The Strong Delusion and Lie of the Last Days.

 •  37 min. read  •  grade level: 9
TWO WITNESSES PROPHESY.—DECREE AS TO THEIR ENEMIES.
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies : and if ANY MAN WILL HURT THEM, HE MUST IN THIS MANNER BE KILLED.
THE BEAST IN THE BOTTOMLESS PIT, OR HADES.
The beast that thou rawest was,—and is not;—and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit,—and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was,—and is not,—and yet is (or, shall be present— παπεοται).
SATAN CAST OUT OF HEAVEN.
And the third angel sounded, and there FELL A GREAT STAR FROM HEAVEN, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 11 and the name of the star is called WORMWOOD : and the third part of the waters became wormwood ; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
THE BEAST RELEASED FROM THE PIT.
Rev. 9:1-111And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11And 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. (Revelation 9:1‑11).REV 9:1-111And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11And 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. (Revelation 9:1‑11)
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a STAR FALLEN FROM HEAVEN unto the earth: and to him was given THE KEY OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT (abyss). And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And THERE CAME OUT OF THE SMOKE LOCUSTS UPON THE EARTH: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 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 BATH his NAME APOLLYON.
THE BEAST, HAVING BEEN RAISED, KILLS THE WITNESSES.
'And when they (the two witnesses) 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.
THE BEAST AND SATAN WORSHIPPED.
Rev. 13:3-183And 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. 4And 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? 5And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7And 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. 8And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9If any man have an ear, let him hear. 10He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 11And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Revelation 13:3‑18)REV 13:3-83And 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. 4And 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? 5And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7And 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. 8And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:3‑8)
"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. '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? 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. 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. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.
If any man hath an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the FIRST BEAST, WHOSE DEADLY WOUND WAS HEALED. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which HAD THE WOUND BY A SWORD, AND DID LIVE. "And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. HERE is WISDOM. Let him that hath understanding count the NUMBER OF THE BEAST: for it is the NUMBER OF A MAN; and his number is SIX HUNDRED THREESCORE and six.
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
And the BEAST was taken, and with him the FALSE PROPHET that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived 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. (See Isa. 66:2424And 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. (Isaiah 66:24).)
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the KEY OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT and a great chain in his hand. (See chap. 9:1-11.) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 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.
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.
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 forever and ever.
AFTER our blessed Lord had been slain, after He had risen again from the dead and had ascended to heaven, He was, by the mouth of the apostles, proclaimed as the Savior of sinners. His blood was declared to be that which should wash sin and uncleanness forever away. And to whom in the first place was He preached in this way? To the Jews—to that very nation whose hands were stained with His blood, who had put Him to death. And not only so, but Peter, he who had so basely denied Him but a few weeks before, was the first to open his lips to proclaim this message of mercy.
Such is the grace, the marvelous grace, of that God with whom we have to do. This is the subject of the opening of the Acts of the Apostles. It is a mistake to consider the gospel as declared in these chapters to be addressed to man universally. It was, on the contrary, exclusively addressed to the Jews as a nation; and had they, as such, repented and accepted the offer, they would, by virtue of that blood which they had impiously shed, have been restored to the favor of God. But they were an evil, a stiff-necked generation, and therefore they did not repent: the consequence of which was, that the Lord hid His face from His people, the children of Abraham, and looked abroad through the world for another people in and through whom His name might be glorified.
Then, accordingly, as we advance in this book, we find the same message of love going forth beyond the limits of Israel to the Gentiles. Cæsarea, Antioch, Athens, and Rome, all heard of Jesus as the Savior of sinners. In this case however the result was the same as in Israel. There was no response in the cold heart of man to His love. He who died on the cross, though raised from the dead and exalted to heaven, was refused by the Gentiles as He had been by Israel.
And here let me pause to consider in what aspect Christ is now presented to man; because this is closely linked with the "strong delusion" spoken of by the apostle, which is about to come on the world. (2 Thess. 2:1111And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (2 Thessalonians 2:11).) It is, then, as HE THAT LIVETH, HE THAT WAS DEAD; as the One who was raised from the grave by the power of God; as being in His own blessed person essentially "the life;" and as having the power of life in Himself, that He is presented to man: and it is as such that man hates and despises Him; not as Jesus the Man of sorrows on earth, as He was when He sat by the well of Samaria, or when He taught in the temple, but as Christ alive again from the dead and seated at the right hand of God. It is IN RESURRECTION, I say, that Christ is now to be known; and it is n RESURRECTION that the world refuses to know him.
