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It is written:
Isaiah 27:1-In that day the LORD with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.
During the recent UAP hearing, one of the startling things that was brought up dealt with the ways that many of these “craft” (for lack of a better word) are connected with the Earth’s oceans.
“Mr. Gallaudet (27:05): Thank you, Chairwoman Mace, Chairman Grothman, Ranking Members Connolly and Garcia, and members of the committee. Thank you for this opportunity to testify today regarding unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP. Confirmation that UAPs are real came to me in January of 2015 when I was serving as the commander of the Navy Meteorology and Oceanography Command. At the time, my personnel were participating in a pre-deployment naval exercise off the US East coast. It included the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, and this exercise was overseen by the United States Fleet Forces Command led by a four-star Admiral who at the time was also my superior officer. During this exercise, I received an email in Navy Secure Network from the operations officer of US Fleet Forces Command. The email is addressed to all the subordinate commanders and the subject line read in all capital letters, “Urgent safety of flight issue.” (27:59). The text of the email was brief but alarming, with words to the effect, “If any of you know what these are, tell me ASAP. We are having multiple near mid-air collisions and if we do not resolve this soon, we are going to have to shut down the exercise.” Attached to the email is what is now known as the “GoFast video” captured on the forward-looking infrared sensor of one of the Navy FA-18 aircraft participating in the exercise. The now declassified video showed an unidentified object exhibiting flight and structural characteristics unlike anything in our arsenal. The implication of the email was clear, the author was asking whether any of the recipients were aware of classified technology demonstrations that could explain these objects. Because the DOD policy is to rigorously de-conflict such demonstrations with live exercises, I was confident this was not the case. The very next day that email disappeared from my account and those of the other recipients without explanation. (28:58). Moreover, the commander of Fleet Forces Command and the operations officer never discussed the subject. Even during weekly meetings, specifically designed to address issues affecting exercises like the one in which the Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group was participating. This lack of follow-up was very concerning to me. As the Navy’s Chief Neurologist at the time, I was responsible for reducing safety of flight risks yet it appeared to me that no one at the flag officer level was addressing the safety risk posed by UAPs. Instead, pilots were left to mitigate these threats on their own without guidance or support. I concluded that the UAP information must have been classified within a special access program managed by an intelligence agency that is a compartment program that even senior officials, including myself, were not read into…In closing, I will share my personal reasons for speaking out on this topic. First, as a former science agency leader, having led the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, I’ve always sought the truth in human knowledge and thought. Now that we know UAP are interacting with humanity, and these include unidentified submerged objects in the ocean, we should not turn a blind eye, but instead boldly face this new reality and learn from it.” (House Hearing on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, 15-18 (Kindle Edition): downloaded at https://www.rev.com/transcripts/house-hearing-on-unidentified-anomalous-phenomena)
Later, we read this:
Ms. Boebert (01:53:53): Okay. I would like to know with Immaculate Constellation, how does this relate to UAP activities, Mr. Shellenberg, in oceanic environments? Are there any instances where the Navy or other marine time forces have encountered UAPs that could not be explained by known technology or natural phenomena?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:54:17): Yeah, the Immaculate Constellation covers both terrestrial and oceanic, and there’s actually a number of cases described in the report that occur in the ocean.
Ms. Boebert (01:54:26): And do you believe that there is a concerted effort by the Pentagon to keep Congress out of the loop regarding these UAP activities, specifically in our waters?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:54:33): Yes.
Ms. Boebert (01:54:35): I think it’s about 5% of our ocean that’s actually been studied in detail by man and we’ve studied more of space than we had of our own oceans. And so are there any accounts of UAPs emerging from or submerging into our water which could indicate a base or presence beneath the ocean’s surface?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:54:57): I don’t know about a base, but as I mentioned, I had a different source entirely describe this pretty extraordinary footage that exists of an orb coming out of the ocean and being met by another orb.
Ms. Boebert (01:55:09): Some would say that there’s multiple hot spots where we see frequent activity. So in your investigations, have you come across any data or visual evidence, like sonar readings or underwater footage, of these UAPs?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:55:23): I have not, beyond what’s in the report.
Mr. Shellenberger (01:55:52): Nothing beyond what’s in the report and then the specific case that I mentioned with the orbs.
Ms. Boebert (01:55:57): And so this report says it all, there’s no other information that we are aware of regarding the activity within our waters?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:56:05): I have other sources that have shared a significant amount of information, but they’re not comfortable with me sharing it at this point.
Ms. Boebert (01:56:12): Okay. Are there any technological capabilities observed in these oceanic UAPs that seem to defy our current understanding of physics or our engineering capabilities?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:56:29): It seems like they all do.
Ms. Boebert (01:56:30): Yes, I would agree with that.
(House Hearing on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, 95-98 (Kindle Edition): downloaded at https://www.rev.com/transcripts/house-hearing-on-unidentified-anomalous-phenomena)
It is also worth noting that these whistleblowers also acknowledge the possibility that these UAPs may actually be alive, as well.
Mrs. Luna (01:25:31): In our previous panel we had Grush, and he had testified to say that some of these were inter-dimensional beings. Can you speak on that at all?
