{"id":53,"date":"2017-10-15T08:48:49","date_gmt":"2017-10-15T06:48:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/?p=53"},"modified":"2017-10-15T08:48:49","modified_gmt":"2017-10-15T06:48:49","slug":"the-campaign-of-armageddon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/2017\/10\/15\/the-campaign-of-armageddon\/","title":{"rendered":"The Campaign of Armageddon"},"content":{"rendered":"

And they gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew Har magedon<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Revelation 16:16<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The two climactic events of the Great Tribulation are the Campaign of Armageddon and the Second C<\/span>oming of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. A considerable amount of data about this time period is given in the Scriptures. One of the greatest difficulties in the study of eschatology is placing these events in chronological sequence in order to see exactly what will happen in the Campaign of Armaged<\/span>don. This study is an attempt to do just that, but first, some background information must be considered.<\/span><\/p>\n

Introduction and Background Information<\/strong><\/p>\n

The basis of the Second Coming of the Messiah is Israel\u2019s national regeneration. Until Israel as a nation is saved, until Israel as a nation looks to the One <\/span>whom they have pierced, until Israel as a nation cries out for Him to return with the words, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord, there will be no Second Coming (Lev. 26:40\u201342<\/a>; Jer. 3:12\u2013<\/span>18<\/a>; Hos. 5:15\u20136:3<\/a>; Zech. 12:10<\/a>; Mat. 23:37\u201339<\/a>). While the Rapture of the Church has no preconditions\u2014it can happen at any moment of time\u2014the Second Coming does have this one precondition.<\/p>\n

If one under<\/span>stands the basis of the Second Coming of Messiah, one can understand the theological foundations of anti-Semitism. Satan knows that once Yeshua returns, his career is over. But Satan also knows there will be no S<\/span>econd Coming until the Jewish people ask the Messiah to return. Therefore, if Satan could ever succeed in destroying the Jews once and for all before they have a chance to plead for Jesus to return, there would be no Second Coming and Satan\u2019s career would then be eternally safe. That is why throughout the centuries and throughout Jewish history Satan has had this perpetual war against the Jews seeking to dest<\/span>roy them at every opportunity. That explains the Jewish persecutions of the centuries; that explains <\/span>the Holocaust under Nazi Germany; and that explains the unique activities o<\/span>f Satan during the Tribulation.<\/p>\n

During the second half of the Tribulation, Satan will be confined to the earth (Rev. 12:7\u201312<\/a>); once Satan is confined to this earth, he knows his time is short (Rev. 12<\/span>:12<\/a>); and knowing his time is short, he persecutes the Jews (Rev. 12:17<\/a>). He must try to destroy the Jews before they have a chance to plead for the Messiah to return. The persecutions of the Jews wil<\/span>l begin in the middle of the Tribulation and will continue until the beginning points of the Campaign of Armageddon, toward the end of the Tribulation. During this period of persecutions, approximately two thirds of the Jewish population of that day will be killed, but one third will be left in the closing days, weeks, or month<\/span>s of the Tribulation. The Campaign of Armageddon is specifically organized by Satan for the purpose of annihilating once and for all the one third Remnant of the Jewish people still alive.<\/p>\n

During the seven years of the Tribulation, there will be two distinct political sy<\/span>stems, one for each half of the Tribulation. The political system of the first half of the Tribulation is that the entire world will be divided into ten, distinct nations ruled by ten kings. If Daniel\u2019s words in chapter <\/span>7<\/a> are taken literally, one cannot limit these ten nations merely to Western Europe; they will have to cover the entire world. Perhaps the European Union may some day become one of <\/span>the ten, but biblically speaking, it could never become all ten. During the first half of the Tribulation, ten men will rule the political affairs of the world co-equally. But in the middle of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will declare war against these ten kings. In the course of this war, he will succeed in killing three of them, and the other seven will submit to his auth<\/span>ority. At that point, the Antichrist will institute the second political system of the Tribulation, that of his being the one world political ruler.<\/span><\/p>\n

There will also be two distinct religious systems, one for each half of <\/span>the Tribulation. The religious system of the first half of the Tribulation is described in Revelation 17<\/a> in terms of \u201cecclesiastical\u201d Babylon. There will be a unification of all false denominations an<\/span>d the unification of all false religions into a one world super religious system. This one world super religious system will control the religious affairs of the world during the first half of the Tribulation. Those who do not submit to its religious authority will suffer persecution. But in the<\/span> middle of the Tribulation, and after the Antichrist takes over political control, he will destroy this one world religious system himself. He will then take over the Jewish Temple, seat himself in the Holy of Holies of the Jewish Temple, and declare himself to be the one true god. Thus, the religious system of the second half of the Tribulation will be the worship of the Antichrist. Those who accept him as god must signify it by taking his mark of 666. From the middle of the Tribulation unt<\/span>il the point of the Campaign of Armageddon, <\/span><\/span>during this period of tremendous Jewish persecution, one man will serve as both the one world political ruler and the one world religious ruler.<\/p>\n

