Post by iris89 on May 7, 2011 18:28:20 GMT -5
Discourse on Armageddon, Why Necessary, How to Survive:
--INTRODUCTION-
Armageddon is defined in the dictionary as a prophesized as the scene o***reat battle between the forces of good and evil, to occur at the end of the world (Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary). However, there is no place actually named Armageddon as testified to in William Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, which states, "The scene of the struggle of good and evil is suggested by that battle-field, the plain of Esdraelon, which was famous for two great victories, of Barak over the Canaaanites and of Gideon over the Midianites; and for two great disasters, the deaths of Saul and Josiah. Hence it signifies in Revelation a place of great slaughter, the scene of a terrible retribution upon the wicked. The Revised Version gives the name as Har-Magedon, i.e., the hill of Megiddo. (Teacher's Edition of the Bible Dictionary by William Smith, LLD., revised & edited by F.N. & M.A. Peloubet, page 54).
This discussion of Armageddon will have 3 principle parts, an introduction, why necessary, and its sudden arrival. We shall now consider the first part:
DEMONS HAVE ALIGNED POLITICAL RULERS AGAINST JESUS (YESHUA) AND HIS FATHER (YHWH):
Revelations 16:14-16 brings out how the rulers of the world will be gathered together for this great war against God (YHWH) and his forces, "For they are the spirits of devils, working signs: and they go forth unto the kings of the whole earth, to gather them to battle against the great day of the Almighty God.
(Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible; DRCB); And at Revelation 19:19, " And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to make war with him that sat upon the horse and with his army." (DRCB). However, true Christians on earth shall have no part in this warfare as shown by 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, " For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty to God, unto the pulling down of fortifications, destroying counsels." (DRCB); And affirmed at Romans 12:19, " Revenge not yourselves, my dearly beloved; but give place unto wrath, for it is written: Revenge is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." (DRCB). The fight of true Christians will be with respect resisting the Devil and his deamons wicked influence at shown at Ephesians 6:12, " For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places." (DRCB).
THIS IS A WAR OF DIVINE EXECUTION:
The fact that this will be a war of divine execution was revealed in the Old Testament by the prophet Jeremiah at Jeremiah 25:31, " The noise is come even to the ends of the earth: for the Lord entereth into judgment with the nations: he entereth into judgment with all flesh; the wicked I have delivered up to the sword, saith the Lord." (DRCB); And affirmed in the New Testament at 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, " Seeing it is a just thing with God to repay tribulation to them that trouble you: 7 And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with the angels of his power: 8 In a flame of fire, giving vengeance to them who know not God and who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 Who shall suffer eternal punishment in destruction, from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his power:" (DRCB). In fact the prophet Zephaniah at Zephaniah 3:8 gave warning to true Christians to keep in expectation, " Wherefore expect me, saith the Lord, in the day of my resurrection that is to come, for my judgment is to assemble the Gentiles, and to gather the kingdoms: and to pour upon them my indignation, all my fierce anger: for with the fire of my jealousy shall all the earth be devoured." (DRCB); And Jude, a servant of Jesus (Yeshua) Christ, stated at Jude 14-15, " And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (American Standard Version; ASV); And Revelation 6:15-17 gives a picture of how events will be when that day arrives, " And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:" (ASV).
A FORWARD LOOK AT THE DESTRUCTION OF THAT DAY:
The Apostle John and the prophets Jeremiah, Zechariah, Ezekiel, and Zephaniah show clearly how great the destruction of that day will be; At Revelation 14:19-20, " And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, If any man worshippeth the beast and his image, and receiveth a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand, 10 he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: " (ASV); And this is affirmed by Jeremiah 25:30-33, " Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, Jehovah will roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he will mightily roar against his fold; he will give a shout, as they that tread [the grapes], against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31 A noise shall come even to the end of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the nations; he will enter into judgment with all flesh: as for the wicked, he will give them to the sword, saith Jehovah. 32 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest shall be raised up from the uttermost parts of the earth. 33 And the slain of Jehovah 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 face of the ground." (ASV); And by Zechariah 14:3 & 12, " Then shall Jehovah go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle." (ASV); And at Ezekial 38:18-22, " And it shall come to pass in that day, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah, that my wrath shall come up into my nostrils. 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 birds of the heavens, 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. 21 And I will call for a sword against him unto all my mountains, saith the Lord Jehovah: every man's sword shall be against his brother. 22 And with pestilence and with blood will I enter into judgment with him; and I will rain upon him, and upon his hordes, and upon the many peoples that are with him, an overflowing shower, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. "(ASV); And at Zephaniah 1:14-18, " The great day of Jehovah is near, it is near and hasteth greatly, [even] the voice of the day of Jehovah; the mighty man crieth there bitterly. 15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 a day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fortified cities, and against the high battlements. 17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against Jehovah; and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung. 18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he will make an end, yea, a terrible end, of all them that dwell in the land." (ASV).