True it is, the Lord has a people whom His grace has made willing. They, and they only, know Jesus as their crucified, risen, and ascended Deliverer. His people however belong not, like the Jews, to this world. They are a heavenly people, their birth being from heaven. Their hopes and their home also are there; and when the appointed time of deliverance is come, when the Church is completed, the Lord will descend, and they, even all the redeemed, both the dead and those alive at the time, will—the former having been raised, the latter changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye—be caught up to meet Him, and be forever with Him. This being done, the eye of the Lord will again be on that land which He gave as an everlasting possession to Abraham. His ancient people the Jews will come in remembrance before Him. Previous however to their final redemption, after the Church has ascended to heaven, a brief space of time will elapse, a period during which the Jews as a nation will fill up the measure of their national sin. Already they have slain their Messiah, the One who came to them in grace in the name of the Father; and what if in the latter day, just previous to their final deliverance, they should receive and own as their king, their Messiah, another who will come to them in his own name? (John 5:4343I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. (John 5:43).) This, even this, they will do. They will add to what they already have done, the further sin of receiving this false one, of worshipping one whose kingdom will be given him, not by God, but by Satan. The period above named, within which all this will occur, will, as we gather from the books of Daniel and Revelation, be A WEEK, a week, not of days but of years. This 'period, divided into two distinct halves, (the first half being spoken of as a thousand two hundred and threescore days, the other as "forty and two months," and also as "time, times, and a half,") will be the period of Israel's ripened apostasy; and not Israel's only, but that of the world at large. All, all in that day, save the elect, will wonder after and worship the beast, the man of sin, or the lawless one. And why will they do so? Just because in him they will see, not something of the semblance merely of resurrection, as some have conceived from certain expressions in the book of the Revelation will be the case, but the actual thing: they will behold a man raised from the dead; raised, as they will think, by the power of the dragon. And here let me say, that, although Satan it is true will have much to do with the act, I wish it to be understood that I disclaim at the outset the notion that Satan ever can or ever will have that power which God only possesses, even the power of restoring a human being to life. God's Son has been and still is rejected by men; and hence God, as the reward of their wickedness, will in retributive judgment send this strong delusion upon them; will allow the lie of the enemy to deceive the children of men, causing them to receive and worship a man like themselves, instead of the Anointed of God, the blessed hope of His people.
All this may be known by taking the following passages in the book of the Revelation in the order here given, and comparing them one with another. To any carefully doing so it will, I think, be evident that the man of sin, or the beast, at a certain point in his history, will be slain, will then be raised from the dead, and ultimately worshipped on earth as a god.
SYNOPTICAL VIEW OF THE PASSAGES PROVING THE ABOVE FACTS.
2. ”17: 8
3.” 8:10, 11
4. Rev. 9:1-111And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11And 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. (Revelation 9:1‑11)
5. “ 11:7, 8
6. “13:3-18
8. “ 20:1-3
9. “ 20:7-10
TWO WITNESSES PROPHESY-DECREE AS TO THEIR ENEMIES.
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if ANY MAN WILL HURT THEM, HE MUST IN THIS MANNER BE KILLED.
THE BEAST IN THE BOTTOMLESS PIT, OR HADES.
The beast that thou sawest was,—and is not;—and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit,—and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was,—and is not—and yet is (or, shall be present—παρεσπαι.)
In the first of the above passages, which speaks of the witnesses, we read as follows: "If any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed." Now mark the word "will," which occurs twice in this passage. This in the original is θελη, more correctly translated "wishes," "purposes," or "attempts." To this I would call the reader's especial attention, because it throws far greater light on the subject of the strong delusion of the latter day than we might at first sight be prepared to expect. This rendering, let me say, was to a great extent the clue by which I was first led into my present view of this subject; and, in connection with the scriptures here cited, to my mind goes clearly to show that the beast, the man of sin, will be slain, and again raised to life.
