We often think of The Battle of Armageddon as a short battle that occurs at the end of the Tribulation, but this is only part of the picture. It is a long campaign by the Anti-Christ to fend off challenge after challenge, to his world rule. Even though the final actual battle is fought at the plains of Armageddon, the build up takes a long 3 1/2 years.
The Plains of Armageddon are a strategic plateau overlooking northern Israel and the southern Syrian plains. It is a critical military point, a towering 480 square miles. The world’s most natural battlefield! One guiding principle in warfare is to ‘take the high ground’. Whoever owned the this area could make all of Israel a literal ‘killing field’. That is why this area is now heavily guarded by the Israelis.
In the world now the Satanic Trinity is at large. The Satanic trinity; Satan (the dragon), the Anti-Christ (the beast) and the false prophet will stir up exactly as much trouble as God allows them to and they will experience exactly as much difficulty and punishment as God intends. It is all according to His plan and it will be fulfilled as the prophesies had said.
The Anti-Christ and Satan (the dragon) will have dominated the world. Buying and selling wouldn’t be possible without Satan’s mark and anyone who wouldn’t worship the image of the beast in Jerusalem would be killed (read Rev. 13:15-18). But not everyone will accept this. He will be greatly opposed. Firstly the muslim world over the desecration of the Dome of the Rock are still angry and want to regain their holy place. Secondly the Anti-Christ has setup an image of a beast in their holy place and was practicing a religion which contradictory to the book of Islam, the Quran. The Anti-Christ at this time is also too powerful to be left alone. He is too untrustworthy to be allowed to continue to grow in power without a future possibility of a conflict with him. If this happened they would risk loosing their Oil fields so he has to be stopped now! They will do whatever possible to pry his hand off their Middle Eastern Oil. They start gathering all their forces for war! The campaign leading to Armageddon will be set in motion.
The King of the North (Russia) and the King of the South (who controls the Islamic confederation and the nations of Ethiopia, Libya, Iran) after their massive defeat earlier rebuild and draw out their vast resources of men and fighting force available. This is just one battle they have to win! But this big nations won’t be alone in the ‘cleansing of Jerusalem’. They have more help for fighting beside them will be the Kings of the East. This new great army, the Bible says will be 200 million strong. Rev. 9:16- “The number of the mounted troops was 200 million….Their breastplates (armor) were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The head of the horses resembled the head of lions and out of their mouths came fire smoke and sulfur.”
There are many millions Muslims, zealous for their faith living in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Malaysia and Indonesia. This new Eastern Army, 200 million strong could well come from there. But there is also the massively populated nation of China and even Japan that could be interested in Middle Eastern Oil. The Bible itself doesn’t tell us why the “Kings of the East” move to confront the Anti-Christ, only that they will do so.
They will march right through the supernaturally dried bed of the river Euphrates to the very center of the Anti-Christ’s empire, Israel. They will confront at Armageddon. Rev. 16:12 “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great bowl Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the Kings of the East….. The spirit of demons performing miraculous signs go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the Battle on that great day of God Almighty…. Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called ARMAGEDDON.” The Anti-Christ has already won the King of the North and South with his treachery even though it was God who actually came forth and destroyed them. But the Anti-Christ now has three new allies of his own and will be very confident to go to battle. He has Satan (the dragon), the false prophet (with his ability to call down fire from heaven) and the image of the beast (which has the power to destroy those who refuse to obey the Anti-Christ). The time was ready for that great day of battle. After hearing the news about the advancing Eastern army the Anti-Christ will advance to Armageddon to face the onslaught from the North, South and East. Yet as the arms of the world converge on Armageddon on a massive collision course their objective will suddenly change. Instead of contending with each other they will unite to fight the mighty army of the Messiah that will descend from heaven to the fields of Armageddon. To avoid Christ’s come back they will unite and fight the long foretold battle which they will totally loose. (Also read Daniel 11:36-45 about the Anti-Christ and how he looses the battle.) Matthew 24:30 “Then the sign of man will appear in heaven and then all tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
” I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse..the armies of heaven were following him on a white horses” (Rev. 19:11-21 ) Zechariah 14:1-12 “Then the lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the mount of Olives will split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountains north and half moving south. You will flee by mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel….Then the lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime — a day known to the Lord. When evening comes, there will be light. …….. This is the plaque with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem:Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.” Rev.14:20 declares that the blood from this battle will rise up to the horse’s bridal’s for a distance of 1600 stadia (approximately 200 miles) the full length of the battle field. When the actual battle site measured from the northern part of Palestine to the southern boundaries it was found to be approximately 200 miles, just as it was foretold in the prophesies! Armageddon will be bathed with blood and the Bible has predicted it to the last length of the Battlefield!!! The Anti-Christ will finally be done and over with! His boastful deceitful tongue will be silenced forever. Rev. 19:20 “but the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf … The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.” THE VICTORY IS THE LORD”S. Amen!