Luis Elizondo (01:25:40): Ma’am, I’m not qualified, certainly as a scientist or otherwise, to speculate points of origin, I looked at everything from a scientific perspective. So if you look at, for example, instantaneous acceleration, which was one of the observables of the program that I belong to, ATIP, the human body can withstand about nine G-forces for a short period of time before you suffer negative biological consequences, blackouts and ultimately redouts, and even death. Comparison, our best technology, the F-16, which is one… It’s an older platform, but one of our most highly maneuverable aircraft, manned aircraft made by General Dynamics, can perform about 17 or 18 G-forces before you start having structural failure, meaning that the airframe begins to disintegrate while you’re flying. The vehicles we’re talking about are performing in excess of 1000, 2000, 3000 Gs.
Ms. Boebert (01:55:26): You’ve written about UAPs, not only in the air but in underwater, are there any specifics on what you’ve learned about the UAP activity in our oceans? Particularly, have you spoken with sources who have provided any evidence or eyewitness accounts of these UAPs interacting with our naval forces or being detected by our underwater surveillance systems?
Mrs. Luna (01:26:31):
So are you… I guess would it be safe to infer that they’re living craft?
Luis Elizondo (01:26:37):
I’m not prepared at this point to state for the record is something alive or not because even that definition…
(House Hearing on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, 70-71 (Kindle Edition): downloaded at https://www.rev.com/transcripts/house-hearing-on-unidentified-anomalous-phenomena)
The notion that these UAPs are actually living beings instead of simply craft for living beings is certainly worthy of consideration, especially in light of the Word of God. Years ago, Josh Peck described this connection in his groundbreaking work on UFOs. In analyzing the famous “wheels” that Ezekiel describes, Peck notes:
“Living Extradimensional Vehicles An Unpopular Theory There is a very interesting, albeit unpopular, theory within the study of UFOs and extradimensional craft. The theory states that UFOs are not mechanical at all, but are actually biological. This theory sees UFOs as actual living, biological entities. What we see as a metallic craft is nothing more than a body for the consciousness or spirit inside.…The Ophanim Continuing from where we left off in the previous chapter, Ezekiel reports: 15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 17 When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. Ezekiel 1: 15-17 The word “wheels” used here was translated from the Hebrew word “owphan”, which is where we get the plural “ophanim”.[ 73] By itself, the Hebrew word “ophanim” simply means wheels and doesn’t denote anything necessarily extraordinary. Many times this word is used for regular, earthly wheels, such as those found on normal, human-made chariots.[ 74] This word was also used to describe the wheels of the ten bases beneath the lavers in Solomon’s temple.[ 75] However, taken in the context of this passage, Ezekiel is describing something quite different than earthly, man-made wheels; he is describing an actual extradimensional being. Upon first read of the passage, it would seem these wheels were a part of the living construct that makes up God’s chariot. In some ways, this is true. However, they are not connected physically. Verse 15 tells us the wheels were by the living creatures; not connected to them. While not connected physically, however, we will see later the wheels were connected in another way. Giving further description of these wheels, or ophanim, Ezekiel continues: “As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.” Ezekiel 1: 18 The word “rings” comes from the Hebrew word “gab” and means “rim (of a wheel)”.[ 76] Ezekiel was describing the rims of these wheels, even saying they were full of eyes. There is an interpretation of this that states the eyes were most likely windows of a craft. At first, this may seem plausible. After all, Ezekiel was trying to describe something he had never seen before and would use the best terms he could to describe it. The problem with this, however, is if Ezekiel was trying to describe windows, he could have just as easily used the Hebrew word “challown”, which literally means “window”.[ 77] Ezekiel had access to far simpler and more descriptive Hebrew words he could have used if he was trying to describe something other than what is presented in the text.[ 78] This is what leads me to believe when Ezekiel writes “eyes”, he literally means “eyes” (Figure 19).[ 79] …Next, Ezekiel writes: 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. Ezekiel 1: 19-21 This passage is what tells us the true nature of the ophanim. These were not merely inanimate wheels; they were actually alive. We know this because Ezekiel tells us the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. The wheels themselves acted as a type of body for the spirits. The wheels were not just an extradimensional mechanical construct. The wheels had life in them. There are ancient texts that actually refer to the ophanim as a specific class of angel. In the book of Enoch can be found one of these references: “And He will summon all the host of the heavens, and all the holy ones above, and the host of God, the Cherubic, Seraphin and Ophannin, and all the angels of power, and all the angels of principalities, and the Elect One, and the other powers on the earth (and) over the water On that day shall raise one voice, and bless and glorify and exalt in the spirit of faith, and in the spirit of wisdom, and in the spirit of patience, and in the spirit of mercy, and in the spirit of judgement and of peace, and in the spirit of goodness, and shall all say with one voice: ” Blessed is He, and may the name of the Lord of Spirits be blessed for ever and ever.””[ 80] The idea of the ophanim being an actual class of angel is not a new or altogether uncommon idea. The Sephardic Jewish philosopher and astronomer Maimonides wrote that the ophanim are the second class in the hierarchy of angels.[ 81] Pseudo-Dionysius, in the 4th or 5th century, wrote that the ophanim were among the first sphere of angelic hierarchy.