I now proceed to consider the testimony of the two witnesses, who according to the above passage will prophesy for a thousand two hundred and threescore days, or three years and a half, clothed in sackcloth. These two prophets will doubtless mot only speak of the glory of Christ, not only tell of His kingdom as about to appear, but will also declare that the king then in power is a deceiver; that the beast whom the Jews of the latter day will have received and owned as their Lord, their expected Messiah, is a false one, a child of the devil. And this being the case, can we escape the conclusion that he will desire to hurt, yea, to destroy them? We infer in the very nature of things that such will be the case. And if so, what will the consequence be? Let the above passage answer the question: "If any man purposes or attempts to hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies: and if any man purposes or attempts to hurt them, he must in this manner be killed." Does not this show that the beast, the foremost and chief of their enemies, he who of course will not only desire but seek to destroy them, will himself have to suffer through them; that, according to the symbolical terms of the text, fire proceeding out of their mouth (literally meaning God's word from their lips) will devour them; in the same way that it acted in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, who were struck dead by the very same word from the lips of an apostle? In chapter 13:14 the beast is spoken of as the one which had the wound by the sword and did live; which sword means the same thing, we believe, as the fire above mentioned, namely, God's word: and that it does we gather from Eph. 6:1717And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:17), where the word of God is termed "the sword of the Spirit;" and again from Heb. 4:1212For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12), where it is said to be " quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow." Hence the very same sword which out of the mouth of Christ at the end will slay his confederates (Rev. 19:1515And 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. (Revelation 19:15)), will now at this earlier stage of his history smite the beast himself with a deadly wound.
And now, having seen that the beast must in this way be slain, let us turn to Rev. 17:88The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. (Revelation 17:8), the next passage cited above; and what do we find? "The beast that thou sawest was,—and is not;—and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit,—and go into perdition." This passage, which naturally divides itself into four parts, I interpret in this way: (1.) He "WAS," that is, he existed as a king, from the beginning of the week to the moment when he was slain. (2.) "AND IS NOT," that is, he being dead, his soul is in Hades, or the bottomless pit. (3.) "AND SHALL ASCEND OUT OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT," that is, he shall be raised from the dead to live and act again on the earth. (4.) "AND GO INTO PERDITION," that is, after he has run a second career of iniquity, he shall be finally judged; the lake of fire shall receive him. Thus the Spirit of God presents him in this verse, just at the moment when, after having been put to death by God's word out of the mouth of His prophets, he is actually a prisoner in Hades, confined in the pit, from whence, as we read, he is about to emerge.
And now, having, as I have said, by inference it is true, learned how the beast comes by his death, I proceed in the next place, by means of the following passages, to show by what means he will be again raised to life, and how he will act on his return to this world.
'Vinci the third angel sounded, and there FELL A GREAT STAR FROM HEAVEN, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the name of the star is called WORMWOOD: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
THE BEAST RELEASED FROM THE PIT.
Rev. 9:1-111And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11And 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. (Revelation 9:1‑11)REV 9:1-111And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11And 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. (Revelation 9:1‑11)
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a STAR FALLEN FROM HEAVEN unto the earth: and to him was given THE KEY OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT (abyss) And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And THERE CAME OUT OF THE SMOKE LOCUSTS UPON THE EARTH: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 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.
THE BEAST, HAVING BEEN RAISED, KILLS THE WITNESSES.
And when they (the two witnesses) 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.
In Rev. 12 we read of a battle, of war in heaven, between the dragon or Satan and his angels on one side, and Michael and his angels on the other, which ends with the defeat of the powers of darkness, and their being cast out of heaven into the earth. After which we see the dragon beginning to afflict the people of God, the faithful remnant of Judah, symbolized by the woman who gives birth to the man child, the Messiah of Israel, the hope of the nation.
And now let us turn to, chapter 8:10, 11, and 9:1-11; and what do we find? Surely the same thing in another form, even the expulsion of Satan from heaven, and his evil doings on earth. "And the third angel sounded," we read in the first of these passages, "and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp," &c. And then in the next passage we read, "And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit," &c. Now as these passages stand in our version, it would seem as if there were two distinct stars, meant to symbolize two different persons. But that it is not so, we judge from the fact that the participle (πεπτωκοτα) here rendered "fall" is not rightly translated, the true rendering being "fallen:" the conclusion therefore of course is, that in chapter 8:10, the prophet beholds a star in the act of falling from heaven; and afterward, in chapter 9:1, that he sees the star which had previously fallen, or rather him whom it symbolizes, pursuing his evil course among the dwellers on earth.
And now, believing this star, as we feel free to do, is the symbol of Satan, the great moving cause of all the terrible evil of Daniel's last week, let us mark how he acts.
