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ONE GOD REIGNS SUPREME

“The LORD will cause men to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloud burst, thunderstorm and hail. For Assyria will be shattered at the voice of the LORD; He will strike them with His scepter” (Isaiah 30:30-31).

The battle of Almighty God against the rebellious gods given rulership over the nations is evident in the remains peeking out of the wind-swept, sandy mounds across vast lands on earth.

21st century scholars refuse to acknowledge the reality of heavenly rulers over nations on earth. And yet, ancient civilizations knew and feared disobeying the god ruling over them.

Written on the cylinder of Nabopolassar, the king recorded, “When I was young, although I was the son of nobody, I constantly sought the sanctuaries of my lords the gods Nabu and Marduk. My mind was preoccupied with the establishment of their prescriptions and the complete performance of their rituals. My attention was directed at justice and equity. The god Marduk, the lord who fathoms the hearts of the gods of heaven and the netherworld, who constantly observes the conducts of mankind, perceived my inner thoughts and elevated me, … the servant who was anonymous among the people, to a high status in the country in which I was born. He called me to the lordship over the country and the people. He caused a benevolent protective spirit to walk at my side. He let me succeed in everything I undertook.”

To future kings, King Nabopolassar said, “Any king, at any time, whether a son or a grandson who will succeed me, and whose name Marduk will call to exert rulership of the country do not be concerned with feats of might and power. Seek the sanctuaries of Nabu and Marduk and let them slay your enemies. The lord Marduk examines utterances and scrutinizes the heart. He who is loyal to Marduk, his foundations will endure. He who is loyal to the son of Marduk (i.e. Nabu) will last for eternity.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbFSuO7KHLY

Nabopolassar acknowledged his insignificant beginnings. He addressed Nabu and Marduk as lords, those who hold a priestly role and thought deeply on establishing their prescriptions, that is, instructions that bring healing and health, likely spiritual healing and health. It was shortly after that time of Babel, when mankind was returning to the old ways that brought the great flood. He admitted to putting his trust in Nabu and Marduk to slay his enemies as he believed in their good judgement and knew they could scrutinize his carnal thoughts and know his wayward heart. He was not set of seeking might and power, rather justice and equity recognizing the benefit of a “benevolent protective spirit walking at his side.”

King Nabopolassar’s son, Nebuchadnezzar, too, respected the gods ruling over Babylon. The arrival of the Jewish exiles introduced him to the Supreme God—God over all gods. This has been the challenge of Almighty God since Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden. The Supreme God is all powerful and His radiance is pure light preventing mankind from seeing Him and living. King Nebuchadnezzar experienced Almighty God’s power to humble the mighty. After his seven-year sentence to live as a wild animal drenched in dew and his gods that he worshipped were powerless to thwart the sentence, King Nebuchadnezzar declared across the whole of his kingdom, “The dominion of the Most High is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the people of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” (Daniel 4:34b-35)

King Nebuchadnezzar is represented as the head of gold in the great statue that symbolizes earth’s kingdoms used by God to illustrate the rapid progression of earth’s rulers into corruption and evil. The reign of king Nebuchadnezzar was precious because he acknowledged the God of Israel as the supreme and all-powerful God over all gods.  The God of Israel saved Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the burning furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar declared, “I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way” (Daniel 3:29).

The gods have significantly less power than the Almighty God of Israel.

King Nebuchadnezzar said to Daniel when God gave him the meaning of the dream of the great statue, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the LORD of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery” (Daniel 2:47).

The battle in ancient times has always been a race for the rebel sons of God ruling over the nations to declare their supremacy over Almighty God.

BABEL, HEAVENLY RULERS GIVEN OVER THE PEOPLE ON EARTH

Lest we forget, a review of how it came about that the nations on earth were given heavenly rulers over them is a critical piece in the great puzzle that provides understanding into the battle Almighty God fights against the gods. The sons of God in His court in heaven were given rulership over the nations. At the time of Babel, God Almighty divided the people, gave them different languages and separated them from being a collective whole. The people were returning to the sinful ways that caused God to destroy mankind, except for eight people, with a great flood. God gave these people skilful and highly trained heavenly rulers from His headquarters, called Lebanon, in heaven.

“When the Most High assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in his heavenly court” (Deuteronomy 32:8).

