NOTES for Rev 9:1-12
Earlier the power of the Kingdom affected only the elements of nature. That effect was, of course, partly destructive, but its goal was not the annihilation of the world at all, but its cleansing: it is no accident that all the destructive effects that occurred at the sound of the first four angels' trumpets touched only a third of the part of creation toward which they were directed. Now, however, God's action touches not nature, even nature damaged by sin, but the very source of sin: the devil and the dark powers that act on his side and under his command. It is no accident that the "locusts" that appear at the sound of the fifth angel's trumpet are said to have as their "king" the "angel of the abyss," the ruler of the underworld, whose name, in both Greek and Hebrew, means "destroyer" (v. 11). And they come from a place called "the shaft of the abyss" (vv. 1-3). The corresponding Greek word does not mean simply an abyss or a pit; in Greek mythology it was associated with the underground realm, the world of shades, and especially with its darkest part, which was the dwelling place of the lord of the lower world, called in the Book of Revelation the "angel of the abyss." Of course, these beings who came out of the underworld resembled the locusts known in our world only in part. Their fantastic appearance most of all recalls the images of traditional demonology in ancient Near Eastern cultures (vv. 7-10).
Yet the sufferings they inflict on people, as John describes them, are entirely real, so real that those who endure them would be glad to die; nevertheless, the torments they experience do not lead to death (vv. 5-6). This may refer not to physical torments, though they are compared to the effects of a scorpion's sting, since a scorpion's sting is deadly for a human being. Before dying, however, the person who has been stung writhes in painful convulsions, barely aware of himself: that is how the scorpion's venom works on him. These convulsions partly resemble the convulsions of the possessed, and in describing what he saw, the apostle was using a comparison that his readers understood well.
It is worth noting that the "locusts" he describes, unlike real locusts, show no interest in grass, the main food of their earthly model (v. 4). It is no surprise that the power of these spirits of darkness that have broken out of the underworld extends only over those who are not sealed with the "seal of God": only those who lack a true, living, and firm union with God are open to the influence of the dark powers. And while faith and trust are needed for a relationship with God, the devil needs neither one: he needs only access to the human heart, and he has no intention of respecting human freedom.