8/6/2019 Who is the Destroyer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/who-is-the-destroyer 1/12

All New - Updated Godhead Spirit Realm Prophecy Holy Days Commentary

WHO IS THE "DESTROYER"?bout 95 CE, while in exile on the isle of Patmos, the apostle John was given in vision a glimpse of the end of the age (Rev.1:10), called the "Day of the Lord" in numerous Old and New Testament Scriptures. During this "day of the Lord's

wrath" (Zep. 1:18), God will punish humanity for their proud, sinful ways and their refusal to acknowledge Him as the true God.ohn recorded the visions he saw in the book of Revelation.

One of those punishments, chronicled in Revelation 9:1-11, will be the release of the depraved demons and fallen angels currentlyocked in the Abyss. The Bible teaches that the Abyss is a spirit prison (Luke 8:31; I Pet. 3:19; II Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). In the Abyss,ome of the fallen angels are now bound in "everlasting chains under darkness" waiting "for the judgment of the great day." For

more information on these angels and the Abyss, refer to my articles " Fallen Angels and Demons " and " Genesis 6-Who Were 'Theons Of God'? ."

n Revelation 9:11, an intriguing character is introduced:

REVELATION 9:11 They have as king over them, the angel of the Abyss ; his name in Hebrewis Abaddon , and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon . ( NASU )

Abaddon and Apollyon both mean "destroyer." Who is this ruling spirit called the "Destroyer," who is released from the Abyss

uring God's wrath on mankind in the last days of this age? Does the Bible mention this being anywhere else?

The true identity of the "Destroyer" has long been misunderstood. In this article, I will attempt to piece together all the relevantcriptures to show who Abaddon/Apollyon really is and what his role will be in end- time prophecy. Most have never realized how

much the Bible has to say about this vital end-time figure, who is called by a variety of names.

The "Destroyer" Released et's start by reviewing the event that will allow this powerful fallen angel entrance into the world. This occurrence is recorded in

Revelation 9:1- 11. To rightly understand who this "king of the bottomless pit" is, it's vital to correctly interpret what this passages saying. We must be guided by Scripture, not our imagination.

REVELATION 9:1 And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven toearth, and he was given the key of the shaft of the bottomless pit; 2 he opened the shaft of the bottomless pit and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and thesun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. ( RSV )

irst, notice that at the sounding of the fifth trumpet, an angel ("star") descends out of heaven to the earth. This angel has in hisossession a key to the Abyss (also called the "bottomless pit"). With this key, the angel unlocks the Abyss. It is very likely that

his is the same angel who later comes from heaven again with the key and a great chain to imprison Satan in the Abyss for theuration of the Millennium (Rev. 20:1-3).

REVELATION 9:3 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given powerlike the power of scorpions of the earth; 4 they were told not to harm the grass of the earth orany green growth or any tree, but only those of mankind who have not the seal of God upontheir foreheads; 5 they were allow ed to torture them for five months, but not to killthem , and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion, when it stings a man. 6 And in those

A

8/6/2019 Who is the Destroyer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/who-is-the-destroyer 2/12

days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death will fly from them.( RSV )

Regarding the "locusts" which ascend out of the Abyss, David H. Stern writes:

Demonic monsters are released which fly like locusts (Exodus 10:12-20; Joel 1:4, 2:4-14) and sting likescorpions (Ezekiel 2:6, Lk 11:12). (p. 816, Jewish New Testament Commentary )

God grants these evil "locusts" from the Abyss the power which scorpions have – the power to inflict pain. God tells thesearoled demons and fallen angels not to harm the earth or those humans who have His seal on their foreheads. Yet for five months

God permits them to torment the unrepentant among mankind.

REVELATION 9:7 In appearance the locusts were like horses arrayed for battle; on their headswere what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, 8 their hair likewomen's hair, and their teeth like lions' teeth; 9 they had scales like iron breastplates, and thenoise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. 10 Theyhave tails like scorpions, and stings, and their power of hurting men for five months lies in their

tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit ; his name inHebrew is Abaddon , and in Greek he is called Apollyon . ( RSV )

Here we have a fantastic description of what these released demons look like. The five -month period of their torture of mankind islso reiterated in verse 10. Then in verse 11, we have our first mention of Abaddon. He is identified as the angelic ruler over those

who were released from the Abyss.

