault in the Garden of Eden, where he successfully tempted Adam and Eve to disobey GOD. No nation has experienced more of satan’s assaults than Israel. he has always had a special hatred for GODs chosen people. In the future tribulation period satan will once again attempt to destroy the chosen nation. The Church has also been a special target of satanic assault. GODs sovereignly allows and oversees all of satan’s assaults and fulfills His purposes in spite of them and through them. Satan is ultimately a servant of GOD. In the future, satan will serve GODs purpose by being permitted to launch another deadly assault against the human race. That attack will come at the sounding of the fifth trumpet, during the time of GODs judgment in the Great Tribulation.
The Pit Unlocked 9:1-2 — When the fifth angle sounded his trumpet, John saw a star from heaven which had fallen to earth. This star was not an inanimate peice of celestial matter, but rather an angelic being. The fall of satan described in verse 1 is not his original rebellion. Though he and the angels who fell with him were banished from heaven, satan retains access to GODs presence, where he constantly accuse believers. But during the Tribulation he and his demon hosts will unsuccessfully battle Michael and the holy angels . As a result of their defeat, they will be permanently cast down to the earth. Scripture teaches that GOD has sovereignly chosen to incarcerate certain demons in that pit of punishment. They remain in that place, awaiting their sentencing to final punishment in the eternal lake of fire. The demons incarcerated in the abyss are undoubtedly the most wicked, vile, and perverted of all the fallen angels.
The Power Unleashed 9:3-6 — Out of the vast, billowing, ominous cloud of smoke that darkened the sky and caused panic among earth’s inhabitants John saw a new terror emerge. Vile demons, taking on a visible form resembling locusts, swarmed out of the abys to plague the earth. But these were not ordinary locusts, but demons, wo like locusts, bring swarming destruction. Describing them in the form of locusts symbolizes their uncountable numbers and massive destructive capabilities. The demons’ business is not with vegetation, but only with men. And not all people, but only those who do not have the seal of GOD on their foreheads. Believers will be preserved, just as GOD sheltered Israel from the effects of the Egyptian plagues. This seal marks them as personally belonging to GOD and as such protected from the forces of hell.
The Appearance Unveiled 9:7-10 — They are described as locusts because they bring massive, devastating, rapid judgment from GOD. Their exaggerated, terrifying features reveal them to be unlike any locust, scorpion, or any other creature ever before seen on earth. John chooses natural and familiar analogies to describe the supernatural and unfamiliar demon horde. They were warlike, powerful, and defiant, like horses straining at the bit and pawing the ground in their eagerness to charge forward on their mission of death. The crowns they wore are called stephanoi, the victors’ crowns, indicating that the demon host will be invincible, unstoppable, and all-conquering. Men will have no weapon that can harm them and no cure for the terrible torment they inflict. “The faces of men”, indicates they are intelligent, rational beings, not actual insects. While Jeremiah 51:27 describes locusts as having bristles like hair, the description of their ‘hair’ as being ‘like the hair of women’ more likely emphasizes their seductiveness. These locust-like demons will lure people to their doom. Having ‘teeth like the teeth of lions’, they will be far more fierce, powerful, and deadly than lions, ripping and tearing apart their victims. “Breastplates of iron”, here symbolize the demon horde’s invulnerability; they will be impossible to resist or destroy. There will be no escaping their massive, worldwide onslaught; nowhere to run or hide. Their sole mission is to hurt men. For 5 months they will do such to a whole world of ungodly sinners. The reiteration that the demons will be permitted to torment people for a limited time stresses GODs sovereign power over the duration of their assault.
The Prince Unmasked 9:11-12 — Unlike real locusts the demons had a ‘king over them’. John gives his title as, ‘the angel of the abyss’. Some identify this angel as satan, but his domain is the heavenlies, where he is the ‘prince of the power of the air’. He is not associated with the abyss until he is cast into it. This angel is better viewed as a high-ranking demon in satan’s hierarchy. John notes that his name is Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon. John uses both names to emphasize the angel’s impact on both ungodly Jews and Gentiles. Both names mean “destroyer”.