PTNews

P r o p h e tic Truth in the N e w s

October 2024

   Published monthly by Mike Wingfield Ministries

All Bible references are from the KJV   

God’s Judgment of Earth’s Demon Den

“And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of [demons], and is become the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” Revelation 18:2

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By Mike Wingfield

The Christmas season will soon be upon us. And songs such as “Joy to the World,” are among the traditional favorites that even secular radio stations play. Do people understand that this song reflects upon the joy that will come when Jesus rules over all nations in His future kingdom? For the first time, mankind will have a perfect, holy, righteous, and just King. For 1,000 years the earth and its global population will enjoy the physical and spiritual blessings of living in a perfect environment with a perfect government. Read the lyrics and reflect upon the joy that will come when our Lord reigns over all the earth.

Joy to the World, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders, of His love.

It is God’s sovereign choice that as the kingdom on earth begins, He will have Satan bound in the bottomless pit. This will be done so Satan will not be able to deceive the nations for the duration of Christ’s kingdom reign. John recorded this truth for us in Revelation 20:1-3, “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled.” We can rejoice that the old serpent that deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden and has wreaked havoc and misery upon the nations since the beginning, will finally be put away for 1,000 years.

However, have you ever wondered what the Lord will do to Satan’s army of demons that have assisted him since his rebellion against God in heaven? What will the Lord do with them at the beginning of the kingdom? Without their master, Satan, what will the demons do? Will God imprison them? If so, where will He send them? God has a unique plan recorded in His Word for what will happen to the millions, perhaps billions, of demons for the duration of the kingdom. That is the subject of this newsletter.

Why would we want to think about this? In this newsletter, I have several practical reasons for exploring this matter. First, in this study, we will discover that there has been a geographical demonic headquarters on earth since the beginning of time. From this center of operations, Satan has dispatched his demons around the earth to damn and deceive mankind. The discovery of the location of the demonic headquarters will help us understand how Satan uses his base of operations to wage war against the Lord and His eternal plan.

The identification of the demonic den will also provide a clear understanding of the operations of Satan in these last days. According to the prophetic Scriptures, the Antichrist and the final global religion will be centered in the geographical area of the demons’ den.

According to the Bible, when the end of the Tribulation Period comes, the Lord will obliterate the demon den and set it on fire for 1,000 years. This fiery earthly region will become the prison for all demons during Christ’s earthly kingdom. The Bible names the geographical areas that will suffer this most devastating judgment.

The identification of the demon den in the Bible will enable us to understand the current developments in our world today. It will help us to unquestionably understand how our world is being shaped for the Tribulation Period and the war in the heavens between the good and evil angels (Revelation 12:7-8). All of this will prove that we are very close to the coming of our Lord for His church.

Let us examine three Biblical realities about earth’s demon den.

1. The Region of the Demons’ Den

I believe the final seven years of this age, the Tribulation, will feature the final phase of the spiritual war in heaven between the good and evil angels (Revelation 12:7-8). This is the same as the war between God and Satan, and the war between heaven and hell. The book of the Revelation is saturated with the activities of the angels of God and the fallen angels of Satan [his demons].

As we study the subject of the end of this age, we must understand that both God and Satan have the same goal in mind. They are both seeking to establish a global kingdom over all nations. According to the Scriptures, Jesus will establish His earthly kingdom over all nations, ruling for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:2-7) from Jerusalem, Israel upon the throne of David (Isaiah 2:2-4).

Likewise, as God’s adversary and counterfeit, Satan will work through his strongman, the Antichrist, to take control of all nations by the mid-point of the Tribulation. Revelation 13:7-8declares, “And power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will destroy the headquarters of the Antichrist and the religion that gives him his authority. This is highlighted in Revelation 16-18. Revelation 16:19declares, “And great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.” The details of the political, religious, and economic global kingdom of the end, is explained in Revelation 17-18. In the final chapters of the Bible, the city of Babylon is mentioned by name six times (Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21). In these chapters, Babylon is also identified as a religion and a general geographical region. The final verse of Revelation 18 indicates that Babylon has played a major role in the martyrdom of believers in both the Old and New Testaments. This means she has attacked God’s chosen people, Israel, and the church.

Therefore, it is not a surprise that the Bible features the major role that Babylon has had during the history of man since the days of Abraham. Since Genesis 14, the cities of Jerusalem and Babylon have been in conflict. In the Bible, Jerusalem represents the city of God (Psalm 48:1), while Babylon has consistently represented the city of man or Satan (Genesis 11:1-9; Isaiah 47; Revelation 16-18).

