Bottomless Pit and Locusts
"And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star (Satan) fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless (G12) pit (G5421). And he opened the bottomless (G12) pit (G5421); 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. And there came out of the smoke locusts (evil angels) upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 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. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter." (Revelation 9:1-12)
G12
= depthless, that is, (specifically), (infernal) "abyss": - deep, (bottomless) pit.G5421 = Of uncertain derivation; a hole in the ground (dug for obtaining or holding water or other purposes), that is, a cistern or well; figuratively an abyss (as a prison): - well, pit.
What we see at the end time, Satan being allowed to release the angels that
are bound in the bottomless pit to punish those that have turned their backs on
God.
"And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep (G12). And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake (G3041), and were choked." (Luke 8:30-33)
"For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell (G5020), and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;" (2 Peter 2:4)
"And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under (G5259) darkness (G2217) unto the judgment of the great day." (Jude 1:6)
G3041
= Probably from G3040 (through the idea of the nearness of shore);G638 = From G575 and G4155; to stifle - choke.
G5020 = (the deepest abyss of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment: - cast down to hell.
G5259 = A primary preposition; under, that is, (with the genitive) of place (beneath), or with verbs (the agency or means, through); (with the accusative) of place (whither [underneath] or where [below]) or time (when [at]): - among, by, from, in, of, under, with. In compounds it retains the same genitive applications, especially of inferior position or condition, and specifically covertly or moderately.
G2217 = Akin to the base of G3509; gloom (as shrouding like a cloud): - blackness, darkness, mist.
It would appear that the bottomless pit or Abyss is a place of mist or water,
deep on the earth. Knowing that the pit is where fallen angels are held, it would make sense
that these locusts are fallen angels! The term "locusts" appears to be both symbolic,
as well as relating to
appearance.
We see that those who are not sealed are the ones tormented by the locusts.
"And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads." (Revelation 9:4)
God is still in control, these evil angels are only allowed so much lee
way.
The two witness have been on the scene giving their testimony, but the beast
(revived religious entity) that came up out of the pit will declare war against them and
persuade humanity to attack and kill them.
"And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. 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." (Revelation 11:1-7)
Satan is allowed to control and give authority to his church, causing the
world to adapt a one world religion that arises at the end time.
"And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. 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. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth." (Revelation 17:2-6)
There are other ancient writings that describe where the angeles that
revolted and sinned are held.
2 Enoch (Slavonic) Chapter 7 1-2 "And those men took me and led me up on to the second heaven, and showed me darkness, greater than earthly darkness, and there I saw prisoners hanging, watched, awaiting the great and boundless judgment, and these angels were dark-looking, more than earthly darkness, and incessantly making weeping through all hours. And I said to the men who were with me: Wherefore are these incessantly tortured? They answered me: These are God’s apostates, who obeyed not God’s commands, but took counsel with their own will, and turned away with their prince, who also is fastened on the fifth heaven."
2 Enoch (Slavonic) Chapter 18 1-5 "The men took me on to the fifth heaven and placed me, and there I saw many and countless soldiers, called Grigori, of human appearance, and their size was greater than that of great giants and their faces withered, and the silence of their mouths perpetual, and their was no service on the fifth heaven, and I said to the men who were with me: Wherefore are these very withered and their faces melancholy, and their mouths silent, and wherefore is there no service on this heaven? And they said to me: These are the Grigori, who with their prince Satanail rejected the Lord of light, and after them are those who are held in great darkness on the second heaven, and three of them went down on to earth from the Lord’s throne, to the place Ermon, and broke through their vows on the shoulder of the hill Ermon and saw the daughters of men how good they are, and took to themselves wives, and befouled the earth with their deeds, who in all times of their age made lawlessness and mixing, and giants are born and marvellous big men and great enmity. And therefore God judged them with great judgment, and they weep for their brethren and they will be punished on the Lord’s great day.
And I said to the Grigori: I saw your brethren and their works, and their great torments, and I prayed for them, but the Lord has condemned them to be under earth till the existing heaven and earth shall end for ever."
The locusts are the angels held there till the time of Gods judgment.
For more on fallen angels:
CHRIST PREACHED TO THE SPIRITS
THE NEPHILIM, GIANTS ON THE EARTH