A Chiastic View of History PDF

A Chiastic View of the Future
TANGIBLE SPIRITS, THE CRUCIFIXION AND THE RULE OF GOD

K. JENTOFT
K Jentoft May 15, 2019 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
(1) Why Then and Not Now? 2

Assumptions: Sin of the Sons of God – Before AND Afterwards 2
Problem: Post-Flood Nephilim 3

Why Then and Not Now? 5
(2) Gulf of Protection – Spirits/Flesh 13

What Happened? 14
Before the Flood: Direct Rule by Spirits 15
After the Flood: Spirits Rule via Human Kings 17
God’s Earthly Kingdom and Territory 23
(3) God bridges Gulf Separating Spirits and Flesh 25

Spirit Takes on Flesh 25
God Bridges the Gulf 26
(4) Evil Spirits Breach the Gulf of Protection 33

The Culmination at the End 35
Divided World to Unified World Kingdom 36
Mediated Rule of Human Kings over Unified World Kingdom 37
Non-Physical Spirits to Tangible Spirits: Evil Spirits Breach Gulf 39
Tangible Spirits Rule Humanity Directly 41
Tangible Spirits Physically Corrupt Humanity: Mark of the Beast 44
Man Invades from Heaven and Retakes Earth from Satan 46
New Heaven and a New Earth 47
(5) A Proposed Chiastic View of History 49

Are we going where we have been? 49
(6) Problems and Concerns 53

What about the Rapture and Millennium? 53
(1) Why Then and Not Now?
Sin of the Sons of God – Before AND Afterwards
Assumptions
For the purpose of this chapter, we will assume that the sons of God are
angels, that the “sin of the sons of God” was when these angels copulated with
human women and, finally, the offspring of this sinful union were genetically
corrupted fleshly beings called Nephilim. In some sense, the Nephilim were evil
incarnate, fleshly beings fathered by wicked angels. This background is covered
in great detail in the wonderful book by Dr. Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen
Realm, published by Lexham Press in 2015. Dr. Heiser presents a scholarly
explanation of the spiritual worldview underscored by Genesis 6:1-4 and how it
influenced much of the rest of scripture. In addition, the understanding that
the “sons of God” are angels and not a veiled reference to humans is not at all
unique to Michael Heiser. This is one mainstream interpretation and it is
embraced by such notable Hebrew scholars as Gordon Wenham and John
Skinner, in their excellent commentaries on Genesis. In addition,
understanding the sons of God as angels is certainly the prevailing view, if not
the only view of the 1st century rabbis and the Jewish culture of the writers of
the New Testament. Any other interpretations appeared much later.
One key issue regarding the sin of the sons of God explanation described above
is that according to Genesis 6:4, the sin of the sons of God occurred both in the
days before the flood and also afterwards. In other words, the flood did not
resolve or put an end to the sin of the sons of God described in Genesis 6
verses 1, 2, and 4.
Gen 6:1 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face
of the land, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of
God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took
wives for themselves, whomever they chose…3 The Nephilim were
on the earth in those days, and also afterward when the sons of
God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to
them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown
(emphasis is the author’s).
Nephilim existing “also afterwards” is problematic because the intent of

chapters 7 and 8 is to convey that no flesh was left alive. Genesis details the
flood covering the mountains for 150 days with Noah in the ark for over a year
to emphasize that all flesh living in those days died (Gen 7:19–24).
Gen 7:19 The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all
the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered. The
water prevailed fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered. All
flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts
and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind;
of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath
of the spirit of life, died. Thus, He blotted out every living thing that
was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things
and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only
Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark. The
water prevailed upon the earth one hundred and fifty days.
In Hebrew, “all” can possibly mean “some” in certain cases. In this case, the
idea being conveyed is that “all” really means “all” for the author. Except for
Noah and his family, all of the human descendants of both Cain and Seth
perished as well as all the Nephilim, the corrupted flesh resulting from the
sinful union of women with wicked angels. In other words, the passage is trying
to convey that none of those living in Genesis 6 made it through alive to
Genesis 9 except Noah’s family. In contrast, Noah was pure in his flesh and not
genetically contaminated by the sin of the sons of God. He is referred to as
having integrity or being perfect “in his generations” in both Genesis 6:9 (ESV)
and 7:1 (ESV).
Gen 6:9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man,
blameless in his generation.
Gen 7:11 you are righteous before me in this generation
In fact, scripture records that every father in every generation in Noah’s

genealogy was directly descended from Adam. Noah had no evil angelic fathers
and neither did Noah’s sons.
Problem: Post-Flood Nephilim
Now here is the problem, after they “all” died in the flood the Nephilim reappear
afterwards and their descendants are described as living in the region of
Canaan from Genesis 14 through to 1 Chronicles 20. In Numbers 13:31-33,
the spies Moses sent into Canaan describe the Nephilim they found living
there. This passage clearly describes the “sons of Anak” as descendants of
post-flood Nephilim living in Canaan immediately after Sinai and Israel’s

exodus from Egypt.
Num 13:31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are
not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.”
So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which
they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone,
in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the
people whom we saw in it are men of great size. There also we
saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim);
and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were
in their sight.”
Because all the pre-flood Nephilim perished in the flood, this means that the
sons of God (angels) actually continued to sin and copulate with women after
the flood, creating new Nephilim. Anak’s father, Arba, mentioned in
Joshua 15:13, was either a wicked angel himself or the son of a wicked angel.
In other words, the flood did not resolve the problem of the sin of the sons of
God. In addition, the passage in Numbers is not the only scripture that refers
to Nephilim present after the flood. Clans of Rephaim named in Genesis 14:5-7,
are described in greater detail as Nephilim in Deuteronomy 2:10-11 and 3:11-
13 when scripture explains the early history of Moab and Edom. In short, as
seen in the passage below, the Anakim (sons of Anak) and Rephaim were both
Nephilim descended from wicked angels and living in Canaan (Dt 2:10–11).
Dt 2:10 The Emim lived there formerly, a people as great, numerous, and
tall as the Anakim. Like the Anakim, they are also regarded as
Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim.
Joshua mentions Nephilim repeatedly in the conquest of Canaan in Joshua

12:4, 13:12, 14:12-15, 15:14, 17:15 and Judges repeats the story in 1:20.
Josh 12:4 the territory of Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of

Rephaim
Josh 13:12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth

and in Edrei (he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim); for
Moses struck them and dispossessed them.
Josh 14:12 “Now then, give me this hill country about which the LORD
spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there,
with great fortified cities…Now the name of Hebron was formerly
Kiriath-arba; for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.
Josh 15:14 Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak:
Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the children of Anak.
Josh 17:15 Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up to
the forest and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites
and of the Rephaim
Jg 1:20 Then they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had promised; and he
drove out from there the three sons of Anak.
King David battles Nephilim beginning with Goliath and ending with 1
Chronicles 20:4-8 that documents their final destruction during his reign. The
Hebrew term for giants in these verses in Chronicles is Raphah, a form of
Rephaim, and linked to the Nephilim.
1 Chr 20:4 Now it came about after this, that war broke out at Gezer with
the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the
descendants of the giants, and they were subdued. And there was war
with the Philistines again, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the
brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a
weaver’s beam. Again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of
great stature who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six fingers on
each hand and six toes on each foot; and he also was descended from the
giants. When he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s
brother, killed him. These were descended from the giants in Gath,
and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
The bottom line is that the existence of post-flood Nephilim is significant in the
history of Israel, beginning with the Exodus and continuing to the kingdom of
David. Moreover, after the Nephilim’s descendants are exterminated by David
and his men, they disappear from the narrative of the Old Testament; they
become extinct in the biblical record.
Why Then and Not Now?
So why then and not now? What happened to prevent the sin of the sons of
God from infecting the earth and humanity with incarnate evil? Why do we only
find the descendants of Nephilim, like the sons of Anak, after Sinai? I believe
the answer is found in Genesis 6:3 within the context where the sin is first
described. It seems as if the statement made in Genesis 6:3 is God’s decree of
judgment to resolve the sin of wicked angels corrupting flesh described in
Genesis 6:11,12 when Noah alone was found to be both righteous and have
integrity in his generations, free from the genetic corruption of wicked angels.
Gen 6:11 Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth
was filled with violence. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was
corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.
Gen 6:3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever,
because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and
twenty years.”
At the time God made this decree, humans lived many hundreds of years; Noah
lived 950 years. Immediately after this decree, and beginning with Noah’s sons,
the lifespan of men began to decline. The “lifespan genealogies” of Genesis are
unique in scripture, documenting the lifespan of every father from Adam to
Moses in each generation. Remarkably, Moses is the first man recorded to live
exactly 120 years, and after Moses the lifespans of his sons are not recorded.
More than that, while there are genealogies recording the lineages of many in
scripture (including the sons of Noah, Ham and Japheth), these provide no
lifespan information. Only the lifespans of the family line of Noah, to Abraham
and then to Moses are recorded, as demonstrated when comparing Genesis 10
to Genesis 11. Their mission accomplished; the lifespan genealogies end with
Moses as illustrated below.
Age Man Reference

930 Adam Gen 5
912 Seth Gen 5
905 Enosh Gen 5
910 Kenan Gen 5
895 Mahalalel Gen 5
962 Jared Gen 5
365 Enoch Gen 5 (did not die)
969 Methuselah Gen 5
777 Lamech Gen 5
950 Noah Gen 9, 11
600 Shem Gen 11
438 Apachshad Gen 11
420 Shelah Gen 11
464 Eber Gen 11
239 Peleg Gen 11
239 Rue Gen 11
230 Serug Gen 11
148 Nahor Gen 11
205 Terah Gen 11

