The description of the locusts Revelation 9v7-12.
- The first thing to notice is their hostility. "The shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle.....". Note the repetition of "like" and "as" and "as it were" in these verses; so we are not looking at a mere human army here. It is a demonic army described in terms we can understand, although the reality is probably more fearsome than we can imagine. There is a fearful intent about these and they are in battle mode. They have a bodily shape and they mean business. Joel refers to these in chapter 2v4 "The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen so shall they run". Angels have been seen to take bodily form before as in Genesis chapters 18&19 (referred to in Hebrews 13v2) however since we are dealing with the God of creation, we understand from 1st Corinthians 15v38 that "God giveth it a body as it has pleased Him." He can furnish anyone with a body for whatever task.
- Next we notice their authority. "And on their heads, as it were crowns of gold ....." Not actually crowns of gold but what looked like it. There is a hint of imitation here by Satan, who is the arch imitator of God, in that his army whilst doing God's work should be seen to be regal in their authority. In a sense the constant need of Satan to imitate the Almighty is an acknowledgement that there is none greater than He.
- Then we have their intelligence. "Their faces were as the faces of men." Man is the highest order of intelligence that God has created on earth and these fearsome creatures are presented as being intelligent in all that they are doing.
- Next we have their glory. "And they had hair as the hair of women." The long hair on women in the bible is referred to as "their glory." (1st Corinthians chapter 11). There is something attractive about long flowing hair particularly when in flight. This appears to be the idea here.
- We look now at their ferocity. "And their teeth were as the teeth of lions." The sight of an opened mouthed lion with huge molars ready to kill their prey, presents the appearance of fierceness. It appears that all the caricatures by artists depicting the devil are now in view in reality here.
- Their invincibility. "They had breast plates as it were the breast plates of iron." The picture is that no one can take them out and in close warfare they have ample protection.
- Then their is their activity. "The sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle." It would be almost impossible without sound and vision to depict this frightful picture.
- Their ability. "And they had tails like unto scorpions and there were stings in their tails; and their power was to hurt men five months." The expression "power to hurt" describes exactly their mission.
- Their discipline. "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 is name Apollyon." Unlike the natural locusts who have no leader (Proverbs 30v27) these have a ruler over them and leads them. The meaning of his name in both Hebrew and Greek is "the destroyer" or "the tormentor."
The picture is of a well- drilled, fearsome, awesome army, about to torment the inhabitants of the earth for a period of five months.
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