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Nearly everyone has heard of “Armageddon.” Hundreds of authors have written books on
the subject, and dozens of movies have been produced depicting the “final battle between
good and evil.” Scientists and world leaders also use the term, generally to reference
the possible annihilation of mankind through nuclear, chemical or biological means.
Some thought Armageddon would be the final battle of World War I. They were wrong! Others
thought World War II would end with this battle. They were also wrong! More recently, during
the Gulf War, supposed Bible “experts” were announcing, “Armageddon is here!”
Again, they were wrong!—as have been many other scenarios.
What exactly is Armageddon? Is it a place or an event? Who will take part in it? What
does the Bible really say? You can understand the plain truth of Armageddon!
The World to Come. The Restored Church of God presents David C. Pack. Author of 80 books
and booklets. Editor-in-chief of The Real Truth magazine. Read by countless and growing
numbers in every nation and territory of the world. In a violent age full of bad news.
Answering life’s greatest questions straight from the Bible, and announcing the wonderful
good news of the World to Come. And now, David C. Pack.
The apostle John was the last living original apostle—all the others having been put to
death for the truth they taught. Over 1,900 years ago, while imprisoned on the island
of Patmos off the Greek coast, John recorded in the book of Revelation what would happen—culminating
in our time! Many believe the meaning of Revelation is hidden. Yet God titled the book “reveal,”
not “hide.” The book opens with “The Revelation of Jesus
Christ [not John], which God [the Father] gave unto Him [Jesus], to show unto His servants
[true Christians] things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it
by His angel unto His servant John.” It says John recorded, “the word of God, and
of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.”
John was thrust forward in time into what is described in Chapter 1 as the “Lord’s
Day,” or “Day of the Lord.” He was given messages by Christ regarding “...things
which are, and things which shall be hereafter.” Most of what John saw in the vision was foreign
to him. He had to record things in a way that could be understood. For instance, how would
someone from the first century describe a helicopter gunship? What about a jet—or
nuclear explosion? Jesus would inspire he use symbols or items familiar to him.
The Bible mentions Armageddon in only one verse: “And He [God] gathered them together
into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” Though the New Testament was written in Greek,
Armageddon is not a Greek word. It comes from two Hebrew words—”har” and “megiddo.”
Har means hill—or sometimes figuratively hill country.
Megiddo, or Megiddon, was a royal city of the Canaanites until Joshua captured it. Located
on the southern edge of the great plain of Issachar (also known as the Plain of Esdraeelon
and Valley of Jezreel), it was given to the Israelite tribe of Manasseh. Megiddo was a
fortified city that guarded the strategic passes around Mt. Carmel.
Now for two of several vital points. Grasp them. (1) God brings certain people to Megiddo,
and (2) the Bible says Armageddon is a gathering place, not an event—and not a battle. When
the Bible speaks of Armageddon, it is not referring to either the end of the world or
the final battle between “good and evil,” as so many believe. This is critical to understand—and
this will soon be obvious. The site of Megiddo is within the borders
of the modern state of Israel, about 55 to 60 miles north of Jerusalem and about 20 miles
east of the port city of Haifa. The location of up to 30 different cities over thousands
of years, Megiddo is today little more than a 15-acre pile of rubble on a hilltop.
In ancient times, this area included a main highway between Africa and Asia. It provided
a natural gathering place due to the flatness of the surrounding topography. Archaeology
shows evidence of frequent, extremely heavy defense facilities there. I have walked the
area, and seen this. Megiddo is a famous setting for several great
slaughters through history. The first was when Joshua overthrew it in the 1400s B.C.
When Deborah was judging Israel, she ordered Barak into battle there against the Canaanites,
led by Sisera. I Kings 9 describes how King Solomon turned
Megiddo into a fortified stronghold that housed hundreds of horses for his fleet of chariots.
The foundation of his enormous stable is still visible today. I have also walked through
and studied these. The Egyptian king Pharaoh-nechoh came to the
aid of the Assyrians and defeated the Israelites led by Josiah at Megiddo—where Josiah died.
This valley has also seen military conflict in modern times. On September 19, 1918, British
General Edmund Allenby won a decisive battle there, defeating the Ottoman Turks.
Because Megiddo is identified as a place of historic conflicts, and because more battles
have been fought there than at any other place in the world, it has become emblematic—like
Waterloo, Gettysburg or Normandy. The Bible foretells a series of catastrophic
events to occur just before Christ’s Return to Earth. In the midst of these are the biblical
seven trumpets. Throughout history, trumpet blasts have been used as warnings of imminent
danger, such as war or another calamity. Here are passages to review.
However, the seventh (or last) trumpet will announce to the world that Jesus Christ is
coming to establish God’s rule on Earth. Man’s way of governance will come to an
end. Also heralded by this final trumpet are the seven last plagues (also called bowls
or vials of wrath), to punish a rebellious mankind. Revelation describes seven angels
who, it says, “pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.”
Let’s understand them, because Armageddon and the Mark of the Beast are involved. When
the first vial is poured out, “there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which
had the mark of the beast.” These belong to the great, false system of church and state.
The World to Come will continue after this brief message. Discover more from David C.
Pack! Visit our website worldtocome.org. See The World to Come broadcasts, read and order
books, booklets and articles, all free of charge. To continue learning about the topics
covered in this broadcast, visit worldtocome.org today! Now back to David C. Pack.
The second plague is similar to that suffered by the Egyptians before the Exodus. Notice:
“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.” The next three plagues involve the rivers
and fountains turning to blood, the sun becoming so hot it scorches people, and darkness and
pain becoming unbearable. After all these plagues from God, men will continue to, it
says, “blaspheme the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repent
not of their deeds.” The last generation before Jesus’ Return
is so vile, so corrupt and so contemptuous that God will subject them to the worst punishment
possible—and they still will not repent. Jesus compared these days—our time—to
Noah’s time: “As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man
be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark.”
How did God view Noah’s time? Let’s read: “God saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually.” Look around—and do so carefully! A parallel in time is very close!
The sixth of the last plagues sets the stage for the final battle to resist Christ at His
Return. Forces of spiritual wickedness—demons—are released to gather armies to bring about destruction
and devastation on the inhabitants of Earth. Notice how these armies are able to gather:
“The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates [you’ve heard
of it]; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might
be prepared.” The Euphrates River originates in Turkey and
flows southeast through Syria and Iraq, finally reaching the Persian Gulf. God will cause
this river to dry up, enabling, it says, the “kings of the east” to easily cross into
the Holy Land. But this is just a prelude—the setting of the stage of even more significant
events to come. Verse 13 continues, “I saw three unclean
spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon [Revelation 12:9 shows this is
the devil], and out of the mouth of the Beast [the civil end-time ruler influenced by the
devil], and out of the mouth of the False Prophet [the religious leader associated with
this ruler].” Revelation 17:5 calls this system Babylon the Great.
Verse 14 states, “For they are the spirits of devils [or, more correctly, demons], working
miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather
them to [get this!] The Battle of that Great Day of God Almighty.” So then this is God’s
battle! These “spirits of devils” are fallen angels who followed Lucifer (now Satan)
in rebellion against the Creator long ago. This list of verses clarifies this.
In Revelation 9 verses 1 to 11, a great governmental power—not just political, but also economic,
religious and military—comes out of what the Bible calls the “bottomless pit” in
verse 2. This term, of course, is a symbol, and not an actual pit somewhere on Earth.
Revelation 17:8 to 14 interprets it. The old Roman Empire (with its seven distinct resurrections
or heads) emerges from this “pit” one last time. Napoleon’s resurrection—the
fifth—ended with the effective disappearance of the Holy Roman Empire into this symbolic
pit. This is because the sixth head, Mussolini’s revival of this Roman system, was small and
relatively insignificant. The last revival will be much, much greater! Revelation 9:4
explains—with God promising—that those who have been sealed by God—His servants
alive in the end-time—cannot be injured or killed by what follows.
