In the biblical book of Revelation, we are introduced to the concept of a demonic angel named Abaddon. Abaddon is considered one of the many “kings” (or angels) of an abyss. These demons were used as enemies during Biblical times and in many cases these demons represented perils or destructive forces plaguing humanity. This article seeks to define what Abaddon is, where it originated and what role it has played throughout the span of human existence.
Abaddon is referred to in the Hebrew Bible as both a place of destruction and an angel or demon that brings death. The word, found three times in the Greek translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint (LXX) and once in the Latin Vulgate translation (Apocalypse 9:11), is often associated with “place of destruction” and “destruction” when describing events leading up to Armageddon. Learn about; Apollyon meaning, Abaddon meaning in Hebrew.
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Abaddon In The Bible
The Bible is one of the most popular books in the world, and it’s no surprise why. The stories, characters and lessons are captivating and timeless.
But what about all of the strange names? Where do they come from? How do they work? And how do they fit into the story? In the Book of Revelation of the New Testament, an angel called Abaddon is described as the king of an army of locusts; his name is first transcribed in Koine Greek (Revelation 9:11—”whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon,”) as Ἀβαδδών, and then translated Ἀπολλύων, Apollyon.
In this article we’ll explore some of the more obscure names in the Bible—including Abaddon.
What Is Abaddon
Abaddon is a Hebrew word that means “destroyer.” In Revelation 9:11 (NIV), Abaddon is referred to as “the king of demons.” But what does that mean? What kind of demon is he? And who is he associated with?
The answer lies in another name that appears in Revelation 9:11: Beelzebub, who is often thought of as Satan or Lucifer himself. When Jesus was on earth, he cast out demons using his power over them; however, if Jesus had defeated Beelzebub and his demons during his time here on earth, how could there still be any left after his death and resurrection? The answer lies in another name that appears in Revelation 9:11: Ab
The Bible is a book of thousands of stories, but there are some that just stick out. One of those stories is about Abaddon.
The Bible tells us that Abaddon was a king of the Philistines and an enemy of King David. He was also known as Apollyon or Appolyon.
But what does it mean? What does it say about Abaddon?
Abaddon means “destroyer” or “destruction.” It’s a word used in Revelation 9:11 to describe the angel who will come down from Heaven with the key to the Abyss and unleash plagues upon Earth. It’s also used in Revelation 9:11-13 to describe the locusts who emerge from this angel’s mouth and sting humans with their tails, killing them instantly.
Right here on Churchgists, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on abaddon meaning in hebrew, is abaddon an angel, apollyon meaning, and so much more. Take out time to visit our Website for more information on similar topics.
Abaddon In The Bible
In the Bible Abaddon refers to “the angel of the bottomless pit.”
Abaddon is the angel of the bottomless pit. Abaddon also refers to death, destruction and the underworld or hell in general. In Revelation 9:11 it states: “They had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon” (Revelation 16:14).
In addition to this reference, you can find more about Abaddon by reading about him in other books of Scripture such as Isaiah 24:17–20 and Ezekiel 26:19–21 where he is described as being a fallen angel who has been sent from God to destroy mankind due to their sinfulness and rebellion against Him.
Abaddon meaning in hebrew
Abaddon is Hebrew for destroyer, while Apollyon is Greek for the same thing.
While the word Abaddon is used in the Old Testament and Apollyon is used in the New Testament, both words mean destroyer. Apollyon is a Greek word for destroyer, which was derived from Abaddon. This makes sense because when these texts were written down, they would have been translated from one language to another.
This angel is seen in Revelation 9, causing a fifth of the earth’s population to be killed along with killing the rest of humanity with plagues and diseases.
Abaddon is described as the angel of death and destruction. He is also known as Apollyon and Abad-Din. The bible describes him as an angel who brings hunger, leprosy, and locusts upon humans.
This is what Revelation 9 says about Abaddon:
“Then locusts came upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have God’s seal on their foreheads.”
“The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.”
This angel has helps spur wars, plagues and other disasters in the Old Testament.
- Deuteronomy 32:24
- Job 3:8
- Psalms 76:12, 89:5, 89:6 and 89:7-9
- Proverbs 16:4 and Proverbs 17:19.
- Ecclesiastes 8:11
- Isaiah 24 and Isaiah 26.
The name Abaddon isn’t a proper noun and doesn’t apply to any particular individual or demon.
Abaddon is not the name of a demon, angel, or human. Abaddon is the title of a position within Heaven. The word abaddon means “destruction” or “ruin.” This title refers to an angel who’s in charge of destroying things like crops, animals and people as punishment for wrongdoing on Earth. To say that abaddon is another name for Satan would be like saying that Hades is another name for Satan because both have similar titles: ruler over hell or ruler over destruction (Hades).
Taken all together, these two verses confirm that while there are many references to “Satan” throughout Scripture (and even one reference to “the Devil”), these terms do not refer exclusively or even primarily to some single individual being; rather they are descriptions of particular roles within God’s kingdom—roles which can be filled by many different individuals at different times in history depending upon their capacities at any given moment.
Abaddon is not a proper name but an epithet for evil angels, humans and demons.
Abaddon is the Hebrew name for a place of destruction, and it is not a proper name when used in the Bible. It’s an epithet—a word or phrase that describes something in particular. When you see Abaddon in scripture, it should be translated as “destruction,” or “place of destruction.”
When applied to angels, Abaddon means “the angel of the bottomless pit.” When applied to humans or demons, it means “destroyer” or “death” (instead of life). This isn’t surprising considering what we know about Lucifer’s role as a deceiver: his purpose is to deceive mankind into following him instead of God.
Apollyon meaning
There are several names in the Bible for Satan and his minions. One of these is “the Apollyon,” which might refer to Satan or to a high-ranking demon. The name “Apollyon” is the Greek for “Abaddon” meaning “Destroyer.”
We see this name mentioned in Revelation 9: “They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer)” (Revelation 9:11).
Context of Revelation 9:11
Immediately after the fifth angel blew his trumpet, a star fell from “the sky to the earth” (Revelation 9:1). This star “opened the Abyss” (Revelation 9:2), unleashing a battalion of demonic soldiers likened to a plague of locusts (Revelation 9:3) resembling “horses prepared for battle” (Revelation 9:7).
By this time there had already been “hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.” Next, “something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.” (Revelation 8:7-9).
This is the beginning of the end in which Satan and his demonic forces will be unleashed. He will be permitted to take those who reject Christ as King during the cleansing of the whole earth to make way for a “new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1).
Abaddon appears in some versions of the Old Testament (BSB, ESV, NASB), or as “Destruction” in others (NIV, KJV, NLT). We see him in Job 26:6 and Proverbs 15:11. As Job describes God’s wondrous power, he declares that “the realm of the dead is naked before God; Destruction lies uncovered” (Job 26:6). The realm of the dead is Sheol or Hell and even this place is helpless before Almighty God.
Historical Context
John “is making a bold spiritual and political statement” in Revelation by referring to both Abaddon (Hebrew) and Apollyon (Greek). The Greek evokes Apollo, a god whom the Romans worshiped. The cult of Apollo used the symbol of the locust.”
The disciples of Christ lived during a time when Rome controlled much of the known world. John had experienced persecution “under Domitian.” John was “taken to Rome, and there, by his boldness, though not by death, gain[ed] the crown of martyrdom” by being boiled in oil. This did not kill him, so John was “sent to labor in the mines.”
By naming the Destroyer “Apollyon” and with the imagery of locusts, “John is effectively saying that the Roman Empire is ruled by the forces of Hell” because “the emperors Caligula, Nero and Domitian considered themselves to be incarnations of Apollo.
