Topical Encyclopedia
The term "Destroyer" in the Bible is often associated with divine judgment and the execution of God's wrath against sin and disobedience. It is used to describe both angelic beings and metaphorical forces that carry out destruction as part of God's sovereign plan.
Old Testament References1.
Exodus 12:23: The most notable mention of the "Destroyer" is found in the account of the Passover in Egypt. The Destroyer is the agent of God's judgment who strikes down the firstborn of Egypt. The passage states, "For the LORD will pass through to strike down the Egyptians, and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you down" . Here, the Destroyer is seen as an instrument of divine retribution, sparing those who are under the protection of the blood of the lamb.
2.
2 Samuel 24:16: In the account of David's census, the Destroyer is an angel sent by God to bring a plague upon Israel as a consequence of David's sin. "But when the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, 'Enough! Withdraw your hand now!' The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite" . This passage highlights the role of the Destroyer as an executor of divine judgment, yet also shows God's mercy in relenting from complete destruction.
3.
Isaiah 54:16: The term is used metaphorically to describe the creation of instruments of destruction. "Behold, I have created the craftsman who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its task. And I have created the destroyer to wreak havoc" . This indicates God's sovereignty over all forces, including those that bring about destruction.
New Testament References1.
1 Corinthians 10:10: The Apostle Paul warns the Corinthians against grumbling, referencing the Destroyer as a reminder of God's past judgments. "And do not grumble, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel" . This serves as a cautionary example, urging believers to live in obedience and faithfulness to God.
2.
Revelation 9:11: In the apocalyptic vision of John, the Destroyer is personified as Abaddon in Hebrew, or Apollyon in Greek, meaning "Destroyer." "They have as king over them the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek it is Apollyon" . This figure is associated with the unleashing of demonic forces during the end times, symbolizing ultimate destruction and chaos.
Theological SignificanceThe concept of the Destroyer underscores the seriousness of sin and the reality of divine judgment. It serves as a reminder of God's holiness and justice, as well as His mercy and provision for salvation. The Passover account, in particular, foreshadows the redemptive work of Christ, the Lamb of God, whose blood protects believers from the ultimate destruction of sin and death. The presence of the Destroyer in both historical and eschatological contexts emphasizes the ongoing spiritual battle and the ultimate victory of God's kingdom.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(
Exodus 12:23), the agent employed in the killing of the first-born; the destroying angel or messenger of God. (Comp.
2 Kings 19:35;
2 Samuel 24:15, 16;
Psalm 78:49;
Acts 12:23.)
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
n.) One who destroys, ruins, kills, or desolates.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
DESTROYERde-stroi'-er: In several passages the word designates a supernatural agent of destruction, or destroying angel, executing Divine judgment.
(1) InExodus 12:23, of the "destroyer" who smote the first-born in Egypt, again referred to under the same title inHebrews 11:28 the Revised Version (British and American) (the King James Version "he that destroyed").
(2) InJob 33:22, "the destroyers" (literally, "they that cause to die") = the angels of death that are ready to take away a man's life during severe illness. No exact parallel to this is found in the Old Testament. The nearest approach is "the angel that destroyed the people" by pestilence (2 Samuel 24:16, 17 parallel1 Chronicles 21:15, 16); the angel that smote the Assyrians (2 Kings 19:35 =Isaiah 37:36 parallel2 Chronicles 32:21); "angels of evil" (Psalm 78:49).
(3) In the Apocrypha, "the destroyer" is once referred to as "the minister of punishment" (Revised Version; literally, "him who was punishing"), who brought death into the world (The Wisdom of Solomon 18:22-25).
(4) In1 Corinthians 10:10, "the destroyer" is the angelic agent to whose instrumentality Paul attributes the plague ofNumbers 16:46-49.
In later Jewish theology (the Targums and Midrash), the "destroyer" or "angel of death" appears under the name Sammael (i.e. the poison of God), who was once an arch-angel before the throne of God, and who caused the serpent to tempt Eve. According to Weber, he is not to be distinguished from Satan. The chief distinction between the "destroyer" of early thought and the Sammael of later Judaism is that the former was regarded as the emissary of Yahweh, and subservient to His will, and sometimes was not clearly distinguished from Yahweh Himself, whereas the latter was regarded as a perfectly distinct individuality, acting in independence or semi-independence, and from purely malicious and evil motives. The change was largely due to the influence of Persian dualism, which made good and evil to be independent powers.
D. Miall Edwards
Greek
3644. olothreutes -- adestroyer... a
destroyer. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: olothreutes Phonetic
Spelling: (ol-oth-ryoo-tace') Short Definition: a
destroyer Definition: a
...623. Apolluon -- "adestroyer," Apollyon, the angel of the abyss
... "adestroyer," Apollyon, the... Word Origin active participle of apollumi Definition
"adestroyer," Apollyon, the angel of the abyss NASB Word Usage Apollyon (1)....
3. Abaddon -- Abaddon, the angel of the abyss
... Proper Noun, Indeclinable Transliteration: Abaddon Phonetic Spelling: (ab-ad-dohn')
Short Definition: Abaddon Definition: Abaddon,Destroyer (ie Destroying...
