In pilgrims progress who is apollyon

Explore Wikis Community Central. Register Don't have an account? Apollyon Pilgrim's Progress. View source. History Talk 0.

Do you like this video? Play Sound. Universal Conquest Wiki. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him Revelation Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion.

The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority Revelation Apollyon represents the Devil and the spiritual forces of evil that oppose God and seek to destroy and diminish God's work and God's glory. He has come to confront Christian and turn him away from following Christ.

He begins his challenge by asking Christian where he is from and where he is going. Christian tells him that he is from the City of Destruction but on his way to the City of Zion. Apollyon then replies by claiming Christian as one of his subjects and asking him why he is running away from his king.

Apollyon's reply may not be fully understood in our day, especially in the context of the political framework we have in the United States. Bunyan was born in during the reign of Charles I. He was later imprisoned for the first time in after the monarchy had been restored under Charles II. In Bunyan's day the subjects of the kingdom were considered the property of the Crown.

They were owned by the one who ruled. Because of this it was against the law for a subject to leave the country and travel outside the king's realm without first petitioning and receiving permission from the king. Today we think nothing of traveling if we so desire. But in Bunyan's day it was treason to sneak out of the country. So Apollyon, claiming to be a prince and a god, asks why Christian has run from his king. The dialog that follows is one of the most insightful passages in all of The Pilgrim's Progress.

In it Bunyan offers several lessons on spiritual warfare: both ploys that the devil uses to lure Christians away from following Christ, and ways that Christians can resist and stand against the devil in spiritual warfare. Note first the schemes that Apollyon uses to attempt to weaken Christian's resolve and turn him back:.

The devil would have us believe that our sins are more pleasurable and desirable than the joys and riches we have in Christ. If Christian goes back, he promises to give him "what our country will afford" as if that can satisfy Christian's heart.

But Christian understands that Apollyon's service is hard and "the wages of sin is death" Romans Satan is an "angel of light" 2 Corinthians who can, for a time, make bondage seem like freedom, and ruin feel like happiness. From the beginning he has been a deceiver and a liar Genesis ; John ; 2 Corinthians ; Revelation , We must be on guard against the deadly error of believing that we can find true satisfaction and contentment in yielding to and living in sin.

Apollyon assures Christian: "But it is ordinary for those who have professed themselves his servants, after a while to give him the slip, and return again to me. Slip means to fall or lose your balance, but it can also mean to desert or sneak away—to slip out. Christian lost his footing and slipped on the way down into the valley. We learn in Part 2 of the allegory that it was these slips his struggles with his pride that caused this confrontation with Apollyon:.

Then said Mr. Great-heart, We need not to be so afraid of this Valley, for here is nothing to hurt us, unless we procure it to ourselves. It is true, Christian did here meet with Apollyon, with whom he also had a sore combat; but that fray was the fruit of those slips that he got in his going down the hill; for they that get slips there, must look for combats here.

And hence it is, that this Valley has got so hard a name. Apollyon points to others who have given Christ the slip in an attempt to sway Christian into thinking that he is already on the way to desertion because of his own slips coming down in the Valley.

The Devil is "the accuser" Revelation and we must be wary of his schemes to dissuade us from looking to Christ. There might be more danger in going back than going forward. Suddenly, coming from up front, a voice rings out: "Though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me" Ps.

As that cry could have been raised only by a Pilgrim, Christian is "exceeding happy" and hastens forward to see who it is. The foul fiend Apollyon who attacks Christian in the Valley of Humiliation is the Destroyer, the quintessence of evil — "The angel of the bottomless pit whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon" Rev.

The name also occurs in St. Bevis of Southampton , a chivalric romance that was one of Bunyan's favorites. For the physical characteristics of his giant monster, Bunyan used his imagination but also drew on descriptions of other monsters as given in the Bible and such works as The Seven Champions of Christendom , published about a century before and which Bunyan had often read. In the story of St. George and the dragon in that book, the dragon is, like Apollyon, covered with scales, has wings, and breathes fire.

Bunyan also drew on the Seven Champions for another scene. When St. When Christian refuses, Apollyon tries to shame him for his past sins and failures.

Just before Apollyon kills him, Christian wounds the fiend with his sword, prevailing over him. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:.

Part 1: The Valley of Humiliation Quotes. Related Characters: Christian , Apollyon. Related Themes: Obstacles on the Journey. Page Number and Citation : 64 Cite this Quote. Explanation and Analysis:.

Page Number and Citation : Cite this Quote. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Part 1: The Valley of Humiliation. Christian has only journeyed a short distance, however, when he encounters a fiend named Apollyon. Since he has no armor for his back, Christian resolves to stand and face the Apollyon , a hideous, scaly, winged creature, interrogates Christian.