Now let’s read verse 11 as we continue to understand events building toward Armageddon:
“And they had a king [a supreme ruler] over them, which is the angel of the bottomless
pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue has his name Apollyon.”
John calls Satan “a destroyer,” referring to him as a “king over them”—meaning
people—in a system led by a final, world-ruling, counterfeit figure soon to appear, just before
Christ’s Return. This leader will be accompanied by a great
religious leader, who, with the power and influence of the devil, will perform enormous—and
mesmerizing—counterfeit miracles. When peoples of the Earth witness these, they will be deceived
into thinking that this false system is of God—and will fight against what they will
perceive as supernatural invaders! These two men will almost certainly be possessed by
demons—or even the devil—driving this religious-political-economic-military system
toward the final battle. Let’s understand the world scene. By that
time, the resurrected Holy Roman Empire—the Beast of Revelation—will have already conquered
some parts of the Middle East. It will have established a foothold in Jerusalem. Daniel
refers to the Beast as “the king of the north.” This is the same as the fourth Beast
of Daniel 7! It will invade the Middle East under the pretense of bringing peace. Oil
will also likely be a factor in prompting the Beast power into seeking control of the
region. Notice what Daniel says: “But tidings out
of the east and out of the north shall trouble him [meaning the Beast]...” Understand that
the Bible reckons these directions from Jerusalem, the holy land. While the Beast power is in
the holy land—other military giants will move in to oppose it.
What big countries today are east and north of Jerusalem? Russia, China, India and Japan!
It is likely that these, along with possibly other nations in the region, will compose
the massive 200-million-man army mentioned in Revelation 9:16. Again, all indications
are that oil will be a key factor for this war machine from the east. Certain verses
call this army the “men of the east.” As these armies position for war, an unlikely
enemy arrives on the scene—Jesus Christ. That’s right! Mankind will view Christ as
an enemy! Let’s see why: “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices
in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of
His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.”
Now realize this! There is no battle foretold at Armageddon! What happens is called The
Battle of That Great Day of God Almighty. Again, this is God’s battle! This last great
clash will be fought by armies that will have already gathered at Armageddon. These two
major forces will obviously see Christ coming out of the clouds. Considering Him a threat,
they will join forces, forming an alliance to fight their common adversary. These men
will be angry. They will not submit to God’s government. Thinking Jesus Christ is actually
the “antichrist,” they will, it says, “make war with the Lamb.”
Jesus Christ’s feet will rest on the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem: “Behold,
the day of the Lord comes...For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle [not
Megiddo]; and the city shall be taken [that’s Jerusalem], and the houses rifled, and the
women ravished; and half the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the
people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against
those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. And His feet shall stand in that
day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount shall
cleave in the midst thereof...” Again, where will this battle of the Lord
take place? “Proclaim you this among the Gentiles; prepare war, wake up the mighty
men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords,
and your pruninghooks into spears [the opposite of the famous Millennial prophecy in Micah
and Isaiah]: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come [from Megiddo],
all you heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: there [outside Jerusalem] cause
Your mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen…come up [again, from Megiddo]
to the Valley of Jehoshaphat [make note]: for there [outside Jerusalem] will I sit to
judge all the heathen round about. Put you in the sickle [this is graphic], for the harvest
is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow [great slaughter
is coming]; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision:
for the Day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” Compare these verses with
Revelation 14 verses 19 and 20. The Valley of Jehoshaphat is also known as
the valley of decision. This valley lies just east of Jerusalem—not 60 miles north at
Har-Megiddo—between the city and the Mount of Olives. I know. I’ve been there and walked
this valley. Today, the Jews use this area, called the Kidron Valley, as a burial ground.
Jehoshaphat means “the Eternal judges” or “valley of the judgment of the Eternal.”
King Jehoshaphat overthrew the people of Moab, Ammon and Mt. Seir when they came against
Jerusalem. God fought without Jehoshaphat lifting a finger. Let’s read: “You shall
not need to fight in this battle [God said]: set yourselves, stand you still, and see the
salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow
go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.” When tomorrow came, every single
one of the enemy was dead! God had done the fighting and wiped them all out before Israel
and Judah could come to the field. What about this last battle? What will be
the final outcome? Let’s continue in Zechariah 14: “And this shall be the plague wherewith
the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; their flesh shall
consume away while they stand upon their feet [that’s a horrible picture], and their eyes
shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.”
