{"id":27,"date":"2008-08-21T19:09:41","date_gmt":"2008-08-21T19:09:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/returningking.com\/?p=27"},"modified":"2008-08-21T19:09:41","modified_gmt":"2008-08-21T19:09:41","slug":"spiritual-realms-the-abyss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/returningking.com\/?p=27","title":{"rendered":"Spiritual Realms (The Abyss)"},"content":{"rendered":"
This entry is part 10 of 20 in the series Spiritual Realms<\/a><\/div>

The Abyss<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n

<\/a>The Term<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

“Abyss” is a Greek term occurring nine times in the New Testament.\u00a0 <\/span>The NIV derives it as “Abyss” from the Greek abyssos <\/em>(pronounced “ab’-us-os”) while the KJV uses “bottomless pit” seven times and “the deep” in Luke and Romans.<\/span><\/p>\n

Abyssos<\/em> is derived from two Greek terms: <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The first syllable, and the first term is Greek a<\/em>, (pronounced “alpha” [as in “alphabet,” which it is the first letter in the Greek] when spoken alone, or “a” when prefixed to another term) which is a negative addition, when used as a prefix.\u00a0 <\/span>Thus, a Greek term with “a” as a prefix would be stating that there was an absence of what follows. <\/span><\/p>\n

The second term is Greek buthos,<\/em> which means “depth” and is commonly attributed to the sea, but can also mean anything of great depth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus to put the terms together the meaning is arrived at:\u00a0 <\/span>“without depth” or “bottomless” as KJV translates it.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>The Texts<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

Luke 8:30-31 (NIV) 30<\/sup>\u00a0Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31<\/sup>\u00a0And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. <\/em><\/span><\/h4>\n

Romans 10:6-7 (NIV) 6<\/sup>\u00a0But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7<\/sup>\u00a0“or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). <\/em><\/span><\/h4>\n

Rev 9:1-2 (NIV) 1<\/sup>\u00a0The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2<\/sup>\u00a0When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. <\/em><\/span><\/h4>\n

Rev 9:11 (NIV) 11<\/sup>\u00a0They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. <\/em><\/span><\/h4>\n

Rev 11:7 (NIV)\u00a07<\/sup>\u00a0Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. <\/em><\/span><\/h4>\n

Rev 17:8 (NIV) 8<\/sup>\u00a0The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come. <\/em><\/span><\/h4>\n

Rev 20:1-3 (NIV)\u00a01<\/sup>\u00a0And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2<\/sup>\u00a0He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3<\/sup>\u00a0He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. <\/em><\/span><\/h4>\n
\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n
Deductions<\/span><\/em><\/h5>\n