Tag: Battle of Armageddon

Only Two Options – January 25, 2023

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Only Two Options

After an intense study of Scripture, including end-time prophecies, it occurs to me that we have only one of two options regarding the sword of the Spirit, God’s holy Word. Either 1) we use it as a weapon against the powers of darkness as we yield to Jesus, or 2) it is used by Jesus as a weapon against us, if we are on the side of darkness.

At the Battle of Armageddon:

“And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:21)

For Believers Today:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. . . Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. . . and take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God …” (Ephesians 6:12-13, 17)

– Shelli Prindle

Who Said Israel Should Be Wiped Off the Earth?

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missile“Israel should be wiped off the Earth.” These were the stark words etched on two ballistic missiles launched by the country of Iran on March 9, 2016. In fact, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s aerospace division, declared, “Israel is surrounded by Islamic countries and it will not last long in a war. It will collapse even before being hit by these missiles.” (1)

The hatred of Israel by many people and nations is evident. And though it is distressing to Christians, the very existence of such extreme animosity only serves to lend credence to the truth of God’s Word. In fact, when I read the headlines marked so boldly with this anti-Semitic message, my heart leaps to think of how the enemies behind this provocation are only proving the Bible’s veracity. Let me explain.

God gave the land of Israel (which is bigger than its current political borders) to His chosen people, the Israelites. The promise began with Abraham (then “Abram”), the father of our faith. Genesis 12:7 (ESV) declares, “Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.'” God reiterated this promise over and over. We find it emphasized again when the Israelites were in the worst of circumstances – as slaves to the Egyptians. In the midst of seeming hopelessness, God firmly reminded them, “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD” (Exodus 6:7-8, ESV).

God’s chosen people have struggled throughout history with the promise of their inheritance. They battled with the Canaanites, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, and the Romans during Bible times. They have been assaulted throughout modern history in obvious ways, including that of the Nazis. The hellish attacks notwithstanding, God’s promise remains. The fiendish attacks serve only to demonstrate that there exists something most peculiar and supernatural about this people and this land. Such pointed hatred can only come from an established reality, for no such loathing is the result of fairy tales or light-hearted belief. Our archenemy, Satan, stands behind every plot to abolish God’s people and God’s Promised Land.

The Scripture that jumped out to me when I first heard of the missiles marked with the threat, “Israel should be wiped off the Earth,” is Zechariah 14:2-3 (ESV): “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle.” Unbelievably, the Lord predicted 2,500 years ago that “all the nations” will eventually go to war against Jerusalem. The attack will culminate just before the visible second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus will return to the very same mountain from which He left (as recorded in Acts 1:9-12), the Mount of Olives. His toes will hit the mountain, and the mountain will split, and the Lord will conquer His enemies! Hear Zechariah 14:4-5b (ESV): “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that on half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward … Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.”

The culmination of Christ’s victory over the enemies of Israel is explained in Zechariah 14:11b (ESV), “Jerusalem shall dwell in security.” No more will she be subject to war and degradation. Apparently, Amir Ali Hajizadeh is right in predicting a violent war with Israel, but he is certainly wrong about the ultimate result! God wins, and God keeps His vows.

After all end times events have taken place and the devil and all His worshippers have been deposited in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-15), we hear the amazing words of the Apostle John in Revelation 21:1-2a (ESV), “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, …” Not only a portion of land in the Middle East, but all lands and all the universe will be inhabited by God and His people, with the New Jerusalem as our capital. Amen!

As we are barraged with world news, we are encouraged to see than in trying to destroy God’s plan, His enemies are actually proving the Bible. Iran’s declaration to attempt to wipe Israel off the Earth only demonstrates that everything God has said is unequivocally accurate. Is not God incredible, that He uses even His adversaries to fulfill His plan and show His Word to be firm and timeless?

It reminds me of wicked King Herod the Great of the first century. In order to try to destroy Jesus, He used the words of the Old Testament prophet Micah to determine the location of Jesus’ birth (see Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:1-6). Herod must have actually believed that the Old Testament prophecy had something to it. And when He killed all the male children in the Bethlehem region who were two years old and younger, He fulfilled yet another prophecy of God! (See Jeremiah 31:15 and Matthew 2:18)

Even unbelievers and enemies bring glory to God’s Word by demonstrating in real time and space its accuracy. So, go ahead leaders of Iran. Go ahead all enemies of God. You seek to annihilate His sovereignty, but only end up proving it!

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2, ESV)

(1) Gambrell, Jon. Iran Fires Two Missiles Marked with “Israel Must Be Wiped Out.” abcnews.go.com. 9 March 2016.

– Shelli S. Prindle

Two Bloody Robes Tell the Story

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And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. – Matthew 27:28 (ESV)

He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. – Revelation 19:13 (ESV)

The scene immediately preceding the crucifixion of Jesus is heartbreaking and gruesome. It ought to be deeply pondered by every person to let its reality sink in. And then, one incident in particular needs to be tied to its victorious outcome. The scene at the end of God’s Word – in the book of Revelation – is both a fitting, glorious conclusion and a sobering, devastating reality. To those who truly apprehend and order their lives according to real faith in Jesus Christ, the theme traced from the first century to the end of earthly history is one of mystery and majesty. To those opposed to the Christian Gospel, the theme – while perhaps scoffed at – is, in truth, the greatest reality with which one must deal.

Let’s travel from the first century to the end of time using one, simple thread. We shall see things quite easily as we stick to one part of both accounts – a robe. Though countless details exist, let us focus on this one component in order to cut to the heart of what is both similar and different about two historical events, one of which is yet to take place.

In the first scene, Jesus has been arrested, Judas has committed suicide, and Pilate has delivered Christ to be crucified. After Jesus was beaten, the governor’s soldiers began a mockery of Jesus. Matthew 27:27-31 (ESV) records the grievous details:

    Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

Note with me, please, the first action of scorn the soldiers pursued: the placement of a scarlet robe on the beaten, bleeding body of Jesus. This robe was part of a greater scheme to belittle both the Person and the claim of Christ. The main point of contention here is the perception by some that Jesus was the King of the Jews. The soldiers would taunt Jesus concerning His real identity. Apparently believing Him to be a fool instead of royalty, they gave him a robe, a crown of thorns, and a reed for a staff. Then they knelt before Him in disdain, mockingly calling out, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

Can you imagine Jesus Christ, bleeding on his back and sides beneath that robe and bleeding on His head from under the crown made of thorns? Can you envision Him holding a reed for a scepter as the soldiers spit on Him and rail at Him in hatred? Poor Jesus! How our human hearts ache at the thought of the misery and shame He endured. And yet, what makes this event most amazing is its display of the unimaginable patience of God. How could the Son of God – who is equipped with the power to calm the seas and able to raise men and women from the dead – how could He now restrain Himself to bear the unjust cruelty of these moments? He could – and He did – because of the power of His mercy. Jesus knew what He had to experience on our behalf so we would not have to bear the punishment of our own sin. He withstood the wrath of God and the weight of our sin for us. All of the suffering and scorn He went through was in order to take our place. We deserve to be taunted by Satan for our sin, but Jesus endured the ridicule of Satan, even though He had never done a thing wrong.

Amazing love is what restrained the arms of Jesus so that He did not tear off the scarlet robe and destroy the soldiers in one flash of justified wrath. In boundless compassion, Jesus restrained the full revelation of who He is and chose not to cast off the crown of thorns to show the world His real power. Jesus wore the robe, soaked as it was with His own blood, from the beating He took. Christ wore the robe, though it was placed on Him by those who refused to believe he deserves a real, most regal robe.

Fast forward to the end of time. Plough ahead to the return of Jesus to this earth a second time. We have the privilege of looking to an historical event before it happens, because our timeless God recorded it for us in His word. Hear the words of the apostle John in Revelation 19:11-21 (ESV):

    Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

Perhaps all that can be said after a careful reading of this account is, “Wow!” Understand, friend, that the One on the white horse, with eyes as fire, with a sharp sword proceeding from His mouth, and wearing a robe dipped in blood is none other than Jesus Christ. He does not sound like the Jesus who bore the ridicule of Roman soldiers. No longer are people kneeling before Him to make light of His claim to kingship. No! All the forces of evil and followers of Satan are being slain by the sword Jesus now wields from His mouth. His robe now rightly declares His true nature – as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

And before anyone should think this scene is too gory, recall what our perfectly Holy God endured on and around the cross. The Righteous One restrained Himself and carried the due punishment of unrestrained, unrighteous humans. In those moments, God displayed His mercy. All the while, though, God remained just. For all His attributes exist in perfect balance at all times. He was able to display mercy in the most real way because His divine justice is also real. At the end of history, we shall witness the fullest revelation of His justice in much the same way we witness the fullest revelation of His mercy at the Cross.

Jesus will then rightly wear a robe that John tells us is “dipped in blood.” What a fitting reminder! Jesus once wore a robe soaked in the blood from his undeserved punishment. Now He wears a robe dipped in blood as He judges and makes war. No more restraint. Evil must be banished. All those choosing not to submit to the plan of righteousness must be judged so that goodness may prevail forever. And as our Jesus rides His white horse to the final battlefield with the armies of Heaven following behind, He is adorned with a robe to remind us of the reason we get to be part of the victory – the first, dismal robe He once wore! His loving restraint during the season of His suffering results in our sharing in the victory of the final dismissal of evil from the universe. None will mock Him then! The full revelation of His kingship is here!

Whether the blood of this second robe is representative of Jesus’ own blood shed for us long ago, or it is representative of the blood of His enemies who are now being judged, one fact remains: the Jesus of mercy is also the Jesus of justice. He makes all things right.

What must He have thought that day the soldiers put that pitiful robe on His bleeding back? Was He envisioning the robe He would one day wear as He rides the white horse to the final war against evil? Was He looking at the soldier and the crowds thinking, “I will wear this robe so you have the chance to be saved from the wrath my second robe will bring?” We don’t know exactly. We only know He loves us and promises to bring justice in the end. Either I put my sin at the Cross with Him at the time of the first robe, or I endure the punishment of my own sin starting with His wielding of the sword as He dons the second robe. He is the same Jesus; I must make a choice. Which robe?