Armageddon :
Armageddon “And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” Rev 16:12-16
Contemporary Application :
Contemporary Application Euphrates dried (Iraq) – making way for the kings of the east – Iran.
Frog-like ambassadors of three power blocks including the False Prophet, Chinese Dragon, and European Beast motivate the nations through the UN to place military forces in Israel
Place of the battle is Megiddo
Earlier Applications :
Earlier Applications Bible Students try to make sense of the prophecy in the context of their own times.
In the 19c. One common approach was to interpret the “drying up of the river Euphrates” as the decline of the Ottoman Empire which held sway over Palestine.
Iran and Iraq were nations that did not exist (they were born after WWI; there was no Chinese Dragon looming of the world stage of European politics; there was no cohesive European Beast.
Even Earlier Applications :
Even Earlier Applications In the OT the prophets foretell of a “Day of the Lord” and a battle in terms of their own political realities.
“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:... Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” Joel 3:9-14
Future Application? :
Future Application? After the deliverance of Israel from an invading regional superpower,
God will call the local surrounding nations to account in the land; he will bring back his people.
Local nations will submit or be subdued.
The “mighty ones” (some of the saints) will “come down” and direct Israel in her war with the nations.
Their political wisdom and military strategy will be darkened.
Egypt and Jordan will be desolate.
Or, God will just call the surrounding nations to account in the last days.