Apollyon, from Francis Barrett’s The Magus
1. Supposed Region of Existence[]
Global
2. Physiology[]
Abaddon is a demon prince of hell. It has been called the destroyer, king of torment, and angel of the abyss. The Abaddon is also known as the angel of death. It has control of a horde of locusts that resemble horses, with human faces, women's hair, lion's teeth, wings and a scorpion's tail. These locusts have been said to torment a person for five months.
The abaddon rules over the seventh hierarchy of Demons, Erinyes, or Furies; these beings govern powers of evil, discord, war, and devastation.
3. History[]
The Christian scriptures contain the first known depiction of Abaddon as an individual entity instead of a place. In the 3rd century Acts of Thomas; it is a named as a demon or as the devil himself. The Coptic Church sees Abaddon as the Angel of death. Abaddon has an important roles in two sources. "The enthronement of Abbaton by Timothy of Alexandria and the Apocalypse of Bartholomew", these works place Abaddon at the very beginning of the creation of man and the end of times.
In The enthronement of Abbaton, Abaddon was once name Muriel and was tasked with collecting the land used in man's creation. Following this he was called to be the tutor and learned the process of creation from God. Angels, demons and physical beings were afraid of Abaddon. Abaddon began participating in prayer and was promised that any man who was revered in life was capable of salvation from Hell.
In the Apocalypse of Bartholomew, Abaddon will be present at the Tomb of Christ at moment of his return. He also plays a key role in Last Judgement, as it will take the souls to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
Abaddon is mentioned in Revelation 9:11, but the identification of Abaddon is left open to interpretation. Some Biblical scholars believe Abaddon to be the Antichrist or Satan. In Revelation 20: 2 it says he "laid hold of the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.". Which some Theologians have come to believe that Abaddon to be just an angel. The International Bible Students Association (precursor to The Jehovah's Witnesses) believed that Abaddon was another name for Satan. But in the 1917, seventh and final volume of Millennial Dawn. In Which Charles Taze Russell's name was attached (though this is doubted), Abaddon became another name of the resurrected Jesus Christ.
According to the Greek translation of Abaddon into Apollyon. Apollion is a holy angel, servant and messenger of God; but in occult and non canonical writings Abaddon is always seen as evil. The Latin Vulgate as translated in the Douay Rheims Bible has a footnote; in Latin Exterminans is the word for "destroyer."
In the Hebrew Bible, Abaddon appears 6 times in Masoretic text; it means destruction or "place of destruction, or realm of the dead. It has been associated with Sheol.
The Thanksgiving Hymns (which are found in the Dead Sea Scrolls) tell of "the Sheol of Abaddon" and the "torrents of Belial burst into Abaddon." The Biblical Antiquities mentions Abaddon as a place as well. Not being a spirit of any kind. Though Abaddon is a compartment in Gehenna. Meaning it could be a plane of lost souls, or possibly Hell.
In some Rabbinical literature, Abaddon is identified as a realm where the "damned" lie in fire and snow. It was one of the places in "Hell" that Moses visited.
4. Evidence[]
None, other ancient literary documentation.
5. Possibility of Existence[]
1. Not probable: As there is no physical evidence.