THE BOTTOMLESS PIT | SMAJ Publishing House


“Then the fifth angel sounded: and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit” Revelation 9:1

The gospels record an account of Jesus expelling evil spirits (demons, unclean spirits) from a man and a conversation ensued.
The demons practically begged (pleaded) him not to command them to go out into the abyss (paraphrase).

Where is this dreaded place? Where is this location that even demons do not want to go? Is it the same place as the world of the dead (Sheol)? Do dead humans also share this realm with demons?

A fallen star from heaven refers to an unidentified being, possibly a demonic being, a fallen angel, specifically sent for this assignment. It is important to note that all angels are messengers. All can be used by God to achieve his purpose. So we need not debate on the character of this particular one.

He was given the key to the bottomless pit, literally, ‘the shaft of the abyss’ - a location which serves as a reservoir of evil, a prison for demons. It is also where Satan shall be bound (futuristic) during the millennial reign of Christ.

The demons practically begged because the depth of the pit is endless and its torment grievous. They still preferred to wander in the spirit realm and occasionally interfere in the affairs of men. We can also conclude that it is not a place of their eternal punishment as Satan would still be kept in the pit for a thousand years.

The pit was opened and violent demonic spirits arose for a great torment upon the earth to hurt men five months except the 144,000 Jewish remnants that had the seal of God on their foreheads.

And they had a king over them, the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in both Greek and Hebrew is translated the destroyer and destruction.

Can we interchange the abyss with Sheol? Absolutely not! Sheol is the domain of the dead. It is not as well a place of final destination, for the dead would rise at the trump of the angel, both great and small to be judged according to their works.

We can conclude that the place of final and eternal condemnation would be the lake of fire and brimstone where the beasts and the false prophets would be eternally punished followed closely by the Devil after he was released from his prison (the bottomless pit, abyss), went out to deceive the nations to gather in war against the saints and the beloved city and is devoured with his army by fire from God out of heaven.

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it
From whose face the earth and the heaven fled away
And there was found no place for them.....
Then death and hades were cast into the lake of fire
This is the second death
And anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Revelation 20: 11, 14 – 15

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