NOTES ON THE DRUMS OF WAR: FIVE STAGES ON THE ROAD TO ARMAGEDDON – PART V: THE WAR AT ARMAGEDDON

SCRIPTURE. “The sixth angel poured out his flask upon the great River Euphrates and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies westward without hindrance. And I saw three evil spirits disguised as frogs leap from the mouth of the Dragon, the Creature, and his False Prophet. These miracle-working demons conferred with all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great coming Judgment Day of God Almighty. Take note: ‘I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are awaiting Me, who keep their robes in readiness and will not need to walk naked and ashamed.’ And they gathered all the armies of the world near a place called, in Hebrew, Armageddon—the Mountain of Megiddo.” – REVELATION 16:12-16, TLB

QUOTATIONS

“I think this is irresponsible preaching and very dangerous, and especially when it is slanted toward children, I think it’s totally irresponsible, because I see nothing biblical that points up to our being in the Last Days, and I just think it’s an outrageous thing to do, and a lot of people are making a living—they’ve been making a living for 2,000 years—preaching that we’re in the Last Days.” – CHARLES M. SCHULZ, ‘Charles M. Schulz: Conversations,’ 2000; edited

“In its daring hope for the conversion of all the nations to the worship of the true God it develops the most universalistic features of the Biblical Prophetic Tradition. In its conception of the Church’s prophetic witness as standing for the true God and His righteousness against the political and economic idolatries of Rome, it is faithful to the Prophetic Tradition’s conviction that the true worship of the true God is inseparable from Justice and Truth in all aspects of life. It is in the public, political world that Christians are to witness for the sake of God’s Kingdom.” – RICHARD BAUCKHAM, The Theology of the Book of Revelation , 1993; edited

Selah.

1. FIRST THOUGHTS

So now my friends we come to quite literally, ‘The End of all things.’When I ventured forth on this great Christian journey over 40 years ago, I had not a glimmer of expectation of being alive at such a point in history. As a ‘Boomer’ septuagenarian, however, it seems that I may (or may not) live to see that Final Day. Certainly, the younger tribes of Millennials, Generations X, Y, and Z shall not likely be ignored from this Historic Culmination.

Might want think on that just a little bit in the days ahead.

The most important charge to us in this last section will be TWOFOLD: (1) To be able to begin to grasp so vast a subject matter in a relatively brief treatment of it. (2) To strike the balance between the indescribable Terror that is about to come upon the earth in this battle, while maintaining the Hope of Christ in the midst of it.

DENIAL. But before dealing with those two formidable tasks, is one that looms like a towering wall just this side of them: The Culture and Churchwide ‘Refusal’ to seriously recognize how close we are to History’s Edge. YESHUA warned  about this condition of mind and heart and soul in the following detailed and prophetic passage.

“And just as it was in the days of NOAH, so it will be in the time of [the second coming of] the Son of Man: the people were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, [they were indifferent to God] until the day that Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

It was the same as it was in the days of LOT. People were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building [carrying on business as usual, without regard for their sins]; but on the [very] day that Lot left Sodom it rained fire and brimstone (burning sulfur) from heaven and destroyed them all. ‘It will be just the same’ on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.” – LUKE 17:26-30, AMP

Lucid Commentary is offered to us this time from the pen of WILLIAM MACDONALD, who specifies the real and very dangerous Sin involved in the hour being described.

“Turning back to the subject of His Coming to reign, the Lord taught that the days immediately preceding that Glorious Event would be like ‘the Days of Noah.’ People ate, they drank, they married, and were given in marriage. These things are not wrong; they are normal, legitimate human activities. The Evil was that man lived for these things and ‘had no thought or time’ for God. After Noah and his family entered the Ark, the Flood came and destroyed the rest of the population. So, the Second Coming of Christ would mean Judgment for those who ‘reject’ His offer of mercy.

Again, the Lord said that the days preceding His Second Advent would be similar to those of Lot. Civilization had advanced somewhat by that time; men not only ate and drank, but they bought, they sold, they planted, they built. ‘It was man’s effort to bring in a Golden Era of peace and prosperity without God.’ On the very day that Lot, his wife and daughters went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed the wicked city. So will it be in the Day when the Son of Man is revealed. Those who concentrate on pleasure, self-gratification, and commerce will [all] be destroyed.” – ‘Believers Bible Commentary,’ 1995, pp. 1436-1437; edited

CIVIL RELIGION. One of the great stories of the American Church being written in this century and decade is eloquently and accurately described by Brookings Institution fellow, SHADI HAMID. Writing for ‘The Atlantic’ (“America Without God,” April 2021), he carves out some startling but undeniable facts concerning what is going on in an increasingly fractured America as we approach The Last War.

“America itself is ‘almost a Religion,’ as the Catholic philosopher MICHAEL NOVAK once put it, particularly for immigrants who come to their new identity with the zeal of the converted. The American Civic Religion has its own founding myth, its prophets and processions, as well as its scripture—the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and The Federalist Papers. In his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. wished that ‘one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its Creed.’ The very idea that a nation might have ‘a Creed’—a word associated primarily with Religion—illustrates the uniqueness of American identity as well as its predicament …

On the Right, adherents of a Trump-centric Ethno-Nationalism still drape themselves in some of the trappings of organized Religion, but the result is a movement that often looks like a tent revival stripped of Christian witness. Donald Trump’s boisterous rallies were more focused on blood and soil than on the Son of God. Trump himself played both Savior and Martyr, and it is easy to marvel at the hold that a man so imperfect can have on his soldiers. Many on the Right find solace in conspiracy cults, such as QAnon, that tell a Religious Story of earthly corruption redeemed by a godlike force.”

DK’S TAKE. So here we have the rather Schizophrenic political and spiritual landscape in America of a Church and Nation in widespread ‘Denial’ that America could ever be devastated by ‘The Unspeakable’ (a nuclear holocaust). But second,  if “Patriotic Duty” requires it, we are increasingly willing to ‘light that Fire’ to defend our view of that Hallowed American Idea, up to and including force of arms in a Second Civil or Global Nuclear War.

Got to make sure ‘America Stays Great’ at virtually any cost. Any. Cost.

1. THE TEACHING

SCRIPTURE. “The sixth angel poured out his flask upon the great River Euphrates and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies westward without hindrance. And I saw three evil spirits disguised as frogs leap from the mouth of the Dragon, the Creature, and his False Prophet. These miracle-working demons conferred with all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great coming Judgment Day of God Almighty. Take note: ‘I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are awaiting Me, who keep their robes in readiness and will not need to walk naked and ashamed.’ And they gathered all the armies of the world near a place called, in Hebrew, Armageddon—the Mountain of Megiddo.” – REVELATION 16:12-16, TLB

As always, we move directly toward the KEY IDEAS AND TERMS found in this uniquely Terrifying passage of Scripture.

• CONTEXT. The word ‘Armageddon’ is used generically today to refer to any type of catastrophic conflict, especially if it’s seen as likely to result in widespread destruction or the annihilation of human life. In the Bible, Armageddon refers to a climactic Future Battle between God and the arrayed evil forces of Antichrist. The word ultimately comes from the Hebrew word ‘Har-Magedone,’ which means “Mount Megiddo,” the predicted location of the Battle. Revelation 16:12–16 is the Biblical Record of what will happen toward the End of the Tribulation of seven years, when an angel pours out the Sixth Bowl Judgment on the earth. The word ‘Armageddon’ makes its only appearance in the Bible in this passage. – From ‘Got Questions,’ ret. July 11, 2022

• EUPHRATES DRIED UP. Brings us immediately to mind of the great miracle at the Red Sea when God split the waters and dried the ground by a great warm wind (Exodus 14:21). The word used here is ‘Xérainó’ [ξηραίνω]: “From a root word meaning arid or scorching; by implication, shrunken or desiccated; to shrivel, pine or wither away; dry up, parch, ripened; not moist; free from water or wetness.” DK: This that the Kings of the East [China, Asia] might march unencumbered toward their military purpose.

• THREE UNCLEAN SPIRITS. Two words in the Greek are used here, the primary one being, ‘Akathartos’ [ἀκάθαρτος]: “All things that are ceremonially or spiritually idolatrous, lewd, or impure; unfit to be admitted to God’s presence; of devils and demons; abominable things which God hates; something mixed or adulterated thereby; contextually a direct reference to the demonic; and, all that is anti-Law, or by extension, anti-Christ; dirty, filthy, unchaste; that which is not in covenant with God.”

• DRAGON, BEAST, FALSE PROPHET. These demonic frog entities spill from the mouths of the Three Central Figures: The Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet. (1) ‘Drakón’ [δράκων]: “A fabulous kind of Serpent, able to fascinate, enchant, or bewitch;  the powerful, demonic monster named Satan; believed to have incredible insight and power, able to spot prey in any hiding place.” (2) ‘Thérion’ [θηρίον]: “A wild beast, a brute; a venomous being as with a viper; one who makes war upon the two witnesses and opens his mouth in blasphemies against the God of heaven; strong consensus that this is the Antichrist, the man of sin who viciously attacks and persecutes the true Church, Jews and all those who resists his absolute power.” (3) ‘Pseudoprophétés’ [ψευδοπροφήτης]: “A spurious prophetic voice, pretended foreteller or religious impostor; one who in God’s name teaches what is false; properly, a False Prophet; someone pretending to speak the word of the Lord (prophesy) but in fact is an imposter, acting as a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” DK: the Traditional View is that this is an individual who leads the False Church as the completion of Satan’s Anti-Trinity. maybe it’s more

• COMES AS A THIEF. No fewer than three times does Jesus refer to Himself and His Return is like that of ‘a Thief’ (cf. Rev. 16:15; Matt. 24:43; 1 Thess. 5:2). This constitutes a most profound metaphor lost on most teachings of this passage. From a familiar root word in the Greek, ‘Kleptés’ [κλέπτης]: “A thief who steals about by stealth (in secret);equivalent to come unexpectedly; to appropriate something that is not theirs. In a swift and secretive, stealthy, or surreptitious manner.” DK: To the powerful point of this teaching, Jesus will ‘catch the unbelieving world’ by surprise’ when He returns in Judgment. This means that the Unsaved and the presumptuous (or slumbering) Apostates will be completely unprepared for His explosive Appearance. In a phrase that I have developed over the past two years now to make the point even sharper: ‘They do not get to go!’

• BE WATCHFUL! To complete our sober instruction from this monumental passage, the Holy Spirit ends with the absolute Command to every faithful Christian – ‘Grégoreó!’ [γρηγορέω!], defined literally and emphatically as: “Stay awake! Be on the alert! Remain vigilant!” DK: The Context here is unmistakable in its application: Don’t stop watching for even one moment. Rather remain sober day and night, putting away frivolous partying and merrymaking that could distract you. And finally, be apprised of and ‘understand the times’ so that you in fact will not be surprised when the Master of the House Returns. As with pretty much the great majority of the Nation, the World, and especially today – The Church.

IN SUM. All five of these wars simultaneously achieved a number of Divine Purposes, not the least of which is to constitute loud and  luminescent SIGNAL FLARES for the entire world to behold, that portend the End of all things. So that we can all – ‘Make Ready!’

1. THE PROPHECY

Thus we come to the FINAL HUMAN WAR to end all earthly wars: Armageddon. There is so much theology here, that I must turn to several reliable sources from which to cobble together a somewhat detailed description of this monumental ‘End of History As We Know It,’ worldwide Mega-War. They primarily include the Encyclopedia Britannica, William MacDonald’s Commentary (1995), and the Got Questions website, plus several others.

FINAL THROES. This is quite literally, therefore, “The Last Battle,” as C. S. Lewis allegorically described it in 1956. As all the military forces of the world gather to fight against God Himself, THE OUTCOME is made stunningly clear in the following passage.

“Then I saw Heaven opened and a White Horse standing there; and the one sitting on the horse was named ‘Faithful and True’—the One who justly punishes and makes war. [The eyes of Jesus] were like flames, and on His head were many crowns. A name was written on His forehead, and only He knew its meaning. He was clothed with garments dipped in blood, and His title was ‘The Word of God.’ The Armies of Heaven, dressed in finest linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. In His mouth He held a sharp sword to strike down the nations; He ruled them with an iron grip; and He trod the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. On His robe and thigh was written this title: ‘King of Kings and Lord of Lords’ …

Then I saw the Evil Creature [Antichrist] gathering the governments of the earth and their armies to fight against the One sitting on the horse and His army [of saints]. And the Evil Creature was captured, and with him the False Prophet who could do mighty miracles when the Evil Creature was present— miracles that deceived all who had accepted the Evil Creature’s mark, and who worshiped his statue. Both of them—the Evil Creature and his False Prophet—were thrown alive into the Lake of Fire that burns with sulphur. And their entire army was killed with the sharp sword in the mouth of the one riding the white horse, and all the birds of heaven were gorged with their flesh.” – REVELATION 19:11–16, 19–21, TLB

CODA. The EDITORS of ‘Got Questions’ provide a superb review of the overall Purpose and Consequence of that massive, Final World War between the Messiah and His Adversary (Nov. 2, 2021). “

“According to the Futurist interpretation of Revelation, which is our view, the Battle of Armageddon will be a real battle in the future, near  the ‘End’ of the [Great] Tribulation. Daemonic influences will cause the kings of the earth to gather their armies for an all-out assault on Jerusalem. THE ANTICHRIST will be leading the charge (Rev. 16:13–16). JESUS THE CHRIST will Return to earth with the Armies of Heaven [Angels and the Bride; cf. Matt. 25:31; Rev. 19:14]; His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4); He will defeat the Forces of Evil (Rev. 19:15–16); He will cast the Antichrist and the False Prophet into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20); He will bind Satan; and He will set up His Kingdom on earth for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:1–6). At Armageddon, the Lord Jesus Christ ‘treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty” (Rev. 16:19), ‘and all things will be made right.’”

CHRISTOLOGICAL NOTE. Of the most terrible importance possible, the Scriptures also teach that every single individual, including any so-called “Christian,” who made willful alliance with, supported and ultimately accepted ‘the Mark of the Beast’ shall likewise perish in The Flame forever. Consider ever so soberly the following passage.

“Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘Whoever worships the beast and his image and receives the mark [of the beast]’ on his forehead or on his hand, he too will [have to] drink of the wine of the wrath of God, mixed undiluted into the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone (flaming sulfur) in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb (Christ). And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night—those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” – REVELATION 14:9-11, AMP

MATTHEW HENRY. “The Gospel is the great means whereby men are brought to fear God, and to give glory to Him. The preaching of the everlasting Gospel shakes the foundations of Antichrist in the world, and hastens its downfall. ‘If any persist in being subject to the beast, and in promoting his cause, they must expect to be forever miserable in soul and body.’ The believer is to venture or suffer any thing in obeying the Commandments of God, and professing the Faith of Jesus. May God bestow this patience upon us. Observe the description of those that are and shall be blessed: such as die in the Lord; die in the Cause of Christ, in a state of union with Christ; such as are found in Christ when death comes. They rest from all sin, temptation, sorrow, and persecution; for there the wicked cease from troubling, there the weary are at rest. ‘Their works follow them’: Do not go before as their title, or purchase, but follow them as proofs of their having lived and died in the Lord: The remembrance of them will be pleasant, and the reward far above all their services and sufferings. This is made sure by the testimony of the Spirit, witnessing with their spirits, and the written word.”

Do you not see dear friends why I have become so severe and yes, loud in my Warnings to the Church about ‘presumption of salvation.’ JESUS said it much more sharply than I:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but ‘he who does the will of My Father in heaven.’ Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”  – MATTHEW 7:21-23, NKJV

PASTORS: More than anyone in this disastrously misled Nation, I  primarily address these teachings to our CHURCH LEADERS. They are, unquestionably now,  the ones who are leading countless millions into this deadly compromise of the Faith. And I have tried to spell out the reasons here. Are you listening?

1. LAST THOUGHTS: AFTERMATH

To borrow from a well-worn and overused cultural cliché: ‘I have saved the very, very best for the very, very last.’ This final brief section will address the question that I hope will encourage each of you to pursue with all of your hearts in the days to come:

WHAT COMES NEXT? Most of you have heard me use, or even overuse, the term ‘Eschaton,’ to describe what follows here. So, let’s start with a definition of that very important and pertinent term before beginning to conclude our conversation.

• ESCHATON. “The Eschaton is the ‘Last Thing’ or ‘The End.’ Many theologians consider the final event, The Eschaton, to be the Return of Jesus, though some consider a 1,000-year Reign of Christ to occur after His return (Acts 1:11). Nevertheless, the phrase “The Eschaton” is mostly considered to be:

The Return of Jesus Christ to rule and reign on the Earth and the Universe forever.

• INTERREGNUM. This is a term roughly defined as “An interval or pause in between Two Great Period – of office, of time, of condition or to use the more doctrinal term, ‘Dispensation’ – a Divine System of order or government in a particular period of history. What follows may be considered as a Trans-historical ‘Bridge of Transfer’ from the roughly 7000-year Age of Man to the Ageless Eternity of Yahweh.

A NEW ORDER. Now that we have settled that, the following is a concise review of that Grand Aftermath that Almighty God has planned for us from the very Beginning. The following overview is adapted from the EDITORS of a website called ‘answers.com;’ retrieved July 14, 2022; edited.

“The word Armageddon appears one time in the entire Bible. It is found at Revelation 16:16. If we continue to read from there, the Bible describes what happens immediately before, during, and after Armageddon. At Revelation 21:4,5, we find a Summary of what happens ‘after Armageddon has ended.’ It says:

‘And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away. And the One seated on the throne said: ‘Look! I am making all things new.’ Also, he says: ‘Write, because these words are faithful and true.’

Other places in The Bible also describe conditions that are promised after Armageddon, such as at Psalms 37:10,11,29 we read: ‘And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; And you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace …The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.’

Isaiah 65:21 says: ‘And they will certainly build houses and have occupancy; and they will certainly plant vineyards and eat [their] fruitage.’ Isaiah 33:24 says: ‘And no resident will say: “I am sick.” The people that are dwelling in [the land] will be those pardoned for their error.’ The conditions that are promised by the Bible after Armageddon are life without sickness, death, crime, hunger, and many more wonderful things.”

THE MILLENNIUM. Most of this is beginning to describe the literal, ‘1000-Year Reign of Jesus Christ’ sitting on the Throne of David in Jerusalem. Let’s take at least a brief look at that wondrous Era as we begin to close, according to the Scriptures.

“And then I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding the key of the abyss (the bottomless pit) and a great chain was in his hand. And he overpowered and laid hold of the dragon, that old serpent [of primeval times], who is the devil and Satan, and bound him [securely] for a thousand years (a millennium); and the angel hurled him into the abyss, and closed it and sealed it above him [preventing his escape or rescue], so that he would no longer deceive and seduce the nations, until the thousand years were at an end. After these things he must be liberated for a short time.” – REVELATION 20:1-3, AMP

Well now, if that doesn’t leave you breathless, then I seriously question if you’re alive at all. And, there is much more to this Prophecy then what I dare to open here. Rather consider this as mere surface scratch Introduction to something much, much larger that I just decided to teach on just a little bit down the road.

Here is how one biblical summary of this massive epic describes it. Even when considered briefly, it is still rather overwhelming to contemplate. – EDITORS, ‘Bible Questions,’ ret. July 14, 2022; edited

“The Millennium will be an unparalleled and unbroken period of peace and prosperity. Satan will be spiritually bound for the entire time (Revelation 20:1 -3) and therefore unable to deceive Mankind. Jesus and His resurrected saints will rule the earth from Jerusalem, where Mankind will flow to seek and pray to God (Zechariah 8:20-23).

Animals will have a peaceful demeanor in the millennium and nothing will be hurtful or destructive (Isaiah 11:6-9, 65:25; Ezekiel 34:25, 28; Hosea 2:18; Micah 4:1-4). The Truth of the Bible will flow out and reach all humans no matter where they live.

‘They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea’ (Isaiah 11:9) … ‘And they will no longer teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, “Know the Lord” because all will know Me’ (Hebrews 8:11).

After the Millennium, God will release Satan out of his spiritual prison. The Adversary will try to fight him one last time. The Devil will not only experience, yet again, a total and complete failure to take control of the universe, he will have his life extinguished FOREVER.”

TO INFINITY, AND BEYOND! And if that were not enough, beloved, there is still so  very much more – vastly, indescribably, magnificently, Divinely More just the other side of the Millennium.

Again, I resort to the scholars who are much better able than am I to describe just a tiny bit of it. Writing for ‘Bridgeway Bible Dictionary’ (2004), theologian DON FLEMING does rather valiantly at Introduction to the Indescribable.

“Jesus’ teaching concerning the nature of Eternal Life showed that it was more than merely life stretched out for ever. It was ‘Life of an entirely Different Order’ from the normal life of this world (John 4:14; John 6:51; John 6:63; John 17:3). Likewise, Eternity is not time stretched out for ever, but is something of an entirely different order. The realization of this helps to ease the difficulties that may arise in understanding God’s foreknowledge. God is not limited by time, and therefore He sees time differently from the way human beings see it (2 Peter 3:8) …

It is therefore inadequate to think of God’s Eternity solely as everlasting existence. God is not limited in any way. His characteristics and qualities are immeasurable in every aspect of his being (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalms 103:17; Psalms 145:13; Isaiah 54:8; Romans 1:20; 1 Timothy 1:17).”

CODA. My dear friends, at this point I am nothing more than a spent cartridge, who has no more words to put on the page. At least for now. I had not intended to go into such detail even though this is nothing more than the tiniest spectral Debut of what God has for his people throughout Infinity and Beyond.

So, ponder this spectacular Eschaton best you can beloved, magnificently,  intricately designed by the Lord of Heaven before the first sounds broke in the timeless Pre-Eternal, hardly known to Mankind at all.

But yet shall be, all you true ones, as we engage the very mind and heart and plans of God forever and ever and forever, working side by side with Him and the angels to help govern the very Cosmos of Yahweh.

Ever your servant DK

NEXT WEEK: “HEAVEN OR HELL: WHICH WILL IT BE?”

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