--WHY NECESSARY?-
FIRST, IT IS NECESSARY TO SHOW GOD (YHWH) IS THE RIGHTEOUS SOVEREIGN:
It is necessary to show that God (YHWH) is the righteous sovereign with an unquestionable right to rule as shown by Psalms 83:17-18, " Until I went into the sanctuary of God, And considered their latter end. 18 Surely thou settest them in slippery places: Thou castest them down to destruction. " (ASV); And this is affirmed at Daniel 2:44, " And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. " (ASV); And at Revelation 11:17-18, " For God did put in their hearts to do his mind, and to come to one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished. 18 And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." (ASV); And at Isaiah 46:8-11, " Remember this, and show yourselves men; bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. 9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; God, and there is none like me; 10 declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not [yet] done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure; 11 calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country; yea, I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it." (ASV).
It will destroy all the entrenched political opposition to God (YHWH) and his kingdom as shown by Psalms 2:2 & 5-6 & 9, " The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against Jehovah, and against his anointed, [saying]," & " Then will he speak unto them in his wrath, And vex them in his sore displeasure: 6 Yet I have set my king Upon my holy hill of Zion."Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." (ASV); And detailed in Revelations at Revelation 17:12-14, " And the ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet; but they receive authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour. 13 These have one mind, and they give their power and authority unto the beast. 14 These shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they [also shall overcome] that are with him, called and chosen and faithful." (ASV); And at Revelation 19:11 & 16 & 19, " And after the three days and a half the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them that beheld them. " & "And the four and twenty elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshipped God," & " And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven; and there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant; and there followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail."
(ASV).
SECOND, IT IS NECESSARY TO MAGNIFY GOD'S (YHWH'S) NAME AND CLEAR IT OF REPROACH:
God (YHWH) inspired Ezekiel to make this known that he would magnify himself and clear his name at Ezekiel 38:23, " And I will magnify myself, and sanctify myself, and I will make myself known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am Jehovah" (ASV); And this fact is affirmed at Psalms 74:10 & 18, " How long, O God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?" & "Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Jehovah, And that a foolish people hath blasphemed thy name." (ASV).
THIRD, IT WILL CLEAR WICKEDNESS FROM THE EARTH:
Armageddon will pave the way for a righteous new system of things as foretold at 2 Peter 3:12-13, " looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. "(ASV); And at Psalms 37:10-11, " For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and he shall not be. 11 But the meek shall inherit the land, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." (ASV); And after it, per Proverbs 2:21-22, " For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the perfect shall remain in it. 22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, And the treacherous shall be rooted out of it. " (ASV). Also, it is shown at Psalms 145:20, " Jehovah preserveth all them that love him; But all the wicked will he destroy." (ASV); And at Isaiah 11:1 & 4, " And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit." & "but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked." (ASV).
FOURTH, GOD (YHWH) DOES NOT VIOLATE THE PRINCIPLE OF LOVE BY DESTROYING THE WICKED:
Some may say, how can a loving God (YHWH) destroy the wicked and not violate the principle of love, but their destruction actually is an act of love as it eliminates the evil influence that now permeates the entire earth and makes it possible for the righteous to rejoice. This is shown by Ezekiel 18:23, " Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? saith the Lord Jehovah; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?" (ASV); And at Romans 9:22, " What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction:" (ASV); And at 2 Peter 3:9, " The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (ASV); And at Luke 18:7-8, " And shall not God avenge his elect, that cry to him day and night, and [yet] he is longsuffering over them? 8 I say unto you, that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (ASV).
--ARMAGEDDON WILL COME UNEXPECTEDLY AND CATCH THE WICKED BY SURPRISE-
WHEN WILL ARMAGEDDON COME?