175 Abraham Gen 25:7
180 Isaac Gen 35:28
147 Jacob Gen 47:28
137 Levi Ex 6:16
133 Kohath Ex 6:18
137 Amram Ex 6:20
120 Moses Dt 34:7
If God’s judgment on the sons of God recorded in Genesis 6:3 means that the
sin of the sons of God would cease when the lifespan of a man reached 120
years, then we would expect this to happen during the lifetime of Moses. It
seems this is exactly what we find in scripture. After Moses, the sin of the sons
of God ceased. After Sinai, scripture does not record angels fathering new
Nephilim; that had ceased. Only their “evil incarnate” corrupted descendants
remained on earth to be exterminated.
At the same time this distancing of spirits from humans occurs with God and
His angels relative to Israel. The Exodus culminates when God came down on
Mt Sinai and meets directly with His people. God delivers His laws and ten
commandments to them in His own voice, “face to face”, from the burning fire
on the mountain in Deuteronomy 5:4. The people could not stand this tangible
presence of God and declared they would die if it continued. God agreed with
them and implemented a spirit/flesh gulf of protection for His people so they
would not die. After speaking directly on Sinai, God decided to speak to His
people through mediators, first Moses and then the prophets after him (Dt 4:33
Num 12:6, Dt 18:15-22).
Dt 4:33 Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of
the fire, as you have heard it, and survived?
Num 12:6 If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make
Myself known to him in a vision. shall speak with him in a dream.
“Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; With
him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, he
beholds the form of the LORD.
Dt 18:15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from
among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. This is
according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day
of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD
my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.” The
LORD said to me, “They have spoken well. ‘I will raise up a prophet
from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in
his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.”
Moses, unlike the prophets who followed him, knew God tangibly (Num 12:8;
Dt 34:10) like Abraham, Noah and Enoch who all lived more than 120 years (Dt
5:22–28).
Dt 5:22 These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the
mountain from the midst of the fire, of the cloud and of the thick gloom,
with a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of
stone and gave them to me. And when you heard the voice from the midst
of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near
to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. You said, “Behold, the
LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have
heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God
speaks with man, yet he lives. Now then why should we die? For this
great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God
any longer, then we will die. For who is there of all flesh who has
heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we
have, and lived? Go near and hear all that the LORD our God says; then
speak to us all that the LORD our God speaks to you, and we will hear
and do it.” The LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to
me, and the LORD said to me, “I have heard the voice of the words of
this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in
all that they have spoken.”
Scripture does not explicitly state how a 120-year lifespan actually stopped the
sin of the sons of God, it simply ceased during the life of Moses. I propose,
however, that the shortened lifespans are a clue that a genetic decay happened
in humanity such that when the lifespan declined to 120 years, spirits (good or
bad) were no longer tangible but became less physical to our human bodies.
Now for the sin of the sons of God to occur, spirits have to be tangible in ways
that our current bodies no longer genetically tolerate. In early Genesis spirits
appear physical, God walks with Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:8. Adam sees the
Cherubim with flaming swords guarding Eden in Genesis 3:24. God meets Cain
and proclaims His judgment in Genesis 4:9-16.
Gen 3:8 They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden
Gen 3:34 He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned
every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.
Gen 4:15 So the LORD said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain,
vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.”
God physically walks with Enoch and Noah in Genesis 5:24, 6:9. God and two
angels meet and dine with Abraham in Genesis 18:1-33. The two angels dine
with Lot in Genesis 19:3 and wicked men of Sodom (allies of the Nephilim
Genesis 14:1-9) attempt to physically assault angels echoing of the sin of the
sons of God in Genesis 19:5. Spirits physically grab Lot and his family to drag
them out of Sodom in Genesis 19:16. Jacob wrestles with an angel in Genesis
32:24-32, Hosea 12:4. In those days God and spirits could be tangible.
Gen 5:24 Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Gen 6:9 Noah walked with God.
Gen 18:2 three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them,
he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth…
So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly, prepare
three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.”
Abraham…placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the
tree as they ate.
Gen 19:3 so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he
prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
Gen 19:16 the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and
the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the LORD was
upon him;
Gen 2:24 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him
until daybreak. When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he
touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was
dislocated while he wrestled with him.
Hos 12:4 he wrestled with the angel and prevailed
After Moses, spirits interact with the physical world but are more distant
physically. The angel that spoke with Gideon burned up the dinner that Gideon
had brought him instead of eating it in Judges 6:21 and the same is true for
Sampson’s parents in Judges 13:16. The only angelic “touching” happens to
people in visions like Isaiah (Is 6:6) or Jeremiah (Jer 1:9) or during their sleep
as when the angel touched the sleeping Elijah (1 Ki 19:5-7) or when the angel
grabbed the sleeping Peter in his prison cell in Acts12:7 or even touched Daniel
in sleep during which he has visions (Dan 10:9-21).
Jg 6:21 Then the angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was
in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire
sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened
bread.
Jg 13:16 The angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I
will not eat your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to
the LORD.”…So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and
offered it on the rock to the LORD, For it came about when the flame went
up from the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the LORD ascended
in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell
on their faces to the ground.
Is 6:6 I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train
of His robe filling the temple…Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a
burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He
touched my mouth with it
Jer 1:9 Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth,
and the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
1 Ki 19:5 He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there
was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.” Then he
looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot
stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. The
angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said,
“Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.”
Acts12:7 And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a

light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up,
saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands…they came
to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself;
Dan 10:21 But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the
sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face
to the ground. Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling
on my hands and knees…I turned my face toward the ground and
became speechless. And behold, one who resembled a human being was
touching my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke
One very interesting example, is Psalm 104:4 in which God makes the “winds”
His messengers and fire His servants. This word for wind is actually the same
for spirits and is used of angels. We see this fire concept with the angel in
Judges 13:20 when it ascended to heaven in the flame of the offering instead of
eating it. We see the flaming chariots around Elisha in 2 Kings 6:17. None of
these post-Moses spirits were tangible. Finally, we see the flaming chariot in 2
Kings 2:11 when Elijah was taken to heaven not to die. Elijah does not touch
the chariot, or perhaps more importantly the chariot does not touch Elijah.
Instead the flaming chariot appears and Elijah is taken by a physical
whirlwind. Likely the angel of the chariot was in created the whirlwind but no
touching happened. Elijah did not ride the spiritual chariot.
Ps 104:4 He makes the winds His messengers, flaming fire His ministers.
Jud 13:20 For it came about when the flame went up from the altar
toward heaven, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the
altar.
2 Ki 6:17 And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and
behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around
Elisha.
2 Ki 2:11 As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a
chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And
Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.
After Moses, the “touching” by spirits is always linked to visions/dreams/or

sleeping and never during wakeful activity as seen earlier in Genesis. As far as
I am aware, post-Moses angels don’t even physically touch material objects. For
example, with the story of Lot the angels grabbed the door, in Peter’s prison
break, the chains fall off his hands and the iron gate opens by itself. In
conclusion, it seems that the means God used to stop the sin of the sons of
God was linked to the 120-year lifespan decreed in Genesis 6:3. While wicked
angels continued to sin with women and create new Nephilim after the flood;
the sin of the sons of God finally ceased with Moses at Sinai. Spirits, both good
and bad, became less physical. After Moses died at 120 years old, only wicked
descendants of the Nephilim remained on earth and these were destroyed by
God’s people as they conquered Canaan.
Let me repeat the pre-Moses physical spirit/human interaction and contrast

the post-Moses reality in an even stronger way. Pre-Moses God and two angels
visit Abraham who invites them to dinner and they dine with him. The two
angels visit Lot and dine with him in and they physically grab Lot and his
family to drag them out of Sodom in. Even more dramatic is where Jacob
wrestles with angel as confirmed in. It is very clear that spirits can eat with,
physically touch and even wrestle humans pre-Moses.
Post-Moses, during a dramatic event in Jerusalem in Luke 24:36-43, we find

Jesus seeking to prove to His disciples that He is a resurrected man and not a
spirit.
Lk 24:36 While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their
midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.” But they were startled and
frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to
them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?
“See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a
spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And
when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. While
they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said
to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave Him a piece of a
broiled fish; and He took it and ate it before them.
Jesus tells the apostles, “Touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh
and bones as you see that I have.” Jesus Himself claims that spirits are not
tangible with flesh and bones to be felt at that time. When they still did not
believe Jesus then goes further to prove He is not a spirit by asking for
something to eat, implying that spirits do not eat food. This is consistent with
the two angels that simply burned the meals offered to them after Moses. Post-
Moses, spirits do not eat or touch humans except in dreams, sleep or visions.
The decree of Genesis 6:3 implemented with Moses seems to be the best
explanation to reconcile the certain evolution or change of spirit/human
interaction from where spirits touch and eat to where they neither touch nor
eat.
(2) Gulf of Protection – Spirits/Flesh
Gulf Limits Access to the Spirit World
Review
In the first chapter, Why Then and Not Now? we explored that the declining
lifespans resulting from God’s decree point to Moses; the 120-year lifespan in
Genesis 6:3 was exactly fulfilled with Moses and resolved the “sin of the sons of
God” where angels copulated with women and birthed half-breed evil incarnate
beings called Nephilim. In the days before the flood, tangible physical
spirit/human interaction seduced and corrupted the entire world and all of the
descendants of both Seth and Cain, except Noah. This situation continued after
the flood with spirits seducing humanity and enslaving all nations in idolatry
before the Exodus. Then, with Moses and Sinai, both good and bad spirits
became less physical. For bad spirits this meant that the sin of the sons of God
was no longer possible because physical union with human women was no
longer possible. Tangible idols replaced tangible spirits as spirit beings became
more distant physically. Good spirits, God and His angels, became more
distant physically as well. After God Himself tangibly delivered His law “face to
face” to His people at Sinai (Dt 5:4) and they could not endure it, God
implemented prophets, human mediators, to speak His words to His people.
God communicates to His prophets in dreams and visions, but no longer
mouth to mouth and “face to face” as He had with Moses (Num 12:6-8, Dt
34:10). Scriptures relate that neither God nor His angels physically interact
with God’s people as they had in the days before Moses when God walked and
dined with the patriarchs and angels even wrestled with humans.
This is an enormous change that deeply impacted humanity. As I explained in

a previous chapter Why Then and Not Now? let me once again contrast the
physical interaction between humans and spirits before and after Moses.
During the pre-Moses era of the “sin of the sons of God,” by definition
humanity could physically interact with spiritual beings – evil spirits were
tangible. These tangible spirits were worshipped or served by humans who
looked to them for protection and prosperity and wicked spirits could be
experienced with the five senses of mankind. These three events in Genesis
describe human/spirit interactions pre-Moses. Before Moses we see God and
two angels visit Abraham who invites them to dinner and they dine with him.
In chapter 19 the two angels visit Lot and dine with him and they physically
grab Lot and his family to drag them out of Sodom. Even more dramatic is
chapter 32 where Jacob wrestles with an angel. Pre-Moses, spirits eat with
humans and even physically grab and wrestle them. Post-Moses, spirits no
longer eat food. Post-Moses, the only examples of angels or spirits touching
people are in visions and dreams like the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and
Daniel, or when people are asleep as when Elijah is awakened by angels on His
way to Horeb or Peter is awakened by the angel while he was in prison. After
Moses scripture does not record any spirits eating and touching during waking
activity. They no longer touch doors, instead iron gates open by themselves. In
fact, in a dramatic event after Easter, we find Jesus using touching/eating to
prove to His disciples that He is a resurrected man and not a spirit. Jesus tells
the apostles, “Touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and
bones as you see that I have.” Jesus claims that spirits at that time are not
tangible. He then proves the point by eating a piece of fish because spirits do
not eat food.
What Happened?
I believe that this spirit/flesh gulf implemented at Sinai was a gulf of

