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Chapter 16 of Reclaiming The Rapture : Putting It All Together: What Happens on the Day of the Second Coming? [Part -4]

Jesus is going to destroy His enemies. He will trample them like grapes. “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, and trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes. Isa. 63:3 For the indignation of the Lord is against all nations, and His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter.” Isa. 34:2 Isaiah goes on to say in verses three and five, “Also their slain shall be thrown out; their stench shall rise from their corpses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. For My sword shall be bathed in heaven; indeed it shall come down on Edom, and on the people of My curse, for judgment.” 

The nations will be trapped in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Now also many nations have gathered against you, who say, “Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.” But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, nor do they understand His counsel; for He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor. Micah 4:11, 12 I mentioned that this is where Satan and the Antichrist will set a trap to try to destroy the Jews. But God actually has a better plan. He is setting the trap for the Antichrist and his forces in order to destroy them. He will use His winnowing fan. It is in His hand and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor. Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem. Zech. 14:1, 2 We also read in Zechariah 14 that, The city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Zech. 14:2 

There will be a remnant of people who are still there, that are waiting expectantly for the Lord Jesus to return. They will be the ones that will finally cry out to Him. Jesus said, You shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Matt. 23:39 

This verse tells us they will finally say, Baruch haba beshem Adonai. They are finally going to acknowledge their offense. I will return again to My place till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me. Hos. 5:15 

God says, “I will return again to my place until you acknowledge your offence. It will take a little bit of prodding, shall we say, but when they finally do that, and say, ‘Come, Lord Jesus,’ I will come.” 

The remnant now find themselves in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Somehow they will be forced out into this valley and they will wait for Jesus to come back. Presumably, they will be standing in front of the Mount of Olives, because they know that’s where He’s going to come back. As they are gathered together in front of the Mount of Olives, they will be surrounded by the forces of Antichrist. Jesus is in route, coming to save them. Scripture says that, 

In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem. Zech. 12:6 

I just couldn’t figure this out for such a long time. I thought; “Now wait a second. You have Jesus coming back and yet you also have these governors doing something.” But Jesus says He will do it all by Himself. Still…He will give them some kind of power. 

When I started to put all the pieces together I realized that everything will happen very quickly; but they must hold out until Jesus comes. He gives them incredible, supernatural power, and the governors of Judah are going to be like a fire pan in the wood pile and a fiery torch in the sheaves. This power will enable them to devour those on the right hand and on the left. Perhaps the scene will play out something like this: 

The remnant is down in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. The forces of Antichrist are coming against them on the right and on the left. Then the governors of Judah who are on the periphery receive special power from the Lord so that they can actually shoot fire out from their sides. Scripture says, In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them. Zech. 12:8 Habakkuk 3:4 gave me an important piece of the puzzle. His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, and there His power was hidden. Jesus has rays of light flashing from His hand. 

This is far cooler than any super hero movie we’ve ever seen, or any villain, or the emperor from Star Wars^TM, who can shoot out electricity. Jesus is far cooler and it appears that He will give them this power. The strong among them will be like the Angel of the Lord before them. And so the scene continues with the remnant imbued with power coming out of their hands to defend themselves until Jesus gets there. 

Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. Zech. 14:3 Our scene continues: The Jewish remnant that is down in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, the Kidron Valley, is waiting for Jesus. They are fending off hordes of Antichrist attackers who have postured themselves to be able to get to the remnant from either the left or the right. But the remnant are fighting them off and devouring them on the both sides. Then Jesus finally comes back. 

Scene Two begins: His feet will touch the Mount of Olives. 

And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. Zech. 14:4 

The word used in the verse for valley is the word, gae, just like Ar-ma-gae-don. The touch of Jesus’ feet to the Mount of Olives will create a deep ravine, a canyon. Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, it says in Zechariah 14:5. 

So we now have a new puzzle piece. What does it look like? I believe the Lord showed it to me as a picture of Jesus stepping down onto the Mount of Olives, which then splits. At this point the remnant realizes that they have a way of escape. They flee through that mountain valley that has opened up. The Antichrist forces pursue, following hard behind them. Does this remind us of anything? Was there another time in history when this might have happened? Well, of course there was. God parted the Red Sea so the Children of Israel could cross through it on dry ground. 

For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in. Ex. 14:3 

Pharaoh thought the Children of Israel were trapped, so he changed his mind and pursued them, intent on destroying them completely. Just when it appeared that Pharaoh had won the day, God showed that He had actually led Pharaoh and his armies into a trap in which they were destroyed. This scene plays out in much the same way as the Exodus story. After the Jews have fled through the valley opened up by the Mount of Olives splitting in two, Jesus will interpose himself between the Jews that have fled behind Him and the forces of Antichrist that are coming in like a wave with the intent of destroying them. 

Why are they so intent on destroying the Jews? We should keep in mind that the only thing Satan can do is destroy the Jewish people. If he could destroy them, then he could have a standoff with God. God says that He would give the kingdom to the saints. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’ Dan. 7:18 As long as there is at least one breathing Jew on the planet, then God can still fulfill His promise. However, if there was not a single Jew left on the planet, then God could not fulfill His promise, which makes Him a liar. This explains why Satan is working very hard to destroy the Jews. 

Scene Three: Jesus has interposed himself between the Jews and the Antichrist’s forces. He has rays of light flashing from His hands and a sword coming out of His mouth, perhaps similar to something like a laser. He will then begin to decimate the attackers that are coming. He starts to hack them in pieces with the rays of light coming from where His power is hidden. According to Habakkuk 3:5, there will be pestilence before Him and fever will follow at His feet. Jesus’ coming will confuse His enemies. They will see Jesus and realize they are in trouble. They will try to turn around, but they will not able to. 

