John lists seven symbolic characteristics in Revelation 9:7-10 to describe the evil spirits that will ascend like locusts from the bottomless pit.¹ The seven characteristics express the perfect and complete evil of these spirit sons of perdition from hell² during the First Woe of the seventh seal.³

The locusts have symbolic breastplates, which some scholars interpret as body armor and modern weaponry.⁴ That interpretation applies to the continuing presence of the unembodied and disembodied spirit sons of perdition (i.e., locusts) on earth during the period of the Second Woe called Armageddon. During the Second Woe, these locust-like spirit sons of perdition⁵ will have influence and control over governments⁶ and earthly armies⁷ which will inspire mortal men to engage in the physical battle of Armageddon.⁸ During the First Woe, however, these evil spirits (locusts)⁹ will only engage in a spiritual battle to torment, tempt, and seal as Satan's own the mortal men and women that do not have the seal of the living God in their forehead.¹⁰

Revelation 9:7: And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

In Revelation 9:7, John states that the evil spirits (locusts) from the bottomless pit were symbolically shaped like unto horses.¹¹ This first of seven characteristics comes from imagery found in the Book of Joel.¹² Anciently, horses were a foremost symbol of war because of the advantage they gave to combatants during battle.¹³ At the start of Passion Week, the Savior rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on a lowly ass to symbolize humility and Jewish kingship,¹⁴ rather than on a horse as a symbolic declaration of war against Rome.¹⁵

Although horses are a symbol of war, these locusts are shaped like unto horses, but they do not kill¹⁶ and they do not represent a physical war. John declares this to be the case because the locusts are merely prepared unto battle.¹⁷ The spiritual darkness from evil spirits (locusts) on earth will have the world prepared unto battle during the five-month period of the First Woe. Physical Armageddon will then follow during the Second Woe.¹⁸ Clearly, the horse-like locusts of the First Woe symbolize evil spirits that prepare the world for Armageddon in the future, not a symbol for mortal armies from the past as some scholars suggest.¹⁹

Crowns like gold and faces of men²⁰ are the second and third characteristics used by John to describe the locusts of the First Woe as deceitful imitators.²¹ A crown of actual gold symbolizes royalty, dominion, and sovereignty.²² But these locusts have counterfeit crowns,²³ with only the appearance of real crowns as it were.²⁴ Similarly, the counterfeit crowns are merely like gold²⁵ rather than real gold. Real gold is a symbol of purity and holiness.²⁶ These fake crowns demonstrate that during the First Woe, evil spirits will rule on earth as though by right,²⁷ even though they have no right to rule.²⁸

The faces of the locusts were as the faces of men,²⁹ which is their greatest counterfeit characteristic.³⁰ They are unembodied and disembodied sons of perdition from the bottomless pit that have a human form³¹ and the faces of men,³² but they are not mortal humans. They only exert control over wicked mortals to the point that their unseen influence is visible in the faces of men who are actual mortals,³³ and who become mortal sons of perdition as they succumb to the spiritual darkness that will accompany the locusts. Evil spirits can deceptively appear to mortals as angels of light,³⁴ but they are filled with darkness.³⁵

Revelation 9:8: And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

The hair of women and teeth of lions are the fourth and fifth characteristics used by John to describe the locusts from hell. Some scholars focus their interpretive attention on the symbolic meaning of the hair on the locusts as a singular image rather than considering the hair in the context of the deadly teeth that are part of the same image.³⁶ However, by express declaration the hair specifically symbolizes the image of women³⁷ and hidden behind the fair and inviting facade of these beautiful women³⁸ are the deadly teeth of lions.³⁹

This collective image means that the locusts from the bottomless pit are like beautiful women that seduce mortal people on earth to commit unspeakable acts of wickedness during the spiritual darkness of the First Woe.⁴⁰ Once these mortals are seduced by the deceptively beautiful women of the First Woe, the deadly teeth of lions will be exposed during the Second Woe of Armageddon that follows. Thus, mortal people who become sons of perdition in the spiritual darkness of the First Woe will literally be destroyed during Physical Armageddon, as if by the deadly teeth of lions. They become the third part of men appointed to die in Revelation 9:18.⁴¹

Revelation 9:9: And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

The locusts of the First Woe have breastplates of iron as their sixth of seven characteristics. Breastplates of iron symbolize the invulnerability of the locusts.⁴² This symbol means that the locusts will have incredible power when the bottomless pit is opened during the First Woe.⁴³ Their power will be like defensive armor to them.⁴⁴ Goodness cannot prevail against the spiritual darkness of the locusts (evil spirits) during the five-month period of the First Woe.⁴⁵

The sound of the locusts is not a physical characteristic. However, the sound they make is another symbolic image borrowed from the book of Joel.⁴⁶ John uses Joel's metaphor to describe the sound of their wings as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.⁴⁷ This means that during the five-month period of the First Woe, the evil spirits from hell and mortals drawn to their banner are running to the battle called Armageddon that will occur during the Second Woe.⁴⁸

Revelation 9:10: And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

The seventh and final characteristic used by John to describe the symbolic locusts from hell is the tails like unto scorpions. This characteristic enhances similar imagery found in Revelation 9:5, where John described the painful sting of the locusts, but not the scorpion tail.⁴⁹ Here, John adds that the locusts have tails like unto scorpions to enhance the imagery of their torment.⁵⁰ The sting from the tails of the scorpions will not kill people during the First Woe in general.⁵¹ However, the sting will torment the wicked⁵² and seal the wicked up to destruction as they align themselves with Satan and refuse to repent during the First Woe.⁵³ Wicked people sealed up to destruction during the First Woe will either die from the deadly teeth of lions during Physical Armageddon because they are mortal sons of perdition⁵⁴ or they will die as telestial-worthy people during the last seven Vial Plagues of the Third Woe.⁵⁵ The timing and manner of their deaths will depend in large measure on the degree of their wickedness and their commitment to Satan displayed during the First Woe.⁵⁶