THE ANGEL OF THE ABYSS (REV 9:11) IN JOHN'S THEOPOLITICS

The Church of Christ is seemingly misreading Revelation 9:11.This has apparently promoted levity among Christians toward obeyingChrist's command for the Church to back out of the world's political ideology of imperialism that is today sadly championed by the predominantly Christian West. Revelation is a political tract. John composed it with various literary genres, one ofwhich is fable-employing metaphorical creatures to powerfully drive home his theopolitical message. John writes about a star that had descendedfrom heaven to earth. It receives the key to the passageway of the abyss, opens it and lets out a horde of locustarmy which torments rebels in God's government. In John's fable the locusts have a commander, "the Angel of the Abyss," most likely linkinghim with the Star that is given the key to the abyss. Parodying,John calls him Apollyon-Destroyer-indicating his function in God's war against evil powers usurpinghis world government.