Abaddon Is The "Beast" Who Ascends From The Abyss n Revelation 9:1- 11, Abaddon is clearly identified as the king of the evil spirits released from the Abyss. This fact identifies himhroughout the rest of the book of Revelation. Twice specifically, and once symbolically, Abaddon is referred to as the "beast"

who is to come up out of the Abyss:

REVELATION 11:7 When they [ the two witnesses ] have finished their testimony, the beast thatcomes up out of the Abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.( NASU )

REVELATION 17:8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is to ascend from thebottomless pit and go to perdition . . . ( RSV )

REVELATION 13:1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea . . . ( NKJV )

Revelation 11:7 and 17:8 are clearly referring to Abaddon as the "beast" who will ascend from the "bottomless pit." What we seeescribed in the first part of Revelation 13:1 is a symbolic reference to the release of Abaddon from the Abyss. In Jewish thought,he Abyss was often associated with the ocean depths. Speaking of the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures in use at theme of Christ, The New Unger's Bible Dictionary says: " The LXX renders Heb. tehom , 'the primeval ocean' (Gen. 1:2;

s. 24:2; etc.) as 'abyss' " (p. 18, "Abyss"). This identification of Abaddon as the primary "beast" mentioned in the book of Revelation will help us to learn more about his activities in the end-time.

There is one other Scripture that enigmatically mentions the release of Abaddon from the Abyss. This obscure reference is foundn II Thessalonians 2, where Paul discusses the "man of sin." We'll look at this passage in depth to truly grasp the significance of

what Paul is saying:

8/6/2019 Who is the Destroyer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/who-is-the-destroyer 3/12

II THESSALONIANS 2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled,either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comesfirst, and the man of sin is revealed , the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God,showing himself that he is God. ( NKJV )

Here, Paul is talking about the return of the Messiah. He tells the Thessalonian church not to be deceived if someone tells themhat Christ has already returned, because some definite events have to occur before that event will happen. The first of thosevents is the "falling away" (Gr. apostasia ) from the truth. Another event Paul says must take place is the appearance of the "manf sin," who will attempt to usurp the power of God.

II THESSALONIANS 2:5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you thesethings? 6 And now you know what is restraining [ katechon ], that he may be revealed in hisown time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains willdo so until he is taken out of the w ay [ ek mesou genetai ]. 8 And then the lawless one will berevealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with thebrightness of his coming. ( NKJV )

aul says that the Thessalonians know what is now "restraining" the "man of sin" (v. 6), yet he doesn't state what it is in his letter.aul had already taught the Thessalonians these things when he had been with them earlier (v. 5). The Greek word translatedrestraining" here is katechon . According to Friberg's Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament , this verb means " hold ack, detain, prevent . . . figuratively restrain, check ."

The phrase "only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way" in the latter half of verse 7 implies that the oneestraining the "man of sin" is a person. However, the Greek text here literally reads "only the thing holding back now willontinue until out of the midst he comes [Gr. ek mesou genetai ]." With an understanding of what is taught in Revelation abouthe release of Abaddon, we can see what Paul is saying. The following translation of verses 6 and 7 clarifies this passage:

II THESSALONIANS 2:6 And you now know the thing [ the Abyss ] that is holding back [ Abaddon ],that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already atwork; only the thing [ the Abyss ] which now restrains [ Abaddon ] will continue to do so until out of the midst [ of the Abyss ] he comes. (literal )

aul goes on to say that only after his release from that which is now restraining him would the "lawless one" be revealed tomankind (v. 8). We'll look at the last half of verse 8 a little later, and show how it relates to some other prophetic Scriptures (Dan.:26; 8:25; Rev. 19:20).

Symbolic Description of Abaddon and His Kingdom n symbolic language, Abaddon and the kingdom he will rule over are described in detail in the 13th and 17th chapters of

Revelation. These chapters give us a great deal of information. Let's examine them, along with several other parallel Scriptures, toee what we can learn about this ruling fallen angel and his end-time kingdom.