These heavenly rulers were once the most revered and honoured leaders throughout creation in heaven. Their reign over the nations on earth began well. Kingdoms rose with each heavenly ruler showcasing his talents and skill. But, in relatively a short time, one-by-one they became proud and arrogant and taught the people to worship them, instead of the Almighty God—their Creator. Ezekiel recorded God speaking to the heavenly ruler over Egypt, “Who can be compared to you in majesty?” (Ezekiel 31:2). To the king ruling over Assyria, God said to the king over Egypt, “Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon [once a leader in God’s headquarters in heaven], with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high. Its top above the thick foliage… The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor could the pine trees equal its boughs, nor could the plan trees compare with its branches—no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty. I made it beautiful with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God” (Ezekiel 31:3, 8-9).

God described the heavenly ruler over Assyria as one of the most revered leaders in His heavenly court in the God-family named Eden. He was a son of God filled with God’s Holy Spirit who judged using the perfect application of God’s law and His righteous ways.

God joined these members of His heavenly court and gave Himself the descendants of Jacob as His people, to rule over them as their heavenly King and teach them His law and His ways. “But the LORD’s portion is His people, Jacob His allotted inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:9).

Abraham was not part of the division of people at the time of Babel; he wasn’t born for another 200 years. The ancient peoples called on the name of the heavenly god ruling over them for help and strength.

GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT FILLED THE HEAVENLY LEADERS

All of the heavenly rulers were filled with God’s Holy Spirit and the people recognized the inferior abilities of the spirit of man compared to having the spirit of holy gods. The mother-queen of Babylon advised her grandson, the king of Babylon when the writing on the wall appeared and he was terrified. “O king, live forever! Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father, he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods” (Daniel 5:11).

The queen mother had witnessed Daniel interpret king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The kings said to Daniel, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you” (Daniel 4:9).

With help from heavenly gods, all of the people, at the time of Babel, departed to their new territories assigned to them by the Almighty God. People were assigned to modern-day northern Iraq where they established a city-state called Ashur, after their heavenly god, Assur.

“While Nineveh may have been one of its notable political capitals, Ashur was always its spiritual base. They called their domain mat-Assur which means land of Assur pointing to the god Assur whose shrine and later temple was the city’s main focal point. The people of Assyria considered that the land belonged to the god Assur. The mortal on the throne was only the vice-regent on earth.” (History with Cy).

MYTHOLOGY VS REALITY

Modern day scholars discredit the belief and worship of gods by the ancient people, but this was a reality and it is critical to understanding what rests on our near horizon—a time like no other on earth—a time a great distress unequaled nor ever to occur again (Matthew 24:21).

God watched the members from His heavenly court rule and saw them begin to stumble and sway. He warned them and corrected them helping them to return to God’s righteous law and ways. It wasn’t long with each of the members from God’s heavenly court ruling over the nations began to turn against Him. So, much so, that they raged against Him.

THE gods REBEL

God said to King Assur over Assyria, “By your messengers you have heaped insults on the LORD. And you have said, ‘With my many chariots I have ascended the heights of the mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon’” (Isaiah 37:24a). The descriptor of a mountain is God’s image for a federal government. This rebel ruler in heaven bragged about his military success of battling against the honoured and revered members of God’s central government and overthrowing them.

This vile heavenly ruler boasted, “I have cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its pines. I have reached its remotest heights, the finest of its forests” (Isaiah 37:24b).

All of the trees described by this rebel are images of the different leaders in God’s headquarters; His finest leaders have all been destroyed. While this rebel boasts and rages against the Almighty God, God said, “Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone” (Isaiah 37:26).

At the time that God spoke to this raging rebel, the Assyrians had surrounded Jerusalem. King Hezekiah prayed to Almighty God, the God of Israel for help and God said to this fallen ruler, “But I know where you stay and when you come and go and how you rage against me. Because you rage against me and because of your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came” (Isaiah 37:28-29).

The God of Israel, the Supreme God, shielded Jerusalem because the good king Hezekiah prayed to Him and pleaded for protection. The king and the righteous prophets put their trust in their God, and He saved them this time around. The kings of the house of Judah progressively defied God, which led eventually to their captivity by king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The terror seen in the Valley of Vision did not turn the senses of Judah to their God, instead they hardened to hearts and shouted in celebratory joy, “Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die!” (Isaiah 22:13)

Both houses of Israel: Judah and Israel went into captivity because of their evil ways and rejection of the LORD’s instruction. God used the wicked heavenly rulers over the nations to punish His people as well as the weaker nations led by fallen, rebel heavenly rulers.

THE MADE KING SENNACHERIB

The mad king Sennacherib was an image of the rebel and raging king Assur in heaven. “Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered?” The messengers of the heavenly king through earthly his king taunted the Jews in Jerusalem. “Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations—the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar? Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’” (Isaiah 37:11-13).