Being thus fallen from heaven, having, as shown in chapter 12, been conquered, and driven from thence, he next opens the bottomless pit, and lets out a company of locusts, and at the same time their king, in Greek called Apollyon, in Hebrew Abaddon. Now Who, we ask, is this king? Who, we reply, can he be but the beast—he who in chapter 17:8, which we already have quoted, is to "ASCEND OUT OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT;" and who in chapter 11:7, the third passage cited above, is spoken of as "the beast THAT ASCENDETH OUT OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT," who makes war on the witnesses, and puts them to death? This surely marks the identity between the beast and Apollyon or Abaddon; the latter being styled "THE ANGEL OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT," and so styled, we believe, because he will be sent up by Satan from thence as his angel or messenger, to wreak his revenge on the witnesses, who will be used by the Lord to put him to death. And again, another proof of identity lies in the fact of his being called in two languages—in Hebrew and Greek—a destroyer, this being the signification of Abaddon and Apollyon; thereby showing his connection with all in that day, both Jews and Gentiles, who will gather together under his standard to make war on the Lamb.
Thus we see that he who is killed in chapter 11:3-5, is afterward, through the instrumentality of Satan, who lets him out of the pit, allowed for a season to revisit the earth, and at once to lay his hand upon those, even the witnesses, whose word had laid hold upon him, and had killed him. All this we have seen; and we now therefore turn to consider its effect upon the dwellers on earth.
THE BEAST AND SATAN WORSHIPPED.
Rev. 13:3-183And 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. 4And 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? 5And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7And 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. 8And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9If any man have an ear, let him hear. 10He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 11And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Revelation 13:3‑18)REV 13:3-183And 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. 4And 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? 5And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7And 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. 8And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9If any man have an ear, let him hear. 10He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 11And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Revelation 13:3‑18)
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. 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? 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. 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, And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.
If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that kill eth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the FIRST BEAST, WHOSE DEADLY WOUND WAS HEALED. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which HAD THE WOUND BY A SWORD, AND DID LIVE. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. HERE IS WISDOM. Let him that hath understanding count the NUMBER OF THE BEAST: for it is the NUMBER OF A MAN; and his number is Six HUNDRED THREESCORE and SIX.
Here, seeing in the first beast above named a man raised from the dead, Satan's blasphemous counterfeit of Christ in resurrection, the whole world is drawn into the snare. Deceived both by him and the false prophet who works miracles before him in order to accredit the lie, they wonder and worship. And not only so, but he also who, as men in their blindness will think, had given life to the beast, Satan, the god of the world he too is worshipped. "GOD," we read in 2 Thessalonians 2:11, "GOD SHALL SEND THEM STRONG DELUSION, THAT THEY SHOULD BELIEVE A LIE," even that the man of sin, the willful king, the first beast, is the Christ: he therefore it is, and not Satan, who will in reality raise him, though the evil one, it is true, will get the credit thereof, and together with the beast will receive the homage of all in that day whose names are not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.
This then completes the strong delusion, the lie, which—notwithstanding the testimony of the two witnesses against the beast as a wicked deceiver, and in favor of Christ as the Son of God in resurrection; and notwithstanding also the fact of their being themselves, like their Lord, raised from the dead, and taken to heaven, thereby proving their word to be worthy of credit—will blind the men of that corrupt generation.
Thus, having seen how the beast will be regarded by men, we learn from the following passage what will be the end of his terrible history.
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
And the BEAST was taken, and with him the FALSE PROPHET that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived 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. (See Isa. 66:2424And 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. (Isaiah 66:24).)
Here, at the close of the week, having run his awful career of iniquity; having actually gone forth to make war on the Lord Christ and His army; he who had claimed to be God, who had been worshipped as such, comes to his end. Unlike his followers, who, as we read in Rev. 19:2121And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:21), merely are slain with the sword of him who sits on the horse, and who therefore go into Hades, or the bottomless pit, he, having already been there, is not sent there into again. He goes, on the contrary, together with the false prophet, his associate in evil, into perdition, into the lake burning with fire and brimstone. His judgment is final, preceding by the whole length of the millennial kingdom of Christ the final judgment of Satan, the god whom he worships, whom he increases with glory, and from whom he receives his seat and authority.
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the KEY OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT and a great chain in his hand. (See chap. 9:1-11.) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 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.
Here he who had brought up the beast from the bottomless pit is retributively cast there into himself: there he is bound and shut up for a limited period, even a thousand years, having at the termination of that period to come forth in order to play a further part in the world, to fill up the measure of his iniquity, before he is finally doomed. Accordingly, in the following passage we read of his being loosed from the pit, of his actings thereon) and of his eternal destruction.
SATAN'S LAST EFFORT AND FINAL JUDGMENT.
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.
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 forever and ever.