It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor, and raise his hand against his neighbor’s hand. Zech. 14:13 

In their panic they will begin to kill one another with their own swords. Even every horse will be struck with confusion and blindness because of Jesus (Zech. 12:4). Why blindness? Remember that Jesus is incredibly bright, brighter even than the sun. He is the man of fire. He is a consuming fire. As Jesus stands there before them, keep in 

mind that He is a fire, He has fiery lightning clothing on Him and He will shoot out rays of light. They will not be able see. They will try to turn around, but He will begin to cut them in pieces and destroy them. 

And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths. Zech. 14:12 

Some have proposed that this might be referring to a neutron bomb or a nuclear bomb of some sort; I beg to differ. I suggest that this reference is to the armies being exposed to God’s fiery lightning presence. The armies would, at this time, have come into close proximity to Jesus. They would try to get away, but they will not be able to do so. 

Why is Your apparel red, 

And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? “I have trodden the winepress alone, 

And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, 

And trampled them in My fury; 

Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes. Isa. 63:2, 3 

Jesus will do this all by Himself. 

I believe we will be on horses behind Jesus. I think our job will be as a group of cheerleaders. 

Give me a “J”, give me an “E”, give me an “S”, give me a “U”, give me an “S”, 

What does that spell? “Jesus!” 

I don’t believe we will do anything except stand and see the salvation of the Lord. Jesus will advance against the Antichrist’s forces, cut them to pieces, and tread on them like grapes. The description we are given is all very literal. Soon there will be a bloody mess so great that the blood will go up to the horse’s bridle. There will be corpses everywhere and tons of carnage. 

I believe this will happen on the day of Yom Kippur. The day of Yom Kippur is when the books are opened and the wicked destroyed. 

Incidentally, it just so happens that twice a year there is a massive migration of birds in the spring and in the fall from the north to the south, from Europe and Asia, and down to Africa. Their common route is to fly over Israel. They don’t fly over anywhere else primarily, almost completely over Israel. This means there are millions and millions of birds up in the sky who are also very hungry. Everything has been destroyed at this point. All the grass has been burnt up, the trees have been destroyed, and the waters have become blood. 

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” Rev. 19:17 

Matthew 24:27 and 28 always gave me trouble. I could not understand the meaning of these two verses put together until I started putting all these puzzle pieces together. 

For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. 

Now it makes sense. All of these events of Jesus’ return are happening at this time; and the judgment has come. 

Scene Four: Also at this time, Revelation 19 tells us that the Antichrist and False Prophet are cast into the lake of fire. Then will be the judgment of the sheep and the goats. This happens on Yom Kippur. 

I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. Dan. 7:11 

Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. Rev. 19:20 

There is a stream of flaming fire coming out from God. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. Dan. 7:9, 10 

The Beast and False Prophet are thrown into that fire. It is true they are relegated to a geographical place, but the fire that is hitting them is the fire that is coming out from God Himself. Isaiah 30:33 says, The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, kindles it. 

Thousands, thousands ministered to Him, ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him, the court was seated in the books were opened. Dan. 7:10 

This is the day that Jesus will judge. This is the day of Yom Kippur. And also the nations will be gathered before Him. He will separate one from the other, the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left. “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” Matt. 25:41 At the same time, Satan and the demons are bound. 

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. Rev. 20:1-3 

Satan and the demons are not destroyed at this point, but they are put into a holding cell where they will remain for 1,000 years. 

We see this in Isaiah 24:21, 22; 

It shall come to pass in that day 

That the Lord will punish on high the host of exalted ones, And on the earth the kings of the earth. 

They will be gathered together, 

As prisoners are gathered in the pit, And will be shut up in the prison. 

After many days they will be punished. Satan and the demons will be punished after the 1,000 years. But during the 1,000 years they will remain in prison. Then as Satan descends down into Sheol, to the lowest depths of the abyss, “Those who see you (Satan) will gaze at you, and consider you, saying: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms?’” Isa. 14:16 That will be the end of the Antichrist, the end of Satan, at least for 1,000 years. Then Jesus will usher in the Millennium. 

In summary: 

1. The Antichrist gathered the nations to destroy Israel, but this when Jesus comes back. He rends the veil and He comes down. 

2. The governors of Judah fend off their attackers, briefly, until Jesus puts His feet down upon the Mount of Olives. At that point the Mount of Olives will split in two and the remnant will flee through the resulting valley. 

3. Jesus jumps down into that canyon and fights the attackers. He gets all bloody as He squashes them like grapes in a winepress. The blood comes up to the horse’s bridle. 

4. There are so many bodies and so much carnage that the birds come and feast themselves on the flesh of kings and mighty men. 

5. The judging of the sheep and the goats immediately follows. 

6. The heavens will pass away. This will literally be the unveiling which will happen the day that Jesus returns. 

7. The Day of the Lord is a “thief in the night” event. 

8. Armageddon fits better linguistically and logistically with the valley of the judging of the harvest of the sheaves (Valley of Jehoshaphat). 

9. Jesus comes personally and fights for Israel. 

10. The Biblical imagery is literal. 

Chapter 16 of Reclaiming The Rapture : Putting It All Together: What Happens on the Day of the Second Coming? [Part -3]

In summary, following are some of the events of the Second Coming: 

1)  An ash cloud will blanket the earth, blocking sun and moon. 

