Battle of Armageddon

Here are a few clarifications to help with understanding the book of Revelation. By the way, have YOU been reading the book of Revelation? It's fun. It's exciting. And, it's happening NOW.

So, where exactly ARE we now in the book of Revelation?

Chapter 6!

That's right! The book of Revelation is happening RIGHT NOW. We are NOT in the Tribulation, yet. We are not even in the last 7 years, yet. But, we are in chapter 6!

How would one deduce (prayerfully, of course) that we are in verses 8 through 11? Well:

#1 It is HAPPENING NOW on the EARTH.

All you have to do is take a look around you, or at least look on the Internet, the news, Youtube; that is, if it's not ALREADY happening in YOUR country! When is the last time in history that people were getting beheaded and crucified by the tens of thousands?? Crucified! And heads cut off with swords. It's archaic. It's also PROPHETIC!

#2 By reading the  preceding verse and the following verse, one is able to place the time.

For example, verse 12 says, "there was a great earthquake" and we know by reading Revelation that that "great earthquake" is the big one that kicks off the Wrath. We also know the Wrath happens directly AFTER the Tribulation and the Rapture.

So, HERE IS THE TIME FRAME I BELIEVE WE ARE IN NOW:

Revelation 6
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

People have been killed in the PAST with the sword, but this verse is not about the Middle Ages. We deduce that because it's in the book of Revelation AND because the earthquake that happens in verse 12 puts us BEFORE THE WRATH and BEFORE THE TRIBULATION because, the Abomination of Desolation HASN'T been placed in the temple yet!

That pale horse could represent the Mahdi of Islam that is predicted to rise to lead the Muslim world to power. The refugee situation caused by ISIS and the like has brought about starvation. And, Hell definitely follows Death caused by ISIS and the other terrorist groups. (These guys are so well-organized and backed now that nobody is even calling them terrorists anymore. It's World War III, even if it hasn't officially been declared and it's very nebulous because, who really KNOWS who the enemy is? Is it the US? Is it Russia? Is it Islam? It's very confusing.)

9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testiony which they held:

(Of the hundreds of thousands slain by Muslims this past year, how many thousands of them are now under the altar?)

10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them: and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. 

(Although the last 7 years has not begun, these forerunners of the faith have gone before us, laying down their lives for the faith as shining examples for those of us destined to go through the tribulation.)

NOW DO YOU WANT TO READ THE BOOK OF REVELATION?

I was visiting another church yesterday and discovered that, not only were the members NOT reading the book of Revelation, but they didn't know about the last seven years or the building of the temple. I believe it's very, very important to know these things. WE ARE AT WAR. This is serious stuff. Aren't you even CURIOUS? This is the MOST IMPORTANT TIME IN WORLD HISTORY!

Let me say that again:

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME IN WORLD HISTORY.

Don't you want to discover your destiny? Don't you want and need to know where you stand on the world's battlefield? It really is time to UNITE. It's time to SUIT UP. STAND STRONG AND FIGHT! The enemy of our souls is not playing games. Even though he has already lost, he's still going to pull out all the stops, pull out his big guns and try his hardest with every dirty, lowdown trick in the book to try to discourage us.

To discourage means to disarm us. That's what his motive is. He wants to discourage us, make us surrender our joy because our STRENGTH is in the JOY of the Lord. If we don't have LOTS of JOY, we need to desperately pray for it! Pray it in! I find myself praying for more joy and boy, God pours it out! You see, our battle is with WORDS and PRAISE and JOY.

PRAISING GOD is our STRENGTH. There is great POWER inside of our MOUTH. The devil can't STAND to HEAR the SOUNDS of PRAISE! HALLELUJAH!

We don't need to hand-wrestle the devil to the ground; all we need to do is open our mouth with PRAISE to GOD no matter how we feel or what's going on around us! HOSANNA!

Well, all that to say that, it's really not all bad news! Tell that devil (if you do want to even bother to talk to him) "YOU WILL BOW THE KNEE TO MY GOD, KING JESUS! Of course, you're SO stupid that you will need to go into the bottomless pit first to learn your lesson, but you WILL eventually BOW! Your head will be bloody AND BOWED!"

Ok, so that's his misfortune. That's his mistake for rebelling against our wonderful God.

The other thing that gets confused is the Battle of Armageddon. So, when does Armageddon happen?

Well, if it's not clear, Jesus returns to the earth TWO TIMES. Right? The first time, He doesn't necessary come all the way down to the earth, though. He comes in the sky with His angels and His angels gather the elect from the four winds and those believers who are still alive all rise up in the resurrection or "Rapture" that happens directly after the Tribulation.

The Battle of Armageddon happens during the WRATH of GOD which happens AFTER the Tribulation. (Repetition is fully intended.)

Ok, to make it really clear:

#1 The last 7 years begin with the 7 Year Peace Covenant: probably concerning Israel and the right for them to build their temple, possibly a dividing of the land and land rights for Palestine. (They have their own flag now flying at the UN, even though Palestine is not a recognized nation.)

#2 The One World Leader / New Word Order Dictator / Antichrist / Beast will BREAK the 7 Year Peace Covenant half-way through the seven years. He will put the "Abomination of Desolation" in the Jewish Temple.

#3 The Tribulation begins. (At this time, the RFID chip or the Mark of the Beast will become mandatory. Christians will refuse to accept it and the "people who know their God will be strong and do exploits". Are you ready?)

#4 Following the Tribulation is the "Rapture" when the saints ("Saints" is just another cute name for Christians. Although the Catholics have made that word, "saint" mean a perfect human being, there is no such thing as a perfect human being. But, we ARE all saints. Yes, YOU and ME! Because we are washed in the blood of the lamb! Nice, eh?) who are alive and remain will be caught up together in the clouds. The graves will open and those who died in the Lord will rise too!

This really sounds like some kind of fairy tale, doesn't it? Doesn't it sound like the mad rantings of a crazy, old woman? The world is going to enter into the SPIRITUAL REALM! I believe, even DURING the Tribulation, we are going to be SEEING and HEARING in the spiritual realm a LOT more frequently. In fact, even now, some of us are seeing more angels and hearing from the Lord more clearly. Gears are shifting and we are moving ahead into a new dimension. The physical body that contains our spirit is becoming less important.

In fact, Revelation 12:11 says, "And they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."

#5 Jesus and the 144,000 soldiers of the tribes of Israel come down on horses to fight against the ten horns (nations) that destroyed Jerusalem. This is called the Battle of Armageddon. And God's Wrath is poured out on all those who received the Mark of the Beast.

(It's interesting to note though that God gives the wicked one last chance and sends an angel out prior to the Wrath to announce salvation. Revelation 14:6 & 7 "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." How merciful God is!)

#6 Satan is cast into the bottomless pit. No pity for the devil! Just the pit!

#7 1,000 years of Christ's rule! Yay!

#8 The devil is loosed from the pit. He didn't learn! Some people never learn. He goes and tries to fight against the Kingdom of God! And he gets struck down with fire, just like that. ZAP. And that is called the Battle of Gog and Magog.

#9 God burns up the surface of the earth and makes it all brand new with no seas.

#10 Those of us who received Jesus and learned our lessons get to rule and reign with Christ and I think we also get to inherit the earth. And we all live happily ever after. Praise God!