John sees two scenes in Revelation 9: A swarm of macabre cherubim arises from the abyss, and then four angels are permitted to release a massive army from the Euphrates. Both armies are described in some detail, and the organization of the descriptions are intricately structured. This post furthers some reflections posted earlier this week.
First, we can note the structural parallels between John’s description of the “locorpions” and his sketch of the hippolions. Both descriptions begin and end by speaking of the creatures’ resemblance to horses. Here is a detailed comparison:
