'Jesus the Victorious King at Armageddon'- Bible Verse Handbook

Session 11 Jesus the Victorious King at Armageddon
(Joel 3:1-2, 9-17)

1“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, 2I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations…”   (Joel 3:1-2)

3Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up…10Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, ‘I am strong.'” 11Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD. 12“Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. 13Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow—for their wickedness is great.” 14Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness. 16The LORD also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the LORD will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. 17“So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, and no aliens shall ever pass through her again.”
 (Joel 3:9-17)

I. HUMAN HISTORY DOES NOT END WITH A NUCLEAR WAR

E. Jesus will come as the One from Edom who travels in great strength with His garments made red by the blood of His enemies.

1Who is this who comes from Edom…this One   [Jesus]  who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength…2Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? 3“…I have trodden them [ nations] in My anger…their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes.”  
(Isa. 63:1-3)

II. REVIEW: ALL NATIONS GATHERED FOR JUDGMENT (JOEL 3:2)

2“I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat [area near Jerusalem]; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of…Israel.”  (Joel 3:2)

A. The Lord will gather the armies of all the nations to one place.

2“I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken.”  (Zech. 14:2)

2. The Valley of Jehoshaphat

2  I will also gather all nations,
And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
And I will enter into judgment with them there
On account of My people, My heritage Israel,
Whom they have scattered among the nations;
They have also divided up My land.

12  “Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. (Joel 3:2, 12)

May speak of the Valley of Berachah. It is just outside of Jerusalem, where King Jehoshaphat gathered Israel to worship after a victory against Ammon and Moab

25When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found…an abundance…26They assembled in the Valley of Berachah…  (2 Chr. 20:25-26)

B. An angel told Daniel that Israel would be completely shattered, speaking of her national weakness at that time.

7I heard the man clothed in linen  [angel]… he held up his right hand…and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time  [3½ years]; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.  (Dan. 12:7)

C. Zechariah described the Jewish people as trapped against a mountain and surrounded on all sides when Jesus comes and sets His foot on the Mount of Olives. The mountain will split apart creating a valley, so that the Jewish people may escape from their persecutors.

4In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives…the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley…5Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee…Thus the LORD my God   [Jesus]   will come, and all the saints with You.  
(Zech. 14:4-5)

D. Satan will also work to gather the nations to Israel.

13I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (Rev. 16:13-14)

F. Another factor that will bring the nations together to war against Jerusalem will be their envy, bitterness, and greed against Israel—wanting to take the spoil from the land of Israel and steal the wealth of the Jewish people whom they wish to exterminate.

11Thus says the Lord GOD, “I will do according to your anger and according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you.”
 (Ezek. 35:11)

H. The Lord will have given every person ample opportunity to repent. Yet these ungodly leaders will be in a state of rage against Jesus and His people

1 Why do the nations rage, a nd the people plot a vain thing?
2  The kings of the earth set themselves, a nd the rulers take counsel together,
Against the  Lord  and against His Anointed,  saying,
3  “Let us break Their bonds in pieces a nd cast away Their cords from us.” (Ps. 2:1-3)

In their rebellion, their hearts will be hardened and completely unresponsive to the grace of God. They will hate God with perfect hatred

18  The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth.” (Rev. 11:18)

III. THE ZEAL OF THE JEALOUS KING

E. These events will make a great social and emotional impact upon the earth.

5The Lord…shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. 6He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries.   (Ps. 110:5-6)

F. The memory of these events will impact the social, emotional, legal, and economic decisions in the earth for the next 1,000 years

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  2  He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is  the  Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;  3  and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years

4  And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then  I saw  the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received  his  mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.  5  But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This  is  the first resurrection.  6  Blessed and holy  is  he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Rev. 20:1-6)

IV. UNDERSTANDING THE ARMAGEDDON CAMPAIGN

B. The Antichrist will conduct numerous battles and military campaigns around the world.

40  “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm  them,  and pass through.  41  He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many  countries  shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the  prominent people of Ammon.  42  He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 

43  He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians  shall follow  at his heels.  44  But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.  45  And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him. (Dan. 11:40-45)

1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.”  2  And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

3  When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.”  4  Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that  people  should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

5  When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.  6  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” (Rev. 6:1-6)

The largest and most violent will be the 3½-year Armageddon campaign, ending with the final battle in the Valley of Jehoshaphat—the battle of Jerusalem

14  For they are spirits of demons, performing signs,  which  go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

16  And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. (Rev. 16:14, 16)

D. Megiddo itself served as a military stronghold where many strategic battles in Bible history were fought.

There, Deborah defeated Sisera (Judg. 4-5)

Gideon defeated the Midianites (Judg. 6)

Saul died at the hand of the Philistines (1 Sam. 31)

Joshua defeated the Canaanite king of Megiddo when entering the promised land (Josh. 12)

Josiah was killed by the Egyptians

  22  Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo.

23  And the archers shot King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am severely wounded.”  24  His servants therefore took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had, and they brought him to Jerusalem. So he died, and was buried in  one of  the tomb s of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. (2 Chr. 35:22-24)

29  In his days Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went  to the aid of the king of Assyria, to the River Euphrates; and King Josiah went against him. And  Pharaoh Necho  killed him at Megiddo when he confronted him.  (2 Kgs. 23:29)

V. THE GENTILE NATIONS PREPARE FOR WAR AGAINST GOD!

9Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. 10Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, ‘I am strong.'”   (Joel 3:9-10)

B. The Holy Spirit will call men to beat their plowshares into swords and their pruning hooks into spears. He will appeal to and provoke the pride in their hearts.