REVELATION 13:1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea , having seven heads and ten horns , and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads ablasphemous name. ( NKJV )

The last half of verse 1 describes Abaddon in symbolic terms. To determine what this description means, we'll have to look atome related passages in Revelation 17, where an explanation of these heads and horns is given:

REVELATION 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked withme, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on

8/6/2019 Who is the Destroyer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/who-is-the-destroyer 4/12

many waters , 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitantsof the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication." 3 So he carried me away in theSpirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns . ( NKJV )

As you can see by comparing Revelation 17:3 to Revelation 13:1, the "scarlet beast" the "woman" rides looks very similar to thebeast" which arose from the sea.

REVELATION 17:4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold andprecious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and thefilthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLONTHE GREAT , THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 Isaw the woman , drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. 7 But the angel said to me, "Why didyou marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, whichhas the seven heads and the ten horns . ( NKJV )

There are several opinions about the identity of the "woman" in this passage. We are told that this woman is riding (beingupported by) the "beast" (Abaddon and his kingdom). Revelation 17:5 tells us that the woman is the "mother of harlots." Her arlot daughters are the ungodly governmental systems of this world. The "great harlot" is the sum total of all satanically -inspiredeligious/societal/governmental systems in existence since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.

Revelation 17:5 tells us that the woman is "Babylon the Great." This fact is verified in Revelation 17:18. Revelation 18:24 tells ushat in this woman "was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth ." This Scriptureeclares that this woman is responsible for the blood of everyone who has ever been slain on the earth. Obviously this cannotepresent any one "human" system.

Babylon the Great" is the false religious/societal/governmental system of Satan, who has been a murderer from the beginningJohn 8:44). The harlot is the "mother" of all angelic/human governmental systems that have ever existed apart from God. Theriginal version of this system culminated in the Tower of Babel under Nimrod, the first type of the Antichrist. The end -timeersion of this system will be hated by the "beast" and the "ten horns," and will eventually be destroyed by them (Rev. 17:16), inulfillment of God's will.

Now let's examine the scarlet beast ridden by the great harlot:

REVELATION 17:8 "The beast that you saw w as , and is not , and is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to destruction . And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has notbeen written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see thebeast , that he w as and is not and will come . ( NASU )

What does the angel mean when he tells John that the "beast" he saw "WAS and IS NOT and WILL COME"? The language usedefinitely implies a time element. As stated earlier, John likely recorded this prophecy around the year 95 CE. The angel clearlyells John that, at that point in time, the beast " is not " (present tense). Yet the angel says that the beast " was " (past tense), and helso says that the beast " will come up out of the Abyss " (future tense). What are we to make of this cryptic statement?

Actually, the explanation isn't that difficult to understand. Abaddon " was " free in the time before the Flood to interact withumanity. Yet because of the devious and destructive nature of his sins, God saw that it was necessary to imprison and therebyestrain him. Therefore, at the time John received his vision, Abaddon " was not " because he was locked in the Abyss. However,s the angel makes clear, this "Beast" will in the future be freed from his imprisonment and " will come up out of the Abyss ."

However, Abaddon is not the only entity that seemingly rises up from nowhere. The kingdom that Abaddon appropriates andules over figuratively comes up from the bottomless pit also. This kingdom is represented as a beast with seven heads and tenorns. What does the Bible tell us about the symbolic representation of these features of the beast?

REVELATION 17:9 Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are sevenmountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings . Five have fallen, one

8/6/2019 Who is the Destroyer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/who-is-the-destroyer 5/12

is, and the other has not yet come . And when he comes, he must continue a short time.( NKJV )

n the Bible, a mountain figuratively represents a kingdom or the ruler of that kingdom. The New Unger's Bible Dictionary tates:

. . . When David says, "O Lord, by Thy favor Thou hast made my mountain to stand" (Ps. 30:7), he means toexpress the stability of his kingdom. In like manner the kingdom of the Messiah is depicted as a mountain (Isa.

2:2; Dan. 2:35), as is also the Chaldean monarchy (Jer. 51:25; Zech. 4:7). (p. 891, "Mountain")

Therefore, the seven mountains and the seven kings referred to in Revelation 17:9-10 are one and the same.