With this backgroun<\/span>d and introduction, this study of the Campaign of Armageddon can be divided into eight distinct stages, and this, in turn, will facilitate the understanding of the sequence of events.<\/p>\n

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I. The First Stage: The Assembling of the Allies of the Antichrist<\/p>\n

The Campaign of Armageddon will begin with the sixth bowl judgment, according to Revelation 16:12\u201316<\/a>:<\/p>\n

And the sixth poured out his bo<\/em><\/span>wl upon the great river, the river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way might be made ready for the kings that come from the sunrising. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of<\/em><\/span> the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs: for they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.) And they gathered them together into <\/em><\/span>the place which is called in Hebrew <\/em><\/span>Har magedon<\/span>.<\/p>\n

In verse 12<\/a>, with the outpouring of the sixth bowl judgment, the Euphrates River will be <\/span>dried up. This drying up process will be for the purpose of making it easier for the Antichrist to assemble his forces for the Campaign of Armageddon.<\/p>\n

In verses 13\u201314<\/a>, a decree will be issued from the<\/span> capital city of Babylon, located on both banks of the Euphrates River, ordering the allies of the Antichrist to gather their armies together. The gathering for this final campaign against the Jews is clearly the work of the counterfe<\/span>it trinity. All three members of the counterfeit trinity are involved: the dragon or Satan, the counterfeit father; the beast or the Antichrist, the counterfeit son; and the false prophet, the counterfeit holy spirit. This summons will be reinforced by demonic activity to make sure the nations will indeed cooperate in assembling their armies.<\/span><\/p>\n

In verse 16<\/a>, the plac<\/span>e where the allies of the Antichrist will be gathered is called Har magedon<\/span>. This is a combination of two Hebrew words, meaning \u201cthe mountain of Megiddo.\u201d One can see the entire Valley of Jezreel from<\/span> the mount upon which the city of Megiddo once stood. What is known as the \u201cValley of Armageddon\u201d in Christian circles is actually the biblical Valley of Jezreel. The term \u201cArmageddon\u201d is never applied to the valley itself, but only to the mount at the western end.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the term \u201cBattle of Armageddon\u201d has been commonly used, this is really a misnomer. For this reason, many prophetic teachers have<\/span> stopped employing that term and are now using the \u201cCampaign of Armageddon,\u201d as in this study, because there is not only one battle, but several as part of the overall campaign. But this, too, is a mi<\/span>snomer to some extent. There will be no fighting in Armageddon itself, for all of the fighting will take place elsewhere. The Valley of Jezreel, which is guarded by the Mountain of Megiddo, will merely serve as the gathering ground for the armies of the Antichrist. Armageddon will play the same role that England played in the closing sta<\/span>ges of World War II. The allied forces gathered their armies in England, but that is not where the final battle took place. That final conflict began on the beaches of Normandy, France on D Day. Armageddon will also serve as a gathering place, with the battle beginning elsewhere. A more biblical title for this final conflict is found in the closing words of verse <\/span><\/span>14<\/a>: the war of the great day of God, the Almighty<\/em>. This is a more accurate description of the n<\/span>ature and extent of this conflict.<\/p>\n

Revelation 16<\/a> describes the gathering of the armies of the nations more or less from man\u2019s perspective. From man\u2019s standpoint, it is merely a military gathering call<\/span>ed together by the Antichrist. But two other passages that also speak of this event show God\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n

The first passage is Joel 3:9\u201311<\/a>: Proclaim ye this among the nations; prepare war; stir up t<\/em><\/span>he mighty men; let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Haste ye, and come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together: thither ca<\/em><\/span>use your mighty ones to come down, O Jehovah.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The second passage describing God\u2019s viewpoint is found in Psalm 2<\/a>: Why do the nations rage, And <\/em><\/span>the peoples meditate a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against Jehovah, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bonds asunder, And cast away their cords from u<\/em><\/span>s. He that sits in the heavens will laugh: The Lord will have them in derision. Then will he speak unto them in his wrath, And vex them in his sore displeasure: Yet I have set my king Upon my holy hill of Zion. I will tell of the decree: Jehovah said unto me, You are my son, This day have I begotten you. Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession. <\/em><\/span>You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter\u2019s vessel. Now therefore be wise, O ye kings: Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve Jehovah with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, For his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that take refuge in him.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

