Archives March 2022

Chapter 8 of Corrupting the Image 3 : The Flight of the Remnant

Jesus instructed that when the abomination of desolation happens we should just leave everything and flee. Believers (the Remnant) living in the region of Judea will put two and two together—considering the words of Jesus and the Two Witnesses. They will also be on alert because the Beast has occupied the recently erected temple (or a designated holy place / tabernacle).¹²⁹ In fact, if he dies and rises at this point, then the Remnant will know that the window to escape will not stay open for long. They will heed Jesus’ mandate and get out of town.¹³⁰  

“Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains (Matt 24:16). Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house (Matt 24:17). And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes (Matt 24:18). But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! (Matt 24:19). And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath (Matt 24:20). For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt 24:21). 

Based on Jesus’ warning, it sounds like time is of the essence; there will be no time to go home to get your bug-out bag. If the Beast has not killed the Two Witnesses at this point, then they may provide the covering the Remnant needs to get out of town. They could potentially provide just enough of a window (maybe hours, days) for the faithful to get out.  

However, once the Two have been eliminated Satan (merged with the Beast) will no longer be able to access the spiritual realm, and he will realize he must act quickly to ensure his reign continues. As we mentioned before, for his immunity to stick, he must have all humanity adhering to his covenant. The Revelation 12 Woman (the Remnant)¹³¹ and any other would-be mark-refusers will pose an existential threat to him. As such, they must either toe the line or be removed. However, the presence of the Two Witnesses may provide a deterrent to Satan pursuing those escaping to the wilderness, and hence they must be killed first; though, they may have been eliminated already (and it is difficult to completely ascertain, since we are considering events that likely occur within days or hours of one another; and, because the sequence is not precisely stated in Scripture). Thus, we do our best to piece together these future events from Scripture and add a bit of logic. It could be that the final events happen in a different order. If the Witnesses are already dead, then we can appreciate the even greater urgency to leave immediately. We will examine the slaying of the Two in the next chapter.  

Nevertheless, Satan (the dragon) / the Beast (hybridized) will deal swiftly and sternly with the group fleeing to escape his rule. 

“Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child” (Rev 12:13).  

Those who flee by faith will be aided by God: 

“But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent” (Rev 12:14). 

We see this same imagery in Exodus 19, when God told Israel: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself” (Exod 19:4). God did not get on a giant eagle, like in the Lord of the Rings, and fly them on the backs of the eagles out to the desert. God was speaking metaphorically that like an eagle will protect her chicks, he will protect his people from harm.  

Satan will pursue those fleeing, hoping to overtake them before they reach their safe haven: 

“The serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood (Rev 12:15). But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth” (Rev 12:16).  

What is the water that he spews out of his mouth? It is possible that Satan could come to planet Earth and cause a flood of water. However, an angel in the book of Revelation defines this representation: “The waters … are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues (Rev 17:15). Thus, it is a multinational elite army sent in the pursuit of the Remnant and coming in like a flood (a motif used in Scripture: “Who is this coming up like a flood, Whose waters move like the rivers?” Jer 46:7. Egypt rises up like a flood … (Jer 46:8).¹³² Satan is going to send out an army to destroy the faithful remnant. The humans pursuing them may well see the supernatural protection of the God of Israel.  

Anyone supporting the Two will be seen as traitorous, and the Beast will be delighted to murder them. God, however, will protect the Remnant by a cataclysmic cave-in of the surface of the earth where these armies will perish, like at Korah’s rebellion. 

God will see to it that the Remnant, the woman, is taken to a safe place and will be nourished for 3.5 years, 1260 days or 42 months. In the expression “time, times and half a time,” the first “time” denotes one year. This is verifiable later by the same timeframe expressed in days:  

“Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days” (Rev 12:6).¹³³ 

While there will be a group who arrives to a safe haven, “the rest of her offspring” numbering in the millions will not have had that chance.  

“And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 12:17). 

Of course, if you are a believer today and consider that we might be going through this terrible time, the question is naturally: how can I get my family to the safe haven? Insofar as I can tell, Scripture does not give us the answer. This is likely something that calls for steadfast faith and a spirit of sacrifice, knowing that God will never forsake the faithful. 

With that group out of reach, Satan will turn his attention to the millions still within his grasp: 

“And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 12:17, see also 13:10, 14:12 15:4, 16:15, and 19:8). 

The book of Daniel gives witness to the unbridled onslaught against God’s people.  

• The same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing (Dan 7:21). 
• His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, and shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people (Dan 8:24).  
• “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done (Dan 11:36). 

Daniel also confirms this terrible time will come after the abomination, which happens in the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week, and will last 3.5 years:  

• But in the middle of that week he will bring sacrifices and offerings to a halt. On the wing of abominations will come one who destroys, until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys (Dan 9:27).  

• it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished (Dan 12:7).  

The persecution against the saints will increase in intensity. First, there will be a mandate that everyone must receive the mark of the Beast to buy and sell, and then the penalty will be elevated to beheading (Rev 13:17, 20:4).  

In Revelation, John saw souls under the altar asking how long until God avenged their blood.  

“Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed” (Rev 6:11). 

In the next chapter, John saw them clothed in their white robes: 

“A great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands” (Rev 7:9).  

According to one of the elders, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev 7:14). This group of people are the same who “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 12:17) with whom the dragon made war.  

While this will be a horrendous time on planet Earth, the Remnant will grow. Many will discover their real faith in Jesus for the first time; what used to be a cold relationship with God will become alive like never before. Even in the face of persecution and the death of loved ones, and self, the Remnant stand strong.  

“Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits (Dan 11:32). And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering (Dan 11:33). Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue (Dan 11:34). And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time (Dan 11:35). Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done” (Dan 11:36).  

Chapter 7 of Corrupting the Image 3: Abomination of Desolation 

Once the apostasy has occurred in which humanity has turned their back to God Most High and given their authority to Death and Sheol, and the Restrainer is removed, then the next phase will begin: 

The man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thess 2:3–4). 

Humanity will be enraptured when they relinquish their authority to Satan once again. It will be as if Satan could have gotten Israel to forsake God and had actually gone back to Egypt; and given themselves over to be slaves again, forfeiting the freedom God acquired for them.  

What is amazing to consider is that the abomination very well could happen on Passover, based on clues in the text. We know the saints will be given into Satan’s / the Beast’s hands for 3.5 years, their power will be “completely shattered,” when “all these things shall be finished” (Dan 12:7); and Jesus will come at the end of that time. Notice Daniel’s use of “a time, times, and half a time [לְמוֹעֵ֨ד מֽוֹעֲדִ֜ים וָחֵ֗צִי lamoed moedim vachetzi]” (Dan 12:7). “Time” in Hebrew is moed, which refers to an appointed time / feast.¹¹⁹ For example, God says: “The feasts of the LORD [מוֹעֲדֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה Moedei YHWH], which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts [מוֹעֲדָֽי moadai]” (Lev 23:2). Hence, the strong implication is that there will be a feast cycle, followed by two more feast cycles, and then one-half. Or simply put, 3.5 years, starting with the first feast, which was the beginning. 

