Islamic Jihad and Armageddon

 

The Battle of Armageddon is a significant component of the Book of Revelation. The attack on Israel triggers Christ’s second coming. And Messiah’s victory is instrumental to establishing His earthly kingdom, the Millennial kingdom.

Armageddon is described in both Old and New Testament prophecies. Ezekiel wrote that Gog, from Magog, would lead a massive army against Israel. Paul wrote that the man of lawlessness would rise to power and lead a massive rebellion, referring to this same end-time battle. And Revelation 17 describes this army as an eighth beast, represented by ten horns, who will rule for “one hour”. This ten-nation alliance will wage war against the Lamb when He returns as Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

Who are these enemies of God, and enemies of the Jews? The Bible identifies them for us. Since the time of Abraham, the Arabs have been a thorn in the side of God’s chosen people, the Jews. They are descended from Abraham, just like the Jews, but they were not God’s chosen race. So, with spite and hatred they rejected the God of Abraham and despised the descendants of Jacob. They hated the Jews from the very get-go, and they still do, nearly 4000 years later. The Arab race and the Islamic faith eventually morphed into one. The hatred at the end of the age, then, will not just be racial, but will also be fueled by the Jihad teachings of Muhammed.

How is it possible to identify the enemy of Jesus at Armageddon as the Arabs? First, the Old Testament makes it clear that it is the Arab nations that will be judged at the Day of the Lord. Many of the prophecies of judgment upon Arab nations, in context, were not intended for near fulfillment They will be accomplished by the Messiah, at His second coming. Then secondly, the Arabs are identified in Revelation 17, by a key phrase, which is somewhat cryptic but shockingly accurate and relevant. “The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction” (17:7, 8 and 11). The Arabs dominated the world scene for a long time, but “not now” (at the time of John’s writing), and they would indeed rise up again, in the seventh century, with the help of Muhammad’s teachings. The Ottoman Empire took the helm and ruled for centuries. The Arab-Islam coalition, under the banner of Jihad, is clearly the eighth beast described in Revelation 17.

The beliefs of Islam confirm what the Scriptures teach. Islam teaches that their “Messiah” will come at the end of the age, whom they call the Mahdi. The Mahdi, besides being Allah’s divine presence, will also be the political leader of the Arabs. He will be the long-awaited Caliph, restoring the Caliphate that ended with the downfall of the Ottoman Empire. Jesus, who they call Isa, will also return at the end of the age to defend the Jews from Jerusalem, and lead the “infidels” into battle against the Islamic Jihad. And Muslims believe that Mahdi will defeat Isa.

Many Muslims are sincere in their faith, truly seeking God. Only a small handful of Muslims are terrorists, now, but that number will swell once Mahdi convinces them that they must submit to him and to all of Muhammed’s teachings, including the call to Jihad. The intent of Jihad is to bring all people of the earth into the Islamic faith, and subject to Sharia law, by force. Any who resist will be slain by the sword. Some say that Jihad is not condoned in the Quran, but that is not true. Muhammad wrote that Allah will “smite terror into the hearts of the unbelievers, then you smite them above their necks and smite all their fingertips off them” (Q. 8:12; cf Q. 2:193, 216; 9:14, 39, 111). Where Jihad is promoted, most, is in the Hadith, the divine teachings of Muhammad, including the Book of Jihad.

The Islamic command for Jihad is what motivates the enemy that surges in mass against Israel and their Messiah at Armageddon. It is the hook in their nose to draw them into the valley of decision, their meeting with judgment. Believing the Mahdi’s host of lies, millions will be drawn into Jihad. The massive army will be hell-bent on accomplishing world domination and annihilation of the Jews, by force and by the sword. The groundwork for Islamic Jihad is unmistakable in the resounding slogan of the Houthi regime, “Allah is great; Death to America; Death to Israel; A curse upon the Jews; Victory to Islam”.

We can expect to see, soon, the unveiling of the Islamic Caliph-Mahdi. His great surge of deception and his rebellious war preparation will portend that Armageddon is soon to start. And then it won’t be long until the second coming of King Jesus.

Urgent Warning

Prophecy, throughout Biblical history, usually serves as a warning from God. The prophets warned of impending judgement and captivity by Ninevah and by Babylon. They also warned of drought and peril. Prophecy is not designed to merely satisfy curiosity, or to tickle your fancy with good news.