What does the angel mean when he says that "five have fallen , one is, and the other has not yet come "? Again, the angel isiving John a time sensitive clue. As of 95 CE, five of the symbolic heads (kingdoms) of the beast had already fallen from power.

Those five were:

1 ) EGYPT 2 ) ASSYRIA

3 ) BABYLON 4 ) MEDO-PERSIA 5 ) GREECE

The kingdom in power at the time the Apocalypse was written was:

6 ) ROME

ome may wonder how we can know that the six kingdoms listed above are correct. There is one overriding principle about theBible that gives us assurance. The Bible was written ABOUT and FOR the people of God. The six kingdoms listed above allave one thing in common that identifies them as the first six heads of the beast: they were satanically -inspired human empires thatuled over God's chosen people, Israel.

That means that there is one remaining "head" yet to come which will rule over God's people. This last empire will be global incope, as God tells us in the seventh chapter of Daniel:

DANIEL 7:7 "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful andterrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, andtrampling the residue with its feet. It w as different from all the beasts that were beforeit , and it had ten horns . . . . 19 Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, whichwas different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20 and the tenhorns that were on its head . . . 23 Thus he said: 'The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdomon earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms , and shall devour the wholeearth , trample it and break it in pieces. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise fromthis kingdom. . . .'" ( NKJV )

n his vision, Daniel saw four beasts: a lion with eagle's wings, a bear, a leopard with four heads and four wings, and a terribleeast with iron teeth and ten horns (Dan. 7:3- 7). The beast John sees come up out of the Abyss (Rev. 13:2) contains elements of ll the beasts seen by Daniel. It is an amalgamation of all the satanic empires that have come before it. For more information onhe identification of these beasts, refer to my article " The Beasts of Revelation and Daniel ."

The fourth beast Daniel saw is the same as the seventh head of the beast John saw. It is the soon coming global government, theNew World Order," which will arise out of the chaos that occurs during the opening of the first four seals (Rev. 6:1- 8). Danielhows that this one world government will be reigned over by ten kings, called "horns" (Dan. 7:24).

God tells us in Revelation 17:10 that this "New World Order" will last only for a very short time. Revelation 13:3 records thepparent demise of this seventh head of the beast:

8/6/2019 Who is the Destroyer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/who-is-the-destroyer 6/12

REVELATION 13:3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound , but its mortal woundw as healed , and the whole earth followed the beast with wonder. ( RSV )

What is this apparently deadly wound that will be inflicted on the seventh head of the beast? Daniel gives us the cause of thewound:

DANIEL 7:8 "I was considering the [ ten ] horns, and there was another horn, a little one ,coming up [ silqat , "ascending" ] among them, before w hom three of the first horns wereplucked out by the roots . And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and amouth speaking pompous words. . . . 19 Then I wished to know the truth about the fourthbeast . . . 20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up [ silqat , "ascended" ], before which three fell , namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouthwhich spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows. . . . 24 The tenhorns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; heshall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings ." ( NKJV )

The fourth beast of Daniel 7 has ten horns, which we know is symbolic for a king or kingdom. These horns represent the tenings or nations that will control the end- time global government. In his vision, Daniel saw a "little horn" ascend and rise up amonghese ten. This "little horn," Abaddon, king of the Abyss, will definitely be different from the first ten kings.

robably using the evil spiritual forces God allows to be released upon mankind during the fifth trumpet as his army, Abaddon willonquer and/or destroy three of the ten rulers of the "New World Order" (and their nations). In so doing, he will appear to havemortally wounded" the seventh head, the ruling world government. However, instead of totally destroying this satanicovernmental structure, Abaddon will seize control of it and become its leader. As Revelation 17:8 tells us, almost the whole

world will be amazed when they see Abaddon rise up.