[ 82] We can see these wheels in other books of the Bible as well: “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.” Daniel 7: 9 One thing is for sure: if the ophanim are indeed a class of angel all their own, then Heaven and its inhabitants are far stranger than we are traditionally led to believe. This is just one of many ways that shows how fascinating the study of extradimensional beings and vehicles can be. This also brings up some interesting questions concerning the fallen angels mentioned in the Bible. Is it possible different angels from different classes fell? Could there have been a rebellious group of ophanim that fell? Could this explain at least some of the modern UFO sightings we see today? Is it possible that certain UFOs might actually be alive? The Spirits of UFOs There is one last point we can look at in this chapter. It has been reported that Ben Rich, the director of Lockheed’s Skunk Works from 1975 to 1991, admitted that, not only are UFOs real, but that they are powered by a type of ESP.[ 83] If this is true, perhaps this is an example of man’s crude attempt of understanding something spiritual through a scientific lens. Imagine if we saw today what Ezekiel saw in the ancient past. Imagine if we saw the cherubim move wheels without touching them. Would we not assume it was by some form of ESP? Instead of thinking of it as a power from the mind, perhaps we should be thinking of it as a power from the spirit. After all, Ezekiel stated that the spirits of the cherubim were in the wheels. Wherever the spirit went, the wheels went. Perhaps we are seeing the same sort of thing in some of the modern sightings of UFOs. Perhaps the extradimensional pilot is actually controlling the vehicle by its spirit. Perhaps the spirit itself is the pilot and the vehicle is the body. Perhaps, like a fallen version of what Ezekiel saw, the things we typically recognize as extraterrestrial craft are actually living extradimensional beings.” (Josh Peck, Cherubim Chariots: Exploring the Extradimensional Hypothesis: Extradimensional Vehicles, Ancient Nephilim Technology, and Interstellar Prophecies Revealed! 1669-1763 (Kindle Edition): CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform)
I have argued elsewhere that there are many reasons to believe that many UAPs are demonic in origin (cf. https://marktabata.com/2024/10/31/are-there-reasons-to-believe-that-the-modern-ufo-phenomena-could-be-demonic/)
In this study, we are going to notice the connections the Bible teaches us regarding fallen angels, demons, and the oceans. As we will see, these connections make another startling connection between UAPs and demonic forces, showing that this phenomenon is actually part of a satanic deception. Throughout the Old Testament, the New Testament, and many extrabiblical books that the Bible references, we are provided many examples linking fallen angels and demons with the oceans and seas. We will begin with the Old Testament.
Let’s study.
The first Scripture that we will notice comes from the Book of Job.
Job 26:5-The dead tremble, Those under the waters and those inhabiting them.
Notice the phrase translated in the NKJV as “the dead.” It is actually the Hebrew word translated as Rephaim!
Job 26:5 (LSV)-The Rephaim are formed, ‖ Also their inhabitants beneath the waters.
Job 26:5 (DRB)-Behold the giants groan under the waters, and they that dwell with them.
The word Rephaim is another word for the Nephilim. The Nephilim are the half-human and human-angelic offspring that were on the Earth before the Flood (Genesis 6:1-4). Indeed, these beings were so wicked that their actions on the Earth led directly to the Flood.
“Genesis 14:5, as part of a coalition of giant tribes east of the Jordan River and other parts of the Near East. Rephaim translates as “the dead ones,”8 or “the weakeners,”9 which links their kind to the underworld, and also belies their ability to instill fear, though its vernacular usage demonstrates that in general, Rephaim meant “giant.” Interestingly, according to Deuteronomy 2:10-11, the Repahim seem to be one of the major tribes of which other groups or clans of giants, such as the Anakim and the Emim, are a part.” (Judd H. Burton, Interview with the Giant: Ethnohistorical Notes on the Nephilim, 141-152 (Apple Books Edition): Burton Beyond Press)
Heiser provides more detail for us:
“The English Standard Version renders rĕpāʾîm as “giants,” “shades” (meaning “spirits of the dead”), or “the dead,” depending on context (see, e.g., 1 Chr 20: 4; Isa 26: 14; and Job 26: 5, respectively)….The English translation of rĕpāʾîm as “shades” captures the “otherworldly, shadowy nature of the living-dead residents of the underworld.” 17 For the purposes of the present study, the point to be made is that the biblical Rephaim are supernatural residents of the underworld, a place in the spiritual plane of reality dissociated with the presence of God. 18 To remain in that place was to be separated from life with God. That idea is evident in passages like Proverbs 21: 16: “One who wanders from the way of good sense [i.e., one who is a fool, defined in Scripture as a wicked person or unbeliever] will rest in the assembly of the dead [rĕpāʾîm].” The fool misled by the wicked woman Folly into keeping company with her in her home “does not know that the dead [rĕpāʾîm] are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol” (Prov 9: 18). It is noteworthy that, unlike the material from Ugarit, the Old Testament at times uses the term rĕpāʾîm for the giant clans of the days of Moses and Joshua. Og, king of Bashan, was said to be the last vestige of the Rephaim (Deut 3: 11, 13; Josh 12: 4; 13: 12). The Rephaim are linked to the Anakim in Deuteronomy 2: 10–11: “The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim. Like the Anakim, they are also counted as Rephaim.” According to Numbers 13: 33, the Anakim were “from the Nephilim.” As we will see in chapters 5 and 6, biblical writers saw the origin of the Nephilim as extending from the rebellion of divine “sons of God” (Gen 6: 1–4) before the flood. This became the basis for the Jewish theology of the origin of demons in the Second Temple era. 19 Consequently there is a dark, sinister element to the Israelite conception of the Rephaim as inhabitants of the underworld.” (Michael S. Heiser, Demons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness, 10-12 (Kindle Edition); Bellingham, WA; Lexham Press)
This passage in Job links the spirits of the dead Nephilim (also called the Rephaim) with the oceans and the seas.
