The Abyss

- Satan’s Prison for a Thousand Years -

compiled by Rachel Cory-Kuehl

February 11, 2022

Scripture is from the NKJV unless otherwise noted

THE BOTTOMLESS PIT

 

Revelation 20:1-3 “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.”

 

In the Septuagint (an ancient translation from Hebrew to Greek) the Greek word “abussos” (Strong’s #12 - meaning bottomless or boundless) was used to translate the Hebrew “bohuw” (#0922 - meaning emptiness, void or waste). See Genesis 1:2 & Jeremiah 4:23. The same Greek word “abussos” is translated as “bottomless pit” in Revelation 20:1-2 of our English Bible.

 

 

 

Satan is thrown into the abyss, the emptiness, the void, the waste. Looking back, he was “cast to the earth” after the war in the heavenly realm. Then he made this earth his kingdom. He is presently still “the god of this world.” He holds the dominion. I think it fitting that he may spend a thousand years on the dark and lifeless earth, after the last plagues have destroyed all life - perhaps circling a black hole, bound by those circumstances which he caused. I say “may” because no one knows for sure where the abyss is (or will be) located. While I am not convinced this earth will in fact be “the without form and void,” I do think it very possible.

WITHOUT FORM, AND VOID

      Jeremiah was shown the earth after “the great Day of the LORD.”

 

Jeremiah 4:23-26 “I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light. 24 I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth. 25 I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. 26 I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were broken down at the presence of the LORD, By His fierce anger.”

 

“It was without form, and void.” The Hebrew words are those of Genesis 1:1, describing the earth as a formless watery blob, before God created anything. The New International Version says “it was formless and empty.” The New English Translation says, “it was an empty wasteland.”

 

The New Jerusalem Bible renders the passage, “I looked to the earth -- it was a formless waste; to the heavens, and their light had gone. 24 I looked to the mountains -- they were quaking and all the hills rocking to and fro. 25 I looked -- there was no one at all, the very birds of heaven had all fled. 26 I looked -- the fruitful land was a desert, all its towns in ruins before Yahweh, before his burning anger.”

 

I know someone will tell me that this is describing the destruction of Judea by the Babylonians. I can agree - to a point. I believe the destruction of Jerusalem in 586BCE was a TYPE of the final destruction - the destruction of the whole earth by the Trumpet judgments and the final plagues. The Babylonians did not kill or remove every man from Judea. They left the poorer classes to farm the land, so that it would not become wilderness. And the Judeans of 586 were not slain by the presence of Yehovah. They were killed or deported, by the Babylonians.

ISAIAH DETAILS THE DESTRUCTION

 

Isaiah Chapter 34

34:3 “Also their slain shall be thrown out; Their stench shall rise from their corpses, And the mountains shall be melted with their blood.”

 

34:4 “All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll (See Hebrews 1:10-12). All their host shall fall down As the leaf falls from the vine, And as fruit falling from a fig tree.” (See Revelation 6:14.)

 

34:8-10 “For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, The year of recompense for the cause of Zion. Its streams shall be turned into pitch, And its dust into brimstone; Its land shall become burning pitch.

It shall not be quenched night or day; Its smoke shall ascend forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; No one shall pass through it forever and ever.” (See also Revelation 14:10-11 & Revelation 19:3.)

 

Isaiah is detailing the coming destruction of “Edom” (the kingdom of Esau’s descendants, v.5-6). The LORD calls them “the people of My curse.” But the “land of Edom” is not still burning today. The ancient destruction of Edom by the Babylonians was the TYPE. The rest of the passage tells us that this prophecy concerns the whole earth - burned with unquenchable fire.

34:11 “He shall stretch out over it the line of confusion [meaning ‘without form’] and the stones of emptiness” [meaning ‘void’ ].

 

         Once again we have “without form and void,” just as in Jeremiah 4:23-26.

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

 

I believe that events connected with Christ’s return will fulfill the ancient Day of Atonement prophecy.

 

Leviticus 16:21-22 On that day, two goats were chosen by casting lots. The goat chosen as “the Lord’s goat” was sacrificed as a “sin offering” “for the people.” This sacrifice was to “make atonement” for “all the congregation of Israel.” Its blood was sprinkled over the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle. Its blood was also sprinkled in the first apartment, and on the Alter in the Courtyard.

 

After all of this was done - the High Priest was to confess over the head of the other goat - “the scapegoat” (or Azazel goat) “all the iniquities of the Children of Israel and all their transgressions.”

 

The scapegoat was left alive. It was taken to an “uninhabited place” (Strong’s #4057 - a wilderness area) and was turned loose.

 

Do you see the symbolism? The sins of God’s people were confessed over the head of the “LORD’s goat.” The LORD’s goat represented Jesus. “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Psalm 53:6). The Father “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” (2Co 5:21 NKJ). His death brought us reconciliation. The word translated as “atonement,” means “reconciliation.” The Day of Atonement is the Day of Reconciliation.

 

After the sacrifice of the LORD’s goat, “the sins” of God’s people were confessed again, this time over the head of the scapegoat. The scapegoat was not killed. It was banished to a wilderness area. It would carry the confessed sins of God’s people. The scapegoat represented Satan, who will be cast into the “abyss” (the uninhabited place) by Christ the “fit man.” Satan was/and is, the instigator of all the sins. He should carry the blame.

 

“The LORD’s goat” symbolized Jesus. The High Priest symbolized Jesus. And the “fit man” symbolized Jesus, who will soon banish Satan (the scapegoat) to “the uninhabited place.”

 

Some object to this interpretation, wondering how Satan could ever be said to “bear upon himself” all our sins. I would explain that this is supported by the judgment pronounced in Daniel 7:10-22. (See also Rom. 3:4, Psa. 51:4).

 

Jesus carried our sins, as the Lamb of God. He assumed the guilt. He now carries our sins as High Priest. He bought us time. But why would Jesus need to carry those sins forever? He is innocent. Satan is guilty. When the Heavenly Court rules, Satan will be found guilty of all the sins which his temptations and deceptions have caused. He is the prima and original cause. He is “the deceiver.”

 

Jesus, our High Priest in Heaven (the “true Tabernacle”) will transfer all the confessed sins of His people to Satan (the scapegoat). The Court of Heaven will take the dominion of earth from Satan and will give it to the Son of Man (Daniel 7:14). Just as soon as the Court has ruled, Jesus will fight to reclaim physical possession of His dominion. The Trumpet warnings and the last plagues will be unleashed. At “the last trump” He will return to rescue His own, and to imprison Satan.

 

Some object to this interpretation of Daniel Chapters 7 and 8, saying that Christ went before the Court of Heaven immediately upon His ascension. I disagree. Consider the context.

 

Daniel Chapter 7 describes events taking place on the earth at the time of the heavenly ruling. The Little Horn on the Terrible Beast, has pushed up three of the ten horns. He is speaking pompous words against the Most High. He is making “war against the saints,” right up to that judgment by the Heavenly Court, right up to the time for the saints to possess the kingdom (verse 7:22, 26, 27). These are the final events of this age!

 

The Day of Atonement was the final judgment of the ancient yearly cycle - the cycle which told the story of Christ’s coming work for our redemption.

 

The Feast of Tabernacles - a great reunion at Jerusalem, follows just 5 days after the Day of Atonement. It is the final feast of the prophecy. It tells of our reunion at the New Jerusalem, in Heaven - the City that He has prepared for us.

QUESTION

      Why is Satan released at the end of the 7^th millennium?

 

Revelation 20:2-3 “He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.”

 

Revelation 20:7-8 “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.”

 

If the fate of all mankind was decided at the Glorious Return, then why allow Satan to “deceive” once again? Very simply, at the Glorious Return there will be many (both living and dead) who have not yet made a decision either for or against, Christ as Lord. The “rest of the dead” - those who are raised at the 8^th millennium, will be those who have yet to choose.

 

Satan demands the right to test each son or daughter of Adam. God’s justice requires that all be tested. Millions will be resurrected to continued physical life. They will learn of God and His Son. At the same time, Satan will seek to deceive and to tempt. They may claim belief and loyalty to Christ, but those claims must be tested. Actions will betray true heart motives. (This is because the rebels will finally be judged by their actions.) Satan will provoke a rebellion. During that Final Battle, Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire.

            Cast out of Heaven - Cast to the earth

                  Cast into the Bottomless Pit - Cast into the Lake of Fire

            See our studies: “Gog and Magog - Final War”

                                                                                 and “The Rest of the Dead.”

 

We pray this study will prove a blessing.

Prophecy Viewpoint

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      “Millennium” “Trumpets and Bowls”

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