The outer core surrounding the inner core is mass of liquid metal which is approximately 1430 miles thick. 

Additionally, the Earth's rotation makes this mass of liquid metal material flow in a vortex, and thus, this rotating metal material generates the earth’s magnetic field.

Now, Jesus spoke of this place [that is Paradise] in the Gospel according to Luke, chapter twenty-three, verse forty-three: “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”  [Luke 23:43]

Jesus was showing what was soon to happen.  At that moment Paradise was still in the center of the earth.  This was true until Calvary. 

Then when the Son God took “captivity captive” HE took Paradise up to Heaven.   And Paradise is there today in the third heaven.

For this, we turn to the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians, in chapter four, verse eight and nine:

“Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?” [Ephesians 4:8-9]

Paradise is up, and out of there!

Verse two: “And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.” [Revelation 9:2]

“…opened the bottomless pit…”

Somewhere, to the east of the Euphrates River, is an opening in the earth that leads downward to the bottomless pit.  How far east of the Euphrates [this opening is] is indeterminate. 

But don’t worry, because God knows where it is exactly. 

What really is important though is to understand that God’s word tells us that this pit is in the earth, and it is bottomless. 

Now, this pit extends to the very core of the earth, and even beyond the core, extending towards the opposite side of the earth.  The bottomless attribute of the pit comes from this following phenomena: The earth’s gravitational field strength is affected by the distance from the center of the earth. 

As an object having mass approaches the center of the core of the earth, this object [even a person] would approach zero gravity, and float, and thus, a bottomless effect would be achieved.

 “…arose a smoke out of the pit…”

Now, John sees an angel opening the door to this pit, and as he cracks the door, this black smoke just billows up out of the earth.  Oh my, just imagine what an eerie, and a strange scene, this is before the Apostle John.

“…a great furnace”

  This black smoke is ascending up from the most awesome, powerful furnace, ever, that is below the surface of the earth, deep in the earth: This is a great furnace!

“…the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit”

The pit identified here is different from the pit that swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram in the day of their rebellion [See Numbers 16:30].  Korah, Dathan, and Abiram went straight to Hell!

The bottomless pit, and the pit of Hell, are two different places [or compartments] in the center of the earth.

Now, the smoke is coming up!

When this thing occurs, the earth’s sunlight will be blocked by a massive cloud of smoke from the pit, just as the thick darkness covered all the land of Egypt in that day when God judged the land of Egypt, when Pharaoh refused to let the people of Israel go out from the land of their bondage.  [Note: Pharaoh is a type of the Devil]

Exodus 10:21-22: “And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:”

Verse three: “And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.” [Revelation 9:3]

“…locusts”

Behold, in the darkness, and in the smoke of the pit, a massive swarm of locust’s now billow out to cover the land somewhere east of the Euphrates River.

This is [in a strange similitude] what happened in Egypt just prior to the miraculous exodus of Israel [in B.C. 1491]:

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.” [Exodus 10:12] 

The locusts covered the land!

Exodus 10:15: “For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened;”

Now, these are no ordinary locusts here, in the book of Revelation, for they have power given to them that is above, and beyond, all the locusts presently found on this earth.

These are supernatural locusts inside this earth.

“…as the scorpions of the earth”

Analysis: These locusts are altered, and modified, and are infused with the power of scorpions.   These locusts are mutations, or hybrids.  These are really weird locusts, [unlike anything ever seen by men], that will come out of the bowels of this earth.

Verse four: “And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.” [Revelation 9:4]

“…neither any green thing”

These locusts are placed under restraint:

1.       To not hurt the grass of the earth

2.       To not hurt any green thing

3.       To not hurt any tree

Everything green is a part of Gods design in creation to give rise to the earth’s ability to sustain life. 

Turn to the First Book of Moses called Genesis, chapter one, verse eleven:

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.” [Genesis 1:11]

In a plague, the [natural] locusts of the earth will strip the land of everything that is green, but these supernaturally controlled locusts will not behave that way.  They will behave in a very selective manner; going after only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.  These special locusts are a tool used to judge such men that lack this [seal of God in their foreheads].

“…the seal of God in their foreheads”

In the Tribulation the saints of God will have the seal of God placed in their foreheads by God.  They will be set apart!!!

In chapter thirty-two of the Fifth Book Moses, called Deuteronomy, is the Song of Moses, and this song is prophetic, and is pointing to future events, even to the time of Jacob’s trial.  In verse thirty-four we see this word: sealed.

“Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?” [Deuteronomy 32:34]

Take note of this.  God has some things that are sealed, that are among HIS treasures.  Judgments, and people, are among some of the things God seals.

For instance, in this present dispensation, the members [the individual believers] of the body of Christ are sealed by God.  Further, they are kept by the power of God!

Look with me for this, in the First Epistle of Peter, chapter one, verse five:

“Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” [1 Peter 1:5] 

Now, see this truth reinforced within these following verses:

2 Corinthians 1:22: “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”

Ephesians 1:13: “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

Ephesians 4:30: “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

In Daniel’s seventieth week, just as in any dispensation: “The Lord knoweth them that are his.” [2 Titus 2:19a]

Verse five: “And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.” [Revelation 9:5]

Torture!

The controlling directive given to these supernatural locusts was to torture, and to not to kill their victims.  Let them feel the pain!  Lots of pain.  Torture them! 

Notice the prescription given here [in the length of the duration of the torture]: It was to last five whole months.  There we see it, again: The number five.  This number just keeps coming up whenever there is a discussion involving death. 

These locusts would strike a man, and bring him to torment, strike after strike, after strike, and seemingly without end.

Verse six: “And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.” [Revelation 9:6]

Death shall flee from them

In that day a man may wish to die for all of the never-ending, gnawing, and excruciating pain that is shooting throughout all the limbs of his body, but just not ever getting there.  Thinking death would be a relief, but never finding it.

The word of God gives us insight here. 

Do you remember Job sitting in misery on the ash pile?

There is light to be had here for us concerning these thoughts of death in the book of Job, chapter three, in verse twenty through verse twenty-two.  Let us now go there:

 “Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;

Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?” [Job 3:20-24] 

These locusts had the sting of a scorpion such as would make one wish to die, even if by strangling, and to make one to hate even his own life.  See Job chapter seven, verse fifteen, and sixteen for this: 

“So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.

I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.” [Job 7:15-16]