1. QUESTION: I have heard reports that the recent spate of hurricanes and earthquakes is part of a pattern that comes every 30 years or so. Is this true, or are these disasters signs of the end times?

2. QUESTION: You recently said that the Ark of the Covenant in Heaven was a "prototype" of that which was on the Earth. Does this mean it was some sort of a "trial model" which was improved upon by the one in the ancient temple?

3. QUESTION: The descriptions of Hell in the Bible involve both fire and darkness. How is this possible? And in that light, should these descriptions be taken literally or figuratively?

4. QUESTION: What is the identity of the "star" which frees the inhabitants of the bottomless pit in Revelation 9:1? And why would Satan use these beings to torment those who are already serving him on Earth?

5. QUESTION: You have stated before that all angels are of the male gender. How do you reconcile this with Zechariah 5:9?

6. QUESTION: Ezekiel 39:16 mentions a place in Israel called "Hamonah." I cannot locate this on a map. Is there such a place?

QUESTION: I have heard reports that the recent spate of hurricanes and earthquakes is part of a pattern that comes every 30 years or so. Is this true, or are these disasters signs of the end times?

ANSWER: We have seen several such reports about hurricanes, which relate the fact that we are emerging from a dormant hurricane period and entering into a more active one. As for earthquakes, intense ones have steadily increased in frequency over the past several decades. Keep in mind, though, that much of the recording of serious weather phenomena in recent years comes as a result of development of more sophisticated means of doing so. In the past, the weather may have been just as violent – perhaps even more so - but at the time, there were less accurate means of measuring and recording it. Moreover, the number of casualties resulting from these catastrophes naturally increases as the population does.

This has been an especially significant factor when discussing areas of the U.S. "Sunbelt" such as Florida, the Gulf Coast, and much of Southern California. The quite recent invention of air conditioning has permitted exponential population growth in such places which were, up until a hundred years ago, thought to be largely uninhabitable.  This growth, in turn, places more people in harm’s way when disaster strikes.

As to furnishing proof that these weather patterns are part of the end times, Jesus made some general comments on this subject in the following passages:

"… and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places," Matthew 24:7.

"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken," Luke 21:25-26.

The context of these judgments is clearly designated by Jesus as taking place during the Tribulation Period. Therefore, any intensity of storms or earthquakes prior to that time is merely setting the stage for these fulfillments and is not the actual fulfillment itself.

We have not yet seen the epitome of how violent severe weather patterns can become. The seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments of Revelation give us such details. But what we are seeing today may very well be indications of what Jesus called "the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:8). Only time will tell.

QUESTION: You recently said that the Ark of the Covenant in Heaven was a "prototype" of that which was on the Earth. Does this mean it was some sort of a "trial model" which was improved upon by the one in the ancient temple?

ANSWER: Although a "prototype" can be referred to as a trial model for that which is to follow, it has other definitions as well. According to our dictionary, "prototype" also means "an original model after which something is patterned"; "an individual that exhibits essential features of a later type"; "a standard or typical example"; or "a first full-scale and usually functional form of a new type or design of a construction." It does not necessarily imply that there are "bugs" in the prototype to be worked out in later models, or that the designer needs the prototype to "remember" how to make others in the future.

The Heavenly Ark of the Covenant is mentioned in the Book of Revelation:

"And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail," Revelation 11:19.

The recent reference to this Ark in this publication was to illustrate that the Ark of the Covenant mentioned in Revelation 11:19 is not, as many believe, the same Ark of the Covenant of the Old Testament, which has long been lost. Although the Old Testament Ark of the Covenant housed the symbolic presence of God among ancient Israel, it was still man-made and so cannot enter Heaven.

The holiness of the Ark was not in the Ark itself, but in the symbolism that God gave it. Evidently, God gave the dimensions and construction details of the Old Testament Ark of the Covenant to Moses so that he would pattern it after a similar such receptacle in Heaven. But this in no way implies that the Heavenly Ark is inferior in any way to that which followed it.

QUESTION: The descriptions of Hell in the Bible involve both fire and darkness. How is this possible? And in that light, should these descriptions be taken literally or figuratively?

ANSWER: We try to take the Bible as literally as we can wherever it is possible. In the case of the fire associated with Hell, we would take this literally as well. Jesus described fire being present in Hell in a number of places, including Matthew 5:22, Mark 9:43-48, and Luke 16:24. In the last mentioned passage, the rich man, in Hades, confessed being "tormented in this flame." Further, the eternal abode of the unsaved is literally referred to as the "Lake of Fire" in Revelation 19:20 and 20:14-15.

