From: Jason Hare (parousia_occ@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Jul 07 2000 - 04:02:02 EDT
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<P>Fellow members,</P>
<P>I was just thinking about the word ABUSSOS. I know from reading the Revelation (20.1,3; ...ECONTA THN KLEIN THS ABUSSOU... KAI ELABEN AUTON EIS THN ABUSSON KAI EKLEISEN KAI ESFRAGISEN...) and as far back as the Prayer of Manasseh (1.3; ..hO KLEISAS THN ABUSSON KAI SFRAGISAMENOS AUTHN TWi FOBERWi KAI ENDOXWi ONOMATI SOU...) that the word alluded to some place which could be locked. You might even get the implication of water from the latter (because of its connection with THN QALASSAN in the same verse).</P>
<P>My question is this: can there be constructed a clear meaning as to what kind of image came to mind for a person of Christian/Jewish mentality who spoke Greek in the first century AD when he heard the word ABUSSOS? </P>
<P>From the OT (not having a Concordance of the LXX) I found that ABUSSOS was used for the Hebrew TeHoM in Genesis 1.2 and 7.11. Both of those connect it with water (...and darkeness was upon the face of the ABUSSOS/TeHoM [connected next with HaMaYiM—the waters]... and the fountains [LXX, PHGAI] of the great ABUSSOS/TeHoM were broken up [causing the Flood]...).</P>
<P>Yet, the picture from Revelation seems to give a (completely) different view of what the ABUSSOS was. It mentions smoke rising from it (9.2; ...KAI ANEBH KAPNOS EK TOU FREATOS hWS KAPNOS KAMINOU MEGALHS...) and that it has a "pit" (FREAR). It seems like these two ideas connected to this one word are in opposition to each other. A position that I would offer up for scrutiny would be that the word refers specifically to a immense depth (whether empty or filled [with water or fire]) and the seemingly endless profundity of it. What do you think, friends? For I respect your comments more than my own guesses. Thanks in advance.</P>
<P>In Christ,<BR>Jason Hare</P>
<P>Ozark Christian College<BR>1111 N. Main<BR>Joplin, MO 64801<BR>http://www.occ.edu</P><p><br><hr size=1><b>Do You Yahoo!?</b><br>
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