protection to limit the influence of evil spirits on humanity; God, who is a
spirit, was willing to become less tangible to protect His people and the world
from the physical influence of evil spirits. What happened to the sinning angels
who had copulated with women? Jude 6 and 1 Peter 3:18-20 both describe the
fate of the angels that were sinning before the flood.
Jude 6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned
their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for
the judgment of the great day
1 Pet 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust,
so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but
made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation
to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the
patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the
construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were
brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now
saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for
a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the
right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities
and powers had been subjected to Him.
The sinful angels are now locked in the abyss “kept in eternal bonds under
darkness for the judgment of the great day”. The symbology of the event is
interesting. A flood covers the world destroying the enemies of God and the
angels sinning before the flood remain below it in the abyss. Oddly, a similar
incident happens after the flood as God wages a cosmic war to liberate His
people from Egypt and destroys His enemies in the abyss of the Red Sea; Israel
left Egypt and passed through the baptism of the Red Sea, and God’s enemies
were swallowed up in the abyss. While it is not specified, it seems likely that
the Exodus is the moment that God imprisoned the sinning sons of God
(angels) who had copulated with women after the flood and filled Canaan with
Nephilim. God’s cosmic war with Pharaoh and Pharaoh’s gods also
encompassed the sons of God who had been polluting the promised land with
Nephilim (Dt 1:28-30, Num 13:33). In addition, we see in Exodus 10:19 the
locust plague was sent into the Red Sea as well, a foreshadowing of the locusts
that emerge from the abyss in Revelation 9:3.
Dt 1:28 The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large and
fortified to heaven. And besides, we saw the sons of the Anakim there.
Num 13:33 There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are
part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own
sight, and so we were in their sight.”
Ex 10:19 So the LORD shifted the wind to a very strong west wind which
took up the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea
Rev 9:3 Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power
was given them
Before the Flood: Direct Rule by Spirits
I propose that this protective spirit/flesh gulf is a key factor concerning the
changing rule of God over the earth. God is sovereign and has always ruled
over both the heavens and the earth. But how, or through what means, does
God rule the earth? It seems that before the flood tangible spirits (both good
and bad) rule over humans and were responsible for justice in what was
supposed to be a non-violent creation. Not only were humans purely vegetarian
at that time but there were no carnivorous animals doing violence or shedding
blood either (Gen 1:29-30, Gen 9:5, Is 65:25). Humans at that time are not
given the right to judge murder, only spirits do this (Gen 4:8-13, 4:23-24).
Gen 1:29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding
seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit
yielding seed; it shall be food for you;
Gen 9:5 Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will
require it.
Is 65:25 “The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat
straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil
or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.
Gen 4:8 Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the
LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
Gen 4:23 For I have killed a man for wounding me; and a boy for striking
me; if Cain is avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.
God ruled Eden, and His spiritual cherubim protected it with a flaming sword
(Gen 3:23-24). God also ruled the territory around Eden where Adam lived
before God’s face obeying God’s laws (Gen 4:14). Those obedient citizens under
God’s rule suffered and toiled in His territory as described in Genesis 5:29.
Gen 3:23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to
cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out;
and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the
flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of
life.
Gen 4:14 Cain said to the LORD…“Behold, You have driven me this day
from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will
be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill
me.”
Gen 5:29 Now he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will give us rest
from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground
which the LORD has cursed.”
I propose tangible evil spirits ruled the rest of the world and Cain and his
descendants served them. It appears that the laws of the spirits ruling over the
territory of Cain were different from the territory of God; citizens of evil spirits
do not complain of toil and suffering but instead build cities, make music,
invent metallurgy and pursue technology (Gen 4:17, 21, 22). It is as if those
who lived with Cain were “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Tim
3:4).
Gen 4:17 Cain… built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after
the name of his son.
Gen 4:21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those
who play the lyre and pipe.
Gen 4:22 Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron
There is also something of a parallel between the territories of Noah/suffering

and Cain/pleasure that echoes the choice of Moses, who was also saved in an
ark, “choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy
the passing pleasures of sin” (Heb 11:25). We find Cain’s descendant, the
murderer Lamech, trusting the rule of spirits to prevent any human vigilantes
from judging him.
At least some of these ruling tangible spirits committed the sin of the sons of
God when they took whatever woman “they chose.” The evil angels were the
ones making the decisions, and they copulated with women to birth evil
incarnate fleshly beings called Nephilim in Genesis 6:1-4. Neither human kings
nor nations are described before the flood and the evil Nephilim are the only
mighty ones of that time. The non-violent world God created was consumed
with violence, but we are not told of wars between kings and nations. Instead of
human kings and mighty ones, mankind was subject to tangible spirits, evil
angels, and their genetically corrupted evil progeny of mighty Nephilim. When
there was no protective gulf to restrain human/spirit interaction the result was
evil, “Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled
with violence.” The only exception among all the descendants of Adam that
escaped being influenced and ruled by this evil was Noah and his family living
in God’s territory. Noah, like Adam and Enoch before him, walked with God on
His holy dirt. Aside from Noah, tangible spirits ruling mankind only resulted in
corruption, evil and violence. In response in Genesis 6:3, God decrees the
protective spirit/flesh gulf to distance spirits from humanity.
After the Flood: Spirits Rule via Human Kings
After the flood, the world dramatically changes, it somehow becomes bloodier.
Also, God’s rule on earth changes. God now employs men to execute His
justice. The post-flood world is no longer vegetarian. God allows carnivores
among the animals and expands the human diet by adding meat in Genesis
9:3. In another dramatic change, God delegates human rule and justice to
humans in Genesis 9:5-6.
Gen 9:3 Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to
you, as I gave the green plant.
Gen 9:5 Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require
it. And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of
man. Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in
the image of God He made man.
This command creates the foundation for human kings and kingdoms,
something the world had not yet known. We are even told that the first human
king or mighty one was Nimrod in Genesis 10:8-10. We now have a single
human king and unified kingdom after the flood that celebrated independence
from direct spiritual rule by glorifying themselves and disobeying God in
Genesis 11:4
Gen 10:8: Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth…The beginning

of his kingdom was Babel
Gen 11:4 “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top
will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise
we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
This unified rebellion was so serious that God Himself came down to
investigate in Genesis 11:6.
Gen 11:6 The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have
the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing
which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.”
What God was meaning is that a unified human nation ruled by a single
human king will become as evil as possible because there are no competing
human kings/kingdoms to oppose injustice. God’s answer was to divide
humanity and use competing evil kings to oppose injustice done by other evil
kings. This division is described in Genesis 10 where the entire chapter
documents Noah’s descendants symbolically divided into 70 different nations,
territories, and languages in verses 31, 32
Gen 10:32 These are the sons of Shem, according to their families,
according to their languages, by their lands, according to their
nations….and out of these the nations were separated on the earth after
the flood.
Warring between competing kings and nations will keep the world from
becoming as evil as humanly possible.
The division of humanity into nations and territories also had a spiritual
aspect. When God came down to see Noah’s rebellious descendants at Babel,
he assigned these nations to serve evil angels, the sons of God. In other words,
while God allowed for the rule of human kings – these kings, their citizens and
territories were ultimately ruled by evil spirits God placed over them. This same
concept of God subjecting humans to evil spirits is seen in the life of king Saul;
when he disobeyed, God withdrew His Holy Spirit and sent an evil spirit to
torment Saul (1 Sam 16:14).
1Sam 16:14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil
spirit from the LORD terrorized him.
Instead of “direct rule” by spirits there is now “mediated rule” by evil spirits
through human kings. Deuteronomy 32:7-9 in the ESV version makes this
clear.
7 Remember the days of old;

consider the years of many generations;
ask your father, and he will show you,
your elders, and they will tell you.
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples
according to the number of the sons of God.
But the LORD’s portion is his people,
Jacob his allotted heritage.
The point being made in Deuteronomy is that the sons of God, evil spirits, rule
the competing nations of the world, but God is still sovereign. God Most High
divided the peoples and placed evil angels over them. In a strange way, like the
kings who serve them, these evil spirits were also competing against each other
for power (Dan 10:20, 1 Chr 5:25, 1 Chr 21:16, Jer 51:11)
Dan 10:20 I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I
am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come.
1 Chr 5:25 But they acted treacherously against the God of their fathers
and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God
had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of
Pul, king of Assyria, even the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria,
and he carried them away into exile, namely the Reubenites, the Gadites
and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara
and to the river of Gozan, to this day.
1 Chr 21:16 Then the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of
the Philistines and the Arabs who bordered the Ethiopians
Jer 51:11 The LORD has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes,
Because His purpose is against Babylon to destroy it
In this context of a world of evil kingdoms serving evil spirits, God chose
Abraham and promised that He would make him a great nation that would
possess the territory of Canaan and God Himself would be the king. All the
nations and their kings served other gods, but Israel had been birthed to serve
the true God as their king and live on His holy dirt in Exodus 19:5-6.
Ex 19:5 Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My
covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the
peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of
priests and a holy nation.’
God, the spirit, came down to meet His citizens on Sinai and gave them the
laws of His kingdom and territory directly, “face to face” – and the people
almost died. A tangible Spirit King was too much for them in Deuteronomy
5:22-28 and Deuteronomy 4:33
22 These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain
from the midst of the fire, of the cloud and of the thick gloom, with a great
voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and
gave them to me. And when you heard the voice from the midst of the
darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire….You said, ‘Behold,
the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we
have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that
God speaks with man, yet he lives. “Now then why should we die?.…Go
near and hear all that the LORD our God says; then speak to us all that
the LORD our God speaks to you, and we will hear and do it.” The LORD
heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said
to me, “I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they
have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have
spoken.”
Dt 4:33 Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of
the fire, as you have heard it, and survived?
Acknowledging his citizens would die, God fully implements the protective
spirit/flesh gulf that He decreed in Genesis 6:3 before the flood. After the gulf
of protection, God’s means to interact with His citizens was through a prophet
to whom God would communicate through visions and dreams. The prophet
was the tangible voice of King God to His citizens.
This protective gulf not only impacted how He would interact with His citizens
but also how the “gods” of the nations, evil spirits, would interact with their
kings and citizens as well. Now their spiritual “gods” were no longer physical
either, all that was physically left to the kings and nations were the idols that
represented these spirits in Psalm 106:35-39.
Ps 106:35 But they mingled with the nations and learned their practices,
and served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even
sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, and shed
innocent blood, the blood of their sons and their daughters, whom they
sacrificed to the idols of Canaan
The tangible evil spirits themselves, the “gods” that ruled the nations, now had
to interact with humans in trances, through mediums, necromancers and
other occult practices (Ezek 21:21).
Ezek 21:21 For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at
the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shakes the arrows, he
consults the household idols, he looks at the liver.
After Sinai, we find ruling spirits interacting and communicating with their
kings/citizens mystically. This echoes the change from God speaking to Moses
in tangible “face to face” interactions to God speaking to prophets in visions
and dreams (Num 12:6-8, Dt 34:10). Look at the contrast in Deuteronomy
18:9-15:
9 When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall
not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. There shall
not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass
through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or
one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a
medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does
these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable
things the LORD your God will drive them out before you. You shall be
blameless before the LORD your God. For those nations, which you
shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to
diviners, but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to
do so. The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from
among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.
After the protective gulf, spirits certainly influenced the physical world and
interacted with humanity through mysticism, but not as before when they had
been so tangible that they had been able to copulate with women. Evil spirits
are certainly present but their influence is now mystical or within the minds
and souls of men. After Moses, evil spirits are sent to torment and deceive
Saul’s mind (1 Sam 16:14, 28:13), a deceiving spirit is sent to influence 400
prophets to deceive Ahab (1 Ki 22:21-23). Territorial spirits battle in the
heavens while their physical human minions battle on earth below (1 Dt 1:28,
1 Sam 5:11, 2 Sam 5:24,1 Chr 5:25).
1 Sam 6:14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil
spirit from the LORD terrorized him.
1 Sam 28:13 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid; but what do you
see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a divine being coming up out of
the earth.”
1 Ki 22:21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and
said, “I will entice him.” The LORD said to him, “How?” And he said, “I will
go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” Then He
said, “You are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so.”
1 Dt 1:28 Where can we go up? Our brethren have made our hearts
melt, saying, “The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large
and fortified to heaven. And besides, we saw the sons of the Anakim
there.” Then I said to you, “Do not be shocked, nor fear them. The LORD
your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just
as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes”
1 Sam 5:11 the hand of God was very heavy there. And the men who
did not die were smitten with tumors and the cry of the city went up to
heaven.
2 Sam 5:22 It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the
tops of the balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then the LORD
will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.
1 Chr 5:25 But they acted treacherously against the God of their fathers
and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God
had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit
of Pul, king of Assyria, even the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria,
and he carried them away into exile, namely the Reubenites, the Gadites
and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara
and to the river of Gozan, to this day.
God’s invisible chariots of fire protect territory around Elisha. Competing