While God\u2019s viewpoint in Joel is one of mockery, in Psalm 2<\/a> it is one of laughter. God is portrayed as sitting in the heavens and laughing because He will soon have these nations i<\/span>n confusion. The nations are mockingly encouraged to go ahead and take their farming equipment and turn it into weapons of war. As for those who are weak, let them persuade themselves that they are strong because, while Satan and the Antichrist gather the nations for the purpose of destroying the Jews, God has His own, <\/span>very different purpose for permitting this gathering to take place. Although the nations will assemble to carry out the <\/span>program of the counterfeit trinity, they will actually accomplish the purpose of the Triune God.<\/p>\n

This gathering of the armies of the nations in the Valley of J<\/span>ezreel will be the first stage of the Campaign of Armageddon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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II. The Second Stage: The Destruction of Babylon<\/p>\n

As a note of introduction to the second stage, when the Bible talks about \u201cpolitical\u201d Babylon, it should be taken literally, not as being representative of a symbol of Rome or the Roman Catholic Church.<\/p>\n

The prophecies cited in this section that speak of Babylon have never been fulfilled in the Babylon of history. Since these prophecies have not been fulfilled in the manner in which the Scriptures demand, and since God\u2019s Word will some day be fulfilled, these very prophecies demand that the city of Babylon will some day be rebuilt, become the capital of the world of the Antichrist, and then be destroyed during the second stage of the Campaign of Armageddon.<\/p>\n

Five chapters of Scripture are devoted to a detailed description of the second stage of the Campaign of Armageddon: Isaiah 13\u201314<\/a>; Jeremiah 50\u201351<\/a>; and Revelation 18<\/a>. Space does not allow for an in depth look at all these passages, and so this section will focus on certain segments of the Isaiah and Jeremiah accounts only.<\/p>\n

Isaiah 13:1\u20135<\/a> states: The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. Set ye up an ensign upon the bare mountain, lift up the voice unto them, wave th<\/em>e hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. I have commanded my consecrated ones, yea, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones. The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people! the noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Jehovah of hosts is mustering the<\/em> host for the battle. They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Jehovah, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.<\/em><\/p>\n

The burden of Babylon that Isaiah saw was another gathering of many peoples. Whereas the gathering in the first stage will be the pro Babylon and pro Antichrist forces, these will be anti Babylon and anti Antichrist forces. Their purpose will be to destroy Babylon. According to verse 3<\/a>, the ones who are destroying Babylon are God\u2019s consecrated ones or God\u2019s \u201csainted ones,\u201d meaning believers. Gentile believers in the Tribulation comprise these armies that destroy the city of Babylon. In the remaining verses (Is. 13:6\u201314:23<\/a>), there is a detailed description as to the \u201cmeans\u201d and \u201chows\u201d Babylon will be destroyed. Verses 6<\/a> and 9<\/a> place these events within the day of Jehovah, the most common biblical term for the Tribulation. In other words, this is not a prophecy fulfilled any time in ancient history, but one to be fulfilled during the Tribulation.<\/p>\n

Jeremiah 50:9\u201310<\/a> state: For, lo, I will<\/em> stir up and cause to come up against Babylon a company of great nations from the north country; and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of an exp<\/em>ert mighty man; none shall return in vain. And Chaldea shall be a prey: all that prey upon her shall be satisfied, says Jehovah.<\/em><\/p>\n

Jeremiah 50:41\u201342<\/a> state: Behold, a people comes from the<\/em> north; and a great nation and many kings shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth. They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roars like the sea; and they ride upon horses, ever<\/em>y one set in array, as a man to the battle, against you, O daughter of Babylon.<\/em><\/p>\n

Jeremiah sees the same thing Isaiah saw over a century earlier; groups of armies that are gathering for the purpose of destroying the city of Babylon, the capital of the world under the Antichrist.<\/p>\n

Revelation 18<\/a> also deals with this topic and emphasizes the fact that when Babylon is destroyed, it is destroyed suddenly, quickly, and massively. Before anyone really knows what is happening, Babylon, the capital of the world, is burning away.<\/p>\n

The importance of the Jeremiah passages is that it is clearly indicated that the king of Babylon is not in the city when Babylon is destroyed. Verse 43<\/a> states: The king of Babylon has heard the tidings of them, and his hands wax feeble: anguish h<\/em>as taken hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail.<\/em><\/p>\n

And Jeremiah 51:31\u201332<\/a> state: One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to show the king of Babylon that his city <\/em>is taken on every quarter: and the passages are seized, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.<\/em><\/p>\n

The very fact that messengers must be sent to inform the king of Babylon that his city is destroyed is a clear cut indication that he is not there when it happens. Otherwise, there would be no need to tell him. So where is he? By comparing the Scriptures of the first stage with those of the second stage, it would appear that, while the Antichrist is meeting his forces in the Valley of Jezreel, his enemies take this opportunity to gather and destroy his capital city very quickly, suddenly, and massively. One messenger must run to meet another as in a relay until they have reached the king of Babylon, the Antichrist, wherever he is, to inform him that his capital city has now been destroyed.<\/p>\n