Also throughout the Book of Job, we read references to “leviathan.”
Job 41:1-Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?
Throughout Job 41, leviathan is described. While evidence exists that leviathan is a type of dinosaur (cf. Psalm 104:26), we also see clear evidence that “leviathan” is used as a name for Satan. In Isaiah 27:1, the Bible describes events that will take place near the end of time. We read, for example, of great and terrible wrath from God throughout Isaiah 24-27, so that this passage is often called “the Apocalypse Of Isaiah.”
Consider:
“As for the context, this is part of what scholars call the Apocalypse of Isaiah, which refers to Isaiah 24–27. And it has that name because it speaks of cosmic events, of end-time upheaval, of the final coming of God’s Kingdom and the destruction of His enemies. Here is just a sampling of some of the verses. The text speaks of the future destruction of the earth: See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants—it will be the same for priest as for people, for the master as for his servant, for the mistress as for her servant, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor. The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The LORD has spoken this word. Isaiah 24: 1–3 NIV Then God will come with power! The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is violently shaken. The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls—never to rise again. In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above . . . they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days. The moon will be dismayed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders—with great glory. Isaiah 24: 19–23 NIV At that time, God will abolish death from His people: On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” Isaiah 25: 6–9 NIV And at that time, He will crush the serpent’s head (cf. Romans 16: 20): “In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword—his fierce, great and powerful sword—Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea” (Isaiah 27: 1 NIV). And when the judgment is over, the Lord will gather His people Israel together: In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, Israel, will be gathered up one by one. And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. Isaiah 27: 12–13 NIV Clearly, this is speaking in terms of the end of the age, the final conflict and the last great war. And during this time, when God’s wrath is poured out on a rebellious, sinning world, He gives a directive to His people: “Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by.” The Lord will provide a place of refuge for us right in the midst of the storm (as He did for Noah). He will give us a way of escape from His judgments (just as He did for Lot). He will make a distinction between His people and the world (just as He did for the Israelites in Egypt and for the righteous in Jerusalem). Yet we will not escape all tribulation and suffering for the Gospel. In other words, we will not be exempt from the hatred of people and the attacks of Satan. To the contrary, we were promised this as part of our faith. But we will be protected from God’s wrath—right here, in this world. The storm will be great, but our God will be greater, and we will take refuge in Him. “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18: 10 NKJV).” (Michael L. Brown, Craig S. Keener, Not Afraid of the Antichrist: Why We Don’t Believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, 94-96 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: Chosen Books)
In the midst of this passage, Isaiah says this:
Isaiah 27:1-In that day the LORD with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.
The Bible here describes “Leviathan,” the “fleeing serpent” and that “twisted serpent.” The Apostle John quotes from this passage and joins together Leviathan with Satan (Revelation 12:9, 15; 20:2).
With that in mind, please notice that Isaiah (and John in Revelation, but more on that later) links Satan with the seas and oceans.
We see the same thing with the name “Rahab.”
Job 9:13-God will not withdraw His anger, The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.
The phrase translated here as “the proud” is the Hebrew word “Rahab.”
Job 9:13 (ASV)-God will not withdraw his anger; The helpers of Rahab do stoop under him.
Job 9:13 (ESV)-God will not turn back his anger; beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab.
We see from Job and other passages in the Old Testament that “Rahab” is another name for Satan, just as Leviathan is.
“‘Rahab’ is another biblical name for Leviathan (see Job 26: 12; Ps. 89: 11; Isa. 51: 9). More than once in the OT, such monsters are imagined at the head of a larger army; this is the meaning of the reference to Rahab’s helpers in this verse (cf. Job 41: 34).” (Eric Ortlund, Piercing Leviathan: God’s Defeat of Evil in the Book of Job (New Studies in Biblical Theology 56), 187 (Kindle Edition): Downers Grove, Illinois: InverVarsity Press)
Job goes on to write:
Job 26:12-13-He stirs up the sea with His power, And by His understanding He breaks up the storm. 13 By His Spirit He adorned the heavens; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
We see reference again here to Rahab:
Job 26:12-13 (ASV)-He stirreth up the sea with his power, And by his understanding he smiteth through Rahab. 13 By his Spirit the heavens are garnished; His hand hath pierced the swift serpent.