When I wrote the book, Right At The Door, I sought to re-examine and explain the prophecies of the last days. I did not emphasize the warning inherent in those prophecies. But I am changing the tone of my message. Prophecy is not merely a theological debate; it is an urgent warning. A warning both for the saved and for the unsaved.  The warning to the unsaved is obvious. They need to trust in Jesus as their savior and redeemer if they want to spend eternity in His righteous kingdom. The warning to Christians is not so obvious, at least not to those who believe in a rapture occurring before the Great Tribulation. The warning is completely lost if you believe that we will escape the turmoil and destruction of the last days. All you need to be concerned about is booking your next cruise, investing in a new beach house, or managing your 401k. After all, you are taking exit number seven, getting off the highway before it leads to destruction.

What makes the prophecies of the last days so urgent, though? Who among us is watching, waiting, and prepared for the destruction of America, prophesied in Daniel 7:11-12? Who has a plan for living through turmoil and tribulation without electricity, without refrigerators, cell phones, or internet. Without gas, propane, heat, stoves, transportation or grocery stores. 

How close is the end of the age? The seven trumpet warnings of Revelation began with World War I, in 1914. Trumpet warnings 2, 3, 4, and 5 have also taken place. We are now waiting for trumpet six, the buildup to Armageddon. And if the timeframe of warning prior to the Great Flood is any indicator, God’s warning of major judgment spans a timeframe of 120 years. “As in the days of Noah” may be an indicator that God’s patience is about complete. If so, then we might expect that the return of Jesus to engage the enemies of Israel at Armageddon might take place in 2034. Prior to that point in time the Arab alliance must eliminate America as a deterrent to their invasion of Israel. So sometime prior to 2034 we can expect that America will be destroyed. It is at the time of the second coming of Christ that Christians will be caught up, at the seventh trumpet.

Perhaps I am wrong on the 120-year timeframe. Then consider another timeframe. If five of the seven trumpet warnings have already taken place, starting in 1914, do you really think that God has in mind to wait much longer before He imparts the judgment of which He is warning? The end of the age is not twenty years away, or fifty, or a hundred years. It is imminent.

There you have it. We urgently need to prepare for dark and difficult days ahead, for sword, famine and plague (Rev 18::8). We will not be raptured away. No blissful escape. God’s judgment will soon fall upon America, and Christians will not be spared. The word “maranatha” will take on a whole new meaning. The blessed hope will become a desperate hope for the Lord’s return. 

Lord of Lords, King of Kings

 

When Jesus returns to the Earth the second time He will come as Lord of Lords and King of Kings. His first coming fulfilled the role of “Lamb of God”, but His return will be as an absolute ruler over all rulers, all nations, and all powers. That is what the title means in Revelation – Jesus is returning to judge the world and establish His earthly kingdom. No power, no king, no lord can oppose him and hope to win, because He is coming to reign supreme over a kingdom that will never end (Dan 7:13-14).

The title is used in two places in John’s visions. The first is in Revelation 17:14 where Messiah is referred to as Lord of Lords and King of Kings. In this first reference the title Lord of Lords precedes the title King of Kings. That is perhaps due to the emphasis in chapter 17 of Jesus returning to defeat the eighth beast in the battle of Armageddon. That great rebellion and assault on Israel will be led by the man of lawlessness, who will claim to be God (II Thes 2:4, 9), deceiving his followers with signs and wonders. Jesus will defeat him because He is the Lord above all Lords, the divine Son of God.

In Revelation 19:16 the title is used again, but the title King of Kings precedes the title Lord of Lords. In this passage Jesus is viewed as a warrior-judge who administers God’s judgment and wrath upon all the nations (Rev 19 11-16). In so doing, He establishes His kingdom, becoming the King of Kings for the rest of time and eternity.

Other New Testament writings amplify this title, declaring the supremacy of Jesus Christ (Col 1:18). God raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand (Eph 1:19-23). God placed all things under his rule – all powers, all creation, the universe, even the angels (Heb 1:3-4). Because Jesus humbled himself and became obedient, even to death on a cross, God exalted him and gave him the name that is above all names (Phil 2:5-11). The Lamb of God will return as the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings.

That return will occur very, very soon. Every man and woman have the opportunity to submit to His loving, righteous reign, by humbly accepting His atonement for sin. Or they can choose to ignore His claims as Lord of all and be found as an enemy of the King when He returns.

