| |
THE BATTLE OF JERUSALEM and the rescue of the
Jews.
(From When Armies Move: The Armageddon campaign
The rescue
of the Jewish people will officially begin at an unknown day and hour before
the end of the 70th week when Jesus ARRIVES in the clouds of the sky as
portrayed at the 6th seal of Revelation 6. The time of discipline for the
nation will end several months later when the 70th week comes to a close and
"the mystery of God is finished as He proclaimed to His servants the
prophets," (Rev. 10:7). But the PHYSICAL rescue of the nation will not begin
until He DESCENDS onto the earth 30 days after the end of the week. There
will be an additional 30 days after the week ends in order to complete the
"final wrath of God" through the 7 bowls which will result in the cleansing
of the temple from the abomination of desolation (Daniel 12:11).
"And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the
abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days."
Then there will be an additional 45 days to prepare the earth and the
earth's population for entrance into the Messiah's earthly kingdom.
All unbelievers will be removed and only believers will enter the kingdom in
normal mortal bodies.
(Daniel 12:12; Mat. 25:11-46; Ezekiel 34:17-22).
THE BOOK OF JOEL
Joel prophesied during a time of severe national crisis.
The land had been invaded by a large army that can only find identification
in the Assyrians who rose to world prominence in about 745 BCE and lasted
until about 611 BCE.
This Assyrian invasion of Judah began in 736 BCE and caused great economic
devastation, and is even the cause for King Ahaz shutting down the offerings
and sacrifices in the temple.
As a result Joel described both the land and the temple:
(1) The land: Verse 1:7 with 2Chron. 28:16-20
(2) The temple (house of the LORD): Verse 1:9 with 2Chron. 28:24 and 29:7.
This is the present condition in the land and is described using present
tenses and past tenses of the verbs in verses 1:1-14. I deduce that this
section is describing what is going on at the present time in the land
because it is governed by verse 6, "For a nation has come up against my
land.
Right after verse 12 there is a natural break in the Hebrew text that
prepares for a transition from the present crisis to a far distant crisis.
Verses 13-14 appeals to the people to return to God and to gather at the
temple (the house of the LORD) in order to avoid the 5th cycle of discipline
at the hands of Assyria. This is also the focus at verses 2:11-17 on which I
will comment shortly.
In contrast, at verse 1:15, the prophet leaps ahead far into the future and
teaches the people that the day of the LORD is approaching (near); not here
yet.
Verses 1:16-20 then describes what will happen during this future time of
judgment, known as the day of the Lord. Joel uses present and past tenses in
this section but the section is governed by verse 15, "the day of the LORD
is near," so it is NOT referring to the present crisis but to a future
crisis.
However, the same conditions in the land will exist at the time that is NEAR
the arrival of the day of the LORD. From the midpoint of the 70th week, the
beast will have confiscated the temple and shut down the sacrifices. His
economic policy of operation 666 will control all material resources. And
then after the day of the LORD actually arrives, the divine judgments will
wreak such havoc and destruction, that the natural resources of the land
will be greatly diminished (trumpets 1-3).
Thus in chapter 2:1-11, the Spirit of God uses Joel to prophesy of the much
future invasion of a Northern army during the day of the Lord judgments.
Verse 2:1, "For the day of the LORD is coming."
And verse 2, "there is a great and mighty people."
This is all future, but at verses 2:12-17, the prophet's message returns to
the present crisis in 736 BCE and exhorts the people to return to the LORD
in order to avoid even greater national destruction and removal through the
5th cycle of discipline (destruction and dispersion).
Verse 12, "Yet even now, declares Yahweh, return to me with all your heart."
They did in fact recover through the Hezekiah revival of 724 to 711 BCE, and
did not undergo further oppression from Assyria during the reign of
Hezekiah. However, the nation failed again and finally fell to Babylon and
became disinherited and dispersed for 70 years from 605 to 536 BCE.
But then at verse 2:18, there is a natural break in the Hebrew as the
prophet once again looks forward to the day of the LORD. During the time of
that future crisis the unbelieving nation will once again be in a time of
judgment. In that future time, if they will turn to God, He will deliver
them and "never again make you a reproach among the nations, but I will
remove the northern army far from you" (verses 19-20).
Thus, in connection with the arrival of the day of the LORD, the promise is
made, "whoever will call upon the name of Yahweh will be delivered," (Joel
2:32).
This is what we just saw above at Hosea 6:1-3 and Micah 5:1-4.
And then verses 2:21-29 describe blessings during the millennial kingdom.
Joel 2:1-11 describes this future invasion by a northern army during the Day
of the LORD. This is the same invasion that is described at Ezekiel 38.
It will be initiated by the king of the N at the 6th trumpet judgment and
will involve the maneuvering of many troops in Palestine.
The DOL judgments through the trumpets, will hinder the ability of the beast
to fulfill both his persecution and his economic agendas.
As a result the massive power block of the king of the North will rebel
against the beast and begin a world-wide attack against his kingdom.
This is portrayed by the 6th trumpet at Rev. 9:13-19.
And it is shown in several OT passages such as Joel 2-3 and Ezekiel 38-39.
But at Joel chapter 3 the prophecy goes beyond the king of the North to the
gathering of MANY nations into Palestine to surround Jerusalem and pave the
way for the Lord's ultimate victory over them "in the valley of the verdict"
(Joel 3:14), and the valley of Yahweh judges (Jehoshaphat, Joel 3:2). This
refers to Armageddon as we saw earlier at Rev. 16:12-15.
Joel 3:1
"For behold, in those days and at that time, When I restore the fortunes of
Judah and Jerusalem"
This gives us the time frame for this final invasion of Palestine. It occurs
at the time that God intends to "restore the fortunes of Judah and
Jerusalem." In other words, at the time that God intends to fulfill all of
Israel's national promises as initially given to Abraham.
As already mentioned, this refers to finishing "the mystery of God" at the
end of the 70th week of Daniel (Rev. 10:7).
This is in the context of the "approaching" Day of the LORD mentioned at
Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; and 3:14.
Daniel 9 tells us that the goal of the "70 weeks" is to ultimately "bring in
everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the
most holy {place}." These three phrases refer to bringing in Israel's
kingdom blessings. It will be fulfilled AFTER the 70 weeks are completed.
This is what was shown to John at Revelation 10:7, "but in the days of the
voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of
God is finished, as He proclaimed to his servants the prophets."
The mystery of God is His plan for the nation of Israel. Romans 11:25-27.
This will begin the final preparation of the earth for the Messiah's kingdom
and Israel's national glory.
The 70 weeks bring us to the time of fulfillment, but there will be another
75 days AFTER the final 1260 days of the last half of the 70th week, before
the Messiah will "officially" begin the kingdom (Dan. 12:11-12; Mat.
25:31-32).
Joel 3:2
"I will gather all the nations, And bring them down to the valley of
Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there On behalf of My
people and My inheritance, Israel, Whom they have scattered among the
nations; And they have divided up My land (v. 1-2).
The valley of Jehoshaphat (Yahweh judges) is not an actual valley. It refers
to the general location of "judgment from Yahweh," which is the actual
valley of Megiddo (or the plain of Esdraelon) which lies between the Sea of
Galilee and the natural seaport of Haifa. The valley is 20 miles long and
about 16 miles wide.
The "valley" of judgment, or as at Joel 3:14, "the valley of the decision."
The word "decision" is charuts and means a "cutting" or "dividing." Thus the
idea of divine judgment, since all will be "cut off" from the land of the
living through the sword of divine justice (Rev. 19:21).
This is a summary of the troop movement leading up to Armageddon.
This movement of troops ALLOWED by God is described at Rev. 16:12-14.
The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and
its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from
the east.
13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of
the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits
like frogs; 14 for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go
out to the kings of the entire world, to gather them together for the war of
the great day of God, the Almighty.
In actuality the whole scenario is a campaign by the armies of the world
organized to defeat the beast and take control of the material resources
under his control.
This is because the DOL judgments through the trumpets, will hinder the
ability of the beast to fulfill his economic promises.
It will be initiated by the king of the N at the 6th trumpet judgment and
will involve the maneuvering of many troops in Palestine.
Joel 3:9-11
Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let
all the soldiers draw near, let them come up! Beat your plowshares into
swords, And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, "I am a mighty
man." Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, And gather yourselves
there. Bring down, O LORD, Thy mighty ones.
Notice the need for armament. Through the 7-year Covenant Experiment of the
first half of the 70th week, there will be some kind of weapons control
placed on the nations. Then when the beast takes control at the midpoint of
the week he will control any armed resistance against him.
Rev. 13:4, "and they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to
the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and
who is able to wage war with him?”
But when the beast's ability to meet the needs of the nations diminishes
through the Day of the Lord judgments (trumpets), the nations will begin to
"chomp at the bit" and begin to rearm themselves in preparation for
resistance to the beast.
At this "gathering" of the nations into Palestine, the activities of the
king of the East are not detailed for us. It is probable that he simply
deploys his troops into the area of Megiddo and awaits the outcome of the
conflict between the king of the West and the North.
However, before there can be any "human" victory, the Lord Jesus will
descend from His "control center" on the cloud and begin the reaping process
of judgment (Rev. 14:14-20). This physical descent has three phases to it
and all will probably occur on the same day.
He will descend physically and visibly from the sky (Rev. 19:11-16). He will
survey and startle the nations (Habakkuk 3:6).
Then He will go first to Edom (Habakkuk 3:7; Is. 63:1-6).
And from there He will go to Jerusalem where He will stand on the Mount of
Olives (Is. 63:1; Zech. 14:3-4).
Probably on that same day He will go from there go to Megiddo to finish off
all the armies that are gathered there (Rev. 19:17-21).
Although, this gathering of armies from many nations is the ultimate focus
in the Old Testament prophets, the king of the North is signaled out much
more than any other.
The advance of its army through Palestine is described at Joel 2:3-9 (verse
20, "the Northern army").
"A fire consumes before them, And behind them a flame burns. The land is
like the garden of Eden before them, But a desolate wilderness behind them,
And nothing at all escapes them. Their appearance is like the appearance of
horses; And like war horses, so they run. With a noise as of chariots They
leap on the tops of the mountains, Like the crackling of a flame of fire
consuming the stubble, Like a mighty people arranged for battle. Before them
the people are in anguish; All faces turn pale. They run like mighty men;
They climb the wall like soldiers; And they each march in line, Nor do they
deviate from their paths. They do not crowd each other; They march everyone
in his path. When they burst through the defenses, They do not break ranks.
They rush on the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses,
They enter through the windows like a thief."
The King of the North and many other armies will invade Jerusalem and wreak
havoc within the city, oppressing the beast worshipers who are there as is
summarized at Zech. 14:2.
"For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city
will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished, and half of the
city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city."
The invaders will include armies of the king of the N and his allies, which
are described at Ezekiel 38, and could very well be an army from Jordan (the
Edomites).
Half of the people will be exiled. This probably refers to an imprisonment
in a location outside the city limits.
Half of the people will remain within the city limits to be terrorized by
the invaders.
I think this oppression will only be on the beast worshippers. The many Jews
who became believers at the end of the 70th week will be able to elude the
invaders until it is time for them to engage in battle.
A DIVIDED ARMY
Daniel 11:45a
"And he will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas at the
beautiful Holy Mountain."
The movement of the king of the West after he is attacked by the king of the
north is descrbed at Dan. 11:40-45.
He will continue his counter attack against the other nations by moving from
North Africa, back to Palestine and into Jerusalem.
He will set up his camp between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead sea in
the city of Jerusalem (AT the beautiful holy mountain).
This mountain refers to Zion the location of which has "changed" throughout
history. The most popular location for Mt Zion is the temple mount which is
Mt. Moriah. Today it is called the Dome of the Rock.
This maneuver will effectively split the Northern army into 2 sections
according to Joel 2:20. The army will be pushed West toward the
Mediterranean sea not too far from the valley of Megiddo, and toward the
Dead Sea in the other direction (East).
"But I will remove the northern {army} far from you, And I will drive it
into a parched and desolate land, And its vanguard toward the eastern sea,
And its rear guard toward the western sea. And its stench will arise and its
foul smell will come up, For it has done great things."
The beast will then join the rest of his army in Megiddo to confront the
rebellious armies gathered there, and it is there "he will come to his end."
Daniel 11:45b.
Rev. 19:19-20, "And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their
armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against
His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who
performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had
received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two
were thrown alive into the lake of fire, which burns with brimstone.
BELIEVERS IN JERUSALEM
According to Rev. 12, at the midpoint of the 70th week, many orthodox Jews
will flee Judea and find safety in the mountainous wilderness of Southern
Jordan (the land area of ancient Edom).
Also during the months of the tribulation, there will be many Jews who will
find places to hide within the city. These will live in an underground type
experience.
Because of the testimony of the two witnesses, many of these will be
emboldened to come out of hiding to listen in spite of the threat from the
beast.
It is also likely that many Jews will return from Southern Jordan in order
to hear the testimony of the two witnesses.
At the end of the beast's official reign, one of his final acts will be to
kill the two witnesses in Jerusalem.
After they are raised up and ascend into the sky, there will be another
great earthquake which will damage a tenth of the city and
seven thousand of the beast worshippers will be killed. Rev. 11:13.
"And at that time there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city
fell. And seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake."
Because of the gospel presentation from the two witnesses and because of
their ascension into the sky as well as the impact from the earthquake,
a great many of those Jews who had been in hiding will accept God's plan of
salvation through acceptance of the everlasting gospel. Rev. 11:13
"but the rest were reverent and gave glory to the God of heaven."
The message of the everlasting gospel is, "reverence God and give him glory
and worship Him." Rev. 14:6-7.
It is also possible that many of the Jews who were protected in Southern
Jordan will come back to hear the two witnesses.
These will be among those who believe in the everlasting gospel.
During the next 30 days, Jesus will pour out the 7 bowl judgments which will
culminate with the battle of Armageddon.
At sometime during the bowl judgments the king of the North with allies will
enter Jerusalem and begin the severe oppression of the population, as
described at Zech. 12:2; Ezekiel 38-39; Joel 2-3.
Zech. 12:2, "I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and
the city will be taken, the houses plundered, the women raped, and half of
the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be eliminated from the
city."
I believe that the victims of this invasion will be the beast-worshippers
who reside in the city.
I think that the believing Jews will be scattered throughout the city and be
able to avoid the invaders. "but the rest of the people will not be
eliminated from the city."
During this time, the king of the west (the beast army) will enter Jerusalem
and split the army of the north into two halves. Dan. 11:45a.
"He will set up his royal pavilion between the seas AT the beautiful holy
mountain." The beautiful holy mountain is Mt. Zion.
Although the actual location of Mt. Zion has been placed at various spots,
it seems that its location on the temple mount is
most consistent with all the pertinent passages.
Half of the Northern army will be pushed out of Jerusalem to the West up
against the Med sea. Joel 2:20
The other half will be pushed east toward the Dead Sea.
The beast himself will be with the rest of his army in the valley of
Megiddo, where he will come to his end. Dan. 11:45, "and he will come to his
end and no one will help him."
It seems that at this time the believing Jews will begin to resist the
invaders and engage in battle.
And it is now when the invading armies are fighting with each other and the
believing Jews are fighting with them, Jesus will descend from His location
on the cloud (Rev. 14:14) and begin His 3-fold judgment on all the invading
armies. Zech. 12:3.
"Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He
fights on a day of battle."
He will go first to the land area of ancient Edom in Southern Jordan and
totally destroy the beast-worshipping people who have been active in
oppressing the Jews. Obadiah 10-18.
From there He will go to Jerusalem and stand on the Mt of Olives.
This will cause the great earthquake of Rev. 16:17-19.
"Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon 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 and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a
great earthquake, such as there had not been since mankind came to be upon
the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. 19 The great city
was split into three parts."
The earthquake will split the Mt of olives down the middle from N to S which
will split the city of Jerusalem into 3 parts.
It will also create a valley extending from east to west which will run
along Northern Jerusalem leading to a place safely away from both Jerusalem
and Megiddo.
Megiddo is about 80 miles North of Jerusalem.
Zech. 14:4-54. "On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
WHICH IS IN FRONT OF JERUSALEM ON THE EAST; and the Mount of Olives will be
split in its middle from east to west forming a very large valley. Half of
the mountain will move toward the north, and the other half toward the
south. And you will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of
the mountains will reach to Azel."
The armies remaining in the vicinity of Jerusalem will suffer a devastating
plague from God. Zech. 14:12-15
"Now this will be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples
who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they
stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their
tongue will rot in their mouth. 13 And it will come about on that day that a
great panic from the Lord will fall on them; and they will seize one
another’s hand, and the hand of one will be raised against the hand of
another. 14 Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the
surrounding nations will be gathered, gold, silver, and garments in great
abundance. 15 And just like this plague, there will be a plague on the
horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey, and all the cattle that will be in
those camps."
With this help the invaders will be defeated at the hands of the clans of
Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem as they fight with the prowess of
thousands of "Davids," "that you may pulverize many peoples" (Micah 4:13).
Zech. 12:4-9, "On that day,” declares the Lord, “I will strike every horse
with confusion and its rider with insanity. But I will watch over the house
of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 Then
the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem
are a strong support for us through the Lord of armies, their God.’
On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot among pieces of
wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right
and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while the inhabitants of
Jerusalem again live on their own sites in Jerusalem. 7 The Lord also will
save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and
the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be greater than Judah. 8
On that day the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one
who is feeble among them on that day will be like David, and the house of
David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them. 9 And on
that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against
Jerusalem."
Of course, this declaration seems to extend also to the final battle at
Armageddon.
Through this victory, all the resources possessed by these invading armies
will become plunder for Israel. Zech. 14:1, "Behold, a day is coming for the
LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you."
Verse 14, "and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered,
gold and silver and garments in great abundance."
(Ezekiel 39:10; Obadiah 18; Micah 4:13)
EDOM
Among these invading nations will be armies from Edom, which is specifically
mentioned in Obadiah, and is the nation of Jordan at this present time.
Probably all the Arab nations that currently surround Israel will be
involved with this invasion.
They will be among the armies that Israel will fight against after the Lord
descends to the Mount of Olives.
That is why Jesus will go to Edom first (Southern Jordan) and destroy their
homeland. Is. 34:5-15; 63:1-6.
Obadiah 10-18
Verses 10-14 is a warning to Jordan NOT to attack and oppress Israel "in the
day of their distress."
Verse 15, “For the day of the Lord draws near on all the nations."
The context is the DOL judgments when the nations have been influenced to
gather into Palestine by the demons of the 6th bowl. Revelation 16:12-14.
Verse 16, "Because just as you drank on My holy mountain,
All the nations will drink continually.
They will drink and swallow, And become as if they had never existed."
This refers to the invasion by the nations into the area of Israel, and
specifically, Jerusalem. And it includes the armies of Jordan (Edom),
specifically mentioned as "you" in the entire context. And it proclaims the
destruction of all these nations as they are defeated not only through the
battle of Jerusalem, but through Christ's total victory at Armageddon.
Zechariah 14:2, "But Yahweh will go forth and fight against those nations."
Obadiah verse 17
“But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape, And it will be holy."
I think that the reference to Mount Zion has in view the city of Jerusalem
in general.
There will be two phases to the escape.
1. The women, elderly and children will escape through the valley reaching
to Azel and find safety there.
2. The fighters who called the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the clans of
Judah will escape by defeating the invaders.
The people of Israel will be rescued by the descent of Jesus to the Mount of
Olives.
Zechariah 14:4.
Jesus will "save" and "deliver" the clans of Judah and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem.
They will fight and be victorious over the invading nations including the
armies of Jordan (Edom). Zechariah 12:4-8; 14:12-15
Obadiah 18, “Then the house of Jacob will be a fire And the house of Joseph
a flame. But the house of Esau will be as stubble.
And they will set them on fire and consume them."
Zechariah 12:8, "In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like
David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord
before them."
Obadiah 17
"And the house of Jacob will possess their possessions."
All that Jordan and the other nations leave behind will be possessed by
Israel.
Zechariah 14:1,14
Obadiah 18, "So that there will be no survivor of the house of Esau,”
For the Lord has spoken."
This refers to the ultimate defeat of the area of Edom when Jesus physically
descends there, as discussed above concerning the battle of Edom.
There will be no one in the Edomite area who will not have taken the mark of
the beast.
All will be unbelievers and all will perish.
Southern Jordan is the ancient area of Edom. It will be totally devastated
and Israel will control its land area during the kingdom.
Obadiah 19. "Then those of the Negev will possess the mountain of Esau."
The Negev refers to the southern part of Israel.
The tribes that will inherit that area are Issachar, Zepulan and Gad.
The area of Edom and Mt. Esau will be totally ruined with no inhabitants
except for wild animals and other creatures. Is. 34:5-15.
It seems that the idea of possession here must refer to general control over
the area so that no one is able to settle there.
CONVERGENCE ON PALESTINE
The advance of the king of the North
Ezek. 38:9,
"And you will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud
covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you."
Joel 2:2,
"A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the
dawn is spread over the mountains, {So} there is a great and mighty people;
There has never been {anything} like it, Nor will there be again after it To
the years of many generations."
Ezek. 38:10,
'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It will come about on that day, that thoughts will
come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan,
Ezek. 38:11,
and you will say, 'I will go up against the land of un-walled villages. I
will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them
living without walls, and having no bars or gates."
As mentioned before concerning Ezekiel 38:8, I think that these descriptions
of Israel's condition apply IN GENERAL to the status of the nation as it has
progressed through history from the time of the Roman dispersion with
special emphasis on the present status of the nation AND A yet future
condition that will fulfill ALL the language of the prophecy.
Hindsight is wonderful in these kinds of situations, but as of 1948,
although still under national discipline from God, Israel has indeed "been
gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a
continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations and they
are living securely all of them."
The completion of these descriptions will take place as a result of the
Covenant Experiment at the beginning of the 70th week, and be extended to
those who accept beast worship in Israel after the covenant is broken.
After the first 5 trumpet judgments the beast's ability to fulfill his
economic promises will be totally shut down.
It is for this reason that the king of the North and allies move against the
beast's kingdom and eventually reach Jerusalem.
Ezek. 38:12,
"to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste
places which are {now} inhabited, and against the people who are gathered
from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center
of the world.'
They desire the material resources controlled by the beast's control of
Jerusalem. The natural resources are located in the Dead Sea, but much of
the mined and refined "treasures" will be stockpiled in Egypt (Dan 11:43).
" But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver, and
over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will
follow at his heels."
The kingdom of the beast is centered in Jerusalem and has apparently hoarded
in Egypt an abundance of the resources needed by the nations. But even
though the "treasures" are in Egypt they are controlled by the computerized
economic system of 666 which is probably centered in Rome.
Of course, the beast's ability to defend his territory and enforce beast
worship will have been greatly impeded by the trumpet judgments from God.
The king of the North and other nations will be aggravated at the beast's
inability to provide what he promised and therefore, will begin making
advances on his kingdom.
Daniel 11:40, "And at the end time, the king of the south (Egypt) will
collide with him, and the king of the north will storm against him."
So as the beast moves to fight off the rebellion of all these nations, he
must conquer them once again, including Egypt, where much of the "treasure"
is located. Dan 11:40-43.
"“And at the end time the king of the South will wage war with him, and the
king of the North will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and with
many ships; and he (King of the west) will enter countries, overflow them,
and pass through. 41 He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many
countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab,
and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. 42 Then he will reach out with his
hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 But
he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver, and over
all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at
his heels."
He must advance through many countries including Palestine (the beautiful
land) once again, and finally to Egypt and North Africa.
But the primary goal of the king of the North is Jerusalem, thinking that
control of Jerusalem will gain him control of the beast's economic
resources, for he who controls the land controls the mineral resources
located in the dead Sea.
See: THE ABUNDANT WEALTH OF THE DEAD SEA
and: ISRAEL'S MINERAL RESOURCES
These invaders will enter into Jerusalem causing havoc on the
beast-worshippers who are there. Zech. 14:2.
The advance of the king of the north into Jerusalem will probably occur
after the beast kills the two witneses.The beast's official reign will end
at the end of the 70th week, but he is still in control in Jerusalem (Rev.
11:3-8).
After the two witnesses ascend into the sky there is a great earthquake and
a tenth of the city is destroyed.
This then seems an opportune time for the king of the north to invade and
try to wrest power away from the beast (king of the West).
The city will be populated by many beast worshippers from among the Jews as
well as many Gentiles who are living there. This defection from their Jewish
heritage is part of THE APOSTASY of 2 Thes. 2:3. The apostasy also includes
any from among the Gentiles and professing Christians who will have accepted
beast worship.
These people will be the victims of the invading armies that are rebelling
against the beast.
There will also be in Jerusalem many Jewish beast resisters living
"underground" to escape the oppression from the beast. These were unable to
escape into the wilderness at the midpoint of the week along with "the
woman" of Revelation 12, and are barely surviving in the city. The
Day-of-the-Lord judgments through the trumpets have greatly impeded the
aggressiveness of the beast as he pursues his agenda to bring the whole
world under operation 666.
However, at the end of the week, when the evangelistic testimony of the Two
is being completed in Jerusalem, it is probable that many of the Jews who
have been hiding will have come out to hear them.
These have been resisting beast worship and through the testimony of the
Two, and through the earthquake, these "the rest" will show reverence, and
give glory to God by trusting in the gospel.
Later, after Christ stands on the Mount of Olives, these newly converted
Jews will organize to fight against the invaders. Zech. 12:2-8; 14:12-14.
Ezek. 38:13
"Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all its villages,
will say to you, 'Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your
company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle
and goods, to capture great spoil?'"'
The king of the West will rebuke this advance and take counter measures to
protect his interests in Palestine, Egypt and elsewhere. Daniel 11:40-43.
Ezek. 38:14-17 provides a summary of what we have already seen.
"Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,
"On that day when My people Israel are living securely, will you not know
{it}?
"And you will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you
and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly
and a mighty army; and you will come up against My people Israel like a
cloud to cover the land. It will come about in the last days that I shall
bring you against My land, in order that the nations may know Me when I
shall be sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog." 'Thus says the
Lord GOD, "Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days through My
servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for {many}
years that I would bring you against them?"
As the king of the North advances into Palestine, so also does the Eastern
alliance and armies of the beast. Most of these troops are in the Valley of
Megiddo, including portions of the Gog alliance, assembled to resolve once
and for all the question of who will control the resources.
Rev. 16:12-14,16
"And the sixth {angel} poured out his bowl upon the great river, the
Euphrates; and its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for
the kings from the east. And I saw {coming} out of the mouth of the dragon
and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet,
three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing
signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together
for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. And they gathered them
together to the place which in Hebrew is called Harmagedon.
Joel 3:2a, 9-12
"I will gather all the nations, And bring them down to the valley of
Jehoshaphat."
Joel 3:9-12
Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let
all the soldiers draw near, let them come up! Beat your plowshares into
swords, And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, "I am a mighty
man." Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, And gather yourselves
there. Bring down, O LORD, Thy mighty ones. Let the nations be aroused And
come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, For there I will sit to judge All the
surrounding nations.
Rev. 19:19
"And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled
to make war against Him who sat upon the horse, and against His army."
At this point the prophecies concerning the king of the North blend together
with the final assembly of all nations and the destruction of these nations
at the hand of Jesus the Messiah. Accordingly, both Ezekiel 39 and Joel 3
are to be viewed within the context of the final battle at Armageddon.
THE PHYSICAL DESCENT OF MESSIAH
When Jesus first "arrived" at the Day of the Lord, "in the clouds of the sky
with power and great glory," He raptured the church from the earth and then
took His seat upon a cloud to pour out God's wrath upon the kingdom of the
beast. He used angels for various administrations of judgment through the
trumpets and bowls.
Rev. 14:14-16
"And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud {was} one
like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in
His hand.
And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to
Him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle and reap, because the hour to
reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe."
And He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth; and the earth
was reaped."
This reaping refers to the general outpouring of divine wrath on the
unbelievers which takes place through the 7 trumpets and the first 5 bowls.
Some interpret this to refer to the rapture itself. However, if Revelation
chapter 14 is viewed as chronological, beginning with the conversion of the
144,000 at verses 1-5, and ending with the battle of Armageddon at verses
17-20, then the rapture cannot be in view. The rapture takes place BEFORE
the conversion of the 144,000.
In fact, the raptured saints are certainly those who are seen as harpists
singing before the throne at 14:2-3.
The final act of "reaping" occurs at the battle of Armageddon, which is seen
at Rev. 14:17-20,
And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had
a sharp sickle. And another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out
from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp
sickle, saying, "Put in your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters from the
vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe." And the angel swung his
sickle to the earth, and gathered {the clusters from} the vine of the earth,
and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine
press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press,
up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.
This final judgment on the nations is portrayed by the 56th and 67th bowls
at Rev. 16:12-21.
As the nations are gathering, maneuvering and fighting each other, through
all the battles mentioned above, Jesus will descend physically to the earth.
The physical descent of Jesus ONTO the earth is not taught in the New
Testament. We learn about it in the prophets of the Old Testament.
What we are shown at Rev. 19:11-16 is a summary statement of the initial
arrival of Jesus in the clouds of the sky that is portrayed at the 6th seal.
The prewrath view equates Joel 2, Matthew 24 and Rev. 6 as all referring to
the arrival of the Lord at the inception of the day of the Lord.
The chronology of the book of Revelation is not entirely chronological in
the presentation of the visions shown to John. Several times the running
chronology is interrupted and a new vision backs up to a previous point in
the chronology and starts over. It is not inconsistent to see a new vision
at Revelation 19:11 that interrupts the chronology that ended at verse 9
with the marriage of the Lamb and the start of the millennial kingdom. The
new vision then restates the arrival of Jesus, skips over everything that
happened after that, and continues in verse 17 with the final confrontation
at Armageddon.
For details see the commentary on Rev. 19:11-16
An alternate view is that this passage describes the physical descent of
Jesus ONTO the earth to do battle with the armies of the world.
According to the OT, He will go first to Edom, then to Jerusalem and stand
on the Mt of Olives.
After this He will go to Megiddo for the final battle at Armageddon.
A more popular view is that this passage describes THE second coming which
is different from the rapture. And then He fights the armies at Armageddon.
FIRST TO EDOM
When Jesus descends ONTO the earth He will go first to Edom (Is. 63:1), then
to Jerusalem (Zech. 14:3-4) and finally to the actual Valley of Megiddo
(Plain of Esdraelon) at Mount Megiddo (Armageddon) to defeat and destroy all
the armies that are gathered there (Joel 3:16).
It seems that these three battles will all occur on the same day.
The trip to Edom will be immediate and the judgment meted out there will be
quick and complete for "there will be no survivor of the house of Esau,”
Obadiah 18.
According to Isaiah 34:9, the destruction will be through a downpour of
brimstone.
There will be no one in this area who is a believer. The entire population
of the Edomite area will be destroyed and sent to Hades to await the last
judgment.
Probably very little time will pass as Jesus will then immediately go to
Jerusalem and stand on the Mount of Olives.
The judgment on the land area of Edom will be total.
This sounds like the same kind of destruction that occurred in the judgment
on Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24).
During Messiah's kingdom, it will be a desolation with no population,
housing only wild birds and animals. 34:11-15.
After the destruction of this part of southern Jordan, which will probably
be completed in just a matter of minutes, Jesus will move to Jerusalem and
stand on the Mt. of Olives.
Habakkuk 3:3-4
God comes from Teman, And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor
covers the heavens, And the earth is full of His praise. {His} radiance is
like the sunlight; He has rays {flashing} from His hand, And there is the
hiding of His power.
At first glance it appears that this may simply be saying that the Messiah
comes from the EAST. However, in view of Isaiah 34 and 63, it is clear that
He comes from this area AFTER judging it.
In verses 1-5, the arrival FROM Edom is indicated by the present tense of
the verbs.
At verse 6, the PAST tense is used to indicate what happens after He arrives
in Jerusalem.
At verse 5, “before Him goes pestilence,” indicates the ruin that He brings
with Him, and “after Him comes plague,” indicates the plague that He brings
to Jerusalem.
(Zech. 12:4; 14:12-13)
So, when He descends to the earth from His seat on the cloud, He will
proceed to Edom; to Southern Jordan, to quickly and completely mete out His
justice upon the people and the region with fire and brimstone. He will
destroy the Edomites who caused many Jews who were hiding in the region to
be turned over to the beast (Ezek. 35:5). He will then severely judge the
entire region of Edom (Isaiah 34:5-10; Ezek. 35:1-15).
The destruction of the Edomites will occur immediately upon His arrival
there. The judgment will be devastating, total and permanent as already
mentioned. Isaiah 34:9-15
"And its streams shall be turned into pitch, And its loose earth into
brimstone, And its land shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched
night or day; Its smoke shall go up forever; From generation to generation
it shall be desolate; None shall pass through it forever and ever."
The surviving Jews in this area will have already left sometime after seeing
the initial arrival of Jesus in the clouds of the sky. They will probably go
to Judah to join “the clans of Judah” as they help “the inhabitants of
Jerusalem” fight off the invading armies. Zechariah 12:5, 14.
Habakkuk 3:6a-7
"He stood and surveyed the earth; He looked and startled the nations, and
the perpetual mountains were shattered, The ancient hills collapsed. His
ways are everlasting. I saw the tents of Cushan under distress, The tent
curtains of the land of Midian were trembling."
There are two ways to understand these verses.
The survey of the nations WHEN he descends. Or the survey of the nations
after He stands on the Mt. of Olives.
FIRST: The prophet makes a summary statement of the judgments that come upon
the area of Edom.
(1) First He descends from His cloud in the sky.
(2) He evaluates the nations.
(3) His arrival in the midst of darkness will startle the nations.
(4) His judgment on Edom will be topographically devastating.
(5) The whole area of the Edomites were under distress and trembling.
SECOND: he describes what will happen AFTER He leaves Edom and arrives in
Jerusalem. Habakkuk 3:6a
“He stood and surveyed the earth;
He looked and startled the nations.”
It seems that the prophet has in mind the general judgment on the rest of
the nations. As He stands on the Mt. of Olives, as the area is trembling
from the great earthquake, Jesus looks out over the vast horde of armies
that are assembled in the valley of Megiddo and especially around Jerusalem.
The armies that will witness His arrival and will be affected by the great
earthquake will be startled by His presence.
They will be fighting with each other for dominance in the area and control
of the material resources that the beast has hoarded there. But when they
see Jesus standing on the Mt. of Olives, all of them will be quite terrified
(startled) and be scattered in disarray. To make matters worse, after He
stands on the Mount of Olives, He will then strike those armies in Jerusalem
with a plague of confusion. Many of them will fall prey to some kind of
selective biological weapon, or be struck down by the army of "Davids,"
which is now more motivated to defend their city and families.
The others will start fighting against each other.
And the clans of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will make short work
of any invaders who survive the plague. After the victory is secured, all
the material resources that the armies had will be seized by the people of
Israel.
Zechariah 12:4
In that day,” declares Yahweh, “I will strike every horse with bewilderment
and his rider with madness. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while
I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.
Zechariah 14:12-15
"Now this will be the plague with which Yahweh will strike all the peoples
who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they
stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their
tongue will rot in their mouth. 13 It will come about in that day that a
great panic from Yahweh will fall on them; and they will seize one another’s
hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another. 14
Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding
nations will be gathered, gold and silver and garments in great abundance.
15 So also like this plague will be the plague on the horse, the mule, the
camel, the donkey and all the cattle that will be in those camps."
The language in verses 14-15 reflects the time in which it was written. In
that time the armies would rely upon animals for carrying resources, and
many of their weapons would be made of the precious metals.
THE ARRIVAL IN JERUSALEM
ISAIAH 63
Isaiah 63:1
"Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from
Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness
of His strength? It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save."
The Messiah comes FROM Edom with His garments already stained with the blood
of battle. He has already engaged the enemy in Edom and is now ready for
Jerusalem and then Armageddon.
Isaiah 63:2-6
Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the
wine press? "I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples
there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger, And trampled them in
My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all
My raiment. "For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of
redemption has come. "And I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was
astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation
to Me; And My wrath upheld Me. "And I trod down the peoples in My anger, And
made them drunk in My wrath, And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth."
Of course, the blood on the garments of the Messiah is SYMBOLIC of having
accomplished a total defeat of the Edomites and their land.
Jesus will not be engaging in any "hand to hand" combat. We already saw that
the destruction will be a fiery outpouring of brimstone. The question from
Isaiah brings the Messiah's response, that He has expressed His righteous
wrath upon those who were deserving of judgment.
MOUNT OF OLIVES
Zechariah 14:4-5
"And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in
front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its
middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the
mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. And
you will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains
will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the
earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. THUS, Yahweh, my God, will
come, {and} all the holy ones with Him!"
He will stand on the Mount of Olives which causes a very great earthquake.
This is probably what is described at Ezek. 38:19,
"It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,”
declares the Lord God, “that My fury will mount up in My anger. 19 In My
zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will certainly
be a great earthquake in the land of Israel."
And at Revelation 16:17-20
"And the seventh {angel} poured out his bowl upon the air; and a loud voice
came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done." And there were
flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great
earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth,
so great an earthquake {was it, and} so mighty. And the great city was split
into three parts. . ."
There is still difference of opinion as to the identification of "the great
city." It seems that since Babylon is mentioned in the next sentence as
coming under a separate judgment, the mention here of "the great city," must
refer to Jerusalem which is identified as "the great city . . . where also
their Lord was crucified," at Rev. 11:8.
Jerusalem being split into three parts is not at all inconsistent with what
will result when the Mount of Olives is split in two at Zechariah 14:4.
The city itself is divided into three sections, and the splitting of the
mountain simply causes the valley "pathway" out of the city to safety. This
of course is for the women and children, as the men will remain behind to
fight.
". . .and the cities of the nations fell."
We have dramatic affects worldwide, from this earthquake.
"And Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the
wine of His fierce wrath."
This is the final judgment on Babylon (Babylonian evil), the ideology that
empowers and controls the king of the west (beast) through the influence of
Satan himself. The history of that ideology and its final demise is later
summarized in Revelation chapters 17 and 18.
The judgment is also on the CITY that is "housing" Babylonian evil and is
the "throne" of the beast at that time, which is probably Rome.
See commentary on Revelation 17.
The religious power base of the beast.
Babylonian religion
"And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found."
This is hyperbole. The significance is that every island and every mountain
are AFFECTED so that they are NOT as they were before. It does not mean that
the whole world is now "flat as a pancake." Even Olives is not "flattened."
It simply says that the mountain is split in half.
However, in Palestine, from Geba (about 6 miles north) to Rimmon in the
South (about 33 miles southwest), the land will be flattened so that
Jerusalem itself will remain elevated above all the land. Zech. 14:10.
"All the land will change into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of
Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin’s
Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the
Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses."
At this same time, there will be a hail storm of huge hail stones about 100
pounds in weight, which apparently fall world wide. Revelation 16:21
These are also mentioned at Ezek. 38:22.
"With plague and with blood I will enter into judgment with him; and I will
rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a
torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and brimstone."
The arrival of Jesus onto the Mount of Olives triggers many things
throughout the world which elicits various responses from the people.
(1) on the one hand we have the blaspheming of God because of the hail
storm. Rev. 16:20.
(2) and we also have the mourning at the loss of the city of Babylon. Rev.
18:9-19.
Upon the descent of Jesus from the cloud in the sky, His presence will be
dramatically visible in all of Palestine.
Accordingly, the refugees in Edom, who had not previously left, will
immediately head back to Judea where they will probably BECOME part of "the
clans of Judah" fighting to help the inhabitants of Jerusalem defeat the
invaders. Zechariah 12:5, 14.
The "clans of Judah" have to come from SOMEWHERE. They could be Jews who
have been hiding outside the city and are now able to come out of hiding and
fight the invaders.
But it is a fact that there will be Jews hiding in the region of Edom. And
these need to leave the region before it is destroyed by Jesus. It is
therefore likely that these beast resisters in Edom will leave that area
before it is destroyed by Jesus. So the "clans" are either the resisters
from Edom only, or a combination of them and any resisters who were hiding
in Judah. This group of fighters might also include men who were protected
by God in the wilderness for the remaining 1260 days of the 70th week. After
the 70th week comes to a close just before the sounding of the 7th trumpet
(angel, Rev. 10:7), many of these men could possibly return to Judea to
assist in defeating the invaders.
As previously mentioned, there will be many Jews living in Jerusalem
"underground" to escape the oppression of the beast. These were unable to
escape into the wilderness at the midpoint of the week along with "the
woman" of Revelation 12, and are barely surviving in the city. The
Day-of-the-Lord judgments through the trumpet and bowl judgments will have
greatly impeded the aggressiveness of the beast to bring the whole world
under operation 666, and his ability to defend his territory As a result,
the king of the North and other armies will invade Jerusalem (Zech 12:1-2),
and seriously oppress the beast worshippers who are there. But after Jesus
descends to the Mount of Olives these "inhabitants of Jerusalem" will join
forces with "the clans of Judah" who are outside the city to fight and
defeat the invaders.
When Jesus comes from Edom to conclude His victory over the nations, He
arrives at Jerusalem, stands on the Mount of Olives and then begins to fight
for the inhabitants of the city and the people of Judah (Zech. 14:1-4).
THE BATTLE OF JERUSALEM
From Edom, Jesus goes to Jerusalem to fight with the armies gathered there.
Zech. 14:3,
"Then Yahweh will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He
fights on a day of battle."
He stands on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and causes a great earthquake.
Zech. 14:4
And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in
front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its
middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the
mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.
Zechariah 14:4a
"And you will flee."
The women and children resisters hiding out in Jerusalem will now be able to
escape, while their men join forces with the "clans of Judah" to fight off
the invaders with the help of the personal presence of Jesus. Zech. 12:5-8;
14:3,14.
The "fighting" that Jesus does is probably the administration of the plague
that is described at Zechariah 12:4 and 14:12-15.
The valley of Megiddo is where the bulk of the worlds armies are assembled.
They are there to organize a major attack against Jerusalem in order to
defeat the armies of the beast, which are now centered in Jerusalem (Dan.
11:45, "at the Holy mountain") and take by force control of the material
resources they all need for their nations to survive. Thus, as Zechariah
writes, "all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it" (Zech.
12:3c).
But after Jesus stands on the Mount of Olives and throws all the land of
Palestine into convulsions through the huge earthquake, all these armies
that are gathered in Megiddo will be thrown into confusion.
At that time Jesus will leave Jerusalem and with another earthquake and more
darkness (Joel 3:14-16), He will appear in the sky above the valley.
It will be a dramatic "entrance" that will captivate the attention of all
the armies. When they see Him arrive, they will muster all their troops
against Him. Revelation 19:19.
Meanwhile in Jerusalem, the great earthquake and the splitting of the
mountain, will cause great devastation throughout the land of Palestine and
even throughout the world.
IN THE LAND OF PALESTINE
This is described in Hab. 3:8-15
THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE WORLD
This is described at Rev. 16:17-21 through the 7th bowl judgment.
IN JERUSALEM
The city of Jerusalem will be split into 3 parts (Rev. 16:19a).
There will be a great plague upon the armies that have invaded the city,
causing great panic among the soldiers.
"Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples
who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they
stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their
tongue will rot in their mouth."
This is NOT use of a nuclear weapon because the casualties are selective
rather than total. We know this because there will still be some
"hand-to-hand" conflict going on between the invaders and the Israelites at
this time. It might be some kind of "selective" or "individual" biological
weapon. However, this is not a man-made plague. It is administered directly
by Jesus, and is therefore a supernatural effect that will cause a great
panic among the invading armies so that they are even confused about who
they should be fighting. Zech. 14:13
"And it will come about in that day that a great panic from the LORD will
fall on them; and they will seize one another's hand, and the hand of one
will be lifted against the hand of another."
Zech. 12:5-8
"Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, 'A strong support for us
are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through Yahweh of hosts, their God.'
"In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot among pieces of
wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right
hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while the inhabitants of
Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem.
Micah 4:13,
“Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion,
For your horn I will make iron
And your hoofs I will make bronze,
That you may pulverize many peoples,
That you may devote to Yahweh their unjust gain
And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
Zechariah 12:7-8
“Yahweh also will save the tents of Judah first in order that the glory of
the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not be
magnified above Judah.
“In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one
who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of
David {will be} like God, like the angel of Yahweh before them.
Zech. 14:14
And Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the
surrounding nations will be gathered, gold and silver and garments in great
abundance.
While the Israelites are defeating the troops in the immediate vicinity of
the city, Jesus will destroy all the nations that have come against
Jerusalem as was mentioned at Zechariah 12:2-3.
It is restated here at verse 12:9, "And it will come about in that day, that
I will set about
to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem."
The main armies of the nations have now assembled in the valley of Megiddo
and are still united in their goal to defeat the beast. It is at this time
that Jesus goes forth and destroys the armies that have gathered in the
valley.
Zechariah 12:9-14 and 13:1-6 flashes forward to the start of the earthly
kingdom.
Zechariah 13:7-9 is a POETIC parenthesis that goes from the Messiah's first
coming,
through national discipline on Israel, and then to the blessing of the
kingdom.
Zechariah 14:1-5b then picks up again with the Battle of Jerusalem and
Megiddo.
Zechariah 14:5c-7 gives a summary statement of the initial physical descent
of Jesus.
Zechariah 14:8-11 flashes forward to blessing in the kingdom.
Zechariah 14:12-15 flashes back to the battle of Jerusalem.
Zechariah 14:16-21 flashes forward again to life in the kingdom. (Isaiah
11:10; 2:1-4)
ON TO MEGIDDO
Joel speaks of Him coming FROM ZION at Joel 3:16, "The LORD roars from
Zion."
The designation, Zion, probaby refers to the city of Jerusalem in general as
the representative of the nation of Israel.
As Joel developed the Armageddon confrontation, he wrote,
“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD
is near in the valley of decision.”
“The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars lose their brightness,” (Joel
3:14-15).
This is not talking about the “initial” arrival of the Day of the LORD, but
the effect of That Day in reference to Armageddon.
It is already here, but it is NEAR in the Valley of decision.
Joel 3:16
“And Yahweh roars from Zion And utters His voice from Jerusalem, And the
heavens and the earth tremble. But Yahweh is a refuge for His people And a
stronghold to the sons of Israel.”
Here we see the order of movement. FROM Jerusalem He goes somewhere else.
We know that location to be the valley of Megiddo.
It seems that anytime Jesus makes a movement to a different location there
will be some dramatic visible and physical occurrences. Here, as usual, we
see effects in the sky and on the earth. There was already the extreme
darkness (Zech. 14:6-7) when He descended from the cloud in the sky at
Revelation 19:11.
The darkness at that time and here plus the earthquake from standing on the
Mount of Olives will have the armies that are gathered in Megiddo seriously
agitated and frightened.
THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON
It is possible to let the very Scriptures themselves describe what happens,
with very little commentary.
Before the battle, the scavengers of nature sense what is coming and await
the slaughter in order to feast on the dead. Revelation 19:17-18
Rev. 19:19
And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled
to make war against Him who sat upon the horse, and against His army.
Here the armies of the East, West and North have regrouped to join forces
against the Son of God. Once gathered here, God will judge the assembled
nations and destroy them.
Joel 3:12-14
Let the nations be aroused And come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat
(Yahweh's judgment), For there I will sit to judge All the surrounding
nations.
Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press
is full; The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of the verdict! For the day of Yahweh
is near in the valley of the verdict.
Rev. 14:19-20
And the angel swung his sickle to the earth, and gathered {the clusters
from} the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the
wrath of God.
And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the
wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.
That which causes the various nations involved to move into Palestine, is
the political, military, religious and economic influences placed upon them
by the demonic powers that control the beast and the false prophet.
Rev. 16:13-14, 16
And I saw {coming} out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of
the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits
like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out
to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the
great day of God, the Almighty.
And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called
Harmagedon.
DINNER TIME!
The peoples who are assembled in the valley are to be physically killed
through the military prowess of the Lord Jesus as He wields the sword of His
mouth and scatters the enemy on the face of the battlefield. Since the
bodies of the dead will be left lying on the ground for later burial by the
Jews at the beginning of the Kingdom, it provides an abundant food source
for the scavengers of the animal kingdom. Thus, they are called to gather in
anticipation of the divine meal that will be provided to them.
Rev. 19:17-18
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried out with a loud voice,
saying to all the birds which fly in mid-heaven, “Come, assemble for the
great supper of God; in order that you may eat the flesh of kings and the
flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and
of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves,
and small and great.”
Ezek. 39:17-21
“And as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord Yahweh, ‘Speak to every kind
of bird and to every beast of the field, “Assemble and come, gather from
every side to My sacrifice which I am going to sacrifice for you, as a great
sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink
blood.
“You shall eat the flesh of mighty men, and drink the blood of the princes
of the earth, as {though they were} rams, lambs, goats, and bulls, all of
them fatlings of Bashan.
“So you will eat fat until you are glutted, and drink blood until you are
drunk, from My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
“And you will be glutted at My table with horses and charioteers, with
mighty men and all the men of war,” declares the Lord Yahweh.
The darkness and the earthquake precede His arrival at Megiddo. And once
again, as this "entrance" to the sky above the valley, Jesus breaks through
the heavens with His own glory piercing the darkness, and all the armies
will see Him coming upon them.
MESSIAH’S PERSONAL VINTAGE
Rev. 14:19-20
And the angel swung his sickle to the earth, and gathered {the clusters
from} the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the
wrath of God.
And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the
wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.
This distance of 200 miles includes the entire area affected by the influx
of nations into Palestine. The land of Israel itself is only 160 miles from
North to South, but this number should probably be taken as “square mileage”
covering all directions from Jerusalem.
Thus, although the "battle" is designated as being in the valley of Megiddo,
the armies are scattered all over the land as a result of all the
maneuvering and forced retreats.
Armies from the king of the North will be located everywhere from the
Mediterranean Sea, West of Jerusalem, East to the Dead Sea, and in Megiddo
as well.
Armies from the King of the East will be gathered into Megiddo. Armies from
all the Arab nations that are in Palestine will be gathered there.
The "blood" coming up to the height of horses bridles is hyperbolic
symbolism. It communicates the extent of the slaughter. There won't be any
horses for this will involve mechanized and manual warfare.
Rev. 19:21
And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who
sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
The summary of this final battle finds ALL the people who have gathered,
killed and placed on the “table” of the battlefield as a divine meal for all
the predatory animals that have been invited.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE NORTHERN ARMY
Ezekiel 38:18-23; Joel 2:18-20; Zech. 12:2-9; 14:12-15;
Through both the battle of Jerusalem and the battle of Armageddon, the
Northern army will be totally destroyed. This army receives special
attention in the Scriptures since it will have accomplished such a
devastating ruin in Israel.
Although viewed separately, by comparing Scripture with Scripture, it can be
determined that the ultimate destruction of the Northern army takes place at
the final battle described above.
|
|