2) The rivers, lakes and oceans will be turned to blood. 

3) The veil between the heavens will pass away. 

4) Everyone will see Jesus coming in flames of fire. 

5) The earth, every mountain and island, is shaken, moved and gone; and the elements, mountains, begin to melt. 

This now brings us to the Battle of Armageddon. Traditionally the Battle of Armageddon has been believed to come before the Day of the Lord. I put the Battle of Armageddon in the day of the Lord. That is the time when it will happen – when Jesus comes back – because He is the one who’s going to be fighting. The Battle of Armageddon is not a nation-against-nation war. Very often people have gone to a location in the northern part of Galilee called the Jezreel Valley and thought it could be an incredible place for a battle. Napoleon said, “I could see a battle being fought here.” 

Unfortunately, this is not the location of the Battle of Armageddon. Secondly, this battle will not see the tanks of the world coming together; or the world’s infantry divisions fighting one another. This battle won’t even feature the high tech weaponry that we have today against other countries. The Battle of Armageddon will be the world united against Jesus and those that He loves. It says in Revelation 16:16, And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. Then in Revelation 19 John writes; And I saw the beast, the kings of  the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Rev. 19:19 Again, it’s not nation against nation. It’s all the nations of the world united together to fight against Jesus. 

In addition to understanding who is fighting whom, we will also consider the linguistic understanding of this battle; the sheaves in a harvest motif that we find very frequently, and the idea of stomping on grapes. We will discover that these aspects can be understood very literally. It’s just a matter of putting the puzzle pieces in their right places. I have to admit that I broke my head! 

In Spanish, a jig saw puzzle is called a “rompecabezas” because it breaks your head. I feel that I have been breaking my head trying to put the pieces together. Now, though, I am very excited to share them with you because I believe that the Lord has guided me in discovering how these puzzle pieces fit together. I will let you be the judge, of course, but I think you will see that the pieces fit incredibly well; and that we can take them very literally, which always excites me because God’s Word is very literal. 

Jesus will stomp on grapes. Blood will go up to the horse’s bridle. There’s even some imagery that is a repeat of the Exodus crossing of the Red Sea. I think God likes to recycle themes. 

This theme will be recycled in a very grand way. God’s Word also tells us that a trap will be set by the Antichrist for the Jews. The trap that the Antichrist will set will actually be the trap that he will fall into. There’s a proverb that says “he who sets a snare will himself fall into it.” 

This is exactly what’s going to happen to the Antichrist. He will set the snare but he himself will fall into it. These things will happen outside the city. The traditional location of the Battle of Armageddon is in the Jezreel Valley. If one were to tour Israel today, 

he or she would be sure to visit Armageddon because most people want to see where the final battle is going to take place. The tour would visit the traditional Battle of Armageddon site in the plain of Jezreel at the Tel Megiddo. One can see Tel Megiddo, but it’s not a mountain. 

A “tel” is not a mountain. Tel is a very ancient word. It actually comes from Acadian, which tells us that the word has been around for long time. A tel is a mound where a city was and then was destroyed, and then they built on top of it, then that city was destroyed, and so on. Eventually, after many centuries, the various destruction layers build up into an artificial mountain that is called a tel. One would not find a mountain in Tel Megiddo today, only a tel. This begs the question, “Where is the mountain?” Where is the city? There is wonderful agriculture in this place, but no city or mountain. One could visit the Jezreel Valley and Tel Megiddo and think to himself, “Wow! This is where the battle is going to happen. But there’s nobody here. Why would anybody fight here? Why suddenly here, when all the other places in scripture keep talking about Jerusalem?” Well of course this is the whole point. It is not going to happen here even though we have been taught that this is the location of the battle. 

Let’s consider the linguistic implications of the Battle of Armageddon. If we read the King James⁸², or the New King James⁸³, which are based on the Textus Receptus⁸⁴, we will find that the word “Armageddon” is spelled with two letter “d’s.” If we look at Armageddon in the Byzantine Majority⁸⁵ text, the word actually has one delta (d). If we look at the Alexandrian Vaticanas⁸⁶, it’s spelled with one delta, but in the Textus Receptus, it is spelled with two. Some people prefer the Textus Receptus, and may even have strong feelings against the Alexandrian Vaticanis, which is fine. However, I would like to point out that the Textus Receptus comes out of the Byzantine family. It is a collection of manuscripts. It is really a handful of manuscripts, somewhere between six to twelve manuscripts were used. It came from a larger tradition called the Byzantine Majority text family, which were about five thousand manuscripts. I mention this because there’s only one delta in the Byzantine Majority text. This is an important clue. 

One might think it doesn’t really matter if there are one or two deltas but actually it does. The reason is that based on the Hebrew word, the word that we have is Meg-i-don, the vowels don’t fit for different readings. In the Greek, as it comes to us, we are told that this is a Hebrew word. But we have to look at it through the Greek language which spells it as Ar-ma-ge-don, not me- gi-don. Clearly the vowels do not match up between the Greek and the Hebrew words, and neither does the double “d”. Certainly the double “d” in the Textus Receptus would match, but it doesn’t match with the other textual evidence that we have. 

My assertion is that really, none of these words match the word Megiddo. Megiddo is not the word that should be used. The reason it is important that there is not a mountain in Megiddo is because it is understood that Ar means mountain and Megiddo is, of course, Megiddo; thus Ar Megiddo (the mountain of Megiddo). Not only is there no mountain in Megiddo; linguistically and phonetically, it does not match properly. Therefore, of all the possible interpretations, Ar Megiddo does not fit. 

