Revelation 9:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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,

NIV: The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.

NASB: The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like human faces.

CSB: The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. Something like golden crowns was on their heads; their faces were like human faces;

NLT: The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. They had what looked like gold crowns on their heads, and their faces looked like human faces.

KJV: And the shapes of the locusts were 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.

NKJV: The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men.

In this verse the apostle John begins his description of the demonic locusts that Satan released from the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:1–6). John compares them to horses equipped for warfare; the relationship to war is more noteworthy than the relationship to horses, since a typical locust's head vaguely resembles that of a horse, naturally. These beings are also said to have faces like those of people.

These creatures have something on their heads that looks like a crown or crowns. This might be a colored band with a shiny golden hue, hair or bristles, or a literal article of clothing.

The scene pictures the locusts as powerful invaders. Joel chapters 1 and 2 provide a similar description of locusts prophesied to invade Israel in the day of the Lord. Also, Joel refers to the locusts' attack with the image of an invasion by a ferocious army from the north (Joel 2:20). Many interpreters believe Ezekiel 38:1–16 describes this invading army as Russia and her allies. Daniel 11:40–45 also predicts an invasion into Israel by a powerful northern aggressor. If these are identical, the demonic locusts will control this northern army, and direct it across the Euphrates to invade Israel (Revelation 9:14–16).

It seems God will use this invasion to chastise the world, and Israel in particular, for its idolatrous worship of the Head of the Revived Roman Empire (Revelation 13:13–15). We know He brought the Babylonian army into Judah in 586 BC because of her idolatry (2 Kings 22:16–17; 2 Chronicles 36:11–17).

Revelation 9:7–12 more thoroughly describes the locust-like beings which ascend from the bottomless pit. They appear like horses galloping into battle. They have something on their heads resembling crowns. Their faces are humanlike; their hair is like women's hair; and they have teeth like lions' teeth. Their chests seem to be iron plated, and the noise of their wings sounds like chariots and horses rushing into battle. They torment humans for five months, and their leader is Apollyon. Joel 2:1–11 prophesies an invasion of locusts, sharing similarities to the description in this passage, and adding details some suggest are references to modern machines of war.

Revelation 9 tells us that under the fifth trumpet judgment John sees a star fall from heaven to earth. This ''star'' is Satan, and he is given the key to the bottomless pit. Using this key, Satan unleashes a plague of supernatural demons resembling locusts. They torment unbelievers for five months with such pain that people seek death unsuccessfully. They appear like horses prepared for battle, and they have a king, whose name is Apollyon, meaning ''Destroyer.'' Under the sixth trumpet judgment John sees four angels released from the Euphrates river. Their release coincides with a horde of two hundred million demonic mounted troops that kill a third of mankind. However, the survivors refuse to abandon their idolatry and to repent of their evil deeds.

The ninth chapter of Revelation continues the report of what happens when the seven angels blow their trumpets. Chapter 8 described the first four trumpet judgments; chapter 9 reports the fifth and sixth. The events in chapter 9 are much more severe than those which came before. The severity of judgments increases dramatically with each trumpet blast. These judgments precede the final series of events, called the bowl judgments. Revelation chapters 15 and 16 will reveal what happens under these judgments.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''