Strong's Hebrew
7703. shadad -- to deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin... ruin NASB Word Usage assaults (1), completely destroyed (1), dead (1), desolate
(1), despoil (1), destroy (7), destroyed (12),
destroyer (9),
destroyer still
...8154. shasah -- to spoil, plunder
...destroyer, rob, spoiler. Or shasah (Isa. 10:13) {shaw-saw'}; a primitive root;
to plunder --destroyer, rob, spoil(-er). 8153, 8154....
6530. parits -- violent one
...destroyer, ravenous, robber. From parats; violent, ie A tyrant --destroyer, ravenous,
robber. see HEBREW parats. 6529, 6530. parits. 6531 . Strong's Numbers
7843. shachath -- perhaps to go to ruin
... corruptly (1), acting corruptly (1), blemished animal (1), corrupt (8), corrupted
(4), depravity (1), destroy (69), destroyed (14),destroyer (4), destroyers (1...
2717. charab -- to be dry or dried up
... Spelling: (khaw-rab') Short Definition: decay. decay, be desolate,destroyer,
be dry up, slay, surely, lay, lie, Or chareb {khaw-rabe'}; a...
1189. Baal Tsephon -- "Baal of winter," a place in Egypt
... From Ba'al and tsaphown (in the sense of cold) (according to others an Egyptian
form of Typhon, thedestroyer); Baal of winter; Baal-Tsephon, a place in Eqypt...
4191. muth -- to die
... 16), surely* (1), took life (2). crying, be dead body, man, one, put to, worthy
of death,destroyer,. A primitive root: to die (literally...
2717b. chareb -- to be waste or desolate
... root Definition to be waste or desolate NASB Word Usage become waste (2), desolate
(4),destroyer (1), devastated (3), devastators (1), laid waste (5), lay...
Library
TheDestroyer Destroyed
... TheDestroyer Destroyed. A Sermon (No.166). Delivered on Sabbath Morning, December
6, 1857, by the. REV. CH SPURGEON. at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens....
The SwiftDestroyer
... GENESIS THE SWIFTDESTROYER. 'And when the morning arose, then the angels
hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two...
Antichrist in Jeremiah
... The Lion is come up from his thicket, and theDestroyer of the Gentiles is on his
way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy...
John Chapter xi. 55-57; xii
... And that sealing"for it had a real significance"was said to keep away thedestroyer
from the houses that were sealed: [1008] Christ's seal drives away the...
Death, the Friend
... Some of you may have seen two very striking engravings by a great, though somewhat
unknown artist, representing Death as theDestroyer, and Death as the Friend...
Letter vi. Temptation.
... power. He is also calleddestroyer; and is said to walk about, seeking whom
he may devour.... H]. [Footnote G: Abaddon signifiesdestroyer.]....
The Scope of the Apocalypse is Indicated by Its Place in the...
... Fourth, he is seen with his mask off, depicted as one whose name is Death and
Hades, that is, as theDestroyer of men's bodies and souls....
Out of St. Luke's Fifth ChapterAre Found Proofs of Christ's...
... For if he has persevered in his goodness, he will never become adestroyer of the
law; nor will he ever be accounted as belonging to another god, because there...
Avoid Schismatics.
... Keep yourselves, then, from those evil plants which Jesus Christ does not tend,
but that wild beast, thedestroyer of men, because they are not the planting of...
Introduction
... Rod" of God's anger (10:5); then as "the Wicked" (11:4); then as "the King of Babylon"
(14:11-20 and cf 30:31-33); and also as the "Spoiler" "Destroyer (16:4...
Thesaurus
Destroyer (23 Occurrences)...DESTROYER.
... (4) In 1 Corinthians 10:10, "the
destroyer" is the angelic agent to whose
instrumentality Paul attributes the plague of Numbers 16:46-49.
...Destroys (23 Occurrences)
... Proverbs 18:9 Even one that is slack in his work is brother to him that is adestroyer....
The treacherous man deals treacherously, and thedestroyer destroys....
Apollyon (1 Occurrence)
...Destroyer, the name given to the king of the hosts represented by the locusts
(Revelation 9:11).... (n.) TheDestroyer; -- a name used (Rev. ix....
Abaddon (7 Occurrences)
... Destruction, the Hebrew name (equivalent to the Greek Apollyon, ie,destroyer)
of "the angel of the bottomless pit" (Revelation 9:11)....
Terrors (21 Occurrences)
... afraid. (See NIV). Job 15:21 A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity
thedestroyer shall come on him. (WEB JPS ASV DBY). Job...
Treaders (3 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 16:4 Sojourn in thee do My outcasts, O Moab, Be a secret hiding-place to
them, From the face of adestroyer, For ceased hath the extortioner, Finished...
Shelter (36 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 16:4 Sojourn in thee do My outcasts, O Moab, Be a secret hiding-place to
them, From the face of adestroyer, For ceased hath the extortioner, Finished...
Sojourn (51 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 16:4 Sojourn in thee do My outcasts, O Moab, Be a secret hiding-place to
them, From the face of adestroyer, For ceased hath the extortioner, Finished...
Ruined (65 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 48:8 Thedestroyer shall come on every city, and no city shall escape;
the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed; as Yahweh has...
Destroyers (17 Occurrences)
Resources
Who is the destroying angel? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the Passover Lamb? How is Jesus our Passover Lamb? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the Hindu Trimurti? How is it different from the Christian Trinity? | GotQuestions.orgDestroyer: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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