In a comment on the "abyss" ('bottomless pit") of Revelation 20:1-3, Ellen White made this stastement:

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The revelator foretells the BANISHMENT of Satan and the condition of chaos and desolation to which the earth is to be reduced, and he declares that this condition will exist for a thousand years. GC 658.

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This simply means Satan's activities were RESTRICTED against his will. Solitary confinement (BANISHMENT) can become hell (the abyss) to anyone used to active interaction with people or animals. The LOCATION is less important that the BANISHMENT. John's banishment to Patmos was not a delightful experience.

Keep in mind that Satan and his angels were BANISHED from heaven. By comparison, this earth became their hell, abyss, bottomless pit:

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For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but CAST THEM DOWN TO HELL (the abyss). 2 Peter 2:4.

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John said that ABYSS (hell) is THIS EARTH:

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And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: HE WAS CAST OUT INTO THE EARTH, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:9.

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The demons cast out in Luke 8:31 did not want to go into "THE ABYSS" OF ISOLATION. This is made evident when we compare it with the following:

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When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, (the ABYSS of isolation), seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. Matthew 12:43-45.

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We are told in Revelation 20:1-3 that Satan and his angels will be chained to this earth at a time when all people have either died or gone to heaven. For them, that ISOLATION and BANISHMENT, with no opportunity to "deceive the nations," will be the ABYSS of HELL. Revelation 20:3. That condition is called a "PRISON". Revelation 20:7-8.

I'd like to point out that Ephesians 4:8 refers to Jesus taking the saints, who were resurrected after He was, to heaven with Him at His ascension.

Matthew 27:52 -- "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." Where did these saints end up? They didn't continue living on this earth, evidently. There's only one other possibility, and that's what is described in Ephesians 4:8. Jesus took them to heaven with Him. Some of those who were raised are likely seen as the 24 Elders in Revelation chapter 4.

Whatever might be said, it's certain that Jesus didn't take fallen angels back to heaven with Him! God didn't cast them out, just to bring them back.

I also have trouble believing that "most all the demons....are currently locked in the abyss". If that's true, I'd sure hate to see the state the world would be in if they were to be released. It's really very doubtful that the worldwide increase in evil behavior, the rapid nosedive in morality etc. is happening basically all by itself, as the result of only a few demons running around loose influencing things.

The fact that people don't believe in demon possession, or that it isn't reported much any more, doesn't mean that it isn't happening. This modern disbelief is the result of "science falsely so called" (1 Tim. 6:20). Current psychiatry and pychology mistakenly regard demon possession as ancient superstition/myth instead of historical fact. Satan couldn't be more pleased about that -- all the better to cloak his activities and those of his minions.

So the truth is that in comparision to heaven, the earth is the abyss?

If that is the case, then when did the earth become the abyss, and when will it cease to be the abyss?

What and where is the abyss mentioned in the Bible?

Abussos (#12)
Definitions:
1. Bottomless
2. Unbounded
3. The abyss:
(a) the pit
(b) the immeasurable depth
(c) of Orcus, a very deep gulf or chasm in the lowest parts of the earth used as the common receptacle of the dead and especially as the abode of demons

KJV words and number of occurences:
1. Bottomless (2)
2. Bottomless pit (5)
3. Deep (2)

http://www.studylight.org/desk/?l=en&query=rev+9%3A1§ion=0&translation=str&oq=&sr=1

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.
9:2 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.
9:11 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.
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.
17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
20:3 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.

Luke
8:31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

Romans
10:7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ABYSS
a-bis', (he abussos):

In classical Greek the word is always an adjective, and is used either literally or figuratively:

Literally, "very deep," "bottomless";

Figuratively, "unfathomable," "boundless."

"Abyss" does not occur in the King James Version but the Revised Version (British and American) so transliterates abussos in each case. The King James Version renders the Greek by "the deep" in two passages (Luke 8:31; Romans 10:7). In Revelation the King James Version renders by "the bottomless pit" (Revelation 9:1,2,11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1,3).

In the Septuagint abussos is the rendering of the Hebrew word tehom. According to primitive Semitic cosmogony the earth was supposed to rest on a vast body of water which was the source of all springs of water and rivers (Genesis 1:2; Deuteronomy 8:7; Psalms 24:2; 136:6). This subterranean ocean is sometimes described as "the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 5:8). According to Job 41:32 tehom is the home of the leviathan in which he plows his hoary path of foam.

The Septuagint never uses abussos as a rendering of sheol (= Sheol = Hades) and probably tehom never meant the "abode of the dead" which was the ordinary meaning of Sheol. In Psalms 71:20 tehom is used figuratively, and denotes "many and sore troubles" through which the psalmist has passed (compare Jonah 2:5).

But in the New Testament the word abussos means the "abode of demons." In Luke 8:31 the King James Version renders "into the deep" (Weymouth and The Twentieth Century New Testament = "into the bottomless pit"). The demons do not wish to be sent to their place of punishment before their destined time. Mark simply says "out of the country" (Mark 5:10). In Romans 10:7 the word is equivalent to Hades, the abode of the dead.

In Revelation (where the King James Version renders invariably "the bottomless pit") abussos denotes the abode of evil spirits, but not the place of final punishment; it is therefore to be distinguished from the "lake of fire and brimstone" where the beast and the false prophet are, and into which the Devil is to be finally cast (Revelation 19:20; 20:10).

http://www.studylight.org/enc/isb/view.cgi?number=T105

The greek word abussos seems to have several applications throughout the Bible. But in all cases it is somehow associated with planet earth. In the Revelation it appears that abussos is used figuratively and seems to symbolize the origin and destination of the earthly powers and people employed by Satan to oppose God and His chosen people. It also seems to imply the spirit or attitude of antichrist whose shared mindset causes unsaved people to receive the mark of the beast. Apparently the ultimate demise of fallen angels and lost mankind is the lake of fire and the second death. It makes sense that the abyss will be destoyed in the lake of fire along with sin and death and sinners. It will cease to exist or function in the New Earth.

Mike, are you saying that the abyss in Luke 8:31 is not the same abyss discussed in revelation? If so, on what basis do you believe that?

If not, Luke 8 makes it clear that the abyss he was referring to cannot be this earth.

I believe the "deep" referred to in Luke 8:31 is the "bottomless pit" mentioned in Rev 20:3. According to Matthew 8:29 and Luke 8:28 the demons feared being tormented before the appointed time. They associated this torment with being cast into the "deep" or "out of the country" (Mark 5:10).

So the question is - What and where is this torment? I believe the torment involves being chained (what) on earth (where). I also believe this torment first began when they were cast out of heaven unto earth. But what evil angels really seem to fear most is being chained for 1000 years with no one to tempt and harass. The demons preferred swine to chains perhaps because they could at least harass the hogs and turn the towns folk against Jesus for the income they lost in the dead pigs.

2 Peter
2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

Jude
1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

Revelation
12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Revelation
20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
20:3 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.

[ November 27, 2003, 12:13 PM: Message edited by: Mike Lowe ]

Hi,
Yes, the Abyss is no where than this earth we are living in. It is an abyss, because satan and his angels will be left to roam alone during the 1000 years which the saints and christ their king will be in heaven.
Hence the great need for all to strive to be among the saints that will enjoy with christ in this glorious transition.All that are living has the time to repent now that probation lingers and the chance is there. The abyss is also known as the bottomless pit.
Thanks and let all praise God for his mercy.
Mahel.

The "BOTTOMLESS PIT" is the same as the ABYSS. So please note that it means THIS EARTH:

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Satan will be banished to the desolate earth, an uninhabited and dreary wilderness.
The revelator foretells the banishment of Satan and the condition of chaos and desolation to which the earth is to be reduced, and he declares that this condition will exist for a thousand years. After presenting the scenes of the Lord's second coming and the destruction of the wicked, the prophecy continues: "I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 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." Revelation 20:1-3.
That the expression "bottomless pit" represents the earth in a state of confusion and darkness is evident from other scriptures. Concerning the condition of the earth "in the beginning," the Bible record says that it "was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep."* Genesis 1:2. Prophecy teaches that it will be brought back, partially at least, to this condition. Looking forward to the great day of God, the prophet Jeremiah declares: "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down." Jeremiah 4:23-26.
Here is to be the home of Satan with his evil angels for a thousand years. Limited to the earth, he will not have access to other worlds to tempt and annoy those who have never fallen. It is in this sense that he is bound: there are none remaining, upon whom he can exercise his power. He is wholly cut off from the work of deception and ruin which for so many centuries has been his sole delight.
The prophet Isaiah, looking forward to the time of Satan's overthrow, exclaims: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! . . . Thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: . . . I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?" Isaiah 14:12-17.
For six thousand years, Satan's work of rebellion has "made the earth to tremble." He had "made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof." And he "opened not the house of his prisoners." For six thousand years his prison house has received God's people, and he would have held them captive forever; but Christ had broken his bonds and set the prisoners free.
Even the wicked are now placed beyond the power of Satan, and alone with his evil angels he remains to realize the effect of the curse which sin has brought. "The kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, everyone in his own house [the grave]. But thou art cast out thy grave like an abominable branch. . . . Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people." Isaiah 14:18-20.
For a thousand years, Satan will wander to and fro in the desolate earth to behold the results of his rebellion against the law of God. During this time his sufferings are intense. Since his fall his life of unceasing activity has banished reflection; but he is now deprived of his power and left to contemplate the part which he has acted since first he rebelled against the government of heaven, and to look forward with trembling and terror to the dreadful future when he must suffer for all the evil that he has done and be punished for the sins that he has caused to be committed. GC 658-660.

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When will the desolate earth cease to be an ABYSS? When Satan and the lost are destroyed, and the earth is made new.

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And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth...and fire came down from God out of heaven, and DEVOURED them. Revelation 20:7-9.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1.

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. Isaiah 65:17.

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