Disciples Digital Library

When it is first introduced, “ smoke ” and locust-like creatures ascend from the “ Abyss ” to torment the “ inhabitants of the earth .” In Revelation , it is the deep pit from which satanic agencies ascend to wreak havoc and wage war against the “ saints .” It is also the “prison” where demonic forces are imprisoned until their appointed time to execute their malevolent plans.

Satan is released from the Abyss and launches his final attack on the saints, but he is the one who is defeated and judged . The time has come for his final demise. The book’s second literary division introduced the enemies of the “ Lamb ” - The “ Dragon ,”  Beast ,” “ False Prophet ,” and “ Babylon. ” In the third division, their destruction occurs in reverse order – “ Babylon ,” the “ Beast ” and the “ False Prophet ” together, and now, the “ Dragon .”

The Hebrew term ‘ROSH’ in the book of Ezekiel is not a proper name, but the common Hebrew noun for “head.”   Certain interpretative schools claim the Hebrew word ‘ rosh ’ in the 38 th  chapter of  Ezekiel  refers to  Rus , the name of the medieval kingdom of Kievan  Rus . From this, it is argued, Ezekiel’s prophecy refers to modern Russia. However, in the Hebrew Bible ‘ rosh ’ consistently means “head,” including in  Ezekiel 38 .

The Book of  Revelation  describes how Satan is bound in the “ Abyss ” for the “ thousand years ” until his release at the end of the period. During his imprisonment, he is prevented from “ deceiving the nations .” Only after he is released is he free to mislead the nations of the earth and to wage war without restraint on the church – in modern parlance,  Full-Spectrum Dominance .

When Satan is expelled from heaven, a “ great voice ” warns that the “ Dragon ” is enraged since he has only a “ short season ” remaining to inflict harm on those who have the “ testimony of Jesus .” He vented his rage by persecuting the “ woman ” who produced the messianic “ son ,” but he was thwarted from destroying her. Consequently, he launched his “ war ” against her “ seed .”

During the “ thousand years ,” Satan is imprisoned, and the victorious saints reign as priests. Ironically, the “ rest of the dead ” do not live until the “ second death ” at the “ Great White Throne of Judgment .” Behind this image is Daniel’s vision of “ one like a Son of Man ” who receives the kingdom from the “ Ancient of Days .”

Revelation identifies Gog and Magog as the nations from the four corners of the Earth that attack the saints .  The prophet Ezekiel received a vision of an invading army composed of regional nations that attacked Israel from the north. The force was led by “ Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal ” - ( KJV ). But before it succeeded, this army was destroyed by Yahweh “ on the mountains of Israel .”