The Battle of Armageddon - Part 4: "But Gather the Wheat into My Barn."

by Patricia Jones, February 11, 2012

    

This study will be focusing mainly on the Greek word “Synago”, which is Strong’s G4863.  It is a Greek verb that is used to describe the “gathering together” of the Elect of God in general, but is specifically used in referrence to the gathering of the Elect just prior to the end of the world in preparation for the Battle of Armageddon. The first passage I want to look at is the parable of the wheat and the tares found in Matthew 13.  In this parable, a man sows good seeds of wheat in his field but while men slept, his enemy comes and sows seeds of tares, or weeds, among the seeds of wheat. Later when the blades of wheat begin to spring up and bring forth fruit, they see that weeds are also growing together amongst the wheat. The servants of the man come to him to inquire about the weeds and ask him if he will be pulling out the weeds. If you have any experience pulling out weeds from your lawn as I have, you will have noticed that when weeds grown among the good grass, the roots of the weeds will intertwine themselves with the roots of your good grass so that when you do pull out the weeds, the good grass will get pulled out with the weeds. What I do when that happens is that I will find myself pulling apart the weeds from the grass and then I will replant the grass back into the ground. But now here we are speaking about real people, not weeds, and God cannot just remove the tares and plant the wheat back in; it would ruin peoples lives. The Elect of the world depend on the unsaved just as much as the unsaved depend on the Elect.
        
Let's take a look at the conversation that takes place between the owner of the field in this parable of Matthew 13, and his servants.

Matthew 13:27-30 "So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this . The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first[G4412] the tares, and bind[G1210] them in bundles to burn them; but gather[G4863] the wheat into my barn."

In the last sentence of this passage we see Strong’s G4863, the Greek word, Sunago. Notice the expression, “Gather ye together[G4816] first[G4412] the tares, and bind[G1210] them in bundles[G1197]”;  there are three words here that I would like to focus on; [G4816], [G4412], and [G1210].  The Greek verb Syllego [G4816] that was translated into the word “gather” in the context of this passage is a verb that means the gathering together, or separating, for the purpose of carrying it away; sort of like pulling it away. The Greek adverb Proton[G4412] that was translated into the word “first” is describing the verb Syllego, therefore, giving it the meaning of “first pull it away, or first carry it away”.  The Greek verb Deo[G1210] has a very interesting meaning. It can mean “to bind up, fasten with chains, or throw into chains, it is a verb that means to restrict the freedom of something. That is why it can have the meaning of fastening with chains. For example, as a woman is “bound to her husband”; this verb restricts the freedom of whatever is being bound.

So now looking at this passage again, we can see it is telling us that it is the owner of the field’s wish to allow both the wheat and the tares to grow together until the time of the final harvest (which when we read further into the passage in verse 39, Jesus explains that this final harvest takes place at the end of the world). Then it will be at that time, the time for the final harvest near the end of the world, that the tares are to first be separated away and bound up, or restricted, and then the wheat will be gathered into his barn.

“Gather ye together[G4816] first[G4412] the tares, and bind[G1210] them in bundles[G1197]; but gather[G4863] the wheat into my barn.”

The Greek verb Synago[G4863], that is used in the expression, “but gather[G4863] the wheat into my barn”, has a different meaning from Greek verb Syllego [G4816], which means the gathering together of the weeds that were to be carried away and bound up. The main difference is that the meaning of Synago[G4863], is not a gathering together to be carried away. In fact, we will even see that the word Synago is directly related to the sharing of the Gospel in order to bring Salvation to the Elect. Following, are passages where the verb Synago[G4863] is found.

Matthew 24:31 "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather[G4863] together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Mathew 3:12 Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather[G4863]  his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Matthew 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth[G4863]  not with me scattereth abroad."

Matthew 13:47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered[G4863] of every kind."

Matthew 22:10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together[G4863] all as many as they found , both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests .

Mathew 24:28 “For wheresoever the carcase is, there will[G4863] the eagles be gathered together[G4863].

Luke 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will[G4863] the eagles be gathered together[G4863].”

Matthew 25:24 “Then he which had received the one talent came and said , Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering[G4863]  where thou hast not strawed.”

Matthew 25:32 “And before him shall be gathered[G4863] all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.”

Matthew 25:35 “For I was hungry , and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink : I was a stranger, and ye took4863 me in[G4863].”

Matthew 25:43 “I was a stranger, and ye took[G4863] me not in[G4863]; naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.”

Rev 16:14 “For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather[G4863]  them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

Rev 16:16 “And he gathered[G4863] them together[G4863]  into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”

Rev 19:17 “And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together[G4863]  unto the supper of the great God.”

Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together[G4863]   to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather[G4863]   them together[G4863]  to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

In conclusion, I want to first refer again to Rev 16:14.

Rev 16:14 “For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather[G4863] them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

In Rev 16:14, the verb Synago[G4863] is used to covey the gathering together of the Elect just prior to the Rapture of the Last Day at the end of the world. In the parable of Matthew 13, we also see the verb Synago[G4863] to convey the gathering together of the Elect that occurs just prior to the final harvest at the end of the world. The most curious message of Rev 16:14, is that when the sixth vial is poured out, (which I believe will occur when God unlocks the bottomless pit to release Satan and the locusts), the spirits of devils working miracles are actually used of God to help to gather[G4863] together the Elect of God, the wheat into the barn, in preparation for the Battle of Armageddon which will begin at the resurrection of the Last Day.

