Good evening ladies and gentlemen. What in heaven’s name is happening to Planet Earth tonight? For five weeks millions of us have been glued to our TV sets in shock and awe watching blitzkrieg over Baghdad. “Smart bombs.” Tomahawk Cruise missiles. Tanks. Harriers, B-52s. Stealth bombers. The most devastating war machine assembled – EVER! All fixating their cross-hairs on one place: Saddam Hussein’s bedroom.

Understandably, people everywhere are wondering WHAT’S NEXT? The end? The final countdown to the showdown? Are today’s headlines foretold in Scripture? The Internet is buzzing with questions.

The fine print tells you that you’ll find out when you

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Here’s a full-page magazine ad:

“This Spring, No One Will Escape Armageddon”

We’re in the middle of Spring, and summer’s coming! Hey! Just weeks away! Does this mean we’re almost in for it?

Maybe you’ve seen Tim LaHaye’s and Jerry Jenkins’s brand new book by that title. Just released days ago. Eleventh in a series of Left Behind religious fiction about final events.

Tyndale House publishers spent a whopping $5 million advertising this book. People are gobbling it up NOT because of the public’s red-hot intense interest in the War in the Middle East. People are concerned. If this is Bible prophecy talking, people want to know what lies ahead? What’s coming next?

When terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center, interest in Bible prophecy zoomed. It’s hit fever pitch. Fueling even greater speculation how this world might end.

A few Sundays ago on the CBS Evening News, a man in Ft. Worth leaned into the microphone and wailed: “The economy. Iraq. Now the Space Shuttle. WHAT’S NEXT?”

What is next? Even in the secular world Armageddon is the “hot button.” Irreligious Ted Turner, of all people, talks about it on CNN.

Los Angeles television station KCET Channel 28 ran a PBS series “special” from Monday through Thursday last week on prime time (hosted by Walter Cronkite) – two hours every night from 9 to 11 – “Avoiding Armageddon.”

Ladies and Gentlemen, wherever you’re listening tonight: It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to look at today’s headlines and realize that the speed with which our 21st Century world is tobogganing into the Apocalypse takes one’s breath away! People are worried. Prominent world leaders are voicing serious concerns about what lies ahead.

Former Vice-President Al Gore said:
“Two world wars, the Holocaust, the invention of nuclear weapons, and now the global environmental crisis have led many of us to wonder if survival...is possible.”

I believe he was absolutely right. Many serious leaders, like Giscard d’Estaing, wonder if our world is headed for disaster.

Los Angeles Times says Tim La Haye’s book is rattling the gates everywhere! Millions say prophecy is being fulfilled in Iraq. Is it? Well, the British press and BBC say “No way!”

Perhaps “TIME” magazine’s fiery cover said it all:
“The Bible and the Apocalypse: The End of the World?”

The Apocalypse is another name for Revelation, the last Book of the Bible, where we read about Armageddon.

One lesson all of us need to prayerfully learn – and in just these past few weeks maybe we already have – is to be humble about interpreting Bible prophecies. Clearly the recent conflict in Iraq was NOT Armageddon! There was bloodshed and there were Black Hawk helicopters, but in three short weeks the worst was already over. It was not a global conflict. And so Christians who look at the headlines and want to say, “This is it! Now for sure we’re facing the final conflagration,” have to remember that leaders and preachers both have “played the Armageddon card” for major wars and minor skirmishes going back for centuries.

Winston Churchill predicted it. So did Douglas MacArthur. Dwight Eisenhower. Ronald Reagan. And Armageddon simply hasn’t happened yet.

So how do we sort it all out?

With all this interest in prophecy, I say, “Why not go to the source the Los Angeles Times refers to for all reliable prophecy?” Why not go to the source our radio ministry has relied on for 74 years. Why not go directly where we ought to go to learn about the future?”

If you’re at home watching on satellite, or listening in on the radio – right now I invite you to run get your Bible, and then turn with me to the very last book – the amazing book of Revelation Chapter 1. Before we read anything about Armageddon, let’s read Verse 3. This will be our hallmark; this will be our cornerstone. The benchmark foundation I’m going to build on tonight, and tomorrow night, and every night of these presentations. Let’s read. “Cursed...” (No?)

“Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”

This book, the “Apocalypse,” about Armageddon, isn’t just a sci-fi thriller-chiller. No need to get scared when we read it. If we read and hear and listen to this book – if we take it seriously – we’ll receive a blessing. Do you believe that? Okay, then let’s proceed. Let’s plunge into the heart of Revelation 16.

You may be surprised to discover that the word “Armageddon” only appears in the Bible one solitary time. That’s right! Just once, in the entire Book of Revelation.

Perhaps that’s why there are so many different ideas and interpretations as to what Armageddon is all about. No two prophecy experts seem to agree.

