By John Thiel, Third Angel’s Message, study 11, mp3

The seven last plagues are the outpouring of God’s wrath. We are looking at a particular component of those plagues – the battle of Armageddon. The message of the third angel deals with this very subject.

Revelation 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

In proclaiming the third angel’s message, we are proclaiming the wrath of God poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation which finally culminates in fire. These outpourings of God’s wrath, the wine cup of His fury (Jeremiah 25), are actually His grief in which He withdraws and permits the destructive forces of man’s own sins to do their destruction.

How is God Known?

Psalms 9:16 The LORD is known [by] the judgment [which] he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.

God is known by the way in which He executes His judgment. It is the works of the people’s sinfulness that finally destroys them and God uses that. Jesus warns His people at this time in a similar manner as when He warned the disciples.

Matthew 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

As He warned the disciples of their future by letting them know how He was going to be treated; something which they didn’t expect, so He warns God’s people in the last days to show them that they also need to be illuminated in regards to something that they don’t expect.

Matthew 20:17 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, 18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify [him]: and the third day he shall rise again.

Jesus always foretells what is ahead of the people, as He did for the disciples.

Matthew 26:31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night:

He had told them what was going to happen, but then He said, You are going to be offended by this.

Matthew 26:31 …for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all [men] shall be offended because of thee, [yet] will I never be offended. 34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

Watch

Jesus is now warning them, at the time of His experience in Gethsemane:

Matthew 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak.

Jesus had warned them, but now they were not watching, because they were quite complacent about their anticipation for the future. They couldn’t accept what Jesus was saying. But He warned them of what was to come, so that they would be prepared for it. So it is for us today under the third angel’s message in reference to what is coming on to the planet with regards to His wrath.

Mark 13:28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: 29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, [even] at the doors. 30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. 31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 32 But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

He speaks here for the people living in the last days, and He identifies the last generation and their experiences in reference to the summer time harvest and the burning of the tares.

Here is Jesus’ warning for our time, foretelling us what we have to expect. He warns us like He warned the disciples:

Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

This particular warning that Jesus gives in Revelation has to do with a situation in which, if you are not ready for what He is saying is going to happen, if you are not watching, you are going to be found in your nakedness like the disciples found themselves because they didn’t acknowledge the exact detail of what He was warning them about. There is a danger today for the people if they do not pay attention to this subject of Armageddon, because this word of verse 15 is under the subject of Armageddon. If we fail to watch, we will be caught out.

The Preparation Towards Armageddon

Revelation 16:13 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. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Then He comes with the words of verse 15, I come as a thief. Watch, or you will be caught unawares. What is He speaking about when He bids us watch? He is speaking in regards to these unclean spirits that are working out of the mouth of the dragon (paganism), out of the mouth of the beast (the papal system), and out of the mouth of the false prophet (the apostate Protestant system). This deceptive procedure that is going to catch people unawares and that Jesus is warning us about, is here identified:

Revelation 13:12 And he [apostate Protestantism/the American nation] exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

This is clearly speaking of the recovery of the papal system with the help of the Protestant system in America that is become apostate.

Revelation 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

Here is America doing these great wonders.

Revelation 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

There are these deceptive procedures that are going on, and Jesus is warning us, as He warned the disciples, You are going to be caught unawares like when a thief breaks through, and I am sharing with you what is coming. But because they had their own ideas, they were not watching, and they were caught. Therefore we need to watch very carefully, and watching means heeding the word of God and watching the events according to the word.

Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

This is the scenario of the warnings that Jesus gives so that we will not be caught without our clothes on. He says, There are all these deceptive false Christs that are misguiding the people, be careful here, because, if it were possible, it’s going to come so close that even the very elect could be deceived.

What has war to do with this situation? How will these three unclean spirits cause the people to be deceived in regards to this subject? If the church does not live and practice its faith, especially in reference to warfare, we will be caught out because of the church’s failure to understand its faith. Religion and politics, we know today, have everything to do with warfare. If you look at every war, religion is always mingled with it. God’s church must understand how these three unclean spirits are working to lead to the battle of the great day of the Lord Almighty. We are called upon to withdraw from, and not become engaged in the things that will lead to war, and to the battle of the great day of God Almighty.

Isaiah 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. 21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

What happens in warfare? Don’t people become scattered on the battlefield with bodies lying everywhere and blood flowing everywhere? God’s people are warned under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as Jesus warned the disciples, “Here is what is going to happen. Watch and pray, that you be not caught unawares. Come out, and don’t touch. Come away from My wrath that I am going to pour upon the people, My indignation, which includes the plague of Armageddon.”