The darkness, however, may be figurative. Darkness is used frequently in the Bible to illustrate the spiritual condition of the lost. The leaders of the world are said to be walking in darkness (Ephesians 6:12) as are their followers (Romans 2:19). Christ is portrayed as light, whereas men prefer darkness, according to John 3:19. No one in Hell will experience God’s presence in any way, shape, or form, and this could constitute darkness for them. Hell is, in a very real sense, the absence of any evidence of God’s presence. We realize that God is omnipresent, even in Hell (Psalm 139:8). But in this case, His presence is from the standpoint of observation rather than involvement. No one in Hell can expect God’s comfort, mercy, or grace, like they can here on Earth if they will just turn to Him.

This does not rule out the possibility that the darkness of Hell could be literal as well. Fire and darkness can indeed exist at the same time. We are sure any of the firefighters who have battled forest fires here in Southern California can attest to that fact. When a fire starts, it continues day and night until it is extinguished. In the case of Hell, of course, it will never be extinguished. Jesus referred to it as "the fire that never shall be quenched" (Mark 9:45). Satan’s final outcome in the Lake of Fire is to be "tormented day and night forever and ever" (Revelation 20:10).

QUESTION: What is the identity of the "star" which frees the inhabitants of the bottomless pit in Revelation 9:1? And why would Satan use these beings to torment those who are already serving him on Earth?

ANSWER: This "star" falls from Heaven to Earth in Revelation 9:1, and in the ensuing verses, uses a key to open the bottomless pit, which frees locusts held within it, who torment men who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads:

"And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them," Revelation 9:5-6.

Undoubtedly the "star" is an angel, as stars are frequently used in Scripture metaphorically to denote angels. See, for example, Isaiah 14:13 and Job 38:7. But there is some debate as to whether this "star" refers to a good angel, or to Satan or another fallen angel. Keys are another metaphoric device used in Scripture. They denote authority.  See Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, and Revelation 3:7. It is unlikely that God would entrust the key that imprisons other diabolical creatures to an evil being, if this being had the ability to free them at will, before the time appointed by God. Still, it is possible, given the fact that Satan cannot operate outside of God’s permissive will, as Job Chapters 1 and 2 point out.

As to why Satan would use these beings to torment people who are already serving him, it should be remembered that Satan has no loyalty to such people. At present, he may entice them with what outwardly seem like pleasurable temptations, but his ultimate intention is to get as many people suffering with him in the Lake of Fire as possible.

During the Tribulation, with many people turning to Christ because of the fearful things happening on the Earth, Satan will be motivated to unleash wrath against mankind before too many of them make such a decision. The Bible validates this in Revelation 12:12, where it says that Satan comes down "having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." Satan, knowing that his judgment is fast approaching, will do what he can to make sure that a great number of lost souls accompany him. God will permit this, just as He allows and, in some cases, implements, the other judgments of the Tribulation.

Although the Bible says no one will die as a result of the attack of these locust-like creatures, people so attacked will know that it is ultimately a judgment of God. Many of them will permanently harden their hearts against God as a result, and will ultimately suffer the same fate in the Lake of Fire as Satan himself.

QUESTION: You have stated before that all angels are of the male gender. How do you reconcile this with Zechariah 5:9?

ANSWER: First of all, angels are neither male nor female according to Jesus, who said:

"For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels of God in heaven," Matthew 22:30.

In other words, angels in the form in which they were created do not have sexual characteristics or identity. However, angels are always referred to in the masculine gender, and have appeared as such to man in numerous places in the Bible. See, for example, Genesis 19:1-5; Luke 1:26; and Acts 1:10. These are apart from the appearances of one designated as the "angel of the Lord," which often denote pre-incarnate revelations of Christ Himself.

The passage mentioned in Zechariah describes one of the prophet’s visions, in which two "women" take up an ephah, or basket, representing wickedness, and deposit it in Shinar (Babylon):

"Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel who talked with me, Where do these bear the ephah? And he said unto me, To build for it an house in the land of Shinar; and it shall be established, and set there upon its own base," Zechariah 5:9-11.

The "women" spoken of here are not definitely identified as angels, although they have wings. Note that the "angel" who explains this vision to Zechariah is identified as an angel and is spoken of in the masculine gender.  Theologians differ about the identity of these women. Some believe they symbolize Assyria and Babylon, under whose captivity sin was purged from Israel, God’s people. Others believe they are literally women who were used as part of the vision. Still, it is also possible that they were actually angels. If so, this is the only place in the Bible in which angels are spoken of in the female gender.

QUESTION: Ezekiel 39:16 mentions a place in Israel called "Hamonah." I cannot locate this on a map. Is there such a place?

ANSWER: This location is mentioned in the account of the Battle of Gog and Magog, also known as the Northern Invasion of Israel. It is designated as a place of burial of the multitudes who will die in that conflict:

"And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land," Ezekiel 39:16.

Up to this point in history, there has been no such place called "Hamonah." Most commentators feel that this name is symbolic or figurative, or that it is a new settlement that will be set up following the battle of Gog and Magog to be the headquarters of those in charge of burying the dead and collecting the weapons. This Hebrew word means "hordes" or "multitudes," and may reflect the fact that a vast abundance of slain combatants and weapons will be found in the surrounding area.