REVELATION 17:11 And the beast that w as, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is

of the seven , and is going to perdition. 12 The ten horns which you saw are ten kings whohave received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with thebeast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.( NKJV )

The beast is not one of the seven, he is the eighth ; yet clearly he is of the seven. That is, he is given his authority by Satan (Rev.3:4), just as the seven heads were. Abaddon will either rehabilitate the three kings he "plucked out by the roots" (Dan. 7:8), or he

will replace them with three who will pledge him their support. With the ten kings (Rev. 17:12 -13), Abaddon will become the rulerf the entire earth in the ultimate and final realization of Satan's governmental system.

REVELATION 13:4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and theyworshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war withhim?" ( NKJV )

After the resurrection of the mortally wounded seventh head, almost the entire world will worship Satan, who gives Abaddon hisuthority. They will also worship the Antichrist because of his conquest of the "New World Order."

The Length of Abaddon's Reign

The Bible tells us in several places how long Abaddon will reign. It is stated as 42 months (Rev. 13:5) or "a time and times andalf a time" (Dan. 7:25; 12:7), which literally is "one year, two years, and a half a year," or a total of 3½ years:

REVELATION 13:5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words,and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months ; ( RSV )

8/6/2019 Who is the Destroyer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/who-is-the-destroyer 7/12

DANIEL 7:25 He shall speak words against the Most High, shall wear out the holy ones of theMost High, and shall attempt to change the sacred seasons and the law; and they shall be giveninto his power for a time, two times, and half a time . ( NRSV )

DANIEL 12:7 The man clothed in linen, who was upstream, raised his right hand and his lefthand toward heaven. And I heard him swear by the one who lives forever that it would be for atime, two times, and half a time , and that when the shattering of the power of the holypeople comes to an end, all these things would be accomplished. ( NRSV )

Revelation 11:3 mentions the same time span in days, and equates it with the testimony of the two witnesses. The period in whichhe two witnesses give their testimony likely matches the 42 months that Abaddon is in authority:

REVELATION 11:3 "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy fortwelve hundred and sixty days , clothed in sackcloth. . . . 7 When they have finished theirtestimony, the beast that comes up out of the A byss will make war with them, andovercome them and kill them." ( NASU )

The "Abomination of Desolation" in the Heavenly Sanctuaryeveral Scriptures record the blasphemous acts of Abaddon during the time of his rule. Let's look at those passages now:

DANIEL 7:8 "While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came upamong them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, thishorn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts . . . . 19 ThenI desired to know the exact meaning of . . . 20 the other horn which came up, and before whichthree of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts andwhich was larger in appearance than its associates. 21 I kept looking, and that horn waswaging war with the saints [ qadishin ] and overpowering them 22 until the Ancient of Days cameand judgment was passed in favor of the saints [ qadishey ] of the Highest One, and the timearrived when the saints [ qadishin ] took possession of the kingdom. . . . 25 ' He w ill speak outagainst the Most High and w ear down the saints [ qadishey ] of the Highest One, and hew ill intend to make alterations in times and in law ; and they will be given into his hand fora time, times, and half a time. 26 But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will betaken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.'" ( NASU )

The Aramaic root word qadish literally means "holy ones;" it can be translated either as "saints" or as "angels." As we will soonee from parallel Scriptures, translating this word as "angels" appears to be the correct rendering in most instances listed above.

This passage shows that Abaddon will speak against the Eternal God, and will attack the holy angels.

REVELATION 13:5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies , andhe was given authority to continue for forty- two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth inblasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those w ho dw ellin heaven . 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints [ hagion ] and to overcomethem. . . . ( NKJV )

As you can see in Revelation 13:6, along with God Himself, the heavenly tabernacle and those who dwell in heaven (the holyngels) are special targets of Abaddon's blasphemy. The word "saints" in Revelation 13:7 is the Greek word hagion . Althoughhis word is generally used of humans, it can also refer to God's holy angels. This usage can be found in the Septuagint (LXX,sa. 88:6, 8), and in the New Testament (I The. 3:13). Friberg's Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament gives theefinition for hagion in I Thessalonians 3:13 as: " the holy ones , as a designation for angels. "

Revelation 13:6-7 shows that Abaddon and his spiritual forces of evil are permitted to fight against the holy angels and temporarilyefeat them. This defeat will allow Abaddon to occupy the courtyard of the temple in heaven and proclaim himself to be "God."

