Time for some common questions. A buddy of mine asked where we find the Battle of Armageddon in the Bible.

I knew his question was centered on the prophecies we see in Ezekiel 38,39, and though much of that battle will take place in Israel, there has rarely been a Biblical battle that is not fought in the Meggido valley.

The layman's definition comes across like this: every Biblical battle we are familiar with happens/ed in the Meggido valley or, as some put it, the Plain of Jezreel. Other names we find are Har- Megiddo, Har-Magedon, Armageddon, and Harmagedon.

Josiah, the King of Judah, went out to fight the king of Egypt in the valley of Megiddo. (2 Kings 23:29)

Joshua, the second in command to Moses, made his home here and raised his sons, who were just as tough as he was, in the Jezreel valley.

Elijah took on the prophets of Baal, the servants of Jezebel, on Mt Carmel, the Southernmost boundary of the Megiddo valley.

“Jezreel, or Esdraelon, was a city of Issachar, afterwards celebrated as the residence of the kings of Israel, delightfully situated in the extensive and fertile plain of the same name, which extends from Scythopolis or Bethshan on the east to mount Carmel on the west.” (This puts the upper range just North of the Sea of Galilee  and South toward Mt. Carmel. This mountain should have a familiar ring, as this is where Elijah confronted the false prophets of Jezebel.)
The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury (Emphasis mine.)

The book of Ezekiel gives two more identifying names. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.” (Ezekiel 39:11 KJV)

Ezekiel 38 tells us that this is also the area known as the location of the mountains of Israel.

“A long time from now, you will be called into action. In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be enjoying peace after recovering from war and after its people have returned from many lands to the mountains of Israel.” (Ezekiel 38:8 NLT)

One of the prime examples associated with the battle of Armageddon is found in Revelation 16.

“The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. ("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.") And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.”
(Revelation 16:12-16 NASB)

When you get to the end of the paragraph, there is a reference to “they.” To whom does this refer? 

The passage tells us that the spirits of demons, which look like frogs, go out for one purpose: to cause the kings of the whole world to gather together for the war of the great day of God. 

This gathering of kings "for the war of the great day of God" happens at the end of the seven years of wrath; you know, the time period that we call the Great Tribulation. Cosidering the onslaught of death and destruction I am surprised that there would be anyone left to summon.

These frog-like demons almost sound as if they could take human form as they begin performing signs. All the while, the Euphrates is drying up so that the kings from the East can come down and join in an attack on Israel. 

Now, you have to ask, does the great day of God refer to the time that Jesus will come back and retrieve His church, or is it something else, like the entirety of the seven years of God's wrath?

It references the time of wrath, which begins mere seconds after the catching away of the church.

So the kings of the earth- is exclusive to Ezekiel 38, or can it apply to something else, as I see two more times that fall under the category of warfare?

I think this description of kings applies exclusively to Ezekiel 38. 

“And the word of the LORD came to me saying, 'Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. "I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords; Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops--many peoples with you.”
(Ezekiel 38:1-6 NASB)

While the destruction will not be complete, in which they can never show their faces again, it will be severe.

The second major deadly event occurs when the false prophet steps up to bat. 

Islamic prophecies believe this man, a descendant of Aaron, is the enforcer of Sharia. 

What does that mean to the Jew - who will be the biggest recipient of this violence? 

Again, look at Matthew 24, as this speaks specifically to this moment in time when the false prophet shifts his stance, pledges his allegiance to Allah; sets up the image of the beast, which speaks (This may be animatronics, much like a Disney attraction, and made functional through artificial intelligence; or, it could be downright demonic.)

"Therefore, when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. "Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. "Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! "But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. "Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short."
(Matthew 24:15-22 NASB)

The problem with identifying this period as a battle of Armageddon is that, though there has to be a large, deadly militant force backing the false prophet, none of those fighters are identified as Gog, as we see in Ezekiel 38.

Another problematic issue in associating this “warfare” with Armageddon comes from the vagueness of the antichrist who gives power to the false prophet. If the false prophet is the high priest of the newly built temple in Jerusalem and he flips teams, denies God, follows the Mahdi, and forces “everyone” to worship the beast and take his mark, the impact will be massive – for the Jewish community. Still, it will also be deadly for anyone who has chosen to follow Christ during this time. If the antichrist turned out to be someone like the former American President, Barack Obama, it would feel like a massive betrayal, as he has been acting like he is their best friend for many years. The truth is, Obama is an avid student of Saul Alinsky, and in his book Rules For Radicals, is a man who feels like he could be suspiciously close to Marxism or Socialism, and an admitted follower of Islam. 

We, as a church body, like much of America and our government that seems naive, want to believe that we are immune from the violence demanded by Islam and fail to recognize that it remains a global threat. The warning signs have been clear for a long time. To consider that Islam is and will continue to become a global threat. The clues have been before us for a long time now.

After this second onslaught, where Matthew's account tells us that this period will be extremely deadly, realizing that this is the second part of the seven years of God's wrath. As this ends, there is no doubt that this time will be filled with violence against others; several billion people will be killed intentionally, and there will be another massive battle.

“Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”
(Revelation 19:6-7 NASB)

Do I think this will be audible and the world will hear it? Absolutely. Not only do I think they will hear it, but they will also see Jesus coming back to earth, riding on the white horse and covered in blood.

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.”
(Revelation 19:11-13 NASB)

What an incredible sight, except for those who have chosen to fight against Him. If there ever was a battle of Armageddon, this would be it. When we looked at Revelation 16 a short time ago, we saw frog-like demons gathering the kings of the earth. No doubt there will be kings at this battle that Ezekiel describes, but there are ten nations at best. Here, the impact is global, and every country that thinks God is nothing compared to their gods will be sadly mistaken, for everyone who comes to fight will cease to breathe that day.

Alright, there is one last battle, and it too is fought, to some degree, in the Jezreel valley.

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.”
(Revelation 20:1-3 NASB)

At some point, the thousand years will have come and gone.
"When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore."
(Revelation 20:7-8 NASB)

Satan is released to, in a sense, thin the herd. All these people, and there will be many, will have walked around with their free wills intact. Those whose names were NOT written in the book of life will be deceived. It is just that simple.

"And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." (Revelation 20:9-10 NASB)

No fanfare, trumpets, or weapons of warfare as God Himself burns them up. Once again, the reality is that they quit breathing. Why do I keep saying that? Because we need to adjust our idea of death. Since the spirit of a human is in the image of God, then the soul lives on forever. Yes, those who choose to follow Satan to his demise will live eternally in the torment meant for him. You were meant to live in peace and love with the Father; I know that sounded like hippie talk, but it's true.

The only thing that associates this with Armageddon is the usage of this terminology, “ they came up on the broad plain of the earth.”

I wrote this piece because there are expected events and questions, and we, for the most part, do not know the answers. Perhaps you have heard all this, and it sounded familiar; what happened? I can tell you what happened; we allowed confusion and confused people to speak into our lives instead of leaning hard upon God's Word. Don't allow confusion like that into your life. The Holy Spirit of God is still here, no matter if the church is gone or not, and He will lead and guide you into truth.

Ask Jesus into your life, and the Holy Spirit will come beside Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the fire of God, boldness, and strength, and He will do it. If the rapture has come, there is no time to fool around. One way or the other, they will kill you, but until that happens, live like the Prophet Elijah; he called fire down from heaven. The prophet Samuel was also feared, but I will leave you to pursue that. Just know that if you live by the sword, you will die by the sword. So put your faith in Jesus and choose to command the angels to move on your behalf. God's speed and mercy. 

We will meet again.

A fairly typical response to my assertions on Matthew 24:24. Who is the elect, and can they be deceived?

 Within a couple of hours of posting on Matthew 24:24, Who is the elect, and can they be deceived?  I received a comment. I am showing you this because this is a fairly typical response. At least this one is readable.

She said, “All very interesting. Note that Matthew 24:22 (KJV) and Matthew 24:24 (KJV) speak of 2 different groups, ‘the elect’ and ‘the very elect’. It is not possible for ‘the very elect’ to be deceived. I believe that ‘the elect’ of 24:22 refers to the Jews, while ‘the very elect’ could very well be a mixed group of Jew and Gentile believers who will miss the tribulation period.”

Sometimes I feel like I am stuck in a bad joke and they are just trying to make me look. I took her comment as a challenge, and I looked.

Since I sent the same message to you, then you effectively understand what I was saying, and why.

Together, we considered the context, the culture, their understanding of the scriptures – the Old Testament, and who Jesus had been talking to. We also compared Matthew 24:24 with Mark's version (Mark 13:6,) which told us, that many would be deceived; this information is in sharp contrast to NO ONE can be deceived.

It was clear, in my mind, who the elect was that Jesus pointed to, and never once did Jesus say, there are various levels of the elect. Most of us know that in any religious organization there are varying levels of authority, although, even the lowest on the totem pole think that they are in charge and will aggressively try to push you around. 

The disciples, whom the elect believed to be uneducated and common, understood what Jesus was telling them – how that the decision-makers, capable of influencing the attendees of the synagogues, should wholeheartedly follow this new way of looking at things (deception). 

But what if it looks like Islam?

I may not be an educated man, but I lived in the days of the hippies, and I refuse to accept everything that comes my way, just because “the man” says so.

With all that, let me show you, once again, Matthew 24:24 and then Matthew 24:22, and let's see if verse twenty-two, is pointing to a group of untouchable super elites if you will. 

We will also ask the question, who are they, and will they miss the tribulation period?

For there will appear false Messiahs and false prophets performing great miracles—amazing things!—so as to fool even the chosen, if possible.
(Matthew 24:24 CJB)

I used this translation because it uses the word Messiahs. This word conveys an effort to represent themselves as someone sent from God when clearly, they are not.

Now on to Matthew 24:22, but before I insert the passage, I need to ask you a question that only has validity if you read my previous post.

Did the context change?

