HEAD: Rev 13:1, 17:3, 10, Dan 7:6-7. A head as applied to beasts in apocalyptic writings represents an empire. We see from Dan 7:6 that the third beast had four heads. From historical fulfillment we know that this beast was the Greek empire. This empire split into four separate empires, an empire being an allied group of countries under one central leader. We form our definition of a head from this prophecy in Daniel and its fulfillment. The fourth beast in Dan 7:7 had one head and ten horns. That would imply one empire composed of ten countries or with ten kings. This fourth beast was the Roman Empire.

HEAD AND TAIL OF ISRAEL: Rev 9:19; From Isa 9:15 the heads of Israel are prominent men, and the tails of Israel are lying religious leaders. Both were involved in judgment.

HADES: See hell, Hades below.

HELL, HADES: There is a definite distinction between hell and Hades and it is necessary to understand that distinction to understand some of the things taught in the Bible. Hades, Sheol in the Old Testament, is a temporary holding place, akin to a county jail, where the spirits of unbelievers are held from the time of death until their final judgment after the millennium. Their final judgment is called the Great White Throne Judgment and God the Father is apparently the judge, John 12:47-50. The unbeliever is first resurrected, meaning that he is given a new resurrected body, his spirit is placed in the body and he again becomes a living soul. The living soul stands before God at the Great White Throne, is judged and pronounced guilty, and is then thrown into the lake of fire. Their newly resurrected body is consumed in the fire leaving only their spirit to then live forever either in the lake of fire or in outer darkness. This second separation of the spirit from the body (this time the resurrected body) is called the second death. We are told in Rev 20:6 that believers in Jesus never have to face the second death. They will live forever in heaven as resurrected souls. The first death is defined in the Bible as separation of the spirit from the soul, at which time the body returns to dust and the spirit returns to God for believers and goes to Hades for unbelievers. The lake of fire mentioned above is the place known as hell. It is akin to the state or federal prison, but there is no possibility of parole. In fact everyone who is sent there faces the death penalty. Everyone who stands before the Great White Throne judgment is given the death penalty, called the second death in Rev 20:6 and 20:14. That death is again death of the body, as the body is consumed by the fires of hell. The spirit apparently lives on forever in either the lake of fire or in outer darkness, a place where the light of Jesus does not shine, a place of eternal separation from God. Everyone in outer darkness may be trapped in their own unique eternal nightmare. The fires of hell serve two purposes as I see it; for eternal punishment of Satan, his evil angels, possibly some segment of the wicked and for destruction of the resurrected bodies of unbelievers as part of their second death. Some and possibly all of those who suffer the second death are then confined to outer darkness forever. Apparently Hades originally had three compartments to it, (1) one we described above as the temporary holding place for unbelievers spirits awaiting their final judgment, (2) a temporary holding place for the spirits of the redeemed until Jesus bought their pardon at Calvary, after which he took them to heaven and (3) a place called the Abyss or Tartaros where evil angels who had played a part in the creation of the Nephilim are being held, possibly along with the Nephilim themselves. It is possible that the Abyss and Tartaros are separate and distinct from Hades. The language does not make the distinction clear enough to be dogmatic about it. Understanding these distinctions and places requires going back to the original Greek and Hebrew translations of the Bible.^^

HORN, TEN HORNS: Rev 13:1, 11, 17:3, 12. Horns represent kings (Rev 17:12) or leaders of nations. We see this symbol in Dan 7, Rev 13 and Zech 1:18-21. The little horn of Dan 7:8 was the antichrist or beast of Revelation. Rev 17:12 says “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received kingdoms, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authorrity to the beast.”

HORSES: Rev 6:1-8. Horses often symbolically represent judgment in the Bible (2 Kings 6:15-18, Jer 46:9-10, Joel 2:3-11, Zech 1:8-11, 6:1-7.). The riders of the four horses in Rev 6 will administer God’s judgment in the tribulation period through various means and methods. Joel 2:1-11 says that the army of the Lord looks like horses and sounds like chariots. This is figurative language for the army of Gods angels. They are said to be able to leap over mountains; before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles and the sun, moon and stars are darkened. God’s horses are said to be spirit, not flesh in Isa 31:3 and to be swifter than eagles in Jer 4:13. In Rev 9:7-11 Satan’s army of evil angels is also said to look like horses.