Welcome and Introduction

Welcome. People present, people at home on Youtube, Facebook, and in our online archives. If you haven’t been with us, we have deconstructed these gatherings down to the essentials: We begin with prayer, sing the Word of God set to music (as a means to get it into our heads) and then we sit for a moment in silence here at the Church/Studio. When we come back, we pick up where we left off last week in our verse-by-verse study.

Revelation 9 and Locust Metaphors

Alright, deeper into the fifth trumpet. Revelation 9. Part II. Meat. September 10th, 2017. Last week we talked about the Angel/Eagle/Roman Army, volcanoes, and the start that came and opened up the Abyss (and the symbolism of that). So the Abyss has been opened. Let’s get into our Locust people.

Verse 3
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

When I was a kid, I lived in Whittier, California by a field. And one year someone set fire to it at night. And when I came outside in the morning, our entire driveway was covered in grasshoppers – from giants to small ones. I remember looking at our garage door and barely being able to even see the painted wood there were so many. It was a very, very impressive scene and if an army was ever able to replicate a swarm of locusts, all dressed in armor with swords, the sight would be terrifying.

Biblical and Cultural Interpretations

Now, unlike Charles Manson who from his own imagination believed that Locusts represented the Beatles, and UNLIKE all the other depictions and descriptions of the Locusts by futurist fanatics, locusts are an ancient Canaanite and Biblical metaphor for . . . an invading foreign/Gentile army. And as we have seen with other Trumpets there is a parallel here with the plagues God sent upon Egypt for Pharaoh's refusal to let His people go from bondage. It’s interesting that in Exodus the plagues were used to break Pharaoh and the Egyptians and here at the end of the Bible the trumpets are unleashing things upon the very people God once freed? Going back to Exodus 10 beginning at verse 4 we read God say to Pharaoh:

Verse 4
4 “Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:
6 And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.

Analyzing the Metaphor of Locusts

So let’s break the biblical idea of locusts down before we start assigning them names like John, Paul, George and Ringo. (ON BOARD)

First, there is a similarity between the Hebrew word for “locust,” (hargol), and the Arabic word for “troops,” (hargal). The similarity between these two words in these neighboring languages implies a common origin to both words and the fact that locusts were likened to troops in ancient Middle Eastern cultures. We see this point illustrated in the first and second chapters of Joel where the Babylonian army of the sixth century B.C. is portrayed as a swarm of locusts.

The head of the locust is remarkably like that of the horse; and so Ray on Insects describes them: Caput oblongum, equi instar, prona spectans-"They have an oblong head, like to that of a horse, bending downward." Of interest, Italians call locusts “cavaletta,” which means cavalry, as in a cavalry of horse riding men. And an Arabic writer named, Bochart, in 1692 says that “locusts resemble ten different kinds of animals:

1. The HORSE in its head.
2. The ELEPHANT in its eyes (Don’t agree with this).
3. The BULL in its neck.
4. The STAG in its horns.
5. The LION in its breast.
6. The SCORPION in its belly.
7. The EAGLE in its wings.
8. The CAMEL in its thighs.
9. The OSTRICH in its feet.
10. The SERPENT in its tail.
    (Vid. Hieroz., vol. ii., p. 475, edit. 1692.)

But its most prominent resemblance is to the horse, which the prophet Joel mentions; and which the Arabic writer puts in the first place.

Symbolism in the Invasion of Foreign Armies

In Judges, we read about the Midianites, Amalekites, and the children of the east coming up against Israel:

Judges 6:3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

More references to locusts and armies are found in Judges 7:12; Jeremiah 51:14, 27; and Nahum 3:15.

The fact that foreign/Gentile armies are symbolized by locusts is not just found in the Bible, it is also implicit in the Talmud where it reads,

“The destruction of Jerusalem [during Israel’s first century war with Rome] came through a Kamza [locust] and a Bar Kamza [son of a locust].”