The gods of those fallen nations were not powerful enough to protect their earthly nations. The Almighty God used the stronger rebel kings to take down the weaker rebel kings.

God reminded the raging rebel king Assur, “Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it; in days of old I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass, that you should crush fortified cities into piles of rubble. Therefore, their inhabitants, devoid of power, are dismayed and ashamed” (Isaiah 37:26-27).

Ancient Assyria was the rod of God’s anger against the rebellious northern houses of Israel and Judah. While Assyria brought the house of Israel to an end; it was Babylonian king that God used to take down the southern house of Judah and bring them into captivity.

THE GOD OF ISRAEL REIGNS SUPREME

King David understood the battle of God against the gods. He acknowledged the God of Israel as the supreme God above all other gods. “For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods” (Psalm 95:3).

King David was frustrated with the idols made by the people to call on the gods they worshipped. "Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images, who boast themselves of idols; worship Him, all you gods" (Psalm 97:7).

The gods ruling over the nations had taught the people to worship them as the Supreme God, the Creator. “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you great monster lying among your streams. You say, “The Nile belongs to me; I made it for myself’” (Ezekiel 29:3).

King David pleaded, “Arise, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are Your inheritance” (Psalm 82:8). He was tired of the ancient rebellion. God assured king David that their rule will end but according to His timeline. “I have said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.’ But like mortals you will die, and like rulers you will fall” (Psalm 82:6-7).

God’s grand plan was to give the Son of God of whom He gave His great power to create heaven and earth and all that is in these two realms, a kingdom. It would be this Son of God who would demonstrate God’s perfect love and to take the beatings and pay the life-sacrificing price to save mankind on earth. Through his sacrifice, he won the decisive battle. Christ gathered and imprisoned the remaining rebel sons over the nations and took them to the lower parts of the earth, where they await judgment today.

“None of the rulers of this age [the principalities and power in high places] understood it, for if they had, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE CRUCIFIED THE LORD OF GLORY” (I Corinthians 2:8).

Remember, “when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” (Matthew 27:24)

Note, Pontius Pilate was a Roman governor who declared Jesus’ innocence. It was the Jewish Sanhedrin that pushed for the crucifixion of Jesus.

The job God Almighty gave to these heavenly rulers was to teach the nations on earth God’s law and His righteous ways. They failed. Christ has won the kingship over all the nations on earth. He has already given the church within God’s people, the job that was given to the members of God’s heavenly court.

CHRIST REDEEMED GOD’S PEOPLE AND ALL OF THE NATIONS AND DISARMED THE REBEL gods over the nations—freeing them from their enemy. “He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code [that is, the Law of Sin and Death is no longer applicable], with its regulations, that war against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross [Christ’s sacrifice paid the price for mankind]. And having DISARMED THE POWERS AND AUTHORITIES, he made a PUBLIC SPECTACLE OF THEM [the rogue sons of God], TRIUMPHING OVER THEM BY THE CROSS” (Colossians 2:13-15).

The Apostle Paul understood this 21st century mystery. “This is why it says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captives [rebel heavenly rulers] away, and gave gifts to men [authority to teach the word of God].’ What does ‘He ascended’ mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the very one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fulfill all things" (Ephesians 4:8-10).

The silence of the gods for over 2,000 years is due to Jesus Christ imprisoning them. Satan took the opportunity to mythicize them so that mankind would only look to each other as the enemy and ghost their real enemies. The Apostle Paul said that mankind’s only enemies are the rulers, powers and authorities in heaven and on earth (Ephesians 6:12).

THE AUTHORITY ORIGINALLY GIVEN TO THE gods TO TEACH GOD’S WAY TO THE NATIONS WAS TAKEN AS BOOTY BY CHRIST AND GIVEN TO HIS CHURCH. “Some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of services, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we ALL reach unity in the father and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).

A time is coming; it is resting on our near horizon when fallen angels and rebel gods will be thrown out of heaven and arrive on earth to finish their war against Almighty God. “Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels. And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him… Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you, knowing he has only a short time” (Revelation 12:7-9, 12).

God’s people have been warned by Jesus, who said, “For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short” (Matthew 24:21-22).

The whole world will be astonished and follow this rebel alien force because it will be so powerful that all of the nations, collectively would not be able to overpower it. “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?” The nations will surrender.

This alien invasion from heaven will come fully loaded with ten powerful rebel kings who will rule for one hour with the beast. “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings, along with the beast” (Revelation 17:12). During this time, Mystery Babylon the Great, the great prostitute will surface on the international scene. She will be a religious body who will set up business, trading expensive goods for her wares. The merchants performing the exchanges will lavish in the profit from her business.

