NEWS HEADLINES are shadows of events in the spirit realm. It’s why Paul wrote, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood.”

As the world faces the possibility of World War 3, which we believe could be a false fulfillment of the Gog-Magog war of Ezekiel 38 and 39, we take time to look at what’s happening in the Middle East, and speculate on the identities of the principalities and powers behind the scenes.

We know that Satan leads the end times rebellion, based on Revelation 12, and note that Jesus identified Satan as Baal (Matt. 12:22–26), who was known in Greece and Rome as Zeus and Jupiter. We also believe he’s the most likely candidate for the prince of Greece mentioned in Daniel 10.

That begs the question: Who is the prince of Persia? Is it Ahura Mazda? Marduk? Are those different names for the same entity? Are they working together, or do they struggle with one another for power while they try to knock God off His throne?

Then there is Shemihazah, leader of the Genesis 6 rebellion, who we believe was the entity known to the neighbors of ancient Israel as El, Enlil, and Dagon—and who the Hebrew prophets called Molech. He’s the angel of the bottomless pit, which means he gets out for five months (Rev. 9:11). Does he think Satan will hand over his kingdom when he emerges from the abyss?

What about Inanna, the woman who rides the Beast? She thinks she controls the Antichrist and his kingdom, but Revelation tells us that the Beast and his ten sub-kings will turn on her and destroy her.

And then there is Chaos, or Leviathan. We believe this is the spirit that indwells the human we call Antichrist. He first emerges in Genesis 1:2 (the Hebrew word translated “deep”, tehom, is a cognate for Sumerian Tiamat, their version of Leviathan). Will he be satisfied playing the role of commander-in-chief of Satan’s army?