Who Is the Destroyer
One writer says, “there is no doubt this is also Satan, the Devil himself.” On the other hand, many theologians remain unsure. “Some make him […] to be only one of Satan’s many evil subordinates.” John might have thought that the Roman Emperor was the Apollyon and his language certainly suggests as much. Christians continue to watch for the Destroyer and anticipate Christ’s return. We do not know where the Destroyer will come from, but we do know:
- He will be a good actor. There are highly convincing false prophets out there today, and Abaddon will be the ultimate false prophet. By his smooth words, this liar will lead many people astray. Jesus says, “be aware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). “False teachers” will “secretly bring in destructive heresies” (2 Peter 2:1). Christians are warned to be on their guard against these smooth-talking, but deadly impersonators of Christ’s returned.
- God is ultimately in control. Our Father in Heaven is not the destroyer, but “God himself has brought about this destruction as part of his righteous judgment.” While Satan is “evil and powerful,” he is “not all-powerful.” Abaddon does not have full command over the demons of Hell, those locusts emerging from the abyss.
They are permitted “to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who [do] not have the seal of God on their foreheads” (Revelation 9:4). Even then, the locusts can only torture but not kill their victims. Who holds them back? “Even at his most virulent” the Destroyer “cannot escape God’s control.”
- The Destroyer’s exploits will not wake everyone up. This is a heartbreaking reality. Living obediently and lovingly before Christ will fail to get the attention of unbelievers. They will see what Abaddon does to the rest of the world but remain unconvinced that Christ is Lord. “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Even after “a third of mankind was killed,” those who remained “did not repent of the work of their hands” or “stop worshiping demons, and […] idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts” (Revelation 9:18, 20-21). God’s “image bearers charge that God is unfair” when He brings judgment, and they “drift away from him” when times are good.
Even when Abaddon’s destruction is unleashed, many men and women will prefer to die in their sin than repent. “How desperately we would like to believe that in the face of coming judgment, all lost men and women will cry out to God.”
Instead, they worship idols. They celebrate the “lives of celebrities” for example, which stand in “complete contempt of God:” Lives that might even be “sad, lonely, drug-filled, [and] immoral.”
- Abaddon will not destroy God’s people. For Christians, the Holy Spirit is like the lamb’s blood Israel painted on door frames to protect their sons from death — not from suffering, but from eternal destruction. Revelation says that everyone will receive either a mark from God (Revelation 9:4) or the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:17).
This is probably the invisible mark of loyalty made plain by worship. “Everyone who isn’t a Christian” will “belong to the beast” and be “loyal to him.” But, “if you have the name of Jesus and God the Father written on your forehead, it simply means that they own you, that you belong to them, that you are loyal to the Lord God Almighty.”
- There is hope. “Only the light of Christ, the power of the Spirit and the love of the Father can deal with the darkness. We are heading into the Abyss. Only Christ can save us.” Since they first met secretly in the upper rooms of people’s homes, Christians have faced everything from hurtful rejection by hard-hearted unbelievers to torture and martyrdom.
But when Apollyon comes, persecution will spread alarmingly. No Christian will remain untouched. As frightening as this sounds, we already know how to defend ourselves against the darkness — by submitting to protection by Christ alone. It’s true that “only Christ can save us,” so we don’t need to seek refuge in our own strength. God has revealed the nature of defense: “the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11).
Do Not Worry: Prepare
God has not given us a “spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but” instead we are given “the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15). As sons and daughters of the Most High, we are heirs to the future Kingdom but also to His power now. That power — our armor — is greater than the powers of sin and death over our lives.
We can gird ourselves for the coming tribulation by prioritizing our time to read Scripture and to pray so that we might learn how to identify Christ and reject the Destroyer; learn to trust the promises of God so as not to fear the day of tribulation or be deceived by the cunning of Abaddon. “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:6).
There is no doubt in your mind that Abaddon is evil, and you want to keep yourself away from Abaddon’s influence. That’s why we recommend learning more about the Bible and how it can help you avoid falling into sin. If you are interested, please check out our free online Bible study course today!