The Bible clearly shows that it will come at the culmination of the end times as shown at Matthew 24:34-36 & 43-44, " Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only." & "But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through. 44 Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh." (ASV); Interestingly, even the angels and the Son of God (YHWH), Jesus (Yeshua) are shown at Matthew 24:36, previously quoted, which interestingly also shows that Almighty God (YHWH) and his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) are two distinct beings.
Its coming will be very sudden and the wicked will be caught unexpectedly by this culmination of the end times known as Armageddon as shown at 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, " For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape. " (ASV); And affirmed at 2 Peter 3:10, " But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (ASV); And at Luke 21:34-35, " But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare: 35 for [so] shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth. " (ASV); And at Revelation 16:15, " (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walked naked, and they see his shame.) " (ASV); And at Proverbs 6:12-15, " A worthless person, a man of iniquity, Is he that walketh with a perverse mouth; 13 That winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet, That maketh signs with his fingers; 14 In whose heart is perverseness, Who deviseth evil continually, Who soweth discord. 15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy." (ASV).
However true Christians, the real foot-step followers of Jesus (Yeshua) will be busy in this end times immediately before its culmination in Armageddon preaching the word of God (YHWH) per the directions of his Son found at Matthew 24:14, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Authorized King James Bible; AV).
NOW HOW IS SURVIVAL POSSIBLE:
The Bible clearly shows we must be meek and obedient to the word of God (YHWH) at Zephaniah 2:2-3, " before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of Jehovah come upon you, before the day of Jehovah's anger come upon you. 3 Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah's anger. " (ASV); And this is affilmed at Joel 2:32, " And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as Jehovah hath said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call." (ASV). In fact to be saved, we must be loving God (YHWH) and his commandments as testified to at Psalms 145:20, " Jehovah preserveth all them that love him; But all the wicked will he destroy" (ASV); And at Psalms 2:11-12, " Serve Jehovah with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, For his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that take refuge in him." (ASV); And at John 3:16, " For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life." (ASV); And at Romans 5:9-10, " Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath [of God] through him. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life;" (ASV); And at Ecclesiastes 7:12, " For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it" (ASV); And at Romans 10:10, " for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (ASV); And at Matthew 10:22, " And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved." (ASV).
Your Friend in Christ Iris89
--INTRODUCTION-
Armageddon is defined in the dictionary as a prophesized as the scene o***reat battle between the forces of good and evil, to occur at the end of the world (Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary). However, there is no place actually named Armageddon as testified to in William Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, which states, "The scene of the struggle of good and evil is suggested by that battle-field, the plain of Esdraelon, which was famous for two great victories, of Barak over the Canaaanites and of Gideon over the Midianites; and for two great disasters, the deaths of Saul and Josiah. Hence it signifies in Revelation a place of great slaughter, the scene of a terrible retribution upon the wicked. The Revised Version gives the name as Har-Magedon, i.e., the hill of Megiddo. (Teacher's Edition of the Bible Dictionary by William Smith, LLD., revised & edited by F.N. & M.A. Peloubet, page 54).
This discussion of Armageddon will have 3 principle parts, an introduction, why necessary, and its sudden arrival. We shall now consider the first part:
DEMONS HAVE ALIGNED POLITICAL RULERS AGAINST JESUS (YESHUA) AND HIS FATHER (YHWH):
Revelations 16:14-16 brings out how the rulers of the world will be gathered together for this great war against God (YHWH) and his forces, "For they are the spirits of devils, working signs: and they go forth unto the kings of the whole earth, to gather them to battle against the great day of the Almighty God.
(Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible; DRCB); And at Revelation 19:19, " And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to make war with him that sat upon the horse and with his army." (DRCB). However, true Christians on earth shall have no part in this warfare as shown by 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, " For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty to God, unto the pulling down of fortifications, destroying counsels." (DRCB); And affirmed at Romans 12:19, " Revenge not yourselves, my dearly beloved; but give place unto wrath, for it is written: Revenge is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." (DRCB). The fight of true Christians will be with respect resisting the Devil and his deamons wicked influence at shown at Ephesians 6:12, " For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places." (DRCB).
