9:7 John proceeded to describe the creatures he saw from head to tail. Some interpreters view these beings as natural locusts while others believe they represent an army of men. Locusts resemble horses when viewed with magnification. However, John's description of these creatures seems to indicate that they were unusually grotesque and frightening (cf. Joel 2:4). Their crowns (Gr. stephanos) probably symbolize their victory over the objects of their oppression. Their resemblance to men suggests their intelligence, but clearly they are not men (cf. vv. 3-4).
9:8 The antennae of locusts are not hair, and while they have hair on their legs the comparison with the hair of women suggests hair on their heads. Perhaps the reference to hair like women's, presumable long hair, is to convey their wildness.
"An old Arab proverb is often quoted which says that the locust has 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."327
Long hair in biblical times was a sign of glory, so perhaps they have some glory. Lion-like teeth denote voracity.
9:9 Their iron breastplates, which covered the chest and back in John's day, gave them the appearance of invulnerability (cf. v. 17).328The sound of their activity will be terrifying, as the sound of battle is (cf. Joel 2:4-5; 2 Kings 7:6; Jer. 47:3). Indeed their sound signifies battle with earth-dwellers.
9:10 Their ability and their mission to sting people also suggest abnormal characteristics. This verse reprises verse 5. The repetition serves to stress the awfulness of their power to hurt people.
9:11 Their king is the (leading) angel of the abyss. This is further confirmation that the locusts represent demons. The names "Abaddon"in Hebrew and "Apollyon"in Greek both mean "destroyer."329The objective of these demons is to destroy people. God grants this lead creature permission here to carry out his objective against unbelievers as part of God's outpouring of wrath on earth-dwellers (cf. Job 2:6). Probably we should identify this angel as one of the hierarchy of fallen angels that emerges from the abyss with the other demons (cf. Eph. 6:12).330The revelation of his name simply expresses his objective. Identifying him as Satan is tempting,331but the text only calls him an angel. The appearance of Satan later (12:3, 9) is much more dramatic than the introduction of this angel.
