AN EXPOSITION OF THE TWO WITNESSES – PART 10
September 24, 2018
We have come a long way in this series. Now we come to an area of great controversy in interpretation. The great controversy revolves around the answer to the question: Who or what is the beast that ascends out of what is said to be a “bottomless pit.”
Revelation 11:7
And when they 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.
The “bottomless pit” is in the heart of the planet earth. Most geometric objects have a bottom. Among objects having a bottom would be the square, the rectangle, the triangle, the prism, the cube, the cylinder, the hexagon, and many others. But the earth is shaped like none of these, it is an oblate spheroid, and has no bottom. If one started digging a bottom would never be found. And, if it were possible dig through it, a person would surface on the opposite side, never having found a bottom. The earth has a center, but is bottomless. The Koine Greek word translated as “bottomless pit” is “abussou,” from which our English word “abyss” is derived. The reason they translated it as “bottomless pit” in the KJV was in harmony with its use in other places in Revelation as a companion to the Koine Greek word “phreatos,” which in the English means “shaft.” One such usage occurs in Revelation 9:1, where the phrase “the bottomless pit” is translated from “phreatos tes abussou.” Phreatos means “shaft,” tes is “of the,” and abussou means “abyss” or “pit.” Sinply stated: “The shaft of the abyss.”
Revelation 9:1
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.
Please note that the word “earth” appears in this verse. It is translated from “gen,” which means “earth.” I am telling you this because some believe that “the beast” of Revelation 11:7 is the false prophet, the second beast of Revelation 13:11, who comes up out of the “earth.” They say “the earth” in 13:11 is the same as “the abyss” found in 11:7. It does not seem reasonable that John would use “bottomless pit” (abyss), really meaning “the earth, since he had used the words separately when referring to the false prophet of 13:11 and the Antichrist of 11:7.
Revelation 13:11
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
The bottomless pit is filled with demonic spirits, fallen angels, with a king over them named “Destroyer” in both Hebrew and Greek. He is over the weapons of Satan’s destruction of the earth and mankind, those weapons being the demonic spirits of the tormenting locusts in Revelation 9:3-11, and the killing spirits of the army of demons in Revelation 9:13-19. He is the Destroyer king of Satan that unleashes the three woes of his destruction upon the earth in the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpets, which contain the three woes.
Revelation 9:11,12
And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. [12] One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
After the blowing of the seventh trumpet, the saved of all the ages are found being judged in heaven, while on the earth God’s wrath is about to come upon the demonic hoards that that have been engaged in destroying the earth under the demon king “Destroyer.”
Revelation 11:15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Revelation 11:18
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Please note: “AND SHOULDEST DESTROY THEM WHICH DESTROY THE EARTH.”
It is the wrath of God (“thy wrath”) that destroys the Destroyer’s armies with seven vials of wrath.
Revelation 19:19-21
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. [20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. [21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.