The Battle of Armageddon - Part 3: The Lake of Fire

by Patricia Jones, February 9, 2012

     

The lake of fire and the Battle of Armageddon occur on the same day. This day is referred to in Scriptures as “that great day of God Almighty”, and “the day of Jehovah”, and “the great day of his wrath”, just to name a few examples.

Rev 16:14 “For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

Joel 2:31 “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of Jehovah come.”

Rev 6:15-17 “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

As I have already covered in Part 4 of this study, the battle of Armageddon will take place on the day of the Rapture, which is “the great day of God Almighty”. This is also the same day in which the devil, the beast, and the false prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire.

Rev 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

So how do we harmonize the word of God which is telling us that these 3 aspects of the kingdom of Satan will be tormented day and night forever and ever in the lake of fire with what we have come to understand is taught by the word of God that the unsaved will be annihilated? First let’s take a look at 3 interesting verses that we find in Mark chapter 9.

Mark 9:43-44 “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

Mark 9:45-46 “And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

Mark 9:47-48 “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out; it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

So I took a look at the word that was translated into the word “worm” and it is the Greek word “Skolex”[G4663]. A “Skolex” is a maggot. This type of worm feeds on dead bodies, or carcasses. That reminded me of what Christ states in Matthew chapter 24.

Matthew 24:27-28 “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be; for wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.”

Here Christ is directly linking the Rapture, carcasses, and eagles together. How are we to make sense of this? A “Skolex” is a maggot that feeds on carcasses. In Mark chapter 9, we see a worm that never dies is being associated with the unsaved that are cast into hell fire. Then I took a look at the words “dieth not” and the words “not quenched” that we find in Mark 9. The words “dieth not” were translated from Greek words that basically mean, “will not come to an end, or have an end, or close”. The words “not quenched” were translated from Greek words that basically mean, “will not be extinguished, or go out, or be suppressed, or stifled”. And so what does this all mean? “A maggot that will not have no end, and a fire that will never be suppressed, or extinguished.” The fire portion of these verses is easy to understand because we know that God is a consuming fire and we know that it is God’s consuming fire that will destroy Satan and his kingdom forever. But what is this maggot? And what are the eagles of Matthew 24 that are associated with a carcass? When we understand that the Battle of Armageddon is to occur after the Rapture, we can better understand this concept. When the resurrection of the dead occurs, everyone will be translated into a celestial body, as we read in 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 15:48-52 “As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.”

John 5:26-29 “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

If we are going to be translated into our celestial bodies at the Rapture, which is when the Battle of Armageddon is to begin, then this means we will always remember the destruction of the unsaved in the lake of fire; our memories of their destruction will exist forever and ever. That will be the maggot that will never come to an end.  In Isaiah 66 we find the passage that the Lord Jesus was quoting from regarding this worm.

Isaiah 66:22-24 "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith Jehovah, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith Jehovah. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me; for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh."

The Battle of Armageddon - Part 2: Revelation 16

by Patricia Jones, February 7, 2012

    

In Revelation chapter 16, 7 angels are given 7 vials of the wrath of God which they are to pour out upon the earth. It cannot be determined from this chapter whether these vials are being poured out at separate times or at the same time, however, some things can be determined. In verse 2 we read that “the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth,”  and later on we read that when the last angel poured out his vial into the air, a great voice was heard coming from a throne in a temple in heaven, saying; “It is done”. Thus we can be sure that the seventh angel could not be pouring out his vial at the same time as the first six angels, but that the pouring out of the seventh vial is the last event that occurs. The focus of this study will be on the events that occur when the sixth vial is poured out, and in order to give us the context of this chapter, I have separated verses 2-11 by vials.

Rev 16:1 "And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth."

Vial #1- Rev 16:2 "And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image."

Vial #2- Rev. 16:3 "And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea."

Vial #3 - Rev 16:4 "And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood."

Vial #4 - Rev 16:8-9 "And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory."

Vial #5 - Rev. 16: 10-11 "And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds."

Vial #6 - Rev 16:12-14 "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

The river Euphrates was one of the 4 rivers that was created in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:10-14) and is, even to this day, the largest and longest river of western Asia. Its Hebrew name is Perath[H6578], which means "fruitfulness". In the Old Testament, the river Euphrates was an integral part of God’s covenant with Abraham.

(Genesis 15:7) "And he said unto him, I am Jehovah that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.” (Genesis 15:18) "In the same day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates."

And in Deuteronomy chapter 11, Moses declares to the Jews;

Deut 11:21-24 "That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which Jehovah swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth. For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love Jehovah your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; Then will Jehovah drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves. Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be."

And in Joshua 1, we see that the Promied Land included all the land towards the west (all the land toward the going down of the sun).

Joshua 1:1-4 “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast."

When the sixth angel of Rev. 16:14 pours out his vial on the great river Euphrates, its waters are dried up in order to prepare the way of the kings of the east. When I searched the Scriptures for who these kings might be, I found an account in Joshua 12:1-7, of two kings of the ease; king Sihoh, who was king of the Amorites, and king Og, who was king of Bashan. In Genesis 15, we find an interesting passage on the day that Jehovah made His covenant with Abraham that pertains to the Amorites.

Genesis 15:14-16 "And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come here again; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full."

I am not certain if this passage of Genesis 15 pertains to end times, but this passage is saying that when the iniquity of the Amorites DOES come to "fullness", that the Amorites will come back to this land, which is from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates. If anyone knows for sure about this, please let me know.