4They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.   (Isa. 2:4)

C. By summoning the nations to prepare for war, the Lord will stir them up in their arrogance. These wicked nations only see defenseless Israel, without understanding that the Lord is setting a trap and will ambush them, as He comes from the sky with a heavenly army of angels and saints

14The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen…followed Him on white horses. (Rev. 19:14)

5  Then you shall flee  through  My mountain valley, f or the mountain valley shall reach to Azal.
Yes, you shall flee a s you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the  Lord  my God will come, a nd  all the saints with You. (Zech. 14:5)

D. David described the proud armies of the Antichrist in the end times.

1Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? 2The kings of the earth set themselves…against the LORD and against His Anointed [Jesus]…  (Ps. 2:1-2)

VI. LET THE NATIONS BE WAKENED

A. The Lord calls all the nations to battle, not wanting one guilty nation to be absent

“For behold, in those days and at that time,
When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, (Joel 3:1)

11Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones[angels] to go down there, O LORD. 12“Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.”   (Joel 3:11-12)

C. Psalm 45 portrays the glory and terror of that hour in which Jesus will go forth as a great warrior king against His enemies in the end times.

2You are fairer [more beautiful]than the sons of men…3Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, with Your glory and Your majesty. 4And in Your majesty ride prosperously  [victoriously]  because of truth, humility, and righteousness…5the peoples [nations] fall under You. 6Your throne, O God, is forever…7You love righteousness and hate wickedness…God has anointed You with the oil of gladness…   (Ps. 45:2-7)

D. Even as He endured God's wrath on the cross for the joy set before Him.

  2  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of  our  faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:2)

4  And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility,  and  righteousness;
And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things. (Ps. 45:4)

F. At other times in this book, Joel lifted his own voice to God in prayer

19  O  Lord , to You I cry out; f or fire has devoured the open pastures, a nd a flame has burned all the trees of the field. (Joel 1:19)

17  Let the priests, who minister to the  Lord , w eep between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, “Spare Your people, O  Lord , a nd do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where  is  their God?' ” (Joel 2:17)

11Cause Your mighty ones [angels] to go down there, O Lord!
  (Joel 3:11)

VII. THERE THE LORD WILL SIT AND JUDGE

A. At the end of the age, the harvest of sin will be ripe.

16  But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites  is  not yet complete.” (Gen. 15:16)

23  “And in the latter time of their kingdom, w hen the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king shall arise, h aving fierce features, w ho understands sinister schemes. (Dan. 8:23)

10  Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. (Dan. 12:10)

30  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but   gather the wheat into my barn.” (Mt. 13:30)

16  forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up  the measure of  their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. (1 Thes. 2:16)

18  And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.”  (Rev. 14:18)

  4  The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. (Rev. 17:4)

  5  For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.  (Rev. 18:5)

B. Joel recorded the intercession of angels who cried out, “Put in the sickle”.

13Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow—for their wickedness is great.   (Joel 3:13)

C. John describes part of the end-time scene from the heavenly point of view when angels cried out for the harvest of souls.

14On the cloud sat One like the Son of Man  [Jesus]… and in His hand a sharp sickle. 15And another angel…crying with a loud voice to Him… “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.   (Rev. 14:14-16)

D. The angels cry out in intercession for Jesus to act against the evil that has fully matured on the earth. They are praying for Jesus to judge the Antichrist's empire

17Another angel…he also having a sharp sickle. 18And another angel came out from the altar…and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” 19So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. (Rev. 14:17-19)

E. John records the final stage of the Armageddon campaign, where Jesus treads the winepress

17  Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

18  And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.”  19  So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw  it  into the great winepress of the wrath of God.  20  And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.
(Rev. 14:17-20)

Then later he more fully describes it.

12  His eyes  were  like a flame of fire, and on His head  were  many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.  13  He  was  clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  14  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.  15  Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  16  And He has on  His  robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

17  Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,  18  that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all  people,  free and slave, both small and great.”

19  And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.  20  Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.  21  And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. (Rev. 19:12-21)

H. Isaiah used the metaphor of treading grapes to portray the blood of the nations

Who  is  this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This  One who is  glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?—

“I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”

2  Why  is  Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?

3  “I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one  was  with Me.
For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes.
4  For the day of vengeance  is  in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come.
5  I looked, but  there was  no one to help, And I wondered
That  there was  no one to uphold;
Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me.
6  I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, Made them drunk in My fury,
And brought down their strength to the earth.” (Isa. 63:1-6)

VIII. THE VALLEY OF DECISION

14Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.   (Joel 3:14)

IX. JESUS WILL REIGN OVER ALL THE EARTH

15The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness. 16TheLORD will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the LORD will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. 17“So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, and no aliens [foreign armies in military conflict] shall ever pass through her again.”
(Joel 3:15-17)

C. The Lion of Judah will roar from Zion, or from literal Jerusalem!

16  The  Lord  also will roar from Zion,
And utter His voice from Jerusalem;
The heavens and earth will shake;
But the  Lord  will be a shelter for His people,
And the strength of the children of Israel. (Joel 3:16)

D. Jesus shall reign from His throne in Jerusalem over all the earth.

9The LORD [Jesus]  shall be King over all the earth.   (Zech. 14:9)

X. CONCLUSION

What a gift God has given us in showing us the end of the story. So often in our shortsightedness, we get weighed down with the cares of life. But the Lord is zealous for our hearts.

Even now He is deeply involved in our lives, orchestrating our circumstances in order for us to enter into the fullness of His plans for us—plans that are so marvelous we can hardly fathom them

9  But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
(1 Cor. 2:9)

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