A·polʹlyon The Greek name used by the apostle John to translate the Hebrew “Abaddon” at Revelation 9:11. Apollyon means “Destroyer,” and is given as the name of “the angel of the abyss.” Though most reference works apply this name to some evil personage or force, the whole setting of the apocalyptic vision is to the contrary, as it consistently portrays angels being used by God to bring woes upon His enemies. The use of the related verb a·polʹly·mi illustrates this, as at James 4:12, which says of God: “One there is that is lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy.”
The unclean spirit cast out of a man by Jesus in a synagogue at Capernaum acknowledged Jesus as God’s agent and said: “What have we to do with you, Jesus you Nazarene? Did you come to destroy us?” (Mr 1:24; Lu 4:34) Jesus warned unrepentant opposers among his listeners of the danger of being destroyed. (Lu 13:3-5; 20:16) These and other texts point to the glorified Christ Jesus as the one referred to by this title.
''Apollyon.” The resurrected heavenly Jesus Christ is the “angel of the abyss,” for he holds the “keys of death and of Haʹdes.” In the finale of the universal war of Armageddon he will bind and pitch Satan the Devil and his spirit demons into the abyss of deathlike inactivity. (Rev. 20:1-3) When Jesus was on earth as a man, he was a Hebrew, and now in his capacity as Jehovah’s royal Executioner he is called by the Hebrew name Abadʹdon, which means Destruction. (Job 26:6; 28:22; 31:12; 12:23; 14:19) In the Greek in which the inspired Christian Scriptures were written his similar title is Apollyon, which means Destroyer. This name clearly shows that he comes to the throne at God’s right hand to rule first in the midst of his enemies and to destroy them in execution of Jehovah’s righteous judgment, Jehovah’s judicial
(Chuckle) Totally false! Let read carefully:
This clearly refers to the
spirit of the adversary—man’s own rebellious spirit—which had been restrained by Christ so that He could build His church until all the Elect were secured. Once that time comes, the spirit of those who have
not yet been sealed (not saved) will be released, that shall torment them to remain in spiritual bondage. Even if they seek death in Christ or desire to “die in Christ” (salvation), they will not find it, for the day of salvation will have ended once all the Elect are secured.
So, who is the angel over those who are deceived? Of course—it is Satan, not Jesus Christ!
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."
This verse is
not referring to Jesus Christ. He is not the “king” of the locusts that attack those who are not sealed by God. Satan is not merely an angel but a
spirit - - as the messenger of evil.
Apollyon (or Abaddon) is Satan, the same spirit and ruler over the deceived. “Apollyon” means “destruction,” and that perfectly describes his work here. He rules over the spiritual army from the abyss, bringing spiritual death to the unfaithful.
The Hebrew word
[abaddon] appears only here in the New Testament and five times in the Old Testament (Job 26:6; 28:22; 31:12; Psalm 88:11; Proverbs 15:11), and always in connection with
death. This same messenger from hell (hades) brings destruction upon the unfaithful congregation—those within it who are not truly sealed.
In
Revelation 20, when Satan is loosed, God makes this truth even more clear. It reveals Satan’s entire purpose and nature: the ultimate adversary of the
church—not the world, for the world is already his domain. The world is already fallen and under his rule; he has no reason to attack his own kingdom, for a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.
Scripture calls believers to make their
calling and election sure—not because Satan ignores the church, but precisely because attacking the church is his very nature and mission. When Satan is loosed, it is not to attack the world, but as a
judgment upon an unfaithful church—just as God once loosed wicked empires upon Israel for their rebellion.
Apostasy occurs when the
church falls away, not the world. The world was fallen long ago. Judgment comes when the rebellious church refuses to receive the truth in love. That is when God allows Satan’s deception to have its full effect.
2 Thessalonians 2:9–11
- Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
- And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
- And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
- That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
These
false Christs and
false prophets (aka second beast of Revelation 13) come to deceive the
church—not the world. Under the rule of Apollyon, the great destroyer (Satan), they bring desolation upon the rebellious church by deceiving those within it who lack the seal of God on their foreheads.
Revelation 7:2–3
- And I saw another messenger ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four messengers, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
- Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Jesus Christ is that messenger from the East, holding the
seal of the living God—the seal of salvation. He commanded the evil messengers not to harm the earth until He had sealed all His Elect through the testimony of the Two Witnesses (the Church) FIRST!
This is the very reason Satan was bound in the bottomless pit at the Cross—so that he could not deceive the nations until the full number of the Elect (symbolized by the 144,000 of Israel) were sealed with the Spirit of promise. Once the Church completes its mission and its testimony is finished, Satan is then loosed—like locusts upon the grass, trees, and every green thing that is
not sealed (not saved). In short:
God restrains Satan until every soul He intends to save is sealed.
For example, those who have not made their
calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10)—those who have not experienced the
first resurrection (being born again in Christ, Revelation 20:6)—will face this spiritual judgment of delusion. These are they who “received not the love of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:12) and instead took pleasure in unrighteousness.
The
destroyer rises against the camp of the saints, not against his own kingdom (ie. world) because they are already in his camp. Therefore, the “king” of Revelation 9 is
not Jesus Christ, but the
spirit of the adversary, which is the fallen spirit of man under Satan’s deception that will attack those people of the congregation who have not yet sealed after all elect has been secured.
Selah.
