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Stop! If you haven’t read Interruption #432, go to www.grantedwardsauthor.com and read it.
There are nine end-times wars mentioned in the Bible. I say perhaps eight in Interruption #432 because I think two of the wars in the book of Revelation could be one war. We will continue with the wars mentioned in Revelation in a moment. But first…
Two end-times wars not mentioned in Revelation are the first and the second. Psalm 83 depicts the Islamic nations closest to Israel attacking and being defeated. They then turn for help to other Islamic nations, along with Russia, and attack again. This is described in Ezekiel 38 and 39. In both wars, the attacking nations are defeated.
End-times Bible prophecy has an “in the moment” lens – prophecies mentioned in the Bible but not understood until they happen in history. Think about current events for a moment.
David Reagan, of Lamb and Lion Ministries, writes of these two wars:
What I think is going to happen here is that God is going to use the Antichrist as His hammer of wrath to destroy Islam in the Middle East.
Continuing from yesterday’s Interruption on the end-times wars in the book of Revelation (eight or nine total but not all mentioned in the book of Revelation)…
The final two battles:
- Battle of Armageddon
There is a lot of discussion on this battle with Bible students. In fact, the phrase “Battle of Armageddon” is not mentioned in the Bible. What is quoted?
For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty… And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon. Revelation 16:14-16
It isn’t much of a battle, as it seems from other prophecies in the Bible that the Lord takes up this fight, utters His voice, and the armies gathered are instantly destroyed (Joel 3:14-17).
- Final Battle in the book of Revelation
After Armageddon, Jesus establishes His Kingdom on earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-3), after which Satan is released for the final battle (Revelation 20:7-10).
Yes, 1,000 years of peace and prosperity, then those on earth rebel again.
This battle is about defeating rebellion as much as the demons and their human followers. At the end of this war…
Then death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:14
As I consider the entire story of the Bible – why would Adam and Eve rebel against God in a perfect garden? Also, why would there be rebellion against God after a 1,000-year perfect reign of Jesus?
Our sin nature!
Through the wars and complexities of the book of Revelation, there is one conclusion that brings hope – rebellion, death, tears, and sickness will be defeated. The purpose of history is not for humans to figure out “peace and prosperity” for themselves but to finally have our sin nature defeated.
We will then love and obey Jesus for eternity.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Interruptions will feature the book of Revelation in 2021. Read #280, #281, #295, #307, #316, #333, #343, #364, #380, #395, #406, and #432 at www.grantedwardsauthor.com for previous blog posts on Revelation. I’m writing 17 more blog posts on Revelation in the next year.