9 Demons in the Bible Explained: Wormwood, Abaddon & the Hidden Powers Behind Pagan Gods

Almost all the entities covered here are fallen angels.

For the sake of simplicity, I have separated them into categories, but the groupings are somewhat artificial and overlapping. The star-angel connection we’ve already discussed will become more pronounced, however, as we explore some angels not named earlier. One of those angels is Wormwood. (His name says it all!) Here is what the Holy Spirit revealed to John about this particular heavenly creature:

Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter (Revelation 8:10-11)

The Greek word translated star in this case points to a heavenly body, but an almost identical word is used in Acts 7:43 to draw a connection between stars and gods.

Wormwood’s assignment highlights Satan’s appetite for killing. Contrast Wormwood’s story with another account involving bad water: When the Israelites in the wilderness were distressed over the bitter waters of Marah (Exodus 15), the Lord told Moses how to sweeten the water and meet the people’s need. Human well-being is clearly not Wormwood’s department—mass casualties, rather, are more in keeping with this particular angel’s style!

Another angel has a similar bent. Do you remember the star that fell from Heaven and was given the key to the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:1)? He opens the pit, and John then describes the demonic locust-like creatures contained within, highlighting their king, the “angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon” (Revelation 9:11). The fallen star “opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth…” (Revelation 9:2-3).

What a grotesque scene! Abaddon means “destruction” and Apollyon means “destroyer.” To the Western mind, destruction is an event, but in this case, it is a celestial personality whose name describes his assignment. In other words, Abaddon’s name perfectly indicates his sole purpose and function: to destroy.

He’s not the only destroyer in Scripture, though. God actually has one (or more) of His own—a holy one, of course. When Moses prepared Israel’s elders for the first Passover, he said, “…the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you” (Exodus 12:23). The destroyer Moses mentioned is not a fallen angel, but one whose sole assignment is to destroy at God’s command. This is not the angel of death, however. (Although there may be an angel or angels of death, I don’t find that title anywhere in Scripture.)

Remember, angels are hierarchical. God’s destroying angel—and no doubt Abaddon, too—likely has a team of angels, just as the archangel Michael has military angels under his command. It was the angel of the Lord who destroyed 185,000 Assyrians in 2 Kings 19:35. Jeremiah 4:7 (KJV) identifies the “destroyer of the Gentiles” (literally, “of nations”), who clearly is an angel as well. And Paul mentions yet another destroying angel in the New Testament when he warns the early Church not to murmur as some Israelites did in the wilderness, “and were destroyed by the destroyer” (1 Corinthians 10:10). God also commissioned His destroyer when David numbered Israel:

When the angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (2 Samuel 24:16).

Note, none of these are the fallen angel Abaddon, or his fallen angel friend, Maveth, who appears in the New Testament under the Greek name Thanatos (Death). Paul used this Greek name when he wrote: “The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26), and clearly personified it in 1 Corinthians 15:55: “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” Thanatos, in other words, is the grim reaper!

Thanatos is a good example of how fallen angels in Scripture are also known in world culture. This same heavenly creature, with the same name, serves as the personification of death in Greek mythology. He has further inspired the Marvel comics baddie, “Thanos,” an “eternal,” also known as the Mad Titan, who falls in love with the feminine personification of death.

According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, the name of Thanatos’ other friend, Hades, also crosses over and is associated with Pluto, the Roman god of the lower regions. The Greeks also revere Hades as their god of the underworld.

The biblical and mythological grim reaper keeps some rotten company! In mythology, his brother is Hypnos (Sleep), who holds “enormous power” over the mighty Zeus. His mother, Nyx, is known as a “deity of the night”; his wife is Pasithea, “the deity of hallucinations.” Nice bunch, right? And in order to marry Pasithea, Hypnos blackmailed Hera, Zeus’ sister-wife.

The trick was connected to the Trojan War featured in Homer’s Iliad and is thought by many scholars to have some basis in fact. That means fallen angels actually have affected world history!

Scripture repeatedly shows these entities to be personalities. Job records a conversation involving Abaddon (Destruction) and Maveth, aka Thanatos (Death):

From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the air. Destruction and Death [Abaddon and Maveth] say, “We have heard a report about it with our ears” (Job 28:20-22)

In other words, “We, the angels known as Destruction and Death, didn’t see it with our own eyes. We heard it through the grapevine.”

Lieutenant Death

Just as Belial and Beelzebub are often assumed to be names for Satan, so too is Death. The assumption contains a germ of truth: The name belongs to a creature. But like lieutenants Belial and Beelzebub, Death also is a lieutenant—with excellent job security.

