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WWIII Erupts From Iraq . The Battle of Armageddon
By Rev (Dr) Timothy Tow
(Preached at Life BPC, 10.30am Service, 16 Jan 2000 )
Text: Rev 9:13 -21; 16:12 -16
In a New Year speech, President Clinton ushered the whole world under American leadership into a new peaceful Millennium. That is a politican's word, but the opposite is the truth.
The new millennium draws us nearer to Jesus' coming, and His coming is to put down those who try to annihilate his chosen ones, the Jews. The new millennium will see a world of conflagration of warring nations. As every nation is arming to the teeth it is no wonder that little Singapore has to do the same. The order of survival is, in time of peace, prepare for war.
As there is a time of war (and a time of peace), let us hear the words of the prophet Joel, "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong" (Joel 3:9,10).
In 1936 Colonel Douglas MacArthur was sent by the United States on a reconnaissance tour of the Far East . Having seen how Japan was feverishly arming herself for aggression, he returned to report, " Japan must fight America ." It was a result he could not avoid from the mounting evidence. As we see it, in the light of the prophetic scriptures, WWIII is also inevitable.
And there are so many flash points we can enumerate. Insofar as Asia is concerned there is the perennial struggle between North and South Korea , the tension between Mainland China and Taiwan , involving China with the U.S. In no lesser terms there is the contest between India and Pakistan over the Kashmere problem. The present punitive action by Russia over breakaway Chechnya, when it subsides, may see another flare up somewhere in Europe, as Chechnya came up no sooner had Kosova died down. It is like the Hydraheaded Monster. When you cut off one head, out pops another two.
So wars will continue, from one sector of the world to another, but the final outbreak of the Big One, WWIII, will not occur in the Far East or in Europe, but in the Middle East . To be exact from the Euphrates Valley . This is the view of Dr Walvoord, Chancellor of Dallas Seminary, and I agree with him.
Notice that from end of WWI to beginning of WWII, 1918 to 1939, there was only a respite of 21 years. From 1945 end of WWII to the present the period of phoney peace is 55 years. WWIII nearly came to a head in the Days of President John Kennedy vs Kruschev over the attempted positioning of Russian missiles in Cuba aimed at America . Because of American superiority in nuclear power Margaret Thatcher, in her days of premiership over Britain , thanked Big Brother Reagan for capping down the Soviet Union .
Although Russia is weakened, Yeltsin reminded U.S. she was still a nuclear power. The threat of direct confrontation is still there. If, because of her weakened condition, the 55 years of an uneasy peace the world has enjoyed is prolonged, there is still the deception of peace and safety to watch over, for sudden destruction may come out of the blue. The warning of sudden destruction is Paul's prophetic utterance on how WWIII will come (I Thessalonians 5).
According to prophecy Satan is intent on destroying Israel in the final War of mankind. This is vividly portrayed in Revelation 12, "And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman ( Israel ) which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent" (12:13,14). This refers to the second half of the seven years of Antichrist rule when WWIII will last 3½ years. Israel will take refuge across the River Jordan to shelter in the rock-caves of Edom, Moab and Ammon in present day Jordan—"but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon" (Dan 11:41).
While WWII lasted six years, WWIII in which nuclear arms and chemicals will be used will be shorter. And when will it break out? At the sounding of the sixth trumpet at the great river Euphrates . "And the four angels (signifying universality) were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand" ( Rev 9:15 ,16).
Is this not history repeating itself? When Saddam Hussein attacked Kuwait in August 1990 and the Allies came to Kuwait 's rescue, Iraq 's defence was turned around to face a new enemy. Yet, her avowed determination was simultaneously to destroy Israel . Iraq rained down scud missiles on Israel short of poison gas for which Israel was prepared, but because God was on Israel 's side the damage incurred was slight.
Iraq lost the war, but why did not President Bush pursue further till Saddam Hussein was toppled? Why was he spared to live up to this day? He is still a young man and his resolve is fight America and extinguish Israel .
Will it be under his leadership when WWIII is declared "for an hour, and a day, and a month and a year?" Notice this takes place at the blowing of the sixth trumpet when war has been raging in other parts of the world. The climax comes to the Euphrates Valley at this late hour when "the way of the kings of the east might be prepared" ( Rev 16:12 ). Who are the kings of the east, that is, east of Israel ? Syria is northeast of Israel and comes into orbit of the east (II Kings 13:17 ). After Syria there are the Muslim countries of Saudi Arabia , the Gulf States , Iran , Afghanistan , Pakistan which leads to China . It will be a contest between East and West, yea, involving "the kings of the earth and of the whole world" ( Rev 16:14 ). There will be no neutral nations, only two opposing armies totalling 200 million men. The description of the armour of these fighting horsemen is also up-to-date, "having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone" etc., etc. ( Rev 9:17 -19). The contending armies come to a final clash at Armageddon.
Where is Armageddon? Armageddon is the Greek for the Hebrew Har-Megiddo (Hill of Slaughter). It is a plain between Haifa and the north Jordan Valley , a battlefield from time immemorial. This battlefield in the final World War stretches from Megiddo in the north to Edom in the south, to Eilat on the Red Sea (a distance of 200 miles). Rev 14:14 -20 tells of a river of blood extending this whole length of battlefield, the height of the flow of blood rising to the horses' bridles.
In this battle against Israel two thirds of her people will be killed. One third that survive will escape, as seen in Matthew 24:15-21 to Jordan where the rock caves for refuge are. At this moment of gravest crisis Christ will descend on the Mt of Olives to defeat Israel 's enemies (Zech 14:1-4). This is more vividly described in Rev 19:11-16 where Christ is seen riding a white horse, followed by the armies of heaven. He conquers the armies of the earth by the Word of His mouth. The awful carnage is described in the remaining verses of Rev 19:17 -18.
In the final stages of WWIII, "the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found" ( Rev 16:19 ,20). This refers to the War reaching a grand finale of total destruction. The great city which is Jerusalem is shattered into three parts by an earthquake, God's E-bomb which triggers a chain reaction that topples all capital cities of the world, from New York to London , from Paris to New Delhi , from Rome to Madras , from Bangkok to Singapore , from Jakarta to Sydney , a judgment to the whole sinful world.
With the total destruction of man's glory, Zechariah concludes, "And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem : and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited . . . And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles" (14:9-11; 16).
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne" (Rev 3:20,21).
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