The ten kings will wait to receive their promised kingdom until the last days. God Almighty knew they would rebel against Him. He likely promised them rulership at the time of Babel, but they had to wait until He was ready to use them.

God’s people, both houses of Israel and Judah into the 21st century—twelve nations, will be the target of Satan, the ten kings and the beast. This horrific force will be like the oppressive blows of ancient Assyria. The king of Babylon will rise and “On the day that the LORD gives you rest from your pain and torment, and from the hard labor into which you were forced, you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended! The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers. It struck the peoples in anger with unceasing blows; it subdued the nations in rage with relentless persecution” (Isaiah 14:1-6).

The Antichrist, the little horn in the book of Daniel, will take the lead. He will overthrow three of the ten kings and establish himself as the supreme ruler over the beastly coalition on earth. This vile character will surpass all previous rebels. “He will speak against the Most High and oppress the saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time” (Daniel 7:25). He will rise and set himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God (II Thessalonians 2:4b).

This will be a time of great confusion. The saints will have the truth and remain strong when the little horn reaches the “host of the heavens”—God’s army in heaven and battles to throw some of the “starry host”—radiant angels down to earth. It will set itself up to be as great as the “Prince of the host”—Jesus Christ and take away his daily work and his sanctuary will be considered inferior and ineffective. Jesus Christ works daily in heaven to forgive sins and intercede for mankind (Daniel 8:10-11), as well as, to lead the righteous angelic sons of God in heaven. This vile rebel will be allowed by Almighty God to be successful because God is testing the angelic sons of God in heaven as well as mankind on earth. Judgement will be in progress during this time.

The Antichrist, the little horn in Daniel, will attempt to change God’s law to acquit himself, along with Satan and those within the beastly coalition. This will be a terrible time when deception on earth will be a display of the work of Satan “in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved” (II Thessalonians 2:9-10). 

The set time of God for these rebels is a time, times and half a time. They will not be able to change set times. The very moment that set time has ended, the courts in heaven will sit, and the power of the little horn will be taken away and completely destroyed forever (Daniel 7:26). It is impossible for creation to overthrow the Great Creator.

After that time of judgement, God Almighty will turn to His people and rescue them. “For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again He will choose Israel and settle them in their own land. The foreigner will join them and unite with the house of Jacob. The nations will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland. Then the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors. On the day that the LORD gives you rest from your pain and torment, and from the hard labor into which you were forced, you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended! The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the sceptre of the rulers” (Isaiah 14:1).

It will happen “on that day” after God’s people are struck down. Their ally will betray them. They will be caught off-guard; they will be vulnerable and weak; unable to save themselves, then, they will look to their invincible and loving God.

“On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on him who struck them, but they will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return—a remnant of Jacob—to the Mighty God” (Isaiah 10:20-21).

The reference to the remnant of Israel has always pointed to a small group of people within the kingdom of Israel. They are not the complete house of Israel, rather, a small group—the overcomers, who have always remembered Almighty God, the God of Israel. Joseph said to his brothers that he was sent ahead of them, though it was through his brothers’ evil actions that he ended up in Egypt, still by God’s will, to preserve a remnant on earth. He added his presence in Egypt was also to save them by a great deliverance (Genesis 45:7). Joseph was not preserving all of them, only a remnant, but all are saved by a great deliverance. I am making a distinction between two different groups of people.

God said through the writing of Micah, “I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will collect the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in the midst of its pasture—a noisy throng” (Micah 2:12).

God is very careful in His use of language. He will gather the people of Jacob and collect the remnant of Israel together, that is two groups of people. To gather people means they are scattered and brought together in one activity. To collect people means they are one-by-one coming together into a group over time as they reflect what the collector values.

The gathered and the collected people will become a very large group of people, excited to be united under the rulership of Almighty God. Christ will set them free from their captors. “One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate, and go out by it. Their King will pass through before them, the LORD as their leader” (Micah 2:13).

It is important to take some time to look deeper into God’s use of language that refers to Jacob and Israel as two separate groups. “Therefore, the LORD who redeemed Abraham says of the house of Jacob: “No longer will Jacob be ashamed and no more will his face grow pale. For when he sees his children around him, the work of My hands, they will honor My name, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and they will stand in awe of the God of Israel. Then the wayward in spirit will come to understanding, and those who grumble will accept instruction” (Isaiah 29:22-24).

These three verses are a complete sequence of God’s careful use of language.