Pagan Deities Not Directly Named in Scripture

Pagan deities are fallen angels that are distinctly worshipped as gods. There are literally millions of them, so let’s sample three. As you read, be aware that I am not affirming or endorsing the worship of these creatures; I am merely sharing the information so that the body of Christ might better understand the enemy’s ways. Please take note of any shared features and consider what they say about the origins of these creatures, while also being alert to ways in which these deities defy and contradict scriptural truth. Finally, think about how the enemy works through these creatures to poison the culture. And be warned: Pagan deities are often repulsive-looking characters!

Kali

Kali, the Hindu goddess of death, time, and rebirth, is one of 330 million deities worshipped by Hindus. She is the Hindu mother figure, but with an incredibly wide, wicked streak! Instead of being typed as the comforting maternal type, she is depicted with her foot on her male counterpart, Shiva (a piece of work in his own right). Usually depicted with blue skin, Kali typically has between four and ten arms. Her fashion sense is further revolting: her skirt is made of human arms, and the “charms” on her necklace are not made of precious gems but of severed human heads. As a sign of death to her enemies, she usually holds in one hand a freshly-severed head that drips blood, while wielding a blood-soaked scimitar with the other hand.

Kali is Satan’s baby girl! In honor of her daddy, she holds a trident. This three-pronged tool is a favorite satanic symbol and is used for spear-fishing. (Its presence is probably a snide reference to the divine fishing of souls from the ocean of sin, and the satanic strategy to pluck them from the Church and dump them back into the ocean.) Tridents are big with fallen angels: the mythological gods Poseidon and Neptune both have them, as does Kali’s underfoot friend, Shiva. Worth noting, too, is that the DC Comics hero, Aquaman, the king of Atlantis, also uses a trident as his weapon of choice, due to both it and the Atlantean civilization’s origin in Greco-Roman mythology.

A curious part of Kali’s story plays into what we might otherwise believe is a modern concept: the idea of thugs and “thug life.” I doubt that you think “Hindu” and “thug” in the same headspace, but you should, as the originals were known as Thuggees. They conned unsuspecting targets with tall tales that established trust, positioning their hearers to be victimized. Thuggees were proud miscreants who believed they were created from Kali’s sweat, and they sacrificed their victims to her.

The blue goddess’s name shows up elsewhere as Kali Ma. To learn the fundamentals of their faith, Islamic children memorize and recite the Six Kalimas. In Western pop culture, Calima was the name of a sacred place in the 2001 film Planet of the Apes.

Shiva

Shiva, the Hindu god of death, is also known as “the god of the yogis.” (I will talk about yoga later.) Like Kali, his female counterpart, Shiva holds a trident. He also wears a cobra necklace and has a third eye. Although he perhaps is the best-known three-eyed god, he is not the only one. The third eye is a symbol of occult power. Buddhists, for example, believe it represents enlightenment and wisdom.

Shiva is said to destroy and recreate the universe. Because his supposed goal is to strip away imperfections, his destruction is viewed as being good. Shiva himself is said to embody both good and evil, and is known for disparate behaviors that vacillate between the practices of asceticism and hedonism. Talk about extremes!

The Sun God, Ra

The heavenly body most critical to human life is the sun. As a result, sun worship is common in many cultures. For ancient Egyptians, the sun god, Ra (referenced indirectly in the book of Exodus and in Jeremiah 46:25), was thought to rule the heavens. Many modern-day pagans hold him in the same regard. Egyptians saw Ra as the creator of everything. As Pharaoh’s heavenly stalwart, Ra was represented in solar temples, not by impressive statues but by the sunlight streaming in.

Obelisks and altars were central to Ra’s temples. Because they are so common in secular society, the spiritual origins of obelisks go unrecognized. The fact is that humans were sacrificed to Ra when his spirit was believed “to enter the stones” of the obelisk. The structure can symbolize the sun’s rays, but it is also overtly phallic. Obelisks are important symbols in Freemasonry, which holds Egyptian idol worship in high regard.

Pagan Deities in Scripture

Scripture names many false gods. Some, including Baal, Molech, Ashtoreth, and others, figure prominently in biblical history. Still others, including some mythological figures to be covered later, receive only cursory mention. Any mention they receive in Scripture is significant, but the Bible’s emphasis on Canaanite and other Semitic deities should alert us to the continued relevance of fallen angels.

Baal

The Canaanite god Baal was first worshipped in Old Testament times and became prominent during King Ahab’s reign.

Technically, Baal is not the actual name of any god; rather, the word means “lord,” and is used in the Bible to describe various Canaanite deities. Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, was perhaps Baal’s most ardent advocate. Elijah’s statement to King Ahab reveals that there were actually many Baals: “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals” (1 Kings 18:18).