THIS IS A WAR OF DIVINE EXECUTION:
The fact that this will be a war of divine execution was revealed in the Old Testament by the prophet Jeremiah at Jeremiah 25:31, " The noise is come even to the ends of the earth: for the Lord entereth into judgment with the nations: he entereth into judgment with all flesh; the wicked I have delivered up to the sword, saith the Lord." (DRCB); And affirmed in the New Testament at 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, " Seeing it is a just thing with God to repay tribulation to them that trouble you: 7 And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with the angels of his power: 8 In a flame of fire, giving vengeance to them who know not God and who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 Who shall suffer eternal punishment in destruction, from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his power:" (DRCB). In fact the prophet Zephaniah at Zephaniah 3:8 gave warning to true Christians to keep in expectation, " Wherefore expect me, saith the Lord, in the day of my resurrection that is to come, for my judgment is to assemble the Gentiles, and to gather the kingdoms: and to pour upon them my indignation, all my fierce anger: for with the fire of my jealousy shall all the earth be devoured." (DRCB); And Jude, a servant of Jesus (Yeshua) Christ, stated at Jude 14-15, " And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (American Standard Version; ASV); And Revelation 6:15-17 gives a picture of how events will be when that day arrives, " And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:" (ASV).
A FORWARD LOOK AT THE DESTRUCTION OF THAT DAY:
The Apostle John and the prophets Jeremiah, Zechariah, Ezekiel, and Zephaniah show clearly how great the destruction of that day will be; At Revelation 14:19-20, " And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, If any man worshippeth the beast and his image, and receiveth a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand, 10 he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: " (ASV); And this is affirmed by Jeremiah 25:30-33, " Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, Jehovah will roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he will mightily roar against his fold; he will give a shout, as they that tread [the grapes], against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31 A noise shall come even to the end of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the nations; he will enter into judgment with all flesh: as for the wicked, he will give them to the sword, saith Jehovah. 32 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest shall be raised up from the uttermost parts of the earth. 33 And the slain of Jehovah 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 face of the ground." (ASV); And by Zechariah 14:3 & 12, " Then shall Jehovah go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle." (ASV); And at Ezekial 38:18-22, " And it shall come to pass in that day, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah, that my wrath shall come up into my nostrils. 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 birds of the heavens, 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. 21 And I will call for a sword against him unto all my mountains, saith the Lord Jehovah: every man's sword shall be against his brother. 22 And with pestilence and with blood will I enter into judgment with him; and I will rain upon him, and upon his hordes, and upon the many peoples that are with him, an overflowing shower, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. "(ASV); And at Zephaniah 1:14-18, " The great day of Jehovah is near, it is near and hasteth greatly, [even] the voice of the day of Jehovah; the mighty man crieth there bitterly. 15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 a day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fortified cities, and against the high battlements. 17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against Jehovah; and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung. 18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he will make an end, yea, a terrible end, of all them that dwell in the land." (ASV).
--WHY NECESSARY?-
FIRST, IT IS NECESSARY TO SHOW GOD (YHWH) IS THE RIGHTEOUS SOVEREIGN:
It is necessary to show that God (YHWH) is the righteous sovereign with an unquestionable right to rule as shown by Psalms 83:17-18, " Until I went into the sanctuary of God, And considered their latter end. 18 Surely thou settest them in slippery places: Thou castest them down to destruction. " (ASV); And this is affirmed at Daniel 2:44, " And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. " (ASV); And at Revelation 11:17-18, " For God did put in their hearts to do his mind, and to come to one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished. 18 And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." (ASV); And at Isaiah 46:8-11, " Remember this, and show yourselves men; bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. 9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; God, and there is none like me; 10 declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not [yet] done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure; 11 calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country; yea, I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it." (ASV).
It will destroy all the entrenched political opposition to God (YHWH) and his kingdom as shown by Psalms 2:2 & 5-6 & 9, " The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against Jehovah, and against his anointed, [saying]," & " Then will he speak unto them in his wrath, And vex them in his sore displeasure: 6 Yet I have set my king Upon my holy hill of Zion."Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." (ASV); And detailed in Revelations at Revelation 17:12-14, " And the ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet; but they receive authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour. 13 These have one mind, and they give their power and authority unto the beast. 14 These shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they [also shall overcome] that are with him, called and chosen and faithful." (ASV); And at Revelation 19:11 & 16 & 19, " And after the three days and a half the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them that beheld them. " & "And the four and twenty elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshipped God," & " And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven; and there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant; and there followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail."
(ASV).