territorial spirits, including God’s angels, are real and influence their human
armies on earth, even fighting the battles, but they are not tangible. (Judges
9:23, 1 Sam 16:23,1 Sam 18:10, 1 Kings 22:19-23, 2 Kings 6:17, Dan 10:13)
Judges 9:23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the
men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with
Abimelech
1 Sam 16:23 So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came
to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul
would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him.
1 Sam 18:10 Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from
God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house,
while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and da spear
was in Saul’s hand.
1 Ki 22:19 Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the
LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on
His right and on His left. The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to go up
and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that.
Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, ‘I
will entice him.’”
2 Ki 6:17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, I pray, open his eyes
that he may see.” And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw;
and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all
around Elisha.
Dan 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding
me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes,
came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.
God’s Earthly Kingdom and Territory
At the time of the Exodus, all the nations of the earth served evil spirits and
lived upon territory ruled by these spirits through their human kings. There
was no holy dirt, only profane dirt under the dominion of evil spirits. There was
no kingdom of God on earth. Since pre-flood Eden, there had been no earthly
holy dirt where God dwelt and His citizens lived before His face. Then, with
Moses and Joshua, God conquered Canaan and established His earthly
kingdom on holy dirt with His citizens living within His borders under His
government – God Himself was the King and God’s true prophets who were
100% accurate in their words and predictions. These prophets held a key
political office and voiced God’s decrees and judgments. Prophets were God’s
mouthpiece speaking to both the human king and His citizens. God lived in His
house on the temple mount and was regularly served by His citizens and
priests. This protective spirit/flesh gulf that eliminated interaction with
tangible spirits continued from Moses, past the time of Israel’s human kings,
and past the time of the exile/return of God’s citizens to His holy dirt. Then in
the fulness of time, when His holy dirt was occupied by foreign nations, God
acted to bridge the gulf and become tangible by taking on flesh Himself. Once
more His citizens heard the actual words of God again from the very lips of
God. Humanity actually touched God again. God again dines with Man.
(3) God bridges Gulf Separating Spirits and Flesh
Spirit takes on Flesh
Review
In the second chapter, Gulf of Protection – Spirit/Flesh we reviewed that the
120-year lifespan in Genesis 6:3 was a protective spirit/flesh gulf fulfilled
with Moses at Sinai. This gulf prevented physical interaction between spirits
and humans and resolved the “sin of the sons of God” where angels copulated
with women and birthed half-breed beings called Nephilim. We then explored
that before Moses all of the nations and territories of the world were serving evil
spirits called “sons of God.” Then, at the Exodus, God birthed his own nation
and directly spoke to His citizens at Sinai, communicating the laws of His
kingdom. God then conquered the land of Canaan, destroying the descendants
of the evil Nephilim, and set His house there – creating holy dirt within His
borders where His citizens serve Him. With Moses, who lived for 120 years, a
gulf of protection was implemented that prevents tangible spirit/human
interaction with either good or bad spirits. Instead, the gods of the other
nations now communicate to humans through fortune tellers and divination. In
contrast, God speaks to His citizens through the tangible voice of His prophets,
men with whom He communicates in visions and dreams. This passage in
Deuteronomy 18:14-19 in the ESV describes what happens after this happens.
Dt 18:14 for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to
fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not
allowed you to do this. “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet
like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—
just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the
assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD
my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the LORD said
to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them
a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my
words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command
him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my
name, I myself will require it of him.
God was no longer “face to face” and tangible with His citizens as He was on
Sinai. God sent His citizens many prophets and, unlike Moses, after this gulf
was imposed, God spoke to His prophets in visions and dreams and not “face
to face” Numbers 12:6-8. God was the king of His kingdom after the conquest
of Canaan, but His citizens continued to rebel against Him. First, they rejected
God as their direct king and asked for a human king instead, claiming that
both they and their king will be faithful and continue to serve their God on His
holy dirt (1 Sam 12:12).
1Sam 12:12 “When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon
came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’
although the LORD your God was your king.
Then, the citizens and their king disobeyed God’s laws and they were exiled
from the holy dirt for seventy years, until God brought them back and they
rebuilt God’s house on His holy dirt. However, they remained vassals under
foreign kings, waiting for God’s messiah, the son of David, to come and take his
throne and reestablish the kingdom of God on His holy dirt (Dt 28:36, Is 9:6-7).
Dt 28:36 “The LORD will bring you and your king, whom you set over you,
to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you
shall serve other gods, wood and stone.
Is 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the
government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There
will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the
throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold
it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.
Thus, after the birth of God’s kingdom when the protective spirit/flesh gulf
occurred and His citizens were established on the holy dirt, the final result was
that God’s citizens rebelled and served foreign “gods” of other nations and were
exiled from the holy dirt. After their return from exile, these citizens were left
vassals of other nations with other “gods” – even while living on the true God’s
holy dirt. They were waiting in hope for the great Prophet that Moses had
predicted and the Son of David who would take His throne and reestablish
God’s Davidic kingdom on earth – they longed for the earthly kingdom of God
with His Davidic King again ruling His holy dirt.
God Bridges the Gulf
At that time, God who is a spirit, takes on flesh becoming fully man – and this
was accomplished through a virgin without the “sin of the sons of God” (1Tm
3:16; Mt 1:25; Genesis 6:1-4). Jesus was not a spirit/human half-breed like
the wicked Nephilim. Jesus was God Himself clothed in flesh, fully God and
fully man.
1Tm 3:16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He

who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by
angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up
in glory.
Mt 1:25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called
His name Jesus.
Gen 6:2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful;
and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.
This concept is called the Hypostatic Union, and is fundamental to

Christianity. The Heidelberg Catechism explains this concept in questions 16
and 17. What this means is that God bridged the gulf protecting humanity
from tangible evil spirits. God became tangible as described in 1 John 1:1.
1 Jn 1:1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we
have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with
our hands, concerning the Word of Life
This God-man was the promised prophet in Deuteronomy 18:18 that was “like
Moses” who spoke to God mouth to mouth and saw God’s form and knew God
“face to face” (Dt 34:10).
Dt 18:18 I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like

you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all
that I command him.
Dt 34:10 Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses,
whom the LORD knew face to face
The God-man Jesus actually knew and saw the Father (John 6:46,10:15,
10:30), and brought us the very words of the Father as the promised Prophet
(John 6:14; Acts 3:22, 7:37). God the spirit had leapt over the gulf preventing
spirits from being physical by becoming a man who interacted physically to
deliver His message and live His life among His citizens. God came to His
citizens as the Prophet on his holy dirt and spoke the very words of God with
vocal cords that were once again heard by human ears as at Sinai.
Jn 6:46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from
God; He has seen the Father.
Jn 10:15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father;
Jn 10:30 I and the Father are one.
Jn 6:14 Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed,
they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Acts 3:22 Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A
PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE
HEED to everything He says to you. And it will be that every soul that
does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the
people.”
Acts 7:37 This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, “GOD WILL
RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.” This
is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the
angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our
fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you.
The God-man was more than just the Prophet promised by Moses. He was also
the legitimate descendant of David with the legal right to David’s throne on the
holy dirt of God’s earthly kingdom (Matt 1:1, 2:2, 12:23; Rom 1:3).
Mt 1:1 The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of
David, the son of Abraham
Mt 2:2 Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw
His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
Mt 12:23 All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man
cannot be the Son of David, can he?”
Rm 1:3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David
according to the flesh
At the time the God-man was baptized, He went into the wilderness and met
the spirit Satan. Satan offered to this second Adam and David’s heir, all the
kingdoms of the world for they had been handed to him when the first Adam
sinned (Lk 4:5-6). Jesus refuses Satan’s offer and will not worship Satan in
order to obtain the world’s kingdoms. Instead, after leaving Satan, the God-
man proclaimed the kingdom of God (Lk 4:18-21, 43) was among His citizens
on the holy dirt; offering proof of His authority by healing the sick, raising the
dead, calming the storms and feeding the thousands (Matt 4:23, Lk 8:25).
Lk 4:6 And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its
glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I
wish. “Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.”
Lk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the
captives, recovery of sight to the blind to set free those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.
Lk 4:43 But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the
other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.”
Mt 4:23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their
synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom
Lk 8:25 They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then
is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they
obey Him?”
Unfortunately, for the most part His citizens would not receive His message (Jn
6:66). Instead of a spiritual kingdom they looked for the free bread that His
people had received at Sinai when God was king over Israel (Jn 6:10-15, 6:31-
36, 6:49).
Jn6:66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were
not walking with Him anymore.
Jn6:15 Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him
by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself
alone
Jn 6:31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written,
“HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.”
Jn 6:49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
They looked for Jesus to take up His authority as the Son of David, defeat the
Romans and mount the throne of His earthly kingdom in Jerusalem (Matt
21:4-9).
Mt 21:9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were
shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David;
That did not happen; all that resulted was that He cleaned sinners from His
house on the holy dirt of the temple mount (Matt 21:12-17). Instead of His
earthly throne, He took the throne of His heavenly kingdom (Jn 18:36-37)
Mt 21:12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were
buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money
changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to
them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF
PRAYER’; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.” And the blind and the
lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.
Jn 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My
kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I
would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, my kingdom is not of
this realm.”
and in response His citizens rejected their God-man king and gave their
allegiance to Caesar in John 19:15.
Jn 19:15 So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify
Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests
answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
The tangible Lamb of God was sacrificed for the sins of the world and then
raised from the dead to prove the sacrifice was true and effective. After His
resurrection, the citizens of Jesus’ heavenly kingdom ask if the time has finally
arrived for Him to claim the earthly throne of David in Acts 1:6. Jesus instead
ascends bodily into the clouds promising to return bodily from the clouds in
the future to take up earthly authority with the entire world as His territory
and take His throne to rule all the nations (Acts 1:6-8; Rev 2:27, 19:15). He
then leaves the citizens of His heavenly kingdom a command relative to the
kingdoms of the world.
Acts 1:6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying,
“Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the
Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the
remotest part of the earth.”
What happens at the cross where the God-man died is the cosmic defeat of the
ruler of this world whose spirits have ruled over the kingdoms and territories of
this world since the tower of Babel – the profane dirt that was not Israel. God’s
presence is no longer limited to the house of God on the temple mount sitting
on the holy dirt within the borders of Israel. His kingdom, the heavenly one,
leaves the holy dirt, conquering and liberating citizens in the domain of
darkness beyond Israel’s physical borders. The Holy Spirit and God’s presence
is now found in the citizens of His heavenly kingdom in His house made up of
living stones of peoples of all races (1Pet 2:4-12; Eph 2:19-22; Matt 18:20; Heb
12:18-24).
1 Pet2:4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected
by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living
stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Eph 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are
fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, been built on
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being
the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is
growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built
together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Mt 18:20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I

