The king of the pit: “ They had a king over them which is the angel of the bottomless pit” --9:11. A king, angel of bottomless pit: The king “ over them” --over this ferocious locust army, was the angel-king of the abyss; he was Satan personified in the persecutor. As in later chapters (12:9-12; 20:2) the dragon-beast, the old serpent, “ was called the Devil, and Satan which deceiveth the whole world,” the king of this army of the abyss was Satan himself, represented in the persecuting power. Undoubtedly, Paul has reference to the persecutor when in Romans 16:20 he said, “ The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” In early chapters reference was made to the “ synagogue of Satan” (2:9); “ Satan’ s seat” (2:13); and the “ depths of Satan” (2:24). The epithet itself means adversary, enemy, accuser. It comports fully with the symbolism of these visions that Satan, angel-king of the abyss, should be personified by the persecutors in this vision. Abaddon, Apollyon: The Hebrew word Abaddon means “ destroyer.” The Greek word Apollyon means the same. The word Satan means “ adversary,” but in this vision the adversary was given power to destroy. Verse 9 above says the power was “ given.” Jesus said to Pilate: “ Thou couldest have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above.” (John 20:11) By reason of this power of destruction personified, the angel-king Destroyer (Abaddon-Apollyon) was so designated. It was most apropos to so entitle the impious leader of such a monstrous army of horrid creatures of the abyss, to thus liken the literal emperor of the Roman world to the figurative king of the underworld. The depths of Satan is the boldest delineation, the personification of whom code language alone could allow, as in a later chapter it was again done in the name and number of the beast. And to so label this monarch of oppression a despot; the destroyer in both of the two spoken languages-- Abaddon and Apollyon, the Hebrew and Greek--was a challenge to boldness which must have excited courage and inspired fortitude in all the suffering saints.