Revelation 16
Battle of Megiddo: 1917-18
Three Frogs - Syria, Iraq, Iran?
3 Part Jerusalem. Armenian is Christian.
7. Rev 16 – Armageddon, a picture of the ongoing battle with ‘the kings of the east’ from Abraham up to today’s Judaism, Christianity, and Islamic issues (3 part Jerusalem). 3 frogs look more like a Middle East map after the Battle of Megiddo in 1918 where the British defeated the Ottoman Empire which led to the ‘nations’ Middle East realignment, the return of the Jews in 1948, and 6 Day War of 1967 (Joel 3) with Iran, Iraq, and probably Afghanistan or Syria (et all), ready to jump, at any opportunity, on Israel, Christianity, and any form of law and order.
Maybe not that Islam is necessarily evil, but theological terrorists gain control and impose their radical views on all in their influence? And if we observe the signs of the times, the ‘nations’ without a strong Christian influence, are going in the terrorists way. Even some in the Church are ism terrorists? 7 Bowls of Wrath: finality, but it has been a continuing drama with the nations and God’s people since Cain killed Abel and fled to Nod, to the east of Eden.
Is there really a final battle or is it the end of time as we know it? In today’s economy what are the events leading up to this point? Zechariah 14 seems to be a history of Israel between Jesus’ 1st and 2nd coming (see below), and Christ the King’s name being proclaimed throughout the entire world, with verses 1-11 leading up to today.
v1-2: Pompey (Rome/nations) takes Jerusalem in 64 BC, leaving those who supported him, and eliminating the others; v3-4: Jesus stood on the Mount of Olives, and earthquake upon His death; v5: dispersal of the Church, after the Ascension of Jesus and the holy ones who came out of the ground; v6-7: 70 AD destruction (like Amos 5:20 and the lament over the first temple destruction); v8-9: the Gospel to the nations; v10-11: the Jews return in 1948….
Verse 2 is not about either Temple destruction and yet it sets the tone and timing for the rest of the chapter. If we must view verse 2 as sequential rather than ‘in that day’ (verse 4), then the rest of the chapter is uncertainly future, rather than historically prophetic as to what has happened and what is happening.
3941a AM, 4650 JP, 64 BC
4529. Pompey and many others entered the temple and saw those things which was not lawful for anyone but the high priest to see. In the temple there was the table, the lampstand with the lamps, all the vessels for sacrifice, the censers, entirely made of gold, and a large pile of spices. In the treasuries of sacred money, they found about two thousand talents. Pompey did not touch any of this but on the next day ordered those who had the charge of the temple to purify and cleanse it and to offer their solemn sacrifices to God. {*Josephus, Jewish War, l. 1. c. 7. s. 6. (152,153) 2:71} {*Josephus, Antiq., l. 14. c. 4. s. 4. (71-73) 7:483,485}
4530. Pompey restored the high priesthood back to Hyrcanus, because he had willingly helped him in the siege and had hindered the Jews who were spread over the whole country from joining with Aristobulus.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(63_BC)
Verses 12-15 look like a nuclear exchange with Israel on top. Well something… Follow current events!
Verses 16-21 look like a rebirth of Judaism (Feast of Tabernacles and sacrifices?) and Israel is anticipating their messiah’s arrival to bring permanent peace and prosperity. 2 Thess. 2:1-4 also seems to indicate a need for ‘a temple of God?’ to house the ‘man of lawlessness’??? who deceives many (pagan and otherwise) that ‘the millennium’ is finally here. I have heard of a Jewish tradition that the 7th Millennium is the age of a ‘coming messiah’.
Is the temple a building or God’s people, or both? Or is it just a former US President sitting in a tall building in NYC proclaiming ‘I can fix it all’? The only details: eliminate the 10 Commandments and our Christian heritage.
Some say it is the Catholic Pope, maybe. Or it could be a protestant Pope(s) who leads the ‘falling away’ from the mission to promote the Gospel and Christian cultures.
(I like to keep my feet on the ground and find a historical understanding, but this one – given a dying universe and all the implications and probable nuclear war and demonic activity like before Jesus’ first coming, who knows…).
And of course the nations always have their secular messiahs, hence the conflicts. And in New Testament times how strong is the Christian influence in limiting the conflicts. 2 Thess. 2 points to an ‘apostasy or falling away’, that has to occur first.
And at what point does Jesus, our Messiah, and the 2nd coming, to rescue His own, happen?
Revelation 16
1. Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.'' 2. So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. 3. Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died. 4. Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5. And I heard the angel of the waters saying: "You are righteous, O Lord, the One who is and who was and who is to be, because You have judged these things. 6. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. for it is their just due.'' 7. And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.'' 8. Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. 10. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11. And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds. 12. Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13. 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. 14. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15. "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.'' 16. And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. 17. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!'' 18. And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, every hailstone about the weight of a talent. And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.
