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Veneration: Unveiling the Ancient Realms of Demonic Kings and Satan's Battle Plan for Armageddon
Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming:
It stirreth up the Rephaim for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth;
It hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. (Isa. 14:9)
There were giants in the earth in those days. The same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
These were the heroes of legend; kings and warriors called Rephaim, whose deeds inspired worship long after they passed from the earth, a false, demonic religion that corrupted God’s chosen people even before they entered the Promised Land.
What’s more, the prophets of Israel foretell a day when these mighty men return from Sheol to fight alongside the Antichrist at the Battle of Armageddon.
In this groundbreaking book, husband and wife authors Derek P. Gilbert and Sharon K. Gilbert show how the giants of old shaped the worldview and religion of the Hebrews—and the terrifying role they’ll play in the end times.
It stirreth up the Rephaim for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth;
It hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. (Isa. 14:9)
There were giants in the earth in those days. The same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
These were the heroes of legend; kings and warriors called Rephaim, whose deeds inspired worship long after they passed from the earth, a false, demonic religion that corrupted God’s chosen people even before they entered the Promised Land.
What’s more, the prophets of Israel foretell a day when these mighty men return from Sheol to fight alongside the Antichrist at the Battle of Armageddon.
In this groundbreaking book, husband and wife authors Derek P. Gilbert and Sharon K. Gilbert show how the giants of old shaped the worldview and religion of the Hebrews—and the terrifying role they’ll play in the end times.
- GenresChristian
330 pages, Paperback
Published November 22, 2019
114 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 3, 2020
This book has a lot to offer. It isn’t for a new Christian. As someone that is always looking to grow, it was perfect addition.
October 13, 2022
Sharon and Derek Gilbert offer far more than a popularized version of Michael Heiser’s work. Rather, they have given the first popular level account of the Rephaim, perhaps surpassing Heiser in some areas. Even though the book is heavily endnoted and contains the top scholarship on this topic, it does not come across as an academic book.
While I am on the same line of thought as the Gilberts concerning this material, they did challenge me in new areas. One of the difficulties facing any student is the Bible’s implication that there were Nephilim/Rephaim after the flood. The obvious problems are the fact that such a flood wouldn’t have been worldwide. Even more problematic is that the flood was supposed to kill off the Nephilim. The Gilberts, however, maintain that the post-flood references to the Nephilim weren’t about actual descendants of the Nephilim, but those who worshiped them (Gilbert and Gilbert 15). That solves the problem of the flood. On the other hand, many of the references to Nephilim/Rephaim after the flood do seem to be about actual giants (e.g., Og and Goliath).
The Rephaim
The Gilberts point out that the Amorites believed that these mighty men (Nephilim) were the ancestors of their kings (14). Their spirits are called rapha. Goliath and others, yelide harapha, descendents of the giants, were an elite warrior cult (cf. l’Heroux, “The yelide harapha–A Cultic Association of Warriors.” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research No. 221, (Feb. 1976), p. 83-85).
The Hebrew writings seem to bear this out. Isaiah, whether referring to the Primal Rebel or to the King of Babylon, or both, writes that “Sheol is stirred up to meet you when you come; it rouses the shades (rephaim) to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth” (14:9).
The Titan Tribe
The Gilberts, following current research, link the Amorites with the Tidanu/Didanu tribe (Gilbert and Gilbert, 17; cf. Amar Annus, “Are there Greek Rephaim? On the etymology of Greek meropes and Titanes.” Ugarit-Forschungen 31 (1999), pp. 13-30.).
Summary
The Ugaritic texts dealing with the Rephaim called them “Warriors for Baal.” Anticipating his later argument, Gilbert notes that the mountain sacred to Baal, Mt Tsaphon, will be the rallying point for Gog’s end-times armies.
Chapter 2
The Abominable Branch
While many scholars want to see Isaiah 14 as referring to the king of Babylon, there is evidence that another character is in play. The figure is said to seek “the mount of assembly/in the far reaches of the north.” Tsaphon is Baal’s mountain. True, it is compared with Mt Zion in Psalm 48, but Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t seem interested in Israel’s liturgical worship, which makes Ezekiel 38-39 a far more likely comparison.
The prophet calls the figure a “loathed branch” (18-19). It is the word netser. Netser is sometimes used as a god or divinized dead (cf, Christopher Hays, “An Egyptian Loanword in the Book of Isaiah and the Deir’ Alla Inscription: Heb. nsr, Aram. nqr, and Egy. ntr as “[Divinized] Corpse.” Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections Vol. 4:2 (2012), p.18.). In other words, this is an Egyptian loanword that means ‘dead god.’ Here is where it gets strange: when the Primal Rebel is cast down to Sheol, the rephaim are already there (28).
