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>>Armageddon:
How Close?
By Mark S Watson
http://www.markswatson.com/Armageddon.htm
Posted on this site
March 27 2005
Armageddon: How Close?
"And he gathered them together into a place called in the
Hebrew tongue Armageddon." Rev 16:15
Armageddon is the battle that every one talks about as being
the battle to end all battles.
A Giant cataclysm that many
incorrectly believe will end the world. That is only a
half-truth, Armageddon is a cataclysmic battle, but it will
not end the world. It will however usher in an age of peace
where Jesus Christ will reign. But when and how will this
battle take place? This article will explore this question and
shed light from God's word on the subject.
Armageddon is actually Hebrew for the mount of Megiddo. It is
located on the south side of mount Carmel. Located on the
entrance to a pass across the Carmel mountain range, it's
importance historically made one ancient Egyptian Pharaoh
note, "Megiddo is worth a thousand cities"
The Winepress.
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Revelation 14:19
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.
Revelation 14:20
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.
Revelation 19:15
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he
should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of
iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and
wrath of Almighty God.
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Jesus spoke of a Winepress in his parables that seems to fit
what the wine press of God's Wrath is really all about. Many
expositors wish to attempt to show which armies will use what
routs and determine which battles will be fought as the armies
are enroute to the mount of Meggido. Yet the more important
spiritual aspects of the battle are often not looked upon with
any depth. The battle of Armageddon is referred to as the
"great winepress of the wrath of God". Just like wine flows
from man's winepress, God's winepress will cause blood to
flow, the blood of those armies whose nations have rebelled
against the Living God.
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Matt 21:33 -
Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which
planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a
winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to
husbandmen, and went into a far country:
34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his
servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits
of it.
35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and
killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and
they did unto them likewise.
37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They
will reverence my son.
38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among
themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let
us seize on his inheritance.
39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and
slew him.
40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will
he do unto those husbandmen?
41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked
men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen,
which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
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This verse is almost
never cited as being a prophetic piece of scripture, yet two
critical pieces of the story are present which fit into
directly into the book of Revelation.
1. The Winepress
2. Rebellion Against God
3. God's Anger
The Winepress of God is God's dealing and pleading with Israel
over its rejection of Christ and its rebellion against God.
Despite all the miracles that Israel had seen they still have
rejected the Messiah. He is also very angry at the nations
(International Community) for they parted the land (Israel)
and forced Israel to be scattered. Keep in mind that the
Gentile kings of old (dark, and middle ages) were at least
nominally Christian and honored God in their Lands at to
varying degrees.
This has changed in the past 100 years
especially. Now the rulers of our time, have openly ridiculed
God, and Christ and sought after many strange and foreign
God's to honor. Israel, when it sinned, was exiled and large
portions of it's population were killed in the many dealings
God had with Israel. This is true from the Babylonian Exile to
the time of Antiochus Epiphanes; the Roman Invasion by Titus
and through 2000 years of Exile and persecution. God dealt
harshly with those who had the truth and rejected it. Now the
nations are being judged for their hatred of Christ and their
treatment of Israel, forcing them to part(divide) their
land and their rejection of the truth.
The LORD is explicit as to who
and who alone will tread the winepress of the fiercenss of the
wrath of God.
Isaiah
63:1-6
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Who [is] this that
cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this [that
is] glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of
his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
Wherefore [art thou] red in thine apparel, and thy garments
like him that treadeth in the winefat?
I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the
people [there was] none with me: for I will tread them in mine
anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be
sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
For the day of vengeance [is] in mine heart, and the year of
my redeemed is come.
And I looked, and [there was] none to help; and
I wondered that [there was] none to uphold: therefore mine own
arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And
I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them
drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the
earth.
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Joel
3:2 -
I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into
the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for
my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered
among the nations, and parted my land.
Joel 3:9 - Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war,
wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let
them come up:
10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks
into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather
yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones
to come down, O LORD.
12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to
the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all
the heathen round about.
13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get
you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their
wickedness is great.
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the
day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
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The Day of the LORD
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Zechariah
14:1
Behold,
the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in
the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle;
and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the
women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into
captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off
from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those
nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of
Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount
of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east
and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley;
and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and
half of it toward the south.
Isaiah 13:9 -
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and
fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy
the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof
shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his
going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked
for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the
proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the
terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man
than the golden wedge of Ophir.
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The Day of the LORD and the battle of Armageddon are
inextricably linked. While the Day of the LORD is used in the in
the Old Testament as a day of Judgment against God's enemies at
various times in Israel's History. The most common and important
usage is the Day of Messiah's (Christ) to cleanse the earth of
evil, sinners and Israel's enemies and usher in a new age of
righteousness, truth and justice.
The Kings of the Earth are to be deceived into fighting the
battle of Armageddon. This is accomplished by deception. This is
a spiritual deception that will deceive the kings of the earth
and cause the 'kings of the east' to march on Jerusalem.