Notice the links here between “Rahab” and the “swift serpent.” Furthermore, consider how the text tells us that “Rahab” is linked with “the sea.” Like with Leviathan, the comparisons with Rahab and Satan are obvious (as are the joining with the oceans). In fact, we see the same thing in the Psalms:
Psalm 89:9-10-You rule the raging of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. 10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain; You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see continuous associations between Satan, fallen angels, and the spirits of the Nephilim/Rephaim (i.e., demons) with the oceans and the seas.
When we turn to the New Testament, we see further examples. The first we will study comes from the way that Jesus “rebuked” the sea.
Matthew 8:23-26-Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Elsewhere throughout Matthew, the idea of Jesus “rebuking” was directly linked with demonic spirits.
“Matthew, however, calls the storm a seismos (literally, earthquake), a term used for apocalyptic upheavals (cf. 24:7; 27:54; 28:2), often with preternatural overtones. This seems to be no ordinary storm but one in which Satan is attacking…. The “rebuke” of the elements employs the same term (epitima) used elsewhere in exorcism stories (Mark 1:25; 9:25; Luke 4:41).” (Craig L. Blomberg, Matthew: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture (The New American Commentary Book 22), 149-150 (Kindle Edition): Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group)
Again:
“It is common to see this as spiritual warfare, with demonic forces behind the storm. Jesus is then casting out the cosmic powers behind the heaving sea. 13 There are OT parallels for God’s controlling the dark powers of chaos behind the waters (Job 38: 8–11; Ps 77: 16–18; 104: 7; 1 En. 60; 2 En. 19; cf. the defeat of Leviathan [the dragon of the deep] in Ps 74: 13–14; 89: 9–10; Isa 27: 1); and Jesus’ “rebuke” of the storm parallels the exorcism in 17: 18 (but “rebuke” [ἐπιτιμάω] is used more frequently for exorcisms in Mark and Luke).” (Grant R. Osborne, Matthew (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on The New Testament Book 1), 444 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan)
It would seem that the “sea” was home to the demonic forces of Satan, who were trying to kill Jesus.
We see the same thing again in Mark:
Matthew 8:28-34-When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. 29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.” 32 And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water. 33 Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.
The demons were eventually seen to be inhabiting the seas.
We see a further union between demonic forces and the oceans in the word stoicheia. Throughout Paul’s letters, he refers to the “stoicheia” (cf. Galatians 4:3, 9; Colossians 2:8, 20). This word is often translated as “basic elements,” and in different translations it is rendered in such ways as “elemental spirits” or in similar fashion. The word was used to refer to belief that certain spirits inhabited the elements, including water!
Packer has documented:
“The stoicheia” (‘elemental spirits’ see Galatians 4:3, 9; Colossians 2:8, 20) are another group of spirits identified for us in the New Testament. The phrase “stoicheia” is translated in various ways in different Bible translations. Consider an example from Galatians 4:9. Galatians 4:9 (NKJV)-But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? Galatians 4:9 (GNB)-But now that you know God—or, I should say, now that God knows you—how is it that you want to turn back to those weak and pitiful ruling spirits? Why do you want to become their slaves all over again? Galatians 4:9 (LEB)-But now, because you have come to know God, or rather have come to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental spirits? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? What is especially interesting is that the stoicheia in Galatians 4:9 are used synonymously with the “gods” mentioned in the previous verse: Galatians 4:8-But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. The word stoicheia was used by the Greeks and the Persians to refer to spiritual beings of power that were believed to be semi-divine, and may have been used to help create the universe. One scholar describes the ideas behind stoicheia from Ancient Greek usage: “Many readers of this book are probably already familiar with some of the mystical speculations surrounding the Hebrew letters in the Kabbalah. These traditions and those of the Mithraists were closely related, both in type and through historical connection. The basic premise of the esoteric study of letters is that there is a hidden affinity between and among the following four aspects. 1. Number 2. Shape 3. Sound 4. Meaning Furthermore, it is held that this correspondence extends from the realm of being or reality (the divine realm), whence it emanates, to the terrestrial realm. Each letter is a true symbol of a higher principle. That is to say, the letter is not a mere arbitrary sign of a principle, but is in fact a part, or manifestation, of it. If the kosmos was created by means of the Word (an idea common to Judaic and Indo-European traditions) then the letters of the word(s) are actually the elements of the cosmic ordering. By consciously absorbing the patterns inherent in the system of stoicheia, the Magian has the divine metagrammar to be able to be able to understand the self and the world in a way similar to the way the gods understand these things.…Each letter, each “element,” contains a mystery, Persian râz. It conceals this mystery behind the simplicity of its external forms, yet it reveals the mystery in the meanings of these very forms. There was probably an older system of encoding the Mithraic Mysteries in some Iranian symbols. The most likely key to this is to be found in the ordering of the yazatas, “gods” or “angels,” contained in the thirty-day Persian calendar.