we can form many opinions but are they correct? We need the same kind of help that Jesus gave those two disciples. If that does not happen, we guess...

When we hear the name Armageddon, we often think of things like the anti-Christ, the tribulation, apocalypse, the mark of the beast and all kinds of dreadful things that often instill people with much fear and trepidation. Will we be there? Will we witness the battle in the valley of Megiddo? Well, let’s see. I shall share pertinent scriptural and historical facts, not to “prove” any particular doctrine, although I do hold to certain beliefs, but to provide information that you can pray about and weigh up for yourself.

Megiddo is the hill seen here that overlooks the valleys below. This is where this end time battle shall be waged—by God. He will intervene in the affairs of men here and complete His prophetic plan for the nation of Israel and that is what it is really about as prophets like Zechariah stated.
 

Megiddo was a Canaanite city South-East of Mount Carmel and Nazareth. It has always been the center of activity.

Elijah confronted the false gods that Ahab and Jezebel worshiped and led God’s people astray there.

The worship of those gods—the Shedim, Diamonia and the Baals has returned and they have infiltrated the church, just as they did in Elijah’s day! All false gods and idol worship may have different names, but they have similar traits and behaviour patterns.

This area is very important, being strategically placed, overlooking the major trade routes between Europe, Asia and Africa.

A pass through the Mt Carmel range led from the plain of Sharon into the plain of Jezreel and was one of the most important commercial and military centers in the region in the 2nd millennium and the early 1st millennium.

It has been the scene of numerous major battles.

Great military men like Napoleon in 1799 and General Allenby during World War 1 fought there.

Joshua defeated the king of Megiddo but did not take the city. Megiddo was assigned to Manasseh, but the Israelites did not totally conquer it. The Canaanites remained. A lesson for us can be learned by observing history. Total victory is only made when the enemy, in whatever form the enemy may be, is totally eradicated.

During the days of the judges, Deborah and Barak defeated the forces of Hazor under the command of Sisera “by the waters of Megiddo” but did not take the city (Judges 4:15; 5:19).

David may have conquered it as part of his program for establishing the kingdom, but we are not totally sure of that. Solomon however did establish a base there.

It was the headquarters of one of his 12 administrative regions and one of his chariot and garrison cities was at Megiddo.

King Ahaziah of Judah died there after being wounded by Jehu while on a visit to the northern kingdom.

King Josiah of Judah intercepted Pharaoh Neco of Egypt at Megiddo in a vain effort to prevent him from going north to aid the Assyrians. He was mortally wounded in the battle.

This chapter reveals that God will defend Jerusalem from the nations who come against His city and her people. Zechariah states that the people shall “look earnestly upon Me whom they have pierced”. This is already starting and amazing things are already happening in Israel.

This is the fate of Israel, as pronounced by the Lord, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundation of the earth, and formed the spirit of man within him:“I will make Jerusalem and Judah like a cup of poison to all the nearby nations that send their armies to surround Jerusalem.

Jerusalem will be a heavy stone burdening the world. And though all the nations of the earth unite in an attempt to move her, they will all be crushed.

In that day,” says the Lord, “I will bewilder the armies drawn up against her, and make fools of them, for I will watch over the people of Judah, but blind all her enemies.

“And the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, ‘The people of Jerusalem have found strength in the Lord Almighty, their God.’

“In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a little fire that sets the forest aflame—like a burning match among the sheaves; they will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left, while Jerusalem stands unmoved.

The Lord will give victory to the rest of Judah first, before Jerusalem, so that the people of Jerusalem and the royal line of David won’t be filled with pride at their success.

“The Lord will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! And the royal line will be as God, like the Angel of the Lord who goes before them!

For my plan is to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Zechariah 12:1-9

Zechariah 13 reveals more. It is something powerful that relates to the Jewish people as well as the Church.

At that time a Fountain will be opened to the people of Israel and Jerusalem, a Fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and defilement.”And the Lord Almighty declares, “In that day I will get rid of every vestige of idol worship throughout the land, so that even the names of the idols will be forgotten. All false prophets and fortune-tellers will be wiped out, and if anyone begins false prophecy again, his own father and mother will slay him! ‘You must die,’ they will tell him, ‘for you are prophesying lies in the name of the Lord.’ “No one will be boasting then of his prophetic gift! No one will wear prophet’s clothes to try to fool the people then. Zechariah 13:1-4

There has been a sudden surge in “prophecies” lately, some of which are questionable. It is as if a floodgate has been opened and many people are “predicting” outcomes and in the tenor of this message, declaring all kinds of “end time events” and setting definite dates for the Lord’s return. One prominent preacher spoke at length about the “Four blood moons” several years ago and caused much confusion. They are a natural recurring phenomenon, like the “super-moons” recently seen here.

The bible teaches us that anyone who does not have a God vision lives perilously. The devil does not play games. He plays for keeps and one of his most effective tools is ignorance—not knowing absolute truth. He tricked Eve by appealing to her natural instincts, misunderstanding what God really said and seeking something she already possessed. It is a ploy still employed today.

He does not care about religion. He does not care if we go to church or if we read a bible. What threatens him is someone who knows God, not about God; knows His Word, not about His Word, does what the word says and is Spirit filled, because that person can function just as Jesus did on the earth.

Paul said in 2 Timothy 3, that perilous times will come in the last days. He said that a generation of people will have a form of Godliness, but deny the truth. We should look at what he said:

They may pretend to have a respect for God, but in reality they want nothing to do with God’s power. Stay away from people like these! For they are the ones who worm their way into the hearts of vulnerable women spending the night with those who are captured by their lusts and steeped in sin. They are always learning but never discover the revelation-knowledge of truth. History has given us an example of this with the Egyptian sorcerers Jannes and Jambres, who stood against Moses in their arrogance.

So it will be in the last days with those who reject the faith with their corrupt minds and arrogant hearts, standing against the truth of God.

But they will not advance, for everyone will see their madness, just as they did with Jannes and Jambres!

But you, Timothy, have closely followed my example and the truth that I’ve imparted to you. You have modeled your life after the love and endurance I’ve demonstrated in my ministry by not giving up. The faith I have, you now have. What I have hungered for in life has now become your longing as well. The patience I have with others, you now demonstrate. And the same persecutions and difficulties I have endured, you have also endured. Yes, you know all about what I had to suffer while in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. You’re aware of all the persecution I endured there; yet the Lord delivered me from every single one of them! For all who choose to live passionately and faithfully as worshipers of Jesus, the Anointed One, will also experience persecution.

But the evil men and sorcerers will progress from bad to worse, deceived and deceiving, as they lead people further from the truth. Yet you must continue to advance in strength with the truth wrapped around your heart, being assured by God that he’s the One who has truly taught you all these things.

Remember what you were taught from your childhood from the Holy Scrolls which can impart to you wisdom to experience everlasting life through the faith of Jesus, the Anointed One!

Every Scripture has been written by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness.

Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you.

2 Timothy 3:5-17

This is why we are told to apply due diligence to the study of God’s word—as led by the Spirit. Paul also said:

Overcome every form of evil as a victorious soldier of Jesus the Anointed One. For every soldier called to active duty must divorce himself from the distractions of this world so that he may fully satisfy the one who chose him.
An athlete who doesn’t play by the rules will never receive the trophy, so remain faithful to God!
The farmer who labors to produce a crop should be the first one to be fed from its harvest.

Carefully consider all that I’ve taught you, and may our Lord inspire you with wisdom and revelation in everything you say and do. But make Jesus, the Anointed One, your focus in life and ministry.

For he came to earth as the descendant of David and rose from the dead, according to the revelation of the gospel that God has given me. This is the reason I am persecuted and imprisoned by evildoers, enduring the suffering of these chains—but the Word of God can never be chained! I endure all these hardships for the benefit of the chosen ones in Christ so that they may also discover the overcoming life that is in Jesus Christ, and experience a glory that lasts forever!

You can trust these words:

If we were joined with him in his death, then we are joined with him in his life! If we are joined with him in his sufferings, then we will reign together with him in his triumph. But if we disregard him, then he will also disregard us.

But even if we are faithless, he will still be full of faith, for he never wavers in his faithfulness to us!

Be committed to teach the believers all these things when you are with them in the presence of the Lord. Instruct them to never be drawn into meaningless arguments, or tear each other down with useless words that only harm others.

Always be eager to present yourself before God as a perfect and mature minister, without shame, as one who correctly explains the Word of Truth.

And avoid empty chatter and worthless words, for they simply add to the irreverence of those who converse in that manner. For the words of Hymenaeus and Philetus are like gangrene, they have already spread their poison to many. 1hey are lost to the truth and teach gross error when they teach that the resurrection of the dead has already passed.

They are guilty of subverting the faith of some believers.

But the firm foundation of God has written upon it these two inscriptions: “The Lord God recognizes those who are truly his!” and, “Everyone who worships the name of the Lord Jesus must forsake wickedness!” 2 Timothy 2:3-19

If we can explain the word of truth correctly, it is possible to do the reverse. This applies to our approach to prophecy.

To correctly understand prophecy, we must ascertain (a) to whom  was it addressed, (b) when, (c) where and (d) under what conditions or circumstances. I we get that wrong, we can think that God is talking to or about us (the Church), whereas He is addressing Israel, or vice-versa. He also speaks about the world system.

In the church at Thessalonica, a few people told many believers that they had “missed the rapture” so Paul wrote a letter to them to correct that error. He told them the truth of the matter, stating in Chapter four that he did not want us to be uninformed.

He said similar things to the church at Corinth concerning the gifts the Spirit. Cessationalists need to learn such truths.

Therefore, when we read accounts like this battle of Armageddon, we would be wise to stop and think and ask the Lord for proper understanding before leaping to conclusions. It is like trying to discover the meaning of the number 666 and that can also be interpreted to read 616.
It seems to relate more to ancient Rome and Nero (in the Latin) or Neron (in the Hebrew) and may not relate to us at all. 

To them, the emperor was the beast. He was the Antichrist. They saw Rome as a wild beast.
They were looking for their king to come and at one time, expected this king to arrive with his natural army and overthrow Rome.

The question to ask is if it affects us.

Do those references to Armageddon and Megiddo relate to us at all? Perhaps not. I say that because the letter was written to Jewish believers by a Jew when Rome was ruling with an iron fist. John’s letter was just that—a letter to Jewish followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, many of whom were living under such extreme conditions and circumstances. He spoke in terms that they understood.

Rome worshiped many false gods and enforced their rule. It was a “take the mark or else” situation. Confessing Jesus as Lord and not bowing to their god, namely the emperor and all other gods could be risky.

When John wrote that letter—it was to Jewish believers in Jesus and they had to face such decisions. They knew what he meant.

He used terms and symbols, types and shadows that were familiar to them to reveal spiritual truths and he saw many beasts.

Rather than specifically naming the emperor and risk incurring his wrath, he could have simply been calling him the beast and they knew who he was talking about. When he spoke of a mark, he could have been referring to something applicable to that day, such as a branding of slaves.

There has been much conjecture about this “mark of the beast” and the number 666—much speculation and guesswork.

I shall make a bold declaration now—it does not apply to us! I say that for two reasons, the first is that the Lord specifically told me to stop looking! I think it actually angers Him and I say that because looking for it can lead us astray and down the rabbit hole!

He explained that what He really wants us to know without guesswork is open in plain sight for us.

That phrase “I do not want you to be ignorant brethren” may be the key.

The other reason is scripture itself.

 I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads names of blasphemy. Revelation 13:1

When we see mention of heads and horns and crowns, it often speaks of kings and kingdoms and those that existed then.

The seven heads may have been seven world monarchies like Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and the Germanic empire, but there are many more. I found 28. It seems therefore that John’s letter may not be as “prophetic” as we try to make it.

Certainly, prophecy is involved, but we can start chasing shadows, rather than ensuring that our lives are in right standing before God and that we have a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Worship God! For the testimony of Yeshua is the Spirit of prophecy. Revelation 19:10

The book of revelation is a revelation of Jesus Christ and I believe that when we get that right, we can start to look at where we fit in with His plan irrespective of the identity of the beast, the anti-Christ or that mark. I am starting to think more in terms of a system—of what  kind of leadership we have in place.

History has a habit of repeating itself and at the risk of sounding alarmist, we are witnessing a woke agenda that wants to enforce the ideals of false worship upon us today. State sponsored persecutions is how it is expressed. A quick look at our political arena can attest to that. The Democrats in America, the Labor party and the Greens in Australia are examples. Kamala Harris openly mocked Christians and the Labor party’s proposed freedom of speech and social cohesion policies are evil. The Labor party is pushing hard to implement its dangerous misinformation bill through. Why?

It is, I believe part of the enemy’s plan to become the object of false worship.

And they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast. And they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to fight with him?”
And he was given a mouth speaking great matters and blasphemies, and he was given authority to do so forty-two months.
And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against Elohim, to blaspheme His Name, and His Tent, and those dwelling in the heaven.
And it was given to him to fight with the set-apart ones and to overcome them. And authority was given to him over every tribe and tongue and nation... Revelation 13:4-7

He was permitted to do so for a specific and limited period of time. Notice the reference to blasphemy. Do you blaspheme? I doubt it. Are you washed in the blood of Jesus? I hope so. If you are, then this does not apply to you at all. We are clearly told...

If anyone has an ear, let him hear... Revelation 13:9

Jesus told us that in Matthew 11:15, 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23, 7:16; Luke 8:8, 14:35, 16:29

Whose voice we hear, believe and act on determines the outcome.

What is seen sandwiched between those verses is why I made my bold statement.

Everyone living on earth will worship it except those whose names are written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb slaughtered before the world was founded. Revelation 13:8

That number however still mystifies many people.

Here is the wisdom! He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. Revelation 13:18

We do not have to guess. If we have understanding we can do the math and the calculation reveals that this is the number of a man! It is someone like Nero! It may have referred to Nero himself! This is a principle that goes back to Abraham’s day, when after winning conflicts and rescuing Lot as seen in  Genesis 14, two people met him. One was Melchizedek and the other was the king of Sodom. Replace that king with Nero.

Abraham and Melchizedek shared bread and wine, symbolizing covenant.

The king of Sodom did not care about the spoils. He asked for the hearts and minds of the people. This is the real battle.

Let us look now at Armageddon.

Revelation16:16 says that God will gather them together into a place called Armageddon. It specifically states that God shall do this and that the name is in the Hebrew—not the Greek as seen in the heading.

The Hebrew is Har-Magedon. Har means mountain so this is the mount of Megiddon. The meaning is uncertain. A possible meaning comes from the Hebrew root gadad that means cutting or invading. If this is true, it means that God intends to invade or cut something, but what is it?

Look at Revelation 16:13-15 and at the pictures of the three frogs on page one.

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. 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.
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. Revelation 16:13-16

Please look closely at the part, coming as a thief. He is not coming as a thief in the night to us.
He was advising someone else to watch and be careful, to avoid his shame and nakedness.

John said that he gathered “them” to Armageddon.

Those of us whose names are recorded in His book will not be naked and ashamed.
We shall be wearing pure white linen garments. See Revelation 3:5, 18, 7:9, 19:8.

We shall not be participating in that war.

When Moses stood before Pharaoh, his rod turned into serpent, but the magicians of Egypt did likewise.

The river turned to blood and then the frogs came and frogs speak of evil spirits. In Zechariah 13, especially verse 2, God said that on that day He shall cut off or eradicate all such falsehood, motivated by evil spirits.

What is that falsehood? It is infidelity as to Jesus Christ’s coming in the flesh, when men start worshiping a substitute, reject Him that came in the Father’s name—and those He sends. It is when people worship someone that comes in his own name.

Such people are as frogs that croak by night who talk of liberty—but not liberty in the Spirit.

These are unclean spirits in the darkness of error who teach lies amidst the mire of lusts and false spiritualism (see 2 Timothy 3, particularly verses 1-8). They set man above God and promote the politics and doctrines of men. They talk of liberty, but it is not Gospel liberty. It is a license for lust.

This impending battle may thus seem to be different to what we have thought and it might not involve us at all. People often talk of World War 3, but what is a world war? WW2 was fought in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, China, Greece, the African continent, Russia, the UK and because of Pearl Harbor, America. Australia and New Zealand was involved. Canada and India joined in.

That was indeed a world war, but this will be concentrated in one relatively small place where “the kings of the earth” would gather together in a war against Israel.

Only those who oppose Israel will be involved.
 

It is called poleimon teis heimeras teis megaleis, otherwise known as, “The war of the great day” of God.

This is where and when God’s judgment comes and the Roman empire of which John wrote would cease to exist.
 

What then does it mean and how does it affect us, if it does?

There is a biblical principle of first the natural and then the spiritual. Something in the natural realm can be like a metaphor or allegory, a symbol of something to convey a deeper meaning. If Rome was the natural, then the spiritual implication means that God shall directly deal with the falsehood and idolatry that exists. It is expressed though a hatred and opposition of all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind.

Rome was the capital of the largest empire in the world and it became so big and powerful, it influenced all of the then known societies and religious beliefs of the world. Today, many people want to reintroduce such power and authority. I like it perhaps to the tower of Babel and God made certain that mankind could never build it. He intervened then and shall do so again.

Scriptures reveal that Jesus shall return and establish His kingdom—and His headquarters will be in Jerusalem, the City of God.

Many countries today refuse to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital.
The United Nations (or those kings I mentioned) is unashamedly anti-Israel and pushing for two-state solutions that can not work because God gave every square inch of that land to Israel.
What they and the countries involved do not see is that they are fighting God.

I do not pretend to know who will be in this war and I do not make any assumptions. What I am most interested in is watching this land being transformed before our eyes. Arid wastelands are being turned into forests. The desert is blossoming like a rose despite war against terrorism just as the prophet said—and that Jesus is returning...

I pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Please join me.

Robert