• God’s first point: Abraham is redeemed

God began by identifying the patriarchal father of the house of Jacob, Abraham. God carefully pointed out that Abraham is redeemed—he is liberated. God is reminding His people that through Abraham, they too, are liberated because He, the Almighty God is their King—their Saviour.

“But the LORD’s portion is His people, Jacob His allotted inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:9). God gave Himself an inheritance, kingship over the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob.

“The LORD of Hosts will bless them, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance" (Isaiah 19:25).

God’s people will always remain God’s inheritance. They were called to become a holy kingdom of royal priests. God will accomplish all that He has set out to do.

• God’s second point: The house of Jacob failed

God addressed the house of Jacob.  Their wayward leaders, the national and religious leaders, failed and are filled with shame and feelings of powerlessness. Though they failed, God’s work continued uninterrupted. The descendants of Jacob are the work of God’s hands; they will become God-fearing and God-serving people.

• God’s third point: The wayward leaders within the house of Jacob will bend their knee to the God of Israel; not the God of Jacob.

God is making a very specific point by identifying Himself as the God of Israel—not the God of Jacob. God’s work is the bringing of His people into a people who fear and serve Him. The house of Jacob will bend their knee to the God of Israel because they acknowledge the miracle of transforming carnal man into God’s Holy Spirit filled and led people. Even the most stubborn people will bend their knee before the God of Israel—the God of the overcomers; the God who transforms people through trials and tribulation. The God who loves His creation and longs to give them His unique Holy Spirit that opens their eyes to recognize precious knowledge, enables their thoughts to reach unfathomable depths of understanding and empowers the application of His wisdom.

When Jesus Christ died and the veil was rent from the top down, direct access to Almighty God through the Messiah was made possible for all people. God has been working directly with people; these people are overcoming. These overcomers are Israel, like Jacob who wrestled relentlessly with the Angel of the LORD begging to be blessed—begging for protection from his brother Esau—begging for life. The Angel of the LORD changed Jacob’s name to Israel because he overcame. Jacob, at that moment, prior to re-entering the Holy Land mirrored his end-time descendants who will do the same prior to re-entering the land promised to their patriarchal father, Israel.

After God’s people repent “in that day” and they will say, “I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:1-2).

ONE FINAL GREAT BATTLE

During the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, one final battle will remain for God against rebel gods. Gog of the land of Magog and all his hordes in the far north of heaven will be called to battle against Almighty God. He and his hordes will have sat quietly for the duration of Christ’s millennial rule. God is preparing to create a new heaven and a new earth void of all rebels both in heaven and on earth. The time will come when God calls this heavenly force to arms. This violent but short battle will be anticipated by God’s people on earth because all of them will be obeying Him and know His word. God prophesied, “After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land” (Ezekiel 38:8-9).

This rebel heavenly force will lure many nations on earth to join him in the final attempt to completely wipe out God’s people and the foreigners with them. Satan will be released for the final battle. All who go against the Almighty God are the ultimate losers.

God prophesied, “This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused… In my zeal and fiery wrath, I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains… Every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgement upon him [Gog] with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulphur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so, I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 38:18-23).

Nations who join with the rebel heavenly ruler and his hordes will die. The judgement is already known. God’s judgement will not be overturned; He is absolute.

Mankind’s only true battle has been against rulers, powers and principalities in heaven and on earth. As Satan tricked Eve, he continues to trick mankind into warring against each other. Americans have said for years: Russia, Russia, Russia, but truly, no nation on earth is the enemy. Know the real enemy because they will come in full force to attempt to totally obliterate all people on earth. It will be like no other time on earth before.

“Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands.

They did not stop:

• Worshipping demons
• Worshipping idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk
• They did not repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts” (Revelation 9:20-21).

Scripture here is referring to a heavily darkened group of people remaining on earth. Their souls are on the verge of being irredeemable. God Almighty is giving them their final chance to choose life or death.

The rule of the beastly coalition and false prophet on earth will become completely wicked prior to the rise of the “little horn.” Rule on earth will become unfathomably evil. Disobedient mankind will enter into worshipping demons, making idols and setting up shrines as communication conduits to the evil, fallen angels and sons of God who will be then ruling on earth. With an unquenchable appetite, they will practice sorceries, perform magic, conjure evil spirits. They will engage in sexual activities to pervert, to the fullest extent, the sacred relationship of a man and a woman that is symbolic of the holy relationship of Jesus Christ and the faithful church. All that they will engage in is to twist, distort and pervert God’s purpose for mankind, their great and precious calling and their role that will complete the God-family.