Revelation 19 says much more—and it is graphic: “And I saw heaven opened [John writes],
and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True [that’s
Jesus Christ], and in righteousness He does judge and make war [yes, Christ makes war]...And
out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He
shall rule them with a rod of iron...And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried
with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and
gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God...That you may eat the flesh
of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses,
and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small
and great...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 [Jesus Christ], and against His army [the
resurrected saints returning with Him]...” So then, let’s understand! Vast millions
will actually fight against Christ! They will not view His Return as reason to rejoice,
because—many of them serving a different Christ today—they will not recognize the
true Christ. Grasp this!
Puny human beings, who think they can oppose God because they have man’s most advanced
weapons of war, will be utterly destroyed by Him. What happens will be quick and decisive,
with the armies left in complete destruction. Note what happens first: “And the beast
was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which
he deceived them that had received the Mark of the Beast, and them that worshipped his
image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone...[Now what
happens to the army?] And the remnant were slain with the sword of Him [Christ] that
sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth [as we read earlier]: and
all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” This description is truly horrible. While
many dismiss it as allegory, its message is real—and the events it describes just as
real! We have seen that the final battle to end
man’s rule on Earth is not named after Armageddon. Nor will this battle be fought at Armageddon.
Rather, it happens outside Jerusalem. Christ is not going to bring the battle to the individual
nations—the battle will come to Him. The armies of the world will literally march 60
miles south to be executed by Christ as He arrives on the Mount of Olives. Recognize
that all these events will take place in our lifetime—and sooner than you think!
But beyond all the bad news is wonderful good news—and it is just as detailed! Sadly,
few ever speak of it! Most talk only about the end of the world and the supposed annihilation
of humanity. This is because they are ignorant of the most important parts of Bible prophecy.
We offer more on Bible prophecy—and I mean the truth of it!—than anyone else.
Soon after Christ’s Return and the establishment of God’s kingdom on Earth—not in heaven—suffering
will disappear. War will be a thing of the past. So will terrorism. Crime will vanish.
Children will play safely everywhere. Drugs and alcohol will no longer enslave people.
Poverty will be gone. As will illiteracy. Mass healings will occur. A pure language
will help re-educate the population. Earth’s polluted environment will finally be restored.
Air will be clean. Pure drinking water will be abundant. Even the nature of animals will
be changed. As “King of kings,” Christ will rule all
nations as they have never been ruled. He will be compassionate, perfect in character,
truthful and full of wisdom—as well as love for those He governs. He will never compromise
God’s Law, which is summarized as the way of outgoing concern for others. You will want
to read this inspiring book Tomorrow’s Wonderful World - An Inside View!
The world will become a perfect environment for all to finally be able to live God’s
Way according to His perfect Law—which is the way of peace, prosperity and joy. Religious
deception and confusion will no longer exist. Humanity will finally be humble, and thus
teachable. Everyone will learn God’s truth, it says, “For the earth shall be full of
the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” What a marvelous time is coming.
Now understand this point. Jesus also foretold in Matthew 24 that “This gospel of the kingdom
shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
Not before! Since the true gospel was foretold to be preached
until “the end come,” someone must be preaching it now—in our present age—because
the end—while now very close—has not yet come. The Restored Church of God is doing
this—and the task must be completed before time is up!
You now know the truth about the battle at Jerusalem, only thought to be at Armageddon.
Consider. There will be two sides. On one will be the men of the east and all who took
the Mark of the Beast. On the other are Christ and the saints, co-ruling with Him. Now, which
side will you be on? All who want to truly follow and obey God still have time to qualify
to join Christ in what only begins with a terrible battle. Consider carefully the path
before you. Until next time, this is David C. Pack saying,
“Goodbye, friends.”
This program was made available by Restored Church of God members and donors from around
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