…The first letter is emblematic of the primeval bull sacrificed by Mithras to engender the natural world of plants and animals. In the Semitic system, as reflected in the Hebrew alef-bet, the name of the first letter means “ox.” This further solidified the idea that the first element was a bovine, since during the last centuries BCE, when the Magians were in close contact with the Semites of the Middle East, there was a great deal of cultural exchange between the keepers of the Judaic and the Magian secrets…Agrell, preceding from a Zurvanite position, identifies the second element with “the demonic” and connects beta to the “evil god” Ahriman, who in the Zoroastrian system is responsible for the “evil creation.” In Zurvanite doctrine, Ahriman is the second son of Zurvan/Aion, “evil” is the second principle of life, Angra Mainyu (= Ahriman) is called “the Second,” and in the ancient Iranian cosmological text Bundahishn it is said that the cosmic whore Jahi relates her deeds twice, to the joy of Angra Mainy….The third letter is also a sign of the god Mithras. This time, however, in a transformed, triadic manifestation. Mithras is often called triplasios, the “Thrice-as-much,” in Greek texts….In Mithraic teachings the fourth letter is symbolic of the four natural elements—fire, air, water, and earth. These are represented in Mithraic art in the form of the four horses pulling the solar chariot, or quadriga, of Mithras….The fifth stoicheion is connected to the personification of the primal fire, or spiritual force, embodied in Aion-Zurvan. Aion is the progenitor of the four natural elements embodied in the fourth stoicheion. The pentagram is the symbol of Aion….Epsilon is sometimes identified with the Light, or fiery spirit, in Hermetic teachings….The number six is connected with sacrificial offerings in Mithraism…The seventh element is symbolic of luck and happiness.…This is identified with the eighth sphere of heaven—the primum mobil of the fixed stars beyond the realm of the planets. This is thought to be a surface made of an icy substance and is referred to as the crystal-heaven.…The ι stoicheion is the equivalent of the number nine and is connected with the abstract goddess of fate, or better put, Necessity—Ananke. She was especially honored among the Mithrists and was identified with the aether and the night. She belongs to the sphere of being beyond the fixed stars and planets. Her throne is said to be both above and below these regions.…Ten and multiples of ten are used in Iranian tradition to indicate death and misfortune. In the Bundahishn it is said that Angra Mainyu sent one thousand murderous demons (daêvas) upon the “Pure Man,” and the evil god created ten thousand types of diseases…In the Bundahishn (ch. X) it is related that from the five members (the four legs and the penis) of the sacrificed cosmic bull sprang fifty-five types of grains and twelve types of healing herb…..Twelve is the number of the healing herbs mentioned in chapter 10 of the Bundahishn. These sacred plants are the most powerful of the vegetative cosmos that spring from the marrow substance of the sacrificed bull…The thirteenth letter is connected with the Helleno-Thracian goddess Hekate, who was given great honor by the ancient Mithrists. She is the chthonic goddess worshipped beside Ahriman-Pluto. Among the Greeks, Hekate was sometimes called Persia (or Perseie), which many believed was her name because she was thought to be a Persian goddess. In a magical papyrus (PGM IV.2714) that describes an operation for love that is to be performed on the thirteenth or fourteenth night of the month, Hekate is invoked with many of her aspects. These include a being called the “arrow shooter.” She is magically identified with Diana-Artemis and Aphrodite.…Because of a longstanding structural need to have a sequence of symbols signifying the three main astral phenomena—fixed Stars, Sun, and Moon—and because the Sun and Moon symbols follow xi, Agrell concluded that the fourteenth letter of the alpha-beta was to be identified with the fixed stars in general (see Bundahishn, ch. IV).…Mithraic teachings apparently connected the element omikron to the Sun, or the Light of the Sun. In chapter 15 of the Bundahishn, it is stated that the first men were created when Samaritan (or Gâyomart) died and left behind his semen, which was purified and activated by the revolving Sun. After forty years, the first humans arose—from a fifteen-leafed bush, each having the appearance of a fifteen-year-old girl.…The sixteenth element is to be identified with Mithras himself. In the Hermetic system, this belongs to another invincible god, Serapis. The sixteenth day of the Avestan month is dedicated to Mithras.…According to the Bundahishn (ch. XXI), there are seventeen different forms of fluids—for example, the fluids of plants, the semen of animals and men, blood, sweat, tears, milk, and so on. These fluids are the embodiments of the vital forces of life in plants and animals. These are mingled during the growth process in physical existence. The Avestan-Persian god Sraosha, brother of Mithra, carried the bundle of branches called the baresman. This bundle of twenty-one twigs or metal wires must be held by the Magian priest while officiating at sacrifice. He rules over and promotes the life forces of the world. It is these branches that belong to this element. They signify the ability of the Magian to bridge the gap between getik and menog, the material and spiritual worlds. This stoicheion can also be related to one aspect of the Great Goddess, Anahita, who is mentioned more fully under gamma above. Here it is one of those tripartite aspects, Aredvi, which means “the Moist” that she belongs. She is consistently linked to bodies of water, especially great rivers.