And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.
In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.
The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.
Comment: I gather that this is seen, by some, as having happened in the past. They may be correct but I, personally, think that it is for the future. There is no time clock printed with these prophecies! Apollyon is an angel and by his actions and the fact that he commands these locusts from hell, I fancy that he is an angel of Satan’s evil family. You can, and some draw up images from these descriptions. A word picture is enough. The bottomless pit is hell or a part thereof; Smoke as we have seen in modern times can be used to blind the eyes. Are the locusts seen under a microscope and described as war machines? Whichever they are seen, they are mobile, powerful even grotesquely beautiful, ready for their action, which is terribly painful! Christians, who have already been sealed by God, marked on their foreheads, will not be hurt. Except that the time doesn’t seem to be a pleasant one to be living through! Very thought provoking!
Prayer: Thank You that Jesus knows His own and that You mark them clearly as His.
As I read it! 