This was certainly not a reference to super demons up from the pits of the earth but a symbol for invading armies. This is really important folks because right here in the Talmud, a book compiled around 500 AD, we are told that Jerusalem was destroyed by… locusts.

Non-Historical Interpretations

Some are still looking for a fulfillment of this trumpet and some of them are looking for a fulfillment of locust-type creatures that actually come up from the pit of hell. This is a non-contextual, non-historical, hysterical view.

Gentiles and Locusts

Moving into even a fairly reputable modern Lexicon (Strong’s Concordance) we read this under term number 1471 for Gentile:

(ON BOARD)

Gentile

#1471 gowy go’-ee rarely (shortened) goy {go’-ee}; apparently from the same root as 1465 (in the sense of meaning); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts[.]”

Now, when discussing Revelation 9 and locust invaders, the subject is multi-faceted. When laying siege to a city, invading forces, much like a swarm of locusts, will leave the surrounding countryside stripped of food, timber, and vegetation in order to feed the war effort. Additionally, these armies will also often set fire to anything their enemies might find useful. This is exactly what the Romans did when they burned many of the cities and rural areas of Palestine during the Jewish War.

Interestingly, locusts “were known to the people of Palestine as ‘burners of the land,’ a phrase derived from the literal meaning of ‘locust.’”

Physical Description of Locusts

Then let’s look to how the very physical form of a locust looks like? There is an old Arab in which locusts are described as having “a head like a horse, a breast like a lion, feet like a camel, a body like a serpent, and antennae like the hair of a maiden.”

I was curious about this line, “and hair like a maiden” and so I looked pictures of the Middle Eastern locust up online—not recalling how this could be justified—and discovered that there is the head like a horse, and then behind them, on their back, is this shield-like apparatus over what would be their shoulders, and it could easily be described as being “hair like a maiden.”

But these things are only one way in which the descriptions here of a locust in Revelation are derived. So again, I submit to you that John is describing the Roman military which was going to soon attack Jerusalem and Jesus is warning John to spread the news.

Last week (and using the Bible) we discussed how they were “coming out of the Abyss” and how a third of “the sky was darkened.” Let’s now read how the locusts that come out of the Abyss are described.

Revelation 9:3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
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.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7 And the shapes of the locusts were…

The Symbolism of Locusts and Roman Legions in Revelation

"Like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men."

Parallels to Joel’s description of locust are found in Joel 2:4: "The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run."

Revelation continues, saying:

8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

The Imagery of the Roman Military as Locusts

In this chapter, the author of Revelation describes the Roman military, which is soon to attack Jerusalem, as a plague of locusts from the Abyss. The soldiers of the vast Roman military are said to breathe fire, have woman’s hair, lions’ teeth, serpent heads, and scorpion tails. This odd choice of symbolism, like much of John’s vision, has a double meaning. Here’s where things get really out there.

Roman legions were often signified by a different sign of the zodiac or constellation in the night sky. Did you know this? I didn’t before digging in. Each Roman legion and auxiliary cohort often carried an image of a sacred constellation or a sign of the zodiac when going into battle. The sign of the zodiac for a particular legion or cohort typically represented the month in which the unit was created.

The fact that this “army from the Abyss” John is describing comes out in the form, images, and attributes of the zodiac and its surrounding constellations broadly hints at the identity of this locust army as the Roman legions. The fact that the Roman legions are described in the imagery of the zodiac also serves an important literary function that complements a major theme in Revelation.

Representation of Rome as Babylon

The zodiac was originally developed and disseminated by and from ancient Babylon. Therefore, the fact that the Roman legions are described in stereotypical Babylonian iconography points to Rome as spiritual Babylon mentioned later in the Book of Revelation. Remember, Rome is called Babylon in Revelation, and so is Israel for her adulterous relationship with it.

