But why can't the destroyer be another name for satan? It does call him the king and satan is the ruler of darkness
Sometimes it's simply a matter of being logical about something.
Let's look at from this angle again.
Let's start here first.
Mark 3:24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
Revelation 9:4 And it was commanded them 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.
These meant here---men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads--are clearly on satan's team. So why would he be commanding the locusts to torment his own ppl? How can that not equal this if satan is behind this---a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand?
Do you disagree that these are enemies of God---men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads? If you don't disagree, yet still insist satan is behind this, you then need to logically explain exactly what satan has to gain by doing this? It benefits his kingdom exactly how, by having, via these locusts, men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads, tormented?
I could be wrong here, but it seems to me Amil's need this king to be in the pit with the locusts, to then emerge with them, and that this king needs to be satan for doctrinal reasons rather than does the text actually support this. Therefore, proving in their mind, satan is in the pit in this age not the next age, and that he comes out of the pit during trumpet 5, apparently.
Except we still have to make sense out of what satan has to gain by having these locusts tormenting men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads?
If we look further in ch 9, we see the following. Granted, not meaning these locusts, but that is beside the point since we can use this example to maybe explain the purpose of the locusts tormenting the lost. Except they never die during that ordeal, as opposed to verse 20-21 where some are actually killed by these plagues.
Revelation 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Apparently, it might have do with getting the lost to repent, something satan would never want the lost to do but God would.