Tucson Mountain Baptist Church

Armegeddon is the great war at the end of the age. Its very name conjures up visions of global destruction, worldwide devastation, and indescribable human suffering, the ultimate conflict of human history.

The Old Testament prophets called it the “day of the LORD” or the “day of vengeance of our God”. Ezekiel called it a time of doom for the nations. He named many of those nations: Egypt, Ethiopia, Put, Lud, Arabia, and Libya.

Many Pre-tribulation(ist) see two great battles coming in the future: Magog and her Arab allies against Israel. The Antichrist and his kingdom against Israel.

The Bible clearly teaches that Israel, not the Church, is the target of these specific attacks and that in the final battle Christ will return with His Church, His bride, the saints to deliver Israel and complete the unity of God’s people.

“ This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. On that day men will be stricken by the Lord with great panic. Each man will seize the hand of another, and they will attack each other.” Zech. 14:12-13 (NIV)

As bad as the Battle of Armageddon will be, it will not be the end of the earth: “Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.” Zech. 14:16

“He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:2

“Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” 20:6

The whole world is affected by these bowl judgments. No one escapes. All these judgements now come in rapid succession.

"Seven"is the predominant numeral of the Apocalypse, the seven bowls. Now it is too late to repent or to stay the hand of God. The effect is total rather than partial. The bowl judgments are universal and far more intense.

First bowl: Repulsive and Malignant sores. “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.” The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.” Revelation 16:1-2

They’re afflicted with “sores” ( helkos means “ulcers” or “wounds”).

Second bowl: All the oceans are Contaminated. “The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.” V. 3

The stench alone would be unbearable.

Third bowl: All the rivers are Polluted. “The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” And I heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.” vs. 4-7

Now all mankind is in jeopardy. The Life-threatening impact would be astounding! Angels announce God’s justice in allowing this to happen because the recipients have shed “the blood of saints and prophets”. Therefore they “deserve” judgment.

Fourth bowl: The sun Scorches men. “The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.” vs. 8-9

Now the ultraviolet rays of the sun are scorching men with heat and fire. The devastation of the Tribulation period has taken its toll on the atmosphere. The sun will burn this planet into a global desert.

Fifth bowl: The Humiliation of the beast. “The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.” vs. 10-11

Assuming that the Antichrist is from Rome in particular, or Europe in general, Europe would be especially hard hit by this judgment. Many of these judgments sound like the devastating effects of nuclear war.

Fifth bowl: Armageddon begins. “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 evil 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 spirits of demons performing miraculous 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. “Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.” Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. vs. 12-16

The “kings of the east” was a common designation in ancient times for the Parthians and other barbarians who lived east of the Euphrates and beyond the borders of the Roman Empire. It may simply refer to the Muslim nations of the east, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the former Muslim Soviet republics. These nations may be the great enemy who comes against Jerusalem from the north, south, and east, the Antichrist appears to head up the secular powers of the west.

The “three evil spirits” that motivate the unholy trinity: Dragon (Satan), the beast (Antichrist), and the False Prophet, are the ones orchestrating the march to Armageddon. Some Scholars debate whether Armageddon is literal or figurative. "Har-Mage don” technically means “Mount Megiddo”.

In Ezekiel’s prophecies, the “mountains of Israel” figure prominently in the final conflicts of the End Times. All that remains is for the Antichrist to control Jerusalem. But Praise God, he fails miserably.

Seventh bowl: “It is done” “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 man 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 of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.” verses 17-21

A great earthquake, the worst in the history of the world, rocks the entire planed. Cities collapse, nations fall, islands sink, and mountains disappear. Great hailstones fall from the sky and those who survive blaspheme God all the more. These judgments are cosmic ( asteroids collide with the earth) and geological (volcanoes erupt and earthquakes shake rattle and roll ).

When it is all over, God Speaks from the heavenly temple and announces, “It is done!”

This finished work of judgment is over and done and has no benefit to any of its recipients. Armageddon has finally come. The world is now in ruins!