What is the Abyss?

The word is ἄβυσσος, lit. 'without a bottom,' an abyss. From the passages in the Revelation we learn that the abyss is where the Satanic powers are shut up, not where they will be punished, which is in the lake of fire. The demons cast out by the Lord in Luke 8:31 besought Him that He would not send them into the abyss. In Rom. 10:7 it is put in contrast to the heavens. In Rev. 9:1-11, to a star fallen from heaven the key of the abyss is given, and on its being opened great moral darkness rises, out of which destructive agents proceed: Abaddon (Apollyon) 'the destroyer' is their king. The future Roman empire is represented as a beast rising out of (receiving in its last head power from) the abyss. Rev. 11:7; Rev. 17:8. Satan will be confined in the abyss during the thousand years of the millennium. Rev. 20:1, 3. (The above are all the passages where the Greek word occurs.)

The bottomless pit should be translated “abyss,” and is distinct from hell. Hades is the condition of souls without a body. Death is the condition of bodies without souls. Gehenna is hell itself, spoken of in the Revelation as “the lake of fire.” The abyss is a place where God can confine the devil and evil spirits at His pleasure.

Bottomless Pit [Abyss]. — The place where Satanic evil is shut up and chained. (Luke 8:31; 2 Peter 2:4; Rev. 20:1, 3.)

Here they besought the Lord that He would not send them out of the country, and, as Luke states, that He would not command them to go into the deep, or the abyss (Luke 8:31).

The abyss is the Scriptural term for the place of confinement of evil spirits. The word in the original Greek is translated "bottomless pit" in the Apocalypse (Rev. 9:1-2, 11). From thence the "beast" will arise who will make war upon the two witnesses and overcome them (Rev. 11:7; 17:8). According to the same series of prophecies, Satan will be imprisoned in the abyss during the thousand years of glorious peace under the reign of Christ (Rev. 20:1-3).

Possibly the abyss is the place of constraint, mentioned by Jude, in which certain evil angels have been already placed: "And the angels which kept not their first [proper] estate but left their own habitation, he path reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day" (Jude 6).

There was at any rate an evident fear on the part of these evil spirits, lest they should be forthwith condemned to confinement in the abyss, and thus be prevented "from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

The "abyss" is a Greek word (abyssos), meaning, "bottomless," which occurs in the New Testament nine times, and is rendered in our Authorised Version as follows: "deep," in Luke 8:31; Rom. 10:7; "bottomless," in Rev. 9:1-2; and "bottomless pit," in Rev. 9:11 Rev. 11:7; Rev. 17:8; Rev. 20:1, 3. In the Septuagint Version of the Old Testament, out of the thirty-four occurrences of its use it is the rendering, in thirty-one instances, of the Hebrew word t'höhm — "the deep," "deep places," "the depth." We give at the foot of this page all the references in the Old Testament, from which the general sense of the word is plain. And so also the New Testament gives no warrant whatever for such a thought as a descent of our Lord into the bottomless pit! Our Lord "descended into the lower parts of the earth." He was buried, and He raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.

At the sound of the fifth trumpet a star is seen, not to fall, as the common version puts it, but already fallen from heaven to earth. This seems naturally to connect thus with the apostasy under the third trumpet, nor is it likely that the apostasy of any other should be as noteworthy as his whose course is recorded here. At all events, it is an apostate, surely, that is before us, and to him is committed "the key of the abyss."

The force of the words have first of all to be considered. A "pit" is in the Old Testament often a synonym for a dungeon, and every thing unites to show this to be the meaning here; while the "abyss" is not other than the pit itself, but only a further definition of it — the dungeon which is the abyss. So the demons pray that they may not be sent into the deep, or "abyss" (Luke 8:31), and Satan is, in the twentieth chapter, shut up there. In the Old Testament parallel to the same in Revelation, it is said, "They shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in prison." (Isa. 24:22.) Here the abyss is the "pit," or prison, clearly. The key is used in this place as in the later one — here, the "key of the pit of the abyss;" there, simply "the key of the abyss."