The destruction of Babylon marks the second stage of the Campaign of Armageddon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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III. The Third Stage: The Fall of Jerusalem<\/p>\n

Zechariah describes the third stage of the Campaign of Armageddon in two places. First, Zechariah 12:2\u20133<\/a> states: behold, I will make Jerusalem <\/em>a cup of reel<\/em><\/span>ing unto all the peoples round about, and upon Judah also shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all t<\/em><\/span>hat burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it.<\/em><\/p>\n

The second is Zechariah 14:1\u20132<\/a>: Behold, a day of Jehovah comes<\/em><\/span>, when your spoil shall be divided in the midst of you. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth int<\/em><\/span>o captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.<\/em><\/p>\n

Although the Antichrist will have all his allied forces with him when he receives the news <\/span>that his capital city has been destroyed, he does not move eastward to destroy his enemies. It is Satan who will be in control and it is Satan\u2019s program of Jewish destruction that will be uppermost in his mind. So instead of moving east, the Antichrist will move south against Jerusalem.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the Valley of Jezreel, the armies of the Antichrist will move south and all the armies of all the nations w<\/span>ill gather against Jerusalem. The attack on Jerusalem is followed by some very heavy fighting described in Zechariah 10:4\u20139<\/a> and Micah 4:9\u20135:1<\/a>, which deal with this particular stage of the Campaign of <\/span>Armageddon. Although the forces of the Antichrist suffer heavy losses, eventually Jerusalem does fall.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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IV. The Fourth Stage: The Armies of the Antichrist at Bozrah<\/p>\n

While Jerusalem falls in the third stage of the Campaign of Armageddon, the majority of the Jews are no longer in Jerusalem. In fact, they are no longer even in the Land of Israel. According to Matthew 24:15\u201322<\/a> and Revelation 12:6\u201317<\/a>, the State of Israel as it now exists will collapse in the middle of the Tribulation and there will be another dispersion out of the Land. The majority of the one third Remnant that survives makes its way into a special place. The Scriptures provide several clues as to the location this place. According to Matthew 24:16<\/a>, it is in the mountains; in Revelation 12:6<\/a> and 13\u201314<\/a>, it is in the wilderness; and in Isaiah 33:12\u201316<\/a>, it is in a very rocky place that is easily defended. These are all clues, but no specific place is named.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

However, Micah 2:12<\/a> does name a specific place: I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of you; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the shee<\/em><\/span>p of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture; they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.<\/em><\/p>\n

The specific place where the Remnant of Israel is said to be hiding is a city know<\/span>n in Hebrew as Bozrah<\/span>. This city is better known today by its Greek name, Petra<\/span>. It is called Petra by the Greeks because this entire city is composed of buildings that are carved out of cliff rocks; <\/span>thus the name Petra means \u201ccliff rock.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Hebrew, the city is called Bozrah<\/span>, meaning \u201csheepfold,\u201d because of its shape. An ancient sheepfold had a very narrow passageway going in so that the shepherd<\/span> would be able to count his sheep as they entered the sheepfold to make sure none were lost. Once they were inside the sheepfold, it would open into a larger, circular area where the sheep would have more freedom of movement. That is exactly what Bozrah looks like. The only way into this city is by a very narrow passageway<\/span> that extends for about one and one quarter miles. This narrow passageway can be defended by only two men against a whole army. Once one is through this passageway, he is inside a huge, circular area. It is a place that is \u201ceasily defended\u201d; it is within the wilderness of the area of Jordan; it is also in the mountain ranges of Mount Seir. It is part of the ancient territory known as Edom or modern day southern Jordan.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Why here of all places? Besides the fact that it is e<\/span>asily defended, another reason is given in Daniel 11:36\u201345<\/a>. Here Daniel describes the conquest of the Antichrist in the middle of the Tribulation as he begins his world political takeover. But verse 4<\/span>1<\/a> makes the following statement: He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the <\/em><\/span>children of Ammon.<\/em><\/p>\n

While the Antichrist does gain world political control, Daniel says three nations will escape his domination. These three nations are the ancient nations of Edom, Moab, and Ammon. T<\/span>oday, all three of these ancient nations comprise only one nation: Jordan. The city of Petra or Bozrah is within the territory of ancient Edom or modern southern Jordan.<\/p>\n

As always in Jewish history, w<\/span>henever there has been persecution of the Jews in one part of the world, God has always opened up a place, a city of refuge, in another part of the world. The year 1492 was a crucial year in Jewish hi<\/span>story, as the nations of Europe began expelling their Jews, that was the same year Columbus discovered the New World, which has become one of the greatest havens for Jewish refugees fleeing persecution elsewhere. The principle is th<\/span>at when the Jews are being persecuted in one place, there is a city of refuge in another place.<\/p>\n