In studying the feasts of the Lord, we are amazed how the first coming and ministry of Jesus coincided with the spring feasts of the Lord. The same correlation and synchronization at the fall feasts is very likely at his second coming. Let’s take a look:  

Leviticus 23 reveals there are four spring feasts: Passover (Pesach), Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMazot), Firstfruits (Bikurrim), and Pentecost (Shavuot). While each of the feasts has its own rich history and meaning, we note that they also perfectly coincide with the ministry of Jesus and pouring out of the Holy Spirit. Passover was, of course, the time when God told the children of Israel to put blood on their lintels; and He would pass-over those households and their firstborn children would be spared. Jesus’ death occurred on Passover and the gospel writers call him the Passover lamb.  

God told the children of Israel not to put yeast in their dough because they would need to leave in a hurry, and the bread would not have time to rise. Paul tells us that yeast is a symbol of sin (1 Cor 5:7), and Jesus was literally dead to sin in the grave during unleavened bread. Then, on the first day after the weekly Sabbath, the feast of Firstfruits occurred—when Israel was to bring in the first of their early harvest; and Jesus resurrected on Firstfruits. Paul specifically points this out: “Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:20). The last of the spring feasts is Pentecost (Shavuot) which was the time that God entered a marriage contract (betrothal) with Israel. It was, of course, also this time, which Jesus had told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit would be poured out.  

Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, and the giving of the Holy Spirit, perfectly coincided with the spring feasts and provide us a template of Jesus’ second coming at the fall feasts.  

Let’s consider the fall feasts, which include the feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth).  

My friend, Dr. Gavin Finley, has created a helpful graphic to illustrate the feasts. The feast of trumpets is when we blow the shofar in anticipation of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. That is when the high priest would take the blood into the Holy of Holies on behalf of himself, the temple, and the people; and may be the time when Jesus sits in judgment over the nations after his return.  

With the feasts in mind, we can see from the chart that there is half a year between Yom Kippur and Passover / Firstfruits. If Jesus returns at the time of the fall feasts at either Trumpets or Yom Kippur, and the abomination of desolation occurs 3.5 years (1260 days, 42 months) before, then that means the abomination of desolation is highly likely to occur on Passover (it also means the Two Witnesses will first appear around the time of the Feast of Trumpets). Jesus’ appeal “that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath” (Matt 24:20) could even hint at this happening on a high Sabbath, such as Passover. If this is the case, Satan (the Beast) might enjoy desecrating the memory of Passover when the Israelites escaped his grip from Egypt, which was a great fiasco for him and his minion gods of Egypt. Passover was also the time when Jesus died and defanged him and his “mighty ones of Bashan,” (the host of demonic forces that surrounded him at the cross) who were gaping their mouths at him. Satan might gloat by reversing the good news Jesus brought to the world through his death on Passover which “disarmed principalities and powers,” and “made a public spectacle of them” (Col 2:15).  

Thus, when people in Israel are celebrating Passover, the time God had said: “against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment” (Exod 12:12), he might see this feast as the perfect opportunity to reenact the Akitu festival, which centered around the “good news” that the creator was dead (a ritual we studied in Corrupting the Image 2). Indeed, this might be just the beginning of his blasphemy against God. Imagine if there is a functioning temple with sacrifices happening, and those were stopped, and the place was desecrated on such a holy day; it would add insult to injury.  

“… then they shall take away the daily [sacrifices,] and place [there] the abomination of desolation” (Dan 11:31). “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done” (Dan 11:36).  

Just like in the ancient Akitu festival, Satan will once again hold the Tablet of Destinies,¹²⁰ giving him legal authority over the world. After some two-thousand years, Satan, through the Beast, will have authority to “to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation” (Rev 13:7). 

What do Abomination and Desolation Mean? 

Jesus warned of a time “when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (Matt 24:15). Three places in Daniel speak of the abomination of Desolation (9:27 11:31, and 12:11).¹²¹  

“And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation [Shikkuẓ shomem שִׁקּ֣וּץ שֹׁמֵ֑ם] is set up [לָתֵ֖ת latet]” (Dan 12:11).  

The term “abomination of desolation” is filled with mystery, though the language is straightforward. The first word, abomination [שִׁקֻּץ shiqquẓ] means “detestable thing, detestable idol.”¹²² The noun is used in relation to the various animals that are abominable and ought not to be eaten: “these animals will be an abomination [sheketz שֶׁ֖קֶץ] to you; you shall not eat their flesh” (Lev 11:11). The word basically means to contaminate. If dust enters a clean room, then it is contaminated, or shikkuẓ. In the case of God’s temple, it was a sacred space that was off limits to outside objects, people and practices. Gabriel explains the timing of the vision Daniel witnessed: 

“The vision refers to the time of the end …. I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be” (Dan 8:17, 19).  

The time of indignation [הַזָּ֑עַם haza’am] Gabriel was speaking of was the Day of the Lord as evidenced in many passages such as: Isa 26:20, Isa 13:5, 34:2, Jer 10:10, Hab 3:12 and more. It is when God fights on behalf of Israel against the Beast. 

The next word, desolation [מְשַׁמָּה mĕshammâ], means devastation “caused by some great disaster, usually as a result of divine judgment.”¹²³ The noun, 

“Desolation” most frequently applies to places and things. In Isa 64:10, Isaiah is praying for a restoration of Jerusalem, which had come under God’s judgment and was now a desolation (q,v,), In Joel 2:3 the land which had been “like the Garden of Eden” before the locust plague has become a “desolate wilderness … The book of Daniel has four passages employing the Polel form of the verb (mĕshōmēm and shômēm) … the Polel seems to put more stress on the fact that someone has caused the sanctuary or altar to be polluted, thus rendering it unfit for the worship and service of God.¹²⁴ 

What this suggests is that the future holy place (or temple) will be biblically acceptable. In other words, the temple of God will be a legitimate, functional place where sacrifices can happen. In fact, the Temple Institute of Jerusalem has been preparing for decades to reestablish the temple and can have it fully functional as soon as they get the green light. They desire to reestablish the temple because of their zeal for God. However, the Beast will use it for his own evil intentions. The Beast will establish himself as a god worthy of praise, which is an abomination. Scripture calls this sacrilege. Daniel says:  

“But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate …” (Dan 9:27). 

This event is so important, Daniel is told two more times of its coming:  

“… then they shall take away the daily [sacrifices,] and place [there] the abomination [הַשִּׁקּ֥וּץ hashikutz] of desolation” (Dan 11:31). “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done” (Dan 11:36).  