Not only was the river Euphrates an integral part of God's covenant with Abraham, but we also know that water in the Bible represents the gospel of Salvation. 

John 4:14 "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

Could it be that the drying up of the waters of the great river Euphrates represents the cutting off of the Gospel of Salvation from the world? And do the kings of the east represent the kingdom of Satan?

Moving on to verses 13 and 14, we read:

“12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up , that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

Verse 14 is telling us in plain language that these unclean spirits are spirits of devils, which must “go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty”.  The proliferation of false prophets working miracles was the most significant sign of the end of the world which Christ taught his disciples in Matthew chapter 24.

(Matt 24:3) And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matt 24:24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

We can now make the connection with what Christ taught his disciples concerning the proliferation of false prophets just prior to the end of the world, and the spirits of devils working miracles of Rev 16:14. But verse Rev 16:14 has more to tell us. It explains to us the purpose and reason for the spirits of devils working miracles.  “For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” It is to gather the kings of the earth and of the whole world together for the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Now notice what the very next sentence that follows states: “Behold, I come as a thief.”

Rev 16: “14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”

Now notice what is stated in verse 16:

“16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”

Verse 16 states that God gathered them together in a “place” called Armageddon.  The word “place” was translated from the Greek word “Topos”[G5117].  There is no question that Armageddon is a “place” where a great battle will occur between all the kings of the earth, and of the whole world.
And to make it absolutely clear as to the sequence of events here, God has written these verses in the following way;
1) (in verse 14) The spirits of devlis go forth to gather the kings of the earth to the battle of that great day of God.
2) (in verse 15) Behold I come as a thief.
3) (in verse 16) And he gathered them into a place called Armageddon.
Now we have solid and undeniable truth that the Battle IN Armageddon is to occur after the Rapture.

The Battle of Armageddon - Part 1: The Valley of Jehoshaphat

by Patricia Jones, February 4, 2012

         

In Joel chapter 3, we read about a proclamation that goes out to the Gentiles, commanding them to prepare for war.

Joel 3: "9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. 10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong. 11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about; thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Jehovah. 12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. 13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision."

In Joel 3:10, the Gentiles are being commanded; "beat your plowshares into swords and your pruninghooks into spears, let the weak say, I am strong." A ploughshare is basically like a very large garden hoe; it is used to till, aerate, and prepare the earth for planting and fruitfulness. Pruning hooks are used to reach high branches and they look like a sickle with a long handle. They have a long pole, or handle, with a curved saw blade and usually a clipping mechanism on one end. They are used especially for pruning small trees. Pruning hooks are used to improve or maintain the health of the plant, and to increase the yield or quality of flowers and fruits. In Joel 3:10, the Gentiles are being commanded to beat their instruments used for cultivating land, (which they were using in order to produce a harvest), into weapons of war. They can no longer devote their time to sowing seed in order to yield a harvest; the day of a great battle is drawing near and they must prepare themselves for war. This could be linked to John 9:4 that says, "The night cometh when no man can work."  In ancient times, metal was heated by fire in order to be molded, or hand-beaten, into weapons of war, such as swords and spears. Joel 3:10 also says, "let the weak say, I am strong." In Matthew 5, Jesus taught us that the meek shall inherit the earth. Matt 5:5 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." But we also know, that Scriptures describes the true believers as being "strong", or "mighty".  In Joel 3:10, the Hebrew word that was translated into the word "strong", is Strong's H1368, which is found in Deuteronomy 10.
 
Deut 10:17 "For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty[1368], and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward."
  
In Joel 3:9, the call is going out to "wake up the mighty men", and in Joel 3:12, we read, "Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about."  The Hebrew word that was translated as "wake up" in the phrase "wake up the mighty men", and "wakened" in the phrase, "let the heathen be wakened", is Strong's H5782. Why are they being "wakened"? To be awakened would imply that they were asleep. This could be linked to the parable of the ten virgins who fall asleep in Matthew 25. They were first seen going forth with their lamps and then they all fall asleep. In Joel 3, the Gentiles are commanded to wake up and no longer sow seed with their tools for cultivation.
  
Joel 3:12 "Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about."

The Hebrew word used for the name “Jehoshaphat” is Strong’s 3092, which means "Jehovah has judged". It is derived from 2 Hebrew words; Strong’s 3068, the noun Yehovah, and Strong’s 8199, the verb Shaphat, which means, to judge, govern, vindicate, or punish. According to my source, the name “Jehoshaphat” means, “Jehovah has judged”. And I thought it was interesting that it was in the past tense, “has judged”.  We find the following 2 verses in Joel 3.
  
Joel 3:2 “I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.”

Joel 3:12 “Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.”
 
As we read further into Joel chapter 3, we find another reference to a valley called, "the valley of decision".
 
Joel 3:13-14 “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision.”
The word “decision” used here was translated from the Hebrew adjective, charuwts[H2742].  Its usage in the Old Testament is recorded as having been translated into the following words; gold (6 times), diligent 5, decision 2, threshing instrument 2, sharp 1, sharp things 1, wall. Because the word charuwts[H2742] is an adjective, it is a word that is decribing this valley, (which it is safe to assume it is speaking of the same valley as the Valley of Jehoshaphat). Therefore this Hebrew word could be describing this valley as; a golden valley, a decisive valley, a (threshing instrument) valley, a sharp valley, etc.  In Isaiah 41:15, we find H2742 used as follows.
 
