About 95 CE, while in exile on the isle of Patmos, the apostle John was given in vision a glimpse of the end of the age (Rev. 1:10), called the "Day of the Lord" in numerous Old and New Testament Scriptures. During this "day of the Lord's wrath" (Zep. 1:18), God will punish humanity for their proud, sinful ways and their refusal to acknowledge Him as the true God. John recorded the visions he saw in the book of Revelation.
One of those punishments, chronicled in Revelation 9:1-11, will be the release of the depraved demons and fallen angels currently locked in the Abyss. The Bible teaches that the Abyss is a spirit prison (Luke 8:31; I Pet. 3:19; II Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). In the Abyss, some of the fallen angels are now bound in "everlasting chains under darkness" waiting "for the judgment of the great day." For more information on these angels and the Abyss, refer to my articles "Fallen Angels and Demons" and "Genesis 6-Who Were 'The Sons Of God'?."
Abaddon and Apollyon both mean "destroyer." Who is this ruling spirit called the "Destroyer," who is released from the Abyss during God's wrath on mankind in the last days of this age? Does the Bible mention this being anywhere else?
The true identity of the "Destroyer" has long been misunderstood. In this article, I will attempt to piece together all the relevant Scriptures to show who Abaddon/Apollyon really is and what his role will be in end-time prophecy. Most have never realized how much the Bible has to say about this vital end-time figure, who is called by a variety of names.