Amorite Afterlife
The authors survey the data on ritual offerings to the dead in the ANE world. The dead never really went away. This might explain Rachel’s stealing her father’s Terabim, or household gods. Even more interesting, the Semitic word for father, ab, also means “entrance to the underworld” (Nicholas Wyatt, “After Death Has Us Parted,” in The Perfumes of Seven Tamarisks (Munster: Ugarit-Verlag, 2014) p.261). If this is true, then it explains the cryptic reference to the Valley of the Travelers (Abarim) where Moses probably died and where the end-times armies will gather.
Ruins of the Travelers
The Gilberts do a good job demonstrating that the oberim are the Travelers in Ezekiel 38-39. We first note that the Travelers are “east of the Sea,” or in Moab. Here is the key point: if the oberim are the spirits of the ancestors, the Rephaim spirits, then this is the place where they cross over into the realm of the living (69).
Identifications
Nergal = Respeph (“dLAMMA and Resep at Ugarit: The Hittite Connection.” Journal of the American Oriental Society, 98:4, 465.)
Resheph = Apollo (Apollo was also a plague god).
Inanna = Queen of Heaven (145ff; possibly identified as Astarte).
Humbaba = Guardian of Mt Hermon (161)
Enki = Satan (185; Enki is the lord of the abzu, of the earth, the dead).
El = Dagon = Kronos (196)
They spend quite a bit of time on “dolmens,” elaborate stone structures. They see them as possible “communication” doorways (115).
Criticisms
Although I probably agree with the Gilberts’ central claims, I hesitate to recommend this book. Some of the problems are typical with Defenders Publishers: continuous endnotes instead of footnotes, the need to identify everyone as “Dr” or “Scholar” such-and-such, and the like. Those are stylistic differences and negligible. Other problems are more substantial. This book engages in far more “reaching” and speculation than others they have written. I have in mind chapter 7.
To be sure, the book is quite uneven. Nonetheless, there are fascinating suggestions and the bibliography is top-notch in terms of academic scholarship.
While I am on the same line of thought as the Gilberts concerning this material, they did challenge me in new areas. One of the difficulties facing any student is the Bible’s implication that there were Nephilim/Rephaim after the flood. The obvious problems are the fact that such a flood wouldn’t have been worldwide. Even more problematic is that the flood was supposed to kill off the Nephilim. The Gilberts, however, maintain that the post-flood references to the Nephilim weren’t about actual descendants of the Nephilim, but those who worshiped them (Gilbert and Gilbert 15). That solves the problem of the flood. On the other hand, many of the references to Nephilim/Rephaim after the flood do seem to be about actual giants (e.g., Og and Goliath).
The Rephaim
The Gilberts point out that the Amorites believed that these mighty men (Nephilim) were the ancestors of their kings (14). Their spirits are called rapha. Goliath and others, yelide harapha, descendents of the giants, were an elite warrior cult (cf. l’Heroux, “The yelide harapha–A Cultic Association of Warriors.” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research No. 221, (Feb. 1976), p. 83-85).
The Hebrew writings seem to bear this out. Isaiah, whether referring to the Primal Rebel or to the King of Babylon, or both, writes that “Sheol is stirred up to meet you when you come; it rouses the shades (rephaim) to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth” (14:9).
The Titan Tribe
The Gilberts, following current research, link the Amorites with the Tidanu/Didanu tribe (Gilbert and Gilbert, 17; cf. Amar Annus, “Are there Greek Rephaim? On the etymology of Greek meropes and Titanes.” Ugarit-Forschungen 31 (1999), pp. 13-30.).
Summary
The Ugaritic texts dealing with the Rephaim called them “Warriors for Baal.” Anticipating his later argument, Gilbert notes that the mountain sacred to Baal, Mt Tsaphon, will be the rallying point for Gog’s end-times armies.
Chapter 2
The Abominable Branch
While many scholars want to see Isaiah 14 as referring to the king of Babylon, there is evidence that another character is in play. The figure is said to seek “the mount of assembly/in the far reaches of the north.” Tsaphon is Baal’s mountain. True, it is compared with Mt Zion in Psalm 48, but Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t seem interested in Israel’s liturgical worship, which makes Ezekiel 38-39 a far more likely comparison.
The prophet calls the figure a “loathed branch” (18-19). It is the word netser. Netser is sometimes used as a god or divinized dead (cf, Christopher Hays, “An Egyptian Loanword in the Book of Isaiah and the Deir’ Alla Inscription: Heb. nsr, Aram. nqr, and Egy. ntr as “[Divinized] Corpse.” Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections Vol. 4:2 (2012), p.18.). In other words, this is an Egyptian loanword that means ‘dead god.’ Here is where it gets strange: when the Primal Rebel is cast down to Sheol, the rephaim are already there (28).
Amorite Afterlife
The authors survey the data on ritual offerings to the dead in the ANE world. The dead never really went away. This might explain Rachel’s stealing her father’s Terabim, or household gods. Even more interesting, the Semitic word for father, ab, also means “entrance to the underworld” (Nicholas Wyatt, “After Death Has Us Parted,” in The Perfumes of Seven Tamarisks (Munster: Ugarit-Verlag, 2014) p.261). If this is true, then it explains the cryptic reference to the Valley of the Travelers (Abarim) where Moses probably died and where the end-times armies will gather.
Ruins of the Travelers
The Gilberts do a good job demonstrating that the oberim are the Travelers in Ezekiel 38-39. We first note that the Travelers are “east of the Sea,” or in Moab. Here is the key point: if the oberim are the spirits of the ancestors, the Rephaim spirits, then this is the place where they cross over into the realm of the living (69).
Identifications
Nergal = Respeph (“dLAMMA and Resep at Ugarit: The Hittite Connection.” Journal of the American Oriental Society, 98:4, 465.)
Resheph = Apollo (Apollo was also a plague god).
Inanna = Queen of Heaven (145ff; possibly identified as Astarte).
Humbaba = Guardian of Mt Hermon (161)
Enki = Satan (185; Enki is the lord of the abzu, of the earth, the dead).
El = Dagon = Kronos (196)
They spend quite a bit of time on “dolmens,” elaborate stone structures. They see them as possible “communication” doorways (115).
Criticisms
Although I probably agree with the Gilberts’ central claims, I hesitate to recommend this book. Some of the problems are typical with Defenders Publishers: continuous endnotes instead of footnotes, the need to identify everyone as “Dr” or “Scholar” such-and-such, and the like. Those are stylistic differences and negligible. Other problems are more substantial. This book engages in far more “reaching” and speculation than others they have written. I have in mind chapter 7.
To be sure, the book is quite uneven. Nonetheless, there are fascinating suggestions and the bibliography is top-notch in terms of academic scholarship.
January 19, 2024
Simply jam-packed with significant insights and important - but obscure - background information for understanding the spiritual gateways of the ancient Hebrew world that, even now, affect our lives.
Ezekiel 28:17 may refer to rephaim-linked spirits, the underworld maliku or malku of Ebla and Mari who received kispum offerings, rather than to "kings". (p27)
Saturn consumed the passing days, months and years. Saturnalia was adapted from the Kronia of the Greek world. (p29)
Teshub banished the karuilies siunes, like the Titans twelve in number. They came to be identified with the Anunnaki, confined by Marduk in the underworld. (p32)
The assembly of the Ditanu/Tidanu (possibly meaning "wild bulls") was linked to the rephaim. (p33) Ditanu might be the origin of the word for Titans.
The rephaim and council of the Ditanu were summoned for the coronation of Ugarit's last king. (p34)
Daughters could be legally adopted as sons in Abraham's day in order to have the right to perform the kispum ritual (p44)
The burial of Samuel in his house at Ramah conforms to the customs of the time. (p46)
Ben meseq "son of the cup" refers to the eldest son's ritual duties for his deceased father. (p47)
Charles Warren found that the summit of Mount Hermon was scooped out to form a bowl 3 m across and 2 m deep. (p47) This may be a place where a "yarid" (water libation) ceremony could be performed. It is possible that the descent of the Watchers in the days of Jared actually means the yarid. (p48)
Chairs are integral to funerary rites, and to the kispum, as a form for souls to inhabit. Spirits may have been transferred to the netherworld via a ritual chair (or sometimes chariot). They would return to the chair during the kispum rite. (p79)
A talisman depicts Immeya as a human-headed bull. The dead and divinised king was transformed into a Aladlammu - a celestial guardian of the kingdom comparable with the rapi'uma of later Ugaritic tradition. (p87)
The use of pigs as sacrificial offerings to the gods of the underworld and the dead may be the primary reason for the prohibition on eating portk. (p89)
Mithras emerged from a stone. Dushara (from Petra) lived in a stone. (p106)
There are some 5000 dolmens on the Golan Heights, believed by the Canaanites to be an entrance to the netherworld ruled by Rapi'u, "king of eternity". This godling's name is the singular of rephaim. In Ugaritic, Bashan meant place of the serpent. (p116f)
The summit of Mount Hermon is called Qasr Antar had to be approached by anti-clockwise circuit, like a complex labyrinth or the pathway on a threshing floor. The southern peak is scooped out with a ruined temple at the southern end, with an entrance to the east angled at 72 degrees. It is 36 ft 3 in long and 33 ft 3 wide. (p125)
Bull's horns were sometimes associated with Kronos, a name based on krn. (p133)
Charles Torrey in 1938 pointed out the har-mo'ed, mount of assembly, is the probable solution to the riddle of the word Armageddon. (p259)
Ritual communal meals for the dead were still practised in the fourth century by Christians. (p291)
Ezekiel 28:17 may refer to rephaim-linked spirits, the underworld maliku or malku of Ebla and Mari who received kispum offerings, rather than to "kings". (p27)
Saturn consumed the passing days, months and years. Saturnalia was adapted from the Kronia of the Greek world. (p29)
Teshub banished the karuilies siunes, like the Titans twelve in number. They came to be identified with the Anunnaki, confined by Marduk in the underworld. (p32)
The assembly of the Ditanu/Tidanu (possibly meaning "wild bulls") was linked to the rephaim. (p33) Ditanu might be the origin of the word for Titans.