Some people have suggested that this is “the place of the crowds” and that is what the word means. Perhaps there is an underlying secondary use of that, though I rather doubt it. Dr. Michael Hazer has eloquently posited that this could be Ar- moed, meaning “mountain of the appointed meeting time.” Moed means the appointed meeting time. I think he argued it well. I tend to disagree, though, because I believe the preferable translation is Ar- ma-ge’don, which would be “the valley of the judging of the harvested heap (or sheaves).” Here’s why. This word Arema fits really well. The only vowel that would not fit, that we have to imagine, is the “e” in Ar-e-ma. Jeremiah 50 uses this word when he says, “come to her from a far, open up her barns, pile her up like heaps of grain and completely destroy her; don’t leave any survivors.” When Ruth went to Boaz, he was sleeping on an Arema. He was sleeping on a pile of harvested grain. This is from the word Aram which means “to be heaped up.” It occurs once in the verbal form and we find it other places as a noun, “heap.” We also find it in Micah 4:12. For He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor. God says that He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor. He is telling us about the trap He will lay for the Antichrist. 

One might think it doesn’t really matter if there are one or two deltas but actually it does. The reason is that based on the Hebrew word, the word that we have is Meg-i-don, the vowels don’t fit for different readings. In the Greek, as it comes to us, we are told that this is a Hebrew word. But we have to look at it through the Greek language which spells it as Ar-ma-ge-don, not me- gi-don. Clearly the vowels do not match up between the Greek and the Hebrew words, and neither does the double “d”. Certainly the double “d” in the Textus Receptus would match, but it doesn’t match with the other textual evidence that we have. 

My assertion is that really, none of these words match the word Megiddo. Megiddo is not the word that should be used. The reason it is important that there is not a mountain in Megiddo is because it is understood that Ar means mountain and Megiddo is, of course, Megiddo; thus Ar Megiddo (the mountain of Megiddo). Not only is there no mountain in Megiddo; linguistically and phonetically, it does not match properly. Therefore, of all the possible interpretations, Ar Megiddo does not fit. 

Some people have suggested that this is “the place of the crowds” and that is what the word means. Perhaps there is an underlying secondary use of that, though I rather doubt it. Dr. Michael Hazer has eloquently posited that this could be Ar- moed, meaning “mountain of the appointed meeting time.” Moed means the appointed meeting time. I think he argued it well. I tend to disagree, though, because I believe the preferable translation is Ar- ma-ge’don, which would be “the valley of the judging of the harvested heap (or sheaves).” Here’s why. This word Arema fits really well. The only vowel that would not fit, that we have to imagine, is the “e” in Ar-e-ma. Jeremiah 50 uses this word when he says, “come to her from a far, open up her barns, pile her up like heaps of grain and completely destroy her; don’t leave any survivors.” When Ruth went to Boaz, he was sleeping on an Arema. He was sleeping on a pile of harvested grain. This is from the word Aram which means “to be heaped up.” It occurs once in the verbal form and we find it other places as a noun, “heap.” We also find it in Micah 4:12. For He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor. God says that He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor. He is telling us about the trap He will lay for the Antichrist. 

This is a bi-consonantal word; and in the infinitive absolute, it always has a long “o” sound. Yacomo, for example, becomes com. In English the word “moot” becomes “moat”. This is an example of how a bi consonantal verb actually becomes “a,” with that “o” sound in there. Therefore, dean could follow this grammatical rule to become don. This explains the don part of the word Armageddon – the Valley of the judging of the harvested heap or sheaves; and this is going to take place, again, not up north in the Jezreel Valley, but down next to Jerusalem. It’s in the Valley of Jehoshaphat between the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives. This is where Jesus is going to come back, near to the Temple and to the Mount of Olives, which faces the city. 

Jesus will fight on behalf of Jerusalem. He will fight those nations that are coming against Jerusalem. Now also many nations have gathered against you, who say, “Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.” Micah 4:11 Zechariah 12:2, 3 tells us that the battle location is Jerusalem, not the Jezreel Valley; “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.” Jerusalem and the Valley of Jehoshaphat is where the action is going to be. Now that we understand linguistically that Armageddon does not mean Ar Megiddo, that it actually means “the valley of the judging of the sheaves”, we can see how the Battle of Armageddon will take place in even greater detail. 

“Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow—for their wickedness is great.” Joel 3:13 

And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs. Rev. 14:20 The wine press was trampled outside the city, not up in the Valley of Megiddo or the plain of Megiddo; but outside the city of Jerusalem. 

Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up. Joel 3:9 

God is basically saying, “You guys have touched the apple of my eye one too many times and now this means war. Get ready because I’m coming personally. This is no longer business as usual. This is personal. Now I am coming and I am going to decimate you because you have really made me mad this time. So watch out! Get ready for war.” Let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Joel 3:9, 10 “You don’t have a weapon? Well go get one because you’re going to need it because I, God, am coming.” All the nations will go to the Valley of Jehoshaphat and Jesus will go down and harvest multitudes and multitudes with His sickle in the valley of decision “for their wickedness is great.” 

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. Rev. 14:14-16 

The Mount of Olives has all these tools on it because the Jews believe that’s where the Messiah will come, so they wanted them to be there when He arrived. The Mount of Olives overlooks the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Revelation 14:20 tells us that, the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs. 

Imagine blood coming up about five feet, that’s as high as a horse’s bridle, in the Valley of Megiddo, or Jezreel Valley. Liquid will always find its own level; so there would have to be blood going on for a very, very, very, very, very long way to have enough to fill that valley. But understanding that the battle location is the Valley of Jehoshaphat, which is a narrow valley, causes this statement to make complete sense. We are still talking about a lot of blood, but it would be more like it was in a pool if it was in a narrow valley. This makes it easier for us to comprehend how blood could run at that height. 

