Perdition and the Angel of the Bottomless Pit

Perdition and the Angel of the Bottomless Pit

7/4/2015

The Son of Perdition

The purpose of this post is to demonstrate the relationship between the son of perdition as found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and the angel of the bottomless pit found in Revelation 9:11.  Both words are derived from the Greek word “apóllumi” which literally means:  destroy or destruction.

The King James Version of Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians refers to the beast of Revelation chapter 13 as the “son of perdition”.  As can be seen in the listed Greek dictionaries the word “apolia” can be translated as destruction, damnable, pernicious, as well as perdition.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

(2 Thessalonians 2:3 KJV)

2 Thessalonians 2:3   Perdition; destruction; the one who brings destruction (NLT); the son of the destruction (YLT); lawless man (Phillips)

G684  apōleia  ap-o'-li-a

Strong’s Definition:  From a presumed derivative of G622; ruin or loss (physical, spiritual or eternal): - damnable (-nation), destruction, die, perdition, X perish, pernicious ways, waste.

Thayer Definition:  1) destroying, utter destruction  1a) of vessels

2) a perishing, ruin, destruction  2a) of money  2b) the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell

The below definition (G622) is supposedly the derivative (a word formed from another word) of the Greek word “apolia” or perdition (G684) as used in 2 Thessalonian 2:3. 

G622  ap-ol'-loo-mee

From G575 and the base of G3639; to destroy fully (reflexively to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively: - destroy, die, lose, mar, perish.

The Angel of the Bottomless Pit

In Revelation 9:11 there is a version or form of ap-o'-li-a used as a proper name which is Apollyon.

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.  (Revelation 9:11 KJV)

Apolluōn  ap-ol-loo'-ohn

Strong’s Definition:  Active participle of G622; a destroyer (that is, Satan): - Apollyon.

Thayer Definition:  Apollyon = “Destroyer”  1) the angel of the bottomless pit, the Destroyer; Part of Speech: noun proper masculine; A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: active participle of G622

Chapter 9 of Revelation concerns the results of the trumpet sounding of the fifth angel.  John is shown a star (angelic entity) who falls from heaven to earth.  The word for fall or fallen is piptō or petō  depending of the tense of the word.  It can mean to literally go from a higher place to a lower place such as (trip and fall to the ground).  It can also mean to fail; fall to ruin; or come under condemnation.  It is therefore uncertain if this angel is a fallen one or not.  Some commentators claim the angel is upright and others that he is fallen or thrown from Heaven at this point in time.  He is given the (symbolic) key to the bottomless pit which was in the possession of Jesus in Revelation 1:18.

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.  (Revelation 1:18 KJV)

If the angel was located in heaven, could it be that he was fallen?  It is possible.  Revelation chapter 12 indicates that a dragon (perhaps Satan?) and a third of the angels are swept from the heavenly realm.  Some modern exegetes consider the Revelation to be written in a general chronological order with parenthesis chapters inserted for more information and detail.  It may also be that two or more chapters (or sections) may overlay one another because they describe events that occur at relatively the same time.

Next is presented a horde of demonic-like, locust-type, entities being released from the abyss (bottomless pit).  Their king is referred to as the angel of the bottomless pit with the Hebrew name of Abaddon and the Greek name of Apollyon.  Some exegetes such as Thomas Horn, Peter Goodgame, and Michael Lake agree that Apollyon and Apollo mean the same thing and refer to the same entity.

Apollo has a complex history in Greek and Roman mythology.  He is occasionally referred to as an upright healing and prophetic god and other times as a god who could bring ill-health and deadly plague.  Some researchers claim that Apollo’s origin can be traced back to Nimrod.  Gary Stearman and Thomas Horn, administrators of Skywatch TV, write their belief the beast/antichrist is the “reincarnation of the ancient demon deity Apollo (the Old Testament Nimrod) as prophesied by the apostles Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and John in Revelation 17:8”.

Could the angel who descends from heaven and is given permission to open the bottomless pit (given the key) be the same entity who is the king of the demonic locusts ascending (or leaving) the pit?  This is a distinct possibility considering there could be much information and detail concerning this prophetic event that we are not given. 

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.  (Revelation 9:11 KJV)

Also, could the king of the demonic locusts be the beast who ascends from the bottomless pit and becomes the resurrection of the beast antichrist who appeared to be killed by a neck wound?

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.

(Revelation 17:8 KJV)

Some commentators believe (without absolute proof) this will be the case.  Although it is entirely possible, there is no reason to be dogmatic concerning the possibility.  Again, remember we are not given all details and information.  The Greek personal names and descriptive words are basically related which makes good circumstantial evidence with no definitive evidence for a verdict.