We saw glimpses and hints of this in the life of Antiochus Epiphanes. But the person spoken of here seems to go far beyond anything that Antiochus Epiphanes ever did.  

“And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, [there shall be] one thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Dan 12:11). 

It is significant that the word “abomination” shikkutz was used as a synonym for false gods: 

“Then the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, which were on the south of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination [שִׁקֻּץ shiqquẓ] of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination [שִׁקֻּץ shiqquẓ] of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination [שִׁקֻּץ shiqquẓ] of the people of Ammon” (2 Kgs 23:13). 

This shows that the abomination of desolation occurs when the Beast / Antichrist goes into the holy place and declares himself to be God; usurping the very position of the Supreme God and declaring that he is replacing God in his own temple. He then shows (demonstrates his qualities) [ἀποδεικνύντα] himself by “the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders” (2 Thess 2:9)—that he is a god in the temple of God. It is one thing to be a braggart, and quite another to do what you claim you can do. The Beast will not speak empty words; he will show himself that he is mighty and “a god.” 

Wounded by the Sword 

After Satan’s merger with the Beast and subsequently declaring himself to be god, there will be some who realize he must be stopped. Just as people tried to kill Hitler when they realized he was a monster, so too, it is highly likely someone will attempt to assassinate the Beast and may do so rather quickly. We are told the Beast will be killed and then come back to life: “the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” (Rev 13:12). Because of this feat, the false prophet will later instruct “those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived” (Rev 13:14). Thus, we see that he suffered a mortal wound, and yet lived. The prophet Zechariah also spoke of this event. 

“Woe to the worthless shepherd [רֹעִ֤י הָֽאֱלִיל֙ roi ha’elil], who leaves the flock! A sword [חרב cherev] shall be against his arm and against his right eye; His arm shall completely wither, and his right eye shall be totally blinded” (Zech 11:17). 

While swords were obviously used in ancient times, the term is broader and metaphoric, meaning any kind of war-like activity. Paul speaks of God’s minister bearing the sword saying, “he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil” (Rom. 13:4). We know that Rome used several methods in warfare and in policing her subjects. The most well known to us as Christians were the whip and the cross. Though the soldiers carrying out Jesus’ execution had swords, they did not kill him with the sword. After thirty-nine brutal lashes with a cat-of-nine-tails, they nailed him to a cross until He died.  

Furthermore, the word “sword” [חרב cherev] in Hebrew is the same root as the verb “charav” which according to BDB means: “to be waste, lay waste, make desolate, be desolate, be in ruins” and “to attack, smite down, slay, fight.”¹²⁵ Thus, the sword can be understood as killing someone with a type of weapon. A common modern term would be “arms.” Swords, spears, slingshots, guns, canons, missiles, etc. are all examples of arms and could be understood as deadly weaponry. In our day, the gun is the most ubiquitous weapon. Could the Beast die by sword? Certainly. However, his death might also be caused by “arms” which might include some kind of firearm.  

Shepherd of Enlil 

In the English translation, we read “Woe to the worthless shepherd [רֹעִ֤י הָֽאֱלִיל֙ roi ha’elil]” (Zech 11:17), but in the original Hebrew we make an incredible discovery: the term “worthless” is the term “ha’elil.” In Corrupting the Image 2, we learned that Elil, Illil and Enlil are the same.  

A. T. Clay in 1907 casually pointed out that the “origin of אלילים, the word translated ‘idols’ in the Old Testament … is probably to be found in the name of the Nippurian deity Ellil.”¹²⁶ Christopher B. Hays states regarding Illil (Enlil): 

“His name was known far and wide throughout the ancient Near East, and in syllabic cuneiform it was written as Illil (e. g., d.-li-lu); this is taken to be a contracted form based on a doubling of the word ilu, “god,” i. e. il-ilû, “god of gods.” This vocalization Illilu and its equation with Enlil are attested already in bilingual texts from Ebla. In fact, it is now commonly argued that the Sumerian writing of his name, ^den.líl (“Lord Wind”) was derived from the Semitic name.”¹²⁷  

We are now discovering the many masks under which Satan hid his identity through the ages. In Corrupting the Image 2, we found the name “Illil / Ellil / Enlil” in Isaiah 14:12 written “Heilel.” Hays notes:  

“Because lordship itself was Illil’s defining characteristic … Akkadian terms such as illilu, “god of the highest rank” and illilūtu, “divine supremacy” (literally “Enlil-ship”) … illilūtu was ascribed to various other deities over the centuries, including Šamaš, Marduk, Sîn and Nabû, each of whom was called illilu at various times. This background is significant to the biblical use of אליל, since it too arguably began with a specific reference to Illil, but was also applied to other divinities.”¹²⁸  

Thus, the epithet “Enlil” became so common that it was synonymous with “idols” which were indeed worthless. God said to Israel, “Do not turn to [the] idols [הָ֣אֱלִילִ֔ים ha’elilim] …I am the LORD your God” (Lev 19:4). In the day of the Lord, mankind will disavow his idols [הָ֣אֱלִילִ֔ים ha’elilim (Isa 2:18) Thus, Zechariah’s vision is speaking of a worthless shepherd, but more specifically, is saying woe to the shepherd of Enlil.  

We also considered the many syncretisms of Satan, and hence his plethora of titles, many of which we find in the Bible with variant spellings including Enlil (Isa 14:12), Ninurta (2 Kgs 19:37), Marduk / Merodach (Jer 50:2, etc.), Baal / Bel (Isa 46:1, etc.), Melqart / King of Tyre (Ezek 28:12), Dumuzid / Tammuz (Ezek 8:14, etc.), and more. Ninurta was known as the son of Enlil, and often stood in Enlil’s stead. This aligns perfectly with our conclusion that Satan and the man known as the Antichrist (or the Beast) merge and share their identity. This also explains the enigmatic phrase: “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition” (Rev 17:8). 

The Beast upon which the woman (Ishtar) was riding was Ninurta / Nimrod who we learned was the “rebel” whom Satan raised up in the ancient world. 

In Corrupting the Image 2, we considered how Satan fused with Nimrod causing him to become a gibbor or a hybrid being. In the ancient world, he was the rebel known as Ninurta, Pabilsag, Nergal, and possibly Gilgamesh. He was the one who was behind the iniquity of the Amorites, which led to figures such as Og of Bashan, and more.  

He was the Beast on which Mystery Babylon rode. He was the Beast who “was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition” (Rev 17:8). This rebel, whom Satan will bring back, who was and is not, will ascend out of the abyss. Ninurta was also known as Heracles, who was the dying and rising god.  

Finally, at the end of history, Satan will make good on the promise to cause him to revive. Nevertheless, this revivification will be a fake copy, inferior to the glorious resurrection of Jesus. Nevertheless, the Nimrod (Ninurta) who died so long ago will in some way be present in the future. 

Back to Life 

Whether by sword or some other weapon, the Beast will be healed of the “deadly wound” (Rev 13:12). Revelation states:  

“those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is” (Rev 17:8). 

How could the world not marvel when in front of their eyes, one whom they saw dead has come back from the dead? We have some amazing gadgets and phenomenal technology nowadays. We can go to the moon, go deep in the oceans, and communicate instantaneously. It will take something spectacular to make the world marvel. It will be so impressive that the world will accept it as truth. Those who buy into this idea—into this system—are the ones whose names are not written in the Book from the foundation of the world, when they see the Beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 

This amazing feat will then inspire the false prophet to instruct “those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived” (Rev 13:14). Though the Beast lives, according to Zechariah, there will be some permanent damage:  

A sword shall be against his arm and against his right eye; His arm shall completely wither, and his right eye shall be totally blinded (Zech 11:17). 

From that day on, he will be marked by these two features: a withered hand, and a blinded right eye.  

We cannot be sure exactly when he will be struck; nevertheless, coming back from the dead will be a wonder that will only cause him to boast all the more. He has made himself into a god, declared himself to be a god, and now, he has demonstrated that he is a god, just as Daniel said “he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods” (Dan 11:36); and Paul said: “the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thess 2:3–4).

Chapter 6 of Corrupting the Image 3: The Lawless One and the Seven Mountains of Shinar 

As the Beast rises to power and the world embraces the reality that we are not alone in the universe, it is likely we will see a return to the worship of the old Babylon gods, Enlil, Ninurta and Ishtar. They would of course be understood to be the same advanced beings who either seeded our planet, or have been watching over us in some way.  

The mystery of lawlessness of which Paul spoke can be found in Zechariah 5, where an angel spoke with the prophet in a vision about wickedness (the same Greek word: ανομία anomia / lawlessness) returning to the ancient land of Shinar / Sumer / Mesopotamia: “This is their iniquity¹¹² in all the earth” (Zech 5:6 LXX). “Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket” (Zech 5:7). The woman in the basket “is the Wickedness! [הָרִשְׁעָ֔ה harisha η ανομια e anomia] …” (Zech 5:8). She is being taken to Babel “To build a house for it in the land of Shinar” (Zech 5:11). We encounter this same woman in Revelation known as “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS…” (Rev 17:5). 

In Corrupting the Image 2, we learned Nimrod’s kingdom began in Babylon—gate of the gods—and was the headquarters of Mystery Babylon that eventually spread throughout the world. We also learned that Inanna, “queen of heaven,” was the woman riding the Beast.¹¹³ Babylon had a physical locale, but the effects of its systematic wickedness are worldwide. Just like, there is a city of Hollywood, California, but the influence is global.  

According to Zechariah’s vision, Inanna will return to the land of Shinar (Mesopotamia), where she originated, where someone will “build a temple for her in the land of Babylonia” (Zech 5:11 NET). Who better to build it than the King of Babylon, Satan or his agent, the Beast? The angel continued explaining: “When it [the temple] is finished, she [Mystery Babylon] will be placed there in her own residence” (Zech 5:11 NET). The aliens who appear to be offering a needed solution to mankind may quite likely be seen as the gods of yesteryear. The Marvel movie, Eternals, posits that very idea—namely that the ancient gods of Babylon and Egypt were highly advanced alien beings. If such turns out to be the case, then there may also be a shrine or even a city built to them in the land of Babylon in Iraq. Exploring exactly how or when this could happen is beyond the scope of this book. Nevertheless, the names of Ishtar, Ninurta and Enlil may be on people’s lips again, despite God’s warnings:  

Pay attention to do everything I have told you, and do not even mention the names of other gods—do not let them be heard on your lips (Exod 23:13 NET). 

Statues of earth’s saviors abound. The world could openly worship the ones who free them from the tyranny of the Two Witnesses and the God of Israel.  

Babylon as a shrine or city would be the manifest headquarters of radical anti-Creator beliefs. Ishtar would be the guardian and promoter of: harlotry, pornography, fornication, homosexuality, transgenderism, transvestitism, baby-killing, pride, lust of power, atheism and humanism, rebellion, hatred and denial of God, consumerism, gluttony, covetousness, greed, military might, social influence, and so much more. She would embody the things the Two Witnesses opposed. Indeed, such a wanton display of “freedoms” might help crystalize the world’s decision to give their authority to Satan.  

Figure 10. Row of Sphinxs, Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Satan’s Seven Mountain-Kingdoms of Shinar 

Satan, king of death, which we learned in Corrupting the Image 2, was called the “great mountain” (KUR-GAL). This leads us towards solving the puzzle of the seven mountains. In Revelation, John is shown the woman who rides the beast, and he is amazed. The angels then said to him:  

“Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns” (Rev 17:7). “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is” (Rev 17:8). “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits” (Rev 17:9). “There are also seven kings…“ (Rev 17:10). 

Recall geometry class: If A equals B, and B equals C, then A equals C. Therefore, seven heads equal seven mountains equal seven kings (7 heads = 7 mountains = 7 kings). Therefore, the seven heads, mountains, and kings are one and the same. These are the kings / kingdoms of Shinar that emerged from Enlil starting with Nimrod who is the Beast that was, is not, and ascends out of the abyss. The phrase, “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits” (Rev 17:9) signifies that the woman (Ishtar) has (or will have) ridden on the backs of (been supported by) seven kingdoms which emerged from Babylon. This of course recalls the cylinder seal at which we looked that shows Ishtar riding on the beast, being driven by Satan. 

Figure 11. Rain Goddess. Cylinder seal. Mesopotamia. Akkad period, c. 2334-2154 B.C. Shell. 33.5 X 19.5 mm. New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, Corpus 220. 

John also said:  

“There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time” (Rev 17:10).  

Five empires ruled Sumer / Shinar (the kingdoms “between the rivers”— Mesopotamia) in succession before John wrote Revelation. They were: 1) Sumer (Old Babylon), 2) Akkad / Assyria, 3) Neo Babylonian, 4) Medo-Persia and 5) the Greek empires. Nimrod, the Beast who was, founded the first kingdom, Old Babylon (gate of the gods) and was associated with the building of the Etemenanki (tower of Babel).¹¹⁴ Under the direction of Enlil, he established the false worship system where he was worshipped as Ninurta, Lord of the Earth. As time wore on, the politics changed, but the gods remained the same. Enlil’s name morphed to Illil; and Inanna (the queen of heaven) became Ishtar.  

Five Have Fallen 

After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC, his Hellenistic empire was split among his four generals, the four wings and heads that Daniel saw (Dan 8:22). According to A.H. Sayce,  

“A tablet dated 275 BC states that the inhabitants of Babylon were transported to Seleucia, where a palace and a temple (E-sagila) were built. With this deportation, Babylon became insignificant as a city, although more than a century later, sacrifices were still performed in its old sanctuary.”¹¹⁵ 

Though impoverished, politically inconsequential, and under Greek rule, sacrifices were still being conducted in Babylon one hundred years later—or about 175 BC. When the Romans conquered the Greeks, Babylon fell into their hands. However, it was the gods of Babylon who had already conquered the world. Their influence had been felt throughout the world for thousands of years. Over time and cultures, the syncretic god Enlil, for example, became Illil, Melqart, and Heracles, as well as Zeus and Jupiter in the Latin or Roman perspective. The cult of Inanna / Ishtar had spread from the land of Shinar / Sumer to the ends of the Earth: west to Greece and beyond, and eastward to India under names such as Ishtar, Ashtoreth, Astarte, Aphrodite, Qadesh, Diana, Urania,¹¹⁶ and Durga.¹¹⁷  

The angel told John regarding the seven kings that, “five have fallen, one is,” (Rev 17:10). We identify the “one” as the Roman Empire. It was the standing empire, (under Emperor Trajan, 53 AD – 117 AD, that ruled over Babylon in John’s days. According to Cassius Dio, Trajan traveled to Babylon “because of its fame—though he saw nothing but mounds and stones and ruins to justify this.”¹¹⁸ Thus, we have seen six nations that supported the woman: Sumer (and Old Babylon), Akkad, Neo-Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome.  

The Kings Without A Kingdom 

Then the angel said, “the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time” (Rev 17:10). The answer to the last kingdom is in the text itself. We know that it will continue but a “short time.” The last will be the kingdom of the Ten Horns: “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast” (Rev 17:12).  

The Ten do not yet possess a (seventh) kingdom but when they finally get it, it will last “one hour,” which certainly qualifies as a “short time” (and with the advent of Big Tech, one hour is possible). The angel told John, “The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition” (Rev 17:11). The Beast is the first king, Ninurta / Nimrod, the beast who was—the one that the woman rode—that we saw in the iconography; and in John’s day, it was said that he “is not.” Hence, he belonged to the club of seven kings / kingdoms that have supported the woman. In the last days, he will “ascend out of the abyss,” which means he will be numerically both the first king and the eighth. Daniel provides us an important link:  

“The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings” (Dan 7:24).  

Figure 12. The Roman Empire at the height of its power. 

The ten horns are ten kings, who come from the Roman Empire, which we learned was extensive. This means that these kings do not need to come from Italy and its capital city of Rome. Rather, they can come from North Africa, Egypt, the Middle East, Asia Minor or Europe. Then a king will arise from the fourth and terrible kingdom who will be part of a group of ten kings but will be different from them and will eventually depose three of them. His kingdom will be the one mentioned as; “the other has not yet come.” 

Chapter 5 of Corrupting the Image 3 : The World’s Deal with Death and Sheol 

As soon as Jesus opens the first seal and the Two Witnesses begin their ministry, Satan / the Beast will begin pushing for the world to join his covenant. We see this in the rider on the white horse who “had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer” (Rev 6:2). He will go out and win people over to his side, perhaps forcefully.  

As the ministry of the Two and Satan’s UFO deception progress, the desperate world will be more willing to pay any price, including relinquishing their authority to Satan, if he rids the world of the “bad aliens,” the Two Witnesses. Just like Nazi Germany did not stand for truth, but believed Hitler’s lies that he alone could make their troubles go away, similarly the world will embrace the lies they’ve wanted to hear.,⁹⁷ They will reject the Two Witnesses’ message of repentance (a direct call to return to God), in favor of Satan’s lies that he alone can solve their problems. In exchange for defeating the Two Witnesses, they will confer their authority to him, the lord of Death. 

The only true weapon that Satan has ever had against his all-powerful opponent, God, is the legal authority derived from usurped power stolen from Adam. God has given legal authority, and once established it can only be legally overturned by a cosmic event, like what Jesus did on the cross. Once humanity relinquishes its birthright, like Esau traded for a bowl of stew, Satan will once again hold authority. He will operate like a foreign diplomat who may act with impunity. Satan will have regained dominion and authority, which grants him diplomatic immunity from prosecution.  

Why a Covenant?  

Satan knows Jesus intends to reclaim the world that is rightfully His. Therefore, to truly have a fighting chance against the King of Kings, Satan must regain authority over the bodies and souls / minds of “every tribe, tongue, and nation” (Rev 13:7). The crisis in which the world finds itself will play into Satan’s hands perfectly, because his goal is to regain authority. Recall, Satan (as BAD / Enlil / Nergal / UG), the king of death and Sheol, once held authority (dominion) over the earth, which allowed him to decree the fates of men and to boast against his Creator.  

Think of it this way: God created the world, and then leased it out to Adam. It is all God’s, but He gave full authority to Adam. The dominion was Adam’s, though it technically belonged to God. Satan hoodwinked Adam and Eve in the Garden and usurped the dominion for himself. Because of this, Satan could say to Jesus, “All this authority … for this has been delivered [παραδεδοται] to me” (Luke 4:6). The word paradedotai [παραδεδοται], according to BDAG, means: “to convey something in which one has a relatively strong personal interest, hand over, give (over), deliver, entrust,” and also “to entrust for care or preservation, give over, commend, commit.”⁹⁸ In other words, the kingdoms of this world had been given over, entrusted, committed to Satan—we might say he swindled Adam and Eve ‘fair and square.’  

Neither Adam and Eve, nor God had any legal recourse; Satan legally scammed them. To be sure, God was and is infinitely more powerful. But the contest was not about strength; it was about authority, and Satan had the legal authority. Once the dominion of Earth was forfeited, God still had the power to destroy Satan, but not the authority, which was the genius of Satan’s plan. He found God’s one weakness: “it is impossible for God to lie” (Heb 6:18). He knew for certain God could not just overpower him and take it back because “righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne” (Ps 97:2).  

Satan’s hubris played out in the ancient Mesopotamian Akitu festival where the “good news” was brought to him of the killing of (An) the Creator and where the authority (“anutu” Anu-ship) was delivered to him. That authority was known as the Tablet of Destinies in the ancient world; he was the owner⁹⁹ and gave it to “Ninurta, as the seal-bearer of Enlil … [who] was probably authorized to act with Enlil’s authority. … Ninurta … is often invoked as the “Bearer of the Tablet of Destinies of the Gods.”¹⁰⁰ The usurped authority was what he used to keep himself in power for millennia as the king of death and Sheol, and to decree the fates of men. 

Nevertheless, we learned in Corrupting the Image 1 that God declared war against Satan; and stated, one would come who would crush his head. Therefore, even though the earth was Satan’s, he needed to guarantee there would be no end to his rule. He knew the prophesy that the seed of the woman would crush his head and attempted to escape it via the angelic incursion on Mt. Hermon, upon which he claimed to be king and commissioned the creation of Nephilim. Satan’s attempt failed, and eventually Jesus “planted his flag” on Hermon, transfigured, and communed with Moses and Elijah. In so doing, Jesus claimed his ultimate victory over the god of death and stopped the gates of Hades / Sheol from opening. By way of the cross, Jesus broke the real authority of death and Sheol and thereby acquired the keys of death and Sheol—keys which Satan needs to reacquire. 

When Satan seduced man with the forbidden fruit in the Garden, even back then he was offering an agreement with death and Sheol. Mankind eventually went on to cohabitate with fallen angels and bring forth the Nephilim in the days of Noah. Nimrod made a covenant with death and Sheol when he became the first post-flood gibbor-hybrid. The iniquity of the Amorites, as we studied in Corrupting the Image 2, was likely the same Faustian bargain. In the words of Jesus, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? This question has plagued mankind for ages. What good is money and power if you are dead? Hence, the greatest prize is immortality. Every time man is told he can become a god, he jumps at the chance. God, of course, has promised to give man immortality and super-powers, but man wants it on his own terms.  

Therefore, Satan will use a “back door” or loophole to regain his authority over mankind in order to successfully defeat God. Before the return of Jesus, he must get all of Adam’s sons to give their authority to him, the god of death and Sheol. They must give up the authority (dominion) with which Jesus, “with His own blood … obtained eternal redemption” (Heb 9:12). It was this redemption that caused those in heaven to declare: 

“You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev 5:9). 

If the world will once again give Satan authority in exchange for him getting rid of the two witnesses, then Satan thinks he will reach a stalemate with God.¹⁰¹ We catch a glimpse of this where the world worships the dragon: 

So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Rev 13:4) And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months (Rev 13:5).  

Satan is operating with legitimate authority during the end times. The arrival of the Two Witnesses and the plagues they bring upon the world will ultimately compel the world to give their authority to Satan (via the Beast), to combat them. Of course, no one will think they are making a covenant with death and Sheol, let alone a bargain with Satan himself. As far as the world is concerned, there is no Satan; he is just a figment of silly, backward imaginations. However, “because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thess 2:10) at the testimony of the Two Witnesses, “for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie” (2 Thess 2:11). They “did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess 2:12) and will fall for Satan’s scheme, just as the apostle Paul indicated. 

Satan (AKA Death) offers to help the world against the Two and will bring dark forces from the underworld (Hades / Sheol) to help.  

A pale green horse! ¹⁰² The name of the one who rode it was Death, and Hades [Heb. שאול Sheol] followed right behind. They were given authority [εξουσια exousia] over a fourth of the earth [epi to tetarton tēs gēs], to kill its population with the sword, famine, and disease, and by the wild animals of the earth (Rev 6:8 NET). 

The king of death and Sheol (Hades) is none other than Satan, and we discovered in Corrupting the Image 2 the hideous creatures he planned to unleash on the world (we will consider those creatures again later). Revelation 6, à la the fourth horseman, gives us a snapshot that Satan gains authority over all mankind. The authority over one fourth of the earth in that passage is referring to a portion of the planet’s surface area not one fourth of all people.¹⁰³  

Approximately 72% of the earth’s surface is covered with water¹⁰⁴ which leaves less than 28% of the earth’s surface on which people can live. A study done in 1995 by Tobler et al. concluded that one fourth (25.4%) of the earth’s surface area is inhabited by humans. In the study, they partitioned 217 countries into a total of 19,032 polygons with 295,000 persons per polygon. This amounted to an area of 25.4% of earth’s surface. That would be around 96% being considered as occupied at a population density of 42.45 people/sq.km.¹⁰⁵ 

Incredibly, that scientific study stated 25% of the world’s surface is inhabited by humans, the very percentage John saw in his vision. This provides yet one more proof of the trustworthiness of God’s Word! This confirms our interpretation that Satan (Death and Hades) will have authority over the twenty-five percent of the surface of the planet inhabited by humans. In other words, Satan and his crew (Death and Hades/Sheol) will have authority over every place humans live. It is also stated: “authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation” (Rev 13:7). 

Israel and the Covenant  

Scripture does not tell us if everyone signs the covenant with death and Sheol at the same time. It is probably progressive, and it could be that Israel will be the last country as they are hesitant to trust after what happened in the Holocaust. Nevertheless, the leadership of Jerusalem,¹⁰⁶ (the ancient seat of power under the Davidic kingdom, then under the Sanhedrin in the Second Temple era, and the seat of the Knesset today) will ultimately join the covenant / agreement (brit) with Death and Sheol.  

Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem, (Isa 28:14) Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, [בְרִית֙ אֶת־מָ֔וֶת brit et Mavet] and with Sheol [Gr. ᾅδης Hades] we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, It will not come to us…” (Isa 28:15). 

They will believe cutting a deal with Satan, dressed up as an alien superhero, is the best thing for the country which will spare them from the “overflowing scourge,” which TWOT defines as “a figure of speech for God’s judgment on his people.”¹⁰⁷ The Two Witnesses’ plagues unquestionably will qualify as God’s judgment, which the leadership will want to avoid. 

Because a covenant of death is “until death do us part,” there will be no backing out, no escaping it; death is the only way to get out of the covenant. With the contract (legal authority) in hand, then Satan, via his super-human avatar, son of Perdition, can behave as if he has God over a barrel: he can act with impunity and there is nothing God can do about it. If anyone breaks the covenant with Death, then he or she will face the penalties of the contract just like when people default on their mortgage (a legal contract).  

Apostasy 

The covenant that the world and Israel make with Death and Sheol will create the conditions necessary for the man of sin to be revealed. Paul writes “concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him” (2 Thess 2:1) because “that Day will not come unless the falling away [αποστασια apostasia] comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thess 2:3). Just what is the falling away (apostasy)?  

According to BDAG, apostasy means “defiance of established system or authority, rebellion, abandonment, breach of faith”¹⁰⁸ The very next lexical entry in BDAG, ἀποστάσιον, apostasion, is very revealing. It was a legal term: “in the sense of relinquishment of property after sale, abandonment, etc. The consequent giving up of one’s claim explains the meaning that the word acquires in Jewish circles:) δοῦναι βιβλίον ἀποστασίου (Jer 3:8; Just., D. 114, 5) notice of divorce, give (one’s wife) a certificate of divorce.” BDAG 

Apostasy is an action not a document. Relinquishment / abandonment are actions that are sealed with a document that makes the action official. For example, divorce is a separation sealed with a document that makes it official. Apostasy by extension means abandonment of previously established relationship. The covenant with death and Sheol is the formality that seals the breakup. The “apostasion” is the document that recorded the apostasy / falling away [αποστασια apostasia], abandonment of a contract, such as a divorce certificate (e.g. Deut 24:3). 

The language of apostasy, “relinquishment of property after sale, abandonment” is synonymous of the word Satan used, paradedotai [παραδεδοται] “to convey something in which one has a relatively strong personal interest, hand over, give (over), deliver, entrust,”¹⁰⁹ when he told Jesus the authority had been “delivered” to him. Adam and Eve relinquished dominion, which was conveyed, delivered and entrusted to Satan.  

Thus, the apostasia is not a casual “falling away,” like someone who switches from vanilla to chocolate or changes allegiance to a sports team. Rather, it is “giving up one’s claim,” after which the property is abandoned. So what covenant is the world leaving by signing up with Death and Sheol? Isaiah states it is the everlasting covenant: 

The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant (Isa 24:5). Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left (Isa 24:6).  

While we could spend a long time discussing the term, “everlasting covenant,” indeed entire books have been written on it, we will limit our scope to the fact that it is related to the resurrection of “our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Heb 13:20).  

In other words, Jesus freed humanity from the power of death and the grave (Sheol), and now the world is spurning that freedom and going back into bondage.  

There seems to be a distinction between national/corporate and personal agreements with death and Sheol. The Beast will target global adherence to his covenant, but joining at an individual level is required. The nations will give their authority to Satan, which allows him to launch his plan; and then, it will be sealed forever apparently when people take it individually. Because of the great, irreversible danger here, an angel will be flying in heaven warning humanity:  

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand (Rev 14:9), he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb” (Rev 14:10). 

The writer of Hebrews offers a sobering admonition to those who personally break the covenant based on two or three witnesses:  

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins (Heb 10:26), but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries (Heb 10:27). Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses (Heb 10:28). Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? (Heb 10:29). 

The apostasy of which Paul spoke is necessary for the Son of Perdition to enter the end-time’s stage. It is the worldwide, corporate acceptance of the covenant with Death and Sheol, and it affords Satan (through the Beast) immunity so he can, “speak pompous words against the Most High” (Dan 7:25a). Revelation says: 

He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven (Rev 13:5–6).  

The War Between Michael and Satan  

Paul tells us that the apostasy is necessary for the son of Perdition to arise and for the one who restrains to be removed.  

For the mystery of lawlessness [ανομία anomia / lawlessness] is already at work; only He who now restrains [ο κατεχων o katechon] will do so until He is taken out of the way [μεσου mesou] (2 Thess 2:7).  

According to BDAG, katecho means “to prevent the doing of something or cause to be ineffective, prevent, hinder, restrain.”¹¹⁰ Thus, someone or something is restraining lawlessness now and will continue with that job until he/it is removed. The big question, of course, is who or what is that? We will find important clues to that question in what happens once he/it is removed. The table (next page) compares Paul’s words with Isaiah 28 where the leadership follow the rest of the world and make a covenant with Death and Sheol. Notice the parallels:

Table 3. Parallels between 2^nd Thessalonians 2 and Isaiah 28. 

Once this restraining force is removed, then mankind, in general, will “believe lies” and make “lies our refuge.” There will be “delusion” and hiding under “falsehood.” These texts are describing the same thing. It means the restrainer is legally/contractually removed from μεσου mesou “the midst” / “middle of” when the leadership of Jerusalem, like the other nations, believe Satan’s lying wonders and make a covenant with Death and Sheol to protect themselves from the “overflowing scourge” brought on by the Two Witnesses, instead of repenting at the testimony and signs of the Two Witnesses.  

The Restrainer Removed from His Post  

From other clues we have already examined, we know that once the restrainer is removed then the Beast will go into the temple and cause the abomination that causes desolation. Jesus said of that time: 

For then there will be great tribulation [Gr. Θλιψις thlipsis], such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be (Matt 24:21). 

Jesus’ sobering statement was preceded by Jeremiah: “Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble [צָרָ֥ה tsara] …” (Jer 30:7). The prophet Daniel also spoke of the tribulation [צָרָ֥ה tsara], a time like none other: 

“At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble [צָרָ֥ה tsara / Gr. Θλιψις thlipsis], Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time …” (Dan 12:1).  

All three passages speak of big trouble like the world has never seen or will ever see again, which tells us that they are all speaking of the same event. Daniel gives us insight into the happenings in the spiritual realm, specifically with Michael who will “stand up.” 

 “Michael shall stand up” does not mean he had been sitting on the job. In all examples “omed” has the connotation of “active defense.” For example, in the book of Esther, after Haman was executed, “the king permitted the Jews … [to] protect [לַעֲמֹ֣ד la’amod] their lives” (Esth 8:11). The NET Bible translates it “to stand up for themselves.” The same Hebrew word “omed” is used in a previous military passage: “the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me [עֹמֵ֤ד לְנֶגְדִּי֙ omed lenegdi]” (Dan 10:13). Hence, Michael “the great prince who stands watch over … your people” is the defender of God’s covenant people.  

Thus, Michael is defending Israel but then, “there shall be a time of trouble [צָרָ֥ה tsara / Gr. Θλιψις thlipsis], such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time …” (Dan 12:1). Jesus, Paul, Jeremiah and Daniel were all speaking of the same time of tribulation [צָרָ֥ה tsara / Gr. Θλιψις thlipsis] that would come—a time brought about by the abomination of desolation. This begs the question: If Michael is standing watch over Daniel’s people, why does he allow the time of Jacob’s trouble to happen? It sounds like he is not doing his job—which is exactly the case!  

Why isn’t he doing his job? Simple. Once the Beast gains authority through mankind’s apostasy, he will be free to inflict this time of utmost trouble without the restrainer interfering. Michael will not be doing his job because he will be removed from his post. 

Michael, the great prince and guardian of Israel, is the being restraining the lawless one, the son of perdition, from arising. He will continue to defend Israel and restrain until he is legally taken out of the midst of that role.  

Once the covenant with death and Sheol is enacted with the world, and specifically with the leadership who rule in Jerusalem, Michael’s authority to stand watch over Daniel’s people is revoked, just like Israel allowed themselves to be cursed at Baal Peor, even though they were blessed. Michael is told to “stand down” and is removed from his post, which will then permit the Beast, merged with Satan, to access the spiritual realm: 

“And it [the beast] grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them” (Dan 8:10). “He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down” (Dan 8:11). “Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered” (Dan 8:12). “…concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot” (Dan 8:13). 

The chapter repeats and explains how his deception will work and he will rise up against the Prince: 

“Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without human means (Dan 8:25). …Therefore seal up the vision, for it refers to many days in the future” (Dan 8:26). 

Notice that he exalts “himself as high as the Prince of the host (Daniel 8:11).​​ The Beast—merged with Satan and having 100% of Satan’s “power, his throne, and great authority” (Rev 13:2)—rises up to the heavenly-angelic domain, fights against good angels, tramples some of the heavenly host,¹¹¹ and then continues fighting until he reaches the “prince of the host (Dan 8:11). We learn that prince is “Michael one of the chief princes” (Dan 10:13).  

Michael comes to the aid of his warriors, and they halt the advance of the Beast. Revelation gives some insight into this time by noting that: 

War broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought (Rev 12:7).  

As a result of the battle we learn that “nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer” (Rev 12:8). As a result of the battle, Satan can no longer access the spiritual realm. In the book of Job, we catch a glimpse of the access he has had to the spiritual realm. “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them” (Job 1:6). He will lose that access and be stuck in the earthly dimension, which is good news to those in the spiritual/heavenly realm as it is proclaimed: “Therefore rejoice O heavens, and you who dwell in them!” (Rev 12:12a). However, that is incredibly bad news to earthlings: “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time” (Rev 12:12). Satan getting cast to the earth is the beginning of the time of Jacob’s trouble.  

A plausible reason Satan loses his access to the heavenly realm is that he merges with the Antichrist forming the Beast. Perhaps he thought he could have his cake and eat it too. He wanted to continue having access to the spiritual realm, behind the veil, while having a physical manifestation / avatar here on the earth. The casting of Satan from heaven is viewed from several places in Revelation: “a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch” (Rev 8:10). The name of the star is Wormwood … (Rev 8:10–11). The literal meaning of “Wormwood” is “bitterness” because it will make the waters bitter. In chapter nine, John “saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit abyss” (Rev 9:1). The star in question is also the king and “angel of the abyss and his name in Hebrew [is] Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon” (Rev 9:11). Both Abaddon and Apollyon mean destroyer, and bitterness is the sting of one who destroys. We learned in Corrupting the Image 2 that the king of the underworld, the god of death, was Enlil / Nergal (etc.) / Satan. Hence, Satan is the star we see cast to the earth in chapter twelve, along with his angels, who are also referred to as stars. This ejection from the heavenlies likely happens simultaneously or at very nearly the same time as the abomination of desolation. 

This battle happens after the world as well as the leadership of Jerusalem take on the covenant with Death. Though Michael ultimately wins the battle in the heavenlies, on earth, the time of Jacob’s trouble will just be getting started. Satan’s anger will be focused to “make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 12:17, just as Jeremiah, Daniel, and Jesus said.) This time of Jacob’s trouble will be the time when God says Israel and Judah “will seek My face; in their affliction [צָרָ֥ה tsara], they will earnestly seek Me” (Hos 5:15). Thus both houses will seek him in their tribulation and will earnestly seek him.  

Satan, via the Beast, will also have authority to “persecute the saints of the Most High and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time” (Dan 7:25). Revelation says, “it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them” (Rev 13:7). We see the themes of ruthless lawlessness, blaspheming, and persecution / war against the holy people in a host of scriptures (Dan 7:21, 8:24, 9:27, 11:36), which we will consider later. The bottom line is that once armed with this game-changing authority, the Beast can blaspheme God and those in heaven with impunity, and do as he pleases against the holy people and the world at large. 

Appendix 8: Joel’s Army 

Joel received a similar message concerning what is coming and explained the incredible fear people will experience. “Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color” (Joel 2:6). Jesus told us that the end will involve “men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:26). Joel’s prophecy, in fact, pins the timing of the hearts failing and “faces drained of color” to the arrival of the creatures from the Abyss. Joel says: 

Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand: A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them (Joel 2:1–3). 

At the end of the chapter, he speaks of an army of locusts: “… the swarming locust has eaten… my great army^cclxxviii which I sent among you.” (Joel 2:25). We know that this army is related to locusts, which reminds us of the army related to locusts in Revelation 9. These armies are composed of locusts, but they are not locusts. How does that work?  

Joel calls them locusts but describes them as horses, just like John did in Revelation 9. “Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses they run” (Joel 2:4). They are apparently locusts that do not look like locusts, but like horses.  

The noise they make is like the “rumbling of chariots” (Joel 2:5). These creatures can “leap on the tops of the mountains” (Joel 2:5). That means that they have the capacity to fly or at least to jump exceedingly high—to the tops of mountains! It is a leap so big that it is equivalent to flying.  

They evoke the image and sound of a fire, “like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle” (Joel 2:5). Their movement is like a spark jumping out of the fire; they leap like bits of a combusting log ablaze in flames They are very powerful. As they spread out over the earth, “Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale (Joel 2:6). These creatures are like nothing the world has ever seen before:  

Like warriors they charge; like soldiers they scale the wall. They march each on his way; they do not swerve from their paths. They do not jostle one another; each marches in his path; they burst through the weapons and are not halted. ​They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls, they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief (Joel 2:7–9). 

If they can leap to the top of a mountain, then naturally, they can scale walls. Man’s weapons have no effect on them; they just burst through the weapons and are not halted! That means that people are presumably trying to stop the beings in this army, and they are not able to slow the creatures. These beings are able to just burst through the defensive weapons.  

The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining (Joel 2:10).  

This is an important clue regarding the timing, and it is going to help us see that the events in Revelation, chapter 9 are the same events being described in Joel.  

And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit (Rev 9:2). 

We want to find two or three witnesses to a particular event in order to understand it better. When we find several references to the same event, we need to match up the information, in what I call biblical triangulation. It is similar to using cell towers to track a phone’s location by measuring the time delay that a signal takes to return back to the towers from the phone. This delay is then calculated into distance and gives a fairly accurate location of the phone. We can use the information about the sun and the moon and the stars growing dark from Joel and Revelation and even, Isaiah 13:10 speaks of the event. When we triangulate using the parallel information, we get clues about the details and timing of the event. 

Something pretty radical is happening. Let us just do a quick comparison. I summarized the information from Joel, chapter 2 and Revelation, chapter 9 in an outline (Next page). 

Page Break 

Table 9 Comparison of Joel Ch. 2 & Revelation Ch, 9 

In Joel’s description, we get a long-distance view of the scene which focuses on the coordinated movements of the horse-like creatures pressing forward in troops. Joel describes the people’s collective reactions to the invasion. He focuses on the disciplined movements of the army of beasts that blasts quickly and forcefully upon a whole city. Joel notes how the beasts are not limited by gravity or deterred by walls or weaponry.  

In Revelation, John describes the same horse-like creatures who are running to battle, but John gives a closer camera view. John describes the colors of the breastplates of the beasts. He gives a close-up sketch of individual beasts by describing the faces, crown, hair and even the teeth. He notes that the beasts can expel fire from their mouths. John and Joel are describing the same creatures, but Joel is viewing them at a distance, while John is up close.   

The precursor to the explosion of charging beasts in both accounts, is the diminished or darkened moon and sun. John explains that the cause of the darkening is the smoke from the pit. The Abyss is opened with voluminous smoke which darkens the sky by blocking the luminaries. Both Joel and John agree that this is the time that the horse-like creatures appear and go to battle. Here, we have two witnesses to the event which agree that it begins with the opening of the Abyss and culminates with the launch of these muscular creatures invading and terrorizing people.