And that’s where the big problem about Armageddon hinges. You see, the problem about Armageddon fiction isn’t with the Bible prophecies. The problem is with our human interpretations of them. Our “speculations” about them.

But the very first thing Revelation Chapter 1 tells us is Revelation is a book we can count on! Stay cool. God’s in control. Get into more details from the Bible.

What about Revelation 16's comment that the Euphrates, a river headlined every night in the news, plays a role in final events? Let’s go to the Bible and let this passage about Armageddon speak for itself. Beginning at Verse 12,

“The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.”

“Bingo,” say many books. “See? That means various kings (and statesmen) will move their armies up through the Euphrates Valley enroute to Har Megiddo/Armageddon in northern Israel!” And then, they quote Revelation 9:14, “Look out! God will…

“...‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’”

The angels purportedly unleash anthrax and nerve gas and chemical warfare – the mysterious flu-like SARS disease. Agents of death who,

<Revelation 9:15>
“...had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year and were released to kill a third of mankind.”

Los Angeles Times says that then these prophecy doomsayers say, “Aha! Now if you turn to Revelation 9:11. In Revelation 9 - 1 - 1 (and yes, that’s 9-11), John says the leader of an army of locusts is released to fight humans, and his name is Abaddon in Hebrew; Apollyon in Greek. Both names mean “Destroyer,” which is – hold on to your seats, folks – one of the meanings of the name “Saddam.”

Irvin Baxter, founder of Endtime magazine and pastor of Oak Park Church in Richmond, Indiana, predicts there’s going to be a nuclear holocaust that takes the lives of 2 billion people, the “one third of mankind” stated in Revelation.

And on and on it goes.

Where does it end? Who do we believe? Do we believe what’s behind Door #1? Or behind Door #2? Or Door #3? Or perhaps even Door #4?

Now folks, let’s watch out! Before you and I jump to a conclusion that could get us into trouble – really deep dead-end trouble – let’s let the Bible tell us “the rest of the story.” The whole story. It’s very risky to take statements from different parts of the Bible out of context – especially parts that are highly symbolic – and force them to support what they really do not say.

Listen! Revelation is full of symbols – it’s a highly figurative book. Look at Revelation 16:13 and you tell me? How literal and how real is this language in the Apocalypse?

“Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Is Armageddon a battle featuring real frogs and real dragons? Or, are we dealing with symbols here? Obviously symbols! Who are these “evil spirits?” Good question! Glad you asked! Let’s let the Bible answer again. We don’t want speculation. We don’t want wild guesses. We want an answer, and the Bible gives it clearly – the only safe way to draw conclusions.

<Revelation 16:14>
“They are the spirits of demons...”

What are these “evil spirits?” “...the spirits of demons...” Demons are Satan’s stooges, evil angels who with Satan, rebelled against God and tried to stage a coup in heaven itself. Cosmic stuff! Celestial “Star Wars!” We’ll discover on another night the Bible clearly says in Revelation 12 the coup of this “axis of evil” failed. Satan and his cronies were cast out of heaven.

And he came down to this world where he works to subtly manipulate people to reject truth about God. Notice, now! Revelation 16:14-16: Who is it that leads the entire world into final conflict? It isn’t Anti-christ or Saddam or Bin Laden! It’s Satan and his host of evil angels. And look! It’s not at all a war confined to the Middle East.

“...performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.”

Where do they go? Just to Saddam Hussein’s bedroom in the Euphrates valley? No.

...they go out to the whole world...

So, what’s already clear here? Revelation 16 says this final ‘Mother of all Battles’ is a showdown between “God Almighty” and the “spirits of demons.” Let me restate this for you: The ultimate “Star Wars” is a showdown between God and Satan.

But that isn’t all. Hold on.

“For they are the 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.
Behold I am coming as a thief...And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.”

Notice with me already – these careful crystal-clear points about Armageddon from your Bible: WHAT is it? WHEN is it? WHERE is it? Not what Lonnie says. What your Bible says!

! The battle of Armageddon is called the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Vs. 14. (WHAT is this battle called?)
! The Battle of Armageddon occurs just before Jesus comes as a thief. Vs. 15.
(WHEN does this battle occur?)
! The Bible says “They gathered together in a place in the Hebrew tongue called ‘Armageddon.’” Vs. 16 (WHERE does this battle occur?)

Let me interject something very, very important. We must not miss this. We must not “leap-frog” over Verse 15 to get to the part about Armageddon. Jesus himself interjects it right at this point so that we won’t get mixed up; so caught up in the excitement of deceptive fiction, evil angels, violence, gathering of armies, a final cosmic spectacular – that we lose our perspective and miss the point! That this whole stirring, frightening picture is just a prelude to the very coming of Jesus. Unmistakably clear in Verse 15: [Remember Jesus himself is speaking here:]

“Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.”

In dealing with Armageddon the Book of Revelation turns the spotlight on Jesus! On His righteousness. On His grace. On His gift of Life. That is what the Bible means when it talks about a person keeping “his clothes with him.”

! Armageddon speaks of victory not victims.
! It speaks of deliverance not doom.
! It speaks of hope not hopelessness.
! It speaks of Satan’s final futile attempts to unite all the forces of hell against God and His people.

Are you ready for this? You can be. Without it you’re “exposed.” “Naked.” What does that mean? This isn’t about streakers trying to get attention! It’s pointing out serious spiritual emptiness, and a very real possibility some good people will not survive Armageddon. It’s just that vital! But, thank God, you can have assurance. You don’t need to be “blown away.” If you stay “awake.” If you find Jesus as your Friend, and wear the clothing He has for you, you can have life that lasts forever. What God’s telling us here is He’s not someone to be afraid of; He’s someone to be a friend of. He’s on our side! And I want that to stand out like a clear beacon in this seminar series. God wants to be your best friend.

You know, after 9-11, Americans learned what it really means to be afraid. Terrorist cell groups continue to hide in our shadows; snipers are out there; the economy’s looking like it’s careening downhill fast. And do you know what else? The Bible itself, in the mysterious book of Daniel, seems to describe an enormous stone hurtling through deep space and blowing this planet into oblivion. Does that sound like good news – or the greatest cosmic terrorist attack of all time? Tomorrow night, here’s our topic: “What’s Next? Signs You Can’t Ignore.” We’ll learn about Bible prophecies being fulfilled right now, today, in 2003. I hope every one of you will decide, “I’m going to be here in this satellite seminar location -- with my own Bible in my hand.”

But now back to the final Cosmic Battle of the Ages. Where and when does this take place?

<Revelation 16:16>
“Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.”

Does the text say this is going to happen this Spring? (No.) Does it say in the next few weeks? (Doesn’t say that.) What does the Bible actually say?

“Then...”

There’s a spiritual showdown coming – between the forces of right and the forces of wrong. Does this eliminate the possibility of some earth-shaking physical military conflict?

No. It’s unimaginable – human nature being what it is – that there won’t be fierce military carnage as humanity reaches its final chapter. After all, in the last century alone, an estimated 221 million human beings were murdered or killed.

As the sands of time run out, I don’t think things are going to improve.

Because when it all finally does end, the final approach on the runway of time will be God Himself stepping in, awesome in power and majesty. Talk about “shock and awe!”

Then, and not till then, remember something very important Jesus says here. “You disciples will see a lot of these events.” The carnage. The famine and disaster. And you’ll think, “Okay! This is it! This is the end! This is Armageddon!” But Jesus says, “No. Not yet.”

<Matthew 24:6>
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”

Jesus says, “Hang loose! Stay cool!” We might think Iraq is the trigger for Armageddon. But

<Matthew 24:8>
“All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

I’ll be honest. I’ve never experienced birth pains personally! But you who are mothers certainly know how they increase in frequency and intensity! They put you on notice. On alert. They keep you on your toes.

Something’s going to happen WHEN? “Then!” [PAUSE]

Okay, but now WHERE?

<Revelation 16:16>
“And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon.”

Listen very carefully. You can take your Rand McNally Atlas or get out your National Geographic maps and search the face of the earth. You’ll find no place called Armageddon. But this scripture offers a hint. It says the word “Armageddon” comes from Hebrew. It’s really the combination of two words, “har,” meaning “mountain,” and “magedon” which appears to link with “Megiddo.” The name Armageddon could literally mean, “Mountains of Megiddo.” Alright, this gives us something to work with.

I’ve stood over there at Megiddo in Northern Israel. It’s a valley usually called the Plain of Esdraelon, but which Zechariah 12:11 calls Megiddo. A triangular-shaped swamp, basically, about 20 miles on a side – about two thirds the size of Lake Tahoe – north of Jerusalem. It’s the closest thing scholars can come up with that resembles ‘Har Magedon,” in Hebrew. Megiddo. In fact, there’s a tourist sign there that says, “Armageddon.” Not a very impressive place. Not very big. Couldn’t have two Israeli jets fly overhead and turn around in that valley. Some impressive battles were fought there long ago, but it obviously doesn’t offer much room for modern armies or “the kings of the whole world” to assemble there.

But now the plot thickens. You see, unfortunately it doesn’t make sense for Revelation 16 to call Megiddo a mountain. Har magedon. Mountains of Megiddo. Megiddo isn’t a mountain at all! It’s a flat, marshy valley. It’s an oxymoron to call Megiddo a mountain. It’s like calling Omaha on the plains of Nebraska, “Mt. Omaha.” Doesn’t fit. Doesn’t work. Seems confusing.

But let’s patiently and prayerfully look for an answer tonight. The whole context of “Armageddon” in the book of Revelation is a situation in which a divided world reaches its final summit against the Mt. of God!

The Battle of Armageddon in Revelation 16 speaks of a God who is powerful enough.
A God who is strong enough.
A God who is mighty in battle.
A God who has never lost to Satan yet. And won’t now either!

What battle are you facing? Are you facing a battle with disease – does it seem to be getting the best of you? You are going to win!

What kind of battle are you facing tonight? Are you fighting a battle with discouragement? Hey, my friend, you and God are going to win if Jesus has your life!

Are you facing a battle with some habit or attitude in your life you wish you could give up? You and God are going to win.

Are you facing some battle with temptation? You and God are going to win. At end-time the battle will be fierce. The Dragon will roar. The Beast will oppress. The anti Christ will persecute. But Jesus Christ enters the battle and He is triumphant! And you will be triumphant, too!

So was General Douglas MacArthur right? When he stood on the deck of the Battleship Missouri on September 2, 1945 after we dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima to end the most terrible war in the history of mankind. Was MacArthur right to warn the world,

“We have had our last chance. If we do not devise some greater and more equitable system Armageddon will be at our door.”

Perhaps more right than we realize.

Let me say very clearly: the final struggle between good and evil, the Armageddon battle for Planet Earth, is going to be “The Mother of all Battles!” Spiritually. Morally. Physically. Militarily. And it will not take place in a Northern Israeli swamp. No, Armageddon will take place all over planet Earth.

Right in the middle of this chaos, note what Jesus said:

<Matthew 24:30>
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Revelation 19:11 says Armageddon finally comes to its climax at the coming of Jesus.

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True...The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.”

Who is the one riding on the white horse and leading the armies of heaven? Right! None other than Jesus himself.

<Revelation 19:16>
“On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

No mistaking who this is. It’s Jesus himself. Why does He come? To deliver his saints in tribulation!

Jesus wins! That’s the message underlined in the Book of Revelation and impressed on our minds with exclamation points! And we who accept Him win with Him.

<Revelation 19:20>
“But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf.”

THE COSMIC BATTLE OF THE AGES will be ‘the biggest cliff hanger battle of them all.’
Because Armageddon is about two camps. Two different universe systems. The final showdown. Once they are unequivocally differentiated, there’s no reason for further delay. The battle lines will be drawn. There’s nothing more God can do to save the wicked and nothing more He needs to do for the righteous – except deliver them.

This is the moment of truth. More than an ultimatum from George Bush. Or Tony Blair’s detente. Revelation says the way is paved by God for Jesus to return. Satan has his “axis of evil,” the triple alliance of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet.

But Jesus warned in Matt. 24:3-4

“Take heed that no one deceives you.”

<Matthew 24:24>
“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

Miracle mania will overwhelm people on TV and in the theater of religion. Signs and wonders so scientific and stunning they almost deceive even the very elect.

False christs. False prophets. Plus Satan’s biggest lie – set the stage for the final showdown. Perhaps one of his demons, impersonating an angel of light, will appear to resurrect a dead person. Maybe appear to talk to Lady Di or Mother Teresa. Satan’s final delusions to deceive and mislead.

We’re going to talk about a lot of these things in coming nights

So what’s next?

<Revelation 7:1-3>
“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea. “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

In mercy God says, “Hold on a little longer! Don’t let the curtain of time ring down yet because there are still people responding to Me.” God wants something else to happen before the final winds of destruction blow in all their “Armageddon fury.” Jesus Himself said it’s the greatest sign of all He’s coming soon.

<Matthew 24:14>
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Now, don’t sit back and say, “Well! No need to get concerned about Armageddon. The Gospel hasn’t gone to all the world.” Because the Gospel is making amazing advances throughout the world in: Africa, Asia, India, everywhere!

The New York Times says even in China with foreign missionaries banned and underground churches persecuted, Christianity is flourishing with tens of millions of believers!

Never, in history has there been such overwhelming, globe-encircling proclamation of the Gospel and corresponding response. It’s on the internet. TV. Worldwide radio. Bouncing off satellites tonight in South America, New Guinea, Australia and the Pacific Rim. This summer in Africa, Europe, Asia. People are getting the message about Jesus’ warning,

<Matthew 24:42, 44>
“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming...So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.”

For the past 6 weeks we’ve had front-row seats of war “in-your-face.” 500 embedded news reporters with live television pictures of capture, torture of prisoners, parading some in the most grotesque and gruesome violations of the Geneva Convention.