God's Anger Brought to a Finish - The Gathering to Armageddon

The Gathering to Armageddon

John tells us: "And I saw three unclean inspired expressions that looked like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the wild beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.  They are, in fact, expressions inspired by demons and perform signs, and they go forth to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty."  (Revelation 16:13, 14)  In Moses' day, Jehovah brought a loathsome plague of frogs on Pharaoh's Egypt, so that "the land began to stink." (Exodus 8:5-15) During the Lord's day, there has also been a disgusting frog like visitation, though from a different source.  It consists of Satan's "unclean inspired expression,"  Clearly symbolizing propaganda designed to maneuver all human rulers, "kings," into opposition to Jehovah God. Satan thus makes sure that they are not swayed by the pouring out of the bowls of God's anger but are firmly on Satan's side when "the war of the great day of of God the Almighty" begins.

The  propaganda comes from "the dragon" (Satan) and "the wild beast" (Satan's earthly political setup), creatures that we have already met up with in Revelation.  What, though, is "the false prophet"?  This is a newcomer in name only. Previously we were shown  a wild beast with two horns like a lamb that performed great signs before the seven-headed wild beast.  This deceptive creature acted like a prophet for that wild beast.  It promoted worship of the wild beast, even causing an image to be built to it.  (Revelation13:11-14)  This wild beast with two horns like a lamb must be the same as "the false prophet" mentioned here. Confirming this, we read later that the false prophet, like the symbolic wild beast with two horns, "performed in front of [the seven-headed wild beast]  the signs with which he misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who render worship to its image. - Revelation 19:20.

With so much satanic propaganda around, the next words that John records are indeed timely:  "Look! I am coming as a thief.  Happy is the one that stays awake and keeps his outer garments, that he may not walk naked and people look upon his shamefulness."  (Revelation 16:15) Who is coming "as a thief"? Jesus himself, coming at an unannounced time as Jehovah's Executioner.  (Revelation 3:3; 2 Peter 3:10)  While still on earth, Jesus also likened his coming to that of a thief, saying: "Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do no know on what day your Lord is coming.  On this account you too prove yourselves  ready, because at an hour that you do not think to be it, the Son of man is coming."  ." (Matthew 24:42, 44; Luke  12:37, 40) Echoing this warning, the apostle Paul said:  "Jehovah's day is coming exactly as a thief in the night.  Whenever it is that they are saying: 'Peace and security!  Then sudden destruction is to be instantly upon them."  Satan is even now maneuvering the nations toward making that false proclamation of "Peace and security!" -1 Thessalonians 5:2, 3.

Jesus also warned of the kind of pressures that this world, saturated with propaganda, would put on Christians.  He said: "Pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you as a snare . . .Keep awake, then, all the time making supplication that you may succeed in escaping all these things that are destined to occur, and in standing before the Son of man."  (Luke 21:34-36)  "That day" is "the great day of God the Almighty."  (Revelation 16:14) As "that day" of the vindication of Jehovah's sovereignty approaches, it becomes ever more difficult to cope with the anxieties of life.  Christians need to be alert and watchful, staying awake until that day arrives.

Next time: God's Anger Brought to a Finish - Conclusion of The Gathering to Armageddon

From the Book of Revelation