The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth.  The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.  When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace.  The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.  And out of the smoke locusts came down 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 the seal of God on their foreheads.  (Revelation 9:1-4)

They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months.  And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man.  During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.  The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle.  On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.  (Revelation 9:5-7)

Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth like lion's teeth.  They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.  They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.  They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.  (Revelation 9:8-11)

This judgment seems very scary.  It has to be because it is THE FIRST WOE.  There is a star falling from heaven and he has the keys to the Abyss.  Some people say that the star is probably an angel carrying out God's will or it could also be Satan or one of his agents.  The fact remains that God is the one who gives the key so he is permitting the terrifying events to occur.  The Abyss is the dwelling place for the dead (Romans 10:7) or demons (Luke 8:31).  After the Abyss is opened up, the sun and sky is darkened and locusts came out of the Abyss and came down upon the earth.  

These locusts are locusts but not the kind that we've seen on earth.  These locusts are demons with the power of scorpions to inflict pain on those without the mark of God for five months.  These locusts will be forced to carry out God's will.  They will have to inflict pain on nonbelievers even though they really want to hurt the believers.  This event shows that the Tribulation Saints will be marked by God before the Antichrist marks his followers.  So the locusts will know that they should attack those without God's mark.  

Unbelievers cannot hide from these demon for they will get into their house or apartment in anyway they can.  The interesting thing is that many will attempt suicide but will not be successful so they will live with more pain because of the locusts and the suicide wound.  So no unbeliever will escape from this unless they turn over to Jesus Christ.  The description of the locust are they look like horses with crowns of gold, with a human face with woman's hair, and having the teeth of a lion.  They will have breastplates of iron and their wings having the sound of chariots and horses.  Finally they will have the tails and stings like scorpions.  So these are weird yet frightening creatures. 

Who is Apollyon?  Apollyon means destroyer.  He is either a chief demon who is in charge of those "locust demons" which sheds light that Satan's army is organized with a hierarchy just like God's army (He tries to imitate God).  Or Apollyon could actually be Satan himself. 

This frightening judgment will testify to the fact that God is in control and that those that are LEFT BEHIND that are believers will just have to put their trust in Jesus during that judgment and the rest of the SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION.  Apollyon is going to be an exciting book.  I can't wait to get it.