Reading: Revelation 16:1-21

As you’re aware by now, John is writing the book of Revelation to 7 actual churches in what is now modern day Turkey. However. We also believe God’s Word is timeless, so there must be an application for us too.

It’s my belief we can think of this text like a Venn Diagram. There’s the destruction of “old Jerusalem” in 70AD which was “for them”. And there’s the coming of the “new Jerusalem” when Jesus returns, which is “for us”. Lets start by talking about “their circle”.

There’s a Jewish historian you should be aware of. His Roman name was Flavius Josephus. However, he was born Yosef ben Mattityahu—a Jew who fought against the Romans. Once it looks like his army will be defeated, he defects to the Romans, and takes the emperor’s name, Flavius. He then serves as a translator for General Vespasian’s son, Titus. And writes much of the recorded Roman history of the day.

Before I show you some of what he writes, recall verse 3: The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea. Now. Look at this: “They were killed by the darts on the lake; and the Romans leaped out of their vessels, and destroyed a great many more upon the land; one might then see the lake all bloody, and full of dead bodies, for not one of them escaped.” (Josephus Wars, III.10.9) Notice any similarities?

Josephus will also write about an earthquake that divides the city, thereby allowing the Romans in—additionally he talks about catapults that hurl massive stones, weighing upwards of 100 pounds, and these stones are painted white. See also verses 18, 19, and 21.

Point being, I don’t think you can keep your intellectual integrity if you ignore these “coincidences” and say this is only about some future event.

Now. I do think it’s also talking about a future event. Because God’s wrath isn’t finished. I mean—it is for those who follow Jesus (there’s no wrath for those who are in Christ Jesus). But God’s justice has not dealt the final blow to evil yet. And one of the things John brings up is this battle at Armageddon. So. Look at the text. John tells us explicitly that Armageddon is a Hebrew term. He does that because the book of Revelation is written in Greek. So there’s something about the Greek word, translated Armageddon, that required, for the Greek readers, clarification that the term had been brought in to the verse from Hebrew.

So. The greek word is Harmagedon; har = mount—that is mount of magedon. Which means we must ask ourselves is there a mount Magedon? Answer: not that we can tell from antiquity.

However, in the Hebrew Bible, the word Harmagedon does occur in Isaiah 14:13. Here it is: You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly (the Hebrew is the Greek, Harmagedon) in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’

So. Armageddon (in Hebrew) is: the mount of assembly. What’s that? It’s the place where Yahweh holds council. You can read about it in Psalm 82 and Job 1. What’s also important for us to get, is how the unbelieving nations, empowered by the beast and the dragon, will make one last desperate effort to defeat Jesus at the place where Yahweh holds council. In other words, Armageddon is probably not some earthly battle we’re waiting on—it’s a spiritual battle for the deed to the earth. Remember our Scroll that the Lamb gets? The dragon wants that. He wants worship. He wants to be like God. Isaiah 14:14.

Now. I know some of you were taught that there is this great battle coming, and in fairness, there might be. But. What I’m seeing is that this is a spiritual conquest. Plus, when we get to Revelation 19, you’ll see Jesus come back, riding a white horse, He has his name tattooed on his thigh, and all He does is speak—and the beast is captured. So. It doesn’t seem like there’s much of a need for a battle sequence when all Jesus has to do is speak.

Therefore. I think the most likely scenario, is that this scene is playing out on mount magedon—God’s place of council—and it’s spiritual, not physical. You also do well to notice that all of the bowls of wrath are reserved for those who have the mark of the beast: verse 2. So as Christians, even if I’m wrong, we still don’t need to live in fear.

Now. All that said, the plain thing is the main thing—and what’s plain is: eventually, the Holiness of God leaves the temple, and incinerates everything that is not protected by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. And despite giving them multiple opportunities to receive the blood of the Lamb (there’s 7 bowls) some people won’t repent (verse 11) and they curse God (verse 21).

So. What John is asking us all to do is: not waste another moment. God’s time clock is ticking. Our job is to repent and expose darkness through Love.

With Gratitude,

pLJ