The Armageddon Campaign
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Introduction
Introduction
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.
We now turn our attention to this “battle of that great day of God Almighty.”
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
All the nations of the earth will come together in a place called Armageddon. It is there that God will judge all the nations for their persecution of Israel (Joel 3:2), sinfulness (Revelation 19:15), and godlessness (Revelation 16:9).
One of the great misunderstanding concerning the battle of Armageddon is this. Many have often viewed this an isolated event which transpires just before Christ’s Second Coming. As we will see, this battle is not an isolated event, but rather is a culmination of full military campaign which extends over the last half of the tribulation period.
Going back to verse 14, we need to do a little bit of word study here. The word “battle” is the word “polemos” in Greek. The intent of the word is quite different from another Greek word, “mache,” which is also translated “battle” in English. The difference between the words is simple. “Polemos” signifies full campaign of war in which many battles take place versus “mache” which signifies one single combat action. For that reason, the Holy Spirit’s use of the word “polemos” indicates that the battle of Aramageddon is part of an overall military campaign.
ITS LOCATION
ITS LOCATION
For this, we need to have some basic understanding of Israeli geography and locations.
*Develop a map showing the different locations mentioned.
Located just west of the Jordan River in north central Palestine is a hill know as Megiddo. It is located ten miles south of Nazareth and fifteen miles inland from the Mediterranean seacoast. The interesting thing about Megiddo is that it sits upon an extended plan which has been the sight of many Israeli conflicts. It is here that...
Deborah and Barak defeated the Canaanites (Judges 4-5)
Gideon triumphed over the Midianites (Judges 7)
Saul slew the Philistines in a great battle (1 Samuel 31:8)
Jehu slew Ahaziah (2 Kings 9:17)
The Egyptians defeated and killed King Josiah (2 Kings 23:29-30; 2 Chronicles 35:22)
This will once again be the place where the ultimate battle will be fought and God will prevail over all the nations of the earth.
However, do not forget that this battle is the culmination of an entire campaign. There are several other geographical locations involved in this campaign as well. There is...
“The valley of Jehoshaphat”
2 I will also gather all nations, And will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, And will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
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.
The valley of Jehoshaphat is an extended area east of Jerusalem. It is also known as “the valley of passengers.”
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamon-gog.
This area is famous for the being the most travelled route going away from Jerusalem.
“Edom” (Idumea)
I will not read the texts for this one since it covers two entire chapters in Isaiah which are Isaiah 34 and Isaiah 36. Edom is the area south of Jerusalem.
“Jerusalem”
According to Zechariah 12:2-11 and Zechariah 14:2, Jerusalem itself will be the center of the entire campaign.
If, then, you take all these locations into consideration, the Armageddon campaign will extend from the plains of Esdraelon in the north, down through Jersualem, extending out to the valley of Jehoshaphat on the east and to Edom on the south. This wide area would cover the entire land of Palestine and campaign, with all its parts, would confirm Ezekiel’s prophecy which say invaders will “cover the land.”
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
It would also match Revelation 14:20
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.
The PARTICIPANTS
The PARTICIPANTS
We already covered most of this ground when we considered the Gentile nations during the Tribulation. In that study, we saw four great confederations emerge.
The Ten Kingdom Federation of Nations under the Beasts’s authority
The Northern Federation led by Russia
The Kings of the East coming from beyond the Euphrates
The King of the South coming through Egypt
There is one last great power that we left out and must include when we consider the “battle of Armageddon.” The fifth and final power will the Lord and His great army from Heaven.
In the end, all the nations of earth will wage a fruitless battle against the God of Israel.
From here, we are going to cover the different aspects of the entire campaign. In doing so, I am not going to get into all the different theories of each one. My aim is to simply show the different aspects and how they are seen within Scripture. If you hear or know anything else than what I present, that is okay. All I ask is that you have an open mind to what I am presenting directly from Scripture.
Let’s start with the one thing that kicks the entire campaign off.
