In our passage today we continue our study of the battle of Armageddon. Earlier in this chapter we saw Christ and the armies of heaven riding out to meet the battle arrayed against them.
"Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the Rider on the horse and His army." (Revelation 19:19) The Antichrist, the heads of nations, and the soldiers who have signed up to fight against the Lamb of God are going to be astonished when they see Him in all His power and glory. This is the day the Lord spoke about in Matthew 24:30: "Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, in power and great glory."
Those who oppose the Lord are going to mourn when they see Him. They've made themselves so big in their own eyes and they've made Christ so small in their eyes that they honestly believe they can defeat the King of kings and Lord of lords. When they see Him as He is, He's going to be so much more than they bargained for. Dr. John Walvoord says of this scene in his book Armageddon: Oil And The Middle East Crisis: "The second coming of Jesus Christ to earth will be no quiet manger scene. It will be the most dramatic and shattering event in the entire history of the universe."
The beast, the leaders of the nations, and their armies are gathered together "in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon". (Revelation 16:16) The word "Armageddon" refers to the site of an ancient city in lower Galilee called Megiddo. Megiddo is believed to be the site of more ancient battles than perhaps any city on earth, and it will be the site of the final battle. The city dominated what was known as the Megiddo Pass or Aruna Pass which was one of the few passes through the Carmel Mountains. It was a major route between Egypt and Mesopotamia, so anyone who controlled this route possessed a great deal of power in the ancient world. In the end times, having access to this pass, in addition to being able to cross the Euphrates River which has dried up (Revelation 16:12), will easily allow the armies of the world to amass with all their equipment in the area of Megiddo.
The upcoming battle is the battle the prophet Joel spoke of when he quoted the words of the Lord, saying, "I will gather all nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat." (Joel 3:3a) The term "valley of Jehoshaphat" is being used symbolically to represent a place where enemies are overthrown. King Jehoshaphat of Judah overthrew the armies of Israel, with the Lord's help, in the valley between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. God also told Joel that He would overthrow the people of Tyre and Zidon in this area, which He did. So we see Joel comparing the final battle on earth to previous battles that were won by the Lord. No army in the Old Testament was a match for the Lord. No army ever has been or ever will be a match for the Lord.
The Antichrist and the kings who have given their allegiance to him and all the soldiers who sign up to fight against the Lord think they are living according to their own will. But it is the will of God for them to gather together at Megiddo. This is the place He has chosen to judge them. They think they are choosing the place and the time, but the Lord, like any judge, sets the trial date Himself. These people are on trial when they gather together for battle, as the prophet Joel foresaw, "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." (Joel 3:14) The Lord told His people through the prophets that a day of vengeance was coming against the wicked of the earth. It's coming no matter how many times rebellious man shakes his fist in the face of God. It's coming no matter how vast an army the Antichrist amasses to fight against the King of kings. Our just and righteous Judge is going to avenge the blood of all His saints from every era of time. "Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged? No, I will not." (Joel 3:21)
In tomorrows study we will conclude our look at this final battle. Today let's close by thinking about our mighty and victorious King. At His first advent He came as a humble servant. At His second advent He's coming as a conquering warrior. At His first advent He wore a crown of thorns. At His second advent He will be crowned with many crowns. At His first advent He was covered in His own blood. At His second advent He will wear the blood of His enemies and the blood of the enemies of His people. At His first advent He was rejected, killed, and placed in a borrowed tomb. At His second advent, all will belong to Him as He reigns forever over the earth.
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