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Question: Who has the key to the bottomless pit? Revelation 9 makes it sound like Satan has the key. but Revelation 20 sounds like Jesus has it..... "Then the fifth angel sounded: and I saw a star fall from heaven, and to him was given the key to the bottomless pit" (Revelation 9:1). The Greek word is "Abyssos." "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand" (Revelation 20:1). Again, the Greek word translated "bottomless pit" is "Abyssos."

Answer: My view of the Scriptures on this point is that the bottomless pit is a place of imprisonment for a number of fallen angels, where they are now awaiting judgment on the final day. (See 2 Peter 2:4. and Jude 6). The King James version uses the word "Hell" for "Tartarus" in the passage in 2nd Peter. I believe that the bottomless pit is not the same as Hell. Hell is referred to in Revelation as "The lake of fire" (Revelation 20:10, 14).

Now, coming back to your original point: You are probably correct in assuming that the star which fell from heaven is Satan, and you could also be correct in saying that the angel with the chain is Christ. However, the Bible does not specifically say so. It could literally BE an angel. In any event, the star falling from heaven is a representative of evil, and the angel with the chain is a representative of righteousness. The first one is during the great tribulation, and the second one is at the end of the great tribulation. In both cases the person having the key was given it by God.

God sometimes uses Satan to do His bidding. In the case of Job, Satan was permitted to afflict him, but only within certain limits (Job 1:12, 2:6.) There was a limitation of time, and of extent. After this period of testing, God then completely healed Job, and restored to him double what he had lost. God had a purpose in permitting Satan to afflict, but Satan was only allowed to work within limits set by God.

The great tribulation is a time of God's judgment upon the people on earth. So, when the fifth angel sounds, God will allow Satan, who is full of hate for the human race, to open the bottomless pit, and let out the evil angels to afflict the people on earth. But he is not permitted to keep the key, once he has done the evil he was temporarily allowed to do. God has ultimate control of everything, including the key to the pit. The angel with the chain was given the key for a different purpose, and that was to seize Satan, and imprison him in the bottomless pit for the thousand years when Christ and His saints will rule on the earth.

Satan was permitted to use the key for a limited time, but DURING THE MILLENNIUM he will be locked in that pit with the fallen angels, until the time comes for God to judge them. Jesus Christ now has the key, and also the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:18). Praise God forever!

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