The Invasion of the Northern Federation (led by Russia)
The Invasion of the Northern Federation (led by Russia)
For this, we need to turn again to Daniel 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
We have already established a timeline for the Tribulation from these two verses. The Beast, the head of the Ten Kingdom federation, will make covenant of peace with Israel intended to last seven years. This covenant launches Israel to a place among the nations of the world. The covenant of peace will also settle the long standing dispute to Israel’s claim to all Palestine. More to the point is the fact that this same covenant is Satan’s proffer to fulfill the Abrahamic covenant which gave Israel title deed to the land. Revelation 6:2 paints the picture for us.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
Peace exists for three and one-half years. After that, the covenant is broken by the Beast and the Ten Kingdom federation and a period of great tribulation begins.
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
This great tribulation is marked by God casting Satan our of heaven into the earth at the middle of the seven years.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Satan then begins a campaign of great wrath attacking the remnant of Israel and the saints of God.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Satan’s activity moves the nations of the world.
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.
NOTE: At the same time that Satan is wreaking havoc on God’s people, God pours out His own wrath upon the sinful and rebellious people of the world. By casting Satan out of heaven and allowing him to initiate his campaign of wrath, God uses Satan as part of His overall program of wrath against the whole world.
Now that was have set the backdrop of this time period, we find that the Armageddon campaign starts with an invasion of Palestine by the King of the North and the King of the South.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
Remember that at this time the Beast, along with the Ten Kingdom federation, is also federated with Israel by their peace covenant.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Thus, any attack upon one is also considered an attack against the other. The invasion of the King of the North and the King of the South will shake the whole world and kicks off the Armageddon campaign. This initial movement is described in Ezekiel 38:1-39:24.
As we have already noted, the King of the North is Russia and the countries aligned with her.
Here is a simple outline of events as described in Ezekiel 38 and 39.
Russia makes an alliance with Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Germany, and Turkey. (Ezekiel 38:2, 5, 6)
Israel appears to be easy prey for the taking and this confederation decides to invade. (Ezekiel 38:11)
A protest is made to this invasion, but goes unheeded. (Ezekiel 38:13) The destruction made by the invasion is described in Ezekiel 39:2-4.
As a result, God intervenes through a convulsion of nature. (Ezekiel 38:20-22)
It takes seven months to dispose of the dead and seven years to dispose of the debris. (Ezekiel 39:9-10)
The location of this destruction is give as the mountains of Israel. (Ezekiel 39:2-4)
The time is noted as the “latter years” and “latter days.” (Ezekiel 38:8, 16)
The destruction is a sign to the nations as well as Israel. (Ezekiel 38:23; 39:21-24)
There are some considerations that must make clear concerning this invasion by the King of the North is NOT the same as the final battle of Armageddon.
In the invasion battle, definite armies are mentioned. In contrast, the final battle of Armageddon all nations are involved. (Joel 3:2; Zechariah 3:8; Zechariah 12:13; 14:4).
The King of the North comes from the north (Ezekiel 38:6, 15; 39:2), while at Armageddon the armies come from around the world.
The King of the North and his federation invade so that they might take spoil (Ezekiel 38:11-12), while at Armageddon the nations assemble to destroy God’s people.
Other nations lodge a protest against the King of the North’s invasion (Ezekiel 38:13), but at Armageddon there is no protest for all the nations are joined against Jerusalem.
The King of the North (Gog) is the head of the armies in his invasion (Ezekiel 38:7), but at Armageddon the Beast is the head of the invasion (Revelation 19:19).
The King of the North (Gog) is overthrown by convulsions of nature (Ezekiel 38:22), but the armies of Armageddon are destroyed by the sword that goes out of Christ’s mouth (Revelation 19:15).
The King of the North’s (Gog) armies are arrayed in the open field (Ezekiel 39:5), while at Armageddon they are seen in the city of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2-4).
The Lord calls for assistance in executing judgment on the King of the North (Gog) (Ezekiel 38:21), while at Armageddon, the Lord is viewed as treading the winepress alone (Isaiah 63:3-6).
Now to bring into focus a little more.