Here is the call for God’s people:

Zephaniah 2:1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; 2 Before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’S anger come upon you. 3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.

The day of God’s wrath, “the day of the Lord’s anger,” was the subject of our last study. It is the time of the seven plagues.

The Sixth Plague

This is the day of God’s wrath that we are called upon to be protected from:

Revelation 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

This is the beginning of the description of God’s wrath in Armageddon. The conclusion of it is in verse 16. The river Euphrates was to be dried up that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. What is meant here?

Revelation 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

There is a gathering that is to take place into a certain place. What are the words of Scripture? “Into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” “Ar-mageddon,” in the Hebrew tongue, means, “mountain of Megiddo.” It is a place. Everyone who studies the Middle-East knows that Megiddo is actually a place on the edge of the Jezreel valley. Megiddo is one of the mountains, there is another one on the other side in the shape of a triangle, called Carmel, and across there is another mountain. There are three mountains. One of them is a low line mountain, which in the ancient times was a fortress called Megiddo.

The activity of this event of the plagues is a place that the nations will be gathered into, the place of Armageddon, to experience the wrath of God.

Two great opposing powers are revealed in the last great battle. On one side stands the Creator of heaven and earth. All on His side bear His signet. They are obedient to His commands. On the other side stands the prince of darkness, with those who have chosen apostasy and rebellion (RH May 7, 1901). {7BC 982.8}

Here we have a picture of a battle that is being misunderstood as the battle of Armageddon. Two forces are here spoken of, those that are faithful to God, and those that are not faithful to God. But look at what is said beforehand:

There are only two parties in our world, those who are loyal to God, and those who stand under the banner of the prince of darkness. Satan and his angels will come down with power and signs and lying wonders to deceive those who dwell on the earth, and if possible the very elect. {7BC 982.4}

This battle is between Christ and His people, and Satan and the people he is trying to drag on his side. It is very important to understand how this battle leads to the hour of God’s wrath.

The crisis is right upon us. Is this to paralyze the energies of those who have a knowledge of the truth? Is the influence of the powers of deception so far reaching that the influence of the truth will be overpowered? {7BC 982.4}

The battle of Armageddon is soon to be fought. He on whose vesture is written the name, King of kings and Lord of lords, leads forth the armies of heaven on white horses, clothed in fine linen, clean and white (MS 172, 1899). {7BC 982.5}

Every form of evil is to spring into intense activity. Evil angels unite their powers with evil men, and as they have been in constant conflict and attained an experience in the best modes of deception and battle, and have been strengthening for centuries, they will not yield the last great final contest without a desperate struggle. All the world will be on one side or the other of the question. The battle of Armageddon will be fought, and that day must find none of us sleeping. Wide awake we must be, as wise virgins having oil in our vessels with our lamps. . . . {7BC 982.6}

The power of the Holy Ghost must be upon us, and the Captain of the Lord’s host will stand at the head of the angels of heaven to direct the battle. Solemn events before us are yet to transpire. Trumpet after trumpet is to be sounded, vial after vial poured out one after another upon the inhabitants of the earth. Scenes of stupendous interest are right upon us (Letter 112, 1890). {7BC 982.7}

You are seeing here the vials of God’s wrath as part of the description that Sister White gives as to Jesus working, and Satan working to deceive the people against Jesus. She says that Armageddon is going to be fought, and in this, vial after vial is to be poured out, and it is “right upon us.” Let us get the picture very clear in regards to what Sister White is here meaning under inspiration, that we don’t come to wrong conclusions. Yes, there is Jesus conducting the battle as He comes with the armies of heaven, but how is that battle being conducted in reference to the plagues and the battle of Armageddon, that is the part we want to carefully research here.

Political Strife

We hear now of earthquakes in divers places, of fires, of tempests, of disasters by sea and land, of pestilence, of famine. What weight do these signs have upon you? This is only the beginning of what shall be. The description of the day of God is given through John by the Revelator. {TM 444.2}

The language is very important. “The day of God.”

