Explore the intricate prophecies surrounding the biblical Armageddon as we delve into Revelation chapter 16. From earthquakes and hailstones to the pivotal drying of the Euphrates River, this episode brings the prophetic battle to life. Listen as nations mobilize under demonic influences, setting the stage for the ultimate divine showdown. Join us to uncover the spiritual and geopolitical dynamics at play and understand why Jerusalem stands at the heart of this prophecy.
00:00:00 The Situation in the Middle East and New World Order
I think by what we see in the Middle East, you can easily visualize how the people of the New World Order, the governments of the world, will all of a sudden decide that the real problem is Israel. For instance, I hope Israel does not give up the Golan Heights. I hope Israel does not give up Jerusalem. I hope this whole thing falls apart and Israel can have the Gaza Strip and Jericho back and more land. I hope it all happens. I know the Messiah is going to make it happen. I can easily see how the nations of the world, in all their political maneuvering for peace, are going to see Israel as the problem.
SPEAKER 02 :
This is Hope for Today. On today’s broadcast, David’s taking us to Revelation chapter 16, verses 12 to 21, where the final battle is about to begin. The river dries up and the kings of the earth march to their own destruction. Demons speak, nations gather, and from the throne of heaven, a voice thunders. It thunders, it is done. Earthquakes rip the world apart, hailstones crash down like fire from the sky, and in one terrifying moment, Armageddon arrives. And the end of man’s rebellion is just ahead as the world witnesses a display of God’s power. David Hawking opens Revelation chapter 16, verses 12 to 21 for a message titled Armageddon. And that’s coming up in just a moment. First, he has a special word for us.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thanks, folks, for listening to our series. My, what a blessing it is. It certainly is for me in teaching. I need to talk to you openly about our financial need that’s going on right now and hope for today. I know there are so many ministries, and I sometimes hesitate to even say it, but we No other recourse. We don’t have a church or organization behind us. Nowhere else we can go except to our listeners and, of course, to our Lord. And we thank you for your prayers for us. But right now, financially, it’s one of the more serious times we’ve ever seen. We don’t want to go off the air where you’re listening. But we need your prayer support, and we need your gifts right now, over and above. Please help. Thank you for caring, and thank you for sharing.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, thank you, David. And it’s time now to go to Revelation chapter 16 for day one of David’s message, Armageddon.
SPEAKER 04 :
These are the seven last plagues. We’ve looked at five so far and have observed… the extent and enormity of these plagues upon the world. Revelation chapter 16, beginning in verse 12, And the sixth angel poured out his vial or his bowl upon the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles that go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices and thunders and lightnings. And there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent. And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for the plague was exceedingly great. We come to Plague 6, and its title is simply Armageddon. If you’ll turn over to chapter 20, at the end of the thousand-year reign of the Messiah on earth, the coming kingdom of God promised to David long ago, Messiah will sit on the throne. Revelation says 20 years of reign. It tells us that at the end of that period of time, there will be another battle. Verse 7 of chapter 20, when the thousand years are finished or expired or ended, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, where he’s been bound during this period of time, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog. Now that’s mentioned in Ezekiel 38 and 39. So there’s a like reference there. The historical incident of Ezekiel 38 and 39, which we believe will also be happening soon in the future, has a comparison to the final rebellion at the end of the millennium. And it says to gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. Now some commentators will tell you this is Armageddon. Because if you notice in chapter 16, these spirits of devils are encouraging the kings of the earth to gather together to the battle of the great day of the Lord Almighty. And here it says in chapter 20 that the nations are deceived by Satan. Back in chapter 16, they are devils or spirits, evil spirits. Here it is Satan himself, and they’re gathering them together to battle. So there is some similarity in verbiage, but it is not the same event. Turn back to Zechariah chapter 12, verse 9. This event called Armageddon is prophesied among the Hebrew prophets on a number of occasions. A terrible, awful battle to end the time of Jacob’s trouble, the tribulation period. In Zechariah chapter 12 and verse 9, it says that it shall come to pass in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Jerusalem is not only the spiritual and eternal capital of Israel. It’s interesting to me in prophecy how God speaks of his people Israel in the context of all nations coming against Jerusalem. This is a very important theme in Zechariah. Look at chapter 14 in verse 1. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoils shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations, doesn’t say against Israel, it says against Jerusalem, to battle. Now in our passage we have unclean spirits, demons, gathering the nations to the battle of Armageddon. And yet isn’t it interesting that God says that he will gather them together and that he will also destroy them. God is behind even the wicked spirits of this world that influence men to come against Israel. God’s behind it. And his goal is to destroy them for their attitudes towards Israel. And he’s going to wipe them out. But he’s behind it all. He’s setting it all up. His purposes and promises are being fulfilled. Verse 2, it says the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, the women ravished, and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth. When it looks rather hopeless and awesome in terms of what they’re experiencing, it says the Lord will go forth. Yahweh, Jehovah, and fight against those nations as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives. So here we have predicted the the Lord’s conquering of all nations that have come against Israel and Jerusalem. Verse 12 says, this shall be the plague with which the Lord will smite all the peoples that have fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And it shall come to pass in that day that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them, and they shall lay hold every one in the hand 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 all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold and silver and apparel in great abundance. And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, of the ass of all the beasts that shall be in these tents as this plague. And it shall come to pass that everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem, shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feasts of tabernacles. Well, isn’t this an amazing prophecy? And we read in Revelation 16, all nations will be gathered together to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. I don’t wish this on the nation of Israel. I don’t want this to happen. But the Bible predicts it. The Hebrew prophets are in agreement about it. The New Testament also coincides with all those prophecies. And Jesus himself predicted that Jerusalem is going to face a very serious problem in the future. And we see only on our threshold of news events today, we see already that Jerusalem is going to become the issue. And eventually we’re going to see the battle God describes as Armageddon. Now I’d like you to notice five things from Revelation chapter 16 and verses 12 to 16 about the sixth plague out of the seven last ones, the one we call Armageddon. Notice the preparation for this battle in verse 12. It says, “…the angel poured out his vial or bowl of wrath, the wrath of God, upon the great river Euphrates.” Its water was dried up that the way of the kings, plural, of the east or the rising of the sun might be prepared, the preparation for this battle. Now, folks, in Genesis chapter 15, verse 18, when God gave his promise of the land to Abraham, I don’t know if you realize this or not, but that land stretches from the river of Egypt, which some think is the Nile. Others think it’s the Wadi al-Arish, a little bit north. But according to the Bible, the land that God gave to Abraham goes from that point, the river of Egypt, all the way to the river Euphrates. Now, I know that Syria and Iraq would not be really thrilled to hear this. But according to the Bible, that’s the land that God gave to Abraham. Repeat it again in Deuteronomy chapter 1. Now, if you’re a little hesitant about whether God can dry up the Euphrates River, don’t forget that he dried up the Red Sea so the children of Israel could go across. And he also dried up the Jordan River, certainly not the size of the Euphrates, for the children of Israel to cross over. Now this is an interesting prophecy as it relates to having access all the way from the nation of Syria where the Euphrates River is located. Zechariah chapter 10, verse 11. The preparation for the battle… is the drying up of the river Euphrates to prepare the way of the kings of the east who will come into the Middle East and be a part of the multinational force that will turn on Israel. Zechariah chapter 10 verse 11 says, And he shall pass through the sea with affliction and shall smite the waves in the sea and all the deeps of the river. Now, the river that’s in all these contexts, the definite article in Hebrew in front of the word river is referring to the river that everyone in the ancient world knows, and that’s the Euphrates. And it says, all the deeps of the river shall dry up, and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart, and so forth. God is capable, because he is God, of doing this in whatever way he wants to do it, but he could just do it by simply batting an eye, and all of a sudden it is dried up. Turn to Revelation chapter 9. Some people believe there’s a connection here in Revelation 9 with the drying up of Euphrates. I want to remind you of the sixth angel who blew the sixth trumpet judgment, what was said to that angel. Chapter 9, verse 14. Say to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Loose the four angels who are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, who were prepared for an hour, a day, a month, and a year, a special time, to slay the third part of men. So this great invasion, which does involve the Euphrates River, is going to kill a third of the human race. It says the number of the army of the horsemen were 200,000,000. Now those Greek numbers, if you work them out, is 200,000,000. And I heard the number of them. Many people believe since these verses are quotations from the prophecy in Joel chapter 2 about the great invasion of horsemen and battlemen into that great battle in Armageddon, the day of the Lord, that what is pictured here with demonic forces inspiring armies of the world are coming into the Middle East and coming towards Israel. Many believe this is to be likened unto Revelation 16. that the kings of the east will be so numerous, we’ll have 200 million of them in their armies. Well, we already know that Red China alone has more than that in their armed forces. But if all the kings of the east, including everybody in Iran and all the nations of the east were gathered together to come into this area, you can understand how easily it could be an army of this size. It’s just awesome to even think about. But that’s the preparation of the battle that Revelation 16 says. Euphrates has dried up kings of the east, perhaps Iran, perhaps Muslim republics of the former Soviet Union, perhaps all the nations of the east, including Pakistan and India and Southeast Asia, Red China, they’re all coming. The second thing I’d have you notice is the presence of demonic forces. Make no mistake about it, people. There are demons from hell involved in the attitudes of the nations of the world against Israel. The Bible spoke about that in the past, and it predicts that also in the future. Satan is the arch enemy of Israel, and he’s doing all he can to stir people’s hearts against her. And he’s going to do it again in dramatic fashion at the day we call Armageddon. Now it says in verse 13 that these unclean spirits are like frogs. They are not frogs. They are like frogs. And we have here a simile. It’s like it. Now, frogs jump in stages, if you’ve ever watched them. You know, they make a little leap, and then they stay for a while, and then they make another leap and stay for a while. And some have suggested that the way this is happening is by stages of influence, as these unclean spirits acting like frogs. are coming out of the mouth of the dragon, Satan, out of the mouth of the beast, this antichrist, this world leader, and the false prophet who has gotten all the religious people of the world to support the system. And it says they are spirits of demons. The Bible is very clear in verse 14. And they work miracles. You say, how will all these nations do this? Well, in the Persian Gulf War, did not we ask the same question? Well, my friends, it’s going to happen again, and they’re going to work miracles this time, and the kings of the earth, the whole world, is going to come together for this battle. Now, what will bring them? We do not know. I can easily see how the nations of the world, in all their political maneuvering for peace, are going to see Israel as the problem, especially if they will not give up Jerusalem, and I pray they will not. then you can see how the tide could turn easily and all the nations of the world turn against Israel and say, well, let’s join with all these Islamic fundamentalists and Muslims. Maybe they’ve been right all along, and let’s show Israel a little force here. There can be many, many reasons that you can conjecture as to why this is going to happen in the Middle East. I just want to make something very clear. The Bible is true, and all nations of the world are going to be gathered against Israel, against Jerusalem, exactly like the Hebrew prophet said. I don’t want it to happen, but I know it’s going to happen. That’s what God said. Now the purpose of these demonic forces is stated in verse 14, and that is to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. I like that. It’s not the battle of a multinational force from the United Nations. It’s not the battle of the Islamic fundamentalists against Israel. It is the battle of God Almighty. Now the promise of the second coming is also here in verse 15. Don’t miss it. All of a sudden in the midst of this discussion comes the personal word from he who is coming. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. But who’s talking here as he says, behold, I come as a thief. Revelation 22 tells us, verse 7. Behold, I come quickly. There it is again. Verse 12, and behold, I come quickly and my reward is with me. Verse 13, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. That is said of the Lord God in Isaiah. But look at verse 16, he’s identified. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root of Isaiah 53, a root out of the dry ground. I am the root, Isaiah 11, 1, the root of Jesse. I am the root and the offspring of David and the bright and morning star. We’re talking Jesus Christ here.
SPEAKER 02 :
That’s Bible teacher and author David Hawking, and this is Hope for Today. David’s back in just a moment to close out our time in God’s Word, so do stay right there. First, Matt’s here, and together we’re going to share a great home Bible study resource with you. Matt? There are a multitude of reasons we lose hope. Any number of trials that surround and push into our lives. You know, it’s very easy and very human to lose hope.
SPEAKER 01 :
And the enemy of our soul loves to taunt us and divert our focus away from our source of true and certain hope, the Lord Jesus and God’s word. Matt, what is hope? Is hope just a whimsical wish like when you blow out the candles on your birthday cake or is there more? No, God’s word guarantees us that true hope is much more. And when we understand and fill our hearts with the hope God graciously provides in his word, wow. Wow. The result, phenomenal.
SPEAKER 02 :
It is the joy we see portrayed so vividly in the lives of biblical characters who came through the toughest tribulations, torment and trial, stronger and filled with hope.
SPEAKER 01 :
And right now we’re spotlighting the book Hope in Difficult Times. And with the despair of our age, flourishing evil and hurts and pains, this book study of biblical hope is just what we need, Jim. Well, we see so much of it today, just recently in the news.
SPEAKER 02 :
Amen. And folks, we need to know hope in the Word of God. Let us get Hope for Difficult Times by David Hawking into your hands.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, it’s a 195-page dynamic study. Scripture, illustrations, stories from the Word, wisdom and insight. for hope, and it’s just $20.
SPEAKER 02 :
And when you purchase, please consider adding an extra amount, a donation to Hope for Today, or make a donation by itself. Your gift makes you a part of this ministry. And as always, please start by praying for hope for today. To get your copy of Hope in Difficult Times, call 800-75-BIBLE, that’s in the U.S., or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And Bible by Numbers is 24253. You can also purchase online at our website, and that’s DavidHawking.org. DavidHawking.org. And just before David returns, let me quickly remind you that you’re the reason we’re on the air. Every single day we hear from listeners whose lives have been changed by the teaching of God’s Word, and we give all the glory to Him. It’s God’s Word through this broadcast. Marriages are restored, hearts encouraged, people are coming back to the Lord. You know, these are the stories that remind us why we do what we do. And it’s because of friends like you who care enough to pray and to give that we’re able to keep going. So if God is leading you to stand with us, know that your help is definitely needed. You can send your donation to Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO7OAKS, Abbotsford, B.C., V2S 8P1. Donate online at davidhawking.org. Or donate by phone, 875-BIBLE in the U.S., 888-75-BIBLE in Canada, and online at davidhawking.org. Well, let’s get back to David.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thanks, friends, for listening. This is Armageddon, the final message of chapter 16 of Revelation. And people are a little confused about where it’s going to be. It’s not simply in the valley between Haifa and the Jordan River that separates Galilee from Samaria. No. In chapter 14 of Revelation, we learn the blood flows to the horse’s bridles, and the whole length of that devastation is the land of Israel, and about 180 to 200 miles. And the whole land is going to be filled with the blood of the enemies of God who thought they could attack Israel and wipe her off the face of the earth, what they’re saying now, today. Boy, that makes me think we’re very close. I hope you’re ready. this great battle of Armageddon, and a great earthquake such as has never been on the earth before. We’ve had plenty of earthquakes, but not like this one. And a hail that clobbers people. The plague, we are told, the last words of verse 21 of chapter 16 of Revelation, the plague thereof, this hail, stones about the weight of a talent, that’s about 100 pounds, were falling, and the plague was exceeding great. Wow. God bless you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, thank you, David. Next time on the program, the final judgments of God shake the earth to its core. Thunder, lightning, and a voice from heaven declares, it is done. But in the midst of the wrath, God is still righteous. He’s still true and still in absolute control. Well, join us as David continues our study in Revelation chapter 16 and discovers why Armageddon is not the end. It’s not the end, but the beginning of the King’s return. So do invite a friend to join you as we get together next time right here for Hope for Today.
