Season 6 Podcast 32 Book of Revelation “Opening of the Seven Seals, Chapter 20:1-3 “The Bottomless Pit.”Previously we discussed Revelation 19 which presented the ‘The Marriage Feast of the Lamb,’ and ‘The Supper of the Great God.’ This week we shall discuss Revelation 20, ‘The Bottomless Pit.’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.”One thing that we must always keep in mind in reading the scriptures is that every word matters. It would be wonderful, of course, if we had the original documents in the original language as written by the hand of the prophets, for imperfections in languages, opinions, prejudices, weaknesses, and personal agenda can corrupt translations. But, of course, that is not to be. I use the King James Translation, the Bible of my youth, but freely acknowledge that even before the King James Version the Bible underwent many translations. Some things are bound to be changed or lost. Still the language is exquisite, the poetry beautiful, the imagery exciting.Three images in the above verse must be considered:1.     An angel coming down from heaven.2.     The key of the bottomless pit3.     A great chain in his hand.The angel obviously is one of great authority sent by God to bind Satan. That suggests that Satan has no more power than the Lord allows. Satan entered the Garden of Eden only because the Lord allowed it. Satan was cast out of heaven because he rebelled against God. Christ said, “I saw Satan like lightning fall from heaven.” Isaiah tells us.Isaiah 14:12-16“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! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; 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.”Isaiah is speaking of the very moment spoken of by John above. Isaiah lived about 800 years before Christ. The Millenium does not come for at least 2000 years after Christ. We are now living in the year 2025. The chronological millennium has begun but clearly not the prophesied or spiritual Millennium. That is not subject to the Gregorian Calendar. Still, it does suggest that the Second Coming of Christ could be any day. That is when the Spiritual Millennium begins and it will last a 1000 years. That means that almost three thousand years will come between the prophecy of Isaiah and the Second Coming of Christ, or the beginning of the Millennium, which is the period of time Isaiah and John the Revelator are talking about.The key the angel holds refers to the authority of the priesthood. Isaiah speaks of those keys. Isaiah 22:22 “And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.”John the Revelator speaks of the same event.Revelation 3:7“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.”Twice John refers to the same keys.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."

Season 6 Podcast 32 Book of Revelation “Opening of the Seven Seals, Chapter 20:1-3 “The Bottomless Pit.” Previously we discussed Revelation 19 which presented the ‘The Marriage Feast of the Lamb,’ and ‘The Supper of the Great God.’ This week we shall discuss Revelation 20, ‘The Bottomless Pit.’ 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.” One thing that we must always keep in mind in reading the scriptures is t...