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Armageddon
by Gregory John Monroe Revelation 16: 13-16 13. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15. "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame." 16. And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. It's generally thought that the battle of Armageddon will be fought in the Middle East in the Plains of Megiddo. Popular books and movies depicting this battle have the armies of the world converging there to fight the battle. But the size of the area doesn't allow for this scenario to take place. The world's armies couldn't possibly fit in such a small locale. Furthermore, battles aren't fought like that anymore. In today's time, bombs fly through the air by remote control from thousands of miles away. A different picture altogether emerges when the above passage is dissected. *Who's in Charge?* On one side of the battle, the leaders are the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. On the other side is God Almighty. Rev. 16: 13, 14. *Where is the Battle Fought?* Spirits of demons sent forth by the dragon, beast and false prophet create various spiritual manifestations in order to deceive. Additionally, these spirits symbolized as spoken from mouths speak false ideas and doctrines that are carried to and impressed upon the political leaders of the earth (Rev. 16: 14). In turn, the politicians wield their influence and power to affect the populace within their political realm. In other words, the battle is worldwide. This is a battle for all of earth's inhabitants. God is working to draw all to Him through Jesus (John 12: 32). Satan works to draw all through deception and coercion (Rev. 13: 13, 14). In this battle, there aren't any neutral bystanders. Jesus stated that people are either for Him or against Him. In the end, all on earth will take a stand on one side or the other. One group will be sealed by God; the other marked by the beast. *Nature of the Battle* In this battle, Scripture says all will be gathered to a place called Armageddon (Rev. 16: 16). The Hebrew word Armageddon comes from two root words"mount of the congregation" or "mount of assembly." What does that mean? Where is that? Some insight can be gained from the book of Isaiah. Concerning Satan's plan to weaken the nations, Isaiah revealed Satan's thinking with these words For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation [italics mine] on the farthest sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High.' Isa. 14: 13, 14. Satan desires to sit upon the mount of all of God's people in all the nations of the world. He wants to be worshiped by them as their god. The nature of this battle, then, is spiritual. After all, the battle is being waged by symbolic spiritual beingsthe dragon; the beast; and the false prophet (Rev. 16: 13). Then, there is the warning from God to keep alert and to stay clothed in Christ's righteousness so as not to be caught naked at the return of Jesus (Rev. 16: 15). That the overriding issue of the battle is spiritual is irrefutable. It's about Jesus' gospel of salvation. To combat it, Satan's ministers appearing as ministers of righteousness have managed to sway many into believing another Jesus; another spirit; another gospel. Beyond that, his false teachers have turned many from the gospel by spreading the inventions of many religions, including atheism, the occult, and evolution. *When Does the Battle Take Place?* The four verses describing Armageddon fall between the sixth and seventh plagues of God's wrath. However, like other parts of the book of Revelation, the verses' placement doesn't appear to be in chronological order. This is evidenced by the fact that all of the seven plagues poured out upon the earth constitute the great tribulation period. The great tribulation period begins after the close of probation. In other words, Christ has finished His ministry as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. The proclamation of its end is in these words "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." Rev. 22: 11. At that point, the seven angels receive their vials of the plagues. The heavenly temple is filled with smoke, and no one is able to enter into the temple. This is because the fate of all is determined. Everyone has made a choice for or against Christ. All who would accept salvation have done so; all who have not, never will. The plagues are then poured out, only affecting the unsaved. The saved are preserved through the tribulation by God's sealing (Ps. 91: 7). Then Jesus returns to take them to heaven. So the historical period of the Armageddon verses appear to pertain to the time before probation ends, a time in which minds have decided and are still deciding which side to choose. That means that Armageddon is taking place right now! *Conclusion* The battle of Armageddon is a spiritual battle taking place in the minds of all around the world. It is a quickened, escalated, and climatic fight that determines the two end-time groups. The results will lead to one group being sealed by God; the other being marked by Satan, before the return of the Lord. Many will be shocked by Gregory's book, The Three Angels' Message. It ID's Antichrist and the "mark of the beast," and the role both are playing today in the end-time issue of worship. The book's biblical & historical proof can't be denied. Get more info now at http://www.tinyurl.com/6pk3pyq Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |