Armageddon is not just a biblical topic. Many believe time on this Earth is running out. What does the Bible have to say about the closing events of time? Join Pastor Mark Finley for this Bible study on Armageddon.

<p>Armageddon is not just a biblical topic. Many believe time on this Earth is running out. What does the Bible have to say about the closing events of time? Join Pastor Mark Finley for this Bible study on Armageddon.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

HopeLives365

Mark Finley

On the Eve of Armageddon


In 1945, after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing tens of thousands of people, Albert Einstein and a group of scientists that had developed the atomic weaponry in something called the Manhattan Project met together and they developed what they called the Doomsday Clock. Now, the Doomsday Clock was a clock that would help the world, its political leaders, social leaders, educators, and scientists to know kind of where we were in the stream of time. In January of 2022, the scientists set that doomsday clock to 100 seconds before midnight. We are on the eve of Armageddon, approaching midnight. Now I want to read to you the rationale why these scientists set the doomsday clock 100 seconds before midnight.

Here's what they say. US relations with Russia in China remain tense. All 3 countries engaged in an array of nuclear modernization and expansive efforts, including China's apparent large-scale program to increase its deployment of silo-based long-range nuclear missiles pushed by Russia, China and the United States to develop hypersonic missiles in the continued testing of anti-satellite weapons by many nations. If not restrained, these efforts could mark the start of a dangerous new nuclear arms race. Other nuclear concerns include North Korea, its expansion, unsuccessful attempts to revive the Iran nuclear deal contribute to growing dangers.

And they wrote this before the current war in Ukraine. They said, Ukraine remains a potential flashpoint in Russian troops deployments to the Ukrainian border heightened day-to-day tensions. So here these scientists looking at the world, these are not religious preachers preaching behind some desk to their congregants in worship on a Sunday morning or Sabbath morning. These are hard nosed intellectual scientists that look at the facts. And they say from our standpoint, when we look at the world at large, we see the ecological disasters in climate warming, we see the proliferation of nuclear weapons, we see the deterioration of our planet, we sense that we're a hundred seconds before midnight.

Could it be that we are on the eve of Armageddon? What is the battle of Armageddon? Where will it be fought? Where does the Bible mention Armageddon? The Bible describes Armageddon in its last book, Revelation chapter 16.

It's the only place that it directly mentions Armageddon. And here, Revelation the 16th chapter, describing the battle of Armageddon under the sixth plague. 5 plagues have been poured out. The sixth plague just before the coming of our Lord. Let me read that for you.

And as I read it for you, we'll go over it phrase by phrase. Let the Word of God speak to our hearts as we try to understand Armageddon. The sixth angel poured out his vial on the great river Euphrates, and it dried up so that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw 3 unclean spirits coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are the spirits of demons, which go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty.

I am coming as a thief. Behold he that watches and keeps his garments and doesn't walk naked and see his shame. They gathered them together to the battle in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon. So let's look at that phrase by phrase. What does it mean that the river Euphrates would be dried up?

Is this the literal river Euphrates? What does it mean that the river Euphrates would be dried up? Is this the literal river Euphrates? What does it mean that the way the kings of the east would be prepared? Who are these kings of the east?

Are they coming from China and the Orient? What does it mean that 3 unclean spirits would come out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet? What does it mean that the kings of the earth would be gathered to that great battle of God Almighty? Well, let's take a look first at this idea that the river Euphrates would be dried up. In ancient times, the river Euphrates ran through the city of Babylon, but yet Babylon was long destroyed.

The prophets of Isaiah and Jeremiah say it would never be rebuilt, so this can't be talking about the literal River Euphrates running through literal Babylon. In Scripture, we have the Old Testament Babylon, the ancient city, and we have New Testament Babylon, spiritual Babylon, representing confusion or false religion. So when you come to the book of Revelation, it's obviously not talking about literal Babylon that was destroyed long ago, but it's talking about confusion, it's talking about apostasy, It's talking about rebellion against the true God. You remember in Revelation 17, it talks about a woman riding upon a scarlet-colored beast, church, state, union, and it talks about she has on her forehead Babylon mystery the great. In other words, the great apostasy.

So we talk about Babylon's the great apostasy. What was the river Euphrates that ran through Babylon in ancient times? It was the support system of Babylon. Revelation 17 verse 15 says, the waters which you saw are peoples, nations and tongues. So the river Euphrates represents the support system of spiritual Babylon.

But during the 7 last plagues, when there are calamities and crisis in the world, the support system of Babylon dries up, so the kings of the east could be prepared. Well, when you look at ancient Babylon, how was it that ancient Babylon was overthrown? Cyrus, the king of the east, came, diverted the Euphrates river, it was literally dried up, marched his troops down under the river, they came up under the gates through the dry riverbed, they came up inside the city. Those gates inside the city were left open that had bordered the river Euphrates because Babylon was in a drunken feast and Cyrus the king of the east defeated Babylon and allowed the Israelites that were in captivity to Babylon to go free. This expression, the kings of the east, refers to the coming of Jesus.

Let me show you that from the Bible. We first go to Revelation chapter 7, Revelation chapter 7 and verse 1. It says, After these things I saw 4 angels standing on the 4 corners of the earth, holding the 4 winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea or on any tree. So in the Bible, what does the 4 represent? It represents north, south, east, west.

Here it represents the 4 winds. It represents the idea of universality. What about wind? According to Jeremiah 29, verse 32, wind represents devastation, destruction, disaster. So the angels of God are holding the winds back until something happens.

Then I saw another angel ascend from the what? East, having the seal of God. And he cried to the 4 angels upon whom was granted to harm the earth and the sea, don't harm the earth and the sea and the trees, till we've sealed the servants of God in their foreheads. So the 7 last plagues would not be poured out until God's people had settled into truth. They were sealed in the truth.

They were committed to the truth. They were faithful to God and obedient to his commands. And the Holy Spirit moved upon their hearts and their lives. But notice that expression of the East. God's work, God's plan, God's spirit descends from the East.

That kind of reminds us of what scripture says in the book of Matthew chapter 16 and Matthew chapter 16 verse 27. It reminds us of that. Matthew 16 verse 27. For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he'll reward each according to his works. So the Son of Man comes with the glory of his angels, just like Cyrus came to deliver Israel from Babylonian bondage.

So the Son of Man comes and what direction does he come from? Matthew chapter 24 verse 27, for as lightning comes from what? The East and flashes to the West, so the coming of the Son of Man be. So Cyrus in Old Testament comes from the East, drives up the Euphrates River, and as he drives up the Euphrates River, his army marches under the walls, they attack Babylon, overthrow it to let God's people go free. In the last days, the support for spiritual Babylon, this apostate, the religious system, this system that's filled with error and falsehood.

The support for that dries up. The river Euphrates representing, according to Revelation 17, 15, the peoples. As it dries up, it prepares the way for the kings of the east, lightning shining from the east even into the west. It prepares the way for the coming of Jesus. Does the Bible talk about Jesus coming as king of kings and lord of lords?

Indeed it does. Revelation the 19th chapter. He is The King that comes from the East, Jesus the living Christ. Revelation 19 verse 11, Then I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. He who sat on him was faithful and true, and righteously he judges and makes war.

See here's the final conflict. Christ judges all mankind. He makes war on evil, war on wickedness, war on sin. His eyes were as the flame of fire. His head has many crowns.

He had a name written no 1 knew. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood. His name was called the Word of God. The armies in heaven clothed with fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword with it he should strike the nations.

And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the wrath and fierceness of the Almighty God. And He is on His robe and on His name a thigh written, King of kings and Lord of lords. So Jesus Christ comes, lightning shines from the east to the west. Jesus comes as King of Kings, Jesus comes as Lord of Lords, he comes now to destroy all evil, to destroy all wickedness.

But then it says, I saw 3 unclean spirits like frogs Come out of the mouth of the beast, out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the false prophet. What is this talking about? 3 unclean spirits. The Bible predicts in the last days, as the devil sees the support system for error and apostasy, spiritual Babylon drying up, That he has 1 last false revival, in which he tries to bring all humanity together, to war against Christ, to war against the people of God, to eradicate the people of God, so that in the cosmic conflict between good and evil, the devil believes that he can triumph. And how does he do this?

Through spiritualism, through false miracles, through signs, through wonders. You find that in, for example, Revelation 13 when it talks about the mark of the beast. It talks about Satan working with signs, with lying wonders. Revelation chapter 13. We find it here.

It says that in Revelation 13, he was granted verse 15, power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the beast should be killed. He causes all to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads that nobody could buy or sell. But as it's discussing that, it says that the devil will work. Revelation 13, read please, verse 11 to 14. He will work with signs and lying wonders.

So the devil works with all signs, all lying wonders. Spiritualism explodes in the last days. Look at how the Apostle Paul puts it in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. The Apostle Paul describes this apostasy.

It describes Satan's last attempt to bring all humanity together. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. It says, For this reason God will send them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Verse 9, the coming of the lawless 1 is according to the working of Satan with all power, signs, and lying wonders. So, with all power, with all signs, with all lying wonders, the devil works.

And he works to deceive men and women for his last great attempt to unite all mankind to war against God. What does it mean when it says that he tries to assemble the kings of the East? Humanity is brought together for that final conflict. Will all humanity assemble in a literal battle called Armageddon? What is this battle of Armageddon?

We get a hint here in Judges chapter 5. The Bible mentions the valley of Megiddo. Now Megiddo was a valley in Israel that was a key battle point. It was on the road between Damascus and Syria and Egypt. So whoever controlled the battle, whoever controlled the valley of Megiddo could control the road and the movement of troops between Syria in Damascus and Egypt.

When we read about Megiddo, multiple battles take place. And here in Judges 5 there is the description of a battle that takes place that gives us some insight. The word Armageddon comes from 2 words, har meaning mountain, h-a-r, magetto meaning slaughter. So here in Judges chapter 5, verse 19 and 20, the kings came and fought. Then the kings of Canaan fought in Tannik by the waters of Megiddo.

They took no spoils of silver. They fought from the heavens. The stars from their courses fought against Sisera. Now notice what happened in that battle. Verse 15 of chapter 4 judges.

And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his armies, with the edge of the sword before Barak and Sisera, alighted from his chariot and fled away." So what was this battle that took place in Megiddo? It looked like God's people were gonna lose. It looked like God's people had no chance to win. But there in that battle of Megiddo, God sent reinforcements. And as the reinforcements came, the unrighteous, the wicked, the heathen were destroyed and God's people triumphed.

So what about the final battle? The mark of the beast has been enforced. No man could buy or sell. Every human being has been called to decision. A death decree hangs over the heads of the righteous, those who have chosen to serve God and have been sealed with his love, sealed with his grace, sealed with his truth, sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Though obedient to the commandments of God, Revelation 14 verse 12 says, here are they that keep the commandments of God and of the faith of Jesus. These are his end time people. The devil pours out all his wrath upon them. The dragon is angry. He calls his 2 allies, the beast and the false prophet.

They come and they try to destroy together the dragon, the beast, the false prophet, the people of God. The plagues then are poured out. Every human being has made their decision for or against Christ. And the plagues are poured out. But then, as these plagues are being poured out, the devil has said to humanity, I'll give you world peace, but he hasn't given world peace.

There's chaos and calamity everywhere. And as the river Euphrates dries up, that is the support system for this evil apostate system of Babylon, it dries up. The devil becomes angry. The way of the kings of the east, Jesus is about ready to come, the great King of the East. Lightning shines from the east even to the west.

Everything is prepared for the coming of Jesus. But then the devil, in his last attempt to deceive, evil spirits work signs, they work lying wonders. And according to Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2, those that do not receive the love of the truth are deceived. Then the whole world is divided into 1 or 2 classes. The Bible says, he that is righteous, let him be what?

Righteous still. He that is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still. Revelation 22, 11 and 12. He that is holy, let him be holy still. He that is righteous, let him be righteous still.

The whole world in 2 classes. The kings of the earth, the people of God. All the nations of the earth under their earthly secular godless rulers attempt to destroy the people of God but God's people stand firm and there in that final battle there are reinforcements. What happens? What is the last drama in that battle?

Revelation the 16th chapter And you're looking now at that last plague that is poured out. Revelation chapter 16. And we see it there. Revelation chapter 16, verse 15, it says, Behold, I'm coming as a thief. So he hasn't come before the plagues, he's coming as a thief, behold he that watches, that is ready, that is alert, that is spiritually committed, keeps his garments, that is, the garments of righteousness he has not surrendered.

They walked, lest they walk naked and see a shame, they were gathered in the Hebrew tongue called Armageddon. The whole world gathered, not in a physical, literal place, but gathered. The battle of Armageddon is the battle between good and evil. It's the battle between Christ and Satan. It's the battle between the devil and his followers and Christ and his followers.

And it says, the seventh angel poured out his vial upon the air. Loud voice came from heaven, it is done. God said it is finished. God said, you see, there are 3 times in the Bible it says it is finished. God creates the Word in Genesis.

God says it is finished. God, Jesus, dies on the cross. He says it is finished. Not I am finished, but it is finished. The plan of salvation is consummated.

The door of heaven is open for my people. They can be forgiven and they can go through those golden gates. But here, the last moments of time, God said to people that have been loyal to him, God said to people that have been faithful to him, and God says, it is finished. Hailstones come out of heaven and they totally destroy the wicked. The righteous look up.

They see the lightning flashing from the east even to the west. They sense Jesus Christ is coming. He's coming in the clouds of heaven. Look at the marvelous description. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1.

Here the Bible describes the description of the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven, the glorious return of our Lord, when all of wickedness will be destroyed, when evil will be no more. 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1. We read these words, It says, to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he comes in the day to be glorified in his saints to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. Look, when Jesus comes, there are only 2 classes, the righteous and the unrighteous, the saved and the lost.

When Jesus comes, there's only 2 classes, those that are consumed with the brightness of his coming and those that are caught up to meet him in the sky. Armageddon, the final conflict between good and evil. Armageddon, the final battle between Christ and Satan. Armageddon, Christ's deliverance of his people with a mountain of slaughter where the wicked are destroyed and the righteous are redeemed forever and ever and ever. Would you not like to say, Jesus, When you come again, I want to be caught up in the clouds to live with you forever as we pray.

Dear Jesus, thank you with all of our hearts that we can live for you, that we can serve you, that by your grace and through your power we can stand in the final battle of Armageddon. With all the powers of hell against us, in Christ, through Christ, because of Christ, We can stand in Jesus' name. Amen. Like to know more about Audioverse, or if you

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On the Eve of Armageddon

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