It will take drastic means to awaken these people entrenched in darkness. Four trumpets have already been blown, God’s wrath poured out and still some people on earth relish in darkness. The fifth trumpet is blown. God will unleash the gods these wicked people worship and they will feel the excruciating sting of their reign.

FIFTH TRUMPET, FIRST WOE

“I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss” (Revelation 9:1).

The star is an angel. This angel had already fallen out of heaven and down to earth prior to receiving the key to the Abyss. This is the place of the spiritually dead located deep in inner earth. It is the most southernly point in all creation.

THE ABYSS

God’s holy law courts are located in the far north in heaven. The direction pointing north is symbolic of law-keeping. The direction pointing south is symbolic of lawlessness. The Abyss is in the utter depts of the south, inside inner earth. It is the prison for the lawless who do unfathomable wickedness. The beast that comes out of the Abyss is the final beastly coalition to rule earth for three and a half years. This beast will kill the two righteous witnesses at the end of their ministry.

“When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them” (Revelation 11:7).

“The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction” (Revelation 17:8a). The Apostle John understood that this beast was at one time at play, it was not ruling at the time he wrote, “and now is no more” but it will come again out of the Abyss. This beast is separate from the locust-like creatures that also come out from the Abyss. The Abyss is a domain full of evil creatures.

THE ABYSS—THE PIT

The Abyss is the pit in Ezekiel. God has imprisoned the overthrown fallen angels, His rebels sons have gone down to the pit. God describes these fallen spiritual beings as “uncircumcised”—wicked beings.  God warned Pharaoh, the heavenly ruler over Egypt, of his fall as he slipped into sinning following the path of the infamous, king of Assyria, a once-revered leader in God’s holy courts in heaven.

“‘Who then is like you in glory and greatness among the trees of Eden [leaders in God’s family]? You also will be brought down to the depths of the earth to be with the trees of Eden. You will lie among the uncircumcised [wicked], with those slain by the sword [the word of God]. This is Pharaoh and all his hordes,’ declares the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 31:18).

These heavenly rulers have a vast army—hordes that will be sentenced and destroyed with them.

THE SMOKE FROM THE ABYSS

“When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss” (Revelation 9:2).

Instantly, destruction is released from the Abyss. Billowing, dense smoke will come out of the Abyss blotting out the full-strength of the sun filling the air with very fine, suffocating particles. The powers of darkness cloud mankind completely with their disdain for Almighty God and Jesus Christ and they will not hide their relentless drive for the destruction of all things of the Father and the Son. All truth and all matters correct and right will be covered with lies and deception, so much so, that exposure to pure evil will saturate earth when the Abyss is opened.

God Almighty is intentionally releasing these fallen creatures to show unrepentant mankind the reality of pure evil. Their presence is darkest black and asphyxiating.

THE LOCUSTS

“And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and they were given power like that of scorpions of the earth” (Revelation 9:3).

Creatures from the Abyss rise with the smoke and then come down like a plague of locusts covering the earth. They have a ravenous appetite, consuming every sound thought of the people listening to them leaving a path of destruction. Poisoning mankind into an irredeemable state is their primary objective. God Almighty will give them power to hurt mankind as they desire. Mankind who worship these fallen gods and make idols of them need to feel their love these rebels have for them.

THE STING

“They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. The locusts were not given power to kill them, but only to torment them for five months, and their torment was like the stinging of a scorpion” (Revelation 9:4-5).

God seals 144,000 people before the strike takes place. These rebels cannot go beyond God’s commands. They have limited power and strength. The torment these rebels unleash on unrepentant mankind will cause them intense pain. These rebels disdain mankind; their desire is to destroy all creation on earth. Jesus said, “And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” (Matthew 24:22).

God assigns a period of five months, likely from the Passover in Spring to the Fall, when the seventh trumpet is blown. God is determining when and if they will choose to overcome and stop sinning. The spring, summer and late fall harvests image the three time periods God has determined to transform the overcomers into eternal beings.

MEN WILL SEEK DEATH

“During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them” (Revelation 9:6).

God desires to save all of mankind. How much pain are people willing to suffer before coming into repentance? The people want to die to end their suffering, but Almighty God will not allow it. He only will determine when they die. They will live to come to a full understanding of their sins and their choices. They will be without excuse.

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony [a legal witness] to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

THE APPEARANCE OF THE LOCUSTS

The Apostle John is very specific in the description of these locust-like creatures. Every detail provides an understanding of who they are and their outlook towards mankind.

• “The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle.”
  These beings are angry and revengeful. They are dressed for war. They are not mankind’s friends.

“On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold.”These beings were rulers in heaven and some over the nations on earth given to them at the time of Babel. All of them, turned against Almighty God. Most of them have been overthrown and imprisoned in the Abyss. Their five-month release is to show unrepentant mankind exactly who they are worshipping. The Apostle John saw their gold crowns and wasn’t sure if the likeness he saw was in fact a crown because they were no longer the prominent glorious bands of great, royal kings. Instead, he saw buckling and twisted shapes that fit their deformed heads due to their decay over time. God said to the rebel sons of God, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, but you will die like mere men” (Psalm 82:6). Mankind begins dying when they take their first breath of life.

•  “Their faces resembled human faces.”

The four living creatures surrounding God’s throne have four faces: the eagle, the lion, the ox and man. Each face is representative of a guardian of God. With faces that look human, likely, these locust-looking creatures were once sons of God in heaven. They have the face of a human. Repentant mankind become children of God.

• The Apostle Paul preaching to the Gentiles said, “In Hosea: “I will call them ‘My People’ who are not My people, and I will call her ‘My Beloved’ who is not My beloved,” and, “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God’” (Romans 9:25-26).

The Apostle Paul was quoting Hosea here and preaching to the people from the ten-tribes of Israel. Though they were pushed away from God and divorced and God declared that they were no longer His people or loved, God foresaw that they would be brought back because, like the prodigal son, He saw their repentance and He will declare them to be sons of the living God—the God who is aware and awake and will act on their repentance.

Becoming children of God is the promise to all repentant mankind. “Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!” (I John 3:1)

• “Their hair was like women’s hair.”

The hair of these creatures is long. They are declaring that they have a covering like Jesus Christ is the covering of the Church—all of repentant mankind. Women are the image of the church and it is their glory that they have longer hair than men and they take pleasure in styling, colouring and caring for it. 

“Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering” (I Corinthians 11:14).

After Adam and Eve sinned, God provided a perfect covering for them. It replaced the fig leaves they chose. God covered them with the skin of a perfect sacrifice.

The saving plan for mankind, a kingdom of priests-in-the-making, is the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The locusts from out of the Abyss with long hair are claiming to have a covering of redemption.

• “Their teeth were like lions’ teeth.”

Lions are clever hunters. They stalk their prey creeping closer and closer. At the right moment, they jump often taking their prey by surprise. They will kill their prey by biting the back of the throat or the neck to kill it before tearing and devouring it.

These rebels have teeth like a lion. Jesus Christ is the lion of Judah; the lion is symbolic of a king. These rebels were once princes in heaven who have a rich knowledge of God’s word. They will stalk mortal man and attack with a vengeance those who do not know God’s word well. Easily, they will tear them to pieces.

• “They had breastplates like breastplates of iron."

The breastplate of the high priest in God’s temple has twelve precious stones on the front symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel. It is a sacred breastplate carrying the judgement of God. Having a breastplate of iron is one specializing in hatred, war and chaos.

• “The sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.”

The power in the wings of these creatures demonstrates supernatural forces. The woman of Revelation will escape Satan’s pursuit when she is given two wings of a great eagle where she is then kept safe during Jacob’s trouble (Revelation 12:14). She is given supernatural power to escape from the grip of Satan.

It is the great and untouchable power of Almighty God that keeps Wickedness from destroying His loved ones. When ancient Israel left Egypt they too, escaped the pursuit of the Egyptian army on the wings of an eagle. “‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself” (Exodus 19:4).

These locust-like creatures are still powerful spirit beings. God will completely disarm them after He is finished with them.

• “They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails, they had power to torment people for 5 months.”

God has referred to the head as the national leaders. The tail is an image of the religious leaders who are supposed to be experts in the ways of righteousness. It is no surprise that God describes Satan as a dragon that has swept one-third of the angels into his theology with his tail.

Ancient Israel became so corrupt and depraved that God had to purge all of their leaders—the head and tail. “So the LORD will cut off Israel’s head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day. The head is the elder and honorable man, and the tail is the prophet who teaches lies” (Isaiah 9:14-15). 

The locust creatures have a lethal weapon in the tail. Unrepentant mankind will feel the excruciating pain of their sting. It will ripple throughout their religious practices that these people will embrace dearly. Five months is a period from Passover to the Feast of Trumpets, when Jesus Christ will return.

These locust-creatures will return to the Abyss after five months by the command of the King over all kings and Lord over all lords. They cannot refuse re-entry into their prison of shame.

• "They had a king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.”

The swarm of locust creatures are subservient to their saviour master, Apollyon—Abaddon, the angel of the Abyss.

By allowing these locust-like beings out of the Abyss, God is showing unrepentant mankind His enemy. They are evil to the core. These evil beings were once righteous, ruling sons of God. They have gold crowns on their heads. These crowns have become barely recognizable like their unbounding lawless rulership style. They have a king over them, indicating their place in the Abyss is a structured dominion. They disdain God’s creation on earth because they resent God’s plan for a kingdom of priests. They hate God’s theology. They are determined to take control and enforce their style of leadership and theology for all eternity over all creation.

SIXTH TRUMPET, SECOND WOE

“The sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’ And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million… One third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury” (Revelation 9:13-19).

So much can be studied from that scripture. My single focus is the 200 million mounted troops. The four fallen angels bound at the great river Euphrates, like many of the heavenly ruling kings over vast dominions in heaven, come with hordes and enormous armies.

• Pharaoh and all his hordes will go to the Pit (Ezekiel 31:18b)
• Assyria is there with her whole army… Their graves are in the depths of the pit and her army lies around her grave (Ezekiel 32:22-23)
• Elam is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword… They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit (Ezekiel 32:24)
• Meshech and Tubal are there, with all their hordes around their graves. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword… (Ezekiel 32:26)
• Edom is there, her kings and all her princes; despite their power, they are laid with those killed by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit (Ezekiel 32:29)
• All the princes of the north and all the Sidonians are there, they went down with the slain in disgrace… They lie uncircumcised with those killed by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit (Ezekiel 32:30).

These rebels are in the pit, overthrown and captured by God, awaiting sentencing and destruction. The four fallen angels bound at the great river Euphrates have an army of 200 million troops on horses that have heads like lions and from out of their mouths fire, smoke and sulfur burst like high-tech flamethrowers. Like the locust-type creatures, their tail is a weapon. The tail of these horses is like snakes with a head that can cause injuries.

After suffering the torment and injuries of these rebel beings, mankind hardened their heart and refused to repent of their sins. In crazy madness, they continued to worship these evil beings and practice the deep dark black magic continuing to harm themselves and others.

“Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands.

They did not stop:

• Worshipping demons
• Worshipping idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk
• They did not repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts” (Revelation 9:20-21).

What was practised in ancient times will be done again. These unrepentant are bent on worshipping these fallen sons of God and their offspring and making idols as communication conduits. The Psalmist recognized this grave treasonous sin of the rebel sons of God and urged them to repent. 

He said, “The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the distant shores be glad. Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His throne’s foundation. Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side. His lightning illuminates the world; the earth sees and trembles. The heavens proclaim His righteousness; all the peoples see His glory. All worshipers of images are put to shame—those who boast in idols. Worship Him, all you gods!” (Psalm 97:6-7)

The Great, Almighty God is the only one to worship. There is no one like our Majestic Creator, our Saviour who engineered a saving plan for sinners on earth swept up into the lies and deception of rebel angels, fallen sons of God who know better.

God needed to know who will be in His eternal kingdom and who will not. It is time for the final harvest of mankind.

“Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, ‘Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe’” (Revelation 14:18).

“Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because their wickedness is great” (Joel 3:13).

The story of the harvest of grapes is comprised of two choices. One will bring a great celebration and the other a crushing blow.

The people imaged as over-ripe, rotting grapes are people determined to live wickedly. They are unrepentant and sold completely and fully into sin. These will be trodden under the feet of the righteous. 

“Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the LORD Almighty” (Malachi 4:3).

Their destruction will likely occur through the application of the law, judgement and sentencing. God’s people will clean up their institutions and appoint righteous judges and law-enforcing officials at every level of government and these people will be judged, sentenced and destroyed.

And then, we will also see a crushed people who will repent and choose life eternal. God will see these late fruit-bearing people and offer them grace. Their suffering will forge an eternal relationship with Him.

Harvesting grapes to make wine, requires crushing to break the skin to release the juice. God’s supper table is comprised of both bread and wine. Christ’s body imaged as bread, God’s word and his blood imaged in the wine together represent the two core components of righteous character: living perfectly by God’s word and binding to a blood covenant of eternal trust, faith and loyalty to Almighty God.

At the end of the three harvests, born-again people on earth will together be the total culmination of righteous character. Resurrections into life eternal will have taken place, others resurrected back into mortal beings to learn to live God’s way. Earth will be again filled and populated with the ancient and the young, living together.

The rebel angels, fallen sons of God will be destroyed. There is no covering for them despite their declaration. They have truly sunk, deep into utter darkness, living doing harm and being harmed; they cannot be saved.