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.

Nimrod and the Tower of Babel

Nimrod And The Tower

There appears to be an increase in the number of people ascribing the office of the antichrist to the post-flood figure, Nimrod.  Several modern exegetes also claim the religious idolatry mixed with false Christ anti-god worship of end-times mystery, Babylon is originated in the city of Babylon instituted and ruled by Nimrod.

The historian, Josephus, gave this description:

Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah-a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny-seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence upon his own power.

He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers!

Gilgamesh, also considered to be another name for Nimrod has another confirmation of Nimrod’s obsession below.

The Gilgamesh Epic describes the first “God is dead” movement. In the Epic, the hero is a vile, filthy, perverted person, yet he is presented as the greatest, strongest, hero that ever lived (Alexander Heidel, 1963: 18). So that the one who sent the Flood will not trouble them anymore, Gilgamesh sets out to kill the perpetrator. He takes with him a friend who is a monstrous half-man, half-animal-Enkidu. Together they go on a long journey to the Cedar Mountain to find and destroy the monster who sent the Flood. Gilgamesh finds him and finally succeeds in cutting off the head of this creature whose name is “Huwawa” (“Humbaba” in the Assyrian version; see Heidel 1963: 34ff).

Most people assume the builders of the tower of Babel were attempting to construct a tower so tall that it would reach up to heaven.  That premise is probably wrong.  The idea of reaching to heaven was most likely a means to produce a star gate-type system that could allow additional Watchers to return to the earth.  This event happened several years after the flood.  All the pre-flood Watchers (fallen angels) had been placed (imprisoned) in Tartarus (the bottom level of the abyss) by God.  The original Nephilim offspring of the Watchers had been killed with their spirits becoming the demonic entities of today.  The two or three generations of Nephilim offspring were drowned in the flood.  The various DNA (mixed, spliced, and altered) created chimeras and monstrosities such as:  minotaurs; centaurs; lion-men; fauns; dinosaurs; pterodactyls were also drowned and not carried on the ark.

Genesis 11:1-4 seems to indicate the majority of the post-flood population desired to stay in one area, build a city, and remain unified.

The whole earth had a common language and a common vocabulary. When the people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. Then they said to one another, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." (They had brick instead of stone and tar instead of mortar.) Then they said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens so that we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise we will be scattered across the face of the entire earth."

(Genesis 11:1-4 NET)

They also agreed to make a name for themselves for the purpose of not becoming scattered around the world.

It is said that Nimrod believed that he could kill God and become the planet’s new “god”.  He may be the king of Babylon that is referred to in Isaiah 14.  It may not directly be referring to Satan with the Latin name of Lucifer.  Peter Goodgame and other commentators may be correct.  Nimrod could very well be the beast named Apollyon (Apollo) that arises from the bottomless pit.

You said to yourself, "I will climb up to the sky. Above the stars of El I will set up my throne. I will rule on the mountain of assembly on the remote slopes of Zaphon. I will climb up to the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!"   (Isaiah 14:13-14 NET)

The non-Biblical, but informative, book of Jasher (mentioned in scripture) affirms that the people of Nimrod (stupidly) desired to ascend to heaven and be in control.

And the building of the tower was unto them a transgression and a sin, and they began to build it, and whilst they were building against the Lord God of heaven, they imagined in their hearts to war against him and to ascend into heaven.

And all these people and all the families divided themselves in three parts; the first said We will ascend into heaven and fight against him; the second said, We will ascend to heaven and place our own gods there and serve them; and the third part said, We will ascend to heaven and smite him with bows and spears; and God knew all their works and all their evil thoughts, and he saw the city and the tower which they were building.  (Jasher 9:25-26)

It is generally assumed by the current population of today that pre-flood and post-flood people were ignorant and uneducated but that is not the way the Bible and other historical documents portrays it.  Nimrod and his grandfather, Cush, most likely had the knowledge of constructing a system that would allow a passage from the heavenly dimension to the earth dimension.  The post-flood population were told to populate the world but Nimrod and his empire building legions did not desire to be “scattered abroad upon the face of the earth.”  Cush had apparently taught him about the old ways of the pre-flood era and he desired to have it again.  This would only be possible if more Watchers were to come to the earth.

And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. (Genesis 11:4 KJV)

And they said, Come, let us build to ourselves a city and tower, whose top shall be to heaven, and let us make to ourselves a name, before we are scattered abroad upon the face of all the earth.  (Genesis 11:4 Brenton)

with a tower that reaches to the heavens  NIV

Nimrod “became” a Gibbor (mighty one) because he and his grandfather, Ham, had the knowledge of defiling or altering DNA as done by the Watchers prior to the flood and not necessarily in the seminal manner.  His grandmother, Ham’s wife, could have carried a small amount of Watcher DNA of which Nimrod was able to accentuate using Watcher technology in some manner.

The first post-flood empire was ruled by Nimrod.  His empire became the original mystery, Babylon.  The following empires were also mystery Babylon:  Egypt; Assyria; Medo-Persian; and Daniel’s Babylon.  Some of these areas were ruled by Nimrod and others were founded by the migrants of the original Babylon.  The areas of Greece and Rome were among the early settled areas after the language change.  Greece and Rome have the same god hierarchy as the Egyptians and Sumerians, just different names and they would also be included in the mystery, Babylon pantheon of empires. 

And Nimrod dwelt in Shinar, and he reigned securely, and he fought with his enemies and he subdued them, and he prospered in all his battles, and his kingdom became very great. And all nations and tongues heard of his fame, and they gathered themselves to him, and they bowed down to the earth, and they brought him offerings, and he became their lord and king, and they all dwelt with him in the city at Shinar, and Nimrod reigned in the earth over all the sons of Noah, and they were all under his power and counsel. And all the earth was of one tongue and words of union, but Nimrod did not go in the ways of the Lord, and he was more wicked than all the men that were before him, from the days of the flood until those days. - Book of Jasher 7:44-46

The concept of mystery, Babylon has infiltrated the entire earth through the original 70 language groups, European migration, and the Catholic Church.  However, the final headquarters will be in the original Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian area of the Old Testament, Jerusalem.

God viewed the tower building scene and put a stop to it.  He wasn’t upset because Nimrod wanted to build a tall tower, but because he desired a visit from more Watchers.  When one of the disciples asked Jesus why He spoke in parables, he answered:  For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand.  (Matthew 13:13 NET)  This applied to readers and skeptics of the Old Testament as well.  They say:  “Why would God get mad about a tall tower?  There are tall towers in the world today.  Christians must be stupid.”  However, God was angered because of the attempt to restart Watcher life as before and the plan of Nimrod to keep the majority of the population in one location.  The punishment of God was to divide the people into seventy language groups.  Since the people desired to worship angels such as Watchers, God placed the seventy language groups in the control of 70 angelic beings of the Divine Council. 

When the Most High divided the nations, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God.  (Deuteronomy 32:8 Brenton LXX)

Most English translations as the KJV render the last sentence as the "number of the children (or sons) of Israel".  However, a Dead Sea Scrolls parchment read, "the number of the sons of God," and the Greek Septuagint LXX version reads, "the number of the angels of God."

All of these 70 people groups differentiated by language stayed within their understandable group and then spread around the world as they were commanded to do initially.  The different groups opinion of Nimrod most likely did not change or their loyalty to his god-like character  As they migrated they incorporated Nimrod and pre-flood events in their stories with embellishments as time went on.  His fame or notoriety did not diminish but the names changed due to the nature of their language.  The new Sumerian people wrote of Marduk and Gilgamesh; to the Greeks he became Apollo; and to the Egyptians he became Osiris.  The internet version of the Jewish Encyclopedia states that king Amraphel of Shinar, was actually Nimrod. Some of the details were changed and modified such as:  the names of his parents; where he came from; and the names of other associates but the basic elements are similar.

A Wikipedia article entitled a Short Chronology Timeline presents the following article: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_chronology_timeline)

Sargon of Akkad, also known as Sargon the Great "The Great King" (Akkadian Šarru-kīnu, meaning "the true king" or "the king is legitimate"), was an Akkadian emperor famous for his conquest of the Sumerian city-states in the 23rd and 22nd centuries BC.[2] The founder of the Dynasty of Akkad, Sargon reigned from 2,270 to 2,215 BC (short chronology).[3] He became a prominent member of the royal court of Kish, killing the king and usurping his throne before embarking on the quest to conquer Mesopotamia. He was originally referred to as Sargon I until records concerning an Assyrian king also named Sargon (now usually referred to as Sargon I) were unearthed.

Some historians make the claim that the Sumerian Kish is in fact the Biblical Cush and that Sargon is another name or the actual name of Nimrod.  Nimrod may not actually be his name but rather a Biblical title meaning “the rebellious one.”  The chronology text implies that Nimrod killed his father to advance his empire.  (NOTE:  It is written in the book of Jasher that Esau killed Nimrod).