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Revelation 16:12 -
And the sixth angel poured
out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water
thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east
might be prepared.
Re:16:13: And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of
the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and
out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Re: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.
(note: Dragon is Satan {Rev 20:2} not the national symbol for
modern china)
Zechariah 12:2 - Behold,
I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people
round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah
and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for
all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in
pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together
against it.
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with
astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine
eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the
people with blindness.
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Jerusalem is the Issue that will bring the nations to do battle
against Israel. Deceivers will be sent out to the kings of the
earth in order to (attempt to) destroy her. The three unclean
spirits will perform miracles to the kings and deceive them. The
Scriptures do not say what these spirits are exactly other than
to liken them to frogs. They do not know that God is gathering
them together for their destruction. Blood will flow, hence the
spiritual metaphor of God's winepress.
In Short the battle of Armageddon is a massive battle in which
the Forces of Jesus Christ miraculously and violently intervene
in human affairs to:
1. Deliver Israel from the nations (International Community)
2. Destroy those who have parted God's land (Israel/Jerusalem)
3. To usher in everlasting righteousness
As horrible as the battle may seem, it must be clearly
understood in the context of God's purpose. It is to bring in
righteousness and do away with evil. God holds his hand of
fellowship out to all men and women everywhere. However, that
hand will one day be permanently withdrawn. At that time the
forgiveness of Christ will no longer be available.
Gog and Magog |
Ezekiel 39:1 - Therefore,
thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the
Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince
of Meshech and Tubal:
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of
thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and
will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will
cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with
shield and helmet:
6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the
north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all
thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard
unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years
thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the
sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the
mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is
brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely
all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like
a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many
people with thee.
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This battle has been a point of some contention by some bible
scholars. The main question is weather the battle of Gog and
Magog (Ezekiel Chapter 38 &39) is the same as the battle of
Armageddon. In other words are there two major battles or only
one. Some expositors maintain that there are actually two
different battles.
While some of the things that
were revealed to Ezekiel in his book seem somewhat (though not
significantly) different from what we find in Daniel and
Revelation, it must be noted that Ezekiel was not given the
divine word and interpretation that Daniel was given in addition
to the broad panorama of the rise and fall of future empires.
Many have surmised that this is the same battle as Armageddon.
I see the the imagery as similar
though not identical. Yet there is another possibility that most
expositors do not want to contemplate. That is, the battle of
Gog and Magog does not happen before the Second Coming of
Christ. The book of Revelation makes it abundantly clear when
the battle of Gog and Magog will transpire, it is after Christ
has returned.
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Revelation 20:7-10
And when the
thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his
prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the
four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them
together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the
sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:
and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
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. |
One of the main reasons for this is the fact that the book of
Ezekiel describes Jerusalem as dwelling securely. While it is
quite true that Israel has been gathered out of the nations
where she was driven, her position in the world today is
anything but secure, with problems with the Arabs,
Palestinians, and the likes, They must remain ever vigilant
against terrorist attacks, wars and uprisings.
This is hardly a situation that can be
described as 'dwelling securely' and being at rest (Ezekiel
38:11, 38:8). Having studied prophecy for years, I often see
the last days as being like a storm building up to a climax of
Christ's return. Israel is the key to end times events and I
do not see here situation improving much at all in the days to
come.
I could be wrong, I speak here from no
special divine unction. Yet sometimes, modern prophecy
teachers are so bent on finding mysteries and obscure meanings
in scripture that sometimes simply are not present. Revelation
tells us plainly, as
plainly as possible when the
battle of Gog and Magog will happen. Yes, there may very well
be two fulfillments to this prophecy and then again there may
only be one.
Many prophecy students often
leave out the obvious in their never-ending search for the
obscure. It is important not to be too dogmatic and to not
study these important prophecies with preconceived notions.
A picture a a new security wall being
built by Israel
And
thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages;
I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of
them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor
gates, (Eze 38:11)1
Does the picture above line up with the prophecy? Are they not
building walls in Jerusalem at this time? Is Israel
dwelling securely?
Yet and still there are some similitude's that can not be
ignored in the passage that harken back to the great battle of
Armageddon. One that first comes to mind is the Great Feast
that the LORD prepares for the birds of the air (Rev 19:17,
Ezekiel 39:4). Additionally the destruction of Gog and Magog
are as the result of direct intervention by God, as with the
battle of Armageddon. There are also parallels that are in
Zechariah (Zech 14:13 – cf Eze 38:21).
The destruction of Gog is a monumental event just like the
battle of Armageddon, it will take seven months just to bury
the dead and the fuel obtained by Israel just from the
destruction of the weapons will be enough to last seven years
(Ezekiel 39:8-10).
Who is Gog?
Gog is the leader of (chief Prince of) Meschech and Tubal.
This is an important factor in understanding who and when this
will take place. Many expositors believe this land of Magog to
be Russia (and those allied with Russia). This is almost
certainly the case insofar as Russia is part of the invading
Army. Meschech and Tubal have largely been associated with
Russia through the work of widely disseminated anthropological
and linguistic research.
The two names have been found
together on inscriptions of the Assyrians. They were largely
driven northwards to the area of the Black Sea. This does not
necessarily mean Russia, as the actual place of there dwelling
is the area between the Back and Caspian Seas, an area which
has recently had a upswing of violent anti-Israeli Islamic
fundamentalism. The same can be said of Tubal who is seen to
have settled in Georgia (former USSR). This has led many to
conclude that the invading armies are Russian (former Soviet).
The rest of the band of marauders are from:
-Persia - Modern Iran
-Ethiopia - (Modern Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea)
-Libya - Modern Libya
-Gomer - The nations of Western Europe
-Many People (Lots of Others!)
God will destroy them. And leave one sixth remaining. Such a
broad destruction of so many armies (including western
Europe's) would not leave much left for another army to be
raised for the battle of Armageddon.
This has led many to believe that these battles 1) Gog and
Magog and 2) Armageddon are one in the same. Gog can be
described in two ways he appears to be 1) a chief hater of
Israel and 2) he is a thief.
I am not able to say with absolute certainty that the Battle
of Armageddon and the Battle of Gog and Magog are one in the
same. But it appears to be the stronger of the arguments from
a purely scriptural standpoint. Yet it may be that this
scripture will probably not be completely fulfilled until the
end of the millennium reign of Christ.
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The Problem of Over
spiritualization
Or 'The Two Israels'.
Israel is made up of two
Branches. The Natural Branch which comprises the Jews and the
nation of Israel and the wild olive branch which comprise the
regenerated gentile Church. Each is important in God's eyes
even though the Natural Branches have rejected the Messiah.
(Rom 11:16-32)
For if the firstfruit [be] holy, the lump [is] also [holy]:
and if the root [be] holy, so [are] the branches. And if some
of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive
tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of
the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the
branches.
But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root,
but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were
broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of
unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be
not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural
branches, [take heed] lest he also spare not thee. Behold
therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which
fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in
[his] goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
And they also, if they abide not still in
unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them
in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is
wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a
good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the
natural [branches], be graffed into their own olive tree?
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be
ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own
conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until
the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel
shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion
the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For
this [is] my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their
sins. As concerning the gospel, [they are] enemies for your
sakes: but as touching the election, [they are] beloved for
the fathers' sakes.
For the gifts and calling of God [are] without
repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet
have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have
these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also
may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief,
that he might have mercy upon all.
Today there is a growing anti-semitism in the Church. There is
also a new heresy going about that is sometimes called
'replacement theology'. It says, in essence, that God is
finished with the Jews and that the Church has replaced Israel
in God's plan. Romans chapter 11, when read in its entirety
clearly shows the heretical nature of that view. It must be
noted here that satan has always hated the children of
promise, be it after the flesh or the spirit.
If God has made a promise to
any group of people, the devil works to keep that promise from
being fulfilled. He often uses the Church to do it with. It
was the Church that persecuted the Jews in the middle-ages so
badly that many Jews have nothing but contempt for
Christianity and their own Messiah. The so-called Christian
nobles of the middle-ages were brutal and merciless on Jews
and consequently have proven to be one of the greatest
stumbling blocks that keeps many Jews from hearing the
Gospel... even after all these centuries.
This is because in the minds of
many of the Children of Jacob, Christianity and anti-semitism
are interchangeable terms. This replacement theology makes the
prophecies of the end times nonsense because Israel is then
reinterpreted to mean, Britain or th Celts or Aryans, Africans
or America or any other group that wants to wrest the
scriptures to their own certain destruction.
Israel, when spoken of relation
to the final battle is the regathered Israel (modern
nomenclature – Jews) which consists of the regathered Jews and
the nation of Israel, who, just like the ancient prophecy
said, would be regathered out of the nations would return to
their own land. It does God's word one of the greatest
disservices to ignore such a monumental event and prophetic
fulfillment in order to satisfy a twisted theology.
The Battle of the end of the
age, or Armageddon as it is called will be fought in Israel,
just like the Bible says. It will consummate the age and bring
in everlasting righteousness. But Satan's man must first come
on the scene in order to lie, kill, steal and destroy. An
entire book could be written on this issue alone. Reading the
book of Romans is most edifying and enlightening on this
issue.
The Jews are the Jews (as they
are called today) and the Church is the Church and both
regenerated Israel and the regenerated Church are the True
Israel, the redeemed, the saved, the Saints of God. As we
enter into these times I exhort all of my readers to
understand and know this subtle but important distinction. it
will save you from great error in the future.
By, Mark S Watson
1I
know may fine bible scholars who believe that this is a
reference to an invasion of America that is to take place at
the same time as an invasion of Israel. The text of this verse
in particular clearly implies that while Israel (the Israel of
the Middle East) is the prime target, there is something else
going on at the same time, another invasion of another land
that is not defended. The text is not crystal clear,
but this is an intriguing possibility that cannot be ignored.
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