Isaiah 41:15 “Behold, I will make thee a new sharp[H2742] threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat [them] small, and shalt make the hills as chaff."
 
Now that we can understand the adjective charuwts[H2742] that is used in the phrase, "valley of decision", we can see that this adjective is describing this valley as being "like a sickle”, or something "like a sharp threshing instrument”. In Joel 3:13, the Hebrew word that was translated into the word, “sickle”, is Strong’s H4038, which is the Hebrew noun “Maggal[H4038]”.  
  
Joel 3:13 “Put ye in the sickle [H4038], for the harvest is ripe."
 
In the book of Revelation, there are 6 passages regarding the thrusting of a sharp sickle in order to reap. We see that there is a gathering of the clusters of the vine of the earth, and reaping a vine harvest of the earth, gathering the vine, and casting it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. Notice that the clusters of the vine are not cast into the great winepress. In Revelation chapter 14:14, we see one like unto the Son of Man, who is sitting on a cloud, ant to sit means to rule, and in his hand is a sharp sickle.
 
Rev 14:14 “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.”

Then in verse 15, we see that the time to reap has come.
 
Rev 14:15 “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap; for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”

In verse 16, we see that the one that sat on the cloud, thrusts in his sickle to reap the earth.
Rev 14:16 “And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.”

In verse 17, we see another angel that comes out of the temple in heaven with a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:17 “And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.”

In verse 18, we see another angel crying out to the other angel that had the sharp sickle, instructing him to thrust in the sharp sickle in order to gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, because the grapes are ripe.
  
Rev 14:18 “And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.”

Then in verse 19, it shows the angle with the sickle gathering the vine and casting it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
 
Rev 14:19 “And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.”
 
A winepress is a receptacle, or vat, in which grape clusters are thrown in and put under great pressure, or trodden, forcing them to burst open and release their grape juice, which we call new wine. In order for this grape juice to be turned into new wine, the grapes must be allowed to fully ripen and ferment for a couple of weeks. So in actuality, these grapes have already begun to rot by a process called fermentation. In the book of Matthew, we find the following verses regarding grapes.
 
Matthew 26:29 "But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." 
  
Mark 14:25 "Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
  
Luke 22:18 "For I say unto you , I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come."
  
John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman."
  
John 15:4 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."
   
John 15:5 "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."
 
The following 3 passages are regarding a winepress.
 
Isaiah 63:3 "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment."
 
Rev 19:15 "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."
  
Rev 14:20 "And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs."

The Loosing of Satan – Part 5: And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints.

by Patricia Jones, March 5, 2012
   

In Part 3 of this study I posed 2 questions: "Why does God allow the beast to overcome the saints?" and "How does the beast overcome the saints and kill them?” I still want to get to those answers, but as I was looking at Daniel chapter 7, I found many more links concerning the beast that rises out of the sea; and so I felt it would be better to first continue to focus this part of the study on Daniel chapter 7, which I hope will also give me a better understanding of the "why" and the "how" of it.
 
Daniel 7: “2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings; I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. 5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it; and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.”

I don’t admit to understand everything in the passage above, but I will be mainly focusing on the tie-ins between Daniel 7 and the beast of Rev 13.

#1- Daniel 7 describes 4 great beasts that come up from the sea; this can be linked to the beast of Rev 13 which also comes up from the sea.

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
 
#2- The 4 beasts of Daniel 7 that are describes as, a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a beast with iron teeth, are similar to the beast of Rev 13.

Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
 
#3- The fourth beast of Daniel 7 is described as being “exceedingly strong” and having “ten horns”. The beast of Rev 13 is also described as having ten horns and having great authority. The Hebrew words that were translated as “exceedingly strong” can also be translated as “extremely mighty”.

7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.”
  
#4- The fourth beast of Daniel 7 has “great iron teeth”. The word “iron” is Strong’s H6523, which signifies strength, and is used several times in the book of Daniel.

Daniel 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron[H6523]: forasmuch as iron[H6523] breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things]; and as iron[H6523] that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
  
In the following passage of Daniel 7, there are several more similarities with the beast of Rev 13.
  
Daniel 7: “19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. 21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise; and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”

The tie-ins found in the passage above and the beast of Rev 13 go as follows:

#1- The fourth beast of Daniel 7 is “exceeding dreadful.”  The English words “exceeding dreadful” would make us believe that they are both adjectives, but the original Hebrew words that were used are actually an adjective “Yattiyr”[H3493] and a verb “Dechal”[H1763].  Strong’s H3493 is sometimes translated as “excellent”, and sometimes as “exceeding”, and the verb H1763 means “to fear; to make afraid; to cause to be afraid”. To understand these two words better, I will quote Daniel’s use of them.

Daniel 2:31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent[H3493], stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible[H1763].
  
Daniel 3:22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent , and the furnace exceeding[H3493] hot , the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 
  
Daniel 5:19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared[H1763] before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down .  
       
#2. The fourth beast of Daniel 7 has “teeth of iron” and “ten horn”. Both the “iron teeth” and the “ten horns” signify great and perfect power, or strength. This ties-in with the beast of Rev 13 which also has ten horns, great authority, and power. You cannot really separate great authority from great power. If an entity has great authority, it cannot be weak, thus great authority and great power will go hand-in hand.

Rev 13:1-2 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

#3- The fourth beast of Daniel 7 and the beast of Rev 13 both have "mouths" that speak “great things” and "blasphemy".
  