Israel makes a false covenant with the Beast who then occupies her land providing her a false sense of security. (Daniel 9:27; Ezekiel 38:8, 11)
Because of his desire for spoil at the expense of an easy prey, the King of the North, satanically motivated, invades Palestine. (Ezekiel 38:11; Joel 2:1-21; Isaiah 10:12, 30:31-33; 31:8-9)
The Beast breaks his covenant with Israel and moves into the land. (Daniel 11:41-45).
The King of the North is annihilated on the mountains of Israel. (Ezekiel 39:1-4)
The land of Israel is occupied by the armies of the Beast. (Daniel 11:45)
At this time, a great coalition of nations takes place that forms one government under the Beast. (Psalm 2:1-3; Revelation 13:7)
The Kings of the East are brought in against the armies of the Beast most likely as a result of the dissolution of King of North’s government. (Revelation 16:12)
When the nations of the earth are gathered together around Jerusalem and the valley of Jehoshaphat, the Lord returns to destroy all Gentile world powers so that He might rule the nations Himself. (Zechariah 14:1-3; Joel 3:2)
The Invasion of the Armies of the Beast
The Invasion of the Armies of the Beast
The King of the North’s invasion prompts the Beast and his armies to rush to Israel’s defense as her protector.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
Here are the highlights concerning this invasion by the Beast and his armies.
His invasion is precipitated by the King of the South who moves against Beast/False Prophet coalition which takes place “at the time of the end.” (Daniel 11:40)
The King of the South is joined by the King of the North as the attack the Beast (Wilful King) with a great force over land and sea. In the process, Jerusalem is destroyed and the armies of the King of the North are destroyed as well. (Daniel 11:40; Zechariah 12:2; Ezekiel 39; Zechariah 12:4)
All the armies of the Beast move into Palestine taking over all territory belonging to Israel. Edom, Moab, and Ammon are the only nations to escape. It is then that the coalition of Revelation 17:3 is formed. (Daniel 11:41-42)
While he is extending his dominion into Egypt, a report that cause alarm is brought to the Beast. It is quite possible this report is that of the Kings of the East approaching to challenge the Beast’s authority. (Daniel 11:44; Revelation 16:12)
The Beast moves his headquarters into the land of Palestine and assembles his armies there. (Daniel 11:45)
It is there that his, the Beast, destruction will come. (Daniel 11:45).
The Invasion of the Armies of the East
The Invasion of the Armies of the East
Revelation 16:12 reveals that a supernatural event brings about the removal of that which kept these Asian nations from coming into the region of Palestine.
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.
There is nothing that helps us understand exactly what nations form this coalition. However, their coming precipitates the final stage and battle of the Armageddon campaign. The come for the sole purpose of confronting the armies of the Beast on the plains of Esdraelon.
The Invasion of the Lord and His Armies
The Invasion of the Lord and His Armies
By this time, the King of the South is defeated by the armies of the Beast and His ten kingdom federation. The King of the North has been annihilated by the Lord Himself on the mountains of Israel. Now, there are two opposing forces set in array against each other - the armies of the Beast and the armies of the Kings of the East. However, before this battle commences, a sign appears in the heavens.
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
God does not tell us what the exact sign will be. However, we know its effect. The armies who were aligned to battle each other now join forces to fight against the Lord Himself.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
We see the same picture in these passages as well.
3 Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, As when he fought in the day of battle.
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.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
It is at this point that the Lord annihilates both armies.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As we wrap up our study of the Armageddon campaign, there are number things to note.
The armies of the South are destroyed in the campaign.
The armies of the North are destroyed by the Lord.
The armies of the Beast and the East are destroyed by the Lord as His Second Coming.
The Beast and the False Prophet are cast into the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 19:20)
Unbelievers are purged out of Israel. (Zechariah 13:8)
Believers have been purged as the result of these invasions. (Zechariah 13:9)
Satan is bound. (Revelation 20:2)
In the end, the Lord destroys every hostile force that would challenge His right to rule as Messiah over the earth.