What Is This Armageddon?

And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water was thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 

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. 

For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles 

which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, 

to gather them to the battle of that great day 

of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief.

 Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth 

his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see 

his shame. And he gathered them together into 

a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Revelation 16:12-16

     Why pour out the vial from God upon the river Euphrates? Bablyon is located on the river Euphrates and Babylon is always seen, and by their history, a place of false religion, a place of false gods, a place where God of the Bible is hated. Out of this city, Babylon, comes forth false teaching, a river of false religion, and false religious beliefs. The river of false religion becomes dried up and the kings of the east prepare to go out and claim what they believe is for them to take, mankind, to make them follow them, to adhere to their rules (does this not sound like Islam? Yes!). I am not saying that this verse makes Islam alone the ones who is being spoken about here in this verse but the illustration fits all who are teaching falseness. Out of their mouths comes all sorts of evil things: i.e., frogs, always according to Scripture a symbol of what God will not allow His people to eat, they are dirty. All this comes from the beasts and false prophets. They are the spirits of the devil, Satan and they go out to overcome the kings of the earth, the whole world (Is this not the goal of Islam? Yes!). They, those false teachers of false religion may speak of peace, but they speak, as the Indians would say, with forked tongue, or out both sides of their mouths. This is true of those so-called Christian preachers and teachers who teach doctrines of man over Scriptural truth. God is gathering them to a great war, the last day when He comes to bring to an end all the lies, false teaching, false religion, false gods, to an end and this is called Armageddon. 

     What is this Armageddon? First, some historical facts. Armageddon points to a place in Israel called Megiddo an ancient city in Northern Israel on the plains of Esdraelon. This is also called the Valley of Megiddo a place where lush vegetation grew and the site of the world's earliest battle and we have a detailed account of this batter. Wars were fought in this valley for control and is a natural battleground and has three major roads into Israel: 1. Along the eastern mountain ridge. 2. Along the sea. 3. Along the western mountains. These were international highways. More important it was from these mountainous regions all traffic could be monitored. Many battles fought in this valley and those battles were decisive. To use this valley as an illustration as to the Great War of God whereby He decisively overcomes and destroys His enemies is a good illustration. 

     Now, we are to walk and watch and keep our garments, that is to not allow false teaching to make us naked before our God, and before all who will see us. We must remember, that is if we are Authentic Christians these words: "Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). There is never a time that a person should not be holy. The question is: Are we, are you? No holiness, no see God! Simple and scary! This means we must examine ourselves and see what type of person we are and if we are the one that God calls holy. We may go to great lengths and never reach true holiness. A person may have good morality, and is respectful, a person of good conduct, one who keeps good company even with godly people but these things do not make you holy. A person who is holy is one who is a being of one mind with God as described for us in Scripture. A holy person is one who entirely agrees with God, that is, this person is not divided or has doubts about Scripture and God. It is not that a person has concerns, and this is ok for if you have concerns then you are attempting to come to the truth, but those concerns are not to lead you into false religion. A holy person is one who denies himself/herself and is uncompromising in denouncing sin. A holy person does not seed praise of men. A holy person will shape themselves and his/her course in life. 

      Armageddon is given as not only a warning but also to tell us that God will not forever endure sin. The choice is ours: follow God or follow man and we know in advance how God deals with sinful man, with sin. We have the Great Flood to teach that God does not forever allow sin to have its way, and now we have God manifesting to us that He will not continue to allow sin and will bring the Bride of Christ into a new world, and have a new body, that is bringing a man's soul to once again not be corrupted by sin. We have all this pointed out for us in these verses and in this book of Revelation. Choose!

And the LORD said, I will destroy man 

     whom I have created from the face

 of the earth; both man, and beast, 

     and the creeping thing, and the 

fowls of the air; for it repenteth 

     me that I have made them.

                 Genesis 6:7

Praise God for His warnings

Richard L. Crumb

 

 

Warnings From God

And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; 

and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 

And men were scorched with great heat, and 

blasphemed the name of God, which hath power 

over these plagues: and they repented not to give

 him glory. And the firth angel poured out his vial 

upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was 

full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues

 for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven

 because of their pains and their sores, and 

repented not of their deeds.

Revelation 16:8-11

     Once again we can see the wrath of God upon the ungodly. Nothing would or will bring them to acknowledge God or the Messiah to repentance. The fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun. Why the sun? The sun is great energy, power, and hot. Furthermore the sun rules the atmosphere. Remove the sun and cold is created. Bring back the sun and warmth, life, even comfort is created. The sun though with all its possibilities of goodness can also bring death. We must notice that the vial having been poured out on the sun did not kill but scorched. To scorch something is burn slightly, to affect color, or taste (burned toast comes to mind), or to shrivel, a superficial burn. Fire is cleansing but when this heat, this fire causes scorching men, although alive, blaspheme the name of God. What does blaspheme mean? it is speak impiously, or irreverently of God, or of sacred things, to speak evil, and to utter impieties. This power this scorching should bring men and women to know that God is a God of power and that God is bringing plagues upon them for only God could cause this to happen to them and with all this they would or will not repent and give glory to God. What if they did? God is merciful and when a man or woman truly repents of their sinfulness God will forgive. These people will not do this so they must suffer this great heat. Is this the actual sun? No! This analogy must not be lost and make it to be a literal sun but to know that God uses means to bring people to Himself even if it means to use fire. Paul writes: "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire: and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's  work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (1Corinthians 3:13-15). Peter gives hope: "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need by, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1Peter 1:6-7). "But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men" (2Peter 3:7). We have warning that fire can be used to destroy ungodly men: "Even as Sodom and Gommorah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire" (Jude7). Again fire is used by God to cleanse and although many will come to glory as though by fire, to be scorched due to their sinfulness know that they must hate this world with all it fading glory and hate sinful flesh, will be saved: And some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh" (Jude 22-23). Sometimes it takes the heat from God to bring a person to the realization that they need God. Yet, they needlessly go through trial and have the need of the wrath of God upon them. So then, would it not be better to never get into that situation?