Here, the term of his punishment in the bottomless pit being ended, Satan, being loosed from his prison, is allowed to make a last effort to destroy the people of God. He gathers the, nations together against the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city, even the land of Canaan, and the holy city Jerusalem. After which, the millennium being ended, he is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, which had already received his servant and victim, the beast.
Thus we see how the history of the dragon and that of the beast run parallel, or rather are intertwined with each other. In the one case we behold the God of the world, in the other the man of the earth: we see, in short, the deceiver and the deceived; the beast, deluded himself, being used by the enemy to delude a world given up to his power. Then as to the judgment of both, observe how they correspond with each other. They are both, at different times it is true, confined in the bottomless pit, and both ultimately cast into the lake of fire, where, after having been honored and worshipped on earth, they meet in the end; a terrible proof of the truth of God's word, "THE TRANSGRESSORS SHALL BE DESTROYED TOGETHER." In the one case we see the bruising of the head of the serpent, according to the sentence of God after he had drawn man into sin; in the other, the terrible end of the flesh—of fallen man—of whom the beast is the great representative and sample, in fulfillment of the words of the psalmist, "have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found." (Psa. 37:35, 3635I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. 36Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. (Psalm 37:35‑36).)
And now, in conclusion, let us look at another portion of scripture which we believe to relate to this Subject, namely, Isa. 14:4-204That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! 5The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers. 6He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. 7The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. 8Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us. 9Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. 10All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? 11Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. 12How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? 18All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. 19But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. 20Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. (Isaiah 14:4‑20). Who, we ask, is the king of Babylon, Lucifer, son of the morning, whom we here see fallen from heaven? Surely the beast. He, and he only of all the children of men, will venture to say, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:" "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High." He therefore it is whom we here find, at the moment when his earthly history has closed, when he has come to his end, when the lake burning with fire and brimstone becomes his eternal abode. Here the curtain for a moment is lifted, and we are given a glimpse of the world of spirits, of the dark realms of the dead: we see him destroyed,—the worm that dieth not, the fire that is not quenched, being his portion: and not only so, but we learn what the kings of the nations will say, how they who belong to the generations of old will be amazed, when they see this great one cast down, and become weak like themselves. “Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under feet." Thus the chief ones, the kings of the earth, will speak in that day. Others will have wondered, admired, and worshipped, on seeing, as they think, in the beast when he ascends out of the bottomless pit, a conqueror over death and the grave: but not so these kings; having had their eyes opened at last to see things as they are, to discern the retributive hand of the Lord in it all, they tell out the truth, and show that that which the world had been admiring and praising was an act of judgment, of wrath, on the part of the Lord. While other great ones of this world had been left to sleep on undisturbed in their sepulchers, he had been ignominiously cast out of his; sent forth from thence, as we learn from what we have seen in the Revelation, to be worshipped on earth as a god, therein filling up his measure of evil, ere he comes to his end and is eternally punished.
“Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial," they cry, "because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people." (Isa. 14:2020Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. (Isaiah 14:20).) The grave, the bottomless pit, dark and dreary as they may be, are too good for so great an offender. He has ascended from Hades, has been CAST OUT OF HIS GRAVE, in order to go, after a brief period of greater iniquity, farther than before, into everlasting perdition. The lake burning with fire and brimstone is the only fit place for him.
Such we believe to be the explanation of this highly figurative poetical chapter. It is surely the false Christ whom we here see, Lucifer, son of the morning, as he impiously styles himself, applying names to himself which belong only to Christ. He it is whom we see, not at the moment when he is killed by the sword, but at that point when he is cast alive into the fiery lake. This conclusion we ground on the three following facts. 1st. That this will be when the house of Israel is delivered from bondage: 2dly, When the whole earth is at rest and is quiet, when they break forth into singing: 3dly, when the scepter of the rulers, the staff of the wicked, is broken. These three things mark the time, even the opening of the thousand years of Christ's reign, at which period the beast is to suffer in the way above named. And here let me add, that I strongly suspect that the last verse of Isaiah refers to this fact; that the transgressors there named are no less than the beast and the false prophet. "And they shall go forth," we here read, "and look upon the carcasses 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 into all flesh." (Isa. 66:2424And 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. (Isaiah 66:24).) Other transgressors will perish, will die, by the hand of the Lord: to them therefore this cannot apply, seeing that after they are slain they will be in the place of separate spirits: these two, on the contrary, will not die; they will be condemned to suffer in body as well as in spirit, and in this way be a spectacle, an abhorring to all flesh; a fearful memento to the millennial dwellers on earth of the Lord's righteous hatred of evil.