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In Rev. 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 lost 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 marvelous 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: 36-39).
The Hebrew word maoz, "force", occurs seven times in Dan. 11::--
"Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen
him" (11: 1).
"Out of the 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. 9: 1). The closing
references are to the supernatural powers that will be involved by the Man of Sin.
One of the continual ascriptions of praise offered to God in the O.T. is that He is the
Strength of His people, the same word maoz being used:--
"He is the saving strength of His anointed" (Psa. 28: 8).
"He is their strength in the time of trouble" (Psa. 37: 39).
The Man of Sin is opposed to God and all His ways, and naturally turns elsewhere for
strength. Psa. 52:, while speaking in the first place of Doeg the Edomite, is prophetic
also of the Man of Sin:--