 

Preparing for America's Destruction

 

In Oregon we have to anticipate forest fires each and every summer. On Labor Day of 2020 a fire started up in the Cascade foothills and became a raging inferno, blown by 40 mph east winds. It started 50 miles from our home, but within 36 hours it was within 3 miles. We were warned in plenty of time and told to evacuate, immediately. My wife was scared, frightfully so, and could not get me to hurry fast enough. She was in such a hurry that she forgot to take any clean clothes, just family heirlooms. It took us two hours to drive ten miles as everybody headed west out of the fire zone. The car in front of us had goats and sheep staring at us out of the back window. Nobody knew what would become of their homes, their farms, their livelihoods.

I suppose I could have ignored the warnings. After all, evacuation orders usually prove to be unnecessary – a false alarm. I could have continued on with my farm projects, had an evening BBQ, then watch a movie or go hot tubbing that evening. No need to get all worked up, even though the sun was red, and the sky was black with smoke.

Now consider the Biblical warnings of the end times. Cataclysmic destruction and extreme tribulation are heading our way. And if the timing of the seven trumpets and bowls are heeded, that forest fire inferno could erupt within the next ten years. America will be destroyed, first, most likely by the eighth beast (Rev 17:15, Dan 7:12). Israel will be next in the crosshairs of destruction as the Man of Lawlessness brings his massive army into the holy land with the intent of annihilating the Jews. The Day of the Lord will be in full swing as Armageddon is unleashed. Then, and only then, will the remnant of Jews and Christians be rescued and raptured by the return of Christ.

But Christians do not expect any of this destruction to come anywhere near them. They do not believe that judgment will precede the rapture. We continue on, along with the rest of mankind, just as in the days of Noah -- ­eating and drinking, going about our business, our ventures, our investments, our pursuits, booking our next cruise. While the end of the age is almost upon us.

It’s going to happen. It is clearly prophesied. America will be destroyed. God has a pattern of saying what He plans to do before He does it (Amos 3:7). Daniel’s vision of the beasts makes it clear that the fifth beast, the little horn, will be destroyed (Daniel 7:11). Revelation prophesies that the 10-horn beast (an Arab alliance) will hate the Prostitute (another description of America) and bring her to ruin – “they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire” (Rev 17:16). That sounds to me like a pre-modern description of nuclear attack. How America gets to the point of being vulnerable to nuclear attack and unable to defend itself is anyone’s guess. But with the chaotic political scene that we are in, and with no end to that chaos in sight, that is a very real possibility.

No matter how extensive the destruction, it will probably put an end to government, the electric grid, distribution of fuel and groceries. Those who survive will resort to anarchy and vigilantism. Your IRA and bank account will become worthless. Americans will need to live off the land and ration their stored goods. Sorry, no telephones or internet, and not enough gas for cars or generators. Realize that your neighbors will be as desperate as you. Will you shoot them, or will you share with them?

^“Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it…. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless… Encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!  Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner” (I Peter 4 7-13)

There will come a day, soon, when the handwriting will appear on the wall. Destruction will be at the doorstep. Suffering will then be our lot, and we will be crying out, “Jesus, come quickly!

The Two Wtnesses

 

Who are the two witnesses highlighted in Revelation 11? And just what is the prophetic message of this enigmatic vision? The teaching that most Christians have grown accustomed to is that the two witnesses are Elijah and Moses, or Enoch and Elijah, who will come back to earth to witness, and perform miracles during the Great Tribulation. They will be killed, and left to lay in the streets of Jerusalem for three days. Then they will be caught up to heaven, in full view of all the inhabitants of the world. That interpretation makes for an incredibly dramatic storyline for the Great Tribulation fantasy, but it is not at all what God was delineating.

The two witnesses are not two men, rather they are two chosen and elected peoples of God – Israel and the Church. For several millennia they have fulfilled the role of bearing witness to God’s offer of love and redemption, as well as His sovereignty. Elijah and Moses were the hallmark personalities of the first witness, Israel, performing miracles that glorified the God of the Jews. The four miracles mentioned in Revelation 11 happened in history past; they are not going to occur again during the last days.

The symbolic mention of 42 months and 1260 days is not referring to the last half of the Great Tribulation. The Gentiles are not going to trample on the holy city for 42 months during a supposed Great Tribulation. No, they have been doing so ever since 70AD, when the Jews were dispersed to the four corners of the world. The time period, “times, time, and half a time”, depicted in this chapter as 42 months and 1260 days (Rev 11:2,3), represents an undisclosed length of time, designed and determined by God. So, then, the two witnesses will bear testimony for 1260 days, not during the Great Tribulation, but for the whole course of the age of the Gentiles, the Church age.

