Time of Jacob’s Trouble – Part 10

Battle of Armageddon

 

All of these events culminate at the battle of Armageddon, the most horrific example of human depravity and sin.  This is by far the climax of the worst point in history, a point in history where created man stand before their Creator, desiring to make war with Him who made the heavens and the earth.

 

Can a man gaze at the sun without his eyes being damaged?  Can one swim across the Atlantic Ocean?  Have we been able to search out the depths of the oceans?  Can we travel to the end of the universe?  Has mankind figured out a way to live for hundreds of years?  Can we dig to the center of the earth? 

 

Of what folly would it be to pretend to wage war against God Almighty!!!  Yet, this is preciously what people will do.  They will have refused to repent (Rev. 16:9), they will have been angry towards the Most High (Rev. 16:11).  Whereas they do not understand that a man cannot run from God but ONLY to Him.  Their hearts, being so hardened, the deception being so great, they will tell themselves they are strong, they will come and they will get their just recompense, for God will recompense their deeds.

 

“Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate a 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 pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, I am strong.  Assemble yourselves and come, all you nations; and gather yourselves together all around. O Jehovah, bring down Your mighty ones.  Let the nations be awakened and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. For there I will sit to judge all the nations all around.  Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down, for the press is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.  Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision.  The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their brightness.  Jehovah roars from Zion, and He utters His voice from Jerusalem. And the heavens and the earth quake. But Jehovah is a refuge for His people and a fortress to the sons of Israel.  And you shall know that I am Jehovah your God dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and foreigners shall no more pass through her.”  Joel 3:9-17

 

This gets into some very serious things here.  The battle of Armageddon appears to be the will of God, the means to which those who have not repented, those who have taken the mark of the beast and worshiped the beast, will meet their end in the body, their real end being eternity in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:15). 

 

There is some very complex doctrine, a mystery, something that certainly will not be known for sure of precisely how these things work, a pondering as to what is going on here.  In this next section, prior to getting into the nitty-gritty details that can be known about the battle of Armageddon, let us take a look at how the world gets to that point, how it is that the kings of the earth arrive at such a conclusion and ponder, seriously ponder.

 

There are certain things that, in my experience, the Baptists seem to skirt over when it comes to certain passages of the Holy Scriptures.  Things which are ‘hard to be understood’ (2 Pet. 3:16).  Now I do nor proclaim any special revelation regarding these things and quite honestly believe them to simply be a mystery, much like the seven spirits of God (Rev. 4:5, etc.), of which I could not come to any sort of conclusion about.

 

By no means do I mean to knock the Baptist preachers, those who are truly called by God to preach and wholeheartedly preach His Truth, for I find certain Baptists to be the closest to preaching the whole truth of God’s Word.  In fact, if any man stated that he had an explanation for these things and knew for certain that he was correct, I would chide him, as I do not believe these things can be know for sure.  So let’s take a look at the backdrop as to why the nations are gathering to war, why God Himself is telling them to get their weapons ready and be strong (Joel 3:10). 

 

The basis is set where the men who will be involved in the battle of Armageddon, a deceptive battle, a battle where mankind will have lost their sanity, will be fought on the side of mankind by those who have an unrepentant heart and blaspheme their Creator, the end of the battle, their impending doom, will be their justice upon their own heads for their wickedness and rebellion against God Almighty.

 

“And the fifth angel poured out his bowl onto the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain.  And they blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.”  Revelation 16:10-11

 

The stage is set, but what is the basis.  What causes these kings of the earth to gather their troops to battle?  What causes men to pretend to be strong and prepare to wipe Israel off the map and engage their very Creator?  Demonic influences…

 

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.  For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go forth to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”  Revelation 16:13-14

 

This is part of God’s just Judgment upon the remainder of mankind.  This, with the assumption of the Tribulation Rapture (separate event, referenced above) where those who have died in Christ during the Tribulation are referenced here:

 

“Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?  And I said to him, Sir, you know. So he said to me, These are the ones coming out of great affliction, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.  They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not fall on them, nor any burning heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  Revelation 7:13-17

 

“And I heard a voice from Heaven saying to me, Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow with them.”  Revelation 14:13

 

“And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?  And a white robe was given to each one of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who were about to be killed as they were, was filled up.”  Revelation 6:10-11

 

At this point the harvest is ripe and whereas one would consider that would mean that the Rapture would then happen at this point, understand when looking at the Holy Scriptures as a whole, this is referencing Israel, God’s chosen people (Deut. 7:6).

 

“And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.  And another angel came forth out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.  So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.  And another angel came forth out of the temple which is in Heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.  And another angel came forth out from the altar, who had authority over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.  So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.  And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came forth out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, by a distance of one thousand six hundred furlongs.”  Revelation 14:14-20

 

“Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.  He answered and said to them: He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all the stumbling blocks, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  Matthew 13:36-43

 

Once again, for all practical purposes, it appears at the battle of Armageddon, except for those of Israel, those whom God’s heart knows of that category, the world is void of Christians once again, the harvest has happened, the battle of Armageddon is at hand, the end of the end is upon the world.  Now let’s take a moment to address this issue as to how the kings of the earth get to this point, understand that the basis for such deception is much like the Grand Delusion (chapter about those Left Behind and cannot be Saved) that overtakes those who willfully denied Christ (2 Thes. 2:9-11), though they pretended to be Saved…this is much the same. 

 

A demonic deception is allowed to overtake the inhabitants of the earth, God is allowing it.  In fact God is ordaining that such an ordeal can occur.  In verse 13 of Revelation chapter 14, we read the following:

 

“And the sixth angel poured out his bowl onto the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.”

 

The way of the kings for the battle has been prepared by an angel.  Take note of that.  Now, these things are once again a mystery, but let us ponder some things and take into consideration that God takes very serious those who know of Him and purposely and willfully chose to walk contrary to Him.  There are some examples and insight from the Holy Scriptures that can give us a glimpse of this characteristic of God, though the details of exactly how they work and the precise line in the sand for such things to take place are not known, God knows the heart (Jer. 17:10).

 

First lets start with Saul:

 

“And Samuel said: Has Jehovah as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in to obey the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the Word of Jehovah, He also has rejected you from being king.”  1 Samuel 15:22-23

 

Saul had failed to obey God and rather chose the fear of man (vs. 24).  The result was an evil spirit sent from God.

 

“But the Spirit of Jehovah had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah had fallen upon him.  And Saul’s servants said to him, Behold, an evil spirit from God is overwhelming you.  Let our lord now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who knows how to play the harp; and it shall be that he shall play it with his hand when the evil spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.  So Saul said to his servants, Look now for a man who can play well, and bring him to me.  Then one of the servants answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who knows how to play, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and Jehovah is with him.  Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.  And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul.  And David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer.  And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my eyes.  And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp and played with his hand; and Saul was relieved and well, and the evil spirit departed from him.”  1 Samuel 16:14-23

 

Now let’s take a look at Ahab…

 

“Now three years passed without war between Syria and Israel.  And it came to pass, in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel.  And the king of Israel said to his servants, Have you known that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, but we are being inactive to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?  And he said to Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth Gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.  Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Please inquire at the Word of Jehovah today.  So the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to fight, or shall I refrain? And they said, Go up, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.  And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not still a prophet of Jehovah here, that we may inquire of Him?  And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of Jehovah; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so!  Then the king of Israel summoned a certain official and said, Bring Micaiah the son of Imlah quickly!  And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, having put on their robes, sat each on his throne, at a vacant spot at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.  And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself; and he said, Thus says Jehovah: With these you shall thrust at the Syrians to destroy them.  And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for Jehovah will deliver it into the king’s hand.  And the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets with one mouth are agreeable to the king. Please, let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak pleasant things.  And Micaiah said, As Jehovah lives, whatever Jehovah says to me, that I will speak.  So he came to the king; and the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain? And he answered him, Go and prosper, for Jehovah will deliver it into the hand of the king!  And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of Jehovah?  Then he said, I have seen all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep having no shepherd. And Jehovah said, These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.  And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?  And Micaiah said, Therefore hear the Word of Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting on His throne, and all the host of Heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left.  And Jehovah said, Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead? So one said this, and another was saying that.  Then a spirit came forward and stood before Jehovah, and said, I will entice him.  And Jehovah said to him, In what way? And he said, I will go out and be a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets. And Jehovah said, You shall entice him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.  Therefore now behold, Jehovah has put a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and Jehovah has spoken calamity against you.  Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way did the spirit from Jehovah go from me to speak to you?  And Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide!  So the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son; and say, Thus says the king: Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction, until I come in peace.  And Micaiah said, If you return to come back in peace, Jehovah has not spoken by me. And he said, All you people, pay attention!  So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.  And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.  Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two commanders of his chariots, saying, Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel.  And so it was, when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel! Therefore they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out.  And it happened, when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.  Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn your hand and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.  And the battle increased that day; and the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died at evening. And the blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot.  And as the sun was going down, a shout went throughout the camp, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own land!  So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria.”  1 Kings 22:1-37

What was the judgment against Ahab for his and Jezebel’s rebellion against God?  As declared from Elijah:

“So Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of Jehovah:  Behold, I shall bring evil upon you. I shall take away your posterity, and shall cut off from Ahab in Israel everyone who urinates against a wall, both bond and free.  I have delivered up your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel sin.  And concerning Jezebel Jehovah also spoke, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.  The dogs shall eat whoever of Ahab dies in the city, and the birds of the heavens shall eat whoever dies in the field.  Surely there had not been one like Ahab who had sold himself to do wickedness in the eyes of Jehovah, which his wife Jezebel had instigated.  And he did exceedingly abominably to follow after the idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom Jehovah had cast out before the children of Israel.”  1 Kings 21:20-26

 

Both Saul and Ahab knew who God was.  Saul was anointed by Samuel to be Israel’s first king.  Ahab was well aware, in fact it was a false testimony given that (1 Kings 21:1-16) that Naboth had blasphemed God, as well as the king.  They knew who God was, they knew that one blaspheming was deserving of death.  When they had Naboth accused, an innocent man, of blaspheming God, it was in fact them who were doing the actual deed. 

 

Ahab allowed Jezebel to use false accusations against Naboth, knowing that such a man was accused of blaspheming was deserving of death and assumed that they could willfully rebel against their Creator and what assume that He wouldn’t see (Ps. 139:7-10)?

 

My suggestion, my pondering, understanding that such things are a mystery, things of which we can not assume to know the answer until perhaps God gives understanding once we are in Heaven, but consider the following:

 

Clearly both Saul and Ahab willfully rebelled against God.  They knew what God expected, they knew of the justice of God, but they sinned grievously against their Creator.  Did God then allow them to deal with evil spirits, as they had wished not to contend with God’s Holy Spirit? 

 

Was their willful rebellion, their refusal to follow after God wholeheartedly a ‘sin unto death’ (1 John 5:16) scenario that included them being forced to contend with the influences of evil spirits, as they took no pleasure in following God???

 

During the Tribulation there will be multitudes who will be Saved (Rev. 7:9), but there will also be those who willfully refuse to repent and continue in their rebellion against their Creator (Rev. 9:21).  This mercy from God, and the mercy is that despite the fact that mankind has reached the point of the time of Jacob’s trouble, God is, until the point of the harvest, willing to be merciful to those who will seek Him with their whole heart (Jer. 29:13).  There is an illustration in the Bible regarding a situation like this:

 

“And the king sent them and they gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to him.  And the king went up to the house of Jehovah with all the men of Judah, and with him all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their ears all the Words of the Book of the Covenant which was found in the house of Jehovah.  Then the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before Jehovah, to follow Jehovah and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the Words of this covenant that were written in this Book. And all the people stood for the covenant.  And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring out of the temple of Jehovah all the articles that were made for Baal, for the grove, and for all the host of the heavens; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.  And he put an end to the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had dedicated to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem, and those burning incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the zodiac, and to all the host of the heavens.  And he brought out the grove from the house of Jehovah, to the Brook Kidron outside Jerusalem, burned it at the Brook Kidron and pulverized the ashes, and threw its ashes on the graves of the sons of the people.  And he tore down the houses of the male temple prostitutes that were in the house of Jehovah, where the women were weaving shelters for the grove.  And he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beer-sheba; also he broke down the high places at the gates which were at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were to one’s left of the city gate.  Nevertheless the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brethren.  And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of the sons of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech.  And he did away with the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of Jehovah, by the chamber of Nathan-Melech, the official who was in the court; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire.  The altars that were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of Jehovah, the king beat them down and ran and hurled their dust into the Brook Kidron.  And the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, which were on the south of the mount of corruption, which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtaroth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon.  And he broke in pieces the sacred pillars and chopped down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.  Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat had made, by which he had made Israel to sin, both that altar and the high place he tore down; and he burned the high place and pulverized it to dust, and burned the grove.  And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs that were there on the mountain. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar, and defiled it according to the Word of Jehovah which the man of God had proclaimed, who had proclaimed these things.  Then he said, What monument is this that I see? And the men of the city said to him, It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel.  And he said, Let him alone; let no one disturb his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that had come from Samaria.  And Josiah also took away all the houses of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke to anger; and he did to them according to all the deeds he had done at Bethel.  And he slaughtered all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned men’s bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem.  And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Passover to Jehovah your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.  Surely such a Passover had never been held since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel nor the kings of Judah.  It was in the eighteenth year of King Josiah that this Passover was observed unto Jehovah in Jerusalem.  Moreover Josiah put away the mediums and fortunetellers, the household images and idols, all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might perform the Words of the Law which were written in the Book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of Jehovah.  And before him there was no king like him, who turned to Jehovah with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him has any arisen like him.  Nevertheless Jehovah had not turned from His great burning wrath, with which His anger had been kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him.  And Jehovah said, I will also remove Judah from before My face, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I had said, My name shall be there.”  2 Kings 23:1-27

 

Consider the zeal of Josiah!  Imagine a king, a ruler, who came into power and instantly, in the name of God Almighty, with zeal restored things in line with what God’s Word teaches. 

 

Imagine instantly no more abortions allowed and those who proceeded with such things executed for the murder they have committed.  Imagine a king who instantly tore down the idolatrous Roman Catholic churches throughout the land!  Imagine a king who destroyed and banned the horrific, God defying music and entertainment industry lutes!  Imagine a king who cleansed the land of anything that was contrary to God and openly defied our Creator!  Well that was king Josiah and he did just that, yet in the end he himself certainly will reap the rewards of his diligence and zeal towards God, towards His people, Israel, yet God still would not turn from His great burning wrath.

 

The time of Jacob’s trouble seems to be much like that.  Therein is God’s great burning wrath against the inhabitants of the earth, nonetheless, His mercy, through Salvation, is still available for those who repent and follow Christ unto death.  The rest of humanity, the kings of the earth, those who have refused to repent will undoubtedly reap what they have sown (Gal. 6:7), much like Saul and Ahab.

 

The kings of the earth will be led astray, willfully and with God’s explicit aid.  It will not be because they didn’t have a choice in the matter, it will be because they know where the judgments are coming from (for they blaspheme God), but they refused to repent and hardened their hearts as Pharaoh did (Ex. 7:13, etc.), destroying themselves.

 

“For it was of Jehovah to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.”  Joshua 11:20

 

Whatever the case may be and however such things work, understand clearly the truth that is found in the Holy Scriptures.

 

“For we know Him who has said, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord. And again, The Lord will judge His people.  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”  Hebrews 10:30-31

 

Now taking a look at some of the intricate details that can be known about the battle of Armageddon, let me first reference Ezekiel 38-39, a point of contention for some arguing whether or not Gog/Magog and the battle of Armageddon are the same.  I personally would consider them to be the same event, though there is some controversy over such matters.  Let me start off by noting a similarity found in Ezekiel 39 and Revelation chapter 19, that would lead me to believe that they are the same battle described in both chapters.

 

“You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the people who are with you. I will give you to the birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.”  Ezekiel 39:4

 

“And as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord Jehovah, Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field: Assemble yourselves and come; gather together from all sides to My sacrifice which I am sacrificing for you, a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood.”  Ezekiel 39:17

 

“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of the heavens, Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.  And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.  And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he led astray those who received the mark of the beast and those who did homage to his image. These two were cast alive into the Lake of Fire burning with brimstone.  And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded out of the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.”  Revelation 19:17-21

 

I had found an older list of Old Testament and New Testament prophecies regarding the Tribulation time period and looked it over.  The person who compiled this list, a good list, like one that would have been found in the early 1990’s, took the liberty to state that Israel was the world’s number one migratory capital for birds in the world.  Well with the internet it is easy to see if these things are so.

 

In fact Israel is near the top, in fact it is number 2, the first country for migratory counts is actually Panama.  Whereas, I do not know the intent of the author, I certainly will never try to make evidence of biblical prophecy being fulfilled or stretch the truth to make it ‘fit’, for me I simply believe God and His Word…period.  If God said it, then these things will come to pass.  How am I to know if the bird migration capital during the Tribulation wouldn’t be Israel or even if perhaps this is a one time event where birds come from all of the world for the feast prepared to them from God?

 

However, the similarity between Ezekiel and Revelation is quite clear.  Are there two events with the same outcome…not likely, doesn’t seem plausible.  Going back to verse 12 in Revelation chapter 16:

 

“And the sixth angel poured out his bowl onto the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.”

 

We can clearly see that the Euphrates River will be dried up.  Now whether or not this will be some direct intervention from God or not, is not known.  For Turkey has dams on the Euphrates River, including the Atatürk Dam, which allows them to shut off the water supply, something which they once did briefly. 

 

Now we know that the kings of the east have a 200 million man army (200,000,000).

 

“Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.  So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.  Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; and I heard the number of them.”  Revelation 9:13-16

 

This is thought to be China and it makes sense that it would be as they are the only one that can gather that amount of soldiers at this time in history.  As the army is coming, those with unintelligible speech, Israel is comforted:

 

“Your eyes shall see the King in His beauty; they shall behold the land that is very far off.  Your heart shall muse on terror. Where is the scribe? Where is the one who weighs? Where is the one who counts the towers?  You shall not see a fierce people, a people of unintelligible speech that you cannot perceive; of a stammering tongue that you cannot understand.  Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed meetings; your eyes shall see Jerusalem, a quiet home, a tent that shall not be taken down; not one of its stakes shall ever be removed, nor shall any of its cords be broken.  But there the glorious Jehovah will be to us a place of broad rivers and streams, in which no galley with oars shall go, nor shall majestic ships pass by.  For Jehovah is our Judge, Jehovah is our Lawgiver, Jehovah is our King; He will save us.”  Isaiah 33:13-16

 

The battle of Armageddon is clearly laid out in the following chapter of Isaiah, chapter 34:

 

“Come near, you nations, to hear; and you people, pay attention; let the earth hear, and its fullness; the world, and all its offspring.  For the wrath of Jehovah is upon all nations, and His fury upon all their armies. He has utterly destroyed them, He has delivered them to the slaughter.  Also their slain shall be thrown out, and their stench shall come up out of their corpses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.  And all the host of the heavens shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; and all their host shall wither, as a leaf withers off the vine, and as fruit falling from the fig tree.  For My sword is drenched in the heavens. Behold, it shall come down upon Edom, and upon the people of My curse, for judgment.  The sword of Jehovah is filled with blood; it is made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for Jehovah has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.  And the oryx shall come down with them, and the young bulls with the mighty; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.  For it is the day of Jehovah’s vengeance, the year of retribution for the strife against Zion.  And its streams shall be turned into pitch, and its dust into brimstone, and its land shall become burning pitch.  It shall not be quenched night or day; its smoke shall ascend forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; no one shall pass through it forever and forever.  But the pelican and the porcupine shall possess it; the owl also, and the raven, shall dwell in it. And He shall stretch out over it the line of chaos, and the stones of emptiness.  They shall call its nobles to the kingdom, but no one shall be there, and all its rulers shall be nothing.  And thorns shall come up in its palaces, nettles and thistles in its fortresses; and it shall be a habitation of dragons and a dwelling for young owls.  The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the howling beasts; and the shaggy goat shall cry to his fellow. The night creature also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.  There the great owl shall make her nest, and lay and hatch, and gather them under her shadow; there shall the birds of prey also be gathered, every one with her mate.  Search from the book of Jehovah, and read; not one of these shall fail, not one shall lack her mate; for My mouth has commanded, and His Spirit has gathered them.  And He has cast the lot for them, and His hand has divided it unto them by measuring line; they shall possess it perpetually, from generation to generation they shall dwell in it.”  Isaiah 34

 

Isaiah 34 lays out the seriousness of the situation, the seriousness of the battle of Armageddon, mankind so deluded, so hardened, so rebellious, refusing to repent and preparing to engage Him who can not be engaged.  This includes all nations on earth who are gathered against Jerusalem. 

 

“And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.”  Zechariah 12:3b

 

For once unison, unity of the world.  Obviously the Antichrist will be in control and have been at this point.  He will be in control of the nations of the world and they might very well provide understanding how all nations of the world will be gathered against Israel.  I’m thinking of the irony of nations such as Zimbabwe, ones that have never been conquerors abroad or even North Korea, will they join in?  The Bible clearly states ALL nations.

 

The battle begins…

 

“The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars withdraw their brightness.”  Joel 2:10

 

An advanced army is approaching…they have their equipment, their weaponry, their high tech surveillance reconnaissance items.  They are ready, led away by their own iniquities, deceived by the False Prophet and demons, the Antichrist amongst them, here they are.

 

“They run like mighty ones; they go up the wall as men of war. And they each go on his way, and they do not break ranks.”  Joel 2:7

 

The battle begins, they are equipped, they are trained, they do not break ranks.  Up and over the walls, they begin their mission, they are strong…so they think. 

 

“For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem. And the city shall be captured, and the houses plundered, and the women ravished. And half the city shall go into captivity and the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.”  Zechariah 14:2

 

They start off being successful in battle against Jerusalem…then the Lord awakens!!!

 

“or thus has Jehovah spoken to me: As the lion roars, and the young lion over his prey when a multitude of shepherds are summoned against him (he will not be afraid of their voice, nor fret himself because of their noise), so Jehovah of Hosts shall come down to fight for Mount Zion, and for its hill.  As birds flying, so Jehovah of Hosts will defend Jerusalem; also defending, He will deliver it; and passing over He will preserve it.  Return to Him, against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.  For in that day every man shall reject his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your hands have made for you, a sin.  Then Assyria shall fall by the sword, not of man; and the sword, not of mankind, shall devour him. For he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall become forced labor.  And he shall pass over to his stronghold for fear, and his rulers shall be afraid of the banner, says Jehovah, whose fire is in Zion, and His furnace in Jerusalem.”  Isaiah 31:4-9

 

The battle is at hand:

 

“The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw:  Lift up a banner on the bare mountain, raise the voice to them; wave the hand, so that they may enter the gates of the nobles.  I have commanded My consecrated ones; I have also called My mighty ones for My anger, those who rejoice in My majesty.  The sound of a multitude in the mountains, as of many people! A tumultuous sound of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! Jehovah of Hosts musters the army for battle.  They come from a distant land, from the ends of the heavens; Jehovah and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy the whole land.  Howl! For the day of Jehovah is at hand! It shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.  Therefore all hands shall be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt; and they shall be afraid. Pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them. They shall writhe like a woman giving birth. They shall be amazed at one another; their faces like flames.  Behold, the day of Jehovah comes, cruel and with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land waste; and He shall destroy its sinners out of it.  For the stars of the heavens and their constellations shall not give light; the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not shine its light.  And I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. And I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the tyrants.  I will make mortal man more precious than refined gold; even mankind than the pure gold of Ophir.  Thus I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall move out of its place, in the wrath of Jehovah of Hosts, and in the day of His fierce anger.  And it shall be as a hunted gazelle, and as a sheep that no man takes up; each man shall turn to his own people, and everyone flee into his own land.  Everyone who is found shall be thrust through; and everyone who is captured shall fall by the sword.  Their children shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be plundered, and their wives ravished.  Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not value silver; and they shall not delight in gold.  Their bows shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.  And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the majestic beauty of Chaldea, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.  It shall nevermore be inhabited, nor shall it be lived in from generation to generation; nor shall the Arabian pitch his tent there; nor shall the shepherds make their flocks lie down there.  But the wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of howling creatures; and young owls shall dwell there, and wild goats shall skip about.  And howling beasts shall respond from desolate places, and dragons in the delightful palaces. Indeed, her time will soon come to pass, and her days shall not be prolonged.”  Isaiah 13

 

Suddenly there is a mass confusion.  Could this confusion be caused by all of the military instruments failing???

 

“In that day I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness, says Jehovah. And I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the people with blindness.”  Zechariah 12:4

 

 

“And it shall happen in that day, that a great confusion from Jehovah shall be among them; and they shall each one lay hold of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor.”  Zechariah 14:13

 

Their weapons are turned upon themselves.  Could their weapons (nukes) be used against themselves???  Surely they would have such weaponry, as they were deluded to even think that they could fight God.

 

“I will call for a sword against him throughout all My mountains, declares the Lord Jehovah. Every man’s sword shall be against his brother.”  Ezekiel 38:21

 

What we do know is this…there will be flooding rain, great hailstones, fire and brimstone!!!

 

“And I will judge him with pestilence and blood; I will rain down upon him, on his troops, and on the many people who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.”  Ezekiel 38:22

 

Which correlates with this:

 

“And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because the plague is exceedingly great.”  Revelation 16:21

 

In the end, the sorceries, the wickedness will be cutoff.

 

“And it shall be in that day, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no longer be remembered, says Jehovah of Hosts. And I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.”  Zechariah 13:2

 

In the end the corpses of men are everywhere:

 

“Come near, you nations, to hear; and you people, pay attention; let the earth hear, and its fullness; the world, and all its offspring.  For the wrath of Jehovah is upon all nations, and His fury upon all their armies. He has utterly destroyed them, He has delivered them to the slaughter.  Also their slain shall be thrown out, and their stench shall come up out of their corpses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.  And all the host of the heavens shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; and all their host shall wither, as a leaf withers off the vine, and as fruit falling from the fig tree.”  Isaiah 34:1-4

 

“And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came forth out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, by a distance of one thousand six hundred furlongs.”  Revelation 14:20

 

This is the day of Jehovah, the day of the Lord.

 

“Behold, the day of Jehovah comes, and your spoils shall be divided in your midst.  For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem. And the city shall be captured, and the houses plundered, and the women ravished. And half the city shall go into captivity and the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.  And Jehovah shall go forth and fight against those nations, like the day He fought in the day of battle.  And His feet shall stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall split in two, from the east even to the west, a very great valley. And half of the mountain shall move toward the north, and half of it toward the south.  And you shall flee to the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah. And Jehovah my God shall come, and all the saints with You.  And it will come to pass in that day, that there shall not be light; the great lights will shrink.  And it will be one day which shall be known to Jehovah; not day and not night, but it will happen, that there will be light at evening time.  And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea; in summer and in winter it shall be.  And Jehovah shall be King over all the earth. In that day there shall be one Jehovah, and His name one.  All the land shall be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. And it shall rise and dwell in its place, from Benjamin’s Gate to the place of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananeel to the king’s winepresses.  And they shall live in it. And there shall never again be utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall dwell safely.  And this shall be the plague with which Jehovah will strike all the people who have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall rot away while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot away in their sockets, and their tongues shall rot away in their mouths.  And it shall happen in that day, that a great confusion from Jehovah shall be among them; and they shall each one lay hold of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor.  And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of the surrounding nations shall be gathered together; gold, and silver, and clothing, in great abundance.  And so shall be the plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, and the ass, and all the beasts which shall be in those camps, like this plague.  And it shall come to pass, that everyone who is left from all the nations which came up against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to bow down before the King, Jehovah of Hosts, and keep the Feast of Booths.  And it shall be, that whoever will not go up from the families of the earth to Jerusalem to bow down before the King, Jehovah of Hosts, even upon them there shall be no rain.  And if the family of Egypt does not go up, nor come in, then they shall have no rain; the same plague with which Jehovah shall strike the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Booths.  This shall be Egypt‘s punishment, and the punishment of all nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Booths.  In that day there shall be on the bells of the horses, HOLY TO JEHOVAH. And the pots in the house of Jehovah shall be like the bowls before the altar.  And every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holy to Jehovah of Hosts. And all those who sacrifice shall come and take of them, and boil in them. And in that day there shall not ever again be a merchant in the house of Jehovah of Hosts.”  Zechariah 14

 

“For the day of Jehovah of Hosts shall come upon all the proud and lofty ones, and upon all that is lifted up; and it shall be brought low;”… Isaiah 2:12

 

“Howl! For the day of Jehovah is at hand! It shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.”  Isaiah 13:6

“Blow the shofar in Zion, and shout an alarm in My holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble. For the day of Jehovah approaches, it is near;”… Joel 2:1

 

“The great day of Jehovah is near; it is near and hastens greatly, the sound of the day of Jehovah. The mighty man shall cry out bitterly there.”  Zephaniah 1:14

 

“Their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of Jehovah. But all the earth shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy. For He shall make a complete and speedy end of all those who live in the land.”  Zephaniah 1:18