The rephaim and council of the Ditanu were summoned for the coronation of Ugarit's last king. (p34)
Daughters could be legally adopted as sons in Abraham's day in order to have the right to perform the kispum ritual (p44)
The burial of Samuel in his house at Ramah conforms to the customs of the time. (p46)
Ben meseq "son of the cup" refers to the eldest son's ritual duties for his deceased father. (p47)
Charles Warren found that the summit of Mount Hermon was scooped out to form a bowl 3 m across and 2 m deep. (p47) This may be a place where a "yarid" (water libation) ceremony could be performed. It is possible that the descent of the Watchers in the days of Jared actually means the yarid. (p48)
Chairs are integral to funerary rites, and to the kispum, as a form for souls to inhabit. Spirits may have been transferred to the netherworld via a ritual chair (or sometimes chariot). They would return to the chair during the kispum rite. (p79)
A talisman depicts Immeya as a human-headed bull. The dead and divinised king was transformed into a Aladlammu - a celestial guardian of the kingdom comparable with the rapi'uma of later Ugaritic tradition. (p87)
The use of pigs as sacrificial offerings to the gods of the underworld and the dead may be the primary reason for the prohibition on eating portk. (p89)
Mithras emerged from a stone. Dushara (from Petra) lived in a stone. (p106)
There are some 5000 dolmens on the Golan Heights, believed by the Canaanites to be an entrance to the netherworld ruled by Rapi'u, "king of eternity". This godling's name is the singular of rephaim. In Ugaritic, Bashan meant place of the serpent. (p116f)
The summit of Mount Hermon is called Qasr Antar had to be approached by anti-clockwise circuit, like a complex labyrinth or the pathway on a threshing floor. The southern peak is scooped out with a ruined temple at the southern end, with an entrance to the east angled at 72 degrees. It is 36 ft 3 in long and 33 ft 3 wide. (p125)
Bull's horns were sometimes associated with Kronos, a name based on krn. (p133)
Charles Torrey in 1938 pointed out the har-mo'ed, mount of assembly, is the probable solution to the riddle of the word Armageddon. (p259)
Ritual communal meals for the dead were still practised in the fourth century by Christians. (p291)
January 10, 2022
It Gives You Something To Ponder
This book is well written, researched, and has plenty of footnotes to help you see where the researchers have found their information. If you are looking to understand how things are the way they are then this book will be a great help. There is a firm Biblical foundation for everything you read in this book. It can also help you to understand what is coming in our future. I highly recommend this book.
This book is well written, researched, and has plenty of footnotes to help you see where the researchers have found their information. If you are looking to understand how things are the way they are then this book will be a great help. There is a firm Biblical foundation for everything you read in this book. It can also help you to understand what is coming in our future. I highly recommend this book.
June 12, 2025
The Gilberts do a magnificent job at deepening the scriptures using the ANE literature of the neighboring nations and the scriptures themselves.
I don't necessarily agree whole cloth but I do agree that there is much under the surface when you are reading the Bible without its historical context. If you're into the weird of the Bible or Michael Heiser's work, I would definitely suggest this book.
I don't necessarily agree whole cloth but I do agree that there is much under the surface when you are reading the Bible without its historical context. If you're into the weird of the Bible or Michael Heiser's work, I would definitely suggest this book.
October 2, 2020
Look into the Spiritual Dimension
Great book detailing the gods of the pagans & returning during our time as we are in the last days. I have learned a lot that I have not known or heard of until about ten years ago.
As prophesied in Daniel, there is an explosion of knowledge that helps in our eschatological understanding!
Great book detailing the gods of the pagans & returning during our time as we are in the last days. I have learned a lot that I have not known or heard of until about ten years ago.
As prophesied in Daniel, there is an explosion of knowledge that helps in our eschatological understanding!
June 1, 2021
This book has lots of fascinating info but is in dire need of organizational graphics to help readers like me keep up with all of the different names given to each being by various civilizations over time. Such graphics might have spared Gilbert the necessity of repeating a lot of that information numerous times and relieved the content of its resultant tedium.
October 18, 2020
Excellent book. Very well written. Looking forward to more good reads from this couple!
January 28, 2022
Outstanding research into ancient religions in the middle east and much more.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews