The Battle of Armageddon

 Temple Baptist Church - 1-30-2022

Revelation 19:14-21

 

A.  Tonight, we come to Armageddon, the culmination of the conflict between Satan and God.  A time that God's people throughout the ages have looked forward to.  A time when wrong will be destroyed by right; this atheistic world destroyed by the God that they chose to ignore and reject.

 

B.  These verses speak of the Battle of Armageddon (to be differentiated from the Battle of Gog and Magog which takes place at the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ).  The bible refers this place as Armageddon. 

 

Revelation 16:16  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

 

1.  The Prophecy is Right.  The Time is Right.  The Harvest is Ripe.  The Judge is Righteous.

 

2.  The word "Armageddon" means to rendezvous.

 

Joel 3:12-21  Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.  (13)  Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.  (14)  Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.  (15)  The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.  (16)  The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.  (17)  So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.  (18)  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.  (19)  Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.  (20)  But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.  (21)  For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.

 

Revelation 14:15-20  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.  (16)  And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.  (17)  And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.  (18)  And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.  (19)  And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.  (20)  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

 

There will be a river of blood app. 4 feet deep and 200 miles long because of the slaughter of the wicked. 

 

Isaiah 63:1-4  Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.  (2)  Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?  (3)  I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.  (4)  For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.

 

C.  In His First Advent, He came meek and lowly, riding on the foal of an ass.  In His First Advent, He came as a Babe born in humility; He came born in poverty as He that was rich became poor for us that through His poverty, we might be made rich; He was born in the weakness of humanity that He might be touched with feeling of our infirmity as the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.   In His First Advent, He established His Second Advent.

 

Isaiah 9:6a "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given …"

 

D.  In His Second Advent, He comes as The Word of God: "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."  The Lion of the tribe of Judah!

 

Isaiah 6:6b-7 "and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  (7)  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."

 

E.  In verse 11, we saw His appearance.  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.

 

F.  Verse 14.  Here we see His followers.  The word "armies" is used in this instance instead of "army."  Most nations on earth have an army: a military branch to serve and protect.  The plural usage is because His armies will be made up of multitudes that will come from every nation on earth.  In verse 19, the Bible uses the word "army" as opposed to the "armies" of the beast and the kings of the earth.  There is no contradiction here in the word usage.  The LORD's "armies" will be diverse in their ethnicity but totally unified in their following.  Thus the "armies" will be an "army." 

 

Allow me to illustrate what I believe that the Bible is saying.  In the WWI and WWII, we had "armies" that fought together to defeat a common enemy.  Today, we have the United Nations that often sends an occupation force to an area in a "peace keeping" role or, in extreme cases, to fight a common enemy.  These "armies" fight together but are far from unified which often causes conflict of interests among the sending nations.  The LORD's armies, though diverse in their original ethnicity, are totally unified in their allegiance and purpose.

 

G.  His armies come down from heaven with Him and likewise ride upon white horses.  Their clothing will be the righteousness of God, illustrated by the fine linen, white and clean.  The armies of the beast and kings of the earth will no doubt be as varied in their clothing as they are in their ethnicity.

 

H.  Verse 17-18.  Here we find the birds of carrion invited to the "supper of the great God."  This is not the Marriage Supper of the Lamb but a gathering of birds from all over the world to pick clean the bones of those who hate and will gather to fight against God.

 

Most birds of prey are protected species for a reason.  They keep the earth clean as they are opportunistic omnivores: God's "cleanup crews."  To name a few: vultures, eagles, ravens, crows, jays, magpies.

 

J.  Verse 19.  The armies of the world gather under the leadership of the beast.  Think of the vast power of today's armies.  Their killing machines, hundreds of millions of soldiers, nuclear power with precision missile delivery systems.  In the sight of man, a force that cannot be defeated.  But, their Foe is He who has never lost a battle!  Their foolishness will be their downfall as our KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS" cannot be withstood. 

 

K.  Verse 20.  The beast and false prophet that deceived the world, causing them to take the mark of the beast and bow to his image in worship, will be taken.  These two will be the first to be cast into the Lake of Fire (First Mention).   These are cast into the Lake of Fire alive!  No perishing of the wicked but an eternal punishment burning with fire and brimstone (sulfur).  Taken before the eyes of the armies that followed them.  Their confidence absolutely destroyed!

 

Daniel 7:8-11  I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.  (9)  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.  (10)  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.  (11)  I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

 

L.  Verse 21.  After their leaders are cast into the Lake of Fire, the remnant of the army is destroyed and the flesh of them and of their horses become carrion for the birds of prey that will fill the air.  That the sword comes out of His mouth indicates that He wins the battle with the power of His word. Though the saints return with Christ to reign and rule, they are not the executioners. That is His work, and He will destroy them with the power of His Word, the Sword that proceeds out of His mouth.  The end of the wicked will be followed by Christ setting up His kingdom, the Millennial Reign of Christ called the Kingdom or Golden Age.