The Battle of Armageddon

Rev. 19:11-21; 20:6-10

One day Napoleon looked over the plains of Megiddo in Israel and remarked that it was “the most natural battlefield of the whole earth.”  That may be true, and it certainly is the location of the Battle of Armageddon, where the end of the world as we know it will culminate.

It will be the greatest battle ever fought, the most decisive victory ever achieved, and the greatest defeat ever suffered.  The armies of the world will converge on this region, on a collision course with one another, but their intent and objective will change when the Lord Jesus appears in the sky.  Instead of contending with each other, the armies of the earth will turn and unite to fight the army of heaven.

Remember, this isn’t the rapture, [beginning of tribulation] but the Revelation [end of tribulation]. 

At the rapture Jesus comes to claim His bride, but at His Second Coming He will condemn all blasphemers, and unbelievers.  At the rapture He comes ‘in the air’, but at His revelation He touches down on earth.  At the rapture the saints go to be with Christ, at the Revelation the saints return to earth with Christ!  The effect of the rapture is the glorification of the saints, but at the Revelation the effect is the consummation of the sinners.

Rapture:                                                     Revelation [2^nd coming]:

Jesus comes to claim His bride                Condemn blasphemers

In the air                                                    to the earth

Saints go to be w/ Christ                          coming back w/ Christ

Glorification of saints                              consummation of sinners

3 considerations about the time of Armageddon:

1. Jesus is coming at this battle both bodily and visibly

19:11       “saw”=key word

1:7   [‘every eye shall see Him’]    19:11 is the fulfillment!

        Why make a big deal?

Revelation 19:11
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Revelation 1:7
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.   [modern technology will allow for this!]

Acts 1:11
… this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Matthew 24:27
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

This is a description of a powerful storm, a very public affair that everyone is aware of and afraid of.  And though His second coming is different from the first coming, they go hand in hand together.  There is no purpose for His incarnation without His coronation eventually taking place.  Why redeem fallen man if you won’t follow thru and be their ruler?!

It has to be that way…because of the incarnation, there must be a coronation [otherwise incomplete…like having east but not west]

Joke—salesman came in from long day to hotel room/dropped big shoe w/ a thud/thought to himself, that was rude, someone may be asleep below, so he gingerly took off the 2^nd shoe/about 2 am knock on door:  tired looking man w/ dark circles under eyes, “I’m in the room beneath you, please drop the other shoe!”

The world is waiting for the dropping of the other shoe!  He already came as God incarnate…now He must come again as God in charge!

Bodily, visibly…

2. Jesus is coming at this battle boldly and victoriously

v. 12-16   [notice the contrast between this coming and His 1^st coming in the gospels…meek and lowly]

        Don’t expect a pale, anemic, humble Jesus to be on that white horse in the 2^nd coming!  But as King of kings and Lord of lords.

His second coming is quite different from His first coming.

1 Timothy 6:15
Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

When Jesus was being led away to crucifixion, weeping women lined the pathway, and Jesus looked at them and said, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves.  This is YOUR hour, but MY hour is not yet come.

The first time was for a crucifixion, the second time for a coronation...

Cross / crown – tree / throne – stood before Pilate / Pilate stand before Him – in shame / in splendor – to redeem / to rule and reign – as a servant / as a Sovereign.

• Notice His victorious nature

v. 11        capital F and T—Jesus always keeps His promises, unlike politicians!

        MacArthur left the Philippines in WWII and said what?  [I shall return]…Jesus said the same, and as surely as MacArthur kept his promise, all the more Jesus will!

• Notice His victorious name

12                mystery name

13                                        Word of God

16                King of kings and Lord of lords.

He is the Word, He spoke the world into existence w/ a Word, and will speak these armies into oblivion w/ a Word!

    They come w/ guns, tanks, nukes, but God created all of it [brought into world, and can take you out!]

King of kings and Lord of lords.

No earthly ruler is His match…every knee shall bow, all of them!  [imagine Hitler bowing before the Jew, Jesus, or Caesar, or bin Laden!]

Mystery name—why?  Because none of us can completely comprehend Him!  Man at his best simply cannot approach unto Him [His thoughts above ours/His ways]

We water God down so much today, attempting to bring Him down to our level, when He said, come unto me!

        [God’s Gym t-shirt / Jesse Duplantis:  God asked me to make Him laugh…He was having a bad day]

We would die if we saw Him w/ earthly eyes…He has a Name we cannot even comprehend, His Word speaks people into oblivion…so why do we assume to joke about Him in irreverence?

Bodily and visibly / boldly and victoriously

[victorious nature / name]

3. He’s coming to battle w/ a vengeance!

v. 17-21   the birds, the beast, and the battle

The birds:      v. 17-18a

[Last week I mistakenly said, right on video, that I shot several coons.  As the media and politicians have taught us, people don’t kill…guns do.]

The blood and carnage so incredible it will keep scavenger birds like crows, vultures, ravens, eagles quite busy…they will gorge themselves!

        [quite a contrast to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!]

…one of joy, one of judgment!

The birds…

The beast:      v. 19-20

        They didn’t even have the privilege of having an audience w/ God at the great white throne, like the rest of the lost!  [The rest have it explained to them why they will be eternally judged, and reminded of all they neglected!]

Antichrist and false prophet do not pass go…and ch. 20:10  shows that they are still there, and still burning! [1k years later…so much for doctrine of annihilation!]

[twin towers burned for over a month, and we thought that was big!]

birds, beast…

The battle:     Jesus Christ followed by His saints!

[can’t I wait in heaven ‘til y’all get back?]

        You won’t have to fight.  Today, generals sit in offices far off the front line [central command], but this is like the days of old, when the King led the way!

Just 1 word!

        Garden of Gethsemane:  there we see the battle of Armageddon in miniature…

Jn. 18, they came to arrest Jesus and said, which one is Jesus?  He said, I am.  {What happened?  They fell backwards [charismatics should fall fwd, not like the enemies of God!]

        At Armageddon, He will speak the word, and the battle will be over!

Which side will you be on?  We’re reading the back of the book, and I choose to be on the winning side!

Bodily and visibly

Boldly and victoriously

Battle w/ a vengeance!