…The number eighteen is sacred to the gods of the Underworld and the realm of the dead. In the Avestan-Persian calendar the eighteenth day is dedicated to Rashnu, the second brother of Mithra and judge of the souls as they come to cross the Chinvat Bridge. In his role as a psychopomp, a conductor of the souls of the dead, Rashnu in many ways corresponds to the Hermes of the Greeks.…The microcosm of the human being is contained in the nineteenth element, because in it are found the twelve signs of the zodiac as well as the seven planets (12 + 7 = 19). In Babylonian tradition, nineteen was the number of man. By extension this would also be a number corresponding to the macrocosm, given the widely held idea that the macrocosm and the microcosm are structurally the same. In the Bundahishn (ch. XXX) it is stated that “in fifty-seven years” (of the rulership of Saoshyant) all the dead will be resurrected. This is not a prediction but instead a mathematical/structural formula for transformation: 57 = 3 × 19. In the most ancient Indian mythic text, the Rig Veda, it is told how the cosmic man Parusha was sacrificed and the world made out of twelve parts of him (RV 10:90, 12–14). The next strophe mentions that “seven enclosing sticks” and “thrice seven fuel sticks” were used in the sacrificial ritual. This element can be identified with the Anthrōpos (or Logos) of Hermetic cosmology. Most powerfully, in the Avestan-Persian calendar the number nineteen corresponds to the fravashis—the souls of individual human beings—which are destined for perfection and ultimate resurrection in immortal Final Bodies.…Chapter 7 of the Bundahishn has to do with the creation of the water. There we read how two main streams of primal water (called Rangha and Vanguhi) gave rise to eighteen rivers (i.e., 2 + 18 = 20). Therefore the number twenty is connected to the element of water.…The Avestan calendar dedicates the twenty-first day of the month to the masculine god of fertility and virility, Rama Hvastra. The correspondence between this tradition and the fact that the Greek word for the male sexual member, phallos, begins with this letter/number strengthens the connection between these concepts. The number twenty-one is the number of connection: there are twenty-one words in the most powerful manthra in Zoroastrianism, the Ahunvar, and there are twenty-one twigs or strands of wire that make up the barsom (Av. baresman), the symbolic tool by which the Magian makes connection between the material and spiritual worlds.…But perhaps more important, and more graphically potent, is the suggestion that the cruciform sign refers to the southern, northern, eastern, and western winds referenced in the twenty-second sirozah of the Avestan-Persian calendar in a manthra dedicated to the yazata named Vata…The twenty-third day of the month in the Avestan calendar is dedicated to the god of light and heaven—Ohrmazd. This stoicheion was also associated with Zeus or Jupiter-Caelus. The Mithrists called this god Zeus-Oromasdes (= Zeus-Ohrmazd…..“As the last stoicheion, as the fulfillment of the entire row of stoicheia, and therefore symbolic of the fulfillment of any series of things, the twenty-fourth element is indicative of richness or full power. Agrell sees a trinity of Iranian goddesses in this slot: Ashi Vanguhi (= Good Wealth), Daêna (= Insight or True Religion), and Cista (= Wisdom).” (Stephen E. Flowers, The Magian Tarok: The Origins of the Tarot in the Mithraic and Hermetic Traditions, 70-84 (Kindle Edition): Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions) For these contextual and cultural reasons, it is likely that the stoicheia were actually personal spirit beings. “The interpretation of stoicheia as personal spiritual entities is the most compelling view. Consequently this interpretation has commanded manded the consent of the majority of commentators in the history of the interpretation of the passages.12 This view is based partly on the widespread usage of stoicheia for astral spirits in the second and third centuries A.D. (and probably before). The word was used, for instance,, in the Greek magical papyri in connection with the Zodiac: “I conjure you by the 12 stoicheia of heaven and the 24 stoicheia of the world in order that you would lead me to Heracles.”13 It is important to realize that not only pagans used this word to refer to spirits, but Jews also used this word in that sense. The Jewish Testament of Solomon, written during the Roman Imperial period, includes five references to stoicheia as spirit beings. In the following passage the stoicheia are linked with the kosmokratores (cf. Eph 6:12):…These terms further reflect the wide array of vocabulary in reference to spirit beings, shared by Jews and Gentiles alike. Paul drew from this reservoir of terminology with which his readers would be readily familiar.. He showed no interest, however, in discussing what he believed to be true about the starry host. Rather, he lumped all manner of spirits together, affirmed Christ’s superiority, and encouraged believers to be prepared for their hostile intentions and attacks by reminding minding his readers of their past ability to enslave.” (Clinton Arnold, Powers Of Darkness: Principalities & Powers In Paul’s Letters, 54 (Kindle Edition); Downers Grove, Illinois; InterVarsity Press).” (Timothy Packer, The Church Of Christ Versus Ancient Powers Of Darkness In Rural America, 187-193 (Kindle Edition): Ancient Words Press)
Finally, in the Book of Revelation, we see constant associations between Satan, demonic spirits, and the seas.
Revelation 12:12-Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
Revelation 13:1-Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.
To the Jewish people, the sea represented evil and chaos.