The abyss is not, however, "hell" — the "lake of fire," — as we may see by the fact that it is, in one passage (Rom. 10:7), used in connection with the Lord: "Who shall descend into the deep (the abyss)? — that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead." Here, as the heavens are inaccessible to man for height, so is the abyss for depth. The literal meaning (" bottomless") must not be pressed, as our own use of the word shows, and the Greek was similar; the Septuagint use it for the "deep" upon which darkness rested on the first day.

The connection of the "pit" with the state of the dead in the Old Testament is similar to that of the "abyss" here in the New. We have this again in Revelation, where the "beast," in its last phase, is said to come up out of the abyss. This seems naturally to refer to the wounding to death, and revival (Rev. 13:3, 12, 14). Some have even contended, seeing the identification of the beast (the empire) with its last head (Rev. 17:11), for the literal resurrection of a person in this case; but this is only a wild extravagance: for resurrection literally could only be from God, and the beast in its last form is wholly under the power of Satan. (Rev, 13:1-2). The rising up out of the abyss is figurative, therefore, as the beast itself is; and indeed the use of the word seems figurative throughout.

Accordingly, when the fifth angel sounds, we see a star fallen from heaven to the earth, to whom is given the key of the pit of the abyss, and the pit of the abyss is opened. The star is not seen to fall, as under the third trumpet. It has already fallen; and we are necessarily referred back to the third trumpet for its previous history. It is the history of an apostate. To him is given the key of the abyss, and by his means there is opened upon the earth from the pit of the abyss a Satanic influence pictured as a smoke of a great furnace, so that the sun is darkened and the air, by the smoke of the pit. The abyss, or bottomless pit, is not hell itself; nor, according to Scripture, is Satan yet there. Yet the abyss is a "pit," often in the Old Testament the synonym for a dungeon, and everything shows it to have this meaning here; for it is a key by which alone it can be opened. The "pit of the abyss" is the "dungeon of the abyss," — the dungeon which is that; an infinite deep from which nothing can recover itself, except by divine permission. So the demons pray that they may not be sent into "the deep," or "abyss" (Luke 8:31); and Satan is, in the twentieth chapter, shut up there: but the distinction between that abyss and hell itself, which is the lake of fire, is manifest in what is said in that connection. In the Old Testament, parallel to this in Revelation, it is said: "They shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in prison" (Isa. 24:22). Here the pit and the prison are synonymous. That it is not hell proper is seen again from the use of the word with regard to the Lord Himself (Rom. 10:7): "Who shall descend into the deep (abyss); that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead?" The connection of the pit with the state of the dead in the Old Testament is similar to that of the abyss here in the New; and the beast in its last phase is said to come up out of the abyss. Here, too, the death-state is indicated. It naturally refers to the wounding to death and revival of the beast, or of the seventh head (Rev. 13:3, 12, 14). Some have even contended, seeing the identification of the beast, or empire, with its last head (Rev. 17:11), for the literal resurrection of a person in this case. But literal resurrection could only be from God, and the beast in its last form is filled and energized by Satan (Rev. 13:1-2). The coming out of the abyss, therefore, is figurative, as the beast itself is; and indeed the use of the word seems figurative throughout. Christ has "the keys of Hades and of Death" (Rev. 1:18), and it is not to be imagined that He should give up into the hand of an apostate, whether man or spirit, any portion of His own authority. We must not think, therefore, as has been done, of a literal opening of Hades, and an eruption of the spirits of the lost upon the earth. The demons, it is urged, were, in heathen account, but "the spirits of mortals when separated from their earthly bodies;" and Josephus is cited for the orthodox Jewish opinion that "demons are none other than the spirits of the wicked dead. With very few exceptions, the Christian fathers were of like opinion, … and the burden of evidence and authority is to the effect that demons are the souls of dead men, particularly the spirits of those who bore a bad character in this life. There is no such thing known in the Bible as a good demon." This does not suit, however, with that which the Lord gives us from the mouth of the rich man in Hades, who is assured by Abraham of a great gulf fixed between the two classes there (Luke 16:26), "so that they who would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would come from thence." This naturally intimates that, at least without distinct permission, the spirits of the dead would not be found upon earth. God might, of course, give permission, and it is said here that to the fallen star the key of the pit is "given;" this, no doubt, from God; for if Christ be the Master of the prison-house, none plainly could break bounds without His permission. The dead are by their death removed from the sphere of earth, and those shut up to await judgment can scarcely be thought of as at the same time taking active part in that which is done upon the earth. The thought of Satan being in hell and yet taking such part as it is confessed he does, naturally leads to the thought that with regard to the spirits of the dead there may be the same thing. But Satan is not in hell, as we have seen; nor, as yet, even in the abyss. And the days of men upon earth are ended when the earthly life is. Thus we read that it is for "deeds done in the body," and not out of it, that men are to give account in the day of judgment.