SECOND, IT IS NECESSARY TO MAGNIFY GOD'S (YHWH'S) NAME AND CLEAR IT OF REPROACH:
God (YHWH) inspired Ezekiel to make this known that he would magnify himself and clear his name at Ezekiel 38:23, " And I will magnify myself, and sanctify myself, and I will make myself known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am Jehovah" (ASV); And this fact is affirmed at Psalms 74:10 & 18, " How long, O God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?" & "Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Jehovah, And that a foolish people hath blasphemed thy name." (ASV).
THIRD, IT WILL CLEAR WICKEDNESS FROM THE EARTH:
Armageddon will pave the way for a righteous new system of things as foretold at 2 Peter 3:12-13, " looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. "(ASV); And at Psalms 37:10-11, " For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and he shall not be. 11 But the meek shall inherit the land, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." (ASV); And after it, per Proverbs 2:21-22, " For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the perfect shall remain in it. 22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, And the treacherous shall be rooted out of it. " (ASV). Also, it is shown at Psalms 145:20, " Jehovah preserveth all them that love him; But all the wicked will he destroy." (ASV); And at Isaiah 11:1 & 4, " And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit." & "but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked." (ASV).
FOURTH, GOD (YHWH) DOES NOT VIOLATE THE PRINCIPLE OF LOVE BY DESTROYING THE WICKED:
Some may say, how can a loving God (YHWH) destroy the wicked and not violate the principle of love, but their destruction actually is an act of love as it eliminates the evil influence that now permeates the entire earth and makes it possible for the righteous to rejoice. This is shown by Ezekiel 18:23, " Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? saith the Lord Jehovah; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?" (ASV); And at Romans 9:22, " What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction:" (ASV); And at 2 Peter 3:9, " The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (ASV); And at Luke 18:7-8, " And shall not God avenge his elect, that cry to him day and night, and [yet] he is longsuffering over them? 8 I say unto you, that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (ASV).
--ARMAGEDDON WILL COME UNEXPECTEDLY AND CATCH THE WICKED BY SURPRISE-
WHEN WILL ARMAGEDDON COME?
The Bible clearly shows that it will come at the culmination of the end times as shown at Matthew 24:34-36 & 43-44, " Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only." & "But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through. 44 Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh." (ASV); Interestingly, even the angels and the Son of God (YHWH), Jesus (Yeshua) are shown at Matthew 24:36, previously quoted, which interestingly also shows that Almighty God (YHWH) and his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) are two distinct beings.
Its coming will be very sudden and the wicked will be caught unexpectedly by this culmination of the end times known as Armageddon as shown at 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, " For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape. " (ASV); And affirmed at 2 Peter 3:10, " But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (ASV); And at Luke 21:34-35, " But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare: 35 for [so] shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth. " (ASV); And at Revelation 16:15, " (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walked naked, and they see his shame.) " (ASV); And at Proverbs 6:12-15, " A worthless person, a man of iniquity, Is he that walketh with a perverse mouth; 13 That winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet, That maketh signs with his fingers; 14 In whose heart is perverseness, Who deviseth evil continually, Who soweth discord. 15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy." (ASV).
However true Christians, the real foot-step followers of Jesus (Yeshua) will be busy in this end times immediately before its culmination in Armageddon preaching the word of God (YHWH) per the directions of his Son found at Matthew 24:14, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Authorized King James Bible; AV).
NOW HOW IS SURVIVAL POSSIBLE:
The Bible clearly shows we must be meek and obedient to the word of God (YHWH) at Zephaniah 2:2-3, " before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of Jehovah come upon you, before the day of Jehovah's anger come upon you. 3 Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah's anger. " (ASV); And this is affilmed at Joel 2:32, " And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as Jehovah hath said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call." (ASV). In fact to be saved, we must be loving God (YHWH) and his commandments as testified to at Psalms 145:20, " Jehovah preserveth all them that love him; But all the wicked will he destroy" (ASV); And at Psalms 2:11-12, " Serve Jehovah with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, For his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that take refuge in him." (ASV); And at John 3:16, " For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life." (ASV); And at Romans 5:9-10, " Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath [of God] through him. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life;" (ASV); And at Ecclesiastes 7:12, " For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it" (ASV); And at Romans 10:10, " for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (ASV); And at Matthew 10:22, " And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved." (ASV).
Your Friend in Christ Iris89