“The massive power and unpredictability of the sea is why ancient peoples saw it as a symbol of evil. The inhabitants of ancient Israel, who were not a seafaring people, viewed the ocean as a realm of chaos, destruction, and darkness. Rather than a delightful place for recreation, to them the sea was a dark abyss to be feared. In their literature, including the biblical narrative, the sea became a metaphor for the forces of evil and disorder that stood in opposition to their God of order and beauty. The opening scene of the Bible captures this contrast. In the beginning the earth is described as “without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.” 1 It is an ominous and disorganized world. But then we read, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” 2 The God of creation brought order out of the primordial chaos. He separated sea from land, light from dark, day from night. At the end of the creation account, God declared the newly organized world “good.” It was no longer a formless abyss. Instead it was beautiful and orchestrated by his good intent.” (Skye Jethani, With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God, 136 (Kindle Edition): Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson)
The main reason for this connection between the oceans and seas with chaos is due to the Bible teaching that Satan, fallen angels, and demonic spirits are connected with the watery depths.
We see this also taught in many books that the Bible references.
The first example we will notice along these lines comes from the Testament Of Solomon, a book which both Jesus (Matthew 12:24-37) and Paul (Ephesians 6:12) reference. In this book Solomon captures several demonic spirits who tell him many things about the spirit world. With that in mind, notice some of the connections in this book between demons and the oceans, seas, and rivers:
Testament Of Solomon 28-28. So I said to him: “Bring to me your child, who is, as you said, in the Red Sea.” But he said to me: “I will not bring him to you. But there will come to me another demon called Ephippas, the wind demon. Him I will bind, and he will bring my son up from the deep to me.” And I said to him: “How is it that your son is in the depth of the sea, and what is his name? “And he answered me: “Ask me not, for you cannot learn from me. However, he will come to you by any command, and will tell you openly.” So I said to him, “Tell me in which star you reside.” “The one called by men the Morning Star.”
Again:
Testament Of Solomon 67-68-67. And having praised God, I commanded another spirit to come before me; and there came before my face another demon, having in front the shape of a horse, but behind of a fish. And he had a mighty voice, and said to me: “O King Solomon, I am a fierce spirit of the sea, and I am greedy of gold and silver. I am such a spirit as rounds itself and comes over the expanses of the water of the sea, and I trip up the men who sail on it. For I round myself into a wave, and transform myself, and then throw myself on ships and come right in on them. And that is my business, and my way of getting hold of money and men. For I take the men, and whirl them round with myself, and hurl the men out of the sea. For I am not covetous of men’s bodies, but cast them up out of the sea so far. But since Beelzeboul, ruler of the spirits of air and of those under the Earth, and lord of earthly ones, has a joint kingship with us in respect of the deeds of each one of us, therefore I went up from the sea, to get a certain outlook in his company. 68. “But I also have another character and role. I metamorphose myself into waves, and come up from the sea. And I show myself to men, so that those on Earth call me Kuno[s]paston, because I assume the human form. And my name is a true one. For by my passage up into men, I send out a certain nausea. I came then to take counsel with the prince Beelzeboul; and he bound me and delivered me into your hands. And I am here before you because of this seal, and you now torment me. Observe now, in two or three days the spirit that conversed with you will fail, because I will have no water.”
Again:
Testament Of Solomon 125-126-125. And I, Solomon, questioned the other spirit, which came up with the pillar from the depth of the Red Sea. And I said to him: “Who are you, and what calls you? And what is your business? For I hear many things about you.’’ And the demon answered: “I, O King Solomon, am called Abezithibod (Abaddon). I am a descendant of the archangel. Once as I sat in the first heaven, of which the name is Ameleouth — I then am a fierce spirit and winged, and with a single wing, plotting against every spirit under heaven. I was present when Moses went in before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and I hardened his heart. I am he whom Iannes and Iambres invoked homing with Moses in Egypt. I am he who fought against Moses with wonders with signs.” 126. I said therefore to him: “How were you found in the Red Sea?” And he answered: “In the exodus of the sons of Israel I hardened the heart of Pharaoh. And I excited his heart and that of his ministers. And I caused them to pursue after the children of Israel. And Pharaoh followed with (me) and all the Egyptians. Then I was present there, and we followed together. And we all came up upon the Red Sea. And it came to pass when the children of Israel had crossed over, the water returned and covered all the hosts of the Egyptians and all their might. And I remained in the sea, being kept under this pillar. But when Ephippas came, being sent by you, shut up in the vessel of a flask, he fetched me up to you.”
Just as with the Old and New Testaments, this uninspired Jewish history book makes a clear connection between demonic forces and the waters of the deep.
The book of 1 Enoch is not inspired, but it is referenced more than 100 times in the Bible. With that in mind, look at what this book teaches us about the out that was upon the women who willingly helped in conceiving the Nephilim against the will of Heaven:
1 Enoch 19:2-And the wives of the transgressing angels will become sirens.”
Sirens are connected with mermaids in Jewish and pagan lore.
“Vepar: The forty-second demon of the Goetia. According to the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum of Wierus, erus, Vepar takes the form of a siren or mermaid. This appearance is appropriate, for Vepar is a demon connected with the seas.” (Michelle Belanger, The Dictionary of Demons: Names of the Damned, 310 (Kindle Edition): Woodbury, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications)
When we consider the astonishing connections between the demonic realm from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and extrabiblical books with the oceans and seas, we see amazing evidence of the link with these forces and UAP.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.