Threats....

Okay, so what threats has he made over the years? Why am I scared? Well, in the "good old days" the threats were pretty straightforward. For instance, there was the night he point blank told me that if I ever tried to leave him again I would disappear; I would end up in the bay and my body would never be found. He has threatened numerous times in the past to take the kids and I would never see them again; to make my life hell; to ensure that I never had anything; to have the kids taken from me (since I am so irresponsible with money and so flaky that I just keep up and leaving repeatedly); to hurt my mother, my family; to take everything from me so I know what "messing with him" can cost; to disappear himself and leave me holding all the financial reins so that I see how good I have it.
Now, they are usually more vague and difficult to explain. For instance, if I try to assert myself he will simply say "Ummm Okay, is that how you want to play it? Are you sure you really want to try me?" in what can only be described as a menacing voice. Or "Oh, I see, that's how it's going to be" or "Alright then I see how this is going to go" or "Go ahead and try me. I'll make your fucking life so miserable you'll be sorry you even met me" or something else along those lines. A couple years ago, he bought guns and would take them out of the drawer beside the bed whenever he would get angry. He never overtly threatened me with the guns (and I have NO idea where they are now), but it was just the point. Occasionally he will drink a beer or bring a six-pack home with him when he says I have really been driving him to it, and will stare at me over the top of it as he drinks it. He was so physically violent when he was drinking he knows this is something that really gets to me without him having to say a word. He will just look at me and I will be panicking inside, wondering how far this is going to go this time.
Of course, no one would ever believe that any of the things he says or does now are threatening, but I know they are. I know that he knows they are also. When he really gets pissed off (for what I never know) he will threaten to confront my son about something that has been bothering him--although he never says what exactly that is. He knows this gets me to immediately give in to whatever he wants me to do because the thought of another confrontation between the two of them is horrifying to me. Or he will simply tell me that he's been talking to other people about "my issues" and they all agree with him that there is something seriously wrong with me and that they cannot believe he has put up with it this long. I don't really know if that constitutes a threat or not, but it sure feels like one.
Finally, a week ago he tells me--pretty randomly--that the ONLY thing that has kept him from snapping out and going crazy around here is the fact that he doesn't want to lose his job. Now how the hell am I supposed to take that!?!