Chapter 16 of Reclaiming The Rapture : Putting It All Together: What Happens on the Day of the Second Coming? [Part -2]

This is the time when the veil goes away and Jesus comes back. 

Isaiah writes it this way; 

And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken. And it will be said in that day: 

“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Isa. 25:7-9 

The Lord God will swallow up death forever and wipe away tears from all faces. The surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations, will go away when the Lord comes back. Notice that death will be swallowed up at that point. For those who are in the city, or in the temple, on the mountain of God, it will pass away. Isaiah also says it this way; Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! Isa. 64:1 He wants the heavens to be broken so that God himself would come down. 

The veil is like a curtain. When it opens, out comes Jesus – ta da! “Here I am”. Everyone will take notice. No longer will they be pretending that He does not exist. There are many atheists in the world today. There will not be any atheists on the day that the veil opens up, when the heavens pass away, because every eye will see Him. People will say, as they go running into the caves and the clefts of the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! Suddenly everyone will realize that this is the big day; For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand? Rev. 6:17 

Perhaps it will be like a one way mirror. A one way mirror enables people on one side to look through, but people on the other side cannot see through. Right now we cannot see through that one way mirror, but those on the other side can see through. Perhaps the one way mirror will break at that time. We don’t know exactly what it will look like when the veil is removed, but it will pass away. Then the two domains; the domain of mankind with planet Earth, and the domain of God and the angels – and even the demons, will not be separated. When the veil between the two domains passes away, the two shall become one again. 

The heavens are going to open and Jesus will come. His return will be a fiery return. Everyone will see Him coming in flaming fire. Every mountain will be shaken, moved and gone. Every island will be shaken, moved and gone. The elements and the mountains will begin to melt at that time. This will be unmistakable. Don’t worry – you will know when the Second Coming is! You will know when Jesus comes back. That is why He told his disciples, if someone says, ‘I am the Christ’, don’t believe it because you will know when the Christ comes (Matt. 24:5). 

Why do we believe Jesus’ second coming will be a fiery return? We read in Isaiah 66:15 and 16, For behold, the Lord will come with fire and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword The Lord will judge all flesh; and the slain of the Lord shall be many. 

In Second Thessalonians, it says, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 1:7, 8 I plan to be riding on a horse behind Him in my new body at that point. If you are one of the rebels who are fighting against Him, it will not be a very pleasant day for you. 

Jesus says that, Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only Matt. 24:35, 36. Some believe this scripture refers to the rapture. I disagree. Though I don’t know the day and the hour of the rapture, I believe this reference is to the passing away of the heavens and the earth. We see this in other scriptures. 

Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; 

Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, 

And they will be changed. Psa. 102:25, 26 

The day of the Lord, is the day that Jesus comes back. It’s not the entire seven year period. It’s not the three and half year period. The second three and a half year period is called “the time of Jacobs’s trouble”. It will be a time of great distress for the nation of Israel and also for the world at large. 

On that day the ancient hills are going to collapse. Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate. Is. 13:9 When Jeremiah said, I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; and the heavens, they had no light. Jer. 4:23, he used the same word that is used in Genesis 1:2 (tu voo va vo). 

Jeremiah used the phrase (Tu vo vavoo) to describe this amorphous liquefaction of the mountains because they will become like Jell-O^TM. They will fall down and become nothing. And every mountain and island was moved out of its place. Rev. 6:14 Also in Revelation 16:20, Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. When every island moves away and every mountain goes away, that’s what I call Epic. That is essentially the movie 2012 where the entire earth just begins to fall apart. 

But it will probably be even worse than that because it will be a day unlike any other. This is the day that Jesus comes back and that’s why it’s called “The Day of the Lord”. Some events will unfold before the Day of the Lord; but on the Day of the Lord, many things are going to happen. You might wonder how there will be enough time for so many events to take place on the day of the Lord. 

It says in Habakkuk Chapter 3:11, the sun and the moon stood still in their habitation. There was another time when the sun and the moon stood still in their habitation. It was during the long day of Joshua. This is very interesting because on that day he said he was fighting the Amorites. The Amorites were Nephilim. I describe this in detail in my book, Corrupting the Image⁸¹. So Joshua was fighting against the Nephilim. I believe Jesus will also be fighting hybrids because people that have taken the mark of the Beast would have mingled themselves with demons. The world will believe them to be aliens, but that is all a ruse to deceive the nations. The Day of the Lord will be a long day because Jesus has a lot of work to do on that day. 

We are told that the earth is violently broken. Again, if all of the islands and all of the mountains flee away, the earth is violently broken. The earth will be split open and exceedingly shaken. Isaiah says, The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall totter like a hut; its transgression shall be heavy upon it, and it will fall, and not rise again. Isa. 24:20 Please understand that at this point, because the earth is so incredibly devastated, it’s over. The earth is down for the count, crying “uncle”; or, maybe it’s just plain dead. The Earth becomes completely uninhabitable. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty. Isa. 2:12 

The day of the Lord is when the earth moves. 

And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. Rev. 16:18 

Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger. Isa. 13:13 

Here we see “the day of the Lord” once again. It’s not the seven year period of the Lord. It isn’t even the three and a half year period, as bad as those will be. It is “the day” that Jesus, the Christ, the Savior, comes back to redeem His people. He will intercede on behalf of Israel who has finally cried out to Him, “Baruch haba beshem Adonai”. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Psa. 118:26 Welcome Jesus; finally, we are welcoming you. 