Daniel 7:20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things.
 
Rev 13: 5-6 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

#4- One of the beasts of Daniel 7 and the beast of Rev 13 are given “dominion”. To be given dominion over something is to be given the sovereign authority to rule over it. The beast of Rev 13 has ten crowns, signifying perfect dominion, or authority, and the dragon’s seat (or throne), and is given great authority.

Daniel 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
   
Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns.

Rev 13:2 And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
  
#5- The beasts of Daniel 7 and the beast of Rev 13 make war against the saints, and prevail over them.

Daniel 7:20-21 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them.

Rev 13: 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them; and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

#6- The beast of Daniel 7 and the beast of Rev 13 are allowed great authority to speak blasphemy against the God and His kingdom for a specified amount of time.

Daniel 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
  
Rev 13: 5-6 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

The Loosing of Satan - Part 4: A king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

by Patricia Jones, March 4, 2012
   

In Part 3 of this study, I had left off looking at Rev 13:7.

Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them; and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

I had also linked Rev 13:7 with Rev 11:7 because both passages are describing the victory which the beast attains over the true believers.
  
Rev 11:7-9 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

There are 3 tie-ins found in the two passages above: #1) there is a beast that wages war against the saints, #2) the beast is victorious over the saints (he overcomes them), and #3) there is a reference to “kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” In Rev 11:9, the group labeled as "they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations” are all the unsaved of the world; this is indicative by the fact that there are four groups listed: peoples, kindreds, tongues, and nations, and because they see the dead bodies of the two witnesses and do not bury them. Listed below are the meanings of the Greek words that were translated into the words people, kindreds, tongues, and nations.

Peoples: translated from the Greek noun “Laos”[G2992] meaning tribe or nation; those who are of the same stock and language.

Kindreds: translated from the Greek noun “Phule”[G5443] meaning descendant.

Tongues: translated from the Greek noun “Glossa”[G1100] meaning language or dialect.

Nations: translated from the Greek noun “Ethnos”[G1484”] meaning “the human family”; multitude; Gentiles; heathen; and is where we get our English word “Ethnic”.

From the 2 passages above, there are 2 questions that can be asked; #1- “Because nothing can occur outside of God's will, why does God allow the beast to overcome the saints?" or in other words, "If God allows the beast to be victorious over the saints and kill them, what is God's purpose for this?" And #2- "How are the 2 witnesses killed?" in other words, "How does the beast overcome the saints and kill them?”

In the Old Testament, there are many passages concerning the destruction of Israel by the king of Babylon. Since the king of Babylon is a representation of Satan and Israel a representation of God’s people, that scenario could be a possible tie-in for this topic of discussion, but in Daniel 8:23-27, I found several links to the 2 passages of Rev 13 and Rev 11.
  
Daniel 8:23-27 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and execute, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many.
 
Following are 6 major tie-ins between these passages:

#1- Daniel 8:23 speaks of a "king of fierce countenance" that will come into power in the "latter time" when the trangressors are come to the full. This ties-in with the prophesies of Rev 13 and Rev 11 which we know are also to take place in "end times."

#2- Daniel 8:23 speaks of a "king of fierce countenance" and the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit of Rev 11 is also a king, which is supported by Rev 9:11.

Rev 9:11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
     
#3- Daniel 8:23 speaks about a "king of fierce countenance". The two Hebrew words that were translated as the words "fierce countenance" can also be translated as "strong face". In Rev 13, the beast has 7 heads with 10 horns. Because the word "horn" signifies power or strength, a beast with 7 heads and 10 horns can tie in with the 2 words, "fierce countenance." The beast of Rev 13 is also described as being like a leopard, with feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion, with great authority. Again, a description of an entity that is like one of "a fierce countenance".

Rev 13:1-2 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
  
#4- In Daniel 8, the king of fierce countenance stands up and in Rev 13, the beast is seen rising from the sea. Both actions of "standing up" and "rising up" signify an entity that is coming into a position of significance.

#5- In Daniel 8 we see the phrase, "And his power shall be mighty." and in Rev 13, the beast has 10 horns, which signifies the beast's power is complete and not lacking.

#6- In Daniel 8, the power of the king of fierce countenance is stated as being "not by his own power." This ties-in with Rev 13:4.
  
Daniel 8:24 "And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power."
 
Rev 13:4 "And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast."

#7- In Daniel 8 this king of fierce countenance "Shall destroy the mighty and the holy people." In Rev 13 and Rev 11, the beast is victorious over the saints and kills (or destroys) them.

The Loosing of Satan - Part 3: And it was given him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them.

by Patricia Jones, March 1, 2012 
     

This study is going to focus on Revelation chapter 13, and it will be easiest for me to try to explain each verse, one at a time.

Rev 13:1 “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.”

First I will break down the components of this verse and explain what each component signifies. The sea represents the world. The beast signifies a part of the kingdom of Satan. The rising up out of the sea signifies an entity that is rising in significance. Because the beast is rising up out of the sea signifies that he is rising in significance, or becoming more significant, in the world. The number 7 signifies perfection. A head signifies authority. The number 10 signifies completeness. A horn signifies power. A crown signifies rulership. Now to put all these components together; the beast (which is a part of the kingdom of Satan) is rising in significance in the world. It has 7 heads, which signifies that it is perfect in its authority. Because it has 10 horns, it signifies that this beast is completely powerful, or that his power is complete. Because his 10 horns have 10 crowns signifies that this beast is given complete rulership with complete power. So to rephrase it, this beast, or this part of the kingdom of Satan, is seen rising in significance in the world, and is given perfect authority to completely rule with complete power. Perfect authority = 7 heads; complete power = 10 horns; complete rulership = 10 crowns. Now upon his heads is the name of blasphemy. The word "blasphemy" was translated from the Greek noun "Blasphemia"   [G988]  and means "blasphemy" or "railing" or "evil speaking". So whatever this beast is, we know that it is a part of the kingdom of Satan, and that it is given perfect authority, complete power, and complete rulership, to speak evil things.

