A key unlocks the shaft of the Abyss,
Smoke pours out and blocks the sun,
Out of the smoke come tortuous locusts,
All hail their king, the angel Apollyon.

Their teeth are fierce like teeth of a lion,
Their faces look like that of a human,
Their breastplates look like they are made of iron,
Their hair appears like hair of a woman.

They sting their victims like a scorpion,
They don’t kill—only inflict serious pain,
The locusts never attack God’s children,
Their time is limited—a five month reign.

People wish for death but never receive
That’s prophecy for those who don’t believe.

This poem is inspired by Revelation 9.