Rev 19:11-21
The Last Battle
We are now at the END of the tribulation, but even though we have
read most every word of the Revelation together, we still do not have
an idea of how bad the tribulation will be.
God has plugged the petals off Satan’s flower of death one petal at a
time.
Chapter 16 - He destroyed Satan’s world with plagues.
Chapter 17 - He destroyed Satan’s religion.
Chapter 18 - He destroyed Satan’s economy.
Chapter 19 - He destroys Satan’s military and political arms. This will
be done via a war.
War is a great part of the tribulation.
1. Revelation 6 informs us of war at the beginning of the
tribulation.
2. Daniel 11 - War in the middle of it.
3. Revelation 19 - War at the end.
It is very possible that war will continue the entire seven years.
We have talked about this war already, referring to it as "the Last
War" in Revelation 16:12-16.
\\#Rev 14:18-20\\ The vision is of a great harvest of death upon
the earth during the last half of the tribulation speaks of the
great death from the war.
1. During the course of which, blood will flow as high as a horse
bridle (around four feet).
2. The blood will flow a distance of 1600 furlongs (200 miles
according to John McArthur’s translation).
\\#Rev 16:12-16\\ The sixth vial that was poured out sent three
unclean spirits to gather the kings of the east to Armageddon
is important because it gives us four truths:
1. \\#12\\ Where these kings come from - East (actually probably
northeast) from the other side of the Euphrates.
2. \\#16\\ Where these kings are going to - Armageddon, the city
or hill of Megiddo.
3. \\#14\\ What these kings are going for - "the battle of that
great day of God Almighty." The battle being called by that
name implies it is the great battle prophesied in the Old
Testament.
4. \\#14\\ Who these kings are going to meet - ‘the kings of the
earth and of the whole world"
\\#Rev 19:11-21\\ This text records only the end of that war.
1. No single passage gives all of the details of this war but
several (including Eze 38-39, Zech 14, and Rev 19:11-21) give
us details of the battles. We are going to look at all three
of those passages today.
2. We do not know the timing, order, or reasoning behind all of
the battles, but I will give you one possible sketch of what
MIGHT happen in the future.
3. Remember, just because we are not able to figure out all the
details does not mean these things will not happen. They
surely will.
4. Turn to Eze 38 and let’s review some and then add more to it.
I. \\#Eze 38:8\\ The CONDITIONS
Eze 38:8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years
thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword,
and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel,
which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the
nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
A. Time Reference - It will be "After many days… in the latter
years" - Both indicate this battle will occur in the end time.
B. Land Reference
1. After "the land that is brought back from the sword, and
is gathered out of many people…."
2. "…it is brought forth out of the nations…."
3. Both are implying that Israel will have been scattered but
regathered.
C. Political Reference - "…and they shall dwell safely all of
them."
1. This would indicate the strife with the Arabs has ceased.
2. \\#Eze 38:11\\ also indicates this.
Eze 38:11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled
villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all
of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates.
D. Most of these conditions are already met!
1. The TIME and the LAND conditions are right already.
2. The POLITICAL conditions are far from fulfilled. Israel
is NOT at peace.
3. However, if Ezekiel 38-39 is the Battle of Armageddon, it
will not take place until nearly seven years after the
rapture of the church. That gives time for the political
conditions to be met.
4. There does not have to be peace in Israel for the rapture
to take place.
II. \\#Eze 38:1-6, 13\\ The NATIONS - Too many details to mention but
it will be many and not just from the North and East.
III. \\#Eze 38:9-12\\ The MOTIVE - To take spoil from the defenseless
Israel.
Eze 38:12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey;
to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that
are now inhabited, and upon the people that are
gathered out of the nations, which have gotten
cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of
the land.
A. Before the temple can be built, some kind of treaty will be
forged \\#Dan 9:27\\.
B. I believe that treaty will temporarily stop the fighting in
Israel and make the Jews think it is safe to remove their
defenses.
IV. I think Ezekiel 38-39 is the Battle at Megiddo (Armageddon)
A. Why?
1. Granted, there is no direct reference to Megiddo in the
text.
2. However, this is the largest prophetic battle in the Old
Testament and matches the description given in Rev 16:14
"the battle of that great day of God Almighty."
B. \\#Eze 38:15-16\\ The event which sets this battle in motion
an army from the north moving against Israel. (This will be
made possible by the sixth vial.)
Eze 38:15 And thou shalt come from thy place out
of the north parts, thou, and many people with
thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great
company, and a mighty army:
C. \\#Eze 38:21\\ While in the northern mountains, God causes the
army to turn against itself.
Eze 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.
1. Some of the tallest mountains in that region are north of
the valley where Megiddo lies in what we would today
call Lebanon.
a. Mount Hermon 9,230’, Mount Lebanon 10,200’
b. I am supposing that either in or from around this
area, this army will approach.
2. \\#Eze 38:22-23\\ - God will then smite the army
supernaturally, a preemptive strike if you please,
Eze 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.
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.
3. \\#Eze 39:2\\ 5/6 will turn back or be destroyed, leaving
leaving only 1/6 of this northern army to continue.
Eze 39:2 And I will turn thee back, and leave
but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee
to come up from the north parts, and will bring
thee upon the mountains of Israel:
4. \\#Eze 39:3\\ God will smite them with incompetence.
Eze 39:3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy
left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall
out of thy right hand.
5. \\#Eze 39:4\\ The dead in the mountains shall be food for
the birds and animals.
Eze 39:4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of
Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people
that is with thee: I will give thee unto the
ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts
of the field to be devoured.
a. That is mentioned again in \\#Eze 39:17-20\\.
b. It is similar to \\#Rev 19:17-18\\.
c. These are similar because the same God is dealing with
the same people at or near the same time.
6. \\#Eze 39:5\\ The bodies shall lay from the mountains
down into the plains (Megiddo ?) below.
Eze 39:5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field:
for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
7. \\#Eze 39:6\\ God will then send fire (either literally
or a symbolic of what He will do) on the homeland of that
army (Magog is a land \\#Eze 38:2\\).
Eze 39:6 And I will send a fire on Magog, and
among them that dwell carelessly in the isles:
and they shall know that I am the LORD.
8. \\#Eze 39:9-22\\ The Consequences - Israel shall spoil
the dead and use their weapons for fuel for seven years.
It will take seven months to bury all the dead.
Eze 39:9 And they that dwell in the cities of
Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire
and burn the weapons, both the shields and the
bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the
handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn
them with fire seven years:
Eze 39:11 And it shall come to pass in that day,
that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves
in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the
east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of
the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and
all his multitude: and they shall call it The
valley of Hamongog.
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be
burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.
a. This certainly seems to be a "last" battle!
b. It would seem that it would take years and years for
the nations of the world to recuperate from this.
9. The seven years of gathering and burning the weapons
bothers some because by Revelation’s account, we are
close to the millennium; but the millennial will have
time too!
10. Notice \\#Eze 39:17-20\\ similarity to \\#Rev 19:17-19\\.
V. The Battle of Jerusalem
A. The Battle of Armageddon is not the only battle that will be
fought in this last great war.
B. \\#Zech 14:1-7\\ There is also the battle at Jerusalem.
Zec 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and
thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem
to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the
houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half
of the city shall go forth into captivity, and
the residue of the people shall not be cut off
from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against
those nations, as when he fought in the day of
battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the
mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the
east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the
midst thereof toward the east and toward the west,
and there shall be a very great valley; and half
of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and
half of it toward the south.
1. Megiddo is 55 miles from Jerusalem as the crow flies.
2. 5/6 of the original army was destroyed but that leaves 1/6
to come to "the mountains of Israel" \\#Eze 38:8,21\\
\\#Eze 39:2, 4, 17\\.
3. Jerusalem is on several of those mountains.
C. The Battle of Jerusalem is a lost battle.
1. \\#Zech 14:2\\ All nations are gathered to spoil
Jerusalem.
2. \\#Zech 14:2\\ The city is conquered, the city plundered,
the woman ravished, half of the population is lead away
in captivity.
3. \\#Zech 14:3\\ THEN Jesus returns.
4. Add the details from Revelation 19:11.
a. Jesus has finished the Marriage Supper.
b. \\#Rev 19:12\\ His eyes become enflamed with wrath.
Rev 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire….
c. \\#19:12-13\\ He dons the apparel of a Kingly
Warrior:
(1) His crown
Rev 19:12 …and on his head were many crowns…
(2) His warrior name is written - No one has ever
seen this side of Jesus before!
Rev 19:12 … and he had a name written, that
no man knew, but he himself.
(3) His vesture is dipped in blood (Done to show
there is no timidity on His part to shed blood.)
Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture
dipped in blood: and his name is called The
Word of God.
d. \\#19:16\\ That vesture or sash also announces Him as
KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his
thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD
OF LORDS.
e. \\#19:14\\ His army rides behind Him.
Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven
followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine
linen, white and clean.
f. I believe this will be a visible, personal return to
the earth.
g. \\#19:15\\ Out of His mouth, power goes forth to slay
the victorious army of Satan.
Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp
sword, that with it he should smite the nations:
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and
he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and
wrath of Almighty God.
Zech 14:12 And this shall be the plague
wherewith the LORD will smite all the people
that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh
shall consume away while they stand upon their
feet, and their eyes shall consume away in
their holes, and their tongue shall consume
away in their mouth.
5. \\#Zech 14:3\\ Jesus will descend to the Mount of Olives.
a. The earth will again quake.
b. The mountain shall separate into four parts.
c. Any that are left alive will flee.
6. \\#Rev 19:17-18\\ Like the dead from the Battle of
Megiddo, the dead from this battle will be so plenteous
that God will have to summon the birds and animals to
eat their flesh.
Satan’s army is destroyed. The war is over. Christ has returned.
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