8/6/2019 Who is the Destroyer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/who-is-the-destroyer 8/12

REVELATION 11:1 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, "Come andmeasure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measurethe court outside the temple ; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations , and theyw ill trample over the holy city for forty-two months. ( NRSV )

II THESSALONIANS 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unlessthe rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. 4

He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of w orship , so thathe takes his seat in the temple [ naon ] of God, declaring himself to b e God . ( NRSV )

aul clearly says that Abaddon will occupy the temple of God, taking a seat in it and declaring himself to be God. The Greek word translated "temple" here is naon , a form of the noun naos . It generally refers to the (outer) Holy Place and the (inner) Holyf Holies in the temple proper. However, it is also used in the Bible to refer to the temple complex, including the courtyard. The

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament says:

Mt. 27:5 tells us Judas cast the thirty shekels into the temple ( eis ton naon ) and went out and hanged

himself. If naos is taken to mean the temple in the narrower sense, one may ask how Judas could bring themoney into it, since only the priests were allowed access. We may thus assume that it is used in a broader sense, as in Jn. [2:]19 . . . (p. 884, vol. IV)

Most people interpret the "temple of God" in II Thessalonians 2:4 as either a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, or figuratively as theChurch. Yet the Bible clearly shows that the tabernacle, and later the temple in Jerusalem, were earthly types patterned after theeavenly antetype (Exo. 25:9; Heb. 8:2, 5; 9:11, 23). It appears from the Scriptures that Abaddon's presence in the courtyard of he heavenly temple is one aspect of the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel and Christ. This heavenly desolation willlmost certainly have an earthly counterpart in Jerusalem:

LUKE 21:20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolationhas come near." ( RSV )

MATTHEW 24:15 "Therefore when you see the ' abomination of desolation ,' spoken of byDaniel the prophet, standing in the holy place " ( w hoever reads, let him understand ), 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." ( NKJV )

DANIEL 8:9 Out of one of them came another horn, a little one , which grew exceedinglygreat toward the south, toward the east, and toward the beautiful land. 10 It grew as high asthe host of heaven . It threw dow n to the earth some of the host and some of thestars, and trampled on them . 11 Even against the Prin ce of the host it acted arrogantly; ittook the regular burnt offering aw ay from him and overthrew the place of hissanctuary . 12 Because of wickedness, the host was given over to it together w ith theregular burnt offering ; it cast truth to the ground, and kept prospering in what it did. 13Then I heard a holy one [ qadosh , "angel" ] speaking, and another holy one [ qadosh ] said to theone that spoke, "For how long is this vision concerning the regular burnt offering, thetransgression that makes d esolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host tobe trampled ?" 14 And he answered him, "For two thousand three hundred evenings andmornings ; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state." ( NRSV )

Abaddon and his army will be given victory over the host (literally, "army") of heaven. He will overthrow the sanctuary of thePrince of the host" (Yeshua the Messiah), and will cause the "regular burnt offering" to cease for "2,300 evenings and mornings."

The evenings and mornings are referring to the time of the daily sacrifices; this means that the actual time period being defined isnly 1,150 days (half of 2,300).

8/6/2019 Who is the Destroyer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/who-is-the-destroyer 9/12

f Daniel truly is referring to the Temple of God in heaven, then what are the "daily sacrifices" that Abaddon will cause to cease?

I PETER 2:5 You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, tooffer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ( NKJV )

HEBREWS 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of prais e to God , thatis, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. ( NKJV )

REVELATION 5:8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense,which are the prayers of the saints . ( NKJV )

REVELATION 8:3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. Hewas given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon thegolden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. ( NKJV )

The New Testament shows that sacrifices remain for believers. Those sacrifices are spiritual sacrifices, which include praise andhe prayers of God's people to the Eternal Creator of the universe. It is likely that these are the sacrifices spoken of here. Inddition, it is also possible that an altar will be erected on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and literal physical sacrifices inccordance with the Mosaic Law will once again be offered there by Jews seeking God's favor as the world turns against themnce more.

Below is Gabriel's explanation of Daniel's vision:

DANIEL 8:16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said,"Gabriel, make this man understand the vision." 17 So he came near where I stood, and whenhe came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that thevision refers to the time of the end ." 18 Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deepsleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright. 19 And he said,"Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation ;for at the appointed time the end shall be . . . . 23 And in the latter time of their kingdom,when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king [ Abaddon ] shall arise, having fiercefeatures, who understands sinister schemes. 24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his ownpower; he shall destroy fearfully, and shall prosper and thrive; he shall destroy the mighty,and also the holy people. 25 Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his

rule; and he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. Heshall even rise against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without human means.( NKJV )

Gabriel clearly states that the events Daniel saw in his vision will occur at "the time of the end." At that time, when transgressorsave reached their full measure, Abaddon will come on the scene. His power and authority will come from Satan (Rev. 13:4). TheDestroyer" will live up to his name; he will destroy the mighty and the holy ones (both the saints and the holy angels), as well ashose humans who oppose him. He will delude himself because of pride in his accomplishment, thinking and even proclaiming thate is "God" (II The. 2:4). He will oppose Messiah, the "Prince of princes," but he will eventually be defeated "without human

means," as we will see in the next section.

The Destruction of Abaddon and His KingdomAs previously shown, Abaddon will have the support of most of the world after his conquest of the global human government.Revelation 17:12-14 shows that Abaddon and the "ten kings" who acknowledge his power and authority will be given authority toule with him:

8/6/2019 Who is the Destroyer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/who-is-the-destroyer 10/12

REVELATION 17:12 "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdomas yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of onemind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make warw ith the Lamb, and the Lamb wil l overcome them , for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful." ( NKJV )

After the Jews have returned to the Holy Land, Abaddon will summon rulers and their armies to help him attempt to destroy themEze. 38- 39). These kings and their troops will gather at Megiddo, north of Jerusalem:

REVELATION 16:13 And I saw, issuing from the mouth of the dragon and from the mouth of thebeast and from the mouth of the false prophet, three foul spirits like frogs; 14 for they aredemonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the w hole world , toassemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. . . . 16 And they assembledthem at the place which is called in Hebrew Armageddon. ( RSV )

These forces will then march toward Jerusalem. At this great battle, Yeshua, the Prince of the armies (hosts) of heaven, willestroy the armies of the beast and capture him. Then Abaddon, along with the false prophet, will be cast into the lake of fire:

REVELATION 19:19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies,gathered together to make war against Him w ho sat on the horse and against Hisarmy . 20 Then the beast was captured , and with him the false prophet who worked signs inhis presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those whoworshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning w ithbrimstone . 21 And the rest were killed with the sword w hich proceeded from themouth of Him w ho sat on the horse . And all the birds were filled with their flesh. ( NKJV )

ZECHARIAH 14:12 Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peopleswho have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, andtheir eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth. 13 It will comeabout in that day that a great panic from the LORD will fall on them; and they will seize oneanother's hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another. ( NASU )

et's look at one other passage from Isaiah 14 that explicitly shows the defeat and fate of Abaddon. This Scripture is commonlyhought to refer to Satan. However, if we look at the context and put away our preconceived ideas, it becomes apparent that the

Antichrist, not Satan, is the subject:

ISAIAH 14:1 The LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will setthem in their own land, and aliens will join them and will cleave to the house of Jacob. 2 Andthe peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possessthem in the LORD's land as male and female slaves; they will take captive those who were theircaptors, and rule over those who oppressed them. 3 When the LORD has given you rest fromyour pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will takeup this taunt against the king of Babylon : "How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent furyceased! 5 The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers, 6 that smote thepeoples in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in anger with unrelentingpersecution . 7 The w hole earth is at rest and quiet ; they break forth into singing. 8 Thecypresses rejoice at you, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, 'Since you were laid low, no hewer

comes up against us.' 9 Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come, it rouses theshades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth; it raises from their thrones all who werekings of the nations. 10 All of them will speak and say to you: 'You too have become as weakas we! You have become like us!' 11 Your pomp [ ga'on , "arrogancy" ] is brought down to Sheol,the sound of your harps; maggots are the bed beneath you, and worms are your covering. ( RSV )