Rev 13:2 “And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.”

In the Bible, leopards, bears, and lions, are wild beasts that kill and devour prey. The dragon, who represents Satan, is giving the beast his power. Because a "seat" here represents a throne, Rev 13:2 is telling us this beast will be "ruling" from Satan's throne. Because this beast has the characteristic of a leopard, a bear, and a lion, it is an entity that is going to go out to "kill and devour its prey". And so now we see a beast that is given perfect authority, complete power, and complete rulership, to speak evil things, is ruling from Satan's throne, and is going forth to kill and devour its prey, with great authority. Again, the word "authority" is doubling up from the previous verse that contained the phrase "seven heads", except that in the previous verse the 7 heads signified "perfect authority", and now in this verse we see the phrase "great authority", and so now we have a beast with perfect and great authority. Following are verses that contain the words “lion”, “leopard”, and “bear”.

Jeremiah 5:6 "Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities; every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased."

Ezekiel 22:25 "There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof."

Proverbs 28:15 “As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.”

Hosea 13:8 “I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion; the wild beast shall tear them.”

Rev 13: 3 “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed; and all the world wondered after the beast.”

The head that is “wounded to death” represents the deadly blow which Satan received when Christ died at the cross. It was at the cross when God bound Satan with a great chain and cast him into the bottomless pit. The binding of Satan at the cross impaired his power and limited his ability to rule as he once was able to do before the cross. But Satan’s wound becomes "healed" when God releases him from the bottomless pit near the end of time. Next we read that “all the world wondered after the beast.” The word “wondered” was translated from the Greek verb “Thaumazo”[G2296].  It is usually translated in the New Testament as the word “marvel”, and it means “to marvel”, or “to admire”, as we read in the following verses.

Matt 8:10 “When Jesus heard it, he marvelled[G2296], and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

Matt 8:27 “But the men marvelled[G2296], saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”

Matt 9:8 “But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled[G2296], and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.”

Rev 13:3 tells us that “all the world wondered[G2296] after the beast.”  The peoples of the world become in a way hypnotized by the beast and in a way you could say that they have been brainwashed. The beast creates a powerful hold on them and they are not able to think "outside the box"; the beast has now become their "lord and master".
  
Rev 13:4 “And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

The peoples of the world will worship the dragon, (which is Satan), because it is the dragon who endows the beast with its power and so they are in essence glorifying Satan. And they say,"Who is able to make war with him?”  because they cannot imagine anything more wonderful than this beast they glorify; they do not see beyond this beast; this beast means everything to them, and they are blinded by the strong delusion they receive from it; they have become ensnared by its false gospels.
    
Rev 13:5 “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”

In Rev 13:5 we are told that the beast is “given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies”.  The phrase “great things and blasphemies” can also be translated as, “great and evil things,” and in the second half of Rev 13:5 it states, “and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”  The number 42 can be broken down into 6 x 7.  The number 6 signifies the completion of a work. For example, God created His entire Creation in six days and then rested on the seventh; a slave was to work for six years, and then be freed on the seventh, etc. Therefore the 42 months could signify a work that needs to be accomplished during a perfect amount of time. The number 42 can also be broken down into 2 x 3 x 7. The number 2 represents the sending forth of the Gospel and the number 3 represents whatever is in view. Because Satan’s greatest agenda is to destroy the kingdom of God, the 42 months could also signify the purpose of the beast to carry out its blasphemy against the kingdom of God for a perfect amount of time. This is also supported in verse 6.
 
Rev 13:6 “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.”

We can also see a “doubling” of the message of 13:5, except that here it is giving us more detail into the blasphemy that is occurring. It tells us the beast, which is controlled and empowered by Satan, is opening his mouth in order to: (1) speak blasphemy against God, (2) and His name, (3) and His tabernacle, (4) and them that dwell in heaven. The fact that 4 entities are listed here is also indicative that this blasphemy is directed against the entire heavenly kingdom of God.

Rev 13:7 “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome[G3528] them; and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”

In Rev 13:7 we see that the beast is allowed to make war with the saints and to have victory over them. The Greek word that was translated as the word “overcome” is the Greek verb “Nikao”[G3528].  It is a word that means “to conquer” or “have victory over”. This "victory" which the beast attains over the saints is also described in Rev 11:7.

Rev 11:7-8 “And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome[G3528] them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.”

The Loosing of Satan - Part 2: "The devil that deceived them."

by Patricia Jones , February 16, 2012 

I ended Part 1 of this study with the following comment and question; "Rev 20:7-8 gives us 2 reasons why Satan is loosed from his prison; #1. "To deceive the nations of the earth." and #2. "To gather them together to battle". But what does deceiving the nations of the earth have to do with gathering people to battle?"

I first needed to know why God mentions Gog and Magog in Rev 20:7-8 "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea."

