ARMAGEDDON

The war of Armageddon is a series of battles that will occur during the Indignation. It will begin with the King of the South (Egypt) and his allied armies invading Israeli territory from the south. ; .

When it dries up, the Euphrates River will allow the immense armies gathered by the King of the North to invade the land of Israel from the north, like a whirlwind. (Reference is also made to this as being the first attack of Assyria.)* This powerful invasion will ruthlessly devastate the land. Before them the land will seem like the garden of Eden, but after their passage it will be left like a desolate desert. This "flood of plagues" will be brought by God to destroy the multitude of apostate Jews who will receive the Antichrist and worship the Beast. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; (the wolf comes and steals the sheep); (the wild boar from the forest devastates the vineyard). [ Note: *This devastating invasion is also referred to as "the consumption", which is a technical expression for the devastating judgments executed by the King of the North, since it will bring devastation in its passage through various countries situated in and around the promised land of Israel, as it makes its way toward Egypt, shortly before the Lord's coming. (; ; . -- N.T.: In , in the "New Translation", the Bible translated by J.N.Darby, the word "destruction" appears, translated as "consumption" in the Almeida Corrigida Version). ] The false Messiah of the Jews (the Antichrist) will flee at the moment of greatest calamity for the people. Because he is allied with the Beast (the little horn), he will probably flee to Rome in search of protection, for later, when the Lord returns in judgment, he is seen with the Beast. (). ; ; ; . The Jews who will have trusted in their false Messiah will be distressed and will curse him for abandoning them under such great danger. .

Two-thirds of the Jews who by then will have returned to the land of Israel will be killed. This means at least 12 million Jews massacred in a period of a few days! (There are today almost 17 million Jews, a number that grows approximately 1% per year, which means that by the time of the end of the tribulation there could be approximately 19 million gathered back to their land. If the Lord delays longer, this number could be much larger.) .

The remnant of faithful Jews, who will flee to the mountains, holes and caves in order to save their lives, will be providentially preserved from the destroying armies. ; ; ; ; .

This devastating invasion carried out by the King of the North will shorten the end of the Great Tribulation in the land of Israel, after 1260 days have passed counted from the middle of the week.* It will be 18 days less than the last three and a half years (1278 days)#8#. For the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. ; .

[ Note: *The tribulation ends when the multitude of apostate Jews who, under the command of the Antichrist, were causing the great tribulation in the land by their cruel persecution of the faithful remnant, is killed. ] The King of the North will lay his hands on the spoil of gold and silver, and on the treasures that the Jews gathered through their commercial practices when they were dispersed throughout the earth in the present Christian era. ; ; ; ; .

As the armies of the King of the North and his confederates approach Jerusalem, terror will dominate the city. The people will look around the city with horror upon seeing the immense armies on all sides. .

The armies of the King of the North will capture Jerusalem, leaving it in ruins and shedding blood like water around the city. Women will be violated and the dead will lie in the streets. ; ; ; ; ; -14.

Some of the allied armies of the King of the North, such as Elam (present-day Iran), Kir (perhaps Moab, , Jordan or Media which is northern Iran), and Edom (perhaps part of Arabia), appear to be at this moment the executors of the plundering of Jerusalem. It is likely that the King of the North is then occupied with expelling the King of the South from the land. ; -14; .

Half of the city of Jerusalem will be taken into captivity. .

The temple that the Jews will have built will be destroyed. ; ; .

The faithful remnant of Jews, perplexed and desperate upon seeing the country being devastated, will cry out to God for help. ; Ps 73-89 (third book of the Psalms), ; -64:12.

After Jerusalem and the land of Israel have been destroyed, the King of the North will betray some of his Arab allies and invade their countries in order to defeat them. The "consumption" will then be upon all the land (; ; ). Other countries situated in the promised land of Israel, which were allied with the King of the North, will fall under judgment at that time.* ; ; ; (the "burdens"); Jer 46-49; Ezek 25-30; Amos 1-2:8; ; ; .

[ Note: *This has already happened in History. When the armies of Assyria and also of Babylon invaded the land in the past (the Assyrian incursions took place about 100 years before the Babylonian invasions), they came from the north conquering Israel and the surrounding nations as they advanced toward Egypt. (2 Kgs 15:29; ; - ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ). Those invasions of the past were recorded in the prophecies of the Scriptures because they are shadows of the invasions of the King of the North in a future time (). Many of those prophecies were only partially fulfilled in those days and point to their total fulfillment in the future. When Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians, the Edomites and other Arab peoples were their willing allies (; -14; ; ; ).

After the conquest of Jerusalem he turned against some of his allies and plundered them (; ; ). All this is a remarkable prediction of the betrayal with which the King of the North will treat his Arab allies. .#9# ] Edom (perhaps part of Arabia), which will help in the destruction of Jerusalem, will be deceived by the Confederation and will suffer harm. They will be plundered, despoiled and left reduced in number.* -14; ; ; ; .

[ Note: *The book of Obadiah shows that the judgment on Edom will fall in three stages, ending by annihilating them completely from the face of the earth. They will receive the first blow when they are deceived by their own allies (-14). After that they will receive a more severe blow when the Lord goes out to tread His winepress of judgment on the nations gathered that will follow Gog in Edom (,16). See ; . Then will come the final blow given by the armies of the then newly regathered Israel (-21).#10# ] The confederation will also turn against Moab (Isa. 15 and 16; Jer. 48; ; -- perhaps part of Jordan), Ammon (; ; -- perhaps part of Jordan as well), Philistines (; ; Jer. 47; ; -- perhaps the area called the Gaza Strip), Damascus (Isa. 17; ; , southern Syria), Tyre and Sidon (Isa. 23, Ezek. 26-28; -- perhaps Lebanon), and other countries in the area. They will flee to save their lives, and their lands will be plundered.

Despite being attacked, a remnant of Edom, Moab and Ammon will escape. God will allow this so that Israel can give them the final blow later. (the "firstfruits" or leaders will escape); ; .

The King of the North will continue in his conquest, advancing to northeast Africa and destroying the King of the South (Egypt) and his allies (Libya, Ethiopia and others). ; Isa. 19-20; ; ; .

The Egyptians will flee in all directions to save their lives and will be scattered among the surrounding nations. Their land will be handed over to a harsh master and a fierce king (the King of the North). ; ; ; .

After the King of the North has destroyed and plundered the Egyptians and their armies, he will take possession of the treasures of that land. .

The Beast, with his armies (the Western Confederation), upon hearing news of the invasion carried out by the King of the North, will come from the west to defend the land of Israel. The Beast will use his navy in an effort to stop the progress of the King of the North.* ; (the "ships of Kittim" -- Kittim is Cyprus).

[ Note: *The King of the North will also possess a navy that will be involved in this conflict. . ]

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