The answer is NO, and therefore the same understanding that we applied to Matthew 24:24, applies to Matthew 24:22.

"Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.
(Matthew 24:22 NASB)

The first thing that catches my eye is the fact that Jesus pointed out how a merciful God shortened the effects of a deadly period of time, which is not defined within the verse (we have an idea of who and what that something is because we were wise and read the previous verses.) This deadly onslaught is directly associated with the Abomination of Desolations, spoken of through Daniel the prophet.

Alright then, let's look at Daniel and see what it says.

“And he (the antichrist) shall enter into a strong and firm covenant with the many for one week [seven years]. And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease [for the remaining three and one-half years]; and upon the wing or pinnacle of abominations [shall come] one who makes desolate, until the full determined end is poured out on the desolator.”
(Daniel 9:27 AMP)

• “And he”

  This is understood to be the antichrist.

• “shall enter into a strong and firm covenant with the many for seven years.”

  Most understand this “many” to be ten world leaders. It is becoming easier, by the day, to guess who these ten might be. There is a good chance this covenant/treaty takes place right after the rapture and Israel will be the target of a massive and possible nuclear attack. This is what Ezekiel 38 speaks of, where God steps in and fights for Israel by sending firebombs from the heavens.

• “And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease [for the remaining three and one-half years]”

  The antichrist will break his own covenant, and stop all sacrifices and offerings in the temple.

• “... Then the "Horrible Thing" that causes destruction will be put there. And it will stay there until the time God has decided to destroy this one who destroys.” (CEV)

  At this point, there is a hand-off to the false prophet - the one that Jesus spoke of who will portray himself as a messiah and will perform signs and wonders, just as Moses did.

  This false prophet will ally himself with the god of the antichrist, and Islamic prophecies call him the enforcer of Sharia law. I used the CEV because it conveys, better than most, the idea that this man is a destroyer. Here is where we need to jump back to Matthew 24, once again. 

  “Someday you will see that "Horrible Thing" in the holy place, just as the prophet Daniel said. Everyone who reads this must try to understand! If you are living in Judea at that time, run to the mountains. If you are on the roof of your house, don't go inside to get anything. If you are out in the field, don't go back for your coat. It will be a terrible time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children. And pray that you won't have to escape in winter or on a Sabbath. This will be the worst time of suffering since the beginning of the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again.” 
  (Matthew 24:15-21 CEV)

And this is the lead-in to Matthew 24:22.

If God doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of God's chosen ones, he will make the time shorter.
(Matthew 24:22 CEV)

Yes, I used a different translation, because the NASB uses the term elect, while the CEV employs the word chosen.

Since we started by addressing how Jesus had been referring to the “elect” as the ones who would be deceived, is He still concerned with the chief priests, scribes, and rabbis here?

Not so much, as He now includes commoners and women among those who should run for their lives.

“then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. "Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. "Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.” "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! "But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.”
(Matthew 24:16-20 NASB)

Here, the emphasis is on God's chosen people, the Jews, and NOT just the chief priests and elders; the focus on them comes two verses later in Matthew 24:24.

So, once again, here is the quote I started with.

“All very interesting. Note that Matthew 24:22 (KJV) and Matthew 24:24 (KJV) speak of 2 different groups, ‘the elect’ and ‘the very elect’. It is not possible for ‘the very elect’ to be deceived. I believe that ‘the elect’ of 24:22 refers to the Jews, while ‘the very elect’ could very well be a mixed group of Jew and Gentile believers who will miss the tribulation period.”

If I wanted to stretch my thinking, then I suppose I can see two groups of “elect.” The problem is, there is nothing I see that gives them these titles, they did that too and for themselves. I can see them as dumb and dumber, for following the priests who ignored the Tenach and rejected scriptures that speak of the Messiah Yeshua; and then, there are the followers who merely accepted the teachings of the Jewish leadership without question.

For this lady to advocate that “It is not possible for the very elect to be deceived,” demonstrates how little she knows, and, how easy it is to be deceived. 

If God was merely toying with us, using a cultist, class game, then He would be a liar against His own Word, and subject to death; and we would be slaves to Satan's deceptions as they manipulated our attempts to improve our social status and class. In God's eyes, all of this feeds into the struggle for the things of this world. (See James 4:4)

When the disciples ask Jesus about the destruction of the temple, (which was not speaking directly to 70AD, but even further down the timeline,) the sign of His coming – (back as the Messiah, for they had no concept of the church or the snatching away of said church,) and, the end of the age, they expected a Jewish response.

The word they used for the end meant the completion of this Godly plan, and when they said age, they spoke the word aiōn, which is the Greek version of the Hebrew word eon, meaning an age, - in either case, these words are only defined by the words used in conjunction with it; for the Jews asking the questions, it meant the Messianic age. They might as well have asked, when are you going to come back as the warring Messiah?

Since we know that their questions were centered on the Jews and Israel, then we can also know that their concern had nothing to do with Gentiles believers; and strangely, God never mixes the two into one conversation, as He describes the events of the Revelation. It is because of this, that we don't indiscriminately bring them into the mix.