There are three large-scale battles identified in the Biblical Prophecies regarding the End Times sequence of events. The Battle of Armageddon is the most widely known among pop culture and is often referenced in movies, news, politics and church. It has taken on a wider meaning of the cataclysmic natural disasters of the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments familiar to students of the Bible. These are listed in detail in Revelation chapters 6-19, and are mentioned in part in various New and Old Testament prophecies. Great earthquakes, solar system disruptions, mountains crumbling and armies preparing for an ultimate attack all characterize the popular notion of the famous end-of-the-world battle. All these disasters are prophesied to happen prior to the Second Coming of Christ and they do precede the Battle of Armageddon, but the battle itself is different. The kings of the world will be deceived by demons and will gather to a place called Armageddon, north of Jerusalem. As they are gathered for battle, Christ will descend from heaven in his Second Coming. The armies of the world will be marshaled by the antichrist to attack Christ and his entourage of saints and angels. The attack will be futile and the antichrist and false prophet will be captured and consigned to the lake of fire. The armies of the world will be killed by the sword proceeding from the mouth of Christ, that is, by divine judgment spoken by Christ. So the Battle of Armageddon basically ends before it ever really started. The natural disasters will all run their full course and the world as we know it will be drastically changed, but the battle itself is brief and one-sided. The birds of the air and wild animals will feast on the bodies strewn throughout the region.
To fully appreciate and understand the end times scenario, we would do well to compare and contrast the three battles. They each happen at different times and have different participants, objectives and results. The End Times sequence of events begins with the Rapture. Then comes the 7-year Tribulation Period which is further separated into two distinct 3 1/2 year halves. At the end of the Tribulation Period is the glorious Second Coming of Christ. Christ will then establish his Kingdom on earth which will last for 1000 years. Following the 1000 years, the present heavens and earth will be destroyed and replaced with a New Heaven and Earth. There is a battle at the end of the 1st half of the Tribulation, another battle at the end of the 2nd half of the Tribulation and a third battle at the end of the Millennium. We will review them chronologically.
The Sneak Attack from the Far North
To grasp the full scope of this prophecy, a reading and close examination of Ezekiel chapters 38-39 is in order. In a nutshell, an army is drawn by God to attack Israel. Then, they are struck down by the Lord in a mighty display of his power. The attack is from the far north of Jerusalem and includes a few other nations but not the whole world. Moscow is directly north of Jerusalem and Russia is the only country that could be considered to the far north of Israel from the present arrangement of nations and territories. These may change in the future. For now, Russia is generally seen as leading the attack but it is important to note the Bible does not explicitly mention them. There are other nations mentioned as well. The prophecy cryptically records Gog as the leader, Magog is the land of his followers. They attack Israel when they are living peacefully and are unsuspecting, “living in cities without walls” (Ezekiel 38:11).
This prophecy has never been fulfilled in history. Israel is not living in peace with their enemies at this time. It won’t be until the antichrist confirms a peace covenant with the nations of the world that Israel will become unsuspecting and have a false sense of safety and security. The peace covenant will mark the beginning of the 7-year tribulation period (Daniel 9:27). Near the end of the first half of this period is probably when this sneak attack will occur. At the beginning of the second 3 ½ year period is when the antichrist will officially break the peace agreement and establish himself as a dictator of the world. The Book of Revelation focuses on the second half of the tribulation period and makes no mention of the first period. The second half is described as 1,260 days (Revelation 11:3, 12:6) or 42 months (Revelation 11:2, 13:5) or as time, times and half a time (where time equals a year, times equals two years and half a time equals half a year for a total or 3 ½ years, see Revelation 12:14 also Daniel 7:25, 12:7).
Since this sneak attack happens prior to the second 3 ½ year period, the book of Revelation doesn’t even mention it. However, the prophecy in Ezekiel is as reliable as any other Biblical prophecy and will be fulfilled in the future. The end of the first 3 ½ year period appears to be the only time period that meets the criteria recorded within the prophecy.
The prophecy also mentions primitive weapons made of wood and soldiers on horseback. This must be an indication that modern armaments will become obsolete perhaps because of a breakdown of the present infrastructure for electricity, communication and fuel delivery. While it is impossible to predict the circumstances that will lead to the peace agreement, we do know the Bible predicts an increase in wars and intense natural disasters prior to the end. The world’s present infrastructure is vulnerable to these disasters and may fall apart like a house of cards. Therefore, it is likely that nations will have to rely on primitive weapons and transportation in the future.
“Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.
“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’
Ezekiel 38:14-23
The armies from the far north will be drawn to attack Jerusalem at a time when the Jews are unsuspecting and unprepared. The objective will be to commandeer the blessings and land of Israel. The attack will be stopped by a mighty display of God’s power which includes a series of natural disasters and plagues. The armies will also turn against each other and kill their own allies. The result is that Jerusalem will be protected completely from this sneak attack and the attackers are totally wiped out. It will take seven months to clear the land of their bodies. The end result is that the world will witness the force of the Lord God Almighty. The first half of the Tribulation ends with a display of God’s love and protection of his people Israel. The second half of the Tribulation begins with a special sealing of 144,000 Jews, 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes. These will be sealed and protected through the entire second half of the Tribulation period (Revelation 7, 14:1-5).
We know the antichrist will confirm a peace covenant for the world at the beginning of the first 3 ½ year period. We also know he will officially break that covenant and assume control of the world as a dictator and institute the mark of the beast at the beginning of the second 3 ½ year period. It is likely that this battle prophesied in Ezekiel will pave the way for him to easily gain control of the world since several major armies would have just been wiped out and the world will be in awe of God’s display of power. The antichrist will be revealed to the world at that time and will be able to step into the role of an evil world dictator uncontested. This is consistent with the prophecy of the first seal as the first horsemen of the apocalypse is said to be crowned a conqueror but makes no mention of a victory battle. He is pictured as holding a bow but no arrows are mentioned. Therefore, the interpretation that the first seal of the scroll is opened at the beginning of the second 3 ½ year period seems to fit well with the sneak attack from the north which must occur at the end of the first 3 ½ year period.
“I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, ‘Come!’ I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
Revelation 6:1-2
The Battle of Armageddon
During the second 3 ½ year period of the Tribulation the world will suffer many divine judgments described in Revelation chapters 6-19. The antichrist will be the world dictator and it will be a desperate time for the survivors. It will be from this position of desperation that Satan will orchestrate a grand deception and lure the kings of the world and their armies together to Armageddon. The specifics of how they are deceived is not recorded. Whatever the reason is doesn’t matter because once they are assembled in Armageddon, Christ will descend from heaven and the armies of the world will attempt to attack Christ. So Satan’s deception will really be a preparation for his climatic battle against Christ.
“The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.
“’Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.’
“Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
“The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’ Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.”
Revelation 16:12-21
“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
“And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, ‘Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.’
“Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.”
Revelation 19:11-21
When Christ descends from heaven to earth in his triumphant Second Coming, the kings of the earth and their armies will attempt to fight against him but will be wiped out in a moment by the sword coming out of the mouth of Christ. This is a symbolic reference to the words of judgment against the rebellious inhabitants of the earth. Then Christ will establish his Millennial Kingdom upon the earth and reign from Jerusalem for 1000 years. So in reality, it isn’t the end of the world, but it is the end of the world as we know it. The Millennial Kingdom will be a very different arrangement of political, religious and economic relationships among the nations of the world. The topography of the earth will be changed drastically and the earth will be uncharacteristically bountiful. Christ will physically and bodily reign for 1000 years and during that time, Satan will be bound in the abyss.
The Final Rebellion
When Christ establishes his Millennial Kingdom only true believers will be admitted. All others will be killed as a result of the judgments of Israel and the Gentiles. These true believers will conceive children and repopulate the earth during the 1000 year period. The children, and subsequent generations, will be born with a sinful nature as has been the case ever since Adam and Eve populated the world the first time. These children will have to choose to honor and worship Christ as their King and Savior. Some will and some won’t, but they will have to obey the King’s edicts or face the death penalty. It is said that Christ will rule the world with an iron scepter. This means he will force compliance to his reign under the penalty of death. Open rebellious sin will not be tolerated. The wicked people of the world will secretly hate Christ in their hearts. This hate will be revealed at the end of the 1000 years when Satan is released from the abyss. He will rally together all these rebellious people and they will gather together under Satan’s leadership to overthrow Christ the King. They will be stopped in a moment and miraculously wiped out. The present heavens and earth will be destroyed by fire and melt in the heat (2 Peter 3:12). The wicked people of all time will be raised to life to receive judgement at the Great White Throne of Christ. They will all be consigned to the lake of fire for eternity. The last battle of the Millennium won’t be much of a fight either. However the results will have eternal ramifications.
“When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Revelation 20:7-10
Summary of the Three Conflicts
The End Times basically consists of three time periods. The first half of the 7-year tribulation period, the second half of the 7- year tribulation period and the 1000 year Kingdom established after Christ’s Second Coming.
There is a conflict at the end of each of these periods. The end of the first 3 ½ years will be the sneak attack from the far north on Jerusalem. The attackers will be miraculously wiped out by God via a series of natural disasters and mass confusion which results in the armies killing each other. The birds will eat the flesh of armies and it will take months to bury the bodies.
The end of the second 3 ½ years will be when the Battle of Armageddon occurs. The kings of the world will be gathered by Satan to fight against Christ as he descends to earth from heaven. There actually is no true battle as the rebellious earthly armies are wiped out by the Word of Christ, the sword of his mouth.
The end of the Millennium will be when Satan rallies all the rebellious people on earth to attempt to detrone Christ the King. They will be wiped out without incident. The present heavens and earth will cease to exist. All the wicked people of all time will be raised to face judgment at the Great White Throne. Believers will reside in the New Jerusalem which comes down from heaven to the new earth. This will be an eternal state.
Additional Notes Regarding Armageddon
The following notes are for reference purposes.
Gog and Magog
Gog and Magog are mentioned in the battle of Ezekiel 38-39 in which an army from several nations are gathered to attack Jerusalem. Gog is their leader. Magog is the land where he reigns. In ancient times, Magog was a son of Japheth and grandson of Noah. In those ancient times, Magog settled in the land to the far north of what is now known as Israel. Little is known regarding the identity of Gog and the people of Magog referenced in Ezekiel. However, they are chosen by God to lead this attack and then they will be wiped out because of it. The prophecy makes it clear that God knows who he is planning to use for this mission though we may not.
The term Gog and Magog are mentioned again in Revelation 20:7-8. In this case, it is not referring to the same Gog and Magog but is merely applying the name to a worldwide group of non-believers who will be divinely judged in the same way Gog and Magog were in Ezekiel 38-39. It is similar to the way Christ applied the name Jezebel, perhaps the most wicked woman of the Old Testament, to a idolatrous woman in the church located in Thyatira (Revelation 2:20). Her name probably wasn’t really Jezebel, but she shared similar characteristics to the Jezebel of old.
Gog and Magog of Ezekiel led an army of several nations. Gog is the leader and no mention of Satan is recorded. After the disasters which will result in their death, it will take the Jews seven months to bury the dead and cleanse the land. As witnesses of God’s mighty power and protection, Israel will be brought back to repentance and 144,000 of them will be sealed for protection during the great tribulation.
Gog and Magog of Revelation represents all the non-believers of the world at that time, all nations are included. Satan is clearly stated as their leader. They will be consumed by fire from heaven. There will be no need to bury their bodies because heaven and earth will itself be burned by fire and melt from the heat. Following this divine judgment of God will be the Great White Throne judgment in which all the non-believers of all time will be raised to life and sentenced to eternal separation from God and consigned to the lake of fire.
“When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Revelation 20:7-15
The Location of Armageddon
Armageddon is a Hebrew name for the Mount of Megiddo located about 60 miles north of Jerusalem. This area has been the location of many Old Testament Battles including Gideon’s victory against the Midianites and King Saul’s final battle which proved to be fatal for Saul and his son Jonathan. King Josiah also lost his life in a different battle at this same location. To the east of this area is a Plain of Megiddo which spans an area approximately 15 x 20 miles. This is currently a fertile agricultural area and crops are planted there several times a year.
This area was good for fighting battles because the hills that surround it provided a place for the kings and generals to observe the fighting below in valley. In the Battle of Armageddon during the End Times, this must be the place where the armies of the world are marshaled but it is not large enough to hold all the people who will be gathered. Nevertheless, it must be the flashpoint of activity. In the end, all the participants will be destroyed by fire from heaven no matter how far out they extend from this region.
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
2 Peter 3:8-13
All Scripture quoted from:
New International Version (NIV)
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