When I researched the nations of Gog and Magog, I found out that Ezekiel chapter 38 has everything to do with what I have been writing about and researching for the past couple of weeks. But I cannot cover the whole chapter here, so I will only refer to what is relevant to this study. Magog was the name of a grandson of Noah and it was also the name of the region in which all the descendants of Magog lived; this chapter tells us that Jehovah was going to bring judgment against Magog.

Ezekiel 39:6 "And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles; and they shall know that I am Jehovah."

The same thing goes for Gog. Gog was a prince that ruled over the land of Gog and God also states in Ezekiel that He was against them. I highly recommend reading the entire 38th chapter of Ezekiel. It mentions the latter days, it describes a mighty army that will come against the land of Israel, it mentions that all the men that are on the face of the earth shall shake at the presence of God, it mention fire, and brimstone, and hail, and much more. But for this study, I will only quote the following passage.

Ezekiel 38:2-4 "Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords."

Now that I have covered who Gog and Magog were, I want to focus on why Rev 20:8 says that Satan "shall go out to deveive the nations which are in the four quarter of the earth, Gog and Magog."

The word that was translated into the word "deceive" in Rev 20:8 is the Greek verb "Planao" (Strong's H4105). The verb "Planao" is derived from the Greek noun, "Plane"(Strong's 4106), which means "delusion". The Greek verb "Planao" means to deceive, and it is the type of deceiving that means to lead a person or animal astray. It is what Satan did to Eve in the Garden of Eden when he "lead her astray". Even though Eve clearly understood God's commandment to not eat of that tree, Satan was able to lead her astray and convince her to eat from it. Following are verses found in the book of Revelation that use the Greek verb, "Planao".

Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth[G4105] the whole world."

Rev 13:14 And deceiveth[G4105] them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast."

Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived[G4105] them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."

Rev 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive[G4105] the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season."

Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived[G4105] them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

Now I would like to quote some other verses where the verb "Planao" is used that describe the type of  "deceiving" that will be performed by the false prophets.

Matthew 24:4 "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive[G4105] you."

Matthew 24:5 "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive[G4105] many."

Matthew 24:11 "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive[G4105] many."

Matthew 24:24 "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive[G4105] the very elect."

2 Titus 3:13 "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving[G4105 ], and being deceived[G4105]."

2 Peter 2:15 "Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray[G4105], following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness."

Now to get back to my question about Rev 20:7-8, why is it necessary for God to loose Satan in order for him to go out to "deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog"?

It made me think of this passage of 2 Thessalonians 2. The King James version of this passage that was written 400 years ago is extremely difficult to understand written in Old English, so I have translated some of the word into Newer English to make it easier to understand. 

2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 "3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what [is holding him back] that he might be revealed in his time.  For the mystery of [lawlessness is already at] work; only he who now [holds him back will continue to do so], until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming; Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

The passage quoted above explains Rev 20:7-8 pretty well.  That God will send a strong delusion to all those who "receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." And Rev 20:7-8 tells us that God does this in order to prepare the world for battle. And when we read further into verses 9 and 10, then we know that this is the Battle of Armageddon.

Rev 20:9-10 "And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

The Loosing of Satan - Part 1: When the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed.

by Patricia Jones , February 13, 2012 
    

Revelation chapter 20 covers the entire New Testament Era that began on the day Christ was crucified and the veil of the temple was rent in 33 A.D., and will end on the Last Day of the world. Through the teachings of Harold Camping, (who I began listening to in 1987), I came to understand that God imprisoned Satan in the bottomless pit on the day of Christ's crucifixion. I also came to understand that the purpose for his imprisonment was to allow the New Testament Church to grow and flourish with less interference from the powers of Satan.  Revelation chapter 20 begins with the binding of Satan.

Rev 20 1-3:  “1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled; and after that he must be loosed a little season.”

The angel with the key to the bottomless pit is the Lord Jesus; He holds the keys of hell and death, (Rev 1:18).  He came down from heaven with a great chain in his hand and laid hold of Satan, and cast him into the bottomless pit where he is to be bound for a thousand years. I wondered why God used the adjective “great” to describe the chain that was used to bind Satan, and I found an interesting account in Mark chapter 5.

Mark 5:1-9 “And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains; because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces; neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion; for we are many.”

What impresses me about this account is that it gives us a glimpse of how powerful demons can be; that “no man could bind him, no, not with chains". But God has the power to bind Satan in chains in the bottomless pit because Satan is completely subservient to the will God. Anything that Satan has ever been able to do in the history of the world was possible only because God allowed it. We know that Satan is the bitter enemy of God and of God's kingdom. In the book of Genesis we read about the enmity that would exist between Satan and the seed of the woman.

Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

The seed of the woman that would bruise the head of Satan is the Lord Jesus. The head is the most important part of the body, whereas the heel is the least important. It would be in 33 A.D. that Satan's head would be bruised and the pinicle moment when Satan would be cast and chained into the bottomless pit for a thousand years, which signifies the purpose for a complete number of years.