The cry of the terror-stricken myriads has fallen upon the ear of John. “The great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” The apostle himself was awed and overwhelmed. {TM 444.2}

If such scenes as this are to come, such tremendous judgments on a guilty world, where will be the refuge for God’s people? How will they be sheltered until the indignation be overpast? John sees the elements of nature–earthquake, tempest, and political strife– represented as being held by four angels. These winds are under control until God gives the word to let them go. There is the safety of God’s church. The angels of God do His bidding, holding back the winds of the earth, that the winds should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree, until the servants of God should be sealed in their foreheads. {TM 444.3}

The day of God, the vials of God’s wrath, is a direct pointing to the destructive forces of God’s wrath in the plagues. Armageddon is mentioned. What is here mentionned as that which is being held back? The elements of nature: If you go through the plagues, you read about elements of nature, and all the first five plagues, as well as the seventh one, are elements of nature. But she then says, political strife. Which one of those seven plagues is not an element of nature? The sixth one. Armageddon. This is the political strife that is included in God’s wrath. Warfare is involved.

Jeremiah 25:15 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. 16 And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.

Here you see God’s wrath:

Jeremiah 25:30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread [the grapes], against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31 A noise shall come [even] to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them [that are] wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.

What is that? That is warfare, isn’t it?

Jeremiah 25:32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. 33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from [one] end of the earth even unto the [other] end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

In those plagues, you have the elements of nature which will slaughter the people, then you will have the elements of political strife, which is, nation fighting against nation, and the giving over to the sword. Nations of the world are identified in the following statement as eager for conflict. I am reading this particular outline because there are people who use Sister White’s writings incorrectly in regards to this. E. G. White talked about the battle between good and evil, and she then mentioned Armageddon. But here we see it in its right concept:

The nations of the world are eager for conflict; but they are held in check by the angels. {7BC 967.8}

“The elements of nature …and political strife.” She here identifies the holding back of the strife and she says that nations are eager for conflict. This is warfare.

When this restraining power is removed, there will come a time of trouble and anguish. Deadly instruments of warfare will be invented. Vessels, with their living cargo, will be entombed in the great deep. All who have not the spirit of truth will unite under the leadership of satanic agencies. But they are to be kept under control till the time shall come for the great battle of Armageddon. {7BC 967.8}

Nations are ready for conflict. These conflicts are being held back as the leadership of satanic agencies is turning people against God, while others are being sealed in their foreheads. But all this is going to culminate in that which has been held back, the great battle of Armageddon. We are still talking about Armageddon. Yes, it is something that has to do with the conflict between truth and error, but it has to do with the vials of God’s wrath culminating. Let us examine that vial of God’s wrath in reference to political, destructive force.

The River Euphrates

It is important for us to understand the river Euphrates in this time of leading up to the battle of Armageddon.

Revelation 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

The kings of the east, along with all “the kings of the earth”, were to be drawn to the battle. What then is the great river Euphrates in the prophetic picture of Revelation, so that we can tell what is involved here? The river Euphrates was mentioned in the seven trumpets. The seven trumpets is a sequence of wars that have transpired ever since the time that Jesus left this earth right through to the end. The wars that took place between the Arab world/Mohammedans/Ottoman Empire, and the empires that were under the Papacy, are here described:

Revelation 9:14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

We have here a description of the Ottoman Empire. Under the Ottoman Empire there were four leaders of the tribes of the Ottoman Saracens. They were called the four messengers. Remember, this was a religious war, and these were messengers of Mohammedism. They were in the great river Euphrates. In other words, the whole area that drained into the river Euphrates was here associated with it. It is the area of the Ottoman Empire, all through the Arab states, from Turkey down through to the far east-side of the Middle-East.

We are given in Revelation 9 a description of the river Euphrates, as it is given in the plagues. The river Euphrates is going to be dried up. What was the river Euphrates in the seven trumpets? It was the Ottoman Empire that was associated with that river. This is nothing new in Bible prophecy because the river Euphrates in the Old Testament was also associated with the nations that were around it. In the following scripture, it is talking about the fall of Damascus and Samaria which was prophesied.

Isaiah 8:7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, [even] the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks.

This is here in a military sense the symbolism of a river when it swells into a great flow and breaks its banks. It is a symbolism of the nation that conquers the people around it. Then when a river, in political scenes, is dried up, what does that mean? The political control in power and the warfare capability are diminished. They are dried up.

The following scripture is now the subject matter of the king of the north and the king of the south. The king of the north was Asia Minor. The king of the south was Egypt. In between were all the nations of Assyria, and Babylon, etc. Asia Minor was Turkey, and down from Turkey all the way to Egypt. Here is the description of the north and the south. Notice what happens here to the north:

Daniel 11:41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many [countries] shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, [even] Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians [shall be] at his steps. 44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

This is talking about the king of the north. That’s Turkey (Asia Minor). “He shall come to his end, and none shall help him.” In the Ottoman Empire, where were the headquarters of the whole empire? They were in Turkey. Turkey was represented here as the representatives of the entire Mohammedan Empire and he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. It is the drying up of the military power that is here identified. This will prepare the way of the kings of the east. In others words, Deal with this powerful military force, bring it to weakness, and then the kings of the east can come down and no longer be interfered with.

Kedar (The Arab World Comes to its End)

What is written in the Old Testament about the Arab world? Here is a direct reference to the drying up of the military power that has to do with the river Euphrates:

Isaiah 21:16. For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:

“Within a year, according to the years of an hireling,” meaning, not a symbolic year of the Hebrew. In one literal year the glory of Kedar will be dried up. Who is Kedar?

Genesis 25:13. And these [are] the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,

What nation does Kedar come from? Ishmael. And who was he? Abraham’s de facto son. The posterity of Ishmael also became a great nation. They are the Arab nations. They have Abraham for their father. Kedar is mentioned here. If you look at a map of that area from the ancient times, you will actually find Kedar just under Turkey. That’s the area where the Arabs are.

As we come to Psalms, we notice how Kedar is related with Turkey. This has been the experience of the Hebrew nation from the time of David even until now:

Psalms 120:5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, [that] I dwell in the tents of Kedar! 6 My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. 7 I [am for] peace: but when I speak, they [are] for war.

Hasn’t that been the history? Can you see how the Bible identifies the Arab world? Sojourning in Mesech, dwelling in the tents of Kedar. If you look at a map, Mesech is Turkey today. Kedar is the rest of the Arab world underneath. The Bible helps us to understand. When it says in Isaiah that all the glory of Kedar, which is dependent upon Mesech, which is itself dependent upon the whole Mohammedan regime, will fail, it means that Kedar will lose its power. Kedar is exactly in the area of the river Euphrates. The river Euphrates will dry up, which means that all the glory of Kedar, of the Arab world, will come to its end, to prepare the way for the kings of the east.

In which direction has Mohammedism spread? Mohammedism has spread right through into the whole eastern area. Even China is having trouble under Mohammedism. It is very strong there. Eventually the kings of the east will be directly reactive to the situation of the Middle-East. As the power, the glory, the political military prowess of the Mohammedan world is being sapped, the kings of the east can deal with the Middle-East. They will come down. That is the prophecy.

The judgments of God are in the land. The wars and rumors of wars, the destruction by fire and flood, say clearly that the time of trouble, which is to increase until the end, is very near at hand. We have no time to lose. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment.–Ibid., Nov. 24, 1904. {WM 136.5}

What is written in Daniel 11? The king of the north is represented as coming to his end, and none shall help him. That is the completion of Daniel 11. Under the light of inspiration we can see that everything points directly to the military involvement in the time of the very end, during the plagues.

The Wrath of God in Armageddon

Here we have the very description of the wrath of God in the time of Armageddon:

Joel 3:9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

“Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up.” Remember: “Cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.” “Evil shall go forth from nation to nation.” (Jer. 25:15, 32)

Joel 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I [am] strong. 11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.

Jesus and His angels will come down.

Joel 3:12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. 13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe:

In the harvest the tares are to be burned and destroyed. This is the time.

Joel 3:13 …come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness [is] great. 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD [is] near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. 16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake:

This is the last plague of Revelation, where God is actually roaring from heaven.

Joel 3:16 …but the LORD [will be] the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. 17 So shall ye know that I [am] the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

It is indeed military conflict that has to do with the wrath of God, and with the period of the end – the sun and the moon becoming darkened. It has also to do with the harvest – the destruction of the wicked. There is the picture of what the third angel is preaching about. When Jesus comes and His sickle goes in, He gathers His wheat into the garner, but there is another one also with a sickle, the one who is addressed here in Joel with these words, “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.” What will happen?

Revelation 14:17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs.

Here is a bloodbath. This is warfare, and the people are brought into this Megiddo position. As already stated, Megiddo is one mountain on one side of the valley of Jezreel. They will all be gathered into this place, just like the Midianites in the time of Gideon were in that valley (See Judges 7; Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 550). Gideon came down from three mountain sides, and as he came down with his one hundred men on each side, the Midianites were overwhelmed, and they ran for their life, and there was a great massacre in that valley of Jezreel. Here it is again. In this description of the bloodbath, it says that the blood will flow to the horse bridles, to what measurement? “By the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.”