“As [Baal-Hammon,] the god of fertility in the Canaanite pantheon (or roster of gods), Baal’s sphere of influence included agriculture, animal husbandry, and human sexuality.” Baal was prominent in Ugaritic epic texts and was also known as a storm god under the name Baal-Hadad. Anat, the goddess of love, war, and fertility, was Baal’s wife.50 Sexual rites were common as a means to satisfy the Baals and ensure adequate rain for an abundant harvest. Human sacrifice was also common in Baal worship.

The same gods were worshipped in Babylon, but with a slightly different name, Bel (see Isaiah 46:1; Jeremiah 50:2 ). Bel worship began at the Tower of Babel, “the uppermost room of which served at the same time as an observatory, and as the repository of a collection of astronomical observations”.

Bel is also connected to astrology and associated with “the planet Jupiter, which, with the planet Venus (under the name Astarte or Astaroth), was worshipped in the East as the god of fortune, the most propitious star to be born under (Isaiah 65:11). According to the Apocryphal book, Bel and the Dragon, Bel was cast down by Cyrus.”

Ashtoreth and The Queen of Heaven

Ashtoreth is a Canaanite pagan mother-goddess whose bio illustrates the connections shared by false gods and mythological figures. Ashtoreth, sometimes called Asherah, is also known as Inanna in Sumer, Ishtar in Babylon, Venus in Rome, and Aphrodite (the world-famous goddess of love) in Greece. Finally, Astarte is the Hellenized (or Grecian-influenced) version of all of these.

Do you see how a single heavenly creature can infiltrate many diverse cultures? Ashtoreth has done so masterfully; she most likely is the “queen of heaven” mentioned twice in the book of Jeremiah. The first selection describes the people’s commitment to worshipping her. The second reveals the Lord’s response to their devotion:

We will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble (Jeremiah 44:17)

The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger (Jeremiah 7:18).

So-called queens of heaven have actually been worshipped throughout history. Ever since God made known His plan of salvation in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15), the devil has worked to counterfeit the virgin birth and the woman who would eventually bear the Christ child. The first copycat involved Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod: the image of Semiramis and her child, Tammuz, could be easily confused with that of Mary and the Christ child. Another counterfeit involves the Egyptian goddess, Isis, and her child, Horus. The title “Queen of Heaven” is also used in Catholicism as a name of Jesus’ virgin mother, Mary.

Molech

The direct connection between false gods and celestial creatures means that, regardless of the god’s name or placement in history, its mission and influence are ongoing. In our physical realm, the abortion-on-demand movement is now institutionalized and accounts for the killing of tens of millions of unborn babies in the United States alone. This initiative began in the unseen world, with angelic involvement. A similar case can be made for the recruitment of young suicide bombers, and the pride expressed by their parents after they blow their young bodies and the bodies of untold innocents into oblivion. Like all of Satan’s dreams, these fall under the heading, “Steal, Kill, and Destroy”!

Millennia ago, God warned about a god known as Milcom (though we will use his other, more familiar name, Molech), saying, “Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops: Those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord, but who also swear by Milcom” (Zephaniah 1:5).

Molech is a fallen angel, an Ammonite god called “the abomination of the children of Ammon” in 1 Kings 11:5 (KJV). Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of child sacrifice in Ammon, where children apparently were burned alive. Scripture condemns the practice, saying, “Thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 18:21 KJV; 2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 32:35).

Clearly, nothing is new under the sun. The mission of fallen angels is to do the wicked will of their master, Satan, and under his authority, Molech of the ancient Ammonites is still operating today.

Babel

Before Nimrod took the stage of history, the earth had neither kings nor kingdoms. All people spoke one language and worshipped the same gods. Under Nimrod’s leadership, the people conceived the Tower of Babel. When God thwarted the enterprise by scattering them and confusing their language, culture became differentiated. I believe this is how each god or goddess became known by multiple names.

Chemosh

Chemosh is thought to mean “conqueror” or “subduer.” Ancient artifacts place Chemosh in the early Semitic pantheon as far back as the third millennium, before Christ. He was Moab’s national god and is thought to have been worshipped at Ugarit; he was also named in ancient lists of Assyrian gods.55 Some scholars believe Chemosh was another manifestation of Molech, while others believe he was also known as Astarte (Ashtoreth). Sometimes associated with the Baals, Chemosh is further linked with Mars and Saturn, and King Solomon brought the worship of him to Jerusalem, though King Josiah later abolished it.

Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon (1 Kings 11:7).

Then [Josiah] the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, which were on the south of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the people of Ammon (2 Kings 23:13)

Like all pagan deities, Chemosh is a fallen angel who developed a strong following (Galatians 1:8). We will soon see more recent examples of angels who preached false gospels that ultimately influenced the masses.