    The fifth angel pours out his vial upon the seat of the beast. Who can this beast be? The beast is one that opposes the truth of God, opposes God in several different ways while attempting to be an authentic church, but is not! Jesus says: "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in they name? and in they name have cast out devils? and in they name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:22-23"). You cannot just say that you are a Christian and that you love God, Jesus, and do many wonderful things and think that this will save you. You are full of darkness and follow after the beast. When you hear the truth you cry out in pain gnawing your tongues to defend your false teaching and by this you will be blaspheming God. They hear the truth of God but their hearts are full of darkness and they will not repent of their deeds. The doctrines of the Mormons who claim to the "Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ" and see that their Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible. See how the Jehovah Witnesses say that Jesus is an angel, and this is contrary to Scripture. The Roman Catholic Church that teaches that they are the true church when their doctrines and practices are not Scriptural. Yes, they hear the truth but will not accept the truth. I do hope that you are not of this kind, rather are of the kind that hear the truth and repent and believe upon Jesus and be saved when the wrath of God comes to a completion and Jesus returns for His bride.

And it shall come to pass, 

    that like as I have watched

over them, to pluck up, and to

   break down, and destroy,

and to afflict; so will I watch

   over them, to build, and to

plant, saith the LORD.

                   Jeremiah 31:28

Avoid the heat, the darkness: believe on God

Richard L. Crumb 

The Analogies Of Blood, Water And Judgment

And I heard a great voice out of the temple 

saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour 

out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the 

men which had the mark of the beast, and upon 

them which worshipped his image. and the second 

angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it 

became as the blood of a dead man: and every 

living soul died in the sea. And the third angel 

poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains 

of waters; and they became blood. And I heard 

the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, 

O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be,

 because Thou has judged thus. For they have 

shed the blood of the saints and prophets, 

and thou hast given them blood to drink; 

for they are worthy. And I heard another out

 of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, 

true and righteous are Thy judgments.

Revelation 16:1-7

     God spoke to Noah with these words: "And surely blood of your lives will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whose sheddeth man's blood by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God make He man" (Genesis 9:5-6). When Moses spoke to Pharoah to allow the Hebrews to leave and he refused God caused the water to turn to blood and many died (Genesis 7:20-21). The life of man is in his blood, no blood you are dead. Blood carries all types of things needed for life, oxygen, nutrients, waste, and has white cells to protect against various elements that would kill man, blood is life. Water is needed for life and is carried by blood, and water is needed for all living things and if the water is blood then there is no water for life and blood that would be for life is now for death. God causes water to be turned to blood and to kill all those who oppose Him. Sea represents mankind and without water or water that has turned to blood man dies and this is what the angel does by command of God. All mankind that has the mark of the beast, that is who follow after the beast and carry the image of the beast will come to grievousness, and have sores all over themselves as the judgment of God falls upon them. Sores do not kill! Sores are sore! This analogy of sores on men show to us that they come to know that they have failed to believe but it is now to late for the judgment of God has come and they now die.

     Is God unrighteous? Is God mean? Is God just showing His power? NO! If God was to be unrighteous, to be mean, to just show His power He could have done this at the falling away of Satan and his hords of fallen angels. God allowed by His providence all that was  to occur and one thing that God did was to reveal Himself to man. Man is not without knowledge that there is a God, read Romans, or just look around and see the wonders of this world, and even the world that we cannot see but know is there, stars, planets, galaxies, and more and if this is not enough just look at the body and all that has to give us life: we cannot, unless we choose, not know that there is a God. God has revealed Himself even by coming to earth to die for sin. Time has been allowed for man to come to Him but God is not One who allows sin to continue, just look at the Great Flood where God destroyed sinful man but saved faithful man. 

     God is True! God is Faithful! God is Righteous! God's judgments are righteous, and true. God through this Revelation has again revealed Himself, His promises, and His judgments and all those before this were completed as prophesied and this will come to pass in God's timing. What we must do is to live for Him, to do what He as commanded for all of His children, that is, if we desire to be Authentic Christians. Too many denominations have added so much doctrine that people are led to believe what the Bible does not teach. A christian is one that is ethical, that is, does the right thing even if no one is watching (but there is One who is watching) and a christian denies himself/herself and does what God has simply commanded for all Authentic Christians: "put on you pants/dress and go to work and live as Authentic Christians" and quit adding to God's word just to make you feel  pious, godly. We worship God not as an exercise, but as it should be, our life and this worship can be when we work, when we drive our cars, and we do not hurry God but in all this we wait upon Him. Those three things, worship, wait, work are not separate things, they are all one thing and done as one thing. 

     We are being warned and as we study Revelation we can see the warning: the question is: will we be warned? If so, then will we live Authentically? 

Behold, I know your thoughts,

    and the devices which ye 

wrongfully imagine against me.

     For ye say, Where is the house

of the prince? and where are the 

    dwelling places of the wicked?

Have ye not asked them that go by

    the way? and do ye not know their

tokens, that the wicked is reserved

     to the day of destruction? they shall

be brought forth to the day of wrath.

                         Job 21:27-30

Live righteously: you are to be the image of God

Richard L. Crumb