If you measure it, the valley of Jezreel runs straight into the Jordan valley and comes through to Jerusalem. That is the measurement. One person actually went and studied this and measured it for himself. I didn’t know this person until I was studying with him, and he said to me, Do you know that I went there for the very purpose of measuring that distance? From the top of the valley of Jezreel to Jerusalem, it is exactly that distance – 1,600 furlongs (322kms). Very fascinating.

If you bring all of these Bible texts together you get the picture. This is one of the things that we need to do when we study prophecy. You can read different passages of prophecy that deal with the same subject, but as you bring them together you get the complete picture.

Ezekiel 38:3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts [of armour, even] a great company [with] bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: 6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: [and] many people with thee. 7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them. … 16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. … 18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, [that] my fury shall come up in my face. 19 For in my jealousy [and] in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; 20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that [are] upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

Does that sound like the plagues?

Ezekiel 38:21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

Isn’t that what is happening already in the world wars? Can you see how a church that sends its members to war at this time will cause brothers in the faith to destroy each other?

Ezekiel 38:22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that [are] with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

Great hailstones, the seventh plague. As the war is going on, the hailstones are falling down. All this is the time of the plagues.

Ezekiel 38:23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.

Here is a beautiful description and summary of the literal warfare together with the plagues of nature. It is a slaughter of nations all gathering together. A hook is in their jaws dragging them into the army, into the conflict. Jeremiah 25:18-31 is directly the same. In Ezekiel He named many nations that are to be involved, and here He names them all and He includes Jerusalem as being part of this destructive scene.

Jeremiah 25:17 Then took I the cup at the LORD’S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me: 18 [To wit], Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as [it is] this day; 19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people; 20 And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod, 21 Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, 22 And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which [are] beyond the sea,

Even the kings of the islands beyond the sea.

Jeremiah 25:23 Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all [that are] in the utmost corners, 24 And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert, 25 And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes, 26 And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which [are] upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. 27 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you. 28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink. 29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts. 30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread [the grapes], against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31 A noise shall come [even] to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them [that are] wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.

This is Armageddon. It is a combined destruction of the plagues. What does the Spirit of Prophecy tell us? “The nations of the world are eager for conflict; but they are held in check by the angels.” The angels are holding back these conflicts and wars until the battle of Armageddon.

Angels were united in the work of Him who had broken the seals and taken the book. Four mighty angels hold back the powers of this earth till the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. The nations of the world are eager for conflict; but they are held in check by the angels. When this restraining power is removed, there will come a time of trouble and anguish. Deadly instruments of warfare will be invented. Vessels, with their living cargo, will be entombed in the great deep. All who have not the spirit of truth will unite under the leadership of satanic agencies. But they are to be kept under control till the time shall come for the great battle of Armageddon.  {7BC 967.8}

What is that?

Angels are belting the world, refusing Satan his claims to supremacy, made because of the vast multitude of his adherents. We hear not the voices, we see not with the natural sight the work of these angels, but their hands are linked about the world, and with sleepless vigilance they are keeping the armies of Satan at bay till the sealing of God’s people shall be accomplished. {7BC 967.9}

What happens then?

The ministers of Jehovah, angels have skill and power and great strength, being commissioned to go forth from heaven to earth to minister to His people. They are given the work of keeping back the raging power of him who has come down like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The Lord is a refuge for all who put their trust in Him. He bids them hide in Him for a little moment, until the indignation shall be overpast. He is soon to come out of His place to punish the world for its iniquity. Then the earth shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain (Letter 79, 1900).  {7BC 967.10}

What is Armageddon? The slaying of the people by a military engagement. These three unclean spirits are banding together, leading the people to that place. It says, “Be careful, if you don’t realize what I have warned you about you are going to be caught unawares. You are going to be deceived. If possible the very elect could be deceived.” That’s how deceptive the whole exercise is. In the understanding of Armageddon, we can then understand why those who have preached the three angels’ messages in the past have not entered into any participation in war, because they knew that warfare is the vial of God’s wrath for the destroying of the nations. They must not be found in that scene. They must be sealed in their foreheads with the protective seal of God, which is, siding with Jesus on His side, while the evil people are siding with Satan on his side. The spiritual aspect is siding on the right side, but the Armageddon is a military action of destruction. It is not the spiritual war.

Amen.