Babylon has now fallen and the Great Whore has been brought to ruin by the Beast and the ten kings. Next:
Preparing for Armageddon – Revelation 16
Revelation 16:13-14 – “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. They [the frogs] are spirits of demons 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.”
Note the phrase ‘performing miraculous signs’ just like in Revelation 13:13, where it’s describing the false prophet. The false prophet
had deceived the world for 3 1/2 years with all his deceptive, counterfeit miracles. And it will continue. The internet’s general consensus is that ‘frogs catch their prey with their tongues’. Metaphorically these ‘three frogs’ of deception (from all three: the dragon, the beast and the false prophet) will seduce the kings into joining them at Armageddon, despite the Beast’s Empire being in a state of total devastation and destruction following God’s wrath.
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” – 1 Timothy 4:1
Note the phrase ‘to gather’. It is in the initial stages where they begin to prepare to gather at Armageddon [Valley of Megiddo]. The armies aren’t there yet.
[Valley of Megiddo is north-west of Jerusalem]
The Lord has the sixth angel pour out the 6th bowl of judgment in Revelation 16:
6th Bowl:
Revelation 16:12 – “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.”
Revelation 16:16 – “And He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon [Valley of Megiddo].”
[a vast valley north of Jerusalem]
The kings are now gathered together at Armageddon. They must now wait for the day of the Lord.
“Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat (same thing as the Valley of Megiddo – Valley of Jehoshaphat is in the Old Testament) for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side.” – Joel 3:12
Ezekiel, the prophet, prophesied around 587 BC of the End Times, while the Israelites were in their 70 years of Babylonian captivity.
Ezekiel 38:2-9 – ‘Prophecy about Gog and Future Invasion of Israel’ – “ ‘Son of man, set your face against Gog,
of the land of Magog the chief prince of Meshech (Turkey) and Tubal (Turkey); prophesy against him … Persia, Cush (Ethiopia) and Put (Libya) will be with them … also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops … after many days you will be called to arms … you and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.’ ”
The last phrase, ‘cloud covering the land’ could even be referring to an aerial advancement.
“ ‘Therefore wait for Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘for the day when I rise up as a witness. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them My indignation, all My burning anger; for all the earth will be devoured by the fire of My zeal.’ ” – Zephaniah 3:8
And then it was exclaimed:
Revelation 16:15 – “ ‘Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.’ ”
- “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3
- “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:4
- “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” – 2 Peter 3:10
- ” ‘Therefore, be on the alert – for you do not know when the Master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning -in case He should come suddenly and find you asleep. What I say to you I say to all, “Be on the alert!” ‘ ” – Mark 13:35-37
- “But you, brethren (brethren means fellow Christians), are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. … Let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep (in this case it means alive or already gone to be with the Lord), we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11
No one knows at what time the Lord Jesus will come – it will be suddenly, unexpectedly, like how a thief would come. Unless, of course, if you’re expecting and waiting and looking for – then you’re awake and ready. As Christians we are always to be in the Word and ready to give testimony to our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Also of importance is that the Lord Jesus is speaking here in the Book of Revelation. It’s the first time since Chapter Three, and He won’t personally speak again until Chapter 22.
scripture only: Sixth Bowl of God’s Wrath
previous article: Revelation 17 – Mystery Babylon is Fallen
next article: The Angel and the Little Scroll
