were darkened, the reason given, the smoke coming out from the pit, is a

sufficient explanation, and no figure need be introduced.

In Revelation 16 we find the kings of the earth gathered together by

demoniacal powers to battle.  The place where they assemble is called

Armageddon; and immediately this is stated, we read that the last of the

seven vials is poured out into the 'air' (Rev. 16:13 -17).

Satan has the 'authority of the air'.  When he gives

this authority to the Beast, the whole world realizes immediately that he is

invincible, and their thoughts turn at once to war.  The last of earth's

battles is to be fought at Armageddon, and it will be brought to an end when

the angel pours out his vial into the 'air'!

Leaving this passage for the moment, let us go back to the apocalypse

of the Old Testament, the Book of Daniel.  The eleventh chapter reveals the

character of the time of the end:

'And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt

himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak

marvellous things against the God of gods ... neither shall he regard

the God of his fathers ... but in his estate shall he honour the god of

forces ... .  Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange

god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory' (Dan. 11:36 -

The Hebrew word maoz, 'force', occurs seven times in Daniel 11:

'Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm

and to strengthen him' (11:1).

'Out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which

shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king

of the north' (11:7).

'His sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great

forces (chayil, "army" as in Dan. 11:7,13,25,26): and one shall

certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return,

and be stirred up, even to his fortress' (11:10).

'Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land' (11:19).

'And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary

of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall

place the abomination that maketh desolate' (11:31).

'He shall honour the god of forces' (11:38).

'In the most strong holds' (11:39).

The first reference in this chapter is to the angelic power that

strengthened Darius the Mede when he became king over the realm of the

Chaldees (Dan. 11:1).  The closing references are to the supernatural powers

that will be activating the Man of Sin.