The scene is set in verses 1 through 3. This is the time when God has given rest to His people; this is the Millennium, when the

8/6/2019 Who is the Destroyer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/who-is-the-destroyer 11/12

sraelites will be back in their land and Yeshua will be ruling from Jerusalem. Verse 4 identifies the subject of the passage:Abaddon, the "king of Babylon." Verses 5 through 8 show that God has broken the power of this king who had oppressivelyuled the whole earth. Verse 9 shows that Abaddon has been cast into sheol . Sheol is used figuratively for the abode of those

who are dead; in this instance, those wordly leaders who were under this king are specifically mentioned. Verse 10 shows themymbolically exulting in the fact that the Antichrist, although at one time extremely powerful, has suffered the same fate theyuffered. Verse 11 reaffirms that this arrogant king has been delivered to sheol . It's clear that Abaddon is no longer around duringhe Millennium.

ISAIAH 14:12 "How you are fallen from heaven , O Day Star [ Helel ], son of Dawn! How youare cut down to the ground, you w ho laid the nations low ! 13 You said in your heart, ' I w i llascend to heaven; above the stars of God I w ill set my throne on high; I w ill sit on themount of assembly in the far nor th; 14 I w ill ascend above the heights of the clouds, Iw ill make myself like the Most High .' 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the depthsof the Pit. 16 Those who see you will stare at you, and ponder over you: 'Is this the man whomade the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, 17 who made the world like a desert andoverthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?' 18 All the kings of the nations lie inglory, each in his own tomb; 19 but you are cast out, away from your sepulchre, like a loatheduntimely birth, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the Pit, like a dead body trodden under foot. 20 You will not be joined with them in burial,because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people. "May the descendants of evildoers nevermore be named!" ( RSV )

n verse 12, this defeated king is given a name: Helel . Some translations render this Hebrew name as "Lucifer," which is Latin for light- bearer." However, the real meaning of Helel is subject to conjecture by scholars. The Theological Dictionary of the Old

Testament says that the hithpael form of " hll means 'pride oneself,' often with overtones of 'brag, boast' " (vol. III, p.09). That meaning fits nicely with the depiction of the arrogant king in this passage of Scripture.

n this prophecy, Abaddon, although he conquered the nations and even heaven for a time, has fallen from heaven and been cutown to the earth. In verses 13 and 14, we see that the Antichrist decided to ascend above the clouds and the stars into heaven.

He wanted to establish his throne there, at the very place of God's heavenly temple, the mount of assembly. He wanted nothingess than to rule in place of God. Yet verses 15 through 20 show that he will be brought down to sheol , his power destroyed. Theheme of this entire passage is the overthrow of the arrogant king, Abaddon, who wanted to be like the Most High God.

After the crushing defeat of Abaddon's forces, Satan, the power behind the Antichrist's throne, will be captured also. He will beocked in the Abyss during the 1,000 year reign of the Messiah on earth:

REVELATION 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of theAbyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, whois the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years ; 3 and he threw him into theAbyss , and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer,until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short

time. ( NASU

)

Conclusionhile some end-time prophecies of the Bible are still not clear, events will not occur as has commonly been expected. The"beast" who ascends out of the Abyss during the "last days" will be an angelic king named Abaddon. He, with his army

f fallen angels and demons, will overpower the human global government and take over as ruler of the earth. Abaddon will evenonquer the holy sanctuary in heaven and gain victory over the angelic hosts of heaven. Nevertheless, his rule will be for a limitedme only; after 3½ years, God will take his authority away and cause Babylon the Great to fall. Abaddon will marshal his forces inne final attempt to destroy God's people, but he will be unsuccessful. He will end up in the lake of fire as Yeshua the Messiahstablishes the Kingdom of God at the beginning of the Millennium.

Bryan T. HuieDecember 27, 1997

evised: August 16, 2009

W

8/6/2019 Who is the Destroyer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/who-is-the-destroyer 12/12

Contact:

Webmaster:

©2011 Here a little, there a little. All Rights Reserved.

Backto Top

<a href="http://www.herealittletherealittle.net/index.cfm?page_name=Abaddon">Abaddon</a>

Link to Us! Just copy and paste the code above to link to our website.