Even in the Tribulation, when the whole world turns against the Jews und<\/span>er the Antichrist, God makes certain there is one place in the world outside the political domination of the Antichrist: the land of Edom or modern southern Jordan. That is the only place the Jews will be able to flee to, and that is where they will flee. The bulk of the <\/span>Remnant will be hiding there at that time.<\/p>\n

Since the purpose of the Campaign of Armageddon is the total annihilation of the Jews<\/span> still living, after Jerusalem falls in the third stage, next comes the fourth stage, when the armies of the world will move southward from Jerusalem to Bozrah. This is made clear by Jeremiah 49:13\u201314<\/a><\/span>: For I have sworn by myself, says Jehovah, that Bozrah shall become an astonishment, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes. I have heard tidings from <\/em><\/span>Jehovah, and an ambassador is sent among the nations, saying, Gather yourselves together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.<\/em><\/p>\n

The next place where the nations of the earth will gather is <\/span>at Bozrah in order to destroy the Remnant of Israel that will be gathered there. In stage four, the armies begin moving south and applying pressure upon the bulk of the Remnant now in hiding in the city of Bozrah or Petra.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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<\/span><\/span>V. The Fifth Stage: The National Regeneration of Israel<\/p>\n

There are two preconditions that must be met for the Second Coming of the Messiah: the national confession of Israel and the plea for the Messia<\/span>h to return.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>A. The National Confession of Israel<\/p>\n

According to Leviticus 26:39\u201342<\/a>, before Israel can enjoy the full benefits of the Abrahamic Covenant as it pertains to the borders of the Promised Land, there is o<\/span>ne specific iniquity of their fathers that must be confessed first. Jeremiah 3:12\u201318<\/a> also teaches that before Israel can enjoy the full benefits of the Millennial or Messianic Kingdom, they must confe<\/span>ss their iniquity. Again, the iniquity was both singular and specific: one specific sin has to be confessed before they can enjoy the full benefits of the Millennial or Messianic Kingdom.<\/p>\n

Hosea 5:15<\/a> r<\/span>eads: I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly.<\/em><\/p>\n

Before one can go back to a place, he must first leave i<\/span>t; only then can he then return to it. God says that He will return to His place. God\u2019s place is Heaven, so before God can return to Heaven He must first leave it. When did God ever leave Heaven? He left Heaven at the Incarnation when He became man in the <\/span>person of Yeshua of Nazareth. But because of one specific offence committed against Him, He went back to Heaven at the Ascension from the Mount of Olives. Furthermore, He will not return to this earth until that offence is confessed. The Jewish national offence committed against the person of Jesus was not in killing Him, because it was Gentiles who put Jesus to death. The Jewish national offence lies in the rejection of His Messiahship. Until that rej<\/span>ection is confessed, there will be no Second Coming.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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B. The Plea of Israel<\/p>\n

Zechariah 12:10<\/a> states that before there can be a national cleansing of Israel\u2019s sins (Zech. 13<\/a>), and before there can be a Second Coming of the Kingdom (Zech. 14<\/a>), Israel must first look unto the One whom they have pierced, and mourn for him as one mourns for an only son according to Matthew 23:37\u201339<\/a>, before Yeshua will come back, Israel must plead for Him to come back with the words: Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. The point is that just as the Jewish leaders once led the nation to the rejection of the Messiahship of Jesus, the Jewish leaders must some day lead the nation to acceptance of the Messiahship of Jesus.<\/p>\n

The basis of the Second Coming of the Messiah deduced from these passages is basically twofold: first, Israel must confess her national sin, the rejection of His Messiahship; secondly, they must plead for Him to return\u2014as one mourns for an only son.<\/p>\n

Hosea 6:1\u20133<\/a> is the continuation of the thoughts of chapter 5<\/a>. Hosea 5:15<\/a> ended with the statement that Yeshua the Messiah would not return to this earth until that offence of the rejection is confessed. These verses are a response to the demands of Hosea 5:15<\/a>: Come, and let us return u<\/em>nto Jehovah; for he has torn, and he will heal us; he has smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. And let us know, let us follow o<\/em>n to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that waters the earth.<\/em><\/p>\n

At this stage of the Campaign of Armageddon, one way or another the Jewish leaders will finally discover why all this has fallen upon them. They will finally realize that the root problem has been the rejection of the Messiahship of Jesus. When the Jewish leaders finally learn this, they will then issue the decree of Hosea 6:1\u20133<\/a>. The last three days of the Great Tribulation, the last three days before the Second Coming, will begin at the point when this decree is issued.<\/p>\n

During the first two of these last three days, Israel will confess her national sin: the rejection of the Messiahship of Yeshua. The words of that confession are contained in Isaiah 53:1\u20139<\/a>. While this passage is often looked upon as a prophecy of the Crucifixion, and it certainly is that, it is more than that. It contains the actual words of Israel\u2019s confession during the first two of the last three days of the Great Tribulation. Thus it will fulfill the first part of the condition for the Second Coming.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

On the third day of the last three days Israel, as<\/span> a nation, will be saved. As Isaiah 66<\/a> puts it, Israel will be born in one day. As Paul puts it in Romans 11:26<\/a>: all Israel shall be saved. At that point\u2014on the third day of these last three days\u2014they<\/span> will plead for the Messiah to return. This will fulfill the second part of the condition for the Second Coming. The words of that pleading are also contained in Isaiah 64<\/a>, Psalm 79<\/a>, and Psalm 80<\/a>. Spa<\/span>ce does not allow us to deal with all of these passages except for the following excerpts from Psalm 80<\/a>. The entire Psalm is one in which Israel is pleading for the Messiah to return.<\/p>\n

Verses 1\u20133<\/a> set t<\/span>he tenor of the entire Psalm: Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You that lead Joseph like a flock; You that sit above the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up your mi<\/em><\/span>ght, And come to save us. Turn us again, O God; And cause your face to shine, and we shall be saved.<\/em><\/p>\n

Israel is pleading for God to deliver them out of a very severe predicament.<\/p>\n

Verse 17<\/a> shows specifi<\/span>cally for whom they are asking; they are still addressing their prayer to God when they pray: Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, Upon the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.<\/em><\/p>\n

T<\/span>he specific Person for whom they are pleading is the One on God\u2019s right hand. This is none other than Jesus the Messiah who has been sitting at the right hand of God the Father ever since His Ascension<\/span> from the Mount of Olives. He is the son of man. A day is coming when the Jews will request Him to arise from that seat to deliver Israel and He will do so.<\/p>\n

All of this comprises the fifth stage of t<\/span>he Campaign of Armageddon: Israel\u2019s national regeneration. Once that happens, the two preconditions to the Second Coming are met.<\/p>\n

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VI. The Sixth Stage: The Second Coming of the Messiah<\/p>\n

In the sixth stage, Yeshua will return at the request of the Jews for Him to do so. The initial place of His return will not be the Mount of Olive<\/span>s, as is commonly taught, but the place known as Bozrah. The Second Coming itself is described in a number of passages in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Some examples designating the place of the Second Coming include: <\/span>Psalm 18:8\u201316<\/a>; Ezekiel 39:21\u201329<\/a>; Habakkuk 3:1\u201319<\/a>; Matthew 16:27<\/a>; 24:30<\/a>; Acts 1:9\u201311<\/a>; Jude 14\u201315<\/a>; and Revelation 19:1\u201316<\/a>, among many, many others. At this point, the c<\/span>oncern is not those passages that describe the manner of His Second Coming, but what the Bible says about the place of the Second Coming.<\/p>\n

While the general conception is that when the Messiah initiall<\/span>y returns, He will return to the Mount of Olives, the Bible actually puts the Second Coming elsewhere. Four passages definitely place the Second Coming at the city of Bozrah or Petra and a fifth may refer to this event.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A. Isaiah 34:1\u20137<\/a><\/p>\n

Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye peoples: let the earth hear, and the fulness thereof; the world, and all things that come forth from it. For Jehovah has indignation against all the nations, and wrath against all their host: he has utterly destroyed them, he has delivered them to the slaughter. Their slain also shall be cast out, and the stench of their dead bodies shall come up; and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all their host shall fade away, as the leaf fades from off the vine, and as a fading leaf from the fig tree. For my sword has drunk its fill in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Edom, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment. The sword of Jehovah is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for Jehovah has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. And the wild oxen shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls: and their land shall be drunken with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.<\/p>\n

In this passage, Isaiah names the place of the Second Coming of the Messiah. In verses 1\u20133<\/a>, Isaiah begins with a call to all the nations by declaring that God has indignation against all these nations and against their armies in particular. They are destined to be slaughtered with the sword of the Jehovah. But when the sword of God strikes all the armies of all the nations, in what place will it strike? In verse 5<\/a>, the country where all the nations will be smitten is identified as the land of Edom or modern day southern Jordan. But verse 6<\/a> gets even more specific; the name of the specific city within the land of Edom where the sword of God will strike against all the armies of all the nations is clearly stated to be the city of Bozrah.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>B. Isaiah 63:1\u20136<\/a><\/p>\n

The second passage is even more graphic. In chapter 63<\/a>, Isaiah is standing some place along the mountain ranges of Israel, and suddenly he sees a very graphic picture of an Individual<\/span> approaching him. A question and answer session ensues between Isaiah the Prophet and this Individual.<\/p>\n

