CHAPTER 23
The legendary baseball player, Yogi Berra, once said, "It ain't over till its over." While that may be true in athletics, it does not apply to the End Times. As soon as the harvest of saints is complete, the heavenly host erupts into a victory anthem. They look into the future and see that, for all intents and purposes, the outcome is settled. Loudly they proclaim,
The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Messiah; and He will reign forever and ever (Revelation 11:15).
The twenty-four elders who sit on the thrones before God recognize the awesomeness of the moment. Looking into the events of the immediate future, they fall on their faces and worship God for all that He is about to do. (See Revelation 11:16-18).
We now come to the final events which precede the seven bowls of God's wrath and the Battle of Armageddon. Before they begin, the Temple in heaven is opened, and the Ark of His covenant appears. The Ark, which is a symbol of God's conquering presence, shows He is about to go into battle.
In preparation for the final campaign, Messiah has gathered His elect from the earth. John saw them standing before the Throne and noted that they were singing a song of Moses. The Old Testament records two songs associated with that prophet. The first recounted God's deliverance from the Egyptian army. The second was a prophetic song which the Lord gave to Moses shortly before his death (see Deuteronomy 32). It predicted the Nation would serve other gods and break the covenant. God told Moses to teach that song to the sons of Israel as a witness against them. Toward the end of the song, however, was a message of hope, announcing an End Time deliverance for the sons of Israel. The prophetic content of thatlatter song leads us to believe it was the one the saints were singing. A key verse of the song went as follows:
He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance on His adversaries, and will atone for His land and His people (Deuteronomy 32:43).
The next song John heard was one of praise to Messiah. In it, the believers acknowledged His kingship and proclaimed that all the nations will come and worship before Him.
What insights are to be gleaned from these two songs? That they speak of God atoning for His land and Messiah reigning from Israel is most revealing. These songs confirm that God never waivers on His promises to Israel. Moreover, they lend credence to our theory that the lost tribes of Israel are hidden in the church. There is simply no other explanation for these redeemed ones singing of an End Time deliverance for the sons of Israel.
After observing the redeemed before the throne, John turns his attention to seven angels coming out of the heavenly temple. They are given seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God. From the temple a voice commanded the angels, "Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth." Over the next several days the earth and its inhabitants reel from the seven plagues. Unlike the trumpets, these plagues carry no message of warning—only judgment.
Those remaining on the earth are forced to make the most difficult decision of their lives. The false prophet has ordered that everyone must worship the beast and receive his mark on their forehead or right hand. Anyone who does not comply risks being beheaded. The angel in mid-heaven, however, has warned that anyone who worships the beast will receive the full measure of God's wrath.
If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on the forehead or upon his hand, he will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone... (Revelation 14:9-10).
Sadly, many will have a greater fear of Antichrist, who can kill the body, than of God, who can kill the body and also cast the soul into hell. Choosing damnation over death, vast numbers worship the beast and receive his mark. As promised, they will receive all the plagues coming down from heaven.
The first bowl contains an individual plague. Painful sores, like open ulcers, appear on the bodies of anyone having the mark of the beast. It is ironic that Antichrist's subjects are now afflicted with boils in the same way Satan afflicted God's servant, Job.
At the second trumpet, a third of the sea was turned into blood. Now, the entire sea becomes like the blood of a dead man. With that, every living thing in the sea perishes.
With this plague God pours out a fitting punishment on the world. Those who shed the blood of God's saints are now faced with having only blood to drink. There will be little water that is fit for drinking until Messiah returns.
In some way, God makes the sun unbearably hot on earth. Doubtless, this makes the scarcity of drinking water more acute. Here John inserted a word about men's reactions to the plagues. According to him, they do not repent—they only blaspheme the name of God.
Here, God specifically targets Antichrist's capitol. When a frightful darkness descends upon that city (or nation), its residents are treated to another demonstration of how powerless their leader really is. Instead of renouncing him, however, Antichrist's men blaspheme God all the more.
As mentioned, God is the one who will assemble all the nations for the battle of Armageddon. To that end, He causes the Euphrates River to dry up, which makes it possible for the remaining forces in the East (probably all foot soldiers) to march toward Israel. Seeing that, Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet send out three demonic spirits. Their task is to persuade the kings of the world to gather their armies for the "war of the great day of God, the Almighty." (Revelation 16:14). The place they gather is called (in Hebrew) Har-Magedon.
As the final bowl is poured out, countless cities collapse from wide- spread earthquakes. Islands and mountains disappear as they are demolished by massive tidal waves in the wake of the earthquakes. At the same time, one hundred pound hailstones pelt the earth. All this causes men to blaspheme God even more.
It is during the seventh bowl that Babylon the Great is destroyed. At that time, God gives her the "wine of His fierce wrath," but He does so indirectly. God puts it in the mind of His enemies, Antichrist and his kings, to destroy Babylon the Great (see Revelation 17;16-17). According to Scripture, they burn it to the ground.
We have listed the seven bowls which are poured out from above. Now let's see how those judgments fit with the End Time events on earth. The prophet Daniel provided us with the basic framework of how this period unfolds (see Daniel 11:40-45). Ezekiel and Isaiah furnish most of the details.
Toward the end of Antichrist's 42 month reign, opposition to his rule will arise in the region south of Israel. Most likely it is in Egypt (though it could be a confederation of several African nations). Isaiah prophesied that in the last days, there would be a drought so severe that even the Nile dries up (it is probably brought on by the two witnesses). At that time, the Lord will cause a civil war to break out in Egypt. The conflict seems to come about because the Egyptians fear what the Lord is doing in Israel (see Isaiah 19:16-17). As they observe how the Lord is "nourishing" and protecting their enemy, the people of Egypt remember how God afflicted them during the Israelites' exodus. Now many Egyptians make a most sensible decision and openly depart from obeying Antichrist. Isaiah tells us that "five cities in the land of Egypt will be speaking the language of Canaan and swearing allegiance to the Lord of hosts..."
In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord near its border (Isaiah 19:19).
When it becomes an open revolt, Antichrist sends his forces to put down the rebellion. On the way, they are forced to pass through several countries: Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and finally, Israel.
And at the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North [Antichrist] will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter many countries, overflow them and pass through (Daniel 11:40).
As he marches toward Egypt, Antichrist will undoubtedly expect heavy losses at the hands of the two witnesses as he enters Israel, but he has no choice. The trumpet judgments destroy many of his ships so most of his troops must pass through on land. Imagine his surprise when his forces emerge from the "Beautiful Land" unscathed. For some reason, one country he cannot subdue is Jordan.
After bringing the revolt in Egypt under control, Antichrist hears rumors that greatly disturb him (see Daniel 11:44). I am guessing that he learns of the witnesses' inaction as Antichrist's forces passed through Israel. It may well be that the witnesses tell the Israelis that it is time for Messiah's return. Whatever the rumors are, Antichrist changes his tactics because of them. From then on "he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many."
During the preceding three and a half years, any movement against Israel would have been disastrous. The two witnesses routinely destroyed everyone who tried to harm them or the nation of Israel. But Antichrist senses that these men of God are at last vulnerable, so he calls for his kings to unite in a campaign against Israel and the troublesome witnesses.
The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed: "Let us tear their fetters apart, and cast away their cords from us!" (Psalms 2:2-3).
Antichrist will think the invasion was his own idea, but it is God who puts the thought in his mind. Speaking to Antichrist, the Lord says,
After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel... (Ezekiel 38:8).
And I [God] will turn you about, and put hooks into your jaws... (Ezekiel 38:4).
The picture here is graphic. When a conquering army was deporting captives, they often put hooks in their jaws. Then, like a horse on a rein, the prisoner would go wherever he was led. That is the picture of God bringing Antichrist to the land of Israel. At the same time, He also summons Antichrist's allies, Sudan (Ethiopia), Iran (Persia) and Libya (Put) to join in the siege.
Obviously, Satan has good reason to invade Israel. As always, he seeks to thwart God by destroying the nation of Israel. But how are the other nations duped into coming against the Land? For more than three years, a worldwide drought has severely diminished crops and livestock. Israel, on the other hand, has been nourished by God during that period and has "acquired cattle and goods." So it is the promise of a great spoil that Satan uses to lure the nations into invading Israel.
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? (Ezekiel 38:13).
As Antichrist anticipated, the witnesses will no longer have the power to resist. He easily overcomes them, and has them put to death. Their execution signals the beginning of the plundering of Israel. As Messiah prophesied, the Jews will be forced to flee from city to city to avoid persecution. But three and a half days after the two witnesses are killed, God intervenes, and suddenly, the witnesses are raised from the dead! At that moment (or very soon afterwards), the rapture occurs.
Just after the witnesses ascend to heaven, a great earthquake strikes Jerusalem. A tenth of the city falls, and seven thousand people are killed. The survivors are terrified and (grudgingly) give glory to God. Then an angel appears, flying in the heavens. Much to the dismay of the remaining population, the angel proclaims that Jesus is the Messiah. All across the globe, he echoes the eternal gospel—the good news that Messiah is coming to establish His kingdom on earth. According to Scripture, great multitudes respond in faith to the angel's message.
Then another angel follows with a sobering warning: Babylon the Great is about to be destroyed! Finally, a third angel sternly warns the earth's inhabitants not to worship the beast or receive his mark. By this time, Antichrist and the false prophet are ruthlessly striving to damn all men by forcing them to receive the mark of the beast. They announce that the price for refusing to worship the beast is death—by decapitation!
Mercifully, within a few days comes the event we've been waiting for—the final harvest. The Lord is seen coming in power on the clouds. He then puts in His sharp sickle and reaps the earth, "because the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe" (Revelation 14:15). Those who believed the gospel message of the first angel, now join their brethren (the first fruits) who were raptured a few days earlier.
It is then that God begins to pour out His bowls of judgment on the world. As mentioned, the time frame for God's wrath has to be very short, or no flesh would survive. At the sixth bowl of judgment the Euphrates River mysteriously dries up. This allows a large contingent of troops to march toward Israel. The Bible doesn't identify these armies. It merely says they are under the "kings of the east." Some think it is a coalition from China and Japan. No one knows.
Whoever they are, the real question to be asked is, why are they coming? As a result of the sixth bowl, three demonic spirits are sent by Satan (as well as Antichrist and the false prophet) to gather ALL the nations for a great war. By "performing great signs" these demons entice the nations to assemble for a showdown in Israel. No doubt, these nations are reeling from the first five bowls of judgment, and they jump at the chance to overthrow those who have tormented them so.
For some reason, one of the remaining powers does not choose to participate in this "war of the great day of God, the Almighty." That country is Babylon. Because of that, the Bible says God puts the idea in the minds of Antichrist and his kings to launch a preemptive strike on Babylon. Without warning, they utterly destroy Babylon the Great! With this action, we are within the seventh bowl of wrath.
The climax of this age, however, is not Babylon's destruction. It is the Battle of Armageddon—when all the nations of the world are assembled against Jerusalem. As foretold by the prophets, this is the day when God judges the nations for (1) what they have done to His people, and (2) for dividing His land (see Joel 3:2).
Let the nations be aroused and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I [God] will sit to judge all the surround ing nations (Joel 3:12)
For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle... (Zechariah 14:2).
John saw a vision in heaven showing the preparation for the attack by the forces of God. Messiah was sitting on a white horse, and the saints who follow Him were also on white horses. John said they were clothed in fine linen, which is symbolic for the righteous acts of the saints. Both the first fruits (the 144 thousands) and the saints of the final harvest are included in this army.
Now the world will see first hand the true purpose for the rapture and the final harvest. That is the means God uses for gathering the remnant of Jacob for the war in Israel. Shortly before the battle of Armageddon, God will have assembled the "banished ones from Israel" and the "dispersed from Judah." All of them will accompany Messiah as He returns to Jerusalem to fight the enemies of God's covenants, His land, and His kingdom.
For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will fill the bow with Ephriam. And I will stir up your sons O Zion, against your sons O Greece; And I will make you like a warrior's sword (Zecha riah 9:13).
And He will lift up a standard for the nations, and He will assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth... And they will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines on the west; TOGETHER they will plunder the sons of the east; they will possess Edom and Moab; and the sons of Ammon will be subject to them (Isaiah 11:12,14).
John tells us almost nothing about how the Battle of Armageddon is won. He merely says Antichrist and the false prophet are seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire, and the rest of the armies which had gathered to make war against Jerusalem are killed.
We do know that a few days after the deaths of the two witnesses, another earthquake strikes Jerusalem. Most likely it is part of the seventh bowl of judgment. At that time, the Mount of Olives will be split in two, creating a valley by which many of the Jews escape. Then the glorified Messiah will set foot on that mountain, which is the place where He ascended nearly two thousand years ago. But on His return, Messiah is joined by millions of new inhabitants of Jerusalem—namely, all the New Covenant saints.
By the time Messiah returns, the remaining Jews in the land are in desperate straights. After the scorching heat and the judgments affecting the water supplies, the Jews are weary and, no doubt, frightened beyond measure. Antichrist's forces have overrun the nation and are murdering and plundering what is left of the people. According to the prophet Daniel, this is a "time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time." Zechariah tells us that two-thirds of the Jews die during this ordeal. Despite those dire circumstances, however, the Bible declares that everyone who is found written in the book (the lamb's book of life), will be rescued (see Daniel 12:1).
Up to now, the survivors in Israel have steadfastly refused the testimonies of the witnesses and the angels, who proclaimed that Jesus is Messiah. To their credit, however, they have also resisted the false prophet's demand to worship the beast. Now it is reported to them that Messiah has come to Jerusalem, and that millions of saints have returned with Him—including some of their countrymen, the Messianic believers who were recently raptured (or harvested)!
Then the leaders of Israel will say in their hearts, "A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem [the saints] through the Lord of hosts, THEIR GOD" (Zechariah 12:5).
Notice that they do not identify the Lord of hosts as belonging to them. These surviving Jews are keenly aware of their separation, and acknowledge that it is the saints who are now the people of God. Nevertheless, the immediate impact of this news is to bolster the morale of the beleaguered Israelis. Although they don't know exactly where they stand with God, they believe that Messiah and the saints in Jerusalem will assist them.
However, it is the archangel Michael, standing guard over the sons of Israel, who first comes to their rescue. All of the sudden, the Israelis begin to rout the enemy forces throughout the countryside. At the same time, incredible calamities burst upon the armies of Antichrist. One hundred pound hailstones, which are part of the seventh bowl of judgment, begin raining down on his men. Then the mountains and hills collapse on them. Overcome with fear and confusion, the invading armies literally begin to slay each other!
Zechariah is very specific about the order of this victory. The Israelis first recapture the countryside from the invaders. This is so the "glory of the house of David (meaning Messiah) and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem (the glorified saints) may not be magnified above Judah" (meaning the Israelis). (See Zechariah 12:7). Fresh from their heaven sent victory, the Israelis advance on Jerusalem, where the remaining enemy forces are assembled. There they see that the exiled inhabitants of Jerusalem have returned. Now, each of them (no doubt with the help of Michael's angels) has become as fierce a warrior as King David. On top of that, God sends a plague upon all who have gone to war against Jerusalem. Physicians may one day refer to it as the Jerusalem rot.
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 (Zechariah 14:12).
So much for the battle of Armageddon! Ezekiel tells us the carnage is so great that it will take seven months to bury the bodies. He also indicates that those living in the cities of Israel will not have to gather firewood for seven years. Instead, they will burn the weapons of those who invaded. What's more, it is not just Antichrist's army which feels God's judgment. Ezekiel says God will send fire on Gog's (Antchrist's) homeland and upon the inhabitants of the foreign lands who think they are dwelling in safety (see Ezekiel 39:6).
After defeating Antichrist, Messiah still has one or two skirmishes to be fought. As we know, Armageddon takes place in the valley of Megeddo. Daniel was very specific about where Antichrist is defeated. He recorded that the king of the North would pitch his tents "between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain," and there he will come to his end. That, of course, indicates a position to the west of Jerusalem. But Isaiah indicated that a battle would also be fought in the east. After victory at Armageddon, the combined forces of Israel and Judah will then subdue the "sons of the east," meaning the Arabs.
And He will lift up a standard for the nations, and He will assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth... And they will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines on the west (meaning Armageddon); TOGETHER they will plunder the sons of the east; they will possess Edom and Moab; and the sons of Ammon will be subject to them (Isaiah 11:12,14).
It also appears that there will be a battle to be won in Egypt. Those who had recently rebelled, swearing allegiance to the God of Israel, were subdued (and oppressed) by Antichrist. Aiding him in that conquest were Libya and Ethiopia (see Daniel 11:43). Now Messiah's forces deliver those faithful Egyptians.
...for they will cry to the Lord because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them. Thus the Lord will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day (Isaiah 19:20-21).
At last we see the final outcome of Armageddon. Antichrist and the false prophet are compelled to take up residence in the lake of fire. As for Satan (the instigator of the rebellion), he is thoroughly humiliated, being bound in chains in the abyss for a thousand years. We will, however, hear from him again.