Paul says; But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 1 Thess. 5:1, 2 This has often been interpreted to speak about the rapture, but it isn’t speaking about the rapture. It is speaking of the day that Jesus comes back. 

You see, God has a plan. He is going to launch a surprise attack on the Antichrist. He will say, “Here I am!”; and everyone will run like cockroaches into dark places. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 2 Pet. 3:10 Jesus says it this way, Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. Rev. 3:3 He says this in Revelation 16:15; Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. 

This is sandwiched right between the place where Satan, the Antichrist and false prophet have these three spirits that look like frogs that come out of their mouths and go out to all the nations to bring them to battle at the place of Armageddon to make war against Him who sits on the horse. Jesus says, sandwiched between those events, He is warning the world – I am coming as a thief; watch out; 

you’re not going to realize when I come; you’re not going to know what is about to hit you. The day of the Lord, the thief in the night, is when the earth is destroyed in Second Peter 3:10. 

But the heavens and the earth, which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 2 Pet. 3:7 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 2 Pet, 3:10 Nevertheless, we according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 2 Pet. 3:13 

Notice not only that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night, but also that the heavens will pass away with a great noise. The elements melt with fervent heat. We previously discussed verses in Revelation and Isaiah that tell us the sky is going to recede, or roll up, as a scroll. This is the time when the heavens pass away. At the same time, the mountains are going to melt like wax at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, the earth will grow old like a garment, and those who dwell in it will die in like manner. Isa. 51:6 

Chapter 21 of Corrupting the Image vol 2: No Other Way [Part-2]

WORTHY IS THE LAMB! 

Due to Jesus’ heroic act, the heavenly scene changed for John who had been watching. The camera pans back and we see the millions and millions in heaven rejoicing and praising the lamb.  

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever (Rev 5:11–14). 

Jesus did it. He took the hard road and paid the full price to redeem us and destroy death and the works of Enlil, Satan the slanderer. Now it is only right that those in heaven and Earth should praise Him and serve Him. We should give all our affection to Him, and we should give our commitment and our loyalty and fidelity to Him, and to Him alone, because no one else has done, or could do, what He has done.  

He laid down His life and let Himself be put to death on a cross. Nails were put through His hands and feet, and He died on a cross. And then He conquered death, and that was just the beginning of the end for Satan. As we see in the rest of the Book of Revelation, Satan is not going down for good without a fight. He is going to do his best to try to thwart the ultimate redemption of planet Earth. Satan will work extremely hard at it; I guarantee you that. He is not going to say, oh well I have lost, so I will just kind of retreat and go down in flames. No, he is still going to try to win.  

Without His sacrifice, Jesus would not be worthy to take the scroll and open its seals. The scroll, I believe, is a bit of a mixture of the title deed to Planet Earth and also a Ketubah, marriage contract, because a marriage is ultimately going to come as one of the many facets of our redemption. The redemption Jesus offers is all-encompassing, just as Boaz was not only redeeming the land, but was also serving as the kinsman-redeemer and taking the bride. Jesus is redeeming the planet, but is also redeeming the bride, and all of this is made possible by His sacrifice. All heaven and Earth say, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” They said, “There is no one like our God. There is none like our King!” 

Through His death, Jesus defeated the dreadful snake-dragon, for:  

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage (Heb 2:14–15). 

Jesus said to John at the beginning of his visions:  

“Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death (Rev 1:17–18).  

Milestone Marker 3 and Beyond 

Figure 64 Roman Milestone on the Road of the Patriarchs between Jerusalem and Hebron https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Commons. 

We journeyed through the ancient world, retraced Satan’s steps and discovered his diabolic plan for world domination. Convinced he could be like God, Satan began by refusing to be a servant—the one thing that he needed to do to truly be like God, and he proved himself an unfaithful steward. He flat out staged a coup by swindling Adam and Eve of the dominion God gave them. By usurping the authority over the world, Satan secured what he needed to keep God at bay and himself on the throne. 

As mankind faced the resulting decay and death, God then gave a ray of hope that He would send the Promised One who would crush Satan’s head.  

Throughout our study, we have seen how God has revealed Satan’s top-secret battle plans and strategies. God, the great King, has laid bare Satan’s secret machinations for world domination, both in the past and the future.  

Restricted behind the veil, Satan then sent angels to Mt. Hermon to mate with women and create Nephilim bodysuits for them to inhabit. After that dream went down the drain, Satan gave his DNA to create a rebel hybrid who would open a stargate for human-demonic communication. Though God thwarted the plan by confusing the languages, nevertheless the Rebel became the hero of legends, literature and movies for the past five thousand years—the one who the Bible predicts will return in the last days. He was also responsible for the incursion of Nephilim in Canaan that resulted in the land being overrun with hybrids and idolatry when the children of Israel left Egypt and first saw the Promised Land. Though God went before them and destroyed the giants, Satan’s Trojan Horse, the woman who rides the Beast—known as Mystery Babylon—found its way into their hearts. Israel, through Balaam’s influence, cursed themselves. Mystery Babylon remained in Israel until God divorced the northern kingdom of Israel and sent her away. The land of Bashan with its peak, Mt. Hermon, reigned again and cast a shadow of death on the Galilee region.  

The darkness was interrupted abruptly when God’s long awaited and promised champion arrived and declared that the Gates of Hades and their host would not prevail and irreversibly enslave the world. Jesus came not to be served, as the dragon had demanded; rather, He came as a servant. Satan believed he could destroy his would-be-head-crusher by nailing Him to the cross, only to discover that he had helped Jesus reclaim dominion over the Earth. Jesus retook the Keys of Hades and Death and the title deed of planet Earth which Adam had lost; He took it not through military might, but through His sacrifice.  

Nevertheless, Satan did not quit after his defeat. He once again has used the woman that rides the Beast to cause God’s people to forsake their heavenly birthright in exchange for his kingdom of death. Just as Israel followed him and found themselves living in the shadowland of death, so too Christ-followers forfeit their birthright. In the seven letters to the churches, Jesus rebukes His people for following Jezebel (the very woman that brought Mystery Babylon into Israel), and He rebukes them for following the doctrines of Balaam who made Israel sin at Ba’al Peor. (See Rev 2: 14, 20). Thus, God calls, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins and … receive of her plagues” (Rev 18:4) (See Appendices 3 (Inanna) and 6 (Abominations of Babylon)).   

That falling away is what Paul predicted: “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away [αποστασια] comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thess 2:3). The falling away refers to people who hold to a religious position, and then desert it. That is, Christians who fall away from the true faith into the ways of Babylon. The apostasy occurs when men love the darkness rather than the light. Jesus says, “This, then, is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).  

When the world is ready, “the beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition” (Rev 17:8). Satan will then raise up his dying and rising god. He will bring back his hero, the Rebel, Lord of the Earth, king of the city, Nergal / Pabilsag / Ninurta / Nimrod / the Beast. The rise of this super-human will be the culmination of a plan that was millennia in the making. He will be Satan’s endgame to extend his reign over the world indefinitely.  

The coming Beast will be a composite of the kingdoms that came before him. He will be “like a leopard”, representing the kingdom and might of Alexander the Great (Dan 7:6), “his feet were like the feet of a bear”, representing the kingdom and might of Persia, “and his mouth like the mouth of a lion” (Dan 7:5), representing the kingdom of might, Babylon (Dan 7:4). To this individual “The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority” (Rev 13:2).  

The little horn Daniel saw in which “were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words” (Dan 7:8), is the same Beast full of names of blasphemy^ccxx that John saw in Revelation; it is the culmination and an amalgamation of all the former beasts. The Beast will possess all of their power, strength, speed, influence, authority, glory and pride. However, he will be even more than the sum and epitome of his predecessors: He will be the incarnation of Satan himself. He will be the slanderer incarnate. Satan’s qualities of “seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads” (Rev 12:3), are the same as the Beast’s: “seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name” (Rev 13:1) (Emphasis mine).  

Satan wants to incarnate himself in a man of his choosing, but only to empower himself. Thus, giving his power to the Beast is a fulfillment of his ancient plan to actuate a fusion of himself with a willing and qualified individual; the man will become a god and the god will become a man. Together they will be the Son of Perdition, the man of sin, “the beast who was, is not, and will ascend out of the abyss” (Rev 17:8). 

Through the Mark of the Beast, Satan will finally have his bodysuits and his secret weapon to enslave the world. Men will once again surrender to Satan and curse themselves. The Mark of the Beast will be the mechanism by which they become one with him genetically and thus become his slaves.  

Then in the time of the end: This king will “speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High” (Dan 7:25). He will open the Gates of Hades that Jesus prevented from opening and unleash hordes of Pabilsags. Satan will raise up an army of unprecedented proportions by bringing back the Beast who was, the one who will ascend out of the Abyss in a moment of triumph for Satan. The Beast will then be used by Satan to unleash his dark forces from the Abyss. Satan will have the upper hand for three and a half years until a cry goes forth to bring back Jesus. This prophesied cry for Jesus will initiate the great Day of the Lord and the Battle of Armageddon.  

There are still many questions that remain which we will address in the next book. We will consider the Mark of the Beast, the image of the Beast, the false prophet, the Battle of Armageddon, Gog and Magog, the two witnesses, and the one thing that will bring Jesus back to save his people.  

Chapter 17 of Corrupting the Image vol 2: Jesus the True Super-Hero [Part-2]

In the last and hardest test “the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me” (Matt 4:8–9). 

The highest mountain within the boundaries of the United Kingdom of Israel, and even as far as Sidon, the northern most point of Jesus’ ministry, is Mount Hermon. There is no other mountain in the region that is higher; it is visible from nearly everywhere in Northern Israel and even to the southernmost part of the Sea of Galilee. It is the highest point in Israel, standing over 9,200 ft (2,800 m) above sea level, often with snow on its highest peaks.  

Of course, we remember that it was on this mountain that the angels came down and took an oath to corrupt the seed of man and beget the Nephilim. On that high mountain, Satan used his power to show Jesus “in a moment of time” (Luke 4:5), all the kingdoms of the world that he possessed. They all belonged to Satan. In Luke, Satan said “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish” (Luke 4:6). Jesus did not argue with Satan because it was true. The harsh reality that Satan is the supreme-ruler of this world is evidenced throughout the pages of Scripture:  

• the ruler of this world [cosmos κόσμος] (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). 
•  “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ” (Rev 11:15). (Meaning they were not before that moment).  

We need to understand “the earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein (Ps 24:1, See also Ps 89:11). Everything belongs to God; It is all His creation. However, in the beginning God made man and said:  

“Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Gen 1:26).  

The same motif is clearly stated in Psalm 8:  

What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet. All sheep and oxen—Even the beasts of the field (Ps 8:4–7).  

