What is Armageddon?
Some people believe that Armageddon is when the world will be completely destroyed via any number of methods: asteroid, nuclear war, or come other catastrophic event. But that is not what the Holy Bible says.
What is Armageddon?
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east… to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty... 16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. (Revelation 16: 12-16) (ESV)
19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. (Revelation 19: 19)
At the end of this age, the Lord God will gather the Antichrist and his hordes to a place called Armageddon (aka Jezreel Valley). Armageddon is the geographical location in Israel where an epic battle will be fought. It is the location where the Antichrist and his armies will gather in their attempt to forever annihilate the Jewish people.
As a result of the epic battle, the world will be forever changed but it will not be completely destroyed.
The Battle of Armageddon
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war… and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him… 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 19: 11-16) (ESV)
20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse… (Revelation 19: 20-21) (ESV)
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4: 12) (ESV)
… the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6: 17) (ESV)
When Jesus Christ arrives with His heavenly army he will destroy the Antichrist’s army. Jesus Christ does not use earthly weapons to defeat the Antichrist. Jesus uses the “sword of the Spirit“: the spoken word of God.
Armageddon is not the end of the world – but it is the end of this age. After which, this world will become a very different place. It will be a much better place to be because the LORD will reign over all the earth with truth and justice.
Before the Lord God gathers the Antichrist and his armies to their destruction at Armageddon, certain events will take place. In the latter years of this age…
A land restored from War
In the latter years you [the Antichrist] will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them. (Ezekiel 38: 7-8) (ESV)
This scripture says that at the time of this prophecy being fulfilled “all of them” (all the Jewish people) will be living in Israel. Although many Jews have returned to the holy land that God gave them (Israel), many Jewish people are still scattered throughout other lands. Currently, about half of the Jewish population lives in Israel.
After a specific war that has not yet happened, ALL of the Jewish people will be gathered from among the earth and they will dwell securely in Israel. In order to achieve this outcome, there will be an unprecedented war with an unprecedented treaty.
The 6th Trumpet war
14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand [200 million]… 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur… (Revelation 13: 14-16, 18) (NIV)
The 6th Trumpet war initiates from the Euphrates river. It involves 200 million soldiers and results in the death of a third of mankind. Note that currently ALL the countries that border the Euphrates are Islamic-controlled.
This war appears to have started on 9/11/2001 when Islam declared a jihad war against the non-Islamic world. Since that time, peace has been taken from the earth – but this war has not yet reached its climax.
Desolation
The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. (Daniel 9: 26) (NIV)
The Holy Bible warns that desolation will happen near the end of this age.
18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur.(Revelation 13: 18) (NIV)
A third of mankind will be killed in the 6th Trumpet war which involves explosions (most likely a nuclear war). A war of this magnitude would certainly cause desolation.
The Treaty
The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. (Daniel 9: 26-27) (NIV)
31 And forces [Kittim, western lands, especially Cyprus] shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress [the Temple]; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. (Daniel 11: 31) (NKJV)
The unprecedented carnage of the 6th Trumpet war would result in an unprecedented peace treaty. It would attempt to unite many nations in order to prevent further carnage. Several nations are likely to give up their sovereignty in the interest of world peace. Eventually, the Antichrist will come to power and that union of nations will become the combined beast described in Revelation 13.
The Antichrist will participate in confirming the 7-year peace treaty. Halfway through the treaty, the Antichrist will break the treaty. This is in keeping with Islamic mandates which require that treaties with non-Muslims be temporary (less than 10 years) and only long enough to gain an advantage over their enemies. Treaties with non-Muslims are considered non-binding (Koran 9.01 and 9.03).
The Antichrist will stand in the Temple and he will put an end to animal sacrifice. This indicates that the Temple will be rebuilt and animal sacrifice will be resumed during the first half of the peace treaty. This will mark the beginning of the Great Tribulation.
A warning to flee Judea
15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24: 15) (NIV)
20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains … 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. (Luke 21: 20-22) (ESV)
Halfway through the 7-year treaty, the Antichrist will break the treaty. He will attack Jerusalem and he will target God’s people (faithful Jews and Christians). Jesus Christ warns God’s people to immediately flee when they see Jerusalem surrounded by armies and the abomination that causes desolation being set up in the Temple.
The Antichrist attacks Israel
9 You [the Antichrist] will advance, coming on like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the land [Israel], you and all your hordes, and many peoples with you. 10 “Thus says the Lord God: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme 11 and say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely… 12 to seize spoil and carry off plunder… and the people who were gathered from the nations [the Jewish people], who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth [Jerusalem]. (Ezekiel 38: 9-12) (ESV)
13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all its leaders will say to you, ‘Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hosts to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to seize great spoil?’ (Ezekiel 38: 13) (ESV)
14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord God: On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know it? 15 You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army. (Ezekiel 38: 14-15) (ESV)
After the land of Israel has recovered a great war (e.g. the 6th Trumpet war), the Antichrist will take notice of the Jewish people safely living in Israel without protective walls (as a result of the 7-year treaty). The Antichrist hates God’s chosen people (the Jewish people) and devises an evil scheme to attack and plunder Israel. Halfway through the 7-year treaty, the Antichrist breaks the treaty and attacks Jerusalem. (see Daniel 7:27)
The Antichrist’s army will be “riding on horses.” Given today’s technology, present-day scholars consider the term “horses” as referring to a powerful warlike method of travel. But there is a possibility that the catastrophic 6th Trumpet war plunges the world’s technology back into ancient ways (e.g. the use of animals for transportation). Might God choose to humble mankind by having the 6th Trumpet war result in the elimination of modern technology?
Hypothesis: A nuclear war that results in the death of a third of mankind would cause catastrophic desolation across the globe. Electromagnetic pulses and nuclear bombs can easily destroy electronic equipment and computers. Following a massive nuclear war, the world could be plunged into ancient ways of living (no modern technology). It could also eliminate technology that would otherwise be used to monitor and persecute God’s people.
God protects a remnant of Israel
6 The woman [Israel] fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days [3-1/2 years]. (Revelation 12: 6)
13 When the dragon [Satan] saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman [Israel] who had given birth to the male child [Jesus Christ]. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time [3-1/2 years], out of the serpent’s reach… 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring [Christians] —those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. (Revelation 12: 13-17) (NIV)
When the Great Tribulation begins, a remnant of Jewish people will be taken to a place in the wilderness to be protected by God during the 1,260 days of Great Tribulation. When Satan realizes that he will not be allowed to kill all the Jewish people, he will turn his wrath onto the followers of Christ (Christians).
The One World Religion of Tolerance
3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was… holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” 6 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. (Revelation 17: 3-6) (ESV)
16 And the ten horns [kings] that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate… and burn her up with fire… 18 And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17: 16, 18) (ESV)
If the 6th Trumpet war was motivated by religion (e.g. an Islamic jihad), the 7-year treaty would include a declaration that the people of the world must tolerate all religions. A geographical location would be established to enforce the one world religion of tolerance.
Revelation 17 calls the tolerant one world religion “the great prostitute” because people have become unfaithful to God and instead pursue other gods. Many people in the world (including Pope Francis) have embraced the notion that people can believe whatever they want and do whatever they want and still go to heaven. The word of God declares this to be blasphemous and adulterous. Because God’s holy people would speak against the great prostitute’s lies and remain faithful to Him, the great prostitute will persecute and martyr God’s holy people.
This intolerant religion of tolerance will be drunk on the blood of the saints: “the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Christians). The great prostitute is the primary entity responsible for the persecution of God’s faithful people. This takes place during the Great Tribulation.
The great prostitute rides the beast (the Antichrist). The beast and the 10 kings hate the great prostitute because she has control over them. The great prostitute (aka the great city “mystery Babylon”) has power over the kings of the earth and the Antichrist. God will eventually use them to destroy it.
The people who know their God
32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he [the Antichrist] shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. (Daniel 11: 32) (NKJV)
33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering… 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white [spotless], until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time. (Daniel 11: 33-35) (NKJV)
When God’s people recognize the signs of the end of this age time, they will help others to understand what is happening. When the Temple is rebuilt, animal sacrifice is resumed, then animal sacrifice is terminated and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, Christians will know that the Antichrist has been revealed.
During the Great Tribulation, Christians will be severely persecuted. They “shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering.” This calls for faithfulness and patient endurance on the part of God’s people. Some of those who understand will fall but it will be used to refine and purify them until the time of the end: when Jesus Christ returns and the Antichrist is destroyed.
Despite extreme persecution, the people who know their God will be strong. They will carry out “great exploits” because God is with them and His Holy Spirit indwells them. Christians are not simply victims of the Great Tribulation: they will be accomplishing great things.
The people who know their God will stand strong and will not be deceived by Satan’s lies. They will speak the truth about what is happening. They will help people understand what is happening and what can be done. They will warn people not to take the mark of the beast and they will continue to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Additional Desolation
20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. (Luke 21: 20) (NIV)
The Antichrist will attack, destroy, defile, and occupy Jerusalem. This takes place at the beginning of the Great Tribulation.
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24: 15-16) (NIV)
The Antichrist will stand in the Jerusalem Temple and set an abomination that causes desolation.
14 The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever,…15 till the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. (Isaiah 32: 14-15) (NIV)
Geographical areas will become wastelands but some areas will be restored after the battle of Armageddon.
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute [the great city: mystery Babylon, the great prostitute] who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants… The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever. (Revelation 19: 1-3)
Geographical areas will become uninhabitable wastelands forever (especially the great city that led the whole world astray).
18 This is what will happen in that day: When Gog [the Antichrist] attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord… there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel… and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. (Ezekiel 38: 18-20)
When Jesus Christ returns at the 7th Trumpet to fight the Antichrist at Armageddon, the surface of the earth will be changed and a massive earthquake will be felt around the world.
The final days of this Age
16 You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land [Israel], that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. (Ezekiel 38: 16) (ESV)
In the final days of this age (at the end of the Great Tribulation), the Antichrist and his armies will be so numerous that they are like a cloud covering the land when they invade Israel. They already hate Israel and have schemed to completely annihilate all of the Jewish people.
So, in His perfect timing, God will gather the Antichrist and his armies to the place ordained for their destruction: Armageddon. When God brings them against His land, God will vindicate His holiness when He destroys the Antichrist and his hordes at Armageddon. As a result, the nations will know the LORD.
The Wrath of God
18 But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord God, my wrath will be roused in my anger. 19 For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel... And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground. (Ezekiel 38: 18-20) (ESV)
21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord God. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur. (Ezekiel 38: 21-22) (ESV)
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. 21 And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. (Revelation 16: 17-21)
After the Great Tribulation, God will pour out His wrath onto the world. The 7th bowl of his wrath includes the battle of Armageddon. At that time, the Antichrist and his armies are destroyed. The Antichrist and the False Prophet are cast into the lake of fire for eternal torment. The people who took the mark of the beast are killed and are cast into the lake of fire for eternal torment. The great city mystery Babylon (the great prostitute) is destroyed and becomes an eternal wasteland. Satan is bound for a thousand years (see Revelation 20).
The nations will know the holiness of the LORD
23 So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 38: 23) (ESV)
Please pray for the nations
The politically-correct world continues to turn people away from the truth. Many people who once knew the truth are now believing lies. The world is rapidly falling away from God. Pray that the people of the world will turn back to God before it is too late.
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