Revelation 16:12-16

12          Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance.

13          And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, beast, and false prophet.

14          They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.

15          “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”

16          And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew Name Armageddon.

The Euphrates River was a natural protective boundary against the empires to the east. (Babylon, Assyria, and Persia). These were nations that often-attacked God’s chosen nation at that time. If it dried up, nothing could hold back the invading armies. The “kings from the east” symbolized unhindered judgment. God’s protective boundary was removed, and unhindered judgment from all people were coming.

These evil spirits performed miracles, who come out of the mouths of the unholy trinity, unites the rulers of the world for battle against God. The imagery of the demons coming out of the three evil rulers signifies the verbal enticements and the propaganda that will draw many people to their evil cause. Let’s think about this critically. Followers are coming out of the mouths of three people in power that have an evil agenda: Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet. They will spread lies about the world, but that align with their agenda, to obtain followers and to go to bat for them in a way that supports their cause. We are constantly battling that in the world today. Our political world is a constant battle for some people. Democrats standing up for people. Republicans standing up for business. MAGA standing up against the “woke.” We are constantly flooded with these battles. Companies selling us on their “good” to continue their corporate greed and capitalistic manipulations. We can get sucked into this with ease because we are human. We can be easily manipulated. We can be easily swayed. So, what must we do?

Christ will come back to his battle against the evil forces of the world when we least expect it, so we need to be aware. Aware of the things that are happening. Aware of the battles that are coming. Aware that we must speak up and speak out. We must be prepared. It’s scary, it’s anxious, and it’s panic-inducing. However, it’s what God has called us to do. To be a voice for the voiceless, to care for the marginalized, and to love all. We can prepare our battles by standing firm against the temptation that’s thrown to us by politicians, corporations, news agencies, and learn to create our own understanding of them without the usage of media manipulation. We can stay committed to the teachings of God’s truth, found in the Gospels through the ministry of Jesus.

This battlefield where the battle between the angel and evil armies is called Armageddon. It’s located on the large plain of the Jezreel Valley, near the city of Megiddo (southeast of the modern port of Haifa). If you are a visual learner, it’s the northern district of modern-day Israel. It’s in the Haifa district, north of Tel Aviv. Meggido also guarded a strategic passage throughout the ridge of Mount Carmel along a prominent intentional highway leading north from Egypt through Israel and on to Babylon. The location is the scene of many battles.

Demonic forces will unite most of the people in this world to fight against God in a final display of rebellion. These people will have no regard for truth, peace, justice, and morality. Our personal battles with temptations, addictions, and evil are just a foreshadow of what is mentioned here. However, we know and remember that God has won the war. We know that Jesus defeated death, hell, and the grave.  We need to remain courageous and strong in our battles and remind ourselves that God has won. There will always be things in our life that will attempt to separate us from the truth of who God is. Stay committed, receive the victory, and enjoy the blessings of eternal life.

Next Part: The End is Poured Out – Part 7

Associated Scripture:

Revelation 16:12       Isaiah 11:15-16, 44:27; Jeremiah 50:38; 51:36

Revelation 16:13       Revelation 12:3, 13:1, 11-17

Revelation 16:14       Revelation 6:7, 17:14, 19:19

Revelation 16:15       1 Thessalonians 5:2, Revelation 3:3, 18

Revelation 16:16       Judges 5:19; 2 Kings 9:27, 23:29; Zechariah 12:11