"And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he 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." (vv. 1, 2.) This and the next woe are marked by their manifestly Satanic character. The fall of a star is, as before, the apostacy of some great, but subordinate, power, only here it is plainly not an earthly power, but one of the principalities and powers who rule the darkness of this world, one of the wicked spirits in heavenly places. To this baleful star is given permission to let loose infernal darkness and torment on the earth. He has "the key of the pit of the abyss," the unfathomable or bottomless pit, in which evil is restrained before receiving its final doom. It is here that "the spirits in prison" are confined (1 Peter 3:19); here that Satan will be shut up for a thousand years before his last rebellion and everlasting punishment (Rev. 10:1-3); here that the angels who sinned are "delivered into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment." (2 Peter 2:4.) It is to this abode that the demons dreaded they would be sent when they besought Jesus, "that He would not command them to go out into the abyss," or deep. (Luke 8:31.) And now from this gloomy prison-house rolls forth a dense volume of smoke, blinding the heart to God's light, and polluting all healthy influences, as figured by the darkening of "the sun and the air."

Demons. — There is an order of malicious beings, hostile to God and to man. Of their existence we have full proof. Of their origin we know nothing. But their future they themselves have declared. Torment under the hand of God, and that without hope of deliverance, is the only prospect before them. These beings can dwell in men, and make such their tools. They can speak by them, and tyrannise over their hapless victims (Luke 9:42). But to Divine power they must submit, and to those of God's people to whom power over them has been given they have to be obedient (Luke 10:17; Acts 16:18; 19:15). To the abyss, or bottomless pit they belong, and that seems to be their prison-house (Rev. 9:1-11). Moreover, they have a king over them, the angel of the abyss, or bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon (i.e., destroyer). Into that same pit Satan, when bound, will be cast, and confined therein for a thousand years (Rev. 20:2-3), previous to his being cast into his final place of punishment, the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10). As, then, the abyss is their prison-house, it explains the point of their urgent request to the Lord, that He would not then send them there, for that is what they said in Luke 8:31. How conscious were they that One was there who had absolute power over them! Forced to leave their victims by the word of command, they owned they could go nowhere except by Divine permission. First, therefore, beseeching the Lord not to send them into the abyss, for His word is a law to them — a law, a power, against which they cannot rebel — they next besought Him to allow them to enter into a herd of many swine, feeding on the mountain. Not one step could they take without His distinct permission. To both their requests He assented. He did not send them into the abyss. He did allow them to enter into the swine, which, under their power, rushed madly down the steep into the lake, and perished in the waters — a proof, had the Gerasenes been able to perceive it, of the hostility of those demons to man and to his interests. A contrast to the Lord Jesus, they destroyed the swine; He delivered men from their thraldom.

This title is only found in the Book of the Revelation. It would be better translated by the word abyss, a very deep place. It must be carefully distinguished from Hell. It has a king, Satan, called "the angel of the bottomless pit." Though it has a king he is not complete master, for the abyss has a key over which Heaven has power, showing there is not unlimited ingress or egress. Satan will be bound in it for the thousand years of the millennial reign of our Lord on this earth. It is clear that God can and does restrain as well as allow demon activity. We read: