THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON
by David J. Stewart
“And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” —Revelation 16:16
The Bible prophecies that when Jesus Christ returns at the SECOND COMING, that there will be a battle in a valley in Israel called, ARMAGEDDON. This battle will climax the hellish 7-year TRIBULATION PERIOD. The last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation Period will be a time of horrible suffering, worse than ever before in history (Matthew 24:21).
Many false Christs and false prophets will arise. Matthew 24:24, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Matthew 24:27 teaches that the SECOND COMING of Jesus Christ will be as obvious as a strike of lightning that bolts across the entire sky. Many of the unsaved will be deceived by false prophets (Matthew 24:24). Please note that the RAPTURE occurs 7-years before the SECOND COMING. Here's an easy way to remember this Biblical truth:
- Jesus came 2,000 years ago TO His own, the Jews.
- Jesus will return at the Rapture FOR His own, the Church.
- Jesus will return at the Second Coming WITH His own, the Church.
Revelation 16:18-20 prophecies that there will be a massive worldwide earthquake, bigger than the worst earthquake in the history of mankind. According to Revelation 16:20, the earthquake will cause the cities of the earth to be destroyed Every island will sink into the ocean. Hundreds-of-millions of people will die. The mountains will crumble. Revelation 16:21 prophecies that 125 lb. hail will fall from the sky, causing unsaved men to blaspheme the God of Heaven in anger.
During the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation Period, prior to the battle of Armageddon, God will send angels to bring misery upon mankind. Those who worship the image of the Beast will receive the Mark of the Beast. The worshippers of the Beast will be afflicted with grievous sores (Revelation 16:2). All sea life will perish (Revelation 16:3). Rivers and sources of drinking will be contaminated (Revelation 16:4). The sun will be affected and men will be scorched (Revelation 16:8). Humanity will curse God, blaspheming Him, and refusing to repent.
Notice that the Bible doesn't say they wouldn't repent of their sins. No, rather, Revelation 16:9 says they would not give glory to God. Even the best of Christians still sin. It is not a matter of living a religious life nor trying to live without committing sin. That is not what the Christian life is about. It is a matter of receiving God's gift of eternal life, made possible by the sacrifice of God's only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. We are saved solely by Christ's righteousness, and not by our own self-righteousness, for we have no self-righteousness to offer God. Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Even amidst all the horrifying plagues during the Tribulation Period, people will still spit on the Bible and the name of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 16:10-11 prophecies that people will suffer from agonizing sores, with pain so woeful it will make them gnaw their tongues. Revelation 16:12 says that the Euphrates river will dry up as preparation for the kings of the east (Iraq and other Arab nations) to go to war. This could be manmade engineering.
According to Revelation 16:13, three demons will come forth out of the MOUTH of the Dragon, the Beast and the False Prophet. I believe this speaks of the words they speak. The Bible warns of Doctrines of Devils (1st Timothy 4:1). Demons influence music, books, writings and words. This is how Satan influences people for evil, by blinding their minds (2nd Corinthians 4:4). Satan doesn't come to us in a red suit, with horns and a pitch-forked tail. Rather, Satan sends demons, some more wicked than others (Matthew 12:45), to blind people's minds with unbiblical teachings to destroy their lives as much as possible.
These three demons will influence the leaders of the world's nations to go to war against Israel. Revelation 16:14, “For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” This speaks of the battle which will be fought in the valley of Megiddo, i.e., the valley of Armageddon.
Revelation 20:2 tells us that Satan will be bound with a great chain when the battle of Armageddon is finished, and will be locked away in the Bottomless Pit for 1,000 years. Revelation 20:3 tells us that the Devil deceives the nations. We see this much today. The 911 attacks are a woeful deceit, a LYING WONDER (2nd Thessalonians 2:9). The War On Terror is a fabricated boogieman intended to deceive the masses into submission, another LYING WONDER. Satan is a master liar (John 8:44). Satan operates deceptively through occult organizations, such as Freemasonry and The Order of Death. Elite occult members own the banks and the corporations, including Hollywood and the newsmedia.
Revelation 20:4 prophecies that many Christians who refuse to worship the Beast and receive the Mark of the beast will be beheaded during the Tribulation Period. Those believers will be rewarded during the 1,000-year Millennial reign of Christ by ruling with Him.
Revelation 14:19-20 tells us that the blood from dead soldiers in Jerusalem will rise to the horse bridles...
“And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.”
The Beast (Antichrist) and the False Prophet (perhaps the Pope) will be cast into the Lake of Fire forever...
Revelation 20:9-10, “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Notice that Hell (Greek: Gehenna, the Lake of Fire) is a literal place of torment, burning with fire and brimstone (sulfur). The Bible teaches that anyone who refuses to OBEY the Gospel of Jesus Christ will also be cast into Hell...
2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9 warns, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”
Many people whom I witness to, tell me that all faiths are valid because there is only one God. That is a demonic philosophy, because most religions corrupt the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For example: Catholics require self-righteous works and the keeping of the Seven Sacraments to get to Heaven. That is a road to Hell. Jehovah's Witnesses deny the Biblical teaching of the Godhead. Mormons deny the Biblical teaching that Jesus is Almighty God, i.e., His deity. Lordship Salvationists require people to give up their sinful lifestyle to get to Heaven. These are all false Gospels.
The Word of God teaches that we are saved by the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and only by the righteousness of Jesus Christ (Matthew 6:33; Romans 4:5-6; 2nd Corinthians 5:21; Romans 10:3-4).
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