The choice of constellations used in Revelation 9 (to describe this army) also portrays the appearance of the Roman army in the image and attributes of those constellations visible in the night sky during the first night of Titus’ five-month siege of Jerusalem. One writer on Revelation, Morris, says:

Thus through the zodiac imagery of this chapter, John sends four messages:

1. The zodiac symbolism in this chapter is designed to describe the appearance and tactics of the army soon to invade Jerusalem.
2. The zodiac symbolism points to the Roman Legions which were each represented by a constellation of the night sky.
3. The zodiac iconography hints at the identity of this army as spiritual Babylon.
4. The constellations of the zodiac referred to in this chapter also point to the time of attack (because we can look to astrological history and know exactly the time when these certain constellations were present in the skies in that day).

Astrological Alignment During Titus' Siege

Titus began his assault on Jerusalem during Passover—the anniversary in which these people had killed the Messiah. This is a HISTORICAL FACT.

That night, the constellations Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Ophiuchus, and Sagittarius would have stretched across the night sky in a band with the Hydra below Leo and Virgo to the southwest. Most of the symbolism in this chapter comes from these constellations.

In vs. 8 and 17, the locusts of Revelation 9 are said to have the head and teeth of a lion. When a nighttime observer is facing north on Passover, these attributes are on display just over the western horizon in the constellation of the lion, Leo. Along what is called the ecliptic, just above Leo is the lady Virgo, giving rise to the woman’s hair in v. 8. Beyond Virgo are the scales of Libra. In Revelation 9:15, the four horsemen of Revelation 6 are released–one of which is holding the scales of Libra in his hand–warning Jerusalem to ration its food for the coming siege. The next constellation in this procession is Scorpio, symbolizing the tail of the scorpion in v. 10.

Astrological Imagery and Historical Context in Revelation

Calendars, locusts also appear in this sign of the zodiac: astrologically accounting for the locust imagery in this chapter.

Just above Scorpio is Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer. The constellation Ophiuchus is a man holding a snake. Here one can see the serpent head and tail symbolism in v. 19. At the end of the southern horizon is Centaurus with Sagittarius at the southeast. Sagittarius and Centaurus are both centaurs. Half man and half horse, these two star-clusters account for the imagery of the horse with a human face in v. 7. Directly beside these signs of the zodiac, in the part of the sky called the sea, lies the Hydra. This constellation originally represented the fire-breathing leviathan, a seven-headed serpent used by John and the prophet Daniel to symbolize Rome as described in vs. 17 and 19.

Constellations and Symbolism

(ON BOARD)

ON the Night Rome Invades Jerusalem . . . In the sky we could see the constellations . . . And in Revelation 9 we find this constellation mentioned in . . .

(Passover)

Leo
Lion verses 8 and 17

(Passover)

Virgo
Lady verse 8

(Passover)

Libra
Verse 15 four horsemen – scales

(Passover)

Scorpio
Scorpion verse 10

(Passover)

Ophiuchus (serpent bearer)
Verse 19

(Passover)

Sagittarius (Centaurs – man/horse)
Verse 7

(Passover)

Hydra (below Leo) firebreathing
Verse 17 and 19 (Daniel)

John's Vision: Locusts and Five Months

Okay, then after describing the locusts, John writes in verses 10 and 11

10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
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.

Some amazing facts about the five months the locusts could hurt men and the person of Apollyon. First of all, John’s vision of locusts “tormenting men for five months” is parallel to the length of time that Israel was prone to locust invasions throughout its history. This also mirrors the length of the Roman siege in Jerusalem in 70 AD, leading to that city’s downfall, so (in other words) the Roman siege even took place during the same months that locusts would typically invade Israel’s land!

Josephus spoke of men longing for death during this time, just like John saw in his visions (Rev. 6:16, 9:6) and just like Jesus said would be the case for the “daughters of Jerusalem” and their children (Luke 23:27-30). The name of this locust army’s leader, Apollyon, is remarkably similar to the 15th Roman legion, Apollinarus, that Titus led into Jerusalem in 70 AD (verse 11). This legion was named after the Greek god, Apollo.

Now, about this five-month period. It was the time that the Roman siege lasted around Jerusalem and during this time the Romans didn’t try to take the city, but let the work of the siege slowly weaken the city defenders and bring conditions upon them that could fit the definition of a great tribulation. As we have noted before, during the siege the Zealots inside Jerusalem set fire to the food stocks that were stored up thinking that without food the inhabitants would be more compelled to join them in fighting the Romans. As food disappeared, people were compelled to eat leather from belts, shoes, and anywhere else it could be found.

Noted fulfillment guy Kenneth Gentry in his book, “Before Jerusalem Fell, p. 248” cites Bible scholar F.F. Bruce in his book, New Testament History, p. 382) and says:

“Titus began the siege of Jerusalem in April, 70. The defenders held out desperately for five months, but by the end of August the Temple area was occupied and the holy house burned down, and by the end of September all resistance in the city had come to an end.”

Here in verse 6 of chapter 9, John’s readers are told that people would “seek death and…not find it” and “long to die, but death [would] flee from them.” Josephus records that during the height of the siege in 70 AD, surviving Jews “poured forth their congratulations on those whom death had hurried away from such heartrending scenes” as were seen during the siege. They were envious of the dead, Josephus says. Thousands were literally starved to death during those months. Josephus also records that when the temple was burned in August 70 AD, many survivors retreated to Upper Jerusalem and longed for death. Josephus said in Wars 6.7.2 that “as they saw the city on fire, they appeared cheerful, and put on joyful countenances, in expectation, as they said, of death to end.

The Siege of Jerusalem

Their miseries.

Of course, this is reminiscent of what Jesus said in Luke 23:27-30 would happen to the first-century daughters of Jerusalem and their children. Now, even really esteemed fulfillment guys (like Kenneth Gentry) maintain that verses 1-12 of this chapter are speaking strictly of demonic activity. And while demons may have possessed the Roman Army, I do not take such a view. I am convinced that all the factors we have discussed have dovetailed and created the overall scene with the actual Roman Army in siege of Jerusalem.

As an interesting aside, and something I do not think has ANY bearing on the women’s hair description found here, I came across a statement by Josephus that further illustrates the conditions of Jerusalem during the siege. He writes of the Jews in his Wars: “With their insatiable hunger for loot, they ransacked the houses of the wealthy, murdered men and violated women for sport; they drank their spoils with blood, and from mere satiety and shamelessness gave themselves up to effeminate practices, plaiting their hair and putting on women’s clothes, drenched themselves with perfumes and painting their eyelids to make themselves attractive. They copied not merely the dress, but also the passions of women, devising in their excess of licentiousness unlawful pleasures in which they wallowed as in a brothel. Thus they entirely polluted the city with their foul practices. Yet though they wore women’s faces, their hands were murderous. They would approach with mincing steps, then suddenly become fighting men, and, whipping out their swords from under their dyed cloaks, they would run through every passerby” (Wars, IV:9:10).

Abaddon and Apollyon

Okay, in verse 11, we learn that the king over this army was named “Abaddon” in Hebrew, but “Apollyon” in Greek. According to Livius, which is an online ancient history encyclopedia that was compiled by the Dutch historian, Jona Lendering, “Apollo” was the favorite god of the Roman emperor, Augustus. For this reason, the famous 15th Roman legion was called “Legio XV Apollinaris.”

When the Jewish revolt against Rome began in 66 AD, this 15th legion, “Apollinaris,” was moved from Alexandria, Egypt, and called to advance toward Judea. In 67 AD, this legion captured Josephus in Jotapata (which was Galilee). After Vespasian was named emperor in 69 AD, his son, Titus, led the 15th legion, “Apollinarus,” toward Jerusalem. And after a 5-month siege, Titus and his legion overthrew Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and burned the city. It appears that Titus was the Apollyon of Revelation 9:11. We’ll return to this idea one more time before we wrap today up.

Views on Abaddon and Apollyon

But first, some other views on Abaddon and Apollyon. Many believe this King of the Locusts to be an angel and biblically this is rightly so. Abaddon is a transliteration of the Hebrew word for “destruction” which would certainly qualify as a messenger in the biblical sense. Abaddon is also used virtually and interchangeably with both “Sheol and the Abyss,” or the realm of the dead. These applications can be found in Job 26:6; 28:22; 31:12; Psalm 88:11; Proverbs 15:11; 27:20).

So again, as we have seen all through Revelation and the Bible writ-large, there are a multitude of meanings tapping into this word. I may be a freak, and artistic in my worldview, but this speaks to me. And I tend to hear and see God as one who hub and spokes humankind like no other. What I mean by this is contrary to most objectivist and biblical literalists and legalists, I think God has about 700 billion intersecting factors that are played out and mirrored in the things He does. I see very little as having a single purpose, single connection, single representation, but instead, I see all He does having application and meaning in a trillion, timeless ways. That is why I am fascinated by the various and repeated playing boards upon which the Revelation—even the whole Bible—is presented. So while it does appear that Apollyon may be an angel, there can be no doubt that this angel has a human counterpart.

As frequently stated and emphasized in this commentary, events in the Book of Revelation are often fulfilled both in heaven and on earth, and seen in the Old and in the New Testaments. In other words, events said to have transpired in the spiritual realms often have reflections on earth that also fulfill these predictions. The fact that Apollyon or Abaddon is said to be an angel does not preclude him from being a man or a division of the Roman army. Remember.

The Angelic Significance in the Bible

That each of the human pastors of the seven churches in the introduction to John’s vision are addressed as the “angel” of their church (Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14). Also recall that we have other examples in the Bible in which saints or prophets are called angels or messengers of God too:

2nd Chronicles 36:15-16
Haggai 1:13
Malachi 3:1
Matthew 11:10; 24:31
Luke 7:24; 9:52
1 Timothy 3:16
Revelation 21:17

But why would a man be called “the angel of the Abyss?”

The Name Apollyon

Before answering this question and wrapping our time up together let us turn our attention to the implicit meaning behind the name Apollyon. The name Apollyon is a Greek play on words for Apollo and destroy. The blending of these two words is meant to call attention to this agent’s identification with the Greek God Apollo and his active role as the destroyer of Israel.

Titus and the Fifteenth Legion

So who could this be, and why is he given the name Apollo? As we have already said I strongly suggest that the earthly reflection of Apollyon is Vespasian’s son Titus, the commander of the Legio XV Apollinaris (Fifteenth ApolloniLegion). Initially the commander of the Fifteenth Legion, Titus then went on to succeed his father as general over all the Roman legions during the Jewish War after his father had become Caesar, a title also bestowed on Titus at his father’s coronation. As Caesar, Titus was entitled to be worshipped as a god in the imperial cult, and like Apollo, the son of Zeus, he could also be labeled the Son of God–a perfect title for the beast.

Significance of Locusts

So again, at the start of the Jewish War, Titus was the general of the Fifteenth Legion. With Apollo as its patron, the Fifteenth Legion was suitably nicknamed Apollinaris, a name meaning “devoted to Apollo.” The Fifteenth Legion would always carry an emblem of Apollo or one of his holy animals wherever it went. Guess what one of Apollos holy animals was? The locust. So it is easy to see why the author of Revelation chose locusts to symbolize the soldiers of the Roman army. So “devoted to Titus” was his army that at the taking of the Jewish temple, they unanimously declared him emperor of Rome in fulfillment of v. 11 in which Apollyon is said to have been “king over them.”

Let’s stop here.

Q and A
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