Satan’s selection of the geographical regions in the Middle East is directly tied to the location of the purposes of God. They are linked to Christ’s kingdom in the land promised to Abraham and his descendants forever (Genesis 13:15).The boundaries of the Holy Land are given in Genesis 15:18, “In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river of Euphrates.” (See the map below.) As God’s counterfeit, Satan has planted his operations as close to the Promised Land as allowed by God. The areas of the demon den are to the east and southeast of Israel.

It is not an accident that the desert areas east of Israel have been where those who rebelled against God in Biblical times resided. When Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden after their sin, they were sent by God to the east of Eden (Genesis 3:24). When Cain was driven from the presence of God after he killed Abel, he went “to the east of Eden” (Genesis 4:16). When the people of the earth came together to rebel against God and build the Tower of Babel, they came from the east (Genesis 11:2). The first war in the Promised Land mentioned in the Bible, in Genesis 14, was headed by Amraphel king of Shinar (Babylon) from the east. When God rejected Ishmael and later Esau, they both settled in the land east of Israel (Genesis 25, 36). The descendants of these men are the Arab Muslim nations of the Middle East. When both Israel and Judah were defeated by their enemies, Assyria and Babylon, they both had come from the east.

In the Bible, the people who lived in the demon den were known as “the people of the east” (Genesis 29:1); “the children of the east” (Judges 6:3, 33); “the sons of the east” (Ezekiel 25:4); “the men of the east” (Ezekiel 25:10); and “the kings of the east” (Revelation 16:12). Today, these people live in Iraq, Iran (today this includes parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan), Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

In Biblical days, the ancient people associated the desert with the presence of evil and demons. This is where Jesus was confronted by Satan in His three temptations at the beginning of His early ministry. It happened in the desolate mountains of Judea, east of Jerusalem. When Jesus spoke of a person’s attempt to self-reform, He said, “When the unclean spirit is gone out of the man, he walketh through dry places” (Luke 11:24). Jesus confirmed the fact that demons make their place of habitation in the desert places that are uninhabited.

As previously mentioned, the Scriptures indicate that when the end of this age comes, Christ will judge Satan and his demons and their earthly headquarters that are in two geographical regions. This is described in Revelation 16-19.

When the Apostle John wrote about the future destruction of these areas, he said, “And after these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power [compare with Revelation 20:1]; … And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen and is become the habitation of [demons], and the hold of every foul spirit [demons], and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird [birds were a symbolic reference to evil spirits in ancient cultures]” (Revelation 18:1-2).

In Revelation 18:2, God’s mighty angel will shriek with a sense of urgency when he announces God’s judgment on the area that has been controlled by demons since the early days of Genesis. He calls this area “the habitation of demons.” The word “habitation” is used to refer to a place of residence. He also calls this place “the hold” of demons. The Greek word for “hold” is used to speak of a military post or guard house. It can also be translated as a “den” or “haunt” of demons. It appears that this description points to this location as the place that guards the opening pit on earth that extends down to hell. Notice that in Revelation 9:1-3, demons are released from a bottomless pit on earth. Later, in this same chapter, four demons who control 200 million demons are released, “which are bound in the great river Euphrates” (Revelation 9:14). In addition to this, later, the spirit of demons goes forth from the area of the Euphrates River to deceive the nations and to summons them to Israel for the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16).

The Spirit of God caused the Apostle John to use a third term to describe this area connected to the demon den. John called this place “a cage of every unclean and hateful bird” (Revelation 18:2). This word indicates that this place was also a place of punishment or prison. In the context of Scripture, this would indicate that this geographical area would become the prison and place of punishment for the demons during the Millennial Kingdom on earth.

Many Biblical passages exclaim that when Christ returns at His revelation, He will come in a fiery judgment. Listen to Isaiah 66:15-16, “For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.”

Many Scriptures indicate that two regions on earth will be set on fire and burn for the remainder of earth’s history until the end of the kingdom. The Bible teaches that parts of central Iraq, southern Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia will be completely obliterated forever (Isaiah 13; 34, Jeremiah 50-51, Ezekiel 35, Obadiah, and Revelation 18). At the same time, some parts of Iran (including Afghanistan & Pakistan), and northern Jordan will be severely judged and then forgiven and restored during the kingdom (Jeremiah 48:47; 49:2, 34-39).

Of particular interest, Isaiah 34 identifies the place of fiery judgment as “Edom” [Hebrew word] or “Idumea” [Greek word for the same location]. It also identifies the area as “Bozrah,” a district of southern Jordan. When you enter the southern area of Jordan today, a sign welcomes the visitor with these words, “Welcome to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.” The Hashemites were the descendents of the founder of Islam, Mohammed. So, Jordan is proud of its heritage as the homeland of the descendants of the prophet Mohammed, who trace their ancestry back to Ishmael.

When this place is judged, Isaiah wrote, “And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up forever; from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it forever and ever” (Isaiah 34:9-10).

The “pitch” described by Isaiah is a perfect reference to the crude oil that lays under the sands of the demon den. It is apparent that the fuel for the fire of God for 1,000 years will be crude oil. That which was a former blessing to these Islamic nations will become the fuel for the wrath of God against them. Furthermore, this area is also filled with rare minerals, like lithium. We are being told that there is more lithium in Afghanistan that any other place on earth. Lithium is also very flammable. Thus these rare minerals in the demon den will also be used for fuel by God for His judgment of fire upon this region for 1,000 years. The Bible says that this area will be a place of “perpetual desolation” (Ezekiel 35:9). It will never be inhabited again (Isaiah 13:20).

Isaiah further describes this as a region where demons will live, being manifested as wild animals and birds (Isaiah 34:11-17).In ancient days this area was filled with graphic depictions of wild animals and birds that were nothing more than demonic representations of the idols and gods worshiped by the ancient people who lived in the demon den. The picture on Page 4 is from a wall of a gate in ancient Babylon. Daniel would have seen this wall and the creatures displayed on them. No doubt he thought about them as he wrote about the wild beast-like demonic governments that would rule the world in the last days.

2. The Religion of the Demons’ Den

It is amazing to discover that the dominant religion of this region in the days of Abraham 4,000 years ago was the crescent moon god. See the relief below that dates to the time of Abraham.

According to historical records, the worship of this ancient crescent moon god had three centers of worship: Ur, Haran, and Babylon. [See the map on Page 3.] This was the pagan religion from which Abraham was called. Some scholars believe that Abraham’s father, Terah, was an idol maker of this crescent moon god.

Therefore, once again, God’s vengeance upon the religion in the demons’ den traces its roots back to the time of Genesis. In Isaiah 47, a chapter quoted by the Apostle John in Revelation 17-18, the Lord warned of the ultimate judgment that would come upon Babylon. God calls Babylon the beginning place of witchcraft, sorcery, and worship of the celestial bodies of heaven, including the moon (Isaiah 47:9-10, 12-13). Therefore, it is no coincidence that John calls the harlot religion of the end times “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Revelation 17:5). The fact that John calls this religion the mother of false religions points back to Babylon as the place of origin for the worship of the crescent moon god.

Islam’s war with God traces its roots back into the Old Testament. In Judges 6-8, the Kings of Midian [an ancient people group from Saudi Arabia] were defeated by Gideon. They had crescent moon ornaments around their camels’ necks (Judges 8:21).

Therefore, we must conclude that Islam is not a religion that began in the 6^th century after Christ. Mohammed and his followers simply revived the ancient pagan religion of their forefathers. Today, the crescent moon, as the official emblem of Islam, is seen all over the world. This religion is leading the crusade of violence. They call it jihad. This war is aimed at forcing the nations to be in submission to Allah, the moon god.

3. The Residents of the Demons’ Den

The people living in the geographical area the Bible calls the demon den are currently Muslims. In Isaiah 34:5, God calls them “the people of my curse.” Why does God call them the people of His curse? Both secular and Biblical history demonstrate that the people living in these areas have always hated the Jewish people and opposed their occupation of the land that God had given to them as a perpetual gift. Long ago, in the beginning, God declared to the Jewish people, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee” (Genesis 12:3).

In the Biblical texts that speak about the judgment of fire that will fall upon the demon den, God openly states why He will fall upon them with this horrific judgment. In Jeremiah 50:11, God said they were “destroyers of mine heritage.” In Jeremiah 50:24, He says His judgment against them is because they have “striven against the Lord.” God’s plan of redemption for the world is wrapped up in His blessing upon Israel. The future blessings of the Millennial Kingdom are bound up in God’s protection and promotion of the Jewish nation of Israel. Therefore, to oppose the Jewish people and the nation of Israel is to invite the curse of God. God’s massive judgment upon the demon den will be the culmination of their historical opposition to God and His people and His land for 4,000 years.

Modern Islam is far more than a religion. It is a political system that has as its goal the control of the world. This has been the goal of Satan since the beginning of his fall in heaven. In Isaiah 14:14, the Bible reveals that Satan has said, “I will be like the most High.” This title for God is given three times in Genesis 14:18-22. This name for God means “the possessor of heaven and earth” (Genesis 14:22). Therefore, for Satan to say he wants to be like “the most High” means He wants to ascend above God to possess heaven and all of its angels and power (Isaiah 14:13). He also wants to possess the earth and all the nations for his glory. In other words, Satan wants to be King of Kings (the political ruler of all creation), and Lord of Lords (the spiritual authority over all creation).

When Jesus returns to earth at the end of the Tribulation, He will wear his vesture that will declare Him to be, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16). It will be at that time that He will destroy the forces of the Antichrist and cast him “alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Revelation 19:20). Satan will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years. The demons will be confined to the demon den, where they will be tormented with fire and shamefully reduced to manifestations of wild animals and birds. It is fitting that the place of their power on earth for thousands of years will become their prison for 1,000 years.

The world is oblivious to these eternal plans of God. They are blindly groping in sinful darkness, while they oppose God and cozy up to Satan’s demons. The Bible repeatedly warns that the kings and inhabitants of earth in the last days will be “made drunk with the wine of her fornication [religious fraud and impostors of the One and true God]” (Revelation 17:2, see also 18:3, 9). This simply means that the people of the earth will be deceived into believing that Islam, rather than Christianity, deserves their praise and support. It is not an accident that Christians are being persecuted and killed around the world and the media says not one word. At the same time, Western governments are passing laws that will protect Islam from being publicly criticized. Friends, this is exactly what the Bible said would happen and we are watching it unfold at this hour!

President Joe Biden marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, saying, “We also witnessed the dark forces of human nature. Fear, anger and resentment and violence against Muslim-Americans — true and faithful followers of a peaceful religion.”

Since its modern beginning 14 centuries ago, Islam has brutally murdered 270 million innocent civilians. It has killed more people that Communism.

Who really represents true Islam today? Is it the so-called moderate, peaceful Muslims? Or is it the radical elements of Islam that call for violence and are the perpetrators of terrorism and violence? Let us answer this question with another question. Who are the true followers of Christianity? They are those who follow or mimic the commands and lifestyle of their founder, Jesus Christ. So, who are the true followers of Islam? They are the ones who follow or mimic the commands and lifestyle of their founder, Mohammed. Any Muslim who is honest about answering this question, must admit that Mohammed was a jihadist. He and his followers raped and killed their enemies. So, the true followers of Islam are following the example of their founder.

As this newsletter comes to you, the Middle East is undergoing a radical change as Muslims battle each other to take control of the world and create a global Islamic Empire. The center of this empire will be the capital of the antichrist and the world religion of the end – the demon den.

All of hell is focused upon the destruction of Israel. At the center of this conflict against God and Israel is Iran, with its plan to build a nuclear arsenal. Our world cannot begin to comprehend how this will destroy world peace.

My friend, I must warn you that our world stands on the brink of a hellish eruption of violence, terrorism, and wars. At the center of this attack will be Christians and Jews. The demon den is getting ready to make its move to take over the world. Christians will be slaughtered by the millions. It is already happening in some parts of the world and very few are speaking up about it.

Shortly after the Rapture, heaven will witness a parade of millions of believers in Jesus who will be killed and come home to heaven. This is pictured in Revelation 7:9-17. John says he saw a great multitude in heaven from all the nations. In verse 14, he is told, “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Jesus will comfort them and “wipe away all tears from their eyes” (verse 17).

Friends, I believe that while we are in heaven, we will witness heaven’s welcome home party for these precious saints who laid down their lives for Jesus. The Bible tells us they “were beheaded for the witnesses of Jesus” (Revelation 20:4). The beheading of the infidels is the trademark of radical Islam – those who take Mohammed’s commands seriously.

At the end of the Tribulation, in heaven we will witness the beginning of the destruction of the demon den and watch it up close when we return with Jesus back to this earth. John wrote about our reaction in Revelation 19:1-3, “And after these things I heard a great voice of much people of heaven [that’s us], saying Alleluia, Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up forever and ever.”

Get ready for the shout that will take us out!