The first question is in verse 1a<\/a>: Who is this that comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozr<\/em><\/span>ah? this that is glorious in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength?<\/em><\/p>\n

And the Man answers in verse 1b<\/a>: I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.<\/em><\/p>\n

Only one person can possibly fit th<\/span>is description: the One who marches in grandeur and splendor, the One whose clothing is arrayed with the Shechinah Glory, is none other than Yeshua the Messiah. Only one man can make this claim: I that speak in righteousness, mighty to<\/span> save. Again, this is none other than Jesus the Messiah described, not in His First Coming, but in His Second Coming when He comes in His glorified state. He is now returning to Israel, but notice where He is coming from according to verse <\/span>1<\/a>: the place is the land of Edom, specifically the city is the city of Bozrah.<\/p>\n

Isaiah noticed that the clothing, though glori<\/span>fied with the Shechinah Glory, is nevertheless stained with blood. Isaiah inquires as to how His garments became stained in verse 2<\/a>: Wherefore are you red in your apparel, and your garments like him t<\/em><\/span>hat treads in the winevat?<\/em><\/p>\n

Isaiah\u2019s inquiry is answered in verses 3\u20136<\/a>: I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me: yea, I trod them in mine anger, and trampled the<\/em><\/span>m in my wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore my own arm brought salvation unto me; and my wrath,<\/em><\/span> it upheld me. And I trod down the peoples in my anger, and made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The staining of His garments with blood was caused by a battle fought in the land of Edom and the city of Bozrah. He fought against the<\/span> nations alone. In the course of His trampling the nations, their lifeblood was sprinkled on His garments, staining them red. He fought all alone and there was none to help Him. Although the Church saints and the army of angels will return with Yeshua, neither the Church saints nor the angels participate in the fighting. He does this<\/span> all by Himself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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C. Habakkuk 3:3<\/a><\/p>\n

God came from Teman, And the Holy One from mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of praise.<\/em><\/p>\n

The third passage also places His initial return in this area. Both Teman and mount Paran are in the vicinity of Bozrah and located in the same mountain range of Mount Seir. The context is obviously speaking of the Second Coming and that event is said to be in the same area.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>D. Micah 2:12\u201313<\/a><\/p>\n

I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of you; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture; the<\/em><\/span>y shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. The breaker is gone up before them: they have broken forth and passed on to the gate, and are gone out thereat; and their king is passed on before them, and Jehovah at the head of them.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The Remnant of Israel gathered in Bozrah and the Second Coming are linked together in the fourth passage. In verse 12<\/a>, the Remnant of Israel will be gathe<\/span>red in Bozrah where they will be besieged by the forces of the Antichrist. In verse 13<\/a>, they are finally able to break the siege because Jehovah the King is leading them. The breaker, the king, and Je<\/span>hovah are all the same Person in this verse. At the Second Coming, the Messiah will enter into battle with the forces of the Antichrist that have gathered at this city.<\/p>\n

All these passages clearly pinp<\/span>oint the place of the Second Coming as being in the land of Edom and the city of Bozrah. This correlated with where the Remnant of Israel will be located in the last days.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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E. Judges 5:4\u20135<\/a><\/p>\n

Jehovah, when you went forth out of Seir, When you marched out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, Yea, the clouds dropped water. The mountains quaked a<\/em>t the presence of Jehovah, Even yon Sinai at the presence of Jehovah, the God of Israel.<\/em><\/p>\n

Although it is not certain that these verses are speaking of the Second Coming, the author leans toward this position with caution. If so, God is seen as coming from Mount Seir and from the land of Edom, in which the city of Bozrah is located.<\/p>\n

So at the sixth stage of the Campaign of Armageddon, Yeshua will return at the request of Israel and enter into battle with the Antichrist and his armies. With His return to the Remnant of Israel in Bozrah, He will Indeed save the tents of Judah first, before saving the Jews of Jerusalem, as predicted by Zechariah 12:7<\/a>: Jehovah also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem be not magni<\/em>fied above Judah.<\/em><\/p>\n

The term tents points to temporary abodes rather than permanent dwellings. The fact that Judah is living in tents shows that the nation of Judah is not home in the Land of Judah, but is temporarily elsewhere. That elsewhere is Bozrah. Since the Messiah will save the tents of Judah first, this, too, shows that the initial place of His return will be Bozrah and not the Mount of Olives.<\/p>\n

This is the sixth stage of the Campaign of Armageddon: the place of the Second Coming, which is the land of Edom the city of Bozrah or Petra.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

VII. The Seventh Stage: The Battle from Bozrah to the Valley of Jehoshaphat<\/p>\n

While the battle between the Messiah and the Antichrist will begin at Bozrah, it will apparently continue all the way back t<\/span>o the Eastern Wall of Jerusalem, where the battle will end. The Eastern Wall overlooks a section of the Kidron Valley, which is also known as the Valley of Jehoshaphat.<\/p>\n

Joel 3:12\u201313<\/a> states: Let the na<\/em><\/span>tions bestir themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about. Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is <\/em><\/span>full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.<\/em><\/p>\n

The fighting that begins in Bozrah continues as the Messiah tramples the armies of the nations. It finally terminates in the Valley of<\/span> Jehoshaphat, where the winepress is pictured as being situated. This is the same winepress found in Revelation 14:19\u201320<\/a>, where John sees a winepress spewing forth blood for a range of about two hundr<\/span>ed miles. The two hundred mile distance extends from the City of Jerusalem all the way down to the Gulf of Akaba.<\/p>\n

VIII. The Eighth Stage: The Victory Ascent Up the Mount of Olives<\/p>\n

After the actual fighting is completed, the victory ascent up the Mount of Olives is described in Zechariah 14:3\u20134a<\/a>: Then shall Jehova<\/em><\/span>h go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east.<\/em><\/p>\n

Zechariah pre<\/span>sents the picture in verse 3<\/a>. Even in this verse the fighting against the nations precedes His feet standing upon the Mount of Olives. According to verse 4a<\/a>, only after the fighting is over will his f<\/span>eet stand upon the mount of Olives. The same thing was stated two chapters earlier in Zechariah 12:7<\/a>, where Zechariah clearly states that God intends to save the tents of Judah first, meaning the tent<\/span>s of the people living outside Judah, before He rescues the inhabitants of Jerusalem. It is only after He rescues the Jews of Bozrah or Petra in the Second Coming, and only after all the fighting is over in verse <\/span>3<\/a>, only then will his feet stand upon the mount of Olives.<\/p>\n

Along with this victory ascent up the Mount of Olives, a number of cataclysmic events will occur as the Great Tribulation comes <\/span>to an end. These cataclysmic events will be the result of the seventh bowl judgment, as described in Revelation 16:17\u201321<\/a>: And the seventh poured out his bowl upon the air; and there came forth a great<\/em><\/span> voice out of the temple, from the throne, saying, It is done: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men upon the earth, so great an earthquake, so mighty. And the great city was divided into thre<\/em><\/span>e parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And great hail, every stone about the weight of a talent, comes down out of heaven upon men: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof is exceeding great.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In verse 17<\/a>, a voice cries out: It is done because the seventh bowl brings the Tribulation to <\/span>a definite end. In verse 18<\/a>, this declaration will be followed by convulsions of nature, including the greatest earthquake ever to occur in the history of the earth. In verse 19<\/a>, this will cause the C<\/span>ity of Jerusalem to split into three divisions, while the city of Babylon will suffer the full wrath of God. In verse 20<\/a>, many geographical changes will take place. And in verse 21<\/a>, hail weighing one <\/span>hundred twenty pounds will fall.<\/p>\n

This earthquake that will shake Jerusalem is further described in Zechariah 14:4b\u20135<\/a>: and the mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst thereof toward the east and to<\/em><\/span>ward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azel; yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fle<\/em><\/span>d from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and Jehovah my God shall come, and all the holy ones with you.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Not only will Jerusalem be split into three divisions, the Mount of Olives will be split into two parts, creating a valley running east and west. This newly formed valley will provide a way<\/span> for the Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem to escape from the earthquake that will destroy the city. In this way, the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be rescued following the deliverance of the other Jews in Bozrah.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another cataclysmic event that will take place at this time is the worldwide blackout, described in Matthew 24:29<\/a>: But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be dark<\/em><\/span>ened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.<\/em><\/p>\n

The earthquake and the blackout of this time are also described in Joe<\/span>l 3:14\u201317<\/a>: Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. And Jeho<\/em><\/span>vah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but Jehovah will be a refuge unto his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God, dwelling in Zion my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In verse 14<\/a>, with the multitudes defeate<\/span>d in the closing Day of Jehovah in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, in verse 15<\/a>, the blackout will occur, as well as the great earthquake in verse 16a<\/a>. But in verses 16b<\/a>, a refuge will be provided for the J<\/span>ews from these cataclysmic events by means of the valley cutting through the Mount of Olives, spoken of by Zechariah.<\/p>\n

The Great Tribulation and the Campaign of Armageddon will come to an end with thes<\/span>e cataclysmic events.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And they gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew Har magedon. Revelation 16:16 The two climactic events of the Great Tribulation are the Campaign of Armageddon and the Second Coming of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. A considerable amount of data about this time period is given in the Scriptures. One of … <\/p>\n

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