am there in their midst.
Heb 12:18 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and
to a blazing fire, … But you have come to… the general assembly and
church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the
Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect
What happens after the ascension of the God-man into heaven is that the
citizens of the heavenly kingdom living on earth are sent out to pillage and
plunder Satan’s kingdom. These people operate in Satan’s domain of darkness
to rescue captives among the kingdoms of the world and bring them to the
heavenly kingdom of light. There is a cosmic war in the non-tangible spiritual
world that impacts humanity. Non-tangible evil spirits hold people captive to do
their will but the non-tangible Holy Spirit empowers the audible message of the
gospel spoken by tangible vocal cords of heavenly citizens and heard by
tangible ears of citizens of Satan’s domain. Humanity only observes humans
preaching and some repenting, but the invisible spiritual world is in battle
mode with spirits fighting to maximize the number of citizens in the kingdom
they serve through either the preaching of or resistance to the message of the
gospel.
Looking to the future, this war intensifies and I believe culminates in the
ultimate battle before the end. It seems to me that as we approach that final
battle, God allows the protective gulf between spirit and flesh to be breached by
incarnate evil and echoes of wickedness from before the flood. We see many
reversals before the culmination when things are finally made right and the
God-man descends to rule the nations and all territory on earth.
(4) Evil Spirits Breach the Gulf of Protection
God Allows Reversals near the End
Review
In our first three chapters; (1)Why Then and Not Now, (2) Gulf of Protection –
Spirits/Flesh, (3) God Bridges Gulf Separating Spirits and Flesh we covered the
concept that the 120-year lifespan decreed in Genesis 6:3 imposed a gulf of
protection limiting tangible interaction between spirits and humans. This gulf
was implemented at Sinai with Moses when God birthed Israel and His
kingdom during the Exodus. After this gulf was imposed God spoke to His
prophets in dreams and visions and these prophets communicated His desires
to His citizens. We explained how God conquered Canaan and resided in His
house there; His citizens serving Him as King on holy dirt within the borders of
His kingdom. We then learned how His citizens requested that God be replaced
by a human king and finally how the citizens and their kings refused to listen
to His prophets and rejected God entirely and served the evil spirits of the
nations around them. God sent them into exile away from His holy dirt for 70
years of punishment. God then brought His citizens back to the holy dirt but
God’s earthly kingdom with His home was only partially restored because the
citizens and their human kings remained vassals to the nations around them
and were not truly free in their territory.
God the spirit then took on flesh, being born of a virgin, to leap across the gulf
that prevented spirits physically interacting with humans. His citizens touched
Him and heard words spoken by the very lips of God as they did at Sinai in
Deuteronomy 5:4, “The LORD spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the
midst of the fire.” The evil spirit Satan approached this God-man and offered to
give Him the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship. Refusing, the
God-man willingly died on a cross to inflict a crushing cosmic defeat of Satan
and his dominion holding citizens captive in all the earthly kingdoms of the
world. The God-man was raised from the dead and took authority of his
heavenly kingdom and its citizens on earth. As He left for heaven on the clouds,
the God-man instructed His citizens of His heavenly kingdom to preach the
gospel to all nations and offer citizenship in the heavenly kingdom of light for
all from among the domain of darkness who repent and believe. This continues
until the end, when the God-man will return as the King of the entire world to
rule its territory and kingdoms; the defeat of Satan becomes tangible and God
returns to earth.
The Culmination at the End

As history nears the end, the battle for citizens between the heavenly kingdom
of light and the earthly kingdoms of darkness intensifies, the political and
earthly forces serving the prince of this world become more intense. We see an
increase in persecution of the citizens of the heavenly kingdom and the
message of their gospel in Matthew 24:8-9
Mt 24:8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you
will be hated by all nations because of My name.
As God begins to bring things to a close it seems as if He allows a series of
reversals preparing the world for judgment. These reversals point us back
down the path that we have come. Here is the direction we are going:
1 – Divided World to Unified World Kingdom
2 – Mediated Rule of Human Kings over Unified World Kingdom
3 – Non-Physical Spirits to Tangible Spirits: Evil Spirits Breach Gulf
4 – Tangible Spirits Rule Humanity Directly
5 – Tangible Spirits Physically Corrupt Humanity: Mark of the Beast
6 – Man Invades from Heaven and Retakes Earth from Satan
7 – New Heaven and a New Earth
We move from a divided earth with competing kingdoms after the tower of
Babel to a unified kingdom of Babylon ruling the entire world. We move from
the mediated rule of evil spirits ruling over territories through human kings to
tangible evil spirits directly ruling all of humanity as before the flood. We move
from tangible angels being imprisoned in the abyss before the flood to tangible
spirits ascending from the abyss after the flood. We move from genetically pure
humanity after the flood to corrupted humanity before the flood. We move from
the God-man leaving earth to the God-man invading earth. We move from sin
entering and Satan ruling to sin leaving and Satan being destroyed. We move
from Adam ruling the world to the second Adam ruling the world. We move
from the creation of the heaven and the earth to the creation of a new heaven
and a new earth.
1 – Divided World to Unified World Kingdom

The first of these reversals is God allowing the earth He divided into competing
kingdoms in Genesis 11:5-9 to unify again under a single kingdom or
government labeled Babylon.
Gen 11:9 because there the LORD confused the language of the whole
earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of
the whole earth
This hearkens back to the events of the tower of Babel that we discussed in the
first chapter. With the earth divided into many wicked kingdoms who all
pursue pleasure, wealth and power – wars between competing kingdoms
prevent unlimited evil (Jer 25:14).
Jer 25:14 For many nations and great kings will make slaves of them,
even them; and I will recompense them according to their deeds and
according to the work of their hands.
With this first reversal creating a unified Babylon, God allows the kingdoms of
this world to consolidate as they were before Babel. We again find a unified
earthly kingdom over all peoples and territories with human kings serving the
dragon, the prince of this world. Humanity can now become as evil as possible
without risk of another earthly kingdom threatening to take what belongs to
Babylon (Rev 18:7)
Rev 18:7 for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen and I am not a
widow, and will never see mourning.
Babylon is described in Revelation 17 as the harlot who sits on many waters
riding a scarlet beast.
Rev 17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I
saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast…and on her forehead a name was
written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”…And he said to me, “The
waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and
multitudes and nations and tongues.
Rev 17:18 “The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns
over the kings of the earth.”
The whole concept of this Babylon is an evil government that reigns over all the
kings of the earth providing pleasure, wealth and power as they serve her in
Revelation 18:3-19. “Mother of abominations” refers to idolatry and idolatry in
its simplest definition is the greed of the kings that she satisfies (Col 3:5-6). In
a divided world of competing kingdoms, God’s citizens can flee persecution by
escaping to a different earthly jurisdiction (Matt 10:23; Acts 8:1).
Mt 10:23 But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next
Acts 8:1 on that day a great persecution began against the church in
Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea
and Samaria.”
Flight to safety is impossible when God’s citizens are persecuted in a unified
world kingdom (Rev 17:6, 18:24).
Rev 17:6 I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with
the blood of the witnesses of Jesus
Rev18:24 in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all
who have been slain on the earth.
2 – Mediated Rule of Human Kings over Unified World Kingdom

Just as the evil sons of God ultimately ruled their citizens and territory through
human kings after Babel in Daniel 10:20 and Deuteronomy 32:8 (ESV),Satan
and his beast initially rule this unified world kingdom through wicked human
kings.
Dan 10:20 But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia;
so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come
Dt 32:8 when the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when
he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the
number of the sons of God.”
This is a time of wickedness as humanity is finally unhindered and able to fully
feed its lust for pleasure, wealth and power and destroy God’s people. Wicked
humanity is content and worships their Babylon that satisfies their lusts.
The new Babylon of the conquering leader is depicted as riding on a scarlet
“beast.” Like Nebuchadnezzar of old, this leader conquers the entire world and
brings all the world’s kingdoms under his authority Daniel 7:23-24.
Dan 7:23 “Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on
the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will
devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. ‘As for the ten
horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise
after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue
three kings.
Nebuchadnezzar invaded Israel and successfully made war on God’s kingdom
destroying His house; this echoed by the new Babylon’s war on the saints;
overcoming them and destroying His living temple in Daniel 7:21, Revelation
13:7 and Revelation 11:7.
Dan 7:21 I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints
and overpowering them
Rev 13:7 It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to
overcome them
Rev 11:7 the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with
them, and overcome them and kill them
Like Babylon of old, this new Babylon is both wealthy and powerful, enforcing
the worship of its evil idol on pain of death (Dan 3:1-7; Rev 13:15).
Dan 3:6 whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be
cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.
Rev 13:15 and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast
to be killed
The term “beast” in Revelation is primarily used in two ways; the first describes
the last worldly kingdom in Revelation 17:9 and the other describes a specific
leader of that kingdom as in Revelation13:14-15.
Rev 17:9 The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman
sits,
Rev 13:14 telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the
beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
The same is true of the four beasts in Daniel 7:3 that come up from the sea,
they are described both as kings in Daniel 7:17 and as succeeding kingdoms in
7:23.
Dan 7:17 These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings
who will arise from the earth.
Dan 7:23 Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on
the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will
devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.
Moreover, there even seems to be an overlap that conflates the four beasts of
Daniel with the beast of Revelation. Daniel’s four beasts who come up from the
sea are a lion, a bear, a leopard and a fourth that had 10 horns. The beast in
Revelation that ascends from the abyss is described with characteristics of the
lion, bear, leopard and having 10 horns in Revelation 13:1-4. Satan, the
dragon, is also depicted as having 10 horns in Revelation 12:3, 9 so the beast
from the sea is the embodiment of the dragon/Satan.
Rev 13:1 Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns
and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads
were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard,
and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a
lion.
Rev 12:3 behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns,
and on his heads were seven diadems…And the great dragon was thrown
down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives
the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth,
In Revelation, the dragon/Satan is never called the beast and the beast is never
called the dragon/Satan. Also, it seems that Revelation 17 combines both
concepts of “kingdom” and “individual” when referring to the beast; sometimes
leaving it unclear as to which is which. What is certain is that the “beast –
kingdom” is personified by the “beast – individual;” the kingdom is embodied
in the individual. It is also clear that the beast (kingdom and individual) is the
embodiment of the dragon/Satan, both having seven heads and 10 horns.
I do not understand the details of all the conquering and the logistics for the
formation of this worldwide kingdom depicted with the beasts in Daniel and
Revelation. However, once there is a unified worldly kingdom it seems that
there is another reversal; from the spirit/flesh gulf protecting humanity to the
world losing that protection. What I mean is that the human kings that start
ruling over this final Babylon seem to change or are replaced by something
extra-human.
3 – Spirits Breach Gulf: Non-Physical Spirits to Tangible Spirits

In Revelation we find the dragon receiving the beast, a carbon copy of himself,
that ascends out of the abyss. This abyss was the place that the angels who
committed the sins of the sons of God described in Genesis 6:1-4 were
imprisoned to wait until the time of judgment. These angels are described in
Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4.
their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the
judgment of the great day
2 Pet 2:4 if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them
into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;
I am proposing that the beast that ascends from the abyss is a tangible
spiritual being; either one of the angels who sinned or one of the Nephilim that
resulted from their sin or the king of the abyss, Apollyon himself (Rev 9:11).
Rev 9:11 They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his
name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.
The argument for the beast being an angel would be that a physical union with
women somehow endowed evil spirits with lasting tangibility along the lines of
“and the two shall be one flesh” in Genesis 2:24 and even more with 1
Corinthians 6:16-17.
Gen 2:24 this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be
joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
1 Cor 6:16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a
prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “THE TWO SHALL
BECOME ONE FLESH.” But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one
spirit with Him.
The argument for the beast being one of the Nephilim is that they were
certainly tangible, the evil incarnation resulting from the sin of an evil spirit. In
addition, the Nephilim are specifically mentioned in Genesis 6:4 as being the
mighty ones and rulers before the flood. The Nephilim were not true humans
but creatures with bastardized genetics; non-human beasts. In either case,
whether angel or Nephilim, the final leader of the world is only called “the
beast.” While 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 speaks of the supernatural man of
lawlessness, it also calls him the son of destruction, which is “Apollyon” in
Greek (note: Apollyon/destruction is the name of the angel that is king of the
abyss in Revelation 9:11).
2 Thess2:3 the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction
(Apollyon) …displaying himself as being God…the one whose coming is in
accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false
wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness
Rev 9:11 They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name
in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.
Revelation never refers to the world’s final leader as a man but only as the
beast. If this concept is accurate, God allows tangible evil spirits or corrupted
genetics that had been held captive away from humanity to breach the
protective spirit/flesh gulf that prevented physical human/spirit interaction.
Daniel 2:40-43 hints of this where the final kingdom is described as a mixture
that imperfectly combines in the genetic “seed of men.”
Dan 2:40 Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as
iron…inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay…And in that
you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one
another in the seed of men
In addition, a very interesting part of Daniels’ story of Nebuchadnezzar
describes the ruler of Babylon as a “beast” for seven years, a foreshadowing
echoed by the beast ruling during the tribulation described in Revelation.
4 – Tangible Spirits Rule Humanity Directly

There is another interesting reversal. The dragon, Satan, gives the beast from
the abyss his power, his throne and his authority – the same were offered to
Jesus when He breached the gulf and became tangible God (Matt 4:8-11; Rev
13:1-2).
Mt 4:8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him
all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him,
“All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”
Rev 13:1 Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea… And the dragon
gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
Jesus refused Satan’s offer. In contrast, when the beast breached the
protective gulf, he accepts all of Satan’s kingdom and authority and reenters
the world as its tangible ruler. The beast is described as having something like
an evil resurrection in Revelation 13:12-13 and 17:8, 11. It seems this implies
the dead beast comes alive at that time and journeys towards his final
destruction.
Rev 13:12 the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to
life…is not and will come up
Rev17:8 “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come
up out of the abyss and go to destruction.
Rev 17:11 “The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and
is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
It seems that this language would point to a resurrection of perhaps a slain
human leader, or slain extra-human leader. It might even point to the
replacement of a slain human leader by a tangible angel (angels are capable of
masquerading as angels of light so perhaps other human forms as well?) or
some Nephilim. It is not clear. What does seem clear, however, is that the
creature being described by the author of Revelation existed before the book
was written, does not exist at the time it was written and will exist again after
the book was completed. I propose that this language points to God allowing
one of the antediluvian angels or Nephilim being held in the abyss to bridge the
gulf of protection and return in some way to accomplish God’s purpose of
judgment. Spirits become tangible again.
There is a second beast. The beast from the earth also seems to be something
extra-human and uses the authority of the first beast to do miracles and even
call down fire from heaven (Rev 13:13). Since the time of Moses, all the idols of
the world have been lifeless and mute (Ps 135:17-18; Jer 10:14; Hab 2:18-19; 1
Cor 12:2).
Ps 135:17 They have ears, but they do not hear, nor is there any
breath at all in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them,
yes, everyone who trusts in them.
Jer 10:14 For his molten images are deceitful, and there is no breath in
them.
Hab 2:8 What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, or an image,
a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork when
he fashions speechless idols. “Woe to him who says to a piece of wood,
‘Awake!’ To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’ And that is your teacher? Behold, it is
overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it.
1 Co 12:12 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to
the mute idols, however you were led.
Idols have been lifeless and mute but this now changes. The second beast calls
for those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the resurrected first
beast and this image will actually “speak.” This has never happened with idols
in scripture. In fact, this image seems to be what is meant in 13:5 when it
describes the first beast from the abyss saying, “There was given to him a
mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies.” It is likely the image actually
is the beast’s “mouth.”
The way it is described in Revelation 13:14-15 seems to imply that the second
and the first beast are somehow different from the “standard humanity” of
“those who dwell on the earth.”
Rev 13:14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the
signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast,
telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who
had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And it was given to
him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of
the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the
image of the beast to be killed.
We are not told of what material this image is made. It seems, however, that
the image is made of something different than the standard metal, stone and
wood. Specifically, the image of the beast contrasts with idols of those living
during the sixth trumpet of Revelation 9:20.
Rev 9:20 The rest of mankind…did not repent of the works of their hands,
so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver
and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor
hear nor walk;
Unlike this beast’s living image, their idols were made of gold, silver, brass,
stone and wood that can neither see nor hear nor walk. Whatever the image is
made of, God allows the second beast to give “breath” or spirit to the image of
beast from the abyss. This seems to echo the breath of life that God gave Adam
at creation in Genesis 2:7.
Gen 2:7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living
being.
Perhaps something genetic like a bio-manufactured body coming alive is
implied, we don’t know, but both this event and image are describing
something supernatural and extra-human; the breath/spirit changes and
empowers the image. Spirits are tangible and the gulf of protection has been
breached.
Just as Satan was handed authority and given dominion over the world by
Adam, we find the human rulers over the world’s unified kingdom of Babylon
handing the resurrected beast all their authority in Revelation 17:12-13.
Rev 17:12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet
received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for
one hour. “These have one purpose, and they give their power and
authority to the beast.
These human rulers transfer their thrones to the beast with the intent to
destroy the human-ruled unified kingdom of Babylon that they hate and return
to the pre-flood era where tangible spirits and Nephilim directly ruled mankind
without human kings. (Rev 17:16-17)
Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will
hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her
flesh and will burn her up with fire. For God has put it in their hearts
to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their
kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.
These ten human kings destroy the human-centric Babylon that satisfied
humanity’s lusts in exchange for worship. Babylon is replaced by something
older that dates back to before the flood; direct rule by spirits and Nephilim.
Instead of satisfying human lust in exchange for worship, tangible spirits now
demand complete worship and give humanity torment, destruction and
damnation in exchange. Tangible spirits ,whose only desire is to subjugate
humanity and extract total unchallenged worship, now rule the world (Rev
16:2-6, 8-9, 10-11).
Rev 16:2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth;
and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the
mark of the beast and who worshiped his image…Men were scorched
with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the
power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him
glory….they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed
the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not
repent of their deeds
Thus, in this reversal, we now have a beast/tangible spirit with direct rule over
humanity racing towards judgment – a being who also ruled in the pre-flood
world until the judgment of the flood.
5 – Mark of the Beast: Tangible Spirits Physically Corrupt Humanity

If the Nephilim were on the earth both before and after the flood, then it seems
likely that there would have been two separate judgments to imprison the
sinning angels causing the Nephilim (before and after) and lock them in the
abyss. The first judgment would seem to be the waters of the flood itself and
the second judgment would seem to be at the Exodus/Sinai in the waters of
the Red Sea – when the gulf of protection was actually implemented. Both
events are very important milestones in the history of God’s kingdom when He
judged the evil angels/Nephilim at the time of Noah and then afterwards
Canaan with its Nephilim. In fact, Revelation 9:1-3 describes an interesting
inversion of the plague of locusts in Exodus 10:19.
Ex 10:19 So the LORD shifted the wind to a very strong west wind which
took up the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not one locust
was left in all the territory of Egypt.
Rev 9:1 the key of the bottomless pit (literally the “shaft of the abyss”)
was given to him…He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went
up…Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power
was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
After God covered Egypt with locusts as part of His cosmic war, God sent the
locust plague into the abyss of the Red Sea in Exodus 10 but in Revelation 9 a
plague of spiritual locusts emerges from the abyss to infect mankind.
The last reversal and final step back to the genetically corrupt humanity that
existed before the flood, is to infect humanity with the mark of the beast so
they are actually owned by the beast. I propose that the fulfillment of the mark
of the beast is not simply some financial system with biometrics, but perhaps it
begins that way. The term for “mark” used in Revelation refers to a mark of
ownership and the stamp of the reigning emperor. God, in the pre-flood times,
had allowed the sons of God to genetically infect and corrupt humanity. As an
echo of those events, God allows the door to the abyss to be unlocked and the
tangible pre-flood spirits held captive and reserved for judgment (2Pet 2:4,
Jude 6) invade the earth to inflict this judgment Revelation 9:1-11.
2 Pet 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them
into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;
their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the
judgment of the great day
Rev 9:3 Then out of the smoke (of the shaft of the abyss) came locusts
upon the earth…They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any
green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of
God on their foreheads…their torment was like the torment of a scorpion
when it stings a man…have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in
their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. They have as
king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon,
and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.
These spirits sting every human not sealed as God’s property on either their
right hand or forehead and infect their bodies with tangible evil spirit matter.
Once stung, humanity becomes physically corrupt, like those before the flood
who were genetically corrupted by the sin of the sons of God. Those stung are
no longer purely human. Those stung are no longer eligible for the salvation
purchased for humanity by the blood of Christ. They are beyond redemption as
shown in Revelation 14:9-11.
Rev 14:9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a
loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and
receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink

of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the
cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the
presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the
smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day
and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever
receives the mark of his name.
6 – Man Invades from Heaven and Retakes Earth from Satan

Finally, at the end we see Satan’s kingdom of the beast has exterminated all
the heavenly citizens within its borders, the entire world. The world is now
purely evil and neither Satan nor the beast fear any opposition on earth, they
have completely conquered and own humanity. But then there is a reversal.
Instead of an evil world peace, the human Son of Man residing in the heavens
descends to earth leading an invasion. The beast and the world’s human kings
with all of their human armies assemble to make war against the King of kings
and His heavenly army of spirits. The way Revelation 19 describes the
preparation for the battle is a cosmic invasion. From heaven there is a man
with spiritual warriors attacking a tangible spirit leading human warriors on
earth.
The battle’s outcome is that the two beasts are seized and are thrown alive into
the lake of fire and all of their human armies are killed by the heavenly man
Revelation 19:20 and 19:21.
Rev 19:20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false
prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived
those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped
his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which
burns with brimstone.
Rev 19:21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from
the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with
their flesh.
It seems as if the only task of the spiritual warriors is simply to seize the beasts
(similar to the angel seizing Satan a few verses later), and that killing the evil
human armies was only left to the human King.
The different treatment of the two beasts from the human armies seems to be
one more indication that they were extra-human, tangible angels. Humans die
and are all resurrected to either live forever or die a second time (Rev 20:5,
20:14; Heb 9:27; Rev 2:11, 21:8).
Rev 20:5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years
were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one
who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has
no power,
Rev 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This
is the second death, the lake of fire.
Heb 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after
this comes judgment,
Rev 2:11 He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.
Rev 21:8 their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death.
All spiritual beings are cast directly into the lake of fire to die a first death in
what for humans is called the second death in Revelation 20:14. The devil,
Satan, is also thrown directly into the lake of fire in Revelation 20:10 as the
beasts were in Revelation 19:20.
Rev 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of
fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and
they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Rev 19:20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who
performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had
received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these
two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
The beasts and the Satan are treated identically at the end and this seems to
indicate that the beasts, like Satan himself, were not in fact human but
tangible spirits.
7 – New Heaven and a New Earth

While not much is actually said in scriptures about the new heavens and the
new earth, these passages provide enough detail to know that is a place where
God’s kingdom is on earth and that nothing pollutes it, at least that is what it
seems.
Oddly, however, it seems as if there is still mortality. At least based upon the
passage in Isaiah 65:17 where it does indicate people will die. There is also
procreation and a humanity that is long-lived like the mean of early Genesis.
Is 65:17 For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the
former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad
and rejoice forever in what I create…For the youth will die at the age of
one hundred and the bone who does not reach the age of one hundred will
be thought accursed…For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of
My people, and My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands.
They will not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they are the
offspring of those blessed by the LORD, and their descendants with them.
In addition, based upon Isaiah 66:24, there appears to be unburied corpses left
over from an earlier time on display for God’s citizens living on earth – a
monument to the consequences of sin and transgression. This is a concept that
seems at odds with Revelation 21:1-4 when we are told the first heavens and
earth passes away. Perhaps the people viewing corpses in Is 66 are actually
waiting for the new heaven and earth Peter speaks about in 2 Peter 3:10-13?
Is 66:22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth which I
make will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “So your offspring and
your name will endure. And it shall be from new moon to new moon and
from sabbath to sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before Me,”
says the LORD. “Then they will go forth and look on the corpses of the men
who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die and their
fire will not be quenched; and they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.”
Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first
heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any
sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven
from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a
loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is
among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people,
and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear
from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer
be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
2 Pet 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the
heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed
with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all
these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you
to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming
of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by
burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His
promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which
righteousness dwells.
(5) A Proposed Chiastic View of History
Are we going where we have been?
Chiasm?
What is a chiasm in the scripture? A chiasm is a literary technique that
presents ordered ideas, and then repeats the series of ideas in the opposite
order. Chiastic structure is often described in letters or even colors. The goal of
chiastic structure is to communicate emphasis, repetition, or clarification. The
term chiasm comes from the Greek letter 'chi' or X that graphically shows the
concept.
Matthew 6:24 demonstrates a three-level chiasm: "No one can serve two
masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted
to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."
A: No one can serve two masters;
B: for either he will hate the one
C: and love the other,
C′: or he will be devoted to one
B′: and despise the other.
A′: You cannot serve God and wealth.
Psalm 110 is built upon a four-level chiastic structure with the most important
idea at the center of the chiasm.
A: The LORD establishes the King (verse 1)
B: He is set to conquer (verse 2)
C: The day of His power (verse 3)
D: The LORD makes an unbreakable oath (verse 4)
C′: The day of His wrath (verse 5)
B′: He goes out to conquer (verse 6)
A′: The LORD establishes the King (verse 7)
A chiasm can also happen on a larger scale. Gordon Wenham in "The
Coherence of the Flood Narrative" pages 336–348 describes the chiastic
structure of the flood narrative in Genesis. This chiasm happens across
multiple chapters.
A: Noah and his sons (Gen 6:10)

B: All life on earth (6:13a)
C: Curse on earth (6:13b)
D: Flood announced (6:7)
E: Ark (6:14-16)
F: All living creatures (6:17–20)
G: Food (6:21)
H: Animals in man’s hands (7:2–3)
I: Entering the Ark (7:13–16)
J: Waters increase (7:17–20)
X: God remembers Noah (8:1)
J': Waters decrease (8:13–14)
I': Exiting the Ark (8:15–19)
H': Animals (9:2,3)
G': Food (9:3,4)
F': All living creatures (9:10a)
E': Ark (9:10b)
D’: No flood in future (9:11)
C': Blessing on earth (9:12–17)
B': All life on earth (9:16)
A: Noah and his sons (9:18,19a)
Chiastic Structure of God’s Rule of Earth

I am proposing a chiastic structure for the history of creation as outlined in the
scriptures. In its simplest truncated form, it would look like this.
A: God creates the heavens and the earth
B: Spirit takes on flesh and born of virgin – crucifixion
A′: God creates the new heavens and the new earth
Obviously, there are many additional events that happen between the first and
last idea and the most important idea in the center. I am proposing a chiasm
that includes many points and events raised in the previous chapters. One
challenge regarding a chiasm is understanding the key points that should be
included. A second challenge is understanding which points actually relate to
which points. Unfortunately, applying this literary tool is not an exact science.
The main point I wish to make with this proposed chiasm is to provoke
curiosity and a greater discussion of the concept itself and see if it provides a
useful vantage point from which to consider both history and the future.

New Earth (God creates heaven and earth)
Man Rules all earth (Adam) Gen 1:26
Given bride (Eve) Gen 2:18
Bride causes Man’s fall - Sin enters Gen 3:6
Tangible Spirits Rule – Direct (earth ruled by Satan) Gen 4:15,24; Luke 4:6
Enoch prophesies to corrupt flesh/spirits and does not die Gen 5:24, Jude 14
Sin of sons of God – angel/human copulation corrupted flesh Gen 6:1,2,4
Flood/Abyss - angels judged and descend into abyss Gen 7:21-23, Jude 6
Noah saved in ark Gen 7:23
Human Kings under Spirits Gen 9:6
Babylon – unlimited violence when no competing human kingdoms Gen 11:4-6
Earth Divided into Territories Gen 11:8-9; Dt 32:8
God chooses Abram and creates nation Gen 12:1-3
God births earthly kingdom (Exodus/baptism) Ex 14; 1 Pet 3:20
God’s written certain laws for earthly kingdom (Moses and prophets)
History of Israel
GULF - no more angel/human copulation – lifespan of Moses is 120
God’s earthly kingdom rejects God the Spirit – apostate/exiled
Lv 26:14-38; 2 Ki 17:20-23; Jer 25:1-25; 1 Ch 9:1;2 Ch 36:12-21
Jesus Christ Spirit takes on flesh and born of virgin – crucifixion
God’s earthly kingdom rejects God the Man – apostate/exiled

Jn 19:5; Lk 13:34
PENTECOST – God’s Spirit in man Acts 2:1-4
History of Church
God’s written certain laws for heavenly kingdom (Jesus and apostles)
God births heavenly kingdom/baptism Lk 17:21
God chooses citizens from all nations Acts 15:7-9
Earth’s territories unified Rev 13:7
Babylon - unlimited violence when no competing human kingdoms
Human Kings under Spirits Rev 17:12-13
Rapture if it happens? 1 Co 15:51-52, 1 Th 4:17
Angel/Beast ascends from Abyss Rev 13:1-4; Rev 17:17
Pre-flood tangible spirit locusts sting world citizens – flesh corrupted Rev 9:1-11
2 Witnesses: Enoch? prophesies to corrupt flesh and killed by beast Rev 11:3-17
Tangible Spirits Rule – Direct (earth ruled by Satan/Dragon/Beast) Rev 13:4; 16:13, 19:19
Man causes brides cleansing - Sin destroyed Rev 19:7-8,
Given bride (Church) Rev 21:2
Man Rules all earth (Jesus) Rev 19:15, 20:4
New Earth (New heaven and new earth)

This chiasm above seems to help create a framework to attempt to understand
both the past and the present and ultimately the future. The concept may be
flawed or incomplete but it also seems helpful as a potential method to work
with events and ideas that have been confusing and difficult, especially relative
to the end times and the supernatural evil scriptures describe there.
(6) Problems and Concerns
What about the Rapture and Millennium?
Rapture?
It seems to me based upon the proposed chiastic approach outlined in chapter
five, A Proposed Chiastic View of History, that if there is a rapture it would
reflect God saving righteous Noah and his family in the ark seven days before
the flood of judgment in Genesis 7:10-12.
Gen 7:10 It came about after the seven days, that the water of the flood
came upon the earth.
Scripture records that nobody repented that Noah left behind, based upon the
chiasm we would expect something similar with the rapture; all those left
behind on earth at the time of the rapture would perish. There would be no
people who were left behind that then repented and became citizens of heaven.
The “left behind” are all damned. Noah’s salvation just removed his family from
judgment. All who were left behind died in the waters. All who are left behind in
a rapture would experience a similar fate as I understand things.
However, if this is the case, the rapture could not occur before the appearance
of the beast from the abyss because we are told that the beast makes war
against the saints and overcomes them in Revelation 13:7, Daniel 7:21,
Revelation 11:7.
Rev 13:7 It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to
overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and
nation was given to him.
Dan 7:21 I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints
and overpowering them
Rev 11:7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes
up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill
them.
If no one repents after the rapture, there must be some overlap with saints
living on the earth in order that he can kill them. Heavenly citizens are being
killed the when the second beast appears and causes all to be given the mark
of the beast in Revelation 13:15.
Rev 13:15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the
beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as
many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
However, is also possible that the “marking” is a twofold process, beginning
with a financial mark and then later a second marking when tangible spirits
sting all who took the first financial mark. It is not clear. Regardless, 144,000
sealed heavenly citizens seem to remain on earth during the release of the
tangible spirits in Revelation 9:1-12.
Rev 9:3 Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power
was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told
not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but
only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
Scripture seems to describe worshipping the beast and receiving his mark as
synonymous in Revelation 14:9, 16:2, 19:20 and 20:4. The second beast
causes as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed (Rev
13:15).
Rev 14:9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a
loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a
mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the
wrath of God
Rev 16:2 the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped
his image.
Rev 19:20 he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and
those who worshiped his image
Rev 20:4 those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had
not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand
Rev 13:15 and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast
to be killed
Scholars are divided if this literally means “all” who did not worship the beast,
or only “some” of those who did not worship the beast. If this means “all” then
at some point in time, the world could/would only be populated by wicked
humans who worship the beast and have his mark. If it actually means only
“some,” then there are only two categories of people left in the world; those
sealed by God and those marked and owned by the beast. We are assuming in
the latter case that the angels who seal are actually effective in sealing “all”
those who are heavenly citizens and not only “some”.
Another approach is that if there is a rapture, it seems that it would be related
to the sealing in Revelation 7:2-3 as we find these sealed in heaven in
Revelation 14:3 and they are described as having been “purchased from the
earth.”
Rev 7:2 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun,
having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the
four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying,
“Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the
bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”
Rev 14:3 no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-
four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.
The trouble with the sealed 144,000 being raptured is that that the sealed ones
are identified as all those who were not stung in Revelation 9:4. If this sting is
the mark of the beast, then the 144,000 all died as we also find them referred
to as those did not receive the mark of the beast “coming to life” in Revelation
20:4.
Rev 9:4 but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their
foreheads.
Rev 20:4 And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because
of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who
had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the
mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life
and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
In fact, this passage seems to indicate that “only those who died and came to
life again” were the ones who ruled with Christ for the millennium. This is
interesting because the passage in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 doesn’t speak
about reigning but “always being with Him” so perhaps those who are
resurrected there come to life after the time of reigning?
1 Thess 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we
shall always be with the Lord.
Frankly, I find the concept and timing of the rapture in Revelation confusing.
As I have studied this matter, it seems that the scholars also find this matter
confusing and present many views that are mutually exclusive on details and
timing. For my purpose, based upon the chiastic structure approach, all I can
say is that it seems to be that if there is a rapture it would reflect the condition
of the world at the time Noah entered the ark. There was only Noah’s family as
citizens of God’s kingdom and all rest of corrupt humanity was serving evil
spirits of Satan. Only Noah and his family were saved.
Millennium?
The rapture is not my largest concern or source of confusion. The biggest
problem or concern that I find in the chiastic approach that I have described is
the lack of a clear millennium – in either the chiasm or scripture. I have been a
believer in a literal millennium my entire life, but now I am reconsidering that
approach. The reason for my new found confusion is not the entire lack of
passages that indicate a millennium, not the least of these being Revelation
20:1-10.
Rev 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key
of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the
dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound
him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, 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. Then I saw thrones, and they sat on
them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who
had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of
the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image,
and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and
they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
The problem is that as I have been looking at scripture to attempt understand
what happens on the earth, there seems to be nobody left to rule. The nations
are empty as they all worshipped the beast and received his mark. All (if the all
means “all” and not “some”) of the wicked are dead and all (if the all means “all”
and not “some”) of the Godly seem to be either dead or raptured. My view of the
millennium understood that all the nations of the world were ruled by Christ
on the throne in Jerusalem, after throwing the beasts into the lake of fire and
imprisoning Satan in the abyss. These nations bring tribute (Zech 14:13-21; Is
2:1-4; Dan 7:13-14; Rev 20:4-10). This may be what happens in a millennium
but how? Where do the people of the nations come from? Who is left to reign
over and populate all these kingdoms of earth who will ultimately follow Satan
and rebel at the end of 1,000 years?
Zech 14:13 It will come about in that day that a great panic from the
LORD will fall on them; and they will seize one another’s hand, and the
hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another. Judah also will fight
at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be

gathered, gold and silver and garments in great abundance.
Is 2:1 The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and
Jerusalem. Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of
the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains,
and will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.
Dan 7:13 one like a Son of Man was coming, and…to Him was given
dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of
every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion
will not pass away; And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.
Rev 20:4 they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand
years….When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released
from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the
four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the
war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came
up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints
and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and
brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will
be tormented day and night forever and ever.
More than that, it seems that all who are raptured and all who are resurrected
will have glorified bodies. Glorified bodies do not procreate Matthew 22:30.
Mt 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in
marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
Also remember, at the end we have the 144,000 sealed before God’s throne and
off the earth in Revelation 14:1-5, we have all those citizens of heaven who
have come out of the tribulation in heaven in Revelation 7:9-14.
Rev 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount
Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His
name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads….And they
sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and
the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and
forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. These are the
ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept
themselves chaste…These have been purchased from among men as first
fruits to God and to the Lamb.
Rev 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which
no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and
tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…Then one of the
elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes,
who are they, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “My lord,
you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the
great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb.
The binary world has God’s people in heaven with glorified bodies and the
people the beast owns on earth getting utterly destroyed. In addition, if we
interpret things literally, all of the 144,000 who were sealed are described as
chaste men with no wives to procreate with. Lastly, if we consider what
happens to the righteous upon Christ’s return in 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, we
find all with glorified bodies.
1 Co 15:51 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be
changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for
the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we
will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this
mortal must put on immortality.
It would even seem that those who meet Him in the air in 1 Thessalonians
4:13-18, will be given glorified bodies along with those who are raised from the
dead because of the claim of 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 that states that “we will
not all sleep, but we will all be changed.” Once we are changed and have
glorified bodies there is no procreation and therefore no traditional humanity to
rule over in the millennium. Who is left to reign over?
2 Thess 4:13 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who
are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those
who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God,
and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain
will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
In researching the question, “Who is left to reign over?” one plausible approach
explains that some remnant of heavenly citizens remains on earth when Christ
returns and it is this group of Godly humanity with normal bodies that
repopulate the earth and all the nations. The concept is that at various times in
Revelation the “all” means only “some” of the righteous are killed. This view
allows for “some” righteous people to survive the tribulation and Christ’s
second coming alive and without glorified bodies. These righteous then
repopulate the earth and all its kingdoms. Frankly that seems like a lot of
“repopulating” to happen in a thousand years, to fill the earth’s nations. In
addition, if these are the children of Godly parents, it seems tragic that they all
end up being deceived by Satan and then following the dragon when he is
released from the abyss after the thousand years to fight God and be damned.
What happens to the concept in Psalm 102:28?
Ps 102:28 The children of Your servants will continue, and their
descendants will be established before You
A similar approach could be that the “all” only means “some” for both the
righteous and the wicked – that only “some” of the righteous and only “some” of
the wicked are killed in tribulation. This view allows for “some” righteous and
“some” wicked people to survive the tribulation and Christ’s second coming
alive and without glorified bodies. In this scenario, the world’s kingdoms are
repopulated by both righteous and wicked, a mixed bag. In any case, there still
seems to be a lot of repopulating from this small group and somehow the
previous amazing victory battle by the returning Christ over the forces of the
beasts and the dragon seems minimalized.
Ultimately, while I have always believed and loved the concept of the
millennium, I do not understand how it would happen anymore. I am more
confused now about the millennium than when I began this project and it does
not appear that the chiastic approach helps here, except to perhaps indicate
that maybe there is no millennium after all?
New Heaven and New Earth: Certain
What seems certain is that at the end, with or without a rapture or a literal
millennium, we finally arrive at a point where God makes a new heaven and a
new earth, without sin and perfect – where His will is done on earth as it is in
heaven. It seems to me that many of the passages that I believed to be
describing the millennium are actually describing the new heaven and earth
like Isaiah 65:17-25. The new earth begins with the long lives described in
early Genesis when men had lifespans of over 900 years.
Is 65:20 No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or
an old man who does not live out his days; for the youth will die at the
age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one
hundred will be thought accursed…22 For as the lifetime of a tree, so
will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will wear out the
work of their hands.
We are not given an exhaustive vision of the details of the new heaven and the
new earth. The history presented in early Genesis seems like looking backward
through a keyhole instead of an exhaustive panorama of history. In the same

way looking forward to the new heavens and new earth is like looking at the
future through a keyhole as we consider the descriptions in scripture. We know
that it will be wonderful, but just not the details of how wonderful.

A Chiastic View of History PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

A Chiastic View of History PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

A Chiastic View of the Future

TANGIBLE SPIRITS, THE CRUCIFIXION AND THE RULE OF GOD

(1) Why Then and Not Now? 2

Problem: Post-Flood Nephilim 3

(2) Gulf of Protection – Spirits/Flesh 13

(3) God bridges Gulf Separating Spirits and Flesh 25

(4) Evil Spirits Breach the Gulf of Protection 33

(5) A Proposed Chiastic View of History 49

(6) Problems and Concerns 53

(1) Why Then and Not Now?

Sin of the Sons of God – Before AND Afterwards

Nephilim existing “also afterwards” is problematic because the intent of

Gen 7:11 you are righteous before me in this generation

In fact, scripture records that every father in every generation in Noah’s

Problem: Post-Flood Nephilim

post-flood Nephilim living in Canaan immediately after Sinai and Israel’s

Joshua mentions Nephilim repeatedly in the conquest of Canaan in Joshua

Josh 12:4 the territory of Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of

Josh 13:12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth

Why Then and Not Now?

Age Man Reference

205 Terah Gen 11

Gen 6:9 Noah walked with God.

Hos 12:4 he wrestled with the angel and prevailed

Acts12:7 And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a

After Moses, the “touching” by spirits is always linked to visions/dreams/or

Let me repeat the pre-Moses physical spirit/human interaction and contrast

Post-Moses, during a dramatic event in Jerusalem in Luke 24:36-43, we find

(2) Gulf of Protection – Spirits/Flesh

Gulf Limits Access to the Spirit World

This is an enormous change that deeply impacted humanity. As I explained in

I believe that this spirit/flesh gulf implemented at Sinai was a gulf of

Before the Flood: Direct Rule by Spirits

There is also something of a parallel between the territories of Noah/suffering

After the Flood: Spirits Rule via Human Kings

Gen 10:8: Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth…The beginning

7 Remember the days of old;

God’s invisible chariots of fire protect territory around Elisha. Competing

God’s Earthly Kingdom and Territory

(3) God bridges Gulf Separating Spirits and Flesh

Spirit takes on Flesh

God Bridges the Gulf

1Tm 3:16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He

This concept is called the Hypostatic Union, and is fundamental to

Dt 18:18 I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like

Jn 10:15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father;

Jn 10:30 I and the Father are one.

Mt 18:20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I

(4) Evil Spirits Breach the Gulf of Protection

God Allows Reversals near the End

The Culmination at the End

2 – Mediated Rule of Human Kings over Unified World Kingdom

3 – Non-Physical Spirits to Tangible Spirits: Evil Spirits Breach Gulf

4 – Tangible Spirits Rule Humanity Directly

5 – Tangible Spirits Physically Corrupt Humanity: Mark of the Beast

6 – Man Invades from Heaven and Retakes Earth from Satan

7 – New Heaven and a New Earth

1 – Divided World to Unified World Kingdom

2 – Mediated Rule of Human Kings over Unified World Kingdom

3 – Spirits Breach Gulf: Non-Physical Spirits to Tangible Spirits

4 – Tangible Spirits Rule Humanity Directly

5 – Mark of the Beast: Tangible Spirits Physically Corrupt Humanity

receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink