Armageddon
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Last week, we looked at the Great Day of His Wrath and tonight we will continue looking at that, as we study Armageddon!
In recap of last week, we have learned about the vial judgments...
1. The first vial which brings sores: foul and loathsome sores will break out on all those who have taken the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.
2. The second vial in which God destroys the sea: the sea will be struck and the waters will turn to blood and every living creature in the sea will die.
3. The third vial which pollutes the streams: the fresh waters will be struck and turned to blood—the rivers and springs of water will turn to blood.
4. The fourth vial of great heat: the sun will be infused with greater power and the sun will scorch men with fire—the heat will be unbearable—those suffering will blaspheme the name of God and will not repent and give Him the glory.
5. The fifth vial of darkness: this vial of judgment will be upon the beast and his throne and his kingdom. A great prevailing darkness will be felt, men will gnaw their tongues because of the pain and men will blaspheme God because of His judgments. Men will not repent of their deeds.
When Jesus returns, He will finally receive the glory and honor that He deserves. Here is what the Bible says about it,
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Today, the Lord Jesus is rejected, maligned and hated by the world. That hatred is only going to intensify as the days go by and grow more and more evil.
In these verses the Lord God begins the process of final judgment upon the earth.
This brings us to where we begin tonight, with the sixth vial of judgment.
The Sixth Vial
The Sixth Vial
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
In these five verses, three critical events take place: The Euphrates dries up (16:12); the false trinity gathers kings for battle (16:13-14); and the kings gather at Armageddon (16:16).
This section of Scripture mentions the name Armageddon as it appears only one time in the Bible.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia defines Armageddon in this manner: “This name is found only in Revelation 16:16. It is described as the rallying-place of the kings of the whole world who, led by the unclean spirits issuing from the mouth of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, assemble here for ‘the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.’
Armageddon comes from the word “Har” which means “mountain” and “Megiddo” which means “slaughter.” It is formed from a Hebrew root word which means “to cut off or to slay.” Armageddon means “mountain of slaughter.”
The sixth angel pours his vial out “upon the great river Euphrates,” a river designated this way five times in the Bible (Gen 15:18; Deut 1:7; Josh 1:4; Rev 9:14; 16:12).
It runs 1,800 miles from Mount Ararat to the Persian Gulf and was seen as the eastern boundary of the land God promised to Israel. It continues as the lifeblood of what is called the Fertile Crescent.
The Bible tells us the river is dried up to prepare for the coming of an army, “the kings from the east” (16:12).
Who they are and why they come is not revealed, but there certainly seems to be a relationship to the army from the east when the sixth angel blew his trumpet in Rev. 9:13–19. Ultimately, they come as God allows and directs.
In verse 13-14 of our text, we are told that unclean spirits like frogs are seen coming out of the mouth of the unholy trinity (the dragon, the beast, and false prophet).
Frogs are unclean creatures and are used here to refer to evil spirits, or demons. The mouth is the source of influence. So, it seems that Satan will inspire the worlds of these hellish world leaders and they will whip their followers into a frenzy for a final assault against Israel. They are able to form a coalition between the world’s armies.
This final war will be satanically inspired and energized.
The Seventh Vial
The Seventh Vial
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
With the pouring of the seventh vial, the judgments are complete. A voice from Heaven cries, “It is done!”
The Lord Jesus said from the cross “it is finished!” That was the judgment on sin and His payment for salvation! The Lord Jesus didn’t say, “I’m finished!” He said, ‘It is finished!” He paid the debt that we owed because we owed a debt that we could not pay! He left His home in glory just to die a mortal man—He paid a debt I owed on Calvary! He came down from heaven’s glory—He gave up everything He had to save my soul! He came down from heaven’s glory and it’s still the greatest story ever told! At the pouring of the seventh bowl of the wrath of God the voice of God declares ‘It is done!”
Adrian Rogers said, “At Calvary, redemption was completed. In Revelation, retribution will be completed.”
This earthquake will be extremely powerful.
Charles Swindoll wrote, “What’s left of human civilization is shaken to its stone-age foundation, clearing the earth for an extreme makeover. Revelation describes nothing less than the end of the world as we know it. Everything about the earth, including its topography, will be prepared for a new regime: the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ.”
This was prophesied in the Old Testament!
19 The earth is utterly broken down, The earth is clean dissolved, The earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, And shall be removed like a cottage; And the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; And it shall fall, and not rise again.
6 For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, And I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
Look on in:
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
John saw the great city that was divided—the earthquake had split the city into three parts.
I believe John is talking about Babylon—for in this same verse he mentions “great Babylon.”
Commentators were divided on this one—many believe that the “great city” refers to Jerusalem that will be divided. I believe John sees the judgment of God upon the wicked city of Babylon. In the following chapters John goes into detail of how Babylon the Great is judged and what that looks like.
You think about it:
• Building will crash;
• skyscrapers will tumble;
• roads and highways will be uprooted,
• bridges and railways will fall and falter.
• Fires will spread,
• telephone poles and power lines will be broken,
• electricity will be cut off—
• water supplies will be gone,
• unrest will rule the day!
21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
...
16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.
This is fitting!
In conclusion to the 7 vials of wrath poured out on mankind; hailstones will fall from heaven weighing anywhere from 100–125 pounds. A talent of silver is 125 pounds. Men will not repent, but will continue to blaspheme the Lord.
Conclusion
Conclusion
In closing, look back at verse 15...
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Jesus is coming! His counsel is for people to be ready. We do not know when He will come. He may come today in the Rapture. He may come for you today in death. If He were to come for you would you be ready? Or would you be caught unprepared?