DARKNESS: Rev 8:12. The fourth trumpet judgment causes one third of the earth to be without the light of the sun, moon and stars. We are not told what causes this to happen, but we already know that this will be a gradual effect of the nuclear war and the asteroid hit. This will further cause climatic changes and all sorts of problems. We do know that Old Testament prophecies predicted and Jesus confirmed that “on the day of the Lord” the sun and moon would appear darker, the stars and constellations would not be visible and the earth would be shaken from its place, Isa 13:9-13, 34:4, Matt 24:29, Joel 2:1-2, 10, 30-31, 3:15. In fact Isa 5:30 and Joel 2:1-2 tell us that the darkness in the tribulation will be caused by a cloud cover. Another reason for the darkness could be that the one third of the stars which fell to earth in the fourth trumpet judgment are Satan’s evil angels being hurled to earth from heaven as described in Rev 12:7-12. There are so many angels falling that it will cause darkness on earth, both literally and figuratively. Outer darkness or darkness are also often used in the Bible to represent the final abode of the unbelieving of all time. Darkness in this context is a place where the light of God does not shine. Unbelievers will be separated from God and his redeemed forever.

DEATH, SECOND DEATH: See hell, Hades for definitions.

DESERT OR WILDERNESS: Rev 12:6, 14. The place where Israel will be taken by God to be protected during the second half of the tribulation period. There are two main possibilities as to the identity of the desert in Rev 12 in my opinion; in the mountains her own homeland and in Bozrah, or Petra in current day Jordan. We will discuss these two possibilities. (1) In her own country. Deut 32:10-11 says that God found Israel in a desert, a barren and howling waste land. The redeemed of Israel seem to be taken to a place where God supernaturally protects them for the last half of the tribulation period. In Ezek 20:32-39 God describes the re-gathering of Israel into a “desert of the nations.” This sounds like the land in which Israel currently resides. When they were given this land it was basically a desert. This passage in Ezek goes on to say that God will judge Israel in that desert and execute them with wrath. This may also be saying that this is the place where the sheep-goat judgment will take place. Is this also saying that God will supernaturally protect the people of Israel in their own land, which he referred to as a desert? (2) In Bozrah in present day Jordan. Many prophecy scholars have come to the conclusion that this place is Bozrah, or Petra, in the current country of Jordon. In the Old Testament the countries of Edom, Moab and Ammon were all at one time located in the area where the current country of Jordon is located. If my memory is correct, Petra is an abandoned rock city about 50 miles south of the Dead Sea on a 3000 ft high plateau. It is cut into a mountain pass with only one narrow entrance/exit. It is naturally protected by steep faced rock mountains on all sides. Dan 11:41 says that the antichrist will conquer the Middle East, but that present day Jordan will escape his conquest. That might make it more likely to be the place to which the Jews escape. So, where is the woman taken to be protected? It seems we really only have two viable choices, either to Petra or else in her own land of Israel. There are good arguments for both. It seems that in the latter stages of the tribulation period there are still Jews in Israel. My guess is that many Jews head for the hills when the antichrist proclaims himself to be God in the temple in the middle of the tribulation as Jesus warned them to do and many other Jews stay in their homeland. Zech 14:2 may be saying that half go into exile and half remain. The hills could be either in Petra, in Israel and again maybe both. See the discussion of “eagle” below for further information on the “desert” possibly being in Bozrah.

 DRAGON OR DEVIL: Rev 20:2. See Satan.