“He Was, He Is Not, and He Is Ready to Rise from the Abyss”
Who is this figure described as “He was, he is not, and he is ready to rise from the abyss”?
Shalom! May the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be continually blessed. Every new day is an opportunity to move closer to God’s ultimate plan for humanity. The major signs of the end times, as outlined in Scripture, have already been fulfilled. This means that at any moment, we could witness the rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, NIV). Those who remain will also witness the works of the Antichrist and the judgments of God described in Revelation 16, including wars, famine, and plagues.
We must remain vigilant, alert, and discerning, understanding the schemes of Satan (Ephesians 6:11-12, ESV). Many mistakenly imagine the Antichrist as a sudden, extraordinary figure appearing only during the Great Tribulation. In truth, this is a spirit that has been active for centuries, gradually spreading destruction through empires and systems of power. This same spirit will bring the final Tribulation, employing the same strategies it has always used.
As Scripture reminds us:
Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV) “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV)
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
Even the works of the Antichrist are not new—they began long ago. He acted in the past and will act again in the future, using the same worldly powers to bring destruction. This contrasts with the Second Coming of Christ, who will come in glory from heaven (Matthew 24:30, ESV).
In Revelation 17, John sees the harlot woman sitting on a scarlet beast:
Revelation 17:1-6 (NIV)1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.2 With her, the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”3 Then the angel carried me in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.5 On her forehead was written a name of mystery: Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the Earth.6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
The angel explains:
Revelation 17:7-14 (ESV)7 “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth—whose names have not been written in the book of life—will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.9 This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while.11 The beast that was and is not is the eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.12 The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with Him will be His called, chosen, and faithful followers.”
Drunk with Blood:The woman represents a system of spiritual and political power that has persecuted God’s people throughout history. She is described as “drunk with the blood of the saints” (Rev. 17:6) because she acts in alliance with the beast, which empowers her to carry out these atrocities.
The Beast:The beast is described as “was, is not, and is about to rise from the abyss” (Rev. 17:8). Historically, this refers to the Roman Empire, which persecuted early Christians and destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70 (Matthew 24:2, NIV). Over centuries, this system has continued to oppress true believers. The same spirit will rise again in the end times as the Antichrist.
The Ten Horns:The ten horns represent ten kingdoms or nations that will empower the Antichrist for a short period (Rev. 17:12-13). This is consistent with Daniel’s prophecy regarding end-time kingdoms and their alliance with the beast (Daniel 7:23-24, ESV).
End-Time Deception:Satan’s schemes accelerate as time shortens (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, NIV). False prophets, political deception, and spiritual seduction are widespread. Understanding these spiritual realities is crucial for remaining faithful.
Call to Salvation:The remedy is clear: repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, and receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38, ESV). Only through Christ can believers be protected from the deception and persecution of the end times.
“He was, he is not, and He is ready to rise from the abyss.”
This describes a spirit that has already acted historically, is present now (though dormant), and will rise again in the end times. Those who remain unrepentant are at risk of falling into the Antichrist’s deception. Every believer must remain vigilant, be grounded in Scripture, and be ready for the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-52, ESV).
May the Lord bless you and empower you to share this truth with others.
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Blessed be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.Welcome once again to our Bible study series as we continue to explore the books of the Bible.
Up to this point, we’ve covered the first 15 books. If you haven’t yet gone through the previous lessons, I encourage you to review them first for better continuity. The last book we studied was the Book of Ezra, where we saw Ezra described in Scripture as a “skilled scribe” (Ezra 7:6).
Ezra ministered after the people of Israel had already been exiled to Babylon. Chronologically, books like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel should actually precede Ezra because their events occurred earlier in the timeline. However, the current arrangement of biblical books is ordered according to divine wisdom and not necessarily chronology.
By God’s grace, we’ll now examine two books written by one prophet Jeremiah and Lamentations. These two books document events that preceded the time of Ezra.
Please note that we are skipping some books like Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, and Proverbs for now. We’ll return to those later. For now, I encourage you to personally study Jeremiah and Lamentations after this summary. The Lord may reveal even more to you than is covered here.
As many of us know, the Lord called Jeremiah from a very young age, appointing him as a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5):
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 (ESV)
Though Jeremiah is often seen as a prophet to Israel, his ministry was international. God used him to pronounce judgment upon all the nations of the earth, including His own chosen people, Israel.
God was preparing to bring judgment on the nations because of their rebellion. He raised up the Babylonian Empire as an instrument of His justice. Babylon became God’s rod of correction, and He gave its king, Nebuchadnezzar, authority to subdue the nations including Israel.
“Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant…” Jeremiah 27:6 (ESV)
Babylon was not a holy nation it was merely God’s tool for judgment. After fulfilling its role, Babylon itself was judged for its wickedness.
Jeremiah was sent to warn the nations of God’s impending judgment. Sadly, most rejected him, mocking him as a false prophet, accusing him of being a Babylonian sympathizer, or dismissing him as delusional. Yet, Jeremiah remained faithful and obedient to God’s call.
He preached not only to Judah but even went as far as Egypt, warning Pharaoh and the surrounding nations (Jeremiah 25:15–29). He told them to repent or face destruction.
He also warned Judah that if they did not humble themselves, they would go into 70 years of captivity in Babylon. But they did not listen.
Eventually, Jeremiah’s prophecies came to pass. Babylon invaded Judah. Many were killed, and the rest were taken into exile. The fall of Jerusalem was catastrophic.
Jeremiah was one of the few who witnessed the destruction firsthand. The suffering was unimaginable famine, disease, and the sword ravaged the people. Many starved because the city had been under siege for so long.
“One third of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with famine in your midst; one third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds…” Ezekiel 5:12 (ESV)
These were the four judgments that befell Israel:Famine, Plague, the Sword, and Exile.
Jeremiah saw it all. This grief and pain led him to write the book of Lamentations a poetic mourning over what had befallen God’s chosen nation.
Once a great and feared kingdom, Israel was now humiliated and enslaved. The same people whom God had delivered from Pharaoh’s grip were now returning to bondage this time under Babylon.
Jeremiah compares Jerusalem to a widow, abandoned and disgraced:
“How lonely sits the city that was full of people! She who was great among the nations has become like a widow.” Lamentations 1:1 (ESV)
He mourns the loss of Jerusalem’s children:
“My eyes flow with tears… my children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed.” Lamentations 1:16 (ESV)
The suffering was a direct result of Israel’s sin and disobedience:
“The Lord is in the right, for I have rebelled against his word…” Lamentations 1:18 (ESV)
He continues:
“The Lord has scorned his altar, disowned his sanctuary… the Lord determined to lay in ruins the wall of the daughter of Zion.” Lamentations 2:7-8 (ESV)
Despite the overwhelming sorrow, Jeremiah knew that God’s anger would not last forever. God is just, but He is also full of compassion.
“For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.” Lamentations 3:31–32 (ESV)
Jeremiah understood that the suffering of God’s people was temporary and that restoration was possible if they repented.
The story of Jeremiah teaches us several crucial lessons:
Just like Israel, many today only want to hear pleasant prophecies messages about prosperity and blessings while rejecting messages about sin, judgment, and repentance.
But as Paul wrote:
“For the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23 (ESV)
Whether it’s sexual immorality, corruption, bitterness, or rebellion, all sin leads to judgment unless we turn to Christ.
Jeremiah didn’t delight in declaring judgment. He wept for the people. Likewise, Jesus wept over Jerusalem, knowing the judgment that would come upon them for rejecting Him (Luke 19:41–44).
Though God punishes sin, He does not enjoy afflicting people. His mercy is always available to the truly repentant:
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Psalm 103:8 (ESV)
If you have not yet surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, do not delay. No matter how morally upright you may be, without Christ you are in great danger.
“Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2 (ESV)
Let us take the warnings of Jeremiah seriously. Let us not reject the truth in favor of comforting lies. Judgment is real but so is God’s mercy, offered freely through Jesus Christ.
May the Lord bless you and grant you the grace to walk in truth, repentance, and hope.
Amen.