Moving onto verses 4 through 6, we read:

Rev 20: “4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

In verse 4, John sees thrones and they that sat upon them, and souls that were beheaded. A distinction is being made here between those that are sitting on the thrones, and the souls of those that were beheaded. Those who are sitting on thrones are ruling over something. The souls of them that were beheaded are souls of true believers that have already died and are living in their soul existence. Both those who are sitting on thrones and those who are living in their soul existence, are living and reining with Christ for the thousand years that Satan in chained in the bottomless pit. But who are “the rest of the dead” that are mentioned in verse 5? We know that that they are being classified as “dead” and it says that they “lived not again” until the 1,000 years has come to its conclusion. We know that God separates people into only two categories; the saved and the unsaved; the sheep and the goats; the wheat and tares, etc. Therefore now we can conclude that there are two categories of people that are being described in this passage; Those that will live and reign with Christ for 1,000 years, which are the Elect of God, and "the rest of the dead”. It is very important to notice that this passage tells us that "the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." In other words, God is telling us here that when the thousand years are finished, "the rest of the dead" will live again. The passage then goes on to tell us; "this is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power."

Moving on to verses 7 and 8 we read;

Rev 20:7-8 "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea."

This passage gives us 2 reasons why Satan is loosed from his prison; #1. "To decieve the nations of the earth." and #2. "To gather them together to battle". But what does deceiving the nations of the earth have to do with gathering people to battle? I will try to answer this question in Part 2 of this study. May God richly bless you and I pray that the Lord will continue to open our spiritual eyes.

It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  Matthew 4:4     

After May 21, 2011, I noticed a division began to occur between those that believed that the door to salvation had shut and those that did not. Then after Oct 21, 2011 came and went, a division began to occur between those that believed that the church age had ended in 1988, and those that were moving away from that teaching. These two teachings did not feel right to me because in the 25 years that I had spent studying Scriptures, I could not recall any verses that could solidly either prove, or disprove these teachings, and I needed proof. I then decided that I should just go back to basic Biblical truths while at the same time searching for irrefutable proof; then I remembered this verse, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  Matthew 4:4"

I realized that this verse was such an important basic Biblical truth, that I felt it was a key to helping me begin to clear a lot of doubts that I had about these new and what I considered to be, "man made" doctrines. Then I decided to make a list of passages that I would label as "Basic Biblical truths". This way, I felt, if there were questions in my mind about certain teachings, the teaching would need to pass the test in the light of these Basic Biblical truths, and if it violated even one of these Bible truths, then I had a way of proving that it was not a sound doctrine. I began my list one by one, and started using these Basic Biblical truths on each docrine that I was testing, and I could see that my method was working, and that it was a good and sound method. This list could have contained thousands of verses, but here is the list that I compiled for this article.
   
Basic Biblical truth #1 - It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  Matt 4:4

Basic Biblical truth #2 - For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.  Rev 22:18

Basic Biblical truth #3 - And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.  Rev 22:19

A doctrine that teaches, "Judgment Day occured on May 21" is in direct violation of the first 2 basic Bible truths listed above. These words did not proceed out of the mouth of God, (violation of Basic Bible truth #1) and are also words that have been added to the "words of the prophescy of this book," (violation of Basic Bible truth #2) Then I searched for scripture, (which are words that proceed out of the mouth of God), that would clearly disprove these 2 "man-made" doctrines regarding the end of the church age and the end of salvation, and this is what I found.

Basic Biblical truth #4 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.  Rev 2:11

Bible truth #4 is clearly teaching that those that overcome will be saved, but can you see to whom this message is being directed to? It is clearly and undeniably being directed to the churches! The words of Rev 2:11 ARE words that have "proceedeth out of the mouth of God". How then could this message be true along with a message that the church age has ended? Oh, but wait, let's not forget Basic Bible truth #1, the words "the door is shut" and "the church age has ended" are NOT words that are not found in scripture, therefore they are NOT words that have "proceeded out of the mouth of God", and are therefore in direct violation of Basic Bible truth #1. Yet the sad truth is that these messages are being posted on Facebook on a daily basis as Biblical truths. Now to move on to Basic Bible truth #5.

Basic Biblical truth #5 - Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 2 Timothy 4:2-5

Basic Bible truth #5 is warning us about those that will turn away from basic Bible truths, which ARE sound doctrine (which are the words that proceed out of the mouth of God). 2 Timothy 4 warns us that "The time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine and will heap to themselved teachers," and "they will turn their ears away from the truth." Notice what 2 Timothy 4 goes on to teach; that we should "do the work of an evangelist." What is the work of an evangelist? The work of an evangelist is to preach the words that proceed out of the mouth of God to the churches. What other work is there of an evangelist? Would an evangist want to teach that the church age has ended and that salvation has ended?

But now comes the sad truth; that of basic Bible truths #6, #7, and #8.

Basic Biblical truth #6 - I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.  John 9:4

Basic Biblical truth #7 - And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.  Rev 11:7-9

Basic Biblical truth #8 - And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.  Mark 13:20

Bible truths #6, #7, and #8 are not messages of hope for the future but that does not mean we should stop doing the work of an evangelist because our teachers are telling us that salvation has ended. God commands us to "keep" the prophesis that are written in God's book; we are to keep to our basic Bible truths, which are the words that "proceed from the mouth of God", not the words that have proceeded out of the mouths of our teachers.

Basic Biblical truth #9 - He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.  John 14:21

Basic Biblical truth #10 - Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  Mark 16:15

Basic Biblical truth #11 - How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation.
Isaiah 52:7

Once a teacher begins to drift away from preaching the words that have proceeded from the mouth of God, and is constantly inserting "his or her own" message to others, that teacher is stepping on dangerous ground. For example, teaching that Judgment Day occured on May 21, 2011, are NOT words that have proceeded from the mouth of God, and are words that violate MANY basic Biblical truths, and therefore I would call it nothing short of blasphemy.