The bottomless pit is another name for the abyss. It is the current prison for demonic spirits and fallen angels. It is temporary in the sense that the day will come when the abyss will no longer be needed or occupied. The same is true with hell, the temporary prison for the souls of non-repentant mankind. At the end of the millennium both the occupants of the bottomless pit and hell will be cast into the everlasting lake of fire. It is a hard Biblical fact that occupants of both the abyss and hell have no recourse; their eternal fate is already sealed. It is interesting to note that the eternal lake of fire was prepared for the devil and his angels.
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels…’” Matthew 25:41
Non-repentant mankind chooses that destiny by rejecting the provided remedy by which to avoid it.
The occupants of the abyss will be very active during the future seven year tribulation period.
The fifth and sixth trumpet judgments during the tribulation period describe some of the occupants of the abyss and their permitted activities. The ruler over those in the bottomless pit is Satan himself.
“Then the fifth angel sounded: and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit…Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth…they were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth…but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads…In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.” Revelation 9:1-6
The description of the leader of the ‘locusts’ is then described.
“And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon (destruction), but in Greek he has the name Apollyon (destroyer). Revelation 9:11
Continuing in the same chapter of Revelation the location of the bottomless pit is revealed.
“Then the sixth angel sounded… ‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’ So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.” Revelation 9:13-15
So here it is seen that the River Euphrates is the location of the bottomless pit.
The Revelation further reveals that the satanically empowered anti-Christ will arise out of the bottomless pit and kill the two witnesses announced by a mighty angel.
“When they (the two witnesses) finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them… and kill them…” Revelation 11:7
The anti-Christ is subsequently said to ascend again from the bottomless pit as he heads the ten nation federation which will make war with God’s people.
“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition.” Revelation 17:8
Subsequently the devil himself will be locked up in his own earthly prison for a thousand years.
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit…He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit…” Revelation 20:1-3a
The Bible then reveals that after the 1000 years are completed, Satan is released for a short time and given power to attempt to deceive those left on earth who had entered the millennium in natural bodies. He is swiftly destroyed.
“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast (anti-Christ) and false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:10
There lies ahead tremendous battles, and the area of these final battles will occur in the area where it all began, near the great river Euphrates.