@Yahshua , well, for one thing, you and I disagree somewhat on the "chronology" issues...
...as I see the "2W's 1260 days" to
STRADDLE the two halves (with the "5th Trumpet / 1st Woe unto the earth" being
MID-trib... when Rev9:1-2's "opened the bottomless pit / abyss" takes place); whereas the "2W" are killed (and then are resurrected and ascend up into Heaven) at the "6th Trumpet [events] / 2nd Woe" (that is, AFTER the "5th Trumpet / 1st Woe unto the earth").
I do
not agree that the "abyss" is opened MORE THAN ONCE.
[11:7, 17:8... 9:1-2]
Ok, but I don't think I've ever clearly listed my view of Revelation's chronology in the forum...just sprinkling here and there from one topic to another... I really miss the old format of the website because I could post tables, but this is a summary of my understanding of Revelation's layout.
1-3) introduction and letters to churches...
4-11) vision from heaven's pov of the order of events,
detailing the Messiah taking the throne, initiating judgment, but ending with
a summary of: the witnessing & persecution of 1260 days, the 1st resurrection, and 7th trumpet (which would contain the 7 last plagues); "
kingdoms of the world are becoming the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ...It is finished."
12-16) vision from earth's pov of the order of events,
summarizing the Messiah's birth, to ascension to the throne, to satan's fall & persecution & witness of the saints for 1260 days, but then
detailing that persecution from the 1st beast (42 months),
detailing the 2nd beast,
detailing the saints (144000) and their need to persevere as the message goes out to Almighty's people to "
come out of [Mystery babylon]" (the same message of
Rev 10 given to John to eat and to prophesy again = the two witnesses testimony), and finally
detailing the 7 last plagues that fall on the earth (7th trumpet) as the saints sing on the sea of glass (i.e. 1st resurrection to heaven)...
"it is finished".
17-20) parenthetical break,
detailing the woman who rides the beast of revelation 13 and her destruction, contrasting that with
detailing the beautiful bride clothed with the righteous acts of the saints...The vision of marriage to Messiah and His return to earth to destroy the beast and army (the 7th and final plague of the 7 last plagues), followed by
a summary of satan's imprisonment, the 1000-year reign, satan's release to gather Gog/Magog army, destruction, etc... "
it is finished".
21-22) All things being made new.
----
So I agree that the abyss
isn't opened more than once. There's overlapping of the chronology by different visions explaining to John the order of events from different perspectives...something like what I have below:
...[4..........11]
[12..........................16]
....................[17..........20][21-22]
This is EXACTLY how visions were given to Daniel (each overlapping vision giving a little more detail of the overall chronology). This also means that I see each mention of 1260 days and 42 months as the
SAME span of time not two halves of a 7-year trib, which then can be used to
synchronize each of the visions...the same way "the feeding of the 5000" is
a single event in time that synchronizes each of the gospel accounts. Great Tribulation is just 1260 days = 42 months = time, times, half time...from my view.
So that, when one considers each of the passages speaking to these and to the beast ("seven heads, ten horns"), there's the HUMAN aspect (like Jesus was a "man" [who walked this earth]) and the "great red dragon" (sign in heaven) aspect (12:3) and the abyss aspect (9:1-2; corresponding with the time-slot of the "5th Trumpet / 1st Woe unto the earth," when Satan will be "cast out unto the earth, and his angels cast out with him" 12:12,9, when thereafter he will be "having great wrath because..." [corresponding with the time-frame expressed in 13:5-7, which correlates with Dan7:20-25[27]...
...and v.20 esp. describes this individual person aspect [he's the "mouth" Rev13:5 / Dan7:20 "horn [/king] that had eyes, and a mouth that spake great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows" and where v.21 corresponds with Rev13:7... but all of these also "connects" what Paul said of this individual person in 2Th2:4a "exalteth himself above all that is called God or is worshipped" to that of Dan11:36 [which is the break in the chpt where it had been speaking of A4E to now in vv.36 onward to that FUTURE individual person of the 7 Trib yrs... but 2Th2:4 [MID-trib] is not his FIRST action in his role to play out upon the earth... 2Th2:9a IS! "whose COMING [/ADVENT / ARRIVAL / PRESENCE / parousia"... [well-BEFORE the MID-trib point, when you search out all the pertaining passages... Not gonna do all that HERE
])
But with regard to the human aspect of the beast; this doesn't conflict with the antichrist/the beast being the angel/spirit apollyon.
If we continue to flesh this out;
1 John 4:2-4 says that the "spirit of antichrist" revealed himself
in John's time and that "
there are many antichrists" because it's a spirit/angel over the men of his kingdom ("
the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and sanctuary..." -
Daniel 9:26).
Building on what scripture explains to us; there are princes (i.e. principalities) over each nation. The "Man in linen" was held up by the Prince of Persia, a spirit. But notice from the beginning of that chapter that Daniel was in captivity under the rule of Medo-Persia, real
flesh & blood men.
So the "Man in linen" battling the Persian principality equated to the children of Judah being subjugated to the people of Medo-Persia...and later in
Daniel 12, we're told that when the "time of trouble" comes upon Daniel's people...which prophesies real flesh & blood people persecuting Israel...Michael -
their Principality -
stands up to do battle on their behalf in the spirit realm. This event can be synchronized with
Revelation 12 where we're told that Michael
wars with satan and his angels who later have great wrath for "the woman".
So the spirit of antichrist manifests in his people, and not just one person. Antichrist has been here at least approx. 1900 years according to John, leading many flesh & blood people who are part of his kingdom to speak blasphemy against the Almighty and to persecute the Almighty's people.