Bottomless Pit
Bottomless Pit The Bottomless Pit does not appear in the Old Testament. This is found seven times in the New Testament and, in all cases, translated from the Greek word "abussos" or abyss. It is properly translated, as the Greek word means, "depthless, deep or bottomless." It is a separate place of its own. The exact location is not given, but many scholars believe it is an extended compartment of the Torment side of Hades. Whether this is true or not, no one really knows. Vine's Expository Words of The Greek New Testament states "It describes an immeasurable depth, the underworld, the lower regions, the abyss of Sheol." We have shown it as connected to Torment of Sheol in our diagrams for further references.
Here is where it is found in the New Testament, all being in the book of Revelation: Revelation 9:1-2; Revelation 9:11; Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:1; Revelation 20:3 In Revelation 20:7, this bottomless pit is also called a prison. This pit is locked and controlled by God, who sends His angels to unlock it at His discretion. It contains smoke, as of a great furnace, ungodly creatures called locusts, the Beast (Anti-Christ) and Satan, himself, when he is confined there a thousand years.
A. The Key To The Pit. (Revelation 9:1; Revelation 20:1)
"And the fifth angel sounded and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth; and to him (angel) was given the key of the bottomless pit." (9:1) "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand." (20:1) B. Locusts and Smoke. (Revelation 9:2-3)
These creatures are released to torment people on the Earth for five months during the Tribulation Period. Here is the word:
"And he (the angel) opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.(2) And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power." (3) These locusts are not to kill (Verse 5), only torment those who have not the seal of God in their foreheads (Verse 4).
"And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." (Verse 6)
We have no idea what is in the underworld or what the future holds, but God was gracious enough to reveal to us about this place and these creatures. This takes place during the 7-Year Tribulation Period at the blowing of the Fifth Trumpet of Judgment.
C. The Antichrist or The Beast. (Revelation 11:7) In Revelation 11:1-19, God's two witnesses preach for 3-1/2 years Revelation 11:3) and finish their testimony Revelation 11:7). They are allowed by God to be killed in Jerusalem (Revelation 11:8) and their bodies put on public display for 3-1/2 days (Revelation 11:9). They are resurrected and then ascend directly to Heaven (Revelation 11:11,12). The one who kills these two witnesses of God is none other than the Antichrist, himself. He is called the Beast in Revelation 11:7 as this describes his character; and he comes out of the bottomless pit. Here is the record,
"And when they (the two witnesses) shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."
D. Satan in the Bottomless Pit. - Revelation 20:2-3; Revelation 20:7 When Christ comes back at the end of the Tribulation Period, He judges the nations in Matthew 24:1-51; Matthew 25:1-46 in preparation for setting up the earthly Messianic Kingdom for 1,000 years. At this time, He confines Satan, himself, in chains to the Bottomless Pit for 1,000 years. After the 1,000 years, he is loosed for a short season and then cast into the Lake of Fire. Here is the record,
"And he (the angel) laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, (2) And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled, and after that he must be loosed a little season.(3)And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison." (7) A man told me once that he thought Satan was chained today. If that is true, it must be an awful long chain! Another person was kidding me and said he thought Satan was chained to him! No, he will not be chained (confined) until the end of the 7-Year Tribulation.
We have identified Sheol and Hades, Tartarus, the Lake of Fire (Gehenna) the Bottomless Pit, Torment and Paradise. Now, check Diagram One as a refresher of these various places. Once the believer has a mental picture of these various places, it becomes much easier to discern the various Scriptures that relate to the subject of Hell. We are now ready for Diagram Two on Page 26.