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 them in the Garden and gained the dominion for himself. This is why he said 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.” 

In other words, the kingdoms of this world have been given over, entrusted, committed to Satan—we might say he swindled Adam and Eve fair and square. Satan found a legal concept by which he could come in and take control of the planet and the world system, called adverse possession. According to Cornell Law School: 

Adverse possession is a doctrine under which a person in possession of land owned by someone else may acquire valid title to it, so long as certain common law requirements are met, and the adverse possessor is in possession for a sufficient period of time, as defined by a statute of limitations.^clxxxvii 

Neither Adam and Eve, nor God had any legal recourse; Satan legally scammed them. Satan played the trump card! To be sure, God was more powerful and had more angels in His army. But the contest was not about strength; it was about authority, and Satan had the authority. 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). If God should overpower Satan, which he could, then God would no longer be righteous and just. If God tried to forcefully take back dominion of Earth, Satan could exclaim: 

“Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Gen 18:25). 

Because of this ace up his sleeve, Satan did not fear that Jesus could take back the planet. He reasoned that the most He would do is comfort mankind for some time; but in the end, because of the bondage of corruption which led to death, and because he held the power of death (Keys of Death and Hades) (Heb 2:14–15), Satan would remain master over the world indefinitely.  

We saw Satan’s hubris played out in the Akitu festival where the “good news” was brought to Enlil of the killing of (An) the Creator and where the “anutu” (Anu-ship) was delivered to Enlil. Enlil then in turn, gave the Enlil-ship to whoever he wished because it was his to give out. That authority was known as the Tablet of Destinies in the ancient world, and he was the owner. Amar Annus reminds us “In Enuma eliš, the Tablet of Destinies is associated with the powers of Anu”^clxxxviii (Anu being the creator).  

THE SCROLL AND THE TABLET OF DESTINIES 

The Tablet of Destinies that Enlil possessed appears to be the same as the scroll in God’s right hand in Revelation.  

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it (Rev 5:1–4).  

In the Book of Daniel 7, we see a similar picture of millions upon millions of mighty beings surrounding God’s fiery throne! 

The Ancient of Days was seated … His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire (Dan 7:9). … A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him (Dan 7:10).  

John says a challenge went out to the 100+ million angels in God’s retinue: “A strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” (Rev 5:2). He was asking who was authorized to open this scroll, and worthy to loose it seals. The reality was “no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.” 

Nobody on the Earth, no one in heaven or in the Earth or under the Earth, or in the abode of the dead. Nobody of the 100+ million beings, at least, standing before the King of Kings! Consequently, John says: “So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it” (Rev 5:3). 

He is weeping because of the significance of the scroll. The destinies of humankind are linked to the scroll, which Satan called the Tablet of Destinies. We learn as we continue to read Revelation that judgments come when the seals are broken. The judgments eventually lead to “loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’” (Rev 11:15). In other words, once the scroll is opened, Satan’s kingdom is over.  

The scroll is the dominion God gave to Adam which he forfeited in the Garden. Scrolls had not yet been invented in the Sumerian civilization. All contracts were recorded on clay tablets. We recall how “Ninurta, as the seal-bearer of Enlil in Nippur, was probably authorized to act with Enlil’s authority. … Ninurta … is often invoked as the “Bearer of the Tablet of Destinies of the Gods.”^clxxxix Hence, the Tablet of Destinies was the equivalent of the scroll. Whoever held the document, controlled Earth and the destinies of mankind.  

John wept beforehand because it was sealed, and nobody could open it; somehow the right to open the scroll had been forfeited. If the scroll could not be opened, it meant that Satan’s kingdom and authority would go on forever. 

SATAN OFFERS JESUS HIS AUTHORITY 

Satan indeed had authority over the world, a fact that Jesus did not contest: “The devil said to Him, ‘All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish’” (Luke 4:6). Satan offered to give Jesus the Tablet of Destinies if he would just bow down and worship Satan. He had given the Tablet to Nimrod millennia earlier, just as he would give it to Jesus if He complied.  

We could frame Satan’s offer like this:  

Oh, you want the planet? You want to save mankind? No problem, I can give it to whoever I want. The Father sent you on this mission to get all the kingdoms of the world and to show humanity how to live and to bring all into a meaningful relationship with God. I will make you a good deal. I will just give it all to you. You want it and this is what you came for. Take it. But just one little thing … no big deal, really. Bow down to me and worship me like others have in the past, and the world is yours.  

Had Jesus taken the offer, Satan probably would have kept his end of the bargain and the world would look quite different. Yet death would remain; death and the fear of death would have still permeated the planet. In Hebrews, the message is clear that Satan had authority over men, because we are told Jesus freed us:  

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage (Heb 2:14–15). 

Satan ruled mankind, and by his authority as Holder of the Keys of Death and Hell, he sealed the destiny of mankind. Consequently, humans could never go back to be with God because death is inside them: the animals, plants and also the planet itself. Remember earlier, nuclear physicist Dr. Robert Gentry told us that even granite is in the process of decay which can be measured by a Geiger counter as radiation. God Himself, in all of His beauty and glory cannot come back to this corrupted planet without melting it. His face is like the sun; He cannot come back unveiled. When He does come, He has to shroud himself in thick darkness. Even with the protective shroud, when He came down to Mt. Sinai, the mountain was enveloped in smoke and it was on fire because the glory of the Lord.  

Satan was ingenious; He elaborated on how he could give Jesus exactly what he came for, but understated that little clause “just bow down”. But thankfully, Jesus was way ahead of Satan.  

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him (Matt 4:10–11).