Once God’s timeframe for the two witnesses is complete, when their testimony is finished, they will be slain by the beast out of the abyss. They will be left lying in the streets, while the inhabitants of the earth gloat over their dead bodies, celebrating. The great city where they are slain probably refers to the earth as a whole, the same place where Jesus was crucified. Jesus left His place in heaven to come to this earth, take on the likeness of a man, and become obedient to death on a cross.

The beast out of the Abyss is mentioned in other places in Revelation, most notably in Revelation 17. It is synonymous with the eighth beast (17:6, 8, 10-13). That beast is a ten-nation Arab coalition, who will destroy America, the Great Babylon (Rev 17:16), and invade Israel and trample on Jerusalem (Ezek 39:2; Zech 14:1-2). After wreaking all that death and destruction, slaying the two witnesses, it seems that they will pause to gloat over their victory. That is when the story takes an astonishing turn of events.

The witnesses will be resurrected, by the breath of God, and will ascend into heaven, in a cloud, while their enemies watch in amazement. This resurrection and ascension in a cloud is obliquely referring to the rapture. That great event will not just gather the saints who are still alive, but also resurrect the dead in Christ, those of Israel and the Church who have died and been slain over thousands of years. When Christ returns, He will defeat that great beast out of the Abyss (Rev 17:14), and avenge the slaying of the two witnesses – Israel and the Church. The great earthquake mentioned in the closing of Revelation 11 is a trademark event that accompanies the second coming of Christ (cf. Rev 6:12; 8:5; 16:18; Ezek 38:19; Zech 14:4).

Why Will God Judge America?

 

Biblical prophecy reveals that America will be destroyed, sometime prior to the closing chaos of the end of the age. This destruction is not happenstance. It will be the judgment of God. Which raises the question, particularly amongst Americans, themselves, why would God judge America?

God says of America, “Her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes…. Therefore, in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her” (Rev 18:4,8).  

We who live in America view ourselves through gilded glasses. Our perception is tainted by wealth, power, pleasure, ease, and freedom. We think we are uniquely blessed by God. We ignore and excuse the great sins in our past. And we overlook our current culpabilities, as well. Like a frog sitting in a pan of water rising to the boiling point we are unaware of impending doom until the blood begins to boil.

America is repeatedly portrayed in Biblical prophesies as arrogant, prideful, and boasting (Rev 13:5; Dan 7:8,11; Rev 18:7). That is very difficult for Americans to believe, but ask anyone else in the rest of the world and they would agree with Scripture. Furthermore, America is repeatedly portrayed as glorying in her luxury, splendor, and wealth (Rev 18:7,14-17). The nations of the world, though, enjoy the trickle-down effect of America’s great wealth – they worship America (Rev 13:5), while being drunk with the maddening wine of her adulteries (Rev 18:3). America will be judged for mocking God, for blasphemy, and for oppressing the saints (Dan 7:25; Rev 13:5-7). And, let’s not overlook the matter of slavery (Rev 18:13) and bloodshed (Rev 17:6; 18:24). For the most part I leave it to the reader to hash out the details of these Biblical indictments, but the words of God cannot be denied.

Our national desire for wealth and ease of living has run the national debt up into the trillions. The weight of such greed is like filling a dump truck with tons of gravel and trying to balance it on top of a wheelbarrow. Greed, consumption and luxury have run amok, and we all must take responsibility for it.

America is guilty of performing abortions, wholesale, for over 50 years now. The grave cries out for justice for these innocent unborn children. We have been led into the town square of Sodom and Gomorrah and Christian Nationalists think we can still turn back the tide of the LGBTQ’s growing control over our society. Our schools and universities teach that evolution is our source of origin, that everyone’s choices are acceptable and to be tolerated, that God is a silly archaic notion. The meteoric rise of the technological age has enabled America to dominate the world (Rev 13:11-18) – sometimes diabolically.

There you have it. Enough is enough. You cannot imagine how difficult it is to write about America being worthy of God’s judgment. The warning only comes across as bashing America, or “biting the hand that feeds me”. God’s warning should humble us, not raise our hackles. We must turn our eyes upon Jesus.