Compiling the information on Armageddon and then taking time to think on the events of the battle helps to establish the sequence of events surrounding the coming of the Lord in order. The majority of scholars believe that the battle of Armageddon will occur when the tribulation period is over. Does that assessment agree with the word of God?
Sound doctrines have actions that define the terms that God uses, but the majority of doctrines that defined by a definition always have questions that go unanswered. The Tribulation period is one of those doctrines that have had a number of people adding content independently of each other. There is no clear consensus of the beginning or end by those who herald the tribulation period that corresponds with God’s word.
One commentator believes that the tribulation Period begins with the Anti-Christ signing a peace agreement with the nation of Israel. Where is the biblical evidence that the anti-Christ will seek or have an agreement with Israel? What does the bible have to say about the anti-Christ’s role in the end times? The Bible does not provide answers to these questions nor does it foretell or describe fictitious events.
As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High. Daniel 7:21-22
The biblical evidence is just the opposite of the doctrine prevailing in the church. The scriptural evidence above shows that Satan is waging war and defeating the saints of God. There is no evidence of an effort to sue for peace because Satan will wages war until the day God intervenes and destroys Satan.
How does the war Satan is waging the Saints affect Christians today? Laws are being changed right and left that destroy the moral strength and fiber of our nation. The divorce that God hates has become legal and made so easy to acquire that you no longer need to find fault. The freedom of speech and of religion for public employees (specifically prayer) has become illegal and the Ten Commandments has been banned from public buildings. Homosexuals can practice their cravings in public and it is perfectly legal to marry in some states. The moral fabric of our nation is being disassembled one law at a time. As anyone can see the outcome has been the loss of respect towards our fellow man, In the capital, its called politics as usual, but its all a game to see who can point the most fingers and blame others for the problems the members of congress created. In addition, this country is lawsuit crazy, the least mistake of one is the financial gain of another. The chaotic morals of our nation are leading our nation to ruin and with nothing done to correct the problems society will be desolated.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4
Satan will easily defeat Christians in America when there is no resistance. Instead, Christians have been trapped by the deception of Satan. They too are blaming others for the decay of the moral fabric in the United States and are doing nothing about it. Physically every Christian can write to their congressman. Spiritually every Christian has at his disposal the strongest weapon known to man. Do Christians pray for the leaders of our country or do our nation leaders become the prey of Christians? Satan is orchestrating the decay of the moral fabric of Christians as well and don’t realize that it is spiritual warfare. God demands his saints to avoid evil, because with no resistance to sin, Christians aid in their own demise making it easier for Satan to defeat those who are resisting.
Christians are currently in a war with Satan that will end temporally with Satan’s capture and imprisonment. The bible tells us that Satan’s has been sentenced to 1,000 years of imprisonment and then will be released temporarily. Then God will be glorified with another awesome and final defeat of Satan. The question of where does Satan’s army come from and what will God do with the inhabitants of the earth who have been deceived by Satan?
Christ has promised one thing will be given to all men, the reward pertaining to the way they lived. On the day Christ returns, Christians expect to enter the inheritance of the saints. Those who refused to repent will inherit the wrath of God. It is not a coincidence that Christians will reign with Christ for same amount of time Satan is imprisoned, but the reign of Christ and the imprisonment of Satan will coincide with each other.
I am left with the opinion that during the thousand years reign with Christ will be an additional time of refinement. We will learn to consider what our decisions will do in the next millennia rather than tomorrow. We will no longer serve God from splinter groups of the church but learn to work as one for God’s glory.
One thousand years after Christ assumes the reigns of God’s Kingdom Satan will be released. Still in a state of rebellion, he will once again deceive nations and gather a multitude of people to wage war on God’s people. They will surround the camp of God and stir God’s wrath to the point that fire will fall upon and engulf Satan and his army. At that time, Satan will be recaptured and thrown into the lake of Fire where he will remain forever.
Revelation 20 links you to Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38-39 and reveals the plan above and this chapter. The people of Ezekiel 38 had recovered from war and had lived in peace for hundreds of years. They had lived in peace for so long that their homes were not designed to protect them from violence. They were peaceful and unsuspecting people who saw no need to train for war. The weapons once used for war were being used to till the ground and bring about the prosperity of men. They also lived under the protection of a great and glorious God.
Ezekiel 38-39 goes into greater detail about the final battle known as the battle of Armageddon. Armageddon is a word that means the hill or mountain of Megiddo and it is a historical battle site for a number of wars. The hill of Megiddo should remind us of another hill called Calvary, where the man called Christ fought his final battle reconciling us to our father in heaven.
Christians also have a final battle in this life where the fight of faith gives that you victory over evil. In this fight of faith you must choose whom you will serve. If Jesus is Lord then serve him, If God is your father then obey him. Serving God demands evidence that can be seen in a world where the destruction brought on by a spiritual war is seldom seen with the human eye, Normally uniforms make the distinction of what side you are on, but in Christianity the uniform is a changed life.
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Matthew 3:8
"The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." 2 Timothy 2:19
God’s righteousness and a changed life is the only thing that distinguishes you from the world and Satan’s army. It is the Christian’s task to work with God while making the effort to reduce the troop level of Satan’s army. We do this by letting the world know that God loves them and does not want them to perish.
You may think that you are a pawn in this war, but a single pawn can be used to checkmate the opposing king just as easily as the other pieces can. Know this, when the war is over and the roll is called - every pawn in